The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1917-07-16
1.-THE SCHOOL OF LIFE"
Excellent Sermon Based on Life Of
Paul Preached by DIR. John Bar
bour Yesterday Morning.


The words suggest Paul In the school
or life.
One of the most valuable talks to
some theological students recently was
one by a minister of forty years ex-
perience telling Of how his ideas had
enlarged and his religious experience
had been developed out of his own per-
sonal history. The popular idea is
that man should come from the sem
mary fitted for all ministers work
We hear people say he should be
taught all this or that before he leaves
school. Such people do not know how
much there is to learn, and that the
greatest part Is not In the books but In
life in what Pankhurst calls "the
school of event." He has to, learn to
speak by speaking and he has to learn
living by living.
1t is difficult for US to realize that
the mighty Paul had to pass through
these stages in his life to develop him
as the great teacher of the church. Was
he not one Of the most learned men Of
his time? Festus cried out Paul
much learning hath made thee mad"
He impressed every one as scholar,
taught as he had been at Tarsus and
Jerusalem. Nevertheless he had to
vitalize his knowledge through the ex-
perience of life. George Matheson has
written suggestive book on the spir-
itual development of Paul, some of 1t
rather fanciful, think, but based on a
great truth.
At the beginning his will had to be
broken by subsection to Christ, and
by being admitted by Annanias no.
body into the church. Then he had to
60 away for three years into Arabia
to study the scriptures anew and to
mediate on his future work. Then
came the contest with the world A
young lawyer has got to learn his law
In the shock Of contest at the bar, and
Paul had thus to deepen and make
certain his grasp Of the truth. Then
came the dlstrust of his own brethren
and the fight Of the Judaizers on him
and his preaching. To come through
all this unsecured, to learn the larger
charity and to love men more the more
he was prosecuted, this he must be
able to do to be like Christ Then
Paul had to learnt to preach. Taai
was a magnificent philosophical dis,
course at Athens but 1t is certain that
at Corinth afterwards he preached
only the doctrines of the cross. Their
he must enter the school of the thorn
as some of the greatest ministers have
had to do. Spurgeon was an intense
sufferer. preaching always in great
pain. Robert Hall prepared most o1
his sermons on his back writing II
pain. George Matheson was blind. As
Paul writes these words he Is in prison
and approaching old age. In this con
dition he writes have learned at las
to be content, |. selfcontained-inde
pendent of surroundings for my salts
faction. 81 can do all things, suffel
all things now through Christ wht
strengthened me-"
In this school of life not only ever!
minister but every Christian has t,
learn If he Is to develop In spiritua
manhood and usefulness. Every work
er In mission has to learn patienc
and sympathy as he deals with need,
people. Every great Bible teache
must have a personal experience of tn
truth he teaches. Children instructive
ly try their teacher by this. They ex
pect them to live the truth they teacl
them in the Sunday School.
Now there is involved in all this tina
the great purpose and wisdom of lif
is learning to be Christian. A mai
does not have to know much to start
but he Is to enter Christ's school an
put His yoke upon him. He is to learl
directly of the Great Teacher, as H
teaches him out Of the Bible and ou
of life. He is to learn by doing it.
Above all, he is ask the guidance o
the Holy Spirit. He is the wisest mai
who lives what he knows. We are t,
learn from others, too.
What fool young aviator woul'
be who would not profit by all that ha
been learned by the flying of others
who proposed to try It all over again
But That rs nothing compared with th'
folly of experimenting with thing;
which are running the the lives Of peo
pie all about us. What tragedies ar,
being enacted before us constantly o
young men whom their fathers car
teach nothing and young women whit
despise the teachings of prudence
and religion to experiment with thu
world What suffering would be saved
what years Of time IL we would jus
open our eyes and take to our hearts
the wisdom that cries out In the yer!
streets
A man said II have been forty year,
learning three things; first, that
could do nothing to merit salvation