Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1924-07-10

QlNlne VISION OF
man of Mace
donia saying:
s "Come over into
Macedonia an
help us" This
determined him to
go westward with
the gospel, into
Europe What if
# he had turned
* r. eastward to the
unprogressive peo-
pies Of that re-
q @ ~ gion? If lie had
done so we might
stn be sitting in darkness and the
shadow of death, or missionaries might
be coming to US from India and China.
Paul went to PhiIippi an Important
city Of Macedonia But no man met
him and gave him welcome. Indeed.
be tarried in thar place several days,
without any apparent tokens that God
had really sent him thither. On the
sabbath he and his companions Wis
tied Jewish place of prayer by the
river side, ana Lydia whose name has
been fragrant in the Christian church
throughout the centuries, comes upon
the scene.
We should not forget that this first
convert to the Christian faith in Eu-
rope was woman. Not only so, she
was well-to-do, as is implied by the
fact that she was "seller of purple
She conducted trade in purple-dyed
garments, the finest wares 1t may be
as difficult for a rich man to enter the
Kingdom of Heaven as for a camel to
pass through the eye of needle, but
1t is not an impossbility. We soon
find Lydia opening her house to the
poor missionaries, and it is harbin-
ger of the effect of the Gospel in
loosening purse strings and leading
men and women of wealth to lay their
means at the feet of Jesus.
Destroying Barriers of Race.
We are told she was of the city OF
Thyatira, in Asia Minor so that she
was an Asiatic. Later, in Philippi,
Paul led the jailer, who was Roman
to Christ, and it is likely the
Greek slave girl, out of whom the
demon was cast, became a Christian.
Behold, then, the alchemy of grace,
which breaks down all barriers of dis
tinction as to race and sex and social
position! How much needed, today, is
the manifestation Of that power in
society
Lydia "worshiped God" which
means that, although a Gentle, she had
come to fear the God of Israel Yet,
though devout, she needed salvation.
In this she reminds us Of Cornelius, of
whom it is said that he was "a de-
vout man, and one that feared God
with all his house, which gave aims to
the people, and prayed to God always
(Acts 1922. Yet an angel told him tc
send to Joppa for Peter who would
tell him words whereby he and all his
house should be "saved" (Acts II 40.
Is it likely that there is anyone who
does not need to be saved" no mat
ter how reverent and moral, if Cor
nelius needed this blessing through
hearing and believing the gospel?
Faith by Hearing.
There is reason to believe that
Lydia was not saved the first time she
heard these Christian preachers. Stu
dents of the original text tell us that it
indicates she came repeatedly to the
preaching What encouragement is
here for the earnest seeker of Christ.
Mr.. Sturgeon used to urge those seek
ing salvation to be found much where
the Word of God was proclaimed, for
faith cometh by hearing and hearing
by the Word of God'' Romans 10:1D.
The secret of her salvation, in the
final analysis, is found in the state
ment, 'whose heart the Lord opened,
, that she attended unto the things
which were spoken of Paul" We
know of no other hope of getting hui
man hearts opened to the gospel, ex-
cept the hope that the. Lord will open
them. Even this gentle, devout woman
must needs have this divine grace to
enable her to repent and believe the
gospel. But what confidence it gives
us for the salvation of those about us,
that the Lord Himself may be be
sought to open their hearts by His all
conquering grace, We live in day
when an attempt is made to bring
everything down to the natural plane,
but a competent writer Las well said
| psychological analysis does not elm
mate the direct workings Of the Holy
Spirit"
Names in, HSsyen.
Paul m writing to Philippi later
! spoke Of two women Euodias and Syn
| tyche WHO had labored with him in
the gospel and with his fellow labor
ers, whose names are in the book of
life" Lydia's name is written in that
book. Marvellous privilege that your
name ana mine may BE written there
Jesus told His disciples not to rejoice
so much in thar the evil spirits were
subject 10 them but rather because
| their names were written in Heaven.