A LONG AND MEMORABLE MEETING
When Sunday came, all the disciples "came together to break bread," and Paul preached to them his farewell sermon. As he was to leave them in the morning, they persuaded him to continue his speech until midnight, which he did.
The meeting was held in an upper room, the windows of which were all thrown open so the congregation could enjoy the cool of the evening.
Eutychus Falls.
Sitting in one of the windows was a young man named Eutychus who listened to the sermon as long as he could, and then fell asleep. As Paul continued to preach, Eutychus continued to nod, until finally he became overbalanced and fell into the courtyard below. No doubt a woman's scream first interrupted the sermon. The people sprang to their feet, and rushed below, and picked the young man up for dead.
Restored.
Paul, too, went down, and embracing the boy, said,
"Trouble not yourselves for his life is in him."
ST. PAUL AT MILETUS WITH THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS.
"And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more.">[
Thankful that the young man was restored, the people returned to the room, and Paul preached to them until morning.
Paul's companions went by ship to Assos, but he preferred to walk the twenty miles alone.
At Assos he went abroad the ship and sailed to Mitylene, thence to Chios, and the next day to Samos, about a mile from which they tarried at Trogyllium.
At Miletus.
On the next day, Paul sailed past Ephesus, thinking that he would not have time to visit the Saints there, for he wanted to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. But when he reached Miletus, a few miles from Ephesus, he sent word over to the Elders of the Church to come to him. This they did with all gladness, and listened with intense interest to his address to them.[[4]]
"And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all."
That little company of Christians assembled in an obscure place on the seashore presents to our minds one of the most beautiful pictures of the world, and their farewell greeting one of the most impressive and pathetic.
A Sad Farewell.
When the beloved apostle was about to leave them, "they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him; sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake." It seemed that they just could not bear to have him leave them. They clung to him even when he went aboard the ship, and it was with difficulty that his companions drew Paul from them.
A similar scene was enacted at Tyre where the company remained seven days. While Paul was visiting and comforting the Saints here, they entreated him not to go up to Jerusalem, because his life would be in danger. But Paul could not be persuaded.
When the time came to say "goodby," the men, women and children all went with Paul and his company down to the shore. Here they all kneeled down and prayed, and bade farewell "one of another." Then Paul and his companions entered the ship, and the sorrowing Saints returned slowly to their homes.