The Detroit times., 1916-09-07
The international Sunday School
Lesson for September 10 10, "The
Arrest OF Paul."-Aets 21:t7-4o.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

~ Vf@1tFW ( 10
A few days ago one blazing noon,
! circulated amid the throngs OF
men listening 10 soap-box orators In
Madison-sQ.. New York. This spot
has come TO be a forum for the dis
cussion OF issues which the work
fnsmen deem most alive and I'm
portant There were four meetings
under way at the same time. What
was my surprise 10 nnd that none
was upon socialism or single tax or
woman suffrage or the garment max
ers' strike. but that al four were
dealing with some aspect OF religion!
One was q discuss. rather tummult-
uous, among Jews. over the Ten
Commandments. One was a straight
out svangelktic service, conducted
b. the churches. Another was 4
yafher inohoate presentation of the
social implications OF Christianity.
while the fourth. and largest. was a
Joint debate on the historicity OF
Jesus.
n would have been we'll II every
Newspaper editor. every preacher.
every law.maker and every teacher
In North America could have studied
that dramatic evidence OF the pres
nnntttar lnt ~ 90
Those hundreds, or thousands. OF
toilers spent the greater part Of
their lunch hour in standing in the
broiling sun. listening TO amateurish
talk about religion. The war bull
letins had no such crowds. There
was no selfinterest and no partisan.
ship In the thing. I estimated the
number OF men who seemed like
conventional church-members as en-
urcly negligible. The whole demon
stration illustrated the ancient and
tneradicable interest OF mankind in
the things beyond sense and time.
A says the old proverb. Man is an
inourably religious animal" One Of
several phases Of a BILLY Sunday
compaign more remarkable than the
cvangelist's preaching Is the vast
outpouring OF people. church goers
and non-church. goers. who are frank.
~ interested In vital religion.
The scenes on Madison.sq, IN the
Sunday tabernacle. az the great
Christian camp meetings and con.
ferences and conventions. are linked
historically by a fundamental tie,
with the riot at Jerusalem which re-.
suited in the arrest OF Paul. For
they all spell mans supreme inter
est IN religion. No other question
ever arouses so earnest a discus
sion as religion. Because every.
body has within his own heart what
Wordsworth beautifully calls Init
nations OF Immortality" he is con.
cerned with the question OF another
life and another world. The preach.
er who thinks he must preach upon
sensational topics. and--to use the
words OF tho editor OF a famous re.
ligious weekly concerning a "popu-
lar" minister OF his city-"compete
successfully with the other amuse.
ment enterprises OF the neighbor.
hood" shows himself a poor student
OF human nature. Religion. in every
fresh. genuine. vital expression. Is
the most interesting subject in the
world That proposition can be
proved by great array Of present
day evidence
An II Am Ready" Man.
II was question OF religion that
set the city Of Jerusalem by the
ears. as II attempted 10 mob tho
apostle Paul. even "a II had been
question OF religion that had crowd.
cd the great theater at Ephesus with
a noisy mob
Before we get 10 the riot that led
10 Rome. We should recall the cir
cumstances Paul had journeyed
steadfastly 10 Jerusalem. though
warned by loving friends, some Of
whom had the prophet.gift, that
bonds and Imprisonment and death
awaited him. His answer to the
friends In the house OF Philip OF
Caesarea revealed the man. What
can you mean by thus breaking my
heart with your grief7 Why. as for
me. am ready not only TO go TO
Jerusalem and be put In chains. but
even 10 die there for the sake Of
the Lord Jesus"
There you have Paul's great be-
quest 10 this day. message that is
echoed from every battlefield or the
great war. II is an easy and noble
thing TO die for great cause. The
dead are not 10 be pitied, but the
slaokers and the shirkers, the mis-.
cradle creatures who have pur.
chased personal safety and comfort
at the price OF honor. Pity the per
son who has no conviction and no
cause for which he would gladly
give up his life Envy. II you will,
those great souls who. like Paul. re-
joioe TO burn out for. God and their
fellow men The clarion call OF the
great apostle comes ringing down
the ages. bidding va to live greatly
and to dare greatly and TO suffer
greatly In a great time like the
present.
A beautiful picture is painted by
- haV