AN incident of no small moment occurred on a roadway leading to the city of Damascus in the long ago. A young man of prominence, brilliantly versed in the law of his time, swayed with misdirected zeal and a passionate bigotry, mesmerized with hatred against the Christians and busy in their persecution, was journeying along this road. To him there came a new light — a moral and spiritual awakening — and he heard for the first time the voice of the Christ, Truth, calling him to repentance. The experience transformed the whole world for that man, named Saul. His apparent blindness at the noontide hour was an evidence of the fact set forth by the Master, Christ Jesus, when he said, "If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" How wondrously did he become illumined with the Christ-light, which enabled him to see the folly of his materialistic course and the error of his persecutions! Saul very soon found fellowship with those who were faithfully following the teachings of the Master, Christ Jesus, and thenceforth he cast his lot for Christianity and afterward he was known as Paul.
The writings of this great apostle abound in beauty and truth. Here we have transcribed the thoughts of one whose heart pulsated with love for humanity, and whose teachings and example have moved many lives towards higher spiritual realms of thought and action. Only one inspired of God could have written that masterful analysis of the nature and attributes of love as given in the thirteenth chanter of the first epistle to the Corinthians. What enabled Paul to write, knowing that his hand was divinely moved and guided, to describe the very essence of true religion — to write letters so filled with meaning and profound in spiritual significance? His words are sometimes like music — rhythmic, sweet, exquisitely tender, yet with the towering strength that is powerful, dynamic, compelling. "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." The secret of this great influence in his writings is the fact that he lived consistently that which he taught. This it is which gives power to his words. It is love for God and man that inspired Paul so faithfully to emulate the example of the blessed Master. His fluent and bold speech and writings, strengthened, in addition, by the example of his life, give us a wondrous zeal and determination to go forth in the same Christ-ministry of love and good works.
In his book "The Greatest Thing in the World" Henry Drummond clearly and comprehensively expatiated upon these qualities of love as eloquently set forth by Paul in the chapter referred to. He enumerates these qualities as patience, kindness, generosity, humility, courtesy, unselfishness, good temper, guilelessness, and sincerity.
