The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-06-26

island midway between Troas and Nea
pole, occupied one day. Neapolie,
Thracian city, the seaport OF Pnilippi.
was reached the day following. Thence
the missionaries journeyed by the paved
Roman road nine miles westward 10
Phillippi. the chief city in that part Of
Macedonia. Here, in the city which had
witnessed the defeat OF Brutus and Cas-
sius by Augustus and Antony. and
which had been in commemoration OF
the event raised to a colony town, the
missionaries waited some days.
That they bad purposed to begin in
Macedonia the proclamation Of the Cos
pei on the continent of Europe was for
tunate. The Macedonians we're hardy
and enterprising race. and at this time
less corrupt than the more polished So
ciety OF the cities Of Greece. Macedonia
was good soil for the Gospel. The
churches Paul then founded. as we learn
from his epistles to the Thessalonians
and PHILIPPIANS, were among the best; in
subsequent years they gave him great
satisfaction.
For certain days the missionaries
waited and observed. In other foreign
cities. the Jewish synagogue had afford
ed an opportunity to reach Jews and
devout Gentiles; but there was no syna-
gogue in Philippi. Philippi was mill
tary stronghold; it was one of the few
cities which had not attracted the COM
mercial Jews.
When the Sabbath arrived the mis-.
sionaries went forth out Of the Gate to
the river side to the place where. as they
had some reason to suppose, the few
Jews OF the city we're wont to meet for
prayer. Whether they found such
sacred open-air meeting place, or wheth-
or they found only place on the river
Gangae, where the women of the city
were won't. on other days than the Sab
bath, to do their household washing, we
are not told. Now Paul met with Jews
on the Sabbath.
The missionaries, as the custom was
for Jewish public teachers, sat down
among the women there assembled
there being women only present.-and
began to speak of the theme which they
had come into Europe to expound. Paul
was of course the principal speaker.
Among the women hearers was one
Lydia, temporary resident of the city,
her home being 300 miles distant in
Thyatira; a woman of the Gentle race
who had become worshipper of the
One God. She was seller of fabrics
dyed in purple.
1t has been inferred that she, being
devout woman, could be present by the
river side on the Sabbath only because
it was place of prayer. But the diff
Guilty of maintaining prayer meeting
where women were not suffered to speak
in public, needs also to be weighed.
But Lydia had heart prepared for
the Gospel She gaze heed anto the
things aohich acere spoken By Paul. She
believed. She appears to have been a
widow. although this is not certain. She
at least had household of her own in
the city. She was urgent that the mis-
sionaries should make their home in her
house during their stay in the city.
1t is the first instance recorded in the
Book Of Acts of hospitality being shown
to the missionaries.
Her offer was accepted, and in the
house of the first European convert was
formed the first known European
Church.
Recent travellers have searched
out on the banks of the Gangas, flowing
through the modern Filiba. the successor
OF Philippi. the precise spot where, it is
reasonable to believe. Paul preached his
first sermon in Europe and made, in the
Gentle woman Lydia, the first European
convert. Scarcely any spot on the con-
tinent of Europe better deserves mon
11uapt