Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1903-06-05
The SABBATH SCHOOL,
International Lesson Comments
For June I.
Subject: PauI's Voyage and Shipwreck, Acts
xxxvil.. 33'4-GoIden Text, Psa,-lO7
'8-Memory Verses, 4l.44-Com.
mentary on the Days Lesson.

s1e'y VII euS 10Y kSseVuss
The voyage to Crete Tvs. LIP. From all
the provinces accused parties were con.
SANITY being brought to Rome and as soon
IS sufficient company could be gathered
Paul was sent with them under the charge
Of julius, a Roman centurion. They
reached Fair Havens, on the south of
Crete, during the season of storms on the
Mediterranean, and when all navigation
Oil the open sea was discontinued. Paul
advised them to remain here, but Julius,
the centurion, who had charge of the sol.
Hers and prisoners, had the authority to
decide and naturally trusted the master and
the owner of the ship more than he did
Paal. Accordingly they set sail for Phe.
1ice, more commodious port of Crete, in.
tending there to winter.
The hurricane Tvs 1920. They set sail
from Fair Ravens for Phenice, distance
If 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
niles in a southwesteriy direction to the
small island Of CLAUDIA. This was about
twenty-five miles south of Phenice, where
Ihey desired to land. Then followed many
lays of tempest in which neither sun nor
stars appeared Everything not indispen'
sable to the preservation of the ship was
brown overheard, and all hope of being
saved was given up.
Paul giving comfort and advice Tvs. q,
3S) Under that dark sky, and in that
qope'cssly drifting ship, there appeared the
Joy of light and life, for it held no Jonah
fleeing from duty, but Paul bound in the
spirit to testify for God also at Rome.
Adapted to the need of these 800 souls
h.,
Panl reminds them of their error in dlsre'
2arding his counsel at Fair Ravens. This
be 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
hat the angel Of God stood by him in the
nght and assured him that there would
DC mo loss OF any mans life" Their faith
md hope in these strange. bright words OF
promise were reinforced by PauPs grand
confession of trust in the God whose mer.
,iful 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
1870 miles westward to the little island OF
Malta. Some of the sailors were trying to
escape and leave the others to their tate,
But Paul said, Except these abide in the
ship We cannot be saved" whcreupon 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.
SO. "Was coming on" While they were
waiting for daylight they had cast out the
that a prisoner should be listened to for
moment Ramsay explains this by the as
surance that Paul here was man OF dis
;incfion. 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 a further suffering from
want of food in consequence of the injury
lone to the provisions, and the impossible
ty OF preparing any regular meal. we see
the force of the phrase which aludes to
what casual reader might suppose an I'M
important part of the suffering, that there
vas much abstinence. Then, too, with
leaJh staring them in the face no one cared
70 eat. "Taken nothing" That is, no
regular meal. This cannot mean that they
had lived entirely without food.
1896. "Not a hair fall" The phrase Is a
proverbial one to express complete deliver
snce. Gave thanks" Without asking
permission, Paul acts with authority and
in the presence Of these heather soldiers
and sailors recognizes God. This must have
had an influence for good. Too often it IS
the case that Christians allow the wicked
TO rule "All of good cheer" PauPs 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
him to inspire courage in all the rest
81, 80. "Were in ALL The number
given 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 cat 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.
49, Knew not the land" Even if some
Of the sailors were familiar with the Island
Of Malta, yet coming so suddenly upon it
they would at first fail to recognize it..
"Took counsel" They saw an inlet with a
beach Or. W where they hoped to be able
to land, and they discussed the best means
of doing so. Casting off the anchors"
the sea. "Loosng the bands" Ancient
shiDs were supplied with two rudders, like
paddles, one being placed on each side of
the stern. When the ship was anchored
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
II, AZ. "Two seas met" The channel
which separates tn" little Island of Salmo'
Meta from the Maltese coast near st.
Pau's Bay unites tic outer sea with tie
inner and forms Just such position as Is
here described. Soldiers counsel" Ac'
cordng to the Roman custom each of the
prisoners was chained to particular sol
der who was his keeper. The Roman law
made the soldiers apswerabic 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
AZ, A. Desiring to save The centu
rion could not fail to see that it was tC
Paul that the safety of the whole party
was due. Swim" As st. Paul had already
been thrice shpwrecked and had been il
the deep night and day e Cor. IL: %
We may be sure that he was among thos
who were told to swim ashore. Game +
pass" And so the three points of Paul.
prediction were accomplishcd-they wer-
wrecked unon an island, the ship was lost
and their lives we're saved