ATHENS--HARBOR OF PIRAEUS--SALAMIS IN THE DISTANCE.
From a photograph belonging to the Forbes Library, Northampton, Mass., and used by special permission.
Into this harbor came the ship of Paul on his voyage from the North. In the distance is the immortal battle place of Salamis, where the Persian fleet was destroyed. Of the voyage of Paul from Thessaly to Athens it is said, "All the land and water in sight became more eloquent as he advanced: the lights and shadows, both of poetry and history, were on every hand: every rock was a monument, every current was animated by some memory of the past."
The same following after Paul and us cried out, saying, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim unto you the way of salvation."
And this she did for many days. But Paul, being greatly troubled, turned and said to the spirit, "I charge thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her."
And it came out that very hour.
But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they laid hold of Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers, and when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to receive, or to observe, being Romans."
And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates tore their garments off them, and commanded to beat them with rods. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: who, having received such a charge, cast them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns unto God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened; and everyone's bands were loosed. And the jailor being roused out of sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword, and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.