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The Commoner
DECEMBER, 1921
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noal from the accusations, brought, against him
fn Jerusalem by his enemies. - r' -y
Delivered with "certain other prisoners unco
one named Julius, a centurion," Paul began his
voyage. By the next day, when the ship' touched
at Sidon, ho had become such good friends' with
his keeper that "Julius courteously entreated
Paul, and gave him liberty to 6 unto his friends
to refresh himself," the Christians Of Sidon.
The first ship took them to Myra, a city of
Lycia, where the centurion found a ship bound
from Alexandria to Italy. The weather, un
usually unfavorable, delayed them and finally
drove them into Fair Havens, where they spent
considerable time because the sailing was dan
gerous. Paul came forward and warned the captain of
the ship not to attempt the voyage which he had
planned, predicting that it would result, in dam
age to the ship and danger to their lives. The
centurion, however, preferred to rely upon the
' judgment of the master "and owner of the ship
and decided to go to a haven of Crete for the
winter i
PAUL'S NEW SOURCE .OF STRENGTH
Soon after they started, on, their way a tempes
tuous wind arose and ' carried the ship before
it. After an exciting experience of falling. jnto
quicksands and having to lighten the ship, they
went so far as to cast out the tackle of the ship.
When for several da'ys the clouds had concealed
both the stars and sun, and When those on board
despaired, Paul again appeared and exhorted;
them to.be of good: cheer, paying unto them,
that the "angel of. God whose I am and
whom I serve" had appeared before him, saying,
"Fear not, Paul; thb'u. niust be brought before
Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee, all them
that sail with thee:"
The storm continued until the fourteenth
night, when they came near to land land the,
sailors cast but anchors, and then conspired to
leave the ship and save themselves. .Here; the
text of our Talk for today begins, at the most
dramatic point of the -adventure. It .brings1 out
the masterful character jbf rT&ul, and this out
standing fact compels a; ; consideration1 of the
reasons for Paul's confidence, Paul's calmness;
Paul's command of the situation and Faul'a care
for his companions.
Paul's confidence was not a personal matter,
although he was self-reliant and had- in him
those ' elements of leadership that would have
made him a dominant character among' any
group, regardless of the line of work in which
he was engaged. He was a leader when he went
about persecuting the Christians; that leader
ship was still more 'pronounced' after he had
talked with Jesus on' his way to Damascus at
the time of his conversion.
It is sometimes said of a man that he has
convictions but has them well under control.
Not so with Paul. ' His ' convictions controlled
him, but when he became a follower, of Christ
he found a new source of strength that made
him adamant in trying positions. . .
DO YOU BELIEVE THE BIBLE?
In this case he had a vision one of the
heavenly visions' which he so faithfully fol
lowed. The Angel of God assured him that he
must be brought before Caesar and that God
had given him "all them that sail with thee."
"Was Paul deceived? , Or- did he actually hear
the voice, of an. angel and accept as true the
information received?
We might as well meet the issue here, for
it arises often in reading the Bible.. Do you
believe in the super-natural, or have you gone,
through the Bible and eliminated everything
"that you cannot explain? , Have you risen to
the Bible plane, or have- you tried to bring the
Bible down to your level? Is it inspired, or
just the word of men? Have you accepted the
Bible as the word of God and received it upon
its own authority? it you . believe the things
recorded actually happened, you can under
stand Paul and his companions you can un
derstand Christ and his work.
If, on the contrary, you reject the super
natural, then the Bible becomes to you a book
of fiction worse still, you regard it as a false
ecprd, no longer binding on your conscience,
out just a volume from which you select the
passages that you like, as you would select,
them from the writings of a philosopher, a
Poet or a novelist. ,
In these Talks we ; off er passages from the
Bible as words to be believed, not words to
oe emasculated by scepticism or whittled down
by criticism or rejected by agnosticism or
atheism. All that is aaid of Paul in the ac-
count of his sea adventure implies the abso
lute truth and sincerity of Paul in reporting
what he saw and heard. It was Paul's belief
the reality of his vision and his unquestion-
th5tfUdnhUP?n 'J8 acnracy an truthfulness
scribed Ule tl3lIngs that are de-
THE MAJESTY OF FAITH
on-im wa ecaut8e of this confidence that he was
calm. When he had thwarted the plot of the
sailors to desert the ship, he called upon all
to take refreshment. They had been fourteen
days, without food and he knew that deliver
ance was at hand. His words calmed them;
he was calm himself and his calmness was con
tag ous. He took the bread, gave thanks to
God in the presence of them all, and ate. "Then
were they all of good cheer, and they also took
some meat."
. What a scene! Here was a prisoner on his
way to plead his cause before Caeser, ris'ng,
giant like, from out the group. He takes
charge of the expedition, and two-hundred and
seventy-five souls, including the centurion, cap
tain of the ship, sailors and prisoners, are his
guests. Why do they all obey? Because he is
the one man who holds communion with God.
He is the channel through which the commands
. of the Almighty are delivered to those on the
ship. He had no knowledge of the sea or of the
tasks of the sailor, but he knew God and
trusted Him. He heard, and he obeyed; and
there was such a majesty about his faith that
no one dared oppose him; they acknowledged
his leadership. When, finally, the ship went
to pieces, the soldiers proposed that