Norwich bulletin., 1918-03-18

Patrick's progress is indisputable evidence that God makes use of great spirits to exalt Him.
 I shall only refer to his disputed journey (after his escape1 to Tours and finally to Rome where he received a commission from Pope, Celestine. These events are wanting in f1istori- cal proof. There is, however, no doubt of his -returning to the Britpns who received him as son. It is also clear i that the great needs of the Irish peo- pie were constantly before him. At l this period of his life he becomes ! known to us as a dreamer Is it not a singular coincidence that so many of 1 the worlds choicest spirits have been men who saw visions 2? And the de- iscriptions of those visions are the most lvita1 things in literature.
 But l wish particularly to draw a icomparison between the vision of St. Paul and that of St Patrick. St. Paul had come to Samothrace, the western most point of Asia; 1t was also the fartherest point west that Christianity 1 had yet come. The great gentle stood facing pagan continent that was to
 be redeemed and civilized by the new
 faith. As he stood there he dreamed, and the influence of that dream
 changed the current of human history. He saw him in a vision the Man of
 Macedonia who stood with outstretch- ed arms and pleading voice, saying, l Come over and help us!" That man
 represented the appeal of unsatisfied pagan Europe for something better. The answer that Paul gave to that
 cry in introducing Christianity into Europe was the biggest event in hu- man history next to the birth of his Lord
 The Gall of the Irish.
 see St. Patrick with eyes strained Ito the west. He has vision of the land where once he was captive. Its lcomposite needs are crowded into this pathetic cry: "We pray thee, holy holy youth, to come and hence for
 ward walk amongst us!" This he saw
 was the call of the Irish," and like Paul he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. This dream was fol- l lowed by others which shows how completely his mission occupied his mind. As he was about 22 years of ltage when he escaped from captivity, he must have been in the neighbor- hood of 30 when he entered upon his immortal labors He was a member of the priesthood when he began his work land was made bishop 15 years later; this was testimony in favor of his success.
 The Ireland which this priest in- yaded with a great holy purpose was Inot wholly benighted. A few scat itered Christian churches were in ex- iistence; 8 rude, barbaric culture and some degree of civilization. The Irish ICelts were certainly people we'll Iyersed in pagan love, and showed much barbaric ,splendor in dress, man. 4 ner and customs, dwellings and in the various implements used. There were also poets, philosophers and historians Iwho were conyersant with the prevail ling language Their priests, the lDruids, whose cathedrals were the mighty forests, had done for them all
 that such faith could do St Pat
 rick found a people of great latent
 possibility and it only needed a mighty hand to make that latent pow CT active and direct it into proper
 channels. And his was the hand un- der Gods guidance to do this.
 II The Moses of Ireland.
 An ignorant and unspifitual man lceuld not have won the cultivated ICelts to Christianity, and among them he was wonderfully successful Prob fably no missionary ever had a great Ter variety of duties to perform; they twere religious, political and education al. He found a few widely scattered and dormant churches. He established others everywhere in the island where there were enough people to warrant : it. Then he unified them into a sys. tenn of which he was appointed tht apostolic head. He was emphaticaliy ! the Moses of Ireland as the interpreter of the will of God to the people.
 Society of that day was patriarcha and clannish in both form and spirit , For a while the people were satisfied with these primitive political condi tions and St. Patrick was wise enougl to let them grow into higher ideals ant aspirations. He knew that an organ . l ized religion would sooner or later de imand an organized state. And thus b, 1 a natural process the separated clam
 became unified into a state in mucl the same way that scattered churches i were brought together into an organ ized system. The unified national con science of Ireland was born in the la, ihors of St. Patrick.
 ,! It is roS easy to sum pin fev twords the main features of his many .sided character. His burning zeal fo ! the salvation of the people was al
 ways prominent, but nothing escapet
 ;his attention that tended to human
 improvement along any line. He wa
 terrible in his den1nciation of all kind
 iof injustice and wrong. but tender a
 a child in the presence of distress an,
 misfortune. He was combination 0
 the characteristic features of patriarch
 liking, prophet and apostle, but to m
 mind he most closely resembled tn
 Apostle John the Beloved a man 'fuI
 ;of grace and of the knowledge of tn
 Holy Spirit" Such a man has jus
 IL
 ;sequent ages.