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doing this, and “in all things” else, he was giving us an example. It was men’s souls and not men’s money and clothes that he was after (cf. 1 Sam. 12:3).. He had worked hard with his own hands to make a living for himself and his co-workers (,cf. ch. 18:3; 1 Cor. 4:12; 1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:8). He sought not luxuries but “necessities.” There were two lessons in particular which he desired them to learn from his example: (1) “to help the weak” (cf. Rom. 15:1), (2) to give out to others rather than to take in from others. Jesus Himself had said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Though Jesus said this, yet a large part of the church does not seem to believe it even yet. Get as much as you can and give as little as you can, seems to be the principle of many in the church as well as in the world. They are making a great mistake. It is blessed to get, but it is more blessed to give, and' the more you give the greater the blessing. God’s blessings to us come in through the same door that our gifts go out to others (Ps. 41:1-3; 112:5-7; Prov., 19:17; Isa. 58:7-12). What a wee crack for God to ,get intQ our hearts and lives through, some of us are opening by the meagerness of our gifts to others. It was by experience that Jesus knew that' it was “more blessed to give than to receive” (2 Cor. 8:9; Matt. 20:28). . , Thursday, March 29 . Acts 20 : 36 - 38 . Here we have a parting scene of great tenderness. It brings out a side of haul’s character that is often overlooked. We usually .think of him as a stern, fearless warrior for the truth, but we see here as well as in other places that he was not ^nly a fearless warrior but a tender lover of his fellowmgn as well (cf. 1 Thess. 2:7, 8, 11, 17-20). As he loved others he himself was loved in return. These strong men of Ephesus, the leaders in the church, utterly broke down when they heard “that ' they should behold his face no more.” Their grief was deep and strong. The word translated “sorrowing” means “to be
in anguish,” to “suffer intense pain,” “to be tormented.” “They all wept sore." Nor was this all. They “fell on Paul’s neck, and kissed him.” I wonder with how many of us if we should tell our congregations that we had to leave and would see them no more there would be any such scene as this. It is far easier to win the admiration of men than if is to win such tender and fervent affection as this. I am glad that the Holy Spirit caused Luke to record this scene so graphically and so fully. It made a deep impression on Luke’s mind, he never forgot it. God grant that we may never forget it. Paul received so many blows for Christ that I am glad for once to see him showered with kisses. Friday, March 30 . Acts 21 : 1 - 3 . Neither the translation of the Author ized nor of the Revised Versions of verse 1 gives the fulBsense of the original in the words translated “were gotten from them” (in the Authorized) and “were parted from them” (in the Revised). The words so translated mean “were torn away from them.” The thought is that it took a strong effort to sunder Paul and these friends. They clung to him and it was necessary to tear them apart. It is evident that Paul’s disciples not only admired him, but loved him with a deep personal attach ment, which he reciprocated. Only the impulse of the Holy Spirit’s constraint (ch. 20:22) could sunder him from them. We need in our day more of this warmth of affection between teacher and taught. Saturday, March 31 . Acts 21 : 4 - 6 . The opening words of verse 4 give us an instructive insight into Paul’s habits. When P^ul reached a city he at once looked up the disciples in it. He longed to import to them some spiritual gift ■ (Rom. 1 :11), and to be comforted in them. Any one who was a disciple of his Lord Jesus was because of that fact an object of Paul’s affection and interest. Do all preachers today in their travels keep a sharp lookout for the disciples of Christ
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