After passing three months in Corinth, he took his departure from that
city, on his pre-determined voyage to the east, the direction of which
was somewhat changed by the information that the Jews of the place
where he then was, were plotting some mischief against him, which he
thought best to avoid by taking a different route from that before
planned, which was a direct voyage to Syria. To escape the danger
prepared for him by them, at his expected place of embarkation, he
first turned northward by land, through Macedonia to Philippi, and
thence sailed by the now familiar track over the Aegean to Troas.
On this journey, he was accompanied by quite a retinue of apostolic
assistants,――not only his faithful disciple and companion Timothy, but
also Sosipater of Beroea, Aristarchus and Secundus of Thessalonica,
Gaius, or Caius of Derbe, and Luke also, who now carries on the
apostolic narrative in the first person, thus showing that he was
himself a sharer in the adventures which he narrates. Besides these
immediate companions, two brethren from Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus,
took the direct route from Corinth to Troas, at which place they waited
for the rest of the apostolic company, who took the circuitous route
through Macedonia. The date of the departure of Paul is very exactly
fixed by his companion Luke, who states that they left Philippi at
the time of the passover, which was in the middle of March; and other
circumstances have enabled modern critics to fix the occurrence in
the year of Christ 59. After a five days’ voyage, arriving at Troas
on Saturday, they made a stay of seven days in that place; and on the
first day of the week, the Christians of that place having assembled
for the communion usual on the Lord’s day, Paul preached to them:
and as it was the last day of his stay, he grew very earnest in his
discourse and protracted it very late, speaking two whole hours to the
company, who were met in the great upper hall, where, in all Jewish
houses, these festal entertainments and social meetings were always
held. It was, of course, the evening, when the assembly met, for this
was the usual time for a social party, and there were many lights in
the room, which, with the number of people, must have made the air very
warm, and had the not very surprising effect of causing drowsiness,
in at least one of Paul’s hearers, a young man named ♦Eutychus, whose
interest in what was said, could not keep his attention alive against
the pressure of drowsiness. He fell asleep; and the occurrence must
appear so very natural, (more particularly to any one, who has ever
been so unfortunate as to be sleepy at an evening meeting, and knows
what a painful sensation it is, though the drowsiness is wholly beyond
the control of the reason,) that it can hardly be thought worth while
to take pains, as some venerable commentators do, to suppose that the
devil was very specially concerned in producing the sleep of Eutychus,
and that the consequences which ensued, were an exhibition of divine
wrath against the sleepy youth, for slumbering under the preaching
of Paul. If the supposition holds equally good in all similar cases,
the devil must be very busy on warm Sunday afternoons; and many a
comfortable nap would be disturbed by unpleasant dreams, if the dozer
could be made to think that his drowsiness was the particular work of
the great adversary of souls, or that he was liable to suffer any such
accident as Eutychus did, who, falling into a deeper sleep, and losing
all muscular control and consciousness, sunk down from his seat, and
slipping over the side of the gallery, in the third loft, fell into the
court below, where he was taken up lifeless. But Paul hearing of the
accident, stopped his discourse, and going down to the young man, fell
on him and embraced him, saying, “Trouble not yourselves, for the life
is in him.” And his words were verified by the result; for they soon
brought him up alive, and were not a little comforted. Paul, certain of
his recovery, did not suffer the accident to mar the enjoyment of the
social farewell meeting; but going up and breaking bread with them all,
talked with them a long time, passing the whole night in this pleasant
way, and did not leave them till day-break, when he started to go by
land over to Assos, about twenty-four miles south-east of Troas, on the
Adramyttian gulf, which sets up between the north side of the island
of Lesbos and the mainland. His companions, coming around by water,
through the mouth of the gulf, took Paul on board at Assos, according
to his plan; and then instead of turning back, and sailing out into the
open sea, around the outside of Lesbos, ran up the gulf to the eastern
end of the north coast of the island, where there is an other outlet to
the gulf between the eastern shore of Lesbos and the continent. Sailing
southward through this passage, after a course of between thirty and
forty miles, they came to Mitylene, on the southeastern side of the
island. Thence passing out of the strait, they sailed southwestwards,
coming between Chios and the main-land, and arrived the next day at
Trogyllium, at the southwest corner of Samos. Then turning their course
towards the continent, they came in one day to Miletus, near the mouth
of the ♠Meander, about forty miles south of Ephesus.
