The Palatka news and advertiser., 1903-04-03

| Y The International Sunday School Lesson. Y
| Y Second Quarter. Lesson |. Acts Xxx, 2s-3s Y
April B. O3. Al
S0~ ~ 80 - 80 80
PAUL's FAREWELL TO EPHEsUs.
The Bible abOunds in pathetic
scenes. The last supper of Jesus
with his disciples is chief of these;
but next to this, it will be generally
conceded, is Paul's parting with the
elders of the Ephesian Church. We
have seen Paul among his enemies;
here he is among his friends. Have
heard him thunder against blind Ju-
daism or gross paganism, but here it
is us if the heartstrings are mutfied,
and we catch only the softest notes
of what has been called the most
perfect and touching address ever
uttered.
Any one that day observing the
scene would have said: "rhis opu-
lent city, with quadruple harbOr and
forest of masts, stands for the per-
manent. That little company of OBJ
scure and travelstained strangers eX'
changing their farewells stands for
the evanescent." How erroneous!
The reverse is the case. The city is
gone. The harbors are filled up,
face of nature changed. cOastline al
tered. All that saves Miletus from
oblivion is that there Paul said good
bye to his converts.
The scene is not merely pathetic.
1t is highly significant. 1t is the
golden period to the third and last
missionary journey of the Apostle
: Paul. No wonder he INDUCES in a
retrospect at this point. AS he
gazed at these men rescued from
Judaism and heathenism, and con-
secrated to the Christian ministry by
the imposition of his hands, not
merely his experiences in Ephesus,
| but the stirring scenes of his twenty
! years of missionary life, seem to pass
before him in a panorama.
A look forward is a natural Sc
. Quence to a retrospect. Paul has
stood there on the shore reviewing
: the past. He now turns his eyes to
the future. He naturally desires
that the fruit of his toll and sacri-
flee shall be conserved. He knows
: that in all the centers of thought and
l power in prOconsular Asia, Macedo-
mia, and Greece he had planted
I Churches, each of which enshrined
the saving gospel. What shall be
the fate of these Churches? Glanc-
ing into the future, he discerns their
> perils. AS Paul, with prophetic eye,
5 saw the ravening wolves, the cruel
S prosecutors attacking the Churches
from without, and the heretics rising
within, to rend them into shreds, he
f poured out his soul in an appeal to
: the elders of Ephesus, and through
o them to the overseers of all
!. Churches in every age and place
= "Take heedn "Watch" "Remem-
S bert"
e He uses every worthy motive to
J. incite the Ephesian Elders to that
+ alertness which would insure the
/ safety of the Church. He utilities
their very love and reverence fol
himself to this end. He employs
s the personal argument, pointing to
~ the spirit of his ministry chad he not
r been lowly-minded, tender, and pa.
IS tientD to the diligence of his minis
q try (he had declared the whole coun.
# sci, publicly, and from house tc
Is house); to the disinterestedness o
# his ministry (his self-support anc
lTpGuOIll HUH CONCJOuSllVcS) L IN y
would never see his face again; ht
l. was going to martyrdom: If they
II loved him, as they professed, lei
" them manifest that love by protect
r. ing the Church. He emphasizes theiI
i responsibility; % The Holy Ghos
l. had called them to the eldership; q
Is The inestimable value of the Churcl
committed to their care. God ant
grace are affirmed the sources o
success and safety. Spite of wolves
J, heretics, world, flesh, devil, God il
+ able to build up and to the finally
J. persistent give a portion in the heav
enly Canaan. Yet they are not to b'
reel ipients only. They are to toll fo
d others, keeping in mind the colder
p saying of Jesus, here snatched from
>. oblivion, and which atfirms that thu
. moral gaines of the giver in giving
/ exceed the material gains of the re
IL cipient in receiving.
1t THE TEACHERS LANTERN.
1t We enter here what might be call.
n ed the climax period of Paul.
career-the last five years of hi
life.
- We have in this incident thu
"a whole Ephesian ministry in minia
N ture.
- This is one of many farewells-i
-" typical scene. We know Paul re
!; visited the Churches which hi
" founded. He said goodbye; anC
Il that he eXhorted the overseers of the
- several Churches may be safely in
~ ferred.
V This farewell eludes close analy
:, sis. The attempt is like picking /
- flower to pieces. Rather let one en-
/; ioy the color and fragrance of it.
~ Paul had several (seven) comrades
" " on his journey to Jerusalem. They
I were official representatives o
Il Churches where offerings had beef
u taken. Each probably carried 1
% portion of the money on his person
a By this division of the sum the Sc
;" curlty of the whole was increased
BY this means also Paul guarded hi
good name; for these men were wit
a nesses that the money, and all of it
= went to the parties for whom it ha(
it been collected. Paul did not pre-
a sumo upon his office or reputation
J. for integrity.
Ernest Seton-Thompson has show
Ie r'Wild Animals | have Known an(
n Lives of the Hunted'O the anima
e kingdom to be strangely like the hu
man world. 1t is no matter of ca
price that one becomes the leader o
"a flock OF herd. He is such by fran
chise of his fellows, has shown cOur
age and strength in defense, skill il
e finding shelter and food. Here i
70 the analogy. 1t is no caprice tina
IA one becomes an Overseer of tn
Church. He does not belong to
different order-is only first anon!
e equals. and that by franchise of al
II and on the ground of fitness tn