Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-22

| During the past quarter we have fol-
lowed Paul into. Europe. We have seen
] him imprisoned and scOurged at Philippi,
prosecuted at Thessalonica, received in
Berea, ridiculed in Athens, misunder-
stood i'm Corinth, the cause of a riot In
Ephesus and arrested in Jerusalem on
false charges. We have studied some
of his letters in which he tells of the
/ Great practices of loving, and giving, and
Hooking for the Saviour Almost twice
around the known world cat that time)
have we followed him, and in spite of al!
Of his difficulties we have seen that he
never lost heart; he kept up his cour-
IGEe; ne showed untiring zeal, ana a
Willingness to make any sacrifice.
What was the secret of it all? What
was il that had empowered him? What
was il that enabled him to endure all
Of these things? Even though his body
was very frail he never complained, but
always rejoiced. The secret is two
| fold. First he was called of God to do
a definite work; and, second, he had a far
vision.
! In the second letter which he wrote
to the Corinthians and from which our
lesson is taken today, he had 20 defend
his position as a minister Of the gospel
Of Jesus Christ. When he was up in
Macedonia the third time he got word
that the Corinthians had misunderstood
him, and in the heat of Indignation he
wrote them this letter. He said a good
many things that let us into the SECRET
Of his life which he would not have
said probably in a calmer moment Just
here he is showing what principles have
actuated his ministry. He said that
it did not make any difference how he
was misunderstood because he realized
that he was called of God, he never lost
heart. And for this reason also, spoke
boldly and was open and above board
in everything he did, commencing him
self thus to all who heard him except
those whose hearts Satan had blinded
so that they could not see the truth.
Otherwise they would have been illumi-
mated, for this was the work which God
had called him to. do. God had illumi-
mated him in order that he might illumi-
nate others by showing them what was
the glory of God as it had been re-
vealed in the face of Jesus Christ
That is a great ministry, to illumt-
nate men To give them the knowledge
of Gods glory. The only. way that can
be shown them is as they look into the
face of Jesus Christ. Think it out some
time for yourself what that face was,
for only thus will you know what God
is.
we are just as truly Cdlleu OF OTOd 10
do the same definite work that Paul was.
He has illuminated our hearts in order
that we might illuminate others. The
trouble with us is that we do not appre-
ciate that this work is ours, but think
that 1t is for some one else who has
been set apart for what We call the
ministry When you do appreciate
that God has called you to this work.
1t will nerve you to activity just as it
did Paul
The second secret of PauTs courageous
ministry was the fact that he had the
farvision. He looked not at the things
which were seen, but at the things
which were not seen. He thus gained
the true perspective, and could see the
things which were going on in his life
from day to day i'm their right relation
ship. and actually spoke of them as a
light affiiction which avs but for mo-
ment and which would work out for him
far more exceeding and eternal weight
of glory. He did not claim that his
qualifications were of his own making,
but on the contrary he recognized that
the vessel was very frail in order that
the power eXerted through it might be
recognized as Gods power, not his.
Perspective, othe lack of It, is what
makes or mars a picture. A good pic-
ture is one in which the perspective
fails to do this One may look at a
golden sunset and then at a rose petal
The rose petal will appear to have more
red in ii than the sunset, but ii is lust
because it is near; there is really more
red in the sunset. If you could hold
the petal far enough off and still see
1t. the color would fade entirely after
bit, on account of the atmosphere be-
tween IL and the eye But the sun even
though millions of miles away, would
still have the red in it.
You can hold a penny so close to your
eye that you canpot see the great sun
at all; and yet when the penny is held
on at distance so that it may be seen
IN its true perspective, the proper reIa-
ton between the size of the penny and
the sun is recognized.
Just so when one has the far vision
We see things in their proper relation
snip. circumstances take their proper
size. one is no longer discouraged. and
one is able to do the present duty With
the rlght motive. Paul was perplexed.
yet he did not despair. He was pressed
but not abandoned. He was smitten
down, but not destroyed. He was daily
dying but being daily renewed, so that
the life that is Christ could be seen in
his life
Many times Paul must have felt the
WEAKNESS which such a strenuous life
as his entailed on a body as weak as
MS was but having the far vision he
realized that If the tent in which he
was living was taken down there was
awaiting for him house in the heavens
made with Gods hands, which would
be eternal, which was a far better dwell
ing place for him than the old dilapidat-
ed tent as he called his body, in which
he was living. And he knew that lust
as soon as that tent was taken down.
he would depart and be with Christ
which was far better. He did not want
to change dwelling places until God
was ready for him, but having the far
vision he was striving above all things
to satisfy Christ.
That is what we all need-the far Wis.,
ion. I'll is the antidote to discourage
ment. II is only when we have the
far vision that circumstances take
their proper size and we can see them
as God intended us to see them Are
you sick? Are you pursued by Satan?
Have YOU limitations which bother youo
Are you perpleXed? Do you find it hard
to make ends meet? These are the
things that ordinarily discourage people
But look at them i'm the light of far
vision. See them in their true per-
spective. and you will not lose heart any
more. Even though you are perplexed
yo Twill not despair. Even though you
are pressed you will not be hemmed in:
there will be way of escape. Even