Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-13

not Yet DeSuH, uut ehS <1'~N
andrian corn ship that had been harbor-
ing at the island was about to sail TOT
PuteoH, and the centurion and his conn.,
pany took passage for that city. IL the
name of the ship was written in Greek IL
was Dioscuri. This is the name which
was given in mythology to the two sons
of Jupiter. who. when they were trans
lated to the Sky, became a constellation
of special favor toward sailors. The
names of the TWINS were Castor and Pol
Ink The sailors would think that upon
such a ship they We're under the speclai
protection of their gods. Wordsworth
says: The gospel of the Son OF God
was carried in a ship with heathen
sign called from the sons of Jove. Ill
was about to subdue heather Rome, ano
to make the mistress of the world pass
under the mild yoke of the cross. Ii was
about to plant the cross OF Christ In
the center of the b!ood-stained Coios-
scum, and to convert the pantheon OF
Agrippa into Christian church. Here Is
a striking prophecy and pledge or the
future subsection of all earthly powers
and opposing forces beneath the reef OF
Christ; and of the future manifestation
of His omnipotence in making them an
subsidiary and subservlent 10 the III
umph of His gospel.
The first landing OF the ship was at
Syracuse This was the principal city OF
the island of Sicily. 1t was about eighty
miles from Malta. and il was said to nave
rivaled Carthage in wealth. Here, either
for commercial purposes, or. perhaps,
waiting for a fair wind, they tarried
three days. About eighty miles further
is Rhegium, now Reggie. at the south
west extremity of Italy. From Rheglum,
with a fair wind. they made quick
hi "a rar Ia N
of their voyage. 1t is situated on the
bay of Naples; and ii was at the time of
Paul the most important of all the
ports on the coast of lower Italy. Luke
description has in 1t many interesting and
beautiful touches. Here at PuteoE was
already a church. IL was the spring of
CT A D. 1t had been less than thirty
years since the death of our Lord. And
yet, SO wonderful had been the growth
of the church that il had become es-
tablished not only in the great centers
like Rome. but i'm the smaller places
such as Sidon and Puteoli. The disciples
had gone everywhere preaching the gos-
pei: and everywhere they had been sue
cessful.
And everywhere the disciples were
brethren. They may never have seen each
other before: but the followers OF the
Lord possessed 1.-The tie that binds oui
hearts in Christian love. These brethren
i'm Puteoli desired Paul and his compan-
ions to remain with them seven days
Under the circumstances II must De ac'
knowledged that IL was a strange thlne
that Paul, If it had been left to him. was
willing 10 tarry with them at this stage OF
his journey. 1t had been so long since
their departure from Cesarea, and theli
danger had been SO imminent that they
would naturally long TO be at their desti-
nation. But stranger still was the Will
ingness of the centurion to break the jour
ney by so long a stay at Puteoli. 1t may
be that there were some things not men
toned by Luke that would partially eX-
plain the willingness OF the Roman office!
to grant the request of these Christians
but in any case. it shows the wondei flu
influence that Paul had gained over the
,enturion He had seen man of God: q
man owned and honored by God; true, no.
BILE, unselfish; full of the spirit of sacri-
flee: dominated and controlled by love
that was absorbing; that had changed
him into the very image of God. Pau
was such a man the centurion had
never seen. He was such man. we may
be sure. as the Roman officer did not be-
lieve could be found on earth. Such is the
homage which a sanity life forces from
the world. To behold the sun is to believe
i'm its beauty and glory: to see a Christ
filled man, is to believe in the deity OF
Christ.
The centurion gave the orders. and the
entire company tarried in Puteoli seven
days.