The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-06-03
TIE SABBATH SCHOOL.
Slbj!ci paal's Voyage and Shpwreek, Acts
xSxyii, 33'4--Golden Text, Psa,-I07
.2S-Memory Verses, 4l.44-com.
mentary on the Days Lesson.

'D-MemoTy Verses, 4I.H-com.
mentary on the Days Lesson.
The voyage to Crete Tvs. l.l2). From all
the provinces accused parties were con-
stantiy being brought to Rome, and as soon
as sufficient company could be gathered
Paul was sent with them under the charge
OF julius, Roman centurion. They
reached Fair Havens, on the south Of
Crete, during the season of storms on the
Mediterranean, and when all navigation
on the open sea was discontinued. Paul
advised them to remain here, but Julius
the centurion, who had charge of the sol
diers and prisoners, had the authority to
decide and naturally trusted the master and
the owner of the ship more than he did
Paul. Accordingly they set sail for Phe
nice, more commodious port OF Crete, in.
tending there to winter.
The hurricane Tvs 1920. They set sail
from Fair Havens for Phenice, a distance
OF less than forty miles, on a pleasant day.
expecting to make a speedy and safe jour.
ney. But almost Immediately a hurricane
struck them, and the ship was caught and
driven before the wind for twenty.three
miles in southwesterly direction to the
small island of Ciauda. This was about
twenty-five miles south of Phenice. where
they desired to land. Then followed many
days OF tempest i'll which neither sun nor
stars appeared. Everything not indispen.
sable to the preservation OF the ship was
thrown overheard, and all hope OF being
saved was given up.
Paul giving comfort and advice Tvs. 81.
SS). Under that dark sky, and in that
hopelcssly drifting ship, the"e appeared the
Joy OF light and life, for it neld no Jonah
fleeing from duty, but a Paul bound in the
spirit to testify for God also at Rome
Adapted to the need of these 800 souls
were his hopeful, encouraging words. First
Paul reminds them of their error in disre.
garding his counsel at Fair Havens. This
he does. not to reproach them, but to give
them basis OF confidence in his present
comforting assurances. Then he exhorts
them to be OF good cheer. and tells them
that the angel OF God stood by him in the
niglt and assured him that there would
be no loss OF any mans life" Their faith
and hope in these strange. bright words of
pro Mise were reinforced by Paul's grand
confession Of trust in the God whose mer-
citul purpose he had announced to them.
On the fourteenth night of the storm they
discovered that they were drawing near
some land. They had been driven about
$50 miles westward to the little island of
Malta Some OF the sailors were trying to
escape and leave the Others to their fate,
but Paul said, Except these abide in the
ship ye cannot be saved" whereupon the
soldiers cut the ropes that held the small
boat to the ship and allowed it to drift
""tS,. anu lne sdl.oTs were ODllged 10 re-
main in the ship.
33. WAS coming on" While they were
waiting for daylight they had cast out the
anchors. Paul besought" 1t is strange
that a prisoner should be listened to for a
moment. Ramsay explains this by the as.
surance that Paul here was man of dis.
tinction. that Luke and Aristarchus accom-
panied Paul as servants, for in no other ca
pacity would they be allowed to 90 with
him. "To take some food" To their de.
spair was added a further suffering from
want OF food in consequence of the injury
done to the provisions, and the impossible
ity of preparing any regular meal. We see
the force of the phrase which alludes to
what casual reader might suppose an un-
important part of the suffering, that there
was much abstinence. Then, too, with
death staring them in the face no one cared
to eat. Taken nothing" That is. no
regular meal. This cannot mean that they
had lived entirely without food.
3i-36; Not hair fall The phrgse is a
proverbial one to express complete deliver
ance. Gave thanks" Without asking
permission, Paul acts with authority and
in the presence of these heather soldiers
and sailors recognizes God This must have
t, had an influence for good. Too often it is
the case that Christians allow the wicked
to rule 'All Of good cheer" Paul's hope.
ful and cheerful spirit had breathed hone
and comfort into the who'e company. His
faith and courage not only caused him to
pass. through these dark days without be-
coming despondent, bnt actually enabled
him to inspire courage in all the rest.
81, rs. "Were in all" The number
riven here, is very large, which shows that
this must have been large shin. Souls
Persons. Eaten enough" They would
thus have full strength for the task before
them. Cast olt the wheat" Or grain.
This would be the natural cargo of a mer.
chant VC.sal nrpppp1ip0 from LII
to Italy; as grain was the principal article
exported from Egypt.
The wreck and the escaDe Tvs. 39-44). 80.
90. Knew not the land" Even il some
~ the sailors were familiar with the Island
Of Malta, yet coming so suddenly upon it
Took counsel" They saw an inlet with
beach lR. W where they hoped to be able
to land, and they discussed the best means
Of doing so. Casting off the anchors"
They cast off the anchors and eft them in
the sea. "Loosing the bands" Ancient
thiDs were supplied with two rudders. like
paddles. one being placed on each side of
the stern. When the ship was anchored
by the stern 1t became necessary to hoist
these rudders out of the water and bind
them to the ship, but now that they were
were united.
Al, 40. "Two seas met" The channel
which separates IT, little Island of Salmo.
META from the Maltese coast near st.
Paufs Bay unitcs the outer sea with the
inner and forms inst such a position as is
here described. Soldiers counsel" Ac.
cording to the Roman custom each of the
prisoners was chained to a particular sol
dier who was his keeper. The Roman law
made the soldiers answcrlbe with their
own lives for the prisoners placed under
their charge and now that there was a
possibility. OF the prisoners escaping the
soldiers wished them put to death.
43, A. Desiring to save" The centu-
rion could not fail to see that it was to
Paul that the safety of the whole party
was due. Swim" As st. Paul had already
been, thrice shipwrecked, and had been in
the deep a night and day e Cor. IL: 25)
we may be sure that he was among those
who were told to swim ashore. Game to
pass" And so the three points of Pauls
prediction were accomplished-t were
wrecked unon an island, the ship was lost
ed their lives were saved.
Whlms Of the Dogs.