Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1877-12-08
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
The International Sunday school Les
son for December 9th-Acts rs: l.
10 Paul at NIelita.
BY REV. e. P. RODGERS, d. d.
From New York Observer.

From New York Observer
Golden Text: Il am debtor both to
the Greeks and TO the Barbarians, both
to the wise and to the unwise. Rom.
L: IA.
Central truth: The Lords servants
are safe.
The island ON which Paul and his COM
panions found refuge, after escaping
from the foundeling ship, was found 10
be Melita, as it was called by the natives.
1t is generally agreed that it was onr
modernss Malta. A vestel driven before 4
northeast wind would naturally run in
that direction; and calculations made by
experienced navigators ''as to the rate of
speed at which a ship would be driven
before the wind, in such storm as that
described, agree almost exactly in the
singular conclusion that the vessel, on
the fifteenth morning after leaving Crete,
must have teen precisely where tradition
has assigned tie place of, the apostles
shipwreck.
The shipwrecked company were hos.
pitably received by the islanders. and
treated with kindness. 1t is said they
were barbarous" people, wy which
| does not necessarily mean that
they were savages, but simply natives
The Greeks and Romans were accustom-
ed to call all other people by thi; name.
| The remarkable instance of Paul's suf-
feriDg no bodily harm from the bite of II
venomous snake, and the miraculous heal
| ing of the father of the chief man Of the
island, gave the apostle much considera-
ton among the people. The hand which
the yiper's venom could not poison, was
enabled TO raise up man from the grasp
Of a dangerous disease.
During the stay Of Paul and his COM
pany OH the island, they received many
kind attentions from the people. And
when after three months they resumed
thoir journey, taking passage in another
vessel from Alexandria, they provided
with great liberalily for their co"duct on
the way
Alter leaving Malta, they ran about
eight miles, and stopped three days at
Syracuse, and thence making circuit.
Qetchiug compaSs,) they c1me to Rheg-
ium, now ReggiO, port ut The extremity
of the Italian peninsula. opposite Mess!-
IA. Thence th Y sailed 10 Puteoli, one
hundred aud eighty miles, where they
remained seven days with some Chris
tian brethern, and then resumed their
journey to Rome. Their friends in the
! city came out to meet them about forty
miles at Appii Forum, and Three Tav-
erns," which was an occasion of great re-
joicing to the apostle. And thus in COM
pany with these friends of the apostle
at last reached The Eternal City," where
his last testimony was to be givensto the
Gospel of Christ.
PRATICAL SUGGESTION.
/. First impressions are not always
correct.
Paul's introduction TO the people of
Melita was not very flattering. They
saw that he was prisoner, in charge of
the officers of the law, which was in it
self a suspicious circumstance. Then he
had no sooner escaped the dangers of
the sea, than he seemed again to be made
a mark for the divine vengeance. He is
bitten by venOmous reptile. To sim
pie and uninstructed people, this circum-
stance would be likely still more to
prejudice them against this stranger.
They doubtless thought him some bold
bad man pursued by the anger OF God,
and perhaps wished that he had been
driven in some other direction than to
their island.
How mistaken they were in these IN
pressions, and how they were convicted
OF unwarrantable interences and hasty
Judgments, the narrative soon tells. And
they found that this stranger, whose
coming to their coast, they at first re-
garded as curse, proved to be a mes
senger Of distinguished blessing.
So have many been mistaken in their
impressions of Christ, and of the
Christian religion. He Was despiscd
and rejected OF men." Many a man has
turned away from Christ and his gospel
and his servants, and fancied the whole
thing to be delusiOn, and has after
wards found tn t e had been rejecting
the only resource OF peace to his soul.
2. A true Christian may safely trust
God for his firal vindication.
| The reaction came to these men of Me-
lita. They thought at first that Paul
was a great criminal, but when they
found that viper could not harm him,
s.thev changed their minds, and said that
he was Il God"
A Christian need not be over anxious
abont his vindication from unjust and
malicious aspersions. 1.-The Lord know
eth them that are his" 1t is said of our
Lord that, .-wlien he was reviled, he re-
viled not again, when be suffered he
threatened not, but committed himself to
Col, who judgeth righteously." This is
a good example for us. Let us be faith
full in serving God, and III doing oul
duty, and he will take care of our repu-
tation. And if We be despised, and mis-
understood and maligned here, ifby word