The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-10-28

Lure Of tho Sea.
Its all.encompsssing embrace. its
mystery. Its calms. its storms, It's rest.
less motion. its heaving tides. its eter.
nal secrets have allured and bafNed
the minds OF men. Mythology has
peopled It's depths with sCds and god.
desses; ignorance and superstition
have made It the abode Of enhancing
sirens and seductive msrmsids. Art.
lists have raved over It. poets have
sung its praises, scientists have writ.
ten learnedly OF its value. explorers
have pushed their prows into its bays
and inlets, or dropped their sounding
lines and dredges into its fathomless
depths, commerce has Shitened its
bosom with the sails Of its merchant
men, and countless mn;itudes have
pitched their tents upon its beach in
search Of health and visor. or, crowd.
ed its floating palaces Of light. which
by day and by night, pant their way
through its healing waters.
The Bible is full of references to
the sea. and some Of It's most drama.
wonder, David, who perhaps never
saw the ocean in a storm, in one Of
his Psalms has one of the most vivid
descriptions of a mid-ocean hurricane
that has ever been penned. One Of
the books of the Old Testament.
around which the fercest criticism
has centered, deals with the interrupt.
ed voyage of preacher on the stormy
Mediterranean, and no more accurate
and vivid story of a shipwreck was
ever written than the account, by the
Amanuensis Luke, OF the founderirg
Of the corn ship off the island q
Melita, on which the apostle Paul was
being conveyed. a prisoner to Rome.
Up to this time Paul had been
land traveller. On foot, he had
tramped all over Asia, with Cnly oc.
casional excursions by water OIL short
trips from shore to shore, but his ap-
PEAL to Caesar, at his farcical trial
at Caesarea. made 1t necessary that
he should appear at tie capital at
Rome. That meant a long and dan
gerous voyage in the winter season
through a sea, swept by equinoctial
storms, in merchant vessels, and any
and every sort of crazy craft, whose
owners dared or could be persuaded
to take the risk of tempest and break.
ers
Ancient and Modern Ships.
In these days Of swift ships and
modern improvements voyage TO
Europe is about as pleasant at one
season as another. The accomn oda-
tions are palatial, every comfort and
luxury of life is provided. every wish
Is gratiiied there is instant and con
stant communication with the hemi.
spheres ahead and astern. the news OF
the world is found at the breakfast
table in a newspaper damp from the
press, and 1t is only little matter OF
four days and a half from the shore
Of America TO the shore OF Europe,
5000 miles apart. But Paul had no
such conveniences on his historic
voyage, 1000 years ago. He was a
prisoner under guard OF Roman
soldier The fare was Of the coarsest.
the accommodations were OF the poor
est, herded with the imperial prison
ers from all parts of the empire, be-
Ing transported to the capital to an
swer for their crimes, TO considera'
tlon was shown the man whose name
was destined 10 endure forever; in
hunger, cold and WEAKNESS this dis
tinguished prisoner took his Mediter-
ranean voyage from Caesarea to
Rome.
Personal Influence.
And yet before that voyage was
ended, that solitary man. little, and
prematurely old, was rroyidentially
put into a position, where his person
ality and influence, permeated and
controlled the whole situation. In
the midst of fourteen days cyclonc
tempest. the captain lost his head. the
sailors were panic-stricken, the sol
diers were ready to assassinate their
prisoners. riot and utter absence or
discipline prevailed. At that juno
ture, when all hope Of being saved
had expired in every breast, this
landlubber, unknown and unskilled In
sea craft. assumed command OF the
ship. put heart into the hopeless. py
his calmness soothed the panic or the
hysterical and stopped their at
tempts to abandon the passengers
gave directions about life-preserV-
Ing methods when the ship struck
the beach and began to go 10
pieces under the pounding of the
waves and nv his christian fOrtitude,
calm trust, cheerful words, sensible
directions. and general, allaround
manhood brought passengers ana
crew all safe to land without the loss
OF q soul.