with the master genius, the divine genius of the Son of God.

How like him was St. Paul in his life and work and friendships. In his dying hour Paul too could say "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a

Paul had made And so Paul was

good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” And Paul meant by this precisely what Christ meant by his words on the Cross. He had finished his individual work, and his plans for evangelizing the known world had been fully made and were now confidently entrusted to his friends who were prepared to go on with them without his farther instructions or supervision. himself unnecessary to the world. the consummate statesman, the supreme constructive genius-he finished his own work; rounded out his own career; and yet, at the same time, had but laid the foundations of that splendid cathedral for the Divine habitation among men, which it would take all the after generations to complete. But he had drawn the plans for the entire structure, given others a glimpse of its ultimate radiancy of glory, and trained them to be themselves master-builders.

He was no Napoleon whose work would topple over even before his own death. He was a Washington, whose services to mankind only millenniums could perfect, yet whose death caused not a quiver to the structure he had begun to rear. To employ and adapt the language used by Napoleon of a man

of his day-or by a contemporary of Napoleon himself, history reports both ways-"There was a time when the death of St. Paul would have been an event; when it did occur, it was only a piece of news. His friends and lieutenants had been so trained in many a hard fought campaign by the personal example and under the eye of their imperial leader that when at last he fell at his post, dying a soldier's death, there was not a break in the line anywhere; his Field Marshals, Generals, and Captains could now carry on the war and win the victory without the "little corporal" of Tarsus.

And so the friends and friendships of St. Paul which so comforted his own heart, and so enriched his own life and theirs, have also enriched the world for the nineteen centuries which have fled, and shall go on enriching the life of men till time itself grows gray and there dawns at last the unspeakable splendor of the millennial dawn. When in that day men see the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, then, and then only, will they be able to comprehend and compute the world significance of St. Paul's genius for friendship,—the unmined, unmeasured, unminted wealth of his heart's riches.

Here is the supreme evidence of Paul's genius as a constructive statesman, as well as matchless friend and peerless General and strategist. The final test of Moses's greatness did not come until

after his death; then it was vindicated by the fact that his successor could go on with his plans without break or pause. So was vindicated the real greatness of John Wesley and in our day of Frances E. Willard. The final test of Gen. Booth's claim to imperial achievement will come only when it has been seen whether he has trained others to fill his place and carry on his life mission without a jar when he shall have been summoned into the presence of his Maker.

Let us now ask ourselves one or two most significant questions: How much would be left of the record of Paul's achievements if we could cut out from his career the names and deeds of all his friends and all that he himself wrought through them? And what would their records be had they never been thrilled, inspired, and directed by his genius and passion for the spread of the Gospel? None can say, none can answer these baffling queries.

When it came to pass that Israel's mighty prophet Elijah was to be translated there was found by diligent search just one man who was capable of catching up his mantle and going forward with his life mission. When Paul's change came not one only, but a score of the loftiest characters of his generation stood ready to receive his mantle and prolong and hand on his mission; to command armies or organize and administer the affairs of cities and provinces, and so his death was not an "event," but merely a "piece of news."

Surely next to his Divine Lord and Master this man is the world's supreme exemplar of every high attribute which we associate with that sacred word-Friendship.

APPENDIX

I

Alphabetical list of Paul's friends and those to whom he sent individual greetings in his letters, together with all Scripture references to each save to Peter and John, and James, the Lord's brother.

6. Apollos-Acts 18:24, 19:1; I Cor. 1:12, 3:4-22, 4:6, 16:12, and Titus 3:13.

7. Apphia-Phm. 1:2.

8. Archippus-Col. 4:17, and Phm. 1:2.

9. Aristarchus-Acts 19:29, 20:4-5, 27:1-2, Col. 4:10, and Phm. 1:24.

13.

Barnabas-Acts 4:36-37, 9:26-27, 11:22-30, 12:25, 13:1-50, 14:1-28, 15:1-39, I Cor. 9:4-6, Gal. 2:1-13, and Col. 4:10.

14. Carpus-2nd Tim. 4:13.

15. Cephas-Acts 15:6-7, 22, 25.

16. Claudia-2nd Tim. 4:21.