The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-01-14


mention. SO has Clement and other
fellow laborers with Paul. of whom we
catch glimpse in the ligh, OF the di- .
vine word Thus Onesiphorus arrests
our attention lie was not bound TO
Paul by any tie but that of christian love,
he was not native of the same place, not
a couniryman nor kinsman, and yet his
affection for Paul and his devotion TO
him was something wonderful. He de
termed TO 20 from Ephesus TO
Rome. not for his rescue, but
for his relief. Rome was great
city. and Onesiphorus had 10 look for
Paul. But take care, OnesiphOrus II
YOU go about inquiring for Paul, If you
show any interest in him. YOU may get
into trouble Yourself. IL was danger
Gus now to show sympathy for such a
prisoner But Onesiphorus took the
risk and diligently sought for him
until he found him. He was neither
ashamed of the acquaintance nor afraid
of the danger lie refreshed him 10y
supplying his wants, 10y his pres
ence. prayers, and sympathy. This
proved his courage and his
iriendship-his loyalty 10 Christ and his
love for Christs servant. may well
say 70 proved his courage, for Nero was
thsEmperor of the time.
A PICTURE OF NERO.
The Roman Empcrors of the first
century were more like demons than
men. Nero was one of the worst OF
All these imperial mOnsters-One OF the
most licentious. degraded and cruel
lie had been accused of setting fire 10
the ciiv-a fire which consumed nearly
half of titus arousing the most III
tense Indignation, and II was said that 10
turn away attention from him
self Nero accused the Christians
Of being the incendiaries. He took a
deyilish pleasure in inventing new forms
of death for Christian martyrs. Some OF
them he sewed up in the skins OF VIA
beasts. turned them loose in the public
gardens. and hunted them with dogs as IL
they had been wolves or bears Others
he wrapped m sheets dipped in pitch,
and set them up like lamp-posts along
the streets. set them on fire, ana thch
drove about in his chariot by the light OF
these living torches. such was the man
who held Paul prisoner. And yet one
siphorus was faithful and true in the
midst of an these terrors. He was nor
ashamed of Pauls chain; he was not
afraid of PAUL. prosecutors.
Az OLD ROMAN PRISON
It's not certain in what prison Paul
was confined. Some think 1t was id
what is called the Mamertine dungeon.
When / made a visit TO Rome my PEN
bert0n friends of this city, went with me
TO see il. II is double dungeon, one
cell below another. The lower one can
only be entered through a trap door ana
the bottom of il can only be reached DY
descending long, narrow ladder There
is no window in this dungeon
I wanted TO explore it, so l got our
( guide 10 open the trap-dOor ana holu q
LIGHT while went down 20 the bottom
Then l asked my friends 10 60 away Ton
awhile. and told the guide 20 shut inc
door and leave me 20 myself in darkness
Ii was an idle fancy, perhaps but
wanted 10 be alone there 20 try 10 ger q
better idea of how prisoner would zee
8 shut up in such a place. J on may be
sure | did not want my friends 10 FORGE
where they left me, or the guide l'
STAY away too long In ten OIL
fifteen minutes he came back, and ] wa
clad to see the trap door open again
The time spent there was short yel IL
seemed very long, and so ! got an idei
of what imprisonment there for week
, and months would be, which / woul'
not have gained but for this experiment
A visitor NAV quicken his Imagination
: hv such an experience, but he knows j
is only PLAYING prisoner and that it viii
soon be over. II was not SO with Paul
. He expected to 20 from prison not IL
: light. safety, friends and home, opi 70
, bloody martyrdom.
, This was the situation when Onesi-
phOrOus sought him; found him; minis
tered to him and refreshed him by his
/ loving kindness.
: An APOSTLES GRATITUDE.
; Now see how Onesiphorus was re-
; warded for his fidelity See how CRATE
2 ful Paul W. 90 his benefactor There
, was ONLY one thing he could do for him
: only one way of showing his gratitude.
D lie poured out his heart in prayer TO
God for great blessing on his friend.
! Do YOU say this was a poor return !
say 10 was a rich return
"Prayer moves the hand that moves
- the world" The efTectual feryent
prayer of a righteous man ayaileih
much" Pauls PRAYER was worth more
b than Neros palace And what was The
PRAYER
Ii was that the Lord would show mercy
10 the house of Onesiphorus, and that he
might find mercy in the day when mercy
would be worth more than the whole
universe besides.
MERCY AND MERIT.
Next. see what this prayer teaches US.
Only see what light il casts on the way
of salvation. Without the mercy of God
there is no salvation for man We often
use the word mercy without having %
clear idea of what we mean by IL. Mercy
is favor 10 the unworthy, willingness
10 show pity TO those who do not deserve
il. readiness to remit the penalty due
TO the guilty There is no other word
that means precisely what mercy does.
tits different from goodness, for goodness
is the outgoing of Gods favor TO the in
nocent and pure The angels rejoice in
His goodness but not in His mercy. His
goodness they always enjoyed; His mercy
they never needed Only the sinful need
mercy, and the angels are sinless. Grace
is more like mercy and yet
not exactly the same because
grace reminds us of the feeling in the
heart of God. the giver; while mercy re-
minds Ms OF sin in the heart of man, the
receiver 1t is grace when il comes out
of Heaven. it Is mercy when it reaches
the earth. An old writer says "Nhen
we look at God we call His mercy grace
when we look at man we call His grace
mercy" Sometimes a river has one
name where il rises and another where il
empties. The river of salvation issues
from the throne and then we call il
grace. 1t flows down and runs through
the world, and then we call il mercy.
If mercy is favor shown to the sinful,
then YOU see it corrects all our wrong
ideas of salvation by our own merits
+ We cannot merit mercy, for mercy is for
those who have no merit. Ii is BE-
cause men have no merit that