The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-05-22

pleasure or business. is today the
theme Of the preacher The text Is
Acts xvii, 80, Then they We're all of
good cheer"
Have you ever followed the sea? In
these days of multiplied facilities for
ocean travel when mammoth liners
equipped like floating palaces. carry
tens and hundreds of thousands of
passengers to and fro across the seas,
with Il sense of security added to the
maximum of comfort. we little think
Of the disComforts attendant upon the
ocean voyages of half century age.
But, though the conditions of sea travel
lave so vastly improved in recent
years that journey across the Attain
tie or up the Mediterranean is no
longer an undertaking to be dreaded,
there are still many traditions Of the
sea which time has not materially
changed II you have Travelled much
upon the ocean, YOU must know that
there are superstitious sailors who dis
like to carry ministers, or, as they call
them SKY pilots" In their ships, Ever
since the recreant Jonah was the cause
of a Mediterranean cyclone, because
he would persist In going TO TarshiSh
when God told him TO 50 TO Nineyeh,
there have been sailors who believe the
presence Of minister upon their ship
means head winds and storms ana dis
asters and mistortunes. This prejudice
against carrying a minister, like the
prejudice against carrying corpse or
the starting of voyage on Friday
has been gradually getting less aud
less rs sailors have become better
educated Only few months ago
great liner set out from our shores for
the Holy Land carrying among her
passengers several hundred ministers
of the gospel. But in oidcn times the
sailors would look with very distlust-
full eyes upon any man in clerical garb
who might cross their ganSplnnk The
mutterings In the forccastle were loud
ana uttI II wv VI lilNtN AH4'Ai"''''' ~"
happened to be enrolled at the same
time on the ships passenger list.
Rev. Or James McGregor AleXan-
der, the honored missionary of India
told me that when he and his wife and
five other missionaries in 1850 set SAL
for India the sailors were in almost
open mutiny at the idea Of carrying
such Il dangerous cargo Of human
freight, but when they arrived in Cal
cutta, after a LONG four moHthS' voy-
nge Of unprcc, lcniel clear weather,
those sailors were SO surprised thai III
stead Of considering their ministerial
passengers "Jonahs" they looked upon
them as fair weather" angels. So
completely had their opinion changed
that they told their captain, who knew
of their former forebodng, that they
wished the missionaries were going
back with them on their return voyage
Paul In the storm.
Superstition, however, is not easily
eradieated. This prejudice against
ministerial passengers has survived
for centuries. Yet in The scene of my
text we have an instance Of its being
overcome. Here - Paul, landsman
n prisoner and n missionary, so win
ming the confidence Of the crew that
they heed his warnings and follow his
suggestions 1t was, too, In a crisis
when nautical skill was needed that
they listened to him. There was
storm raging Of unusual violence The
dreaded hurricane they called eurocly-
don was Iashing the Mediterranean in
To fury. There was darkness even at
midday; all reckoning lost, all hope
given up. Then the 30 persons on
board turned to this little Jewish mis-
sionary for guidance and encourage
ment. They had begun the voyage
against his advice They might be
prejudiced against him rs preacher
aud q prisoner. but they listened to
him when he addressed them, bidding
them he Of good cheer And when he
had thus spoken he took bread and
gave thanks to God In presence Of
them all, and when he had broken II
he began to eat. Then were they all
of good cheer, and they also took some
meat"
Why were the crew and the pas
scngers Of this Alexandrian corn slip
Happy Of heart? First, because faith
always bcgets faith, aud confidence
confidence, and good cheer good cheer
The belief which Paul felt that there
should he no loss Of any mans life, bat
of the ship" was. by his personal cX-
ample. distilled into the hearts and
minds q those by whom he WAS sur
rounded. We know ihat cowadicc is
Infectious. We know that when q
ship is sinking at sea there Is Liable
TO be such rush for the boats that
panic may cpsuc. Then the captain
knowing well that only lay order and
equanimity Is there hope for the safety
OF amy. will draw his pistol. and. with
determined mien. declare That be viii
shoot the first man who disobcyS or
ders in forcing his way into the life.
boats. We know that when a regiment
is resisting the charge of an enemy the
colonel viii take bis position in the
rear of tie line and shoot down
any cowardly soldier who would turn
aud Zee. II one soldier were allowed
TO run TO the rear. the whole regiment,
like herd of terror stricken cattle
might be stamDeded with fear If