The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-25
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
BY w. T. ELLIS

Miletus to see him, was able to point
to his record. He had been true to
his call, never a shirker, or self-seek-
er, or money-lover, or ear-tickler or
coward This farewell address is one
of the beautiful bits of immortal
Christian literature, and, as it is the
heart of the assigned lesson, quote 1t
in full:
you Elders we'll know from the
first day of my setting foot in the
province of Asia, the kind of life 1
lived among you the whole time,
serving the Lord in all humility, and
with tears, and amid trials which
came upon me thru the plotting of the
Jews-and that 1 never shrank from
declaring to you anything that was
profitable, or from teaching you in
public and in your homes. and urging
upon both Jews and Greeks the nee
essity of turning to God and of be-
lieving in Jesus our Lord.
"And now, impelled by sense of
not knowing what will happen to me
there, except that the Holy Spirit, at
town after town, testifies to me that
Imprisonment and suffering are await
ing me. But even the sacrifice of my
life 1 count as nothing. If only may
perfect my earthly course, and be
faithful to the duty which the Lord
Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaim
ing, as of supreme Importance, the
Good News of Gods Grace.
"And now, know that none of you
among whom 1 have gone in and out
proclaiming the coming of the King
dom, will any longer see my face.
Therefore I protest to you today that
1 am not responsible for the ruin of
any one of you. For have not
shrunk from declaring to you God
whole truth.
Take heed, to yourselves and to all
the flock among which the Holy Spirit
has placed you to take the oversight
for Him and act as shepherds to the
Church of God, which He has bought
with His own blood. I know that,
when 1 am gone, cruel wolves will
come among you and will not spare
the flock; and that from among your
own selves men will rise up who will
seek with their perverse talk to draw
away the disciples after them. There
fore be on the alert; and remember
that, night and day, for three years, I
never ceased dmoniShing every one
with tears.
And now 1 commend you to God
and to the word OF His grace. He
is able to build you up and to give
you your inheritance among His peo-
pie. No ones silver or gold or cloth
ing have 1 coveted. You yourselves
know that these hands of mine have
provided for my own necessities and
for the people with me. In all things
have set you an example, showing
you that, by working as / do, you
ought to help the weak, and to bear
in mind the words of the Lord Jesus,
how He Himself said,
Tt is more blessed to give than
to receive"
The Tender Farewell.
A good worker knits himself to
the hearts of his fellows. The unique
ness Of a pastors privilege is that he
may plant his personality in the ten
lfflerest affections and memories of his
people. ( They become to him real
snds, beloved beyond all profession
Fal considerations. He finds a place of
leadership in the greatest Society in
THE universe, the Brotherhood of
christians.
So we have this touching picture
7 of the strong man of Ephesus weep
Hing when they come to part from
Paul. They honored him as Gods
Z messenger: they loved him for him
self. The beautiful words of the les
son paint the picture with a skill
that cannot be added to, and that
reeds no supplement:
Having spoken thus, Paul knelt
down and PRAYED with them al; and
with loud lamentaticn they all threw
their arms about his neck, and kissed
| him lovingly, grieved above all things
at his having told them that after
that day they were no longer to see
| his face. And they went with him to
| the ship"