The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1916-10-26
INTERNATIONAL
.SUNDNSQ1O(L
LESSON
CBy r. o. SELLERS. Acting Director Of
Sunday School Course. Moody Bible In
stitlte. Chicago)
Copyright. 1919. Western Newspaper unlonl
LESSON FOR OCTOBER 29
THE VOYAGE.
N TExT-Acts n:i-ss.

Paul sailed from Caesarea August,
A. ID. 90 (Ramsey), few days after
bis address before Agrippa. lie
reached Malta about November 10.
Paul knew how to meet mobs,
but none OF his adventures are more
outstanding than the one we are
studying today. Luke. his physician.
was n companion. and the historian,
JOsephus, states that on board the
ship there were more than 600 people
travelling with Paul. Paul was a man
Of distinction, a Roman citizen. He
lad his own hired house In Rome.
Aristarchus may possibly have been
his servant 10 furnish comfort for
ne journey. Ramsey believes Paul
had received hereditary property, thus
making him a Roman citizen OF rank.
Of learning and OF standing nnan-
clally.
I. Fair Weather and Contrary Winds
(vv. LIP. SidOn was about 20
miles north Of Caesarea on the coast
OF Palestine. Here Paul received lib
erty TO go ashore and visit his Chris
!
II requires IA days TO reach this point
from Sldon. n distance of about 400
miles. Here, instead Of going up the
Aegean sea route, often used In going
TO Rome, the centurion found a grain
ship bound from Alexandria to Italy.
pnd put his prisoners on board Sep
tember / they started for Italy. The
direct course would have been west
ward but the wind wns contrary. and
the progress was slow. On the 23d
they were opposite Cnldus, the south
west point Of Asia Minor, 100 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 de-
tatable one, yet the commander per-
sisted. and about the 10th OF October
they sailed for Fair Haven.
n. The Hurricane (vv. 1920. TAX
ing advantage Of a gentle wind they
rut out OF Fair Haven. and almost
Immediately encountered the hurri-
cane. 1t was perhaps hard for Paul
during those IA days to discern the
wise. gentle hand Of God (Jonah
l-4). Gods most faithful servants do
not always find smooth sailing. (Phil.
40, z; Isaiah 26:3 John 6:S3), 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" ". 1S).
Many Of us are carrying too much
cargo for such stormy voyage as
this world presents, and the tempest
is often Gods call 20 unload (Ieb.
i2:1; Phil. S:7-S; Math. 16 :2G).
Their greatest danger was lest they
should fall into quicksand. II was
Indeed n dark and doubtful situation.
~. The Message OF Cheer: al Be-
Ileve God" wv. 20-26). 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 rs in
the sunshine, in the tempest as well
as In the calm. and there was In that
hcat one man at least whose hope was
not gone, for God had said TO him,
Thou must bear witness at Rome
aisO" (23:1l). Paul's message OF
cheer in the midst Of this despair and
after they had been so long without
food, Immediately stamped him as q
leader OF wisdom and power. In the
presence Of passengers and sailors he
began his message by saying that they
had come into this disaster by neglect
ing his advice two weeks before. He
refers 70 this In order to inspire conf
dence IN his message, that there
should be no loss OF any mans life
among them.
Paul could make this promise be-
cause "an angel OF Ged whose an
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;22-3S). Gods vision
came 10 Paul, but Paul used II for the
comfort and cheer OF the whole ships
company (II Cor. 1-4). A modern "
luStratlon OF a similar experience was
I that of Mr.. Moody and General How
ard. returning from Europe on the
steamship Spree In 1892.
General Howard relates that Mr..
Moody did a great deal 10 cheer the
passengers, by both his words and his
actions, during those days of stress
and storm. The darker and Etormier
the night. the more likely are the
angels OF God to appear II we nre In
deed HIS ". 23: CT. Ch. II :9-23;1D
Sometimes these angels stand beside
us aud we do not see tbeua, we srs
tnkeu ND with the darkness and the
bowling OF the storm. 1t h great
thlug to be able to lock up to the In
nnite God and say, Il am HIS Te
make this statement lnteliigentiy, and
with deep realization OF LIS Iaeaning
win give Significance and solemnity 10
all.
w. Paul, the Lie Saver wv. 27-S7).
Paal dld not stcp with simply saying
that Ged was his, but went On to say,
"whom also l serve Many say they
are Gods bat do not prove Il by their
lives of service. Pnsi lovcd to think
A. "a ~. ~ NJ