The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-08-31
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
International Lesson for September B.
Paul Shipwrccked-Acts e7:3o-z4.


| Especially Arranged from Peioubet's Notes.
GOLDEN 1ExT.-God is our refuge and
strength, very present help in troube.-Ps
46:l
TIME-About November I. A. d. CO. Three
months after the last lesson.
PLACE-On, and then within, St Paul's bay.
in the island OF Malta
PUAL-Aged ffty-eight on his way to Rome.
RULERS Nero, emperor of Rome 9th year);
Herod Agrippa H., king OF Trachonitis, and the
lands east of Galilee 9th year); Festus gov.
ernor of JudRa Qst year,
THE SECTION OF History includes the whole
Of chapters "a and 2S:I-i0
CIRCUMSTANCES. Paul, after being prisoner
at CBsarea for two years, had, in order to
escape from the Jewsseppealed to Caesar, and
hence was sent to Rome for trial, not as
criminal, but as religious prisoner Thus his
prayer that he might go to Rome answered
in strange way, but in the best possible way.
LESSON NOTES
/. The Voyage.-As soon as a suffi-
cient company of prisoners bound for
Rome could be gathered to go under
one military escort, Paul was sent with
them. This required about twenty
days. But why should an inspired
writer occupy whole chapter in the
Bible in the details of geography. and
navigation, and shipwreck? U
Everything is religious if it is filed
with the religious spirit. (2) 1t is the
Bible way to teach us by the history of
Gods people. (3) This chapter is a
part of great plan of God 1t is
history of Gods providence 4) Many
people in all ages suffer troubles, and
shipwreck, and it is well to see how a
good man acts under such circum-
stances. There are comfort, and help,
and instruction in it.
Journal of Pauls Voyage according
to Lewin):
August n, A. ID. 60, set sail from
Casarea, northward to Sidon, sixty
seven miles.
August %, touched at Sidon: sailed
northwest along eastern coast of Cy-
prus, and thence west along the coast
of Asia Minor to Myra, in Lycia, where
they changed vessels.
September IL, reached Cnidus, south
west corner of Asia Minor, thence
southwest to Crete.
September 23, the fast, or great Day
of Atonement.
September 26, reached Fairhavens,
in Crete, where the vessel lay wind
bound till
October 10, when they discussed
plans, and decided to go to Phenice.
October 1s,started for Phenice.
October 10, overtaken by the typhoon,
and undergrad the ship.
October 20, cargo thrown overheard.
October n, the tackle of the ship
thrown over.
November 1, wrecked on the coast of
Malta.
The Storm.--Sevcral delays occurred,
and change of vessels was made, SO
that much time was consumed on the
journey. They had been about two
months on the journey when off the
island of CLAUDIA terrific storm arose
by which they were driven fourteen
days at the mercy of the wind. A gale
of such duration, though not very fire.
quent, is by no means unprecedent ed
in that part of the Mediterranean, es-
pecially toward winter.-Conybeare.
Mr.. James Smith in his famous mono
graph on this voyage calculates the
average rate at which such ship
would drift before gale of wind at
thirty-sM miles in twenty-four hours.
Having left CLAUDIA late in the evening,
the ship would by midnight on the
fourteenth be less than three miles
from the entrance to st. Paul's bay in
Malta, the distance being four hundred
and eighty miles according to the di-
rection ship in this northeast wind
would naturally drift.
The Calm Within.-The ship was be-
ing driven they knew not whittier.
Hope had given out mo one who has
never been in leaking ship in long
continued gale" says Conybeare, ''can
know what is suffered under these cir
cumstances. The strain both of mind
and body, the. incessant demand for
the labor of all the crew, the terror of
the passengers, the hopeless working
at the pumps, the laboring of the ships
frame and cordage, the driving of the
storm, the benumbing effect of the
cold and wet, make up scene of no
ordinary confusion, anxiety and IA
tigue. At this point God sent His
angel to Paul, doubtless in answer to
prayer, to assure him of His promise
that he should preach the Gospel in
Rome. That promise could not fail,
but it needed to be repeated for Paul's
comfort in this hour of danger. But it
was sent with this additional blessing,
which Paul reported to those on the
ship, that all should be saved with
him.
The Wreck.-Vers. $685. On the
fourteenth night of the storm, by the
sound of breakers, and the Swallowing
of the water, they learned that they
were near, some land. Anchors were
cast out of the stern, keeping the bow
of the ship toward the shore in case
they should drift upon it. ''The
English ships-of-war were anchored by
the stern in the battle of Copenhagen,
and rendered very effective service in
that position. Conybeare and Howson
mention the singular fact that Lord
Nelson stated after the battle that he
was led to adopt that plan because he
had just been reading this twenty
seventh chapter of the Acts. ts."-Hackett.
Affur