Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-09-14

ISssoh iitS' a AiSoheh IL 'h"
Castle"
Lesson Text: Acts %: 1929. Mem
orize VS.. 1920.
Golden Text: "He is my refuge and
my fortress; my God, in whom i
trust" Ps. 91: 2.
/. Facing Ones Record.
When the Lord asked Paul to leave
Jerusalem on work for him, Paul re-
piled that his past record would hinder
this work. In measure this was
true. Paul had imprisoned and beaten
christians everywhere and consented
to the death Of stephen. But he start
ed out to make Il new record He did
not allow his ignorant mistakes, oy
moral failures of the past. to hinder
his serving God today. Some men sit
down and whine because they have
failed. 1t is harder to help such men
than those who are willing to try
again. If a man gives up, even when
his record is mighty bad, there is lit
tie hope for him.
We ought to be on the alert to help
men whose record has been bad They
must be given another chance. l won
der, sometimes, how many of us would
have voted to receive Paul into the
church. In the face of his record, we
might have hesitated. But in view Of
his new purpose, and also the busi
ness of the church itself to help such
men, we must give him repeated op
portunity to do right. When our
churches become filed with self salts
fed people, out Of sympathy with men
who are trying to get on their feet,
there is danger for religion and the
kingdom of God.
ii. The Dust Throwers.
After Paul's address the Record
says that the throng "cried out, and
threw of their garments, and cast
dust in the air." Thus they tried to
create disturbance and trouble. l have
been at base ball games when there
was runner on second, and the short
stop kept running up to the base to
hold the runner there. And frequent
ly he would pick up handful of dust
land throw 1t toward the bag, as tho
he were coming. Dust throwing for
the purpose Of deceit or confusion is
not modern institution. Some throw
literal dust, others make sighting re-
marks. By inuendo they cast sus-
picion on others. They try to make it
hard for people to see clearly. They
befog the issues in political cam
paigns. They are professional or tenn
peramental trouble makers. They
make up the unthinking mob. You
can find some Of them in every COM
munity. 1t is our business to see that
they do not hinder any good cause, or
defeat the work of the church, or mar
any mans reputation.
Ill. Examined by Scourging."
The world has had many curious
and inconclusive ways of trying men
to discover their guilt or innocence
have seen the old "ducking rock" at
Bermuda, from which those suspi-
cioned Of being witches We're pushed
off into the water. If they sank they
were innocent, but If they floated they
were guilty! Anyone who could keep
his head under water for bit Of time
could easily prove his innocence! II
was about the time Of the Salem
witchcraft in our own country. We
have done some queer things because
Of our vague fear of the occult.
We try people today by queer tests
We scourge men with our tongues and
wait to see what wickedness they de-
velop. We put women in the fire OF
community persecution to decide
whether the are pure or not. We at
tack strangers with inuendO and sus-
picion, when they move into new
community, even allowing them no op-
pOrtunity for reply or defense. It's q
queer world! We have only modern
lied the test of scourging and fire
which men used in Pauls time. 1t il
the handy weapon of the mob. II
may bruise the innocent and leave the
purest broken hearted. Can we moi
do ava with such vicious and unrea
sOnable customs? Are we not NOR,
enlightened than that Roman mob
that Salem community?