♦ “Entychus” replaced with “Eutychus”
♠ “Maeander” replaced with “Meander”
Landing here, and desiring much to see some of his Ephesian brethren
before his departure to Jerusalem, he sent to the elders of the church
in that city, and on their arrival poured out his whole soul to them
in a parting address, which for pathetic earnestness and touching
beauty, is certainly, beyond any doubt, the most splendid passage
that all the records of ancient eloquence can furnish. No force can
be added to it by a new version, nor can any recapitulation of its
substance do justice to its beauty. At the close, took place a most
affecting farewell. In the simple and forcible description of Luke,
(who was himself present at the moving scene, seeing and hearing all
he narrates,)――“When Paul had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed
with them all.” The subjects of this prayer were the guardians of that
little flock which he, amid perils and death, had gathered from the
heathen waste of Ionic Asia, to the fold of Christ. When he left it
last, the raging wolves of persecution and wrath,――the wild beasts of
Ephesus,――were howling death and destruction to the devoted believers
of Christ, and they were still environed with temptations and dangers,
that threatened to overwhelm these feeble ones, left thus early without
the fostering care of their apostolic shepherd. Passing on his way to
the great scene of his coming trials, he could not venture among them
to give them his parting counsels, and could now only intrust to their
constituted guardians, this dear charge, with renewed exhortations to
them to be faithful, as in the presence of their God, to those objects
of his labors, his cares, his prayers, and his daily tears. Amid the
sorrows of that long farewell, arose on the prophetic vision of the
apostle some gloomy foreshadowings of future woes to fall on that
Ephesian charge, and this deepened the melancholy feeling of his heart
almost to agony. This no doubt was the burden of his last prayer, when
with their elders, and for them, he kneeled down on the shore and sent
up in earnest petition to God, that voice which they were doomed to
hear no more forever.
Such passages as this in the life and words of Paul, constitute a noble
addition to the reader’s idea of his character. They show how nobly
were intermingled in the varied frame of his spirit, the affectionate,
the soft, and the winning traits, with the high, the stern, and the
bitter feelings that so often were called out by the unparalleled
trials of his situation. They show ♦that he truly felt and acted out,
to the life, that divine principle of Christian love which inspired
the most eloquent effort of his pen;――and that he trusted not to the
wonder-working powers that moved his lips, as with the eloquence of men
and angels,――not to the martyr-spirit, that, sacrificing all earthly
substance, devoted itself to the raging flames of persecution, in the
cause of God,――not to the genius whose discursive glance searched all
the mysteries of human and divine knowledge,――but to that pure, exalted
and exalting spirit of ardent love for those for whom he lived like his
Savior, and for whom he was ready to die like him, also. This was the
inspiration of his words, his writings, and his actions,――the motive
and spirit of his devotion,――the energy of his being. Wherever he went
and whatever he did,――in spite of the frequent passionate outbreaks of
his rougher nature, this honest, fervent, animated spirit of charity,
――glowing not to inflame, but to melt,――softened the austerities of his
character, and kindled in all who truly knew him, a deep and lasting
affection for him, like that which was so strikingly manifested on this
occasion. Who can wonder that to a man thus constituted, the lingering
Ephesians still clung with such enthusiastic attachment? In the fervid
action of that oriental clime, they fell on his neck and kissed him,
sorrowing most of all for the words which he said,――that they should
see his face no more. Still loth to take their last look at one so
loved, they accompanied him to the ship, which bore him away from them,
to perils, sufferings and chains.
♦ duplicate word “that” removed
“_Assos_ was a sea-port town, situated on the south-west part
of the province of Troas, and over against the island Lesbos.
By land it is much nearer Troas than by sea, because of a
promontory that runs a great way into the sea, and must be
doubled to come to Assos, which was perhaps the reason that
the apostle chose rather to walk it.” (Wells’s Geography and
Calmet’s Commentary.)
Illustration: MYTELENE. Acts xx. 14.
“_Mitylene_, (chapter xx. verse 14,) was one of the principal
cities in the island of Lesbos, situated on a peninsula with a
commodious haven on each side; the whole island was also called
by that name, as well as Pentapolis, from the five cities in it,
viz. Issa or Antissa, Pyrrhe, Eressos, Arisba, and Mitylene. It
is at present called Metelin. The island is one of the largest
in the Archipelago, and was renowned for the many eminent
persons it produced; such as Sappho, the inventress of Sapphic
verses,――Alcaeus, a famous lyric poet,――Pittacus, one of the
seven wise men of Greece,――Theophrastus, the noble physician and
philosopher,――and Arion, the celebrated musician. It is now in
the possession of the Turks. As mentioned by St. Luke, it may
be understood either the island or the city itself.” (Wells’s
Geography and Whitby’s Table.)
“_Chios_, (verse 15,) was an island in the Archipelago, next
to Lesbos, both as to situation and size. It lies over against
Smyrna, and is not above four leagues distant from the Asiatic
continent. Horace and Martial celebrate it for the wine and figs
that it produced. It is now renowned for producing the best
mastic in the world.
“Sir Paul Ricaut, in his ‘Present State of the Greek Church,’
tells us, that there is no place in the Turkish dominions where
Christians enjoy more freedom in their religion and estates
than in this island, to which they are entitled by an ancient
capitulation made with Sultan Mahomet II.” (Wells’s Geography.)
“_Samos_, (verse 15,) was another island of the Archipelago,
lying south-east of Chios, and about five miles from the Asiatic
continent. It was famous among heathen writers for the worship
of Juno; for one of the Sibyls called Sibylla Samiana; for
Pherecydes, who foretold an earthquake that happened there, by
drinking of the waters; and more especially for the birth of
Pythagoras. It was formerly a free commonwealth; at present, the
Turks have reduced it to a mean and depopulated condition; so
that ever since the year 1676, no Turk has ventured to live on
it on account of its being frequented by pirates, who carry all
whom they take into captivity.” (Wells’s Geography and Whitby’s
Table.)
“_Trogyllium_, (verse 15,) is a promontory at the foot of Mount
Mycale, opposite to, and five miles from Samos: there was also a
town there of the same name, mentioned by Pliny, Lib. v, c. 29.
p. 295.” (Whitby’s Table.)
“_Miletus_, (verse 15,) a sea-port town on the continent of Asia
Minor, and in the province of Caria, memorable for being the
birth-place of Thales, one of the seven wise men of Greece, and
father of the Ionic philosophy; of Anaximander, his scholar;
Timotheus, the musician; and Anaximenes, the philosopher. It
is called now, by the Turks, Melas; and not far distant from it
is the true Meander.” (Whitby’s Table and Wells’s Geography.)
[Williams on Pearson. pp. 66, 67.]
Tearing himself thus from the embraces of his Ephesian brethren, Paul
sailed off to the southward, hurrying on to Jerusalem, in order to
reach there if possible, before the Pentecost. After leaving Miletus,
the apostolic company made a straight course to Coos, and then rounding
the great northwestern angle of Asia Minor, turned eastwardly to
Rhodes, and passing probably through the strait, between that island
and the continent, landed at Patara, a town on the coast of Lycia,
which was the destination of their first vessel. They therefore at
this place engaged a passage in a vessel bound to Tyre, and holding
on southeastward, came next in sight of Cyprus, which they passed,
leaving it on the left, and then steering straight for the Syrian coast,
landed at Tyre, where their vessel was to unlade; so that they were
detained here for a whole week, which they passed in the company of
some Christian brethren who constituted a church there. These Tyrian
disciples hearing of Paul’s plan to visit Jerusalem, and knowing the
dangers to which he would there be exposed by the deadly hate of the
Jews, were very urgent with him against his journey; but he still
resolutely held on his course, as soon as a passage could be procured,
and bade them farewell, with prayer on the shore, to which the brethren
accompanied him with their women and children. Standing off from the
shore, they then sailed on south, to Ptolemais, where they spent a
day with the Christians in that place, and then re-embarking, and
passing round the promontory of Carmel, reached Caesarea, where their
sea-voyage terminated. Here they passed several days in the house of
Philip the evangelist, one of the seven deacons, who had four daughters
that were prophetesses. While they were resting themselves in this
truly religious family, from the fatigues of their long voyage, they
were visited by Agabus, a prophet from Jerusalem,――the same who had
formerly visited Antioch when Paul was there, and who had then foretold
the coming famine, which threatened all the world. This remarkable man
predicted to Paul the misfortunes which awaited him in Jerusalem. In
the solemnly impressive dramatic action of the ancient prophets, he
took Paul’s girdle, and binding his own hands with it, said――“Thus
says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem, bind the man
that owns this girdle, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles.’” On
hearing this melancholy announcement, all the companions of Paul and
the Christians of Caesarea, united in beseeching Paul to give up his
purpose of visiting Jerusalem. But he, resolute against all entreaty,
declared himself ready not only to be bound, but to die in Jerusalem
for the Lord Jesus. And when they found that he would not be persuaded,
they all ceased to harass him with their supplications, and resigned
him to Providence, saying,――“The will of the Lord be done.” They then
all took carriages, and rode up to Jerusalem, accompanied by some
brethren from Caesarea, and by Mnason, an old believer, formerly of
Cyprus, but now of Jerusalem, who had engaged them as his guests in
that city.
“_Coos_, (chapter xxi. verse 1,) an island in the Aegean or
Icarian sea, near Mnydos and Cnidus, which had a city of the
same name, from which Hippocrates, the celebrated physician, and
Apelles, the famous painter, were called Coi. Here was a large
temple of Aesculapius, and another of Juno. It abounded in
rich wines, and is very often mentioned by the classic poets.”
(Whitby’s Alphabetic Table.)
Witsius very absurdly defines the situation of this island
by saying that it is “_near Crete_.”――“Coos, quae maris
Mediterranei insula est _prope Cretam_.” It is in the Aegean sea
properly, and _not_ in the Mediterranean; and can not be less
than one hundred and twenty miles from Crete, much farther
off from it than is Rhodes,――the next island in Paul’s route,
and there are many islands between Coos and Crete, so that the
statement gives no just idea of the situation of the island. It
would be as proper to say that Barbadoes is _near Cuba_, or the
isle of Man _near France_.
“_Rhodes_, (verse 1,) an island, supposed to have taken its name
απο των Ροδων from the many roses which were known to grow there.
It lies south of the province of Caria, and it is accounted next
to Cyprus and Lesbos, for its dignity among the Asiatic islands.
It was remarkable among the ancients for the expertness of
its inhabitants in navigation; for a college, in which the
students were eminent for eloquence and mathematics; and for the
clearness of its air, insomuch that there was not a day in which
the sun did not shine upon it; and more especially celebrated
for its prodigious statue of brass, consecrated especially to
the sun, and called his Colossus. This statue was seventy cubits
high, and every finger as large as an ordinary sized man, and
as it stood astride over the mouth of the harbor, ships passed
under its legs.” (Whitby’s Table and Wells’s Geography.)
[Williams on Pearson, pp. 67, 68.]