Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-06-24

white hair from his crevieed forehead,
and see him looking up through the
hoe in tire roof of the dungeon into
the face of his executioners, and hear
him say, II am now ready TO be of
fered, and the time of my departure is
at hand" Then they lift him out of
the dungeon, and they start with him
to the place of execution. They say,
BURY along, old man, or you will feel
tie weight of our spear. Hurry
along" "How far is it," says Paul,
1--WE have TO travel?" ''Three miles"
Three miles is good way TO: AN old
man TO travel after he has been
whipped and crippled with maltreat-
ment But they soon get to the
place of execution-Acqu@ Saliva
and he is fastened to the
pillar or martyrdom. 1t does not take
any strength to tie him fast. He
makes no resistance. PAUL. why not
now strike for your life? You have IL
great many friends here. With that
withered hand just launch the thunder
bolt of the people upon those infamous
soldiers. No! Paul was not going to
interfere with his own coronation. He
was too glad togo. / see him looking up
in the face of his executioner, and, as
the grim official draws the sword, Paul
calmly says, Il am now ready to be
offered, and the time of my departure
is at hand" But put my hand over
my eyes. / want not to see that last
struggle. One sharp, keen stroke, and
Paul does go t. the banquet, and Paul
does dine with the King.
What transition 1t was! From the
malaria of Rome to the finest climate
in all the universe-tTle zone of eternal
beauty and health. His ashes were
put in the catacombs of Rome, but in
one moment the air of heaven bathed
from his soul the last ache. From
shipwrecl, from dungeon, from the
biting pain of the elm-wood rods, from
the sharp sword of the headsman, he
goes into the most brilliant assemblage
of heaven, king among kings, multi
tudes of the sainthood rushing out and
stretching forth hands of welcome; for
do really think that as on the right
hand of God is Christ, so on the right
hand of Christ is Paul, the second great
in heaven.
lie changed Kings like wise Before
the hour OF death, and up TO the last
moment, he was under Nero, the thick
necked, the cruel-eyed, the filthy-lipped;
the sculptured features of that man
bringing down to us TO this very day
Tho I, Or,.;1,1a ,,oee;H;I;f;as - HE nm t,,~a
seated as he was admidst pictured
marbles On Egypt, under roof
adorned with mother-of- pearl, in u
dining-room which by machinery was
kept whirling day and night with most
bewitching magnifcence; his horses
standing in stalls of solid gold and the
grounds around his palace lighted at
night by its victims, who had been
bedaubed with tar and pitch and
then set on fire to illumine the dark
ness. That was Paul's king. But the
next moment he goes into the realm of
him whose reign is love, and whose
courts are paved with love, and whose
throne is set on pillars of love, and
whose sceptre is adorned with jewels
Of love, and whose palace is lighted
with love. and whose lifetime is an
eternity of love. When Paul was leav-
ing SO much on this side the pillar of
martyrdom to gain so much on the
other side, do you wonder at the cheer
full valedictory of the text, THE time
Of my departure is ut hand?"
What he endured, oh. who can tell.
To save our souls from death and hell
When there was between Paul and
that magnificent Parsonage only the
thinness of the sharp edge of the
sword of the executioner, do you
wonder that he wanted to go? o, my
Lord Jesus, let one wave of that glory
roll over u.s. Hank! / hear the we'd
ding bells of heaven ringing now The
marriage of the Lamb has come, and
the bride hath made herself ready.
/ And now for little while
| good bye! have no morbid
feelings about the future But if any
thing should happen that we never
meet again in this world let us meet
where there are no partings Our
| friendships have been delightful on
earth, but they will be more delight
full in heaven. And now l commend
you TO God and the word of his grace
which is able to build us up, and give
us an inheritance among all them that
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