Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-11-17
than once have had the same expert

than once i have had the same expert
ence. Well do I remember the day
arrived at Tarsus, after a long cara
van journey through Eastern Asia Mi
nor and the Taurus mountains. Hun
CRY. tired, travel aimed and eager for
night in a real bed, I found that the
old city of~Tarsus did not boast a mod
ern hotel. Then, just as I had made
up my mind to be reconciled to a native
caravansary, great-hearted DIR. Thomas
Christie, of Saint Paul's Institute, found
me and carried me OFF to his own home
and to Il taste of real American life.
What talk there must have been,
far into the night, between Paul and
these Christians OF Puteoli Do you
not envy these unknown saints their
rare privilege OF hearing. hot from
the eloquent lips of Paul himself, the
narrative of his voyage and shipwreck.
and of the adventures that preceded
1t, and Of the wonderful provinces of
God? For a whole and unforgettable
week these brethren had Paul's COM
pany.
In the background of these expert
ences We perceive the kindly and
courteous figure of Captain julius. the
Roman centurian in charge of Paul.
1t was by his consideration that the
prisoner had all these extraordinary
liberties. OF course, the two men We're
more than soldier and prisoner: they
had doubtless long ere this become fast
friends and fellow disciples of Jesus.
man may perhaps travel with you
or me for a year and never suspect that
we are Christians; but nobody could
be long with the Apostle Paul without
having Christ presented to him direct
ly. julius was surely a sympathetic
sharer of these meetings of the breth-
reD.
Running ahead of the apostle him
self. the news of his arrival was car
ried to Rome. So as he and his COM
pany journeyed along the Appian Way.
enjoying the historic route as only such
scholar as he could do, he was once
more delighted to find the brethren
coming to meet him. Halfway to Rome,
at a place called the Market of Appius
a deputation of Roman Christians
awaited him; and, probably, those who
had companied with him from Puteoli
turned back. Forty-siX miles from
Rome this delegation had come, and a
dozen miles further on, at Three Tav-
erns or Three Rest Houses, their num-
Der was still further increased.
Those Roman Christians had time
for hospitality. They did not even call
it Church work" To them the fellow
ship OF Christians was the most real
and vital thing on earth, taking prece-
To this day. in the Orient, the usage of
accompanying friends on a journey, or
meeting them as they arrive, is a social
duty and privilege. In the case of Paul,
these brethren were evidence that
Christ had friends in Rome. The good
ly fellowship was already established
So he thanked God and took cour-
age"
Now we come to the end of all that
is written concerning Paul, except as
his own later letters are incidentally
biographical. This is the last lesson
in the Book of the Acts. The narra-
tive breaks off here. but the work con-
tinued. Luke wrote his story up to
date, like a journalist. and concluded
1t in the midst of what was doing.
Paul spent two years in his own hired
house in Rome, teaching boldly the
things concerning Christ. Under the
shadow of Caesar there were no mobs
to hound him, no ecclesiastics to annoy
He wrote four of his immortal letters
during this time. Also he built up the
church in Rome. for the brethren had
free access to him. Every few hours his
Roman guard was changed, and we may
be sure that he won these for his Mas
ter, making them missionaries to- their
fellows and to the remote regions in
to which the soldiers of Caesar pene-
trated.
AS of old. his first concern was for the
house of Israel and he had scarcely
been in Rome for day ere he called
the leaders of the Jewish Colony to-
gether and for whole day he preached
to them Christ. No social grudges could
abide in his great breast and no spirit
of vengeance. Some were convinced, and
some hardened their hearts. He left
them with the Gospel according to
Isaiah ringing in their ears.
The lesson may close as F. w. H.
Myers closes his Epic of ST. Paul:
Yea. thro' life. death, thro' sorrow
and thro' SHINING
lie shall suffice me. for He hath
sufficed;
Christ is the end, for Christ was the
Christ is the beginning, for the end
is Christ"
beginning