It may have been my sin to weary too often at the length of the journey, and to cry out to the Lord Jesus to make an end of it.  It may have been that I was often too eager to meet my death and to receive the reward of all my labour, but who shall judge me?  Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only judge and his reign shall endure over this world till the last man has vanished into death.  And when the last man has perished?  Mathias asked.  Paul answered:  Jesus shall pass into his Father’s keeping and again there shall be but one God.  But, Paul, Mathias rejoined, if I understand thee rightly, there are now two Gods, and our hope is that in time to come the twain may turn to one.  Paul was about to answer, but his lips were parched, and he raised the cup of water to his lips, and when he had drunk he was about to answer Mathias, but Hazael said:  Mathias, we are all eager to hear the story of Paul’s own life.  There will be time afterwards to discuss his doctrine.  Mathias waved his hand, a sign that Paul might continue his story, which he did.

From Ephesus we returned to Corinth and to Macedonia, and dreams began to take hold on us of longer journeys than any we had yet undertaken; we dreamed of Rome, and then of Spain, for all should hear the joyful tidings that there is salvation for all, and we live in dread that the judgment may come upon the world before the distant countries have heard that the Christ has been born and has died and been raised by his Father from the dead, thereby abolishing the law, which was no longer needed, faith in Christ being sufficient.  But if the judgment comes before all men have heard of the Christ, then is God unjust.  God forbid:  our sloth and tardy feet are responsible.  Our fear is for the Jews that have closed their ears to the truth, and, therefore, we were warned not to leave Palestine without a last effort to save them.  Once more my soul said unto me:  Paul, go to Jerusalem, for the last time enter the Temple and comply with all the law, for these things matter not whether they be done or left undone; all that matters is that Jerusalem should accept Jesus.  Be all things, once more, to all men.  And it was after this command, given to me in the silence of the night, that I took leave of the brethren at Ephesus, saying to them:  brethren, you knew from the first day that I came unto Asia what manner of man had come among you, directing you only towards repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.  I would indeed remember all I said on that occasion, for I spoke well, the Holy Ghost being upon me, putting the very words of the leave-taking into my mouth that I should speak, words which I cannot find again, but which were written by me afterwards, as I wished them to be preserved for the use of the faithful.  They shall be sent to you.  But in this moment I’m too tired to remember them, and will continue my story, telling how when the sails of the ship were lifted we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following