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THE KING’ S BUSINESS
quiet and humble way. He did not adver tise largely and get a great crowd in the largest public building. He just spoke to an obscure but earnest company o f praying women. Some one lias said the “man o f Macedonia” turned out to be a woman, but that is not so sure, for it may have been the Philippian j ailer. Be that as, it may, the work o f evangelization began with a handful of praying women. That .was one o f the most notable gatherings o f all his tory. It was seemingly an Open air meeting, and it was gathered for the purpose of prayer. In casting about for a company to whom he should first preach the Gospel, Paul wisely judged that a company o f peo ple gathered together for prayer would be the most likely to receive the truth. I f Paul had been like many modern preachers and had seen only a handful o f women gathered together he would have thought it beneath his talents and his importance to waste his time talking to them. But Paul was wiser and was Spirit led. He was in no hurry, the longed-for hour had come and he “sat down” ,and “ spake unto the women which were gathered together.” Oh, how many groups o f praying. women there are today who need to have some Paul come and tell them the way o f truth more clearly. But we are too busy with our great conventions and our Men’s Mover ments to go and tell fully, at the cost of the expenditure o f a great deal o f time, the way o f truth to only a handful o f pray ing women. v. 14. "And a certain .woman' named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which (one that) worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended (to give heed) unto the things which were spoken of Paul." This informal and apparently insignificant gathering resulted in the conversion o f a prominent and pious woman, Lydia, and she was the first convert in Europe, and all our European and Americari Christian ity begins with the conversion o f that woman. This woman already “worshipped God” as far as she knew Him. She was living up to the light she had, therefore
have thought it was a call to preach sociology, or higher criticism, or perhaps give a course o f lectures on “the great poets.” Soup kitchens, kindergartens, improved tenements, industrial classes, lectures in political economy and hygiene, may be well enough in their place, but they are not the things with which to really “help” men. The only real help for the poor and perishing, and the rich and perishing as well, at home and abroad, is “ the Gospel." Paul not only concluded it was the Gospel that was called for, but he also concluded that it was God who was doing the calling. vs. 11, 12. “ Therefore loosing (Setting sail therefore) from Troas, we came with (made) a straight course to Samothracia (Samothrace), and the next day (day fol lowing) to Neapolis: and from thence to Philippi, which is the chief (a) city of that part of ( omit, that .part of) Macedonia, ('add, the first o f the district,) and a colony (a Roman colony): and we were in that (this) city abiding (tarrying) 'certain days." Paul lost no time in starting for the field to which the Lord had called him. There had been no supernatural direction as to what part o f Macedonia he wjas to begin at, so Paul used his own judgment and went by the straightest course for the first city o f the district. Here is a lesson for us in the. evangelism o f any country. We should begin at the heart o f things. Peo ple from every part o f Macedonia would be coming up to Macedonia and could hear the Gospel there and take it back to their own particular neighborhood. Paul and his companions did not begin preaching at once. Having reached the place, they wdited and watched and prayed for a favorable time and place to strike the first blow (ef. ch. 13:14; 17:2; 18:4). v. 13. “ Then on the Sabbath (add, day) we went out of the city (forth without the gate) by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made (where we supposed there was a place of prayer), and we sat down, and spoke unto the women which resorted thither (were come together).” When Paul at last began to preach he began in a very
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