The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-09-11

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the believers far into the night. The
believers in Troas on that evening met
in an upper chamber to break bread. A
notable incident is recorded. A young
man among the hearers named Euty-
chus, when Paul had continued his dis
course till midnight, was borne down
with deep sleep in the latticed window
where he was sitting, and fell to the
ground. He was taken up as dead. Paul,
going down and falling on his insensate
form, said: Make ne no ado: for has life
is IN him. The people returned to the
upper chemb Der. bringing the restored
lad; and Paul celebrated with them the
Lords Supper. He continued the con-
| ference till the break of day.
Paul seems to have had control of the
vessel in which the voyage to Syria was
made. For some reason, probably to
preach the Gospel to the shore jewellers,
Paul went by land part of the way
| down the coast of Asia. Luke notes the
stages of the southwark voyage. When
| he met as at Assos, ace took him in and
came to Mitylene. A days sail; har-
Dor reached at nightfall. And sailing
from thence, ace came the neat dag over
against (the island of Chaos. Here
night-anchorage was again found. And
| the neat day ace touched at Sdnos; an
island, still bearing the same name.
1 Oh -
Some ancient authorities say that the
apostles vessel here crossed the strait,
mile wide, and made tarry at Trogylli
UNI, on the main land. This, the chro-
nologists tell US, was on Wednesday,
| Apail 10, A. d. So.
On the map it will be seen that Paul,
on coming from Chios to Samos, passed
the city of Ephesus. At Trogylium he
was nearer to Ephesus than at Miletus,
but for some reason Paul chose Miletus
as the meeting place with the Ephesian
elders. There may have been better
harbor at Miletus, or some necessary
ship-business to be there done; or the
words and tarried at Trogyllium,-as
the Revisers by omission testify.-may
form no part of Luke's narrative.
On the day after leaving Samos or
Trogyllium, = namely, Thursday, April
20, A. D. 58.-the vessel bearing Paul
and his company arrived at Miletus,
twenty eight miles south of Ephesus.
The reason of PsuPs sailing by Ephesus
was that he might not have to spend
time in Asia; for he was hast ening, if it
were possible for him, to be at Jerusa-
lem the day of Pentecost. He desired to
be at the feast in Jerusalem which cee-
brated the first outpouring of the Spirit.
He could then best distribute the collec-
ton he had brought with him from the
Gentle churches A personal visit to
Epheeus would have so retarded him on
his journey as to endanger the fulfil
ment of his purpose.
From Miletus he sent to the elders of
Ephesus. summoning them to his pres
ence. The agent of Paul, according to
the chronological chain, left Miletus on
Friday. On Saturday the return jour
ney was made. 1t was on Sunday, April
%, A. d. So, that Paul preached to the
Ephesian elders the memorable sermon
which Luke's report has preserved to US.
These elders, or bishops, or presby-
tiers. or overseers, as they are variously
called, were the leading men of the
church of Ephesus. 1t is probable that
they were imtators of Paul in their
ministry. They cared for their several
sections of the church in freelY-ren.
dered service OF love, while with their
hands they worked for their daily
bread. OF their number, or their indi-
vidual character, we have no definite
information. 1t could not have been
large company. Twenty five is a rea-
souable surmise as to its size. 1t was
however a band of profoundly conse-
Grated men.
The elders obeyed the summons of
their honored friend and teacher, to
whose instructions they had often lis
tened in the school of TYrannus. 1t
was not regarded by them long jour
ney they were asked to make to meet
their benefactor.
1t was on Sunday when they we're
gathered together at Miletus, probably
in some solitary spot outside the city.
TO listen to the final words of their be.
loved teacher.
Such words of tender regard, of affec-
Tomato remembrance, of self. assertion
yet of unfeigned humility, such words
of heroism and faith, what man but
Paul could speak!
1t has been work Of scholars to COM
pare this address with Paul's epistles,
and find almost every sentence para.
lelled by his other utterances. 1t is
distinctively Pauline address.
At the precise moment these words
we're being uttered by wayfarer to
company of wsyfarers, we are told by
the psychologists there must have been
a great crowd seeking amusement in
the famous theatre of Miletus. That
crowd is utterly forgotten; the last YES
tiges of the theatre have disappeared;
the city itself can now scarcely be
marked by its ruins in the shifting
sande which have receded ten miles