Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-11-26

finally started on MS voyage TO
Rome He was finally put under
guard of the Augustan hand officer
ed by Julius and with other pris-
oners took a ship of Adramyttium
that was sailing for the coast of
Asia. There they expected they
would find some ship sailing for
Italy to which they might be trans
ferred. Luke and Aristarchus &C
companied him as passengers; al
though it is possible Aristarchus
may have been a prisoner too at
that time. At Sidon the ship an
ly allowed Paul liberty to visit his
friends ashore and refresh himself.
Undoubtedly he needed it and en-
joyed that first day of liberty after
more than two years of imprison-
ment. Julius may have been pres
ent when Paul spoke before Agrippa
and was evidently convinced Of his
innocence. Otherwise he would
have been taking a desperate chance
for a Roman officer. Launching
thence they had to sail between
Cyprus and the main land because
of contrary wind finally coming to
Myra. That sail over the sea of
Cilicia and Pamphylia must have
awakened many memories in Pauls
mind of the time he crossed it on
his first missionary journey.
At Myra the centurion comman-
deered a corn ship of Alexandria 60
ing to Italy, and put the prisoners
and passengers on board. 1t was
some item in October-so they had
to go out of their way northwest
to Cnidus on account of contrary
winds instead of taking the direct
route southwest. Finally they turn
ed southwest and sailed south of
the island of Crete reaching the har-
Dor of Fair HaVenS. The company
on board seemed to have grown
very democratic by this time. Paul
advised them not to go on. but to
spend the winter there, for, he said
81 perceive that the voyage will be
of much damage not only to the
cargo and to the ship, but also
to our lives" Paul had had a
great deal of experience with sea
voyages e Cor. 1925; but the CEN
turion, while having the greatest
respect for Paul, very naturally fol-
lowed the advice Of the shipmaster
and the shipoWner who had so much
at stake and who were also of wide
experience. They wanted to sail
a few miles farther west to a har-
Dor of Crete called Phenix which,
facing southeast and northeast Tor
SW and NV as the sailors would
say in coming towards it, offered q
splendid protection for the ship
against the winter winds. Besides
this the soldiers backed up that re-
! quest for Phenix had more attrac-
tons on shore than did Fair Ha.
vens. So having quiet south wind
blowing they set out and in few
hours would have made port, but
EuraQiulO
They had hardly gotten out to sea
before a sudden change in the wind
took place. A mormon easter struck
them with great fury and caught the
ship before the sailors could change
the rigging and drove them far out
to sea and away from port. Run
ming under the lee of the small Is
I land of Claudia, they managed to
drag the towboat on deck, and to tie
ropes from bow to mast and mast
, to stern to prevent the terrific strain
| from splitting the boat apart amid
ships. They managed also to lower
| the sails and to tie them to the
yards; and then were driven farther
| out to sea. Next day and the third
they cast off some of the tackling
| to tighten the ship. And for four
| teen days and nights they were
; tossed in the central Mediterranean
! by this terrific storm, seeing neither
! sun nor stars nor moon, until all
! hope that they should be saved was
! taken away. Luke, Aristarchus, Ju.
Illus, the shipmaster and owner; the
| sailors, the soldiers, yes, apparently
even Paul lost hope. But Paul was
losing hope, it was only from a hui
man standpoint. He still had hope
in God, so he was praying and fast
ing. After long abstinence, stood
forth in the midst of them-the only
hopeful one on that bark-and said
YouS should have taken my advice
but inasmuch as you did not, there
will be great loss, but not of sin
gle life; for this night there stood
by me the angel of God, whose I am
and whom l serve, saying: Fear not
Paul; Gods plans of having you APP
pear before Caesar can not be
| thwarted by an angry Jewish mob in
Jerusalem nor by the prince of the
power of the air; God is greater than
both; and Furthermore He has been
gracious enough to give you all them
that sail with you Now 1 believe
God that it shall be even as-EVEN
AS-it was told me. Cheer up, there
fore, the worst is yet to come
On the fourteenth night the train
ed ears of the sailors heard the
waves beating on the shore. Sound
ing they found the depth first TWEEN
ty fathoms, then fifteen fathoms, and
fearing rocks they cast anchor. Gre
cent discoveries have shown that
this is the only place on the coast
of Malta where anchors would have
heidi And then-oh, the intensely
human interest of it!-"they wished
for the day."
Morning came; and the sailors in
their selfishness were about to es
cape in the only life boat they had
until Paul appealed to the soldiers
! Except theSe-ye, etc. God haG
promised him the life of all aboard
but Paul knew that God intended
him to use his common sense, too
and that if the sailors left no one
else would know how to handle the
ship, and he appealed to the sense
of selfpreservation in the soldiers
They acted promptly and cut the
ropes and let the life boat fall off
Seeing an inlet ahead they hoisteC
the foresail, set the rudder and made
for the shore. But at that point {
swift stream from the island emptieC
into the sea; it was too much fol
the ship, it ran aground, the bow