Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-11-02
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON vi, NOV 7 ACTS
IS: Lie.
Golden Text: "We Know Not That All
Things Work Together for Good to
Them That Love God"-Rom. VIII.
eS-Back ground of the Lesson.


| Alexandrian corn ship anchored off the
| unknown coast on that fourteenth night
| of the storm and those on board wish
| ing for the day" The remaining verses
| of the chapter, which describe the ship
wreck. may be arranged in three pictures.
| First Picture.-The scene depicted in YER
ses 1886 is one of the most touching in
| the Bible. The night Is almost over; the
| darkness seems not quite SO thick,
| though IT is not light enough to see the
| land. The exhausted crew, with the CEN
turion and soldiers and prisoners. are all
! gathered around one man. He. too, is a
prisoner. and a Jew; yet all are listen
! ing to him he first eXhorts them to
cheer up and prepare for desperate ef-
| fort presently by taking food, and then.
before them all, solemnly thanks HIM
who ruleth the winds and waves-the
tempest raging and the ship rolling and
| pitching and straining all the while.
The Catastrophe Second Picture. The
effort has been made; the anchors have
| been cut away (see margin of verse 4O),
and tho ship, lightened of its cargo Verse
$50 and with it's huge sail set to the WIND.
has been steered straight for the shore IN
| hope OF its being blown high and dry
onto the smooth beach the sailors de-
serted. But the bulky vessel has struck
| on the rocks; her hull is broken In two,
! the sea sweeps over her; and all los'.
| Yet, even at that supreme moment the
| Roman soldiers cannot forget their duty
! and responsibility II their charge escape
they must suffer for it, Better Kill the
| prisoners at once--eyen Paul. Duty may
| be very hard-hearted. How Is this cruel
| design prevented? Verse 4)-and again we
see the unique position Paul had gained.
| The Escape.-Third Picture. And now
| the raging sea is full of struggling men,
| some swimming desperately. some cling
| ing to the spars and fragments of the ves-
sci already floating about. Paul is there
! in the sea, not for the first time, for ne
knowns what 1T Is to be all day and all
! night Gin the deep" q Cor IL. 25); and
| no doubt Isa 26 3 is true Of him as the
wild breakers roll over him-'Thou wilt
keep him in perfect peace. whose mind
| is stayed on thee because he trusteth IN
| thee" Presently ne feels the ground UNI
der his feet-a rush forward-he is safe.
And not he only. How many more? I'M
| aglne the wet, Geld, exhausted men gath
| ering togther on the shore surely very few
can have escaped that sea. Yes they
count-two hundred and seventy-six-all
| are saved!
The Fulfillment of Promise.-God's an
| gel promised that all should be saved
| (verse 22), and now it is fulfilled. But
take more general promise to Gods peo-
plea promise such as may apply to US
| also-and see how literally IL is fulfilled in
| this narrative. Take Psalm 81. Is. Il will
be with him in trouble: l will deliver him
and honor him" In these few words there
are three distinct promises. and every one
was fulfilled. II will be with him in trou-
ble"-'There stood by me this night an
angel of Cod Il Will deliver him
so God did. first from the swords of the
| guards. and then from the angry waves.
And honor him"-this. perhaps, is the
most striking of all: Paul is the messenger
| of good to the rest (verse 20; Paul pre-
vents the sailors from fleeing Verse SD:
| Paul presides at that memorable night
meal (verse 35); for Pauls sake the pris-
oners' lives are spared (verse 49,; nay.
| more than this, 1t is for his sake that crew
! and soldiers and all are saved-"Lo, God
hath given thee all them that sail with
thee" verse 2D. Now, that promise was
not for Paul only. 1t still stands and
| holds good for all the children Of God.
| See to whom the whole string of prom
| Uses in the ninety-first Psalm is given.
| Not to the holy, or righteous or perfect
man. If 1t were so We might well hesitate
about claiming it: though even then we
could and ought to claim it for the sake
Of our Advocate, Jesus Christ the right
,ous." But it is simply to those that love
and trust him (see Psalm 81, I, 9, ID: and
the most sinful and unworthy may and
ought to love God, and may and ought
10 trust him (Stock).
Lesson Hymn.
Thou hidden Source of calm repose, Thou
| all-sufficient Love divine,
My help and refuge from my foes. Secure
| 1 am while thou art mine
And 10. from sin, and grief, and shame,
Hide me, Jesus, in thy name.
In want. my plentiful supply: In weak
ness. my almighty power:
In bonds. my perfect liberty; My light,
in Satan's darkest hour;
| In grief, my Joy unspeakabe; My life In
| death, my all in all.
Charles Wesley.
Hints to the Teacher.
For the key to this lesson we take the
sentence in verse Is, He thanked God"
On an old sundiai was found inscribed. II
mark only the hours that shine" Paul
counted up his mercies and thanked God
when some would have counted up their
troubles and been wretched. What were
some Of the apostles grounds for graft
| tude?
!. For deliverance from danger. Verse
i. He had escaped from a peril which had
led everybody save himself to despair.
Surely, as he stood on the island shore he
| felt that there was reason to be thankful.
How often are we kept alive In dangers
when others perish! See Psalm "a. 6. l.
III. For human hospitality. Verse. ..
1t was no unusual event for those who
had escaped the sea to be robbed and MUIR
dered on the shore. But these "barbar-
ians showed no little Kindness" Let us
be thankful to God for every spark of
love found In unregenerate hearts. See
Heb. 10. q
III. For protection to life. Verses SIS.
How easily might the career OF one OF the
earth's greatest heroes have been
ended by that fire. when the VII
per fastened on his hand! Paul
was willing to die. and would
have met death calmly. But no man can
be slain until his work Is done IL he be
found In the way of duty Paul's safety
was an allegory. The old serpent's bite
cannot harm those who have been endow
ed with divine power. and the Christian of
to-day walks safe through temptations
| duke 10. 49,.
Nv. For spiritual power. Verses 10 Paul
carried with him a divine miraculous
agency, not always under his control for
there were sicknesses which he failed TO
cure CPhil. 2. 25-N; 2 Tim. 4. 2o). The dis
cipie bears with him a power to lift souls
out or the sickness of sin into new life in
Christ Il Cor. r. 7-0.
" For provision for need Verse 10 Tho
shipwrecked disciples escaped with their
yves, out We're in want OF all things.
MIXED PARAGRAPHS.
Sweden Is too cold for grapeyines
| Dut mnch wilma 10 r,ol~