Evening star., 1921-11-26
BY REV. HUGH It. STEVENSON.

There is no more fascinating story
of the sea than the graphic record of
Paurs voyage and shipwreck, which
is the subject for this weeks study.
after the apostle had made
his defense before Agrippa he started
upon his eventful journey to Rome
under the charge of Julius an officer in
the Augustan cohort. Paurs appeal to
Caesar resulted in the government ar
for transportation of the great
est representative of the gospel to
Rome The moment that the coasting
vessel which bore Paul and two of his
closest friends left the pier at Ceasarea.
that moment new world began. ii
meant more to Paul and Luke than it
did to Aristarchus. the apostled Mace
donian friend, as they sailed up along
the coast and looked for the last time
upon the shores of their beloved land
He was carrying the gospel to Rome:
as God had promised him and lad
planned He was to open up new cen
ter for Christianity in the worlds capi-
tai and plan to make it the headquar-
ters of missionary work that would
carry the gospel, with its blessings, 10
all mankind.
Luke has given, in his account OF
PauTs journey, the most valuable record
Of travel that has been handed down to
us from the ancient Graeco- Roman
world. Smith in his Voyage and ship
wreck of st. Paul" has amply vindi-
Gated, by his exhaustive studies and IN
vestigations. the accuracy and consist
ency of Luke's statements concerning
the journey. Smith claims tnat the
writer could not have been seaman,
since his language is not technical or
his nraciglOn ana
knowledge of nautical affairs, revealed
in his graphic story of the voyage,
prove that he must have been an eye
witness who was alert to every phase OF
the situation. There is nothing or an
eventful nature that transpired during
the early part of the voyage, except the
high regard manifested by julius Tor
his prisoner. He gave Paul and his
friends special privileges while they
were at Sidop that permitted the apos-
tie to visit the Christians there and be
the recipient of their kindness and hos
pitality While they were at Lasea, on
the western end Of Crete, Paul advised
Julius of the danger that they faced in
attempting even in the great wheat
ship, that they had shipped in. when at
Myra, for Italy. if they ventured at that
late season to attempt to make the rest
of their Journey They were without
compasses and charts, which added to
the difficulties that they faced at that
season when travel by sea was consid-
cred very dangerous, due to the violence
Of the windstorms.
The captain was lured by the south
wind. "blowing under breath tas the
Greek has it,. to believe that he could
make with safety Phenice, which would
be a much better harbor for wintering
and which was only fifty miles west
ward of Lasea. Pauls appeal TO the
nnncarnin0 q danger TO his
vessel and to the owner who was on
board, concerning the possible loss OF
his cargo Of wheat. and to julius and
others concerning the peril that the pas
sengers faced was disregarded. Tne
large wheat ship, creeping along cauti-
ously under the shore with the rowboat
in tow astern did not appear to be IN
danger No man can disregard the
warnings sent to him by Gods mes
sengers and remain in security and
safety. =.
Suddenly "a typhonic northeastern"
came down from the mountains (which
rise at Crete about 1000 feeO seized
the ship and whirled it around SO that
the Euroclydon carried the ship out OF
it's course. During fourteen days with
out the aid Of stars or sun to guide the
sailors in navigating the ship the cap
tain and his crew. frenzied with fear.
tasted and prayed unto their individual
idols for protection. Under CLAUDIA they
succeeded In pulling the lifeboat. which
they had been towing, on board, and
passed Trapping cables around the boat
to strengthen the ship. They passed
these cables under the keel and over the
gunwales. and drawing them tight by
means of pulleys and levers" in an eff
fort to prevent the planks from starting,
especially at that point where the strain
from the large mast and one sail usually
threatens most vessels with leakageS.
They could not steer the ship in that
terrific storm by the two paddle rud-
ders, SO they lightened the ship and even
The terrific gale tossed like as if it were
the waves that beat upon it and rolled
over its deck. 1t kept blowing for about
two weeks SO that their heroic efforts
to save the ship appeared to be in vain.
Despair seized the crew and paralyZed
their effort They had feared at the
of the storm that they
would be wrecked upon the dangerous
shore of Africa between Tuni and Tripoli.
No one who has never been in a leak
ing ship during storm can understand
the strain of the people on board that
wheat vessel as it drifted with the wind
through the storm-swept Adriatic sea.
In the darkness all on board gave
up except Paul and his two compan-
ions. The captain and crew were pre-
pared to desert the ship at the first
favorable opportunity. The soldiers
were ready to kill their prisoners.
The darker the clouds the better the
view Of Gods purpose. presence and
PRESBYTERIAN.