The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-06-03
THE SUNDAY. SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JUNE 7. ''.'
Subject: Pauls Voyage and Shipwrscis
Acts xviii, 33.44-Goiden Text. Pss.
1O7-2S-Memory Verses. 41-44-coni.
mentary on tho Days Lesson. 49,.


Acts xvii, 3s.44-Goiden Text. Pss.
107.as-Memory Verses. 41-44-coria-
mentary on tho Days Lesson. 49,.
The voyage to Crete Tvs. l-l2). From, all
the provinces accused parties were con-
stantly being brought to Rome, and as soon
as a sufficient company could be gathered
Paul was sent with Them under the charge
of Julius, i 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 masterand
the owner of the ship more than he did
nice, a more commodious port of Crete, in
tending there to winter. .,.,
The hurricane Tvs. 1920. They set sail
from Fair Havens for Phenice, distance
of less than forty miles, on pleasant day,
expecting to make a speedy and safe jour-
ney. But almost Immediately hurricane
struck them, and the ship was caught and
driven. before the wind for':twenty- three
miles in, southwesterly direction to, the
twenty-five miles south of Phenice, where
they desired to land. Then followed many
days of tempest in 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. 2l- =,
3S). Under that dark sky, and in that
hopelessly drifting ship, there appeared the
Joy of light and life, for it held no Jonah
fleeing from duty, but Paul bound in the
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 a 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
nigat and assured hin, that there would
and hopesin these strange, bright words OF
promise were reinforced by Paups grand
confession of trust in the God whose mer-
ciful 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
480 miles westward to the little island Of
Malta. Some of the sailors were trying to
escape and leave the others to their fate,
ship ye cannot be saved, )" whereupon' the
soldiers cut the ropes that held the small
boat to the ship and allowed it to drift
away, and the Sailors were obliged to re-
main in the ship. o.. d. -
SO. ''Was coming on" While they were
waiting for daylight they had cast out the
anchors. paul besought." II. is strange
that a prisoner should be listened to for
moment. Ramsay explains this by the as
1Ink d., al as, I,d-
tinction, that Luke and Aristarchus accom-
panied Paul as servants, for in no other ca
pacity would they be allowed to go with
him. "To take some food" To their de-
spair was added 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-
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.
34-3s. "Not hair fall" The phrase is a
proverbial one to express complete deliver
ance. "Gave thanks" Without asking
permission, Paul acts with authority and
in the presence OF these heathen soldiers
and sailors recognizes GOD. This must have
the the case aa that Christians % allow the % wicked
to rule. Cali Of good cheer" Pauls hope.
full and cheerful spirit had breathed hope
and comfort into the whole company. His
faith and courage not only caused him to
pass through these dark days without be-
coming respondent, but actually enabled
hH to inspEs p;1sou courage in in a!l the rest;
given here, is very large, which shows that
s must haze ee been sons aEgs shP Tbv sST %osd
thus have full strength for the task before
them Cast out the wheat" Or grain.
/! This would be the natural cargo Of mer-
chant vessel proceeding from Alexandria
to Italy, as grain was the principal article
exported from Egypt.
The wreck and the escape Tvs. 39-44). SO,
40. Knew not the land" Even if some
of the sailors were familiar with the Island
of Malta, yet coming SO suddenly upon it
yo they would st FSs bsI fail to rssGsnza Ss kh it.
beach (R. W where they hoped to be able
of doing So Casting off the anchors"
the sea- 'Loosing the bands" Ancient
ships were supplied with two rudders, like
paddles, one being placed on each side OF
the stern. when the snip was ancnoreu
by the stern it became necessary to hoist
these rudders out of the water and bind
them to the ship, but now that they were
trying to get the ship to land the rudders
were united.
Al, AZ. 1.-TWO seas met" The channel
which separates the little Island of Salmo.
META from the Maltese coast near St.
Paul's Bay unites the outer sea with the
inner and forms lust 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 answerable 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. II: 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 Paurs
prediction were ACCOMPLISHED they were
wrecked unon an island. the ship was lost
and their lives we're saved.