The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1921-07-14

he had lately honored. It has been
so used in the sense of a changed rela-
tionship to God that we have lost
sight of the fact that when a saint
becomes sinner it as much CONVEX
sion as the reverse would be. In the
sense in which it is commonly used
conversion is a return to normal re-
lations with God, the restoration to
conscious sonship. AS it is based upon
a perversion from which there must
be conversion and as the child is
Gods and should remain so, CONVEX
sion is not a normal experience of
childhood. Saul was a man and even
for men his Damascus Road challenge
IS the only one of the kind given in
the Book, and must not be taken as
the usual experience even of man.
hood. And to attempt to force it upon
others Unfortunately is poor think
ing and poorer religion. But with
Saul, as with every other man, it
marked an unforgettable crisis in the
life that could never be forgotten and
of which mention is often made. He
had been exasperated by the persis
tence of the followers of the WAY who
refused to submit to dictation and died
rather than deny the Lordship of Je-
sus. Scattering them in all directions
from Jerusalem he determined to
sweep the world of this red terror that
would destroy the temple and over
throw the faith. Six days of quiet
travelling and the camps under Gods
stars brought no escape from the
questioning raised by Stephens spirit
and prayer, and as the last day came
and they passed the mountain barrier
he was doggedly following his old
trail, but with a question in his mind.
was 1t one Of the frequent thunder
storms that came? Professor Smith
says it was. They We're all endorsed
and when the shock passed Saul was
lying in the roadway talking SEEM
ngly to himself, and they heard his
voice, but saw no man so that thew
must have thought him crazed bv the
shock. Blinded, they led him into the
city, where he found no rest of spirit
Tor three days, during which he wres-
tied with the new ideas forced into his
thinking. Then came the transforna.
ton under the hands of Ananias, and
the prosecutor had become the par
tisan. .,
THE FASHION.
-Four types of vision are given in
the Book: Those that send. as Moses.
those that develop, as Peters; those
that sustain, as Johns; those that
summon, of which Paul was one. In
it God took the iniative. He is the
Calling God, and no man has failed to
receive the summons however he NAV
nave refused to obey it. The first ele-
ment IN it that surprised Saul was the
identifying of God with the rabble
that the Pharisee despised. "Whv
persecutest thou Me?" was the saw
ing that smote him like a club. He
had thought he was doing Gods SER
vice, when instead, if this were true
every blow had been across Jehovah's
face. And we have not yet fully ac-
cepted the "inasmuch-unto The least"
as the standard for our own industrial
or social life. Small wonder that if
startled Saul and that he asked for
the name of the Speaker.'T am Jesus"
was a second blow. Had it been 81 am
the Messiah" there would have been
only the acceptance of that as the
rlghtful place, but Jesus was the des-
pissed, accursed blasphemer who had
paid the penalty that was so much
deserved. Yet in Him humanity. bro.
ken and bloody, had been lifted to the
throne of all the worlds. The third
stunning fact was the declaration that
that same throne ruled the world. at
is hard for you to kick against the
prlcks of the goads," told Saul that
after all it was only himself that was
being hurt by his mad plunging. The
little child who sat in the buggy be-
tween his fathers knees and held the
reins did not perceive that fathers
hands upon them behind his own until
they turned into strange road. Look
ing up, he said, 81 Tough I was driv-
in, but I'm not, am l, daddy?" Saul
had thought he was driving furiously
but Gods hands were upon the reins
and all his passion only got him and
the cause along Gods highway. For
his persecution had scattered follow
ers of the Way to every part of the
so that they went everywhere
preaching the Gospel. Saul might
kick, but the real hurt was his own.
Like all other words of Jesus, there
comes the one of comfort at the close.
God hurts that He may heal. Fullest
guidance promised the obedient soul.
go into the city and it shall be told
thee what thou must do" held the