Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-10-06
PAUL IN GRIP OF
GREAT TESTING
Was Soreiy Tried: Arrested
and Thrown Into
Prison
(Ry William T. Eilis)
Gods ways are dark,
But soon or late
They touch the shining
Hills of day"

Severest of all testings is that of
endurance. 1t is hard to BE still
and know that am Cod The
Psalmist. who continually exhorted to
wait on the Lord" knew wherein
meT needed Strengthening. The hero
of the present course of lessons. Paul
of Tarsus. found himself in the grip
of great testing. He who had been
afire with ambition to plant the Good
News in virgin soil, must become a
prisoner and wait and wait and wait.
y sore trial was this, to the man, who,
above all other men, had a clear vis-
ion of the worlds urgent need. That
his rowing ministry should be arrested
in the very midst of his power, and
he be clapped into n Roman prison,
seems a strange providence. No Won
der he needed a special vision and
message from his Lord to fortify him
for it.
AS we tarry in the court of Felix,
before this new trial of the apostle
begins. let us recall. by provision. a
few factors which help us to perceive
the proyidences in Pauls case. The
arrest and Imprisonment of the great
missionary is clearly an event of
magnitude, for one-fourth of the Book
of the Acts is devoted to it. This SIM
Importance of the current lessons than
any amount of exhortation. The ar
rest meant ultimate arrival at Rome,
when Paul should stand at the CEN
ter of the known world and hold aloft
the cross. In the meantime, the case
OF Paul had become a celebrated is
sue in Jerusalem, something for the
people to talk about.
The CRATER on the Bench
There were many kinks and crook
ed places in this strange new trail that
was leading Paul to Rome. It must
have been hard for him to under
stand the fact that he had been hailed
before this notorious CRATER and
lecher, Governor Felix. How often
has it happened that the saint must
stand trial before the sinner! Not
seldom has innocence been placed at
the bar of guilt. No evil in the or
ganfZed life of man is more revolt
ing than the fact that so often men
OF unclean personal life, and Of cor
rupt professional practices, are ele-
waited to the judiciary. Even the bar
associations of our day are openly
considering this evil, so deep in the
popular resentment against it. Yet in
the Orient of old. as often to-day. the
judge was shamelesSly dishonorable.
merchandising his decisions to the
highest bidder.
This man Felix was notorious
CRATER = so infamous that he was
recalled by Rome. at the protest of
the Jews. His private life was on a
parity with his jucial practices. Even
the Roman historian Tacitus records
his infamy and cruelty. He was an
old man at the time of Paul's trial.
but he had recently seduced the child
wife OF the King of Emesa and made
her his third wife. This Drusilla.
who had abandoned her lawful hus-
band for the old rake Felix, was the
daughter of Herod Agrippa the First.
She was but child when she listened
to Paul of Tarsus. Her fate it was to
be buried with her child in the ruins
of Pompeii.
In the light of the immoralities of
Felx, is 1t any wonder that when, at
his second hearing, before both Felix
and Drusi1la, Paul dealt with the sub
jects of justice, self-control, and the
judgment that was soon to come.