Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-09-26


of amity and good feeling and mentions
illustrious examples of that spirit; text
Acts xviii, ., The barbarous people
showed VIZ no little kindness"
Here we are on the island OF Malta,
another name for Melit0. This island,
which has always been an important COM
lmercial center, belonging at different
times to Phpnicia, to Greece, TO Rome,
to Arabia, to Spain, to France, now be-
longs to England. The area Of the island
Is about 100 square miles. 1t is In the
Mediterranean sea and of such clarity OF
Atmosphere that Mount Atna, 100 miles
away, can be distinctly seen. The island
is gloriously memorable because the
Knights Of Malta for IA long while ruled
there, but most famous because Of the
apostolic shipwreck The bestormc yes
sci on which Paul sniled had Laid to- on
the starboard tack, and the wind was
blowing east northeast, and, the yessel
drifting probably a mile and half an
hour, she struck at what is now ca. rd St.
lPauls bay. Practical sailors have aiken
up the Bible account and decided h'yond
controversy the place OF the shipN reck.
But the island, which has SO rough a
coast, Is for the most part rarden.
Richest fruits and profusion of honey
characterized it in Pauls time IS well
as now. The finest oranges, hcs and
olives grow there.
When Paul and his comrades crawled
up on the beach. saturated an hungry
from long abstinence from food and chill
ed to the bone, the islanders, though call
ed barbarions because they could not
speak Greek. opened their doors to the
shipwrecked unfortunates. Everything
had gone to the bottom of the deep, and
the baNfooted bareheaded apostle and
ships crew were in a condition to appre-
ciate hospitality. About twenty i've such
men few years ago ! found in the
life station near East Hampton,
Long Island. They had got ashore
in the night from the sea, and
not hat or shoe had thcv .oft. They
found out, as Paul and his fellow voya-
gers found out, that the sen Is the toughest
of all robbers. My text finds the ships
crew ashore on Malta and around n 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, Pubhus, the
ruler inviting them, although he had Sc
we're sickness in the house at that time,
his father down with dangerous illness.
Yea, for three months they staid on the
island watching for ship and putting
the Inequalities of the islanders to a
severe test But il endured the test salts
factorily, and ii is recorded for all the
ages OF time and eternity TO read and
hear in regard TO the inhabitants of Nal
ia The barbarous people showed us no
little kindness.
A Magnificent Word.
Kindness What n great word that is ,
1t would take n reed as long as that
which the apocalyptic angel used to
measure heaven to tell the length. the
breadth. the height of that nuniiceut
word. 1t is favorite Bible word. and
It is early launched in the book Of Gene
sis, caught up In the book Of Joshua.
embraced in the book of Ruth. sworn by
in the book Of Samuel. crowned in the
book Of Psalms and enthronel in many
places in The New Testament. Kindness,
A word no more gentle than mighty. [
expect it will wrestle me down before |
get through with it. II is strong enough
10 throw an archnncel. But IT will be
well for us 70 stand around il and warm
ourselves by it's glow as Paul and his fell
low vovagers stood around the fire on
the island Of Malta. where the Maltese
made themselves immortal in nv text by
the way they treated their victims Of the
sea be barharous people showed US
no little kindness.
Definitions l.