Why, it would take all
the Christians in the Northwest to make one Paul. Look at his heroism
everywhere he went. Talk about your Alexanders; why, the mighty power of
God rested upon Paul. "Why," said he, "thrice was I shipwrecked while
going off to preach the gospel." What did he care about that? Cold
churches wouldn't trouble him, although they trouble us. What would
lying elders and false deacons be to him? That wouldn't stop him. He had
but one idea, and over all obstacles he triumphed for that one idea.
Look at him as he comes back from his punishment. He goes up some side
street and gets lodgings. He works during the day and preaches at night
on the street. He had no building like this, no committee to wait on
him, no carriage to carry him from the meeting, no one to be waiting to
pay his board bills. There he was toiling and preaching, and, after
preaching for eighteen months, they say, "We'll have to pay you for all
this preaching, Paul," and they take him to the corner of the street
and pay him with thirty-nine stripes! That is the way they paid him.
Oh, my friends, when you look at the lives of such men don't it make
you feel ashamed of yourselves. I confess I feel like hanging my head.
Go to him in the Philippian jail and ask him what he is going to do now.
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