who rather be a courier of St. Paul than Prime Minister of Nero. His name will forever be written among those who were faithful in little things, and some day shall be ruler over many things. If he could not fight in the forefront of the battle like Mark and Titus, yet he could carry dispatches upon which hung the fate of many battles.

He was one of those many young men like Artemas, Secundas, Trophimus, and Aristarchus, who would never have been heard of had not the giant heart of the great Apostle magnetized them with the lofty passions of his own soul, lifted them to the hights of his own sublime faith and courage, and then hurled them eager and unafraid against the powers of evil with that torch of truth which shall yet illumine all the dark places of the earth.

But though Tychicus always labored under the direction of Paul and, like many another loyal friend of the Apostle, is completely obscured and overshadowed by the towering ability and fame of his leader, yet we would greatly err were we to adjudge him a man of inferior or merely ordinary talent. St. Paul made no such mistake. He rejoiced in having such a man by his side, not only that he might carry dispatches, but also that he might personally represent himself and speak in his · name and clothed with his authority in the great churches at Ephesus and Colossae; and also, as seems probable, in many other churches in the province of Asia, and perhaps in Crete as well.

Thus by means of his friendship with Tychicus, as by means of all his many other friendships, the Apostle multiplied his presence and personality while still in the flesh, and also continued his life work after he had been summoned into the presence of his Maker.

Of Paul's tender affection for Tychicus little need be added. He ever spoke of him as his "beloved brother," and honored him with that patent of nobility which he conferred upon none other of his friends save Epaphras only-that of being a "fellow servant" or "fellow slave” with himself in the Master's work. If Paul so judged of the importance of Tychicus's services to Christ, surely no man dare venture to give him lower rank.

Neither Paul nor the early church could have dispensed with him, and we could ill spare the simple record of his loving services and self-forgetting faithfulness.

CHAPTER XVI

Onesiphorus-A Friend Who Was Not Ashamed of Paul's Chain

Our knowledge of the career of Onesiphorus is based upon the following passages:-2nd Timothy 1:16-18, and 4:19.

UR individual studies of Paul's friends are drawing to a close: we shall gaze upon the faintly etched portrait of but one more, yet one that must not be passed by too hurriedly, that of Onesiphorus-"a friend who was not ashamed of Paul's chain." Our knowledge of this man who took his religion with him when he took a journey, is confined to a single short letter of Paul's, his second to Timothy. Even in this only four verses refer to Onesiphorus, and the portrait itself is etched in three. The whole biography is condensed into sixty-one words. But what a flaming beacon are they. What a torch of undimming lustre the heroic character there immortally drawn. Its value to the world is more than that of many volumes written about some men.

Whether or not Onesiphorus was one of the minor friends of St. Paul, we cannot with certainty answer. We catch but a dissolving view of his personality through the grateful memory and passing allusions of a doomed man; but this dissolving view makes the entire New Testament richer, for it renews and enriches our faith in our common humanity by giving us a fleeting glimpse of one of humanity's noblest types—a man of heroic mold, and a friend of deathless loyalty. It garlands the brow of friendship with new and unfading laurels. It pays one more tribute to Paul's genius for friendship, reveals another link in that chain of gold that fettered the hearts of men to his heart in the freedom of a joyous bondage.

I

"Such a One as Paul the Aged "

The door of a Roman dungeon swings creakingly open, we peer into its murky depths. At first the gloom is impenetrable. We tarry at the threshold till our eyes gradually become accustomed to the darkness, and at length we faintly discern the shadowy outlines of three human forms. Two of these stand upright-they are Roman soldiers. We look closer, the third man rivets our attention, his form is bowed, his head whitened, his face marred and seamed beyond the sons of men,-he is "such a one as Paul the aged." We see him lift a hand to that weary brow, a chain clanks, it is shackled to his wrist. And there the most kingly man of his gen

eration sits alone-his only companions those mailed men who are keeping the "death watch."

But why is this prisoner there, and why is he alone? He is there because he has not counted his life dear unto himself so that he might accomplish his course and the ministry which he received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the grace of God. But why is he alone in this supreme and crisis hour? Has he no friends to sit with him in the valley of the shadow? Yes-some. Where are they then? Well, the work which was dearer unto him than his own life was not going well in all parts of the vast empire he has conquered for his Lord; and so he has sent Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia, and Tychicus to Ephesus.

But that accounts for but three, surely this man has other friends, where are they? Some of them we know were about their necessary duties. Luke is with him most or all of the time, but Timothy is busy in his pastorate at Ephesus and Mark on a mission probably in Asia Minor. Phygellus and Hermogenes and a few others of Asia in whom he trusted have turned away from him because he is a condemned man, his life forfeited, and almost any day may prove his last. But what of all the Christians in the great church here in Rome to whom years ago he wrote that long letter pouring out his heart's longing to see them face to face? Some of these are still in touch with him such as Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, and Claudia. But it is better now for the peace of the church that most of the Roman