The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1906-11-09


Jesus by first making them learn to
love us? Carry your flowers to the sick
room. Carry your food to the hungry.
Sacrifice yourself for men, and then
you will teach men to do and to sacri-
| fee themselves for Christ.
But this is not the end of Paul's sur
prises on the island of Melita. These
barbarians welcomed him with kind
ness. After he had healed their sick
they opened the doors of their homes
in gladstone welcome. But they did
more than this. After three months
sojourn of preaching and caring for
their souls as well as for their bodies
they came down to the sea to bid him
goodby. They crowded his prison cabin
with many things. Some brought a
warm cloak, some heavy shawl; some
one thing, some another. "And when
we departed they loaded us with such
things as were necessary" Now, what
do you think these Melita friends talk
ed mostly about before that ship set
sail when they came down to the
beach to bid Paul goodby?
Parting Gifts.
Do you suppose their conversations
were as silly as some | have heard
when the great Transatlantic steamers
were about to pull out of their docks in
New York harbor? DO you suppose
Publius came to him and said, Now,
Paul, eat some peppermints and you
won't get seasick?" Do you suppose
some one else said: "Now, Paul, when
you get to Rome l want you to hunt
up my sister. She is an antiquarian,
and she will tell you all the interesting
facts about the ruins of ancient
Rome" No, no. No such farewells as
that were said. We know that during
all his three months sOiourn in Melita
Paul was preaching the gospel. He
ed the barbarians here and there and
everywhere But Paul did all this for
the great purpose of preaching the Cos
pei of Jesus Christ So as Paul starts
out for Rome and the people come
down to bid him goodby l think and
know it was about his gospel message
and his gospel teaching that they con-
versed and it would be with prayer
and apostolic Eenediction that Paul
would utter his farewell,
Then I think I see a young girl come
to him and put her hand lovingly and
gently upon his shoulder as she says:
paul, my brother is in Rome. Oh,
how | love him. VIII you hunt him
up and tell him about Christi" Thus
I think the different Melita friends
crowded around him with their fare
well messages. Nearly all of them
must have had friends in Caesars cap
ltal. Nearly all of them, after they
had found Jesus as their Saviour, must
ones about the same Jesus. 1t is sur
prising to me how little some people
get out Of the Bible Cannot you find
the words "And they loaded us with
such things as were necessary" to
mean something more than a few pills
% ward off seasickness, and a few gar
nents to keep Paul warm, and a few
lelicacies to woo his failing appetite.
Now, as Paul's Melita friends start
ID him forth to try to win their loved
ines in Rome to Christ, so when we
inter gospel work the men and women
We bring to Christ will always help us
IN to Rome. They will always help
is to bring their loved ones to Christ.
Christian worker of Melita, you are
soing to have many 'happy surprises"
n heaven. You win have many happy
surprises in your Christian work on
arth. But | think the happiest one Is
o be In heaven. You think that young
nan and that young woman will new
r be won for Christ. They have re-
used your gospel invitations again
nd again. But keep on pleading.
Keep on working, They will yet give
heir hearts to God. They will do it
s surely as did some who heard Paul
reach in Malta and rejected him then,
ut afterward repented. And after
arth they hall greet you in heaven.
N, could any surprise give the Chris
ian worker as he enters heaven a
weeter joy?
Copyright 1906, by Louis Klopsch.l