Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1891-09-18
THEPOWER OF KINDNESS
LESSONS FROM PAuL's RECEPTION
ON THE ISLAND OF MELlTA.

The narbarons People Of tho Island We're
a. Yet Interrupted. and So the Prompt
iugs Of Nature Ruled Thom-Kindness
Royal Flower Of Gods Goodness.
BnooKLYN, Sept. is.-Brooklyn Taber-
nacle today contained many strangers on
their way home from the watering places
and foreign lands Many of the members
absent from the city during the summer
were in their places. The church building
and the. organ, which have been almost
continually under brush and hammer
since the dedication last spring, are now
about completed. The sermons today were
full Of eongratulation and were attended
by the usual throngs. Dr. Talmage's morn
ing sermon was on Kindness" from the
text, Acts xviii, o "The barbarous people
showed us no little kindness.
Ny text puts us on the Island Of Malta,
another name for Meita This island,
which has always been an important com
mercial center, belonging at different times
to Phwnicia, to Greece, to Rome, to Ara
bia, 20 Spain, to France, now belongs to
England. The area Of the island is about
one hundred square miles. 1t is in the
Mediterranean sen, aud of such clarity Of
atmosphere that Mount Etna, one hundred
and thirty miles away, can be distinctly
seen. The island is gtOriously memorable,
because the Knights of Malta for "A long
while ruled there, but most famous be
cause of the apostolic shipwreck.
The bestormed vessel on which Paul
sailed had "laid to" on the starboard tack,
and the wind was blowing east-northeast,
aud the vessel drifting probably a mile
and a half an hour ere she struck at what
is now called St. Paups bay. Practical
sailors have taken up the Bible account
and decided beyond controversy the place
of the shipwreck. But the island which
has so rough coast is for the most part a
garden. Richest fruit and profusion Of
honey characterized it in Paurs time as
we'll as now. The finest oranges, figs and
olives grow there When Paul and his
comrades crawled up on the beach, satur-
ated with salt water and hungry from long
abstinence from food and chilled to the
bone, the islanders, though called bar
barians because they could not speak
Greek, opened their doors to the ship
wrecked unfortunates.
Everything had gone to the bottom Of
the deep, and the barefooted, bareheaded
apostle and ships crew were in a condition
to appreciate hospitality About twenty
five such men few seasons ago ] found in
the life station near Easthampton, Long
Island They had got ashore in the night
from the sea- and not a hat nor shoe had
they left They found out, as Paul and
his fellow voyagers found out, that the sea
is the toughest Of all robbers. My text
finds the ships crew ashore on Malta, aud
around a hot fire drying themselves, and
with the best provision the islanders can
offer them.
And they go into government quarters
for three days to recuperate, Publius, the
ruler. inviting them, although he had Sc
we're sickness in the house at that time
bis father down with dysentery and typhoid
fever Yea, for three months they staid
on the island watching for a ship and put
ting the Inequalities Of the islanders to IL
severe test. But they endured the test salts
factorily, and it is recorded for all the ages
Of time and eternity to read and hear in
regard to the inhabitants of Malta, 1.-THE
barbarous people showed MS no little kind
ness"
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