The Brinkley argus., 1916-10-27
INTERNATIONAL. SUNNSGlOOL
 LESSON (By k. O. SELLERS, Acting Director of Sunday School Course, Moody Bible h. stitute, Chicago)
 Copyright. 1916, Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR OCTOBER 29
THE VOYAGE.

Idul Sdlleu IrOIn CdeSared AuguSt, A. D. 59 (Ramsey), few days after bis address before Agrippa. He reached Malta about November 15. Paul knew how to meet nobs, but none of his adventures are more outstanding than the one we are studying today. Luke, his physician, was companion, and the historian, JOsephus, states that on board the ship there were more than 600 people travelling with Paul. Paul was man of distinction, Roman citizen. He had his own hired house in Rome. Aristarchus may possibly have been his servant to furnish comfort for the journey. Ramsey believes Paul had received hereditary property, thus making him a Roman citizen of rank, of learning and of standing finan- cially.
 l. Fair Weather and Contrary Winds (vv. 1-12). Sidon was about 70 miles north of Caesarea on the coast of Palestine. Here Paul received lib- erty to go ashore and visit his Chris
 
 It requires IA days to reach this point from Sidon, a distance of about 400 miles. Here, instead of going up the Aegean sea route, often used in going to Rome, the centurion found grain ship bound from Alexandria to Italy, end put his prisoners on board. Sep tember 1 they started for Italy. The direct course would have been west ward, but the wind was contrary, and the progress was slow. On the 23d they were opposite Cnidus, the south west point of Asia Minor, 130 miles from Myra. September 25 they entered the harbor of Fair Haven, near the middle of the south shore of the island of Crete. The fast day, October 5, the day of the great atone ment, was observed in this place. The question of going farther was a de- batable one, yet the commander per sisted, and about the 10th of October they sailed for Fair Haven.
 II. The Hurricane (vv 13-20). Yak ing advantage of gentle wind they rut out of Fair Haven, and almost immediately encountered the hurri- cane. It was perhaps hard for Paul during those IA days to discern the wise, gentle hand of God. (Jonah 1-4). Gods most faithful servants do not always find smooth sailing. (Phil. 4:6, z; Isaiah 26:3; John 16 :33), but they may, no matter how fiercely tenn pest tossed, know that God has not ceased to look upon them with favor. Sometimes the best thing for us to do, when thus tempest tossed, is ito tighten the ship" (v. 1S).
 III. The Message of Cheer: "I Be- lieve God" (vv. 2O-26). Neither sun nor stars having shone for many days, and all hope that any should be saved seemingly taken away, yet God Is able to save in the darkness as well as in the sunshine, in the tempest as we'll as in the calm, and there was in that boat one man at least whose hope was not gone, for God had said to him, Thou must bear witness at Rome aiso' (23:11) Paul's message of cheer in the midst of this despair and after they had been so long without food immediately stamped him as leader of wisdom and power.
 Paul could make this promise be- cause "an angel of God whose am and whom I serve" had come to him and assured him that God would re- deem the promise made two years be- fore. This implies that Paul had given himself to prayer. Observe how one godly man can save many ungodly men (Gen. 1S:22-33). Gods vision came to Paul, but Paul used it for the comfort and cheer of the whole ships company (II Cor. 1-4). A modern il- lustration of similar experience was that of MT. Moody and General How ard, returning from Europe on the steamship Spree in 1892.
 General Howard relates that MT. Moody did great deal to cheer the passengers, by both his words and his actions, during those days of stress and storm. The darker and stormier the night, the more likely are the angels of God to appear If we are in- deed his (v. 23: Of. On. IS 1928 :11).
 Sometimes these angels stand beside us and we do not see them, we are taken up with the darkness and the bowling of the storm. It is a great thing to be able to look up to the in- finite God and say, q am his" To make this statement intelligently, and with a deep realization of its meaning will give significance and solemnity to all.
 w. Paul, the Life Saver (vv. 27-37. Paul did not stop with simply saying that God was his, but went on to say, ssWhom also l serve." Many say they are Gods but do not prove it by their lives of service. Paul loved to think and speak of himself as the servant of God (Rom. 1 @; II Tim. IS; Titus 1:D. Some of the sailors thought to launch the boat, leaving the passengers to their fate.
 All the hurricanes that ever struck the sea or the ships of the sea could