Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-10-29
Sunday School


Golden IeXt: commit tiny way I'M
10 the Lord, trust also in Him. and
He shall bring it to pass."-Psalms
s7:5.
How wonderful are the divine lead.
ings, They are truly above the ways
Of men. Paul had a burning zeal to
preach the Gospel everywhere, espe-
cially at Rome, the capital of the
world. He had written the Roman
church of his desire to preach to
them. but hitherto had been hindered.
Now the Lord was to bring it about
that he should go and that the Roman
government should pay his travelling
expenses. Pau could truly say in an
other place that the things which had
happened to him, had happened for
the furthering of the Gospel. Verse
9 tells us when these things took
place. It was in early fall that the
journey was begun.
Verse 1. We should sail into It
ally" The word eve" indicates that
St. Luke, the writer of Acts, went
with Paul. Certain other prisoners"
Like mis- Lord. Paul was numbered
with transgressors. Julius, a cen
turion.' A centurion was a command
er of a hundred soldiers. Pat obtain
ed great influence over him before the
end OF the journey.
?. "Andramyttium." A city on the
coast of Asia Minor. 1t is quite evil
dent that the original purpose was to
land at Andranyttium and make the
remainder of the journey by land.
"Aristarchus." Probably another pris.
oner of some note.
s. "Sidon.' A place on the coast
about twenty miles north of Tyre. Go
unto his friends" Paul had brethren
or friends now all over the lands. 1t
shows how the Gospel had spread un
der his ministry.
4. Under Cyprus" a large island,
They sailed in the lee of it. to be shell
tered from the wind.
>. "Myra." A large city of Cilicia,
afterwards its capital.
6. a ship of Alexandria," Alexan-
dria was a great shipping point for
grain. as Egypt was the granary OF
the ancient world. This ship had a
cargo of wheat.
Z. "Cnidus." A prominent city of
Asia Minor. Crete" Now called
Gambia, a large island in the Aegean
Sea. The wind not suffering 1t
blew so that they could not go in a
straight course. Fair Havens." A
city of Crete.
9. Sailing was now dangerous
During the winter months, naviga-
tion was in SO far dangerous in the
Mediterranean that, the sailing season
was considered closed from November
to March. .,s, ,--, -.,.. .v. ..r .
10. Hurt and damage" The Chris
tian is ever on the lookout to warn
his neighbors and the world in gen
eral of impending calamities. He is
the worlds natural sentinel. as well
as its salt and light. 1t is u duty to
tell men of their danger. To war;
men of danger is to do them a kind
ness even if it is not we'll received.
Is. ITO come by the boat A lit.
tie boat towing behind the ship, prob
ably by this time half filled with
water, was with great difficulty raised
upon the ship. 1t would be quite use
full in case of ~shipwreck.
II. Helps undergirding the ship"
Ropes were passed under and about
the ship to keep it together more
tightly so that the timbers would not
work apart. In our day the extern
sive use of iron makes this unneces.
sary. Fall Upon the quicksands."
THE Syrtis on the African coast. di-
rectly to the southwest of the vessel
and in the direction in which they
we're being driven by the wind. These
auicksands were regarded by the sail
ors as peculiarly dangerous. The OBJ
ject of the undertaking of the ship
might nave been to enable the vessel
to stand the shock for a longer time,
if it were driven upon this dangerous
shoal.' ~
is. "Lightened the ship" Threw
overheard some of the cargo. ANY
man will rather make shipwreck of
HIS goods than of his life; but many
will rather make shipwreck of faith
and a good conscience than of their
goods" (Henry.)
20. All hope was taken
away Probably the ship had begun
to leak. Doubtless this was the rea-
son they kept throwing overheard the
cargo.
%. BE of good cheer The true
Christian is a comforter to a world
in trouble. telling them of God and
His W to save.
"a. Goo hath given thee" 1t is
suite evident from this that Paul had
been praying for their safety. A God
" man is the salvation of ungodly
men: by his prayers keeping them for
a longer time out of hell that they
may have time to repent.
%. BE of good cheer" A true faith
in God gives good cheer in times of
emergency.