The Republican., 1925-05-28

confirming the word by the signs that fol-
lOwed.-Mark 16 20.
ON THE MARCH.
The church that is always on the go
is not always the going church. The
going church is moved by the Spirit
of God while the other may be as
dead as King Tut whose mummy
might be galvanized into action.
There was great deal of activity in
the Jerusalem body or there would
have been no political meaning in the
death Of James or any center from
which Pauls work might be harassed.
But clinging like a barnacle on a
water-logged boat that body doomed
itself to destruction along with the
place to which it hung. This con-
tinued story of the working Christ in
Guides nothing concerning the stayers
even among Apostles. Paul has larg-
est space and carried his Lords ban
ner the fartherest limits of the
Roman world. Peter and John left the
city behind and left an imperishable
record upon the page Of Gods ad-
vance. He who glorified the searcher
for the lost sheep can't stop to coddle
the hugger of the fire. When Peter
took the road he speedily found him
self in glorious company. There were
saints out there but they were not
the product Of Peters message.
How did they get to LYDIA? Were
these some of the fleeing folk from
Jerusalem? Not very likely for where
you hear the dog you will cross the
trail of the quarry and Sauls cry
died in another direction. But there
had passed swift feet this way when
Philip, heart singing over his chariot
convert, famed up the coast and could
not help kindling fires where ever he
touched. And it is along the trail
blazed by him that Peter came into
his real apostleship for this study is
part Of the process of transformation
Of the disciple into the man Christ
meant. Andrew brought him to Jesus
but Philip was the developer that
brought out the features Of his Lord
from the sensitive plate of his soul
and helped to make him into the fine
negative from which God could print
the likeness of His Son and scatter it
across the empire. Yet he had small
recognition in that early church but
kept sweet and led all his children in
to its membership and greeted Paul
and Luke with open-hearted hospital
ity when on their way to Jerusalem.
Nothing could stop the march with
men like that in the ranks.
THE MIRACLE OF HEALTH
Peter travelled thruout the connec-
ton and reached LYDIA where he
found Eneas. Paralyzed and helpless,
he was well known to the people and
the care Peter exercised is seen in his
seeking out for visiting one of the
shutin folks and it must have been
red letter day in the life of both when
he walked cheerily in and commanded
him in the name of Jesus to get up
and go to work. Not at some great
task but at the simple home duty. 1t
is not the size of the task but the
quality of the life that counts. With
power for helpfulnesss of faltering
bodies it is surprising how few there
were who received healing. 1t was
never regarded as a remedy for con-
ditions but only as a palliative for
symptom. Jesus left more sick in the
world than He cured. The early
church did the same. But both set
going the principles of sound living
that are Transforming the world as
yellow fever gives way to health,
malaria disappears with the mosqui-
to, hook worm yields and haleness
walks radiantly over territories where
disease once ran riot. The spirit of
Jesus and of His followers is making
bodily vigor normal instead of sick
ness. And the matter of miracle in a
few cases is not half so wonderful as
wholeness in a multitude. The grace
that prevents is much more effec-
tive thing than that which restores.
There are two things to be said about
the miracles of the old days. One is
that in many cases if the account was
being written it would be in a very
different phrasing. The other is that
when we can take a cup of rust a
thousand years in making and reverse
the process by which it came one
should be very hesitant about saying
that God is unable to reverse the pro-
cesses of bodily decay and restore the
original condition. We should re-
joice that we are grown big enough
not to depend on mere "signs" as Gre
dentials of our Lords workings and
rejoice still more that we have a God
able to do exceedingly, abundantly,
more than we ask or think.
THE MIRACLE OF LIFE
In Joppa was another Christian
who had converted hands and feet as
well as heart. "My boy took algebra
with Won ProfaSsorv was an idnnti