Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-11-03
HERO OF THE
MALTESE CROSS
Enough ''Action" For Motion
Picture in Sunday School
Lesson
tBy William II. ElIis)

Iron Crosses and Victoria Crosses and
Crosses of the Legion OF Honor are
mentioned often these days in the dis
patches from Europe. In this old, old
message from Malta. we see the knight
ly figure of hero who may be said to
have won the Maltese Cross-the Cross
that stands for the fourfold qualities
of reverence, obedience, courage and
service. Whose wears q Maltese Cross
should think of the Apostle Paul and of
these four virtues. inscribed one on
each arm of the Cross.
There is enough action" for a motion
picture in the present Sunday School
lesson. At first, we see the numbering
Alexandrian grain ship tossed helpless
ly by the "Euroclydon." or the north
easterly storm. Dr. Luke's wonder
fully accurate account of this hurricane
is verified by many records: in 1855 1t
caused the death of 500 persons in 6.
Malta harbor. The British government
report says that IL has been CON
slant menace to ships at anchors" and
therefore the new Monarch Shoal
Breakwater was built In Pauls case
the mariners were "at sea" in the col
loquial meaning of the phrase; they
knew not where they were or whittier
they were driving. The vessel, after
fifteen days of being battered by the
waves. was little more than a log on
n strange sea.
Then land appeared, with a bay and
a beach. If only the ship could be
driven upon that! Everything was sac
rifced for the sake of a possible land
ing: all that a man hath will he give
in exchange for his life. So the pre-
ciouS cargo of wheat was thrown over
board. The cables were cut and the
anchors left in the sea. Rudders were
unloosed and everything made clear.
1af ha, IrfN
for the beach. But they missed It.
The ship struck part way into shore.
and the huge breakers began to pound
and batter the already weakened craft.
The ship was doomed. Only the promise
of Prisoner Paul, that all should be
saved, buoyed up their hope.
True. to type-how the real man en-
erges in a crisis!-the soldiers pro-
posed to kill the prisoners. Each after
his nature: the emergency revealed
Paul as a helper and the brutalized SOL
diers as slayers. Life meant as little to
them as to the Turkish slayers of in
nocent Christians. As ever q mans past
past rallies to his rescue, or doom, in
an hour of peril. Paul had proved him
self such an one that the centurion
spared all the prisoners for his sake
So it is that the principle OF vicarious-
ness runs through life.
All overheard! Some on planks. some
on sparS. some on bits of furniture, each
bit of wreckage carrying a passenger.
the entire company escaped to land.
The word of his Lord to Paul had been
Once more the greatness of
this one emergent personality was re-
vealed.
What Trouble Does For n Man
In this shipwreck story many person
reads a parable OF his own experience.
The ship of prosperity has gone on the
rocks; but from it he has escaped with
his life, and more life than he ever
knew before. Some men have never
known their real treasures, of self
of family happiness, of faith
full friendship. of filial devotion. until
what they had been accustomed to call
their fortune" suddenly was lost 10
them. The supremacy of the undismay-
ed soul shines out in the night of
trouble.
Il have walked on the Mount of Glad
ness. I have wept in the Vale of
Tears,
And my feet have stumbled ofttimes,
as I trod through the path of the
years;
Yet my heart has ever lifted it's song of
thankful praise
To the God of all eternity, who has
kept me in my ways.
Though alone I tread the winepress, or
kneel in Gethsemane.
know that he has never forsaken, and
that he leadeth me.
I walk through the Valley of
Shadow, my soul shall be undis-
mayed.
For my God is the God of the fathers,
the God of the unafraidw
Safety often comes by disaster, We
find our soul when we lose our estate.
Some men will never look up until
God throws them on their backs" OF
old the Psalmist wrote the truth in