Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-03-17

maritans. Philips work in Samaria
had wrought such results that even
Simon the most outstanding popular
leader of the city, was among those
who followed the crowds to hear
Philip. and who, too, yielded to the
new region. Apparently Simon
was converted all but his pocket
book; for he coveted spiritual gifts
for. "ecuniary gain to himself
There in old Samaria, by the help
of the apostles of Peter and John
the big issue OF money making in re-
ligion was fought to a conclusion. The
aNaricious spirit of Simon was broken
to contrition, and he and the people
were turned toward the pure and sim
pie life of the disciples of the Cruel
fed.
The First Laymcn's Movement
AS the embers of a fire are scat
tered by the blows meant to eXtin-
guish them, so Philip, like a Gospel
brand, had become beacon to the
Samartans. lie might be called rhe
first example Of the deputation work
by laymen that is increasingly popu-
lar throughout the land. or, we may
say that Philip inauSuratcd the first
laymen's movement
He did a great work in Samaria,
and was the center of n real revival.
Things were succeeding for him. APP
parently he had found the very place
wher he could do the best work. Then
suddenly the summons came for him
to follow the main highway out across
the desert to GAIA.
~ said, Let me walk in the fields.
lie said no, walk in the town
said There are no flowers there.
lie said, NO flowers, but crown
"I said. shall miss the light
And friends will miss me, they say.
He answered, Choose tonight
If / am to miss you or they
"I pleaded for time to be given,
He said, is it hard to decide?
| 1t will not seem hard in heaven
/ TO have followed the steps of your
guide"
! Leaving the Big For the Little
This summons seemed incredible
I What. Leave the big congregation
/ to go off to the desert to preach tc
one black eunuch? Yes; that Was
Philips call. God weighs the import
ance of service in different scales
from those used by man. Here is
Mrs. Blank, who has apparently Civ
en- up a social career and all her club
and committee work, merely to take
care of one baby 'She is wasting
[ her life" say her friends Impatient
! ly. But watt we cannot decide thai
until we know the story of the fu-
/ ture of the babe who is receiving the
| full thought and time of a wise ano
noble woman. We must not forget
/ that it is only the occasional student
that makes a school famous, and the
one man who lifts town above com
monplaceness.
( From our vantage point. centuries
removed, we can see that Philip was
taking the short cut to Africa, .ol
/ the message to which his life haC
been given. DR.. +. y. Peloubet, .ht
author of the famous commentary on
the Sunday school lesson, planned tC
go to India as a missionary, and sc
/ prepared himself. lie seemed to bC
/ thwarted in that desire; yet to-day
his lessons are used in mission fields
/ to be preacher; now, in an uneX'
pected fashion, ! have been led tC
minister through the printed page tC
| a weekly congregation numbering
millions Let us not think that God:
strange providences ceased with thu
days OF Philip to the Apostolic church
From Better To Best
This Ethiopian eunuch, treasure
of Queen Canadace, was man of higi
! position, and rode in state on hi
slow journey toward Egypt and hi'
own country beyond. AS he Travelled
he read aloud to himself. Let us no
tice the character of literature he tool
/ with him on his journey, and compare
it with the trash which nowaday
seems most popular with travellers
BY some strange quirli in their think
ing, people feel that travel literature
should be the flimiest obtainable. 'rhi
man. who was perhaps a "Proselyt
of the Gate" was reading those mov
ing words from the flfty-third chap
ter of Isaiah:
"IIe was led as sheep to th
slaughter;
And as a lamb before his shearer i
dumb,
SO he openeth not his mouth;
In his humiliation his judgment wa
taken away;
His generation who shall declare?
For his life is taken from the earth.
Frankly, the man did not under
stand what he was reading. Their,
are some persons who declare the!
would not read what they cannot un
derstand. All the best books, how
ever, are above the level of the oh
vious. The Bible is beyond most q
us. The church has been for cen
turies discovering new treasures @
truth between these old covers.
When lovers OF the Book study /
together they are likeliest to under
stand it better. ones eXperienc,
adds 10 the others knowledge. ST
the eunuch was led from the bette
to the best from the Old Testamen
TO the New; from the suffering Mes
siah of the prophecy to the CrucifeC
Christ of history.
That was an interesting Bible clas
held that day in the wilderness; ye
no more so than q thousand othc
mems Bible classes may be as the,
consider this very lesson. When sin
cere men study big problems will
open minds, there is hope for th
times. a few days ago, when visit
ing in rural North Carolina, the farm
er's son who came into my room [,
make the fire, greeted me with a ques
ton, not concerning some triviality o
metropolitan life or usage, but abou