Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-12-26

TO the world is Il Word of witness.
, Preaching. according to apostolic
specifications, is going TO save hui
manity. The good news is the only
hope OF bad times.
Accept no substitutes" A mo-
ton picture can never supplant the
message of a man who has had per-
sonal traffic with God. An open
forum is poor makeshift for an
Oper Book; it may draw the
crowds, but it is lkelier to make
Bolsheviks than Christians. The
Peter fashion at Pentecost set the
gait that the Church was meant TO
follow; she has strayed from it only
at her own peril and at mankinds
loss.
AS layman, and as Il proponent
of Christian publicity, and as for
ward-looking progressive, ], never
theless, declare it as a deep conNic-
tor born OF experience, observation
and study of the New Testament,
that the worlds great need to-day
is for more God d-aflame preachers
of the gospel of Il Crucitied and
Risen Christ. Lack of these is the
worst weakness of the Church.
Prophets in Peters mold - men
with a clear, unmistakable message
about God and the way out for the
world--men who search the hearts
of their fellows, and set them TO
CRYING in contrition-thcse are more
TO be desired to-day thar any new
movements or organizations or
campaigns. The many-tongued
world will witness new Pentecosts,
which will cleanse as by fire the cor
ruptions of our time, only when it
hears the Witnesses TO the power of
the Redeemer.
In Il PoIygIot World
Within five years we have moved
into a new, great world, mbracing
all races ard countless strange
tongues. We know ourselves cos
mopolites and responsible for the
settling of questions undreamed OF
a short time ago. AT no previous
study of the Pentecost story have
we so clearly understood the reality
OF the catalog of nationalities who
heard Peters sermon; he might al
most have been preaching at the
Paris Peace Conference, or on the
East Side of New York. AS we
think of it all row. we understand
anew that it's meaning must apply
not only to Luke's list, ranging
from Parthians to Arabians, but also
to vast groups of mankind unknown
in Peters time. The Message of
Pentecost to-day has a wider scope
than the New Testament world.
Ore of our modern poets, Richard
Burton, has voiced the universally
of the call of Christ:
1T is said the Bedouins cry, on the
Syrian hills a clear
Loud summons to war, and the
tribes far distant hearken and
hear.
SO wondrous rare is the air, so crys-
tai the atmosphere.
Their call is to arms; but One, I'M
the centuries long ago,
Spake there for Peace, in tones that
were marvellous sweet and
low,
And the ages they hear Him yet,
ard His voice do the nations
know"
AS Pentecost pictured, the Word
is to all the world. Since the arms-
tice, many Americans have sunk into
a new sense of selfish provincialism
and isolation. They are a sort of
western Sim Feiners, for them
selves alone" But it cannot be
done. Even if the commingled blood
shed in France did not cement us
ndissolubly to the whole world, the
blood shed on Calvary would do So
We cannot accept the ties of Christ
without being tied TO all his friends
The Medes and Mesopotamians Cat
present afresh, peoples in a crisis)
have the same need for the Pente-
cost tidings as the Canadians and
Americans.
\ Great Sermon
Better than theological semi
nary was it for Peter, the fisherman,
to have been keeping company with
Jesus, the carpenter. There are
signs that the churches are revising
their sense of values in training for
the ministry; mary an anointed
young man is removed far from his
fellows and emasculated and devital-
ized by modern theological curricu-
la. Reeking with reality, himself
pardoned penitent. Peter stood up
amid a mixed and critical congre-
cation and poured hot from his
heart his deepest convictions,
which were the Notwithstanding
Gospel of Christ. Here are the por-
days study, as translated by Wey-
mouth:
Peter, however, together with
the Eleven, stood up and ad-
dressed them in loud voice.
"'Men of Judea, and all you
inhabitants of Jerusalem he
said, be IN no uncertainty about
this matter but pay attention to
what / say
Listen, Israelites, to what l
say. Jesus, the Nazarene, a man
accredited to you from God by
miracles and marvels and signs
which God did among you
through Him, as you yourselves
know Him delivered up
through Gods settled purpose
and foreknowldegc-y by the
hands of Gentiles have nailed to
cross and have put to death.
But God has raised Him to life,
having terminated the throes of
death, for in fact it was not pos
sible for Him to be held fast by
death
This Jesus, God has raised to
life-a fact to which all of us
testify.
"'Being therefore lifted high
by the mighty hand of God,
He has received from the
Father the promised Holy Spirit
and has poured out this which
you see and hear. I"
Therefore let the whole
House of Israel know beyond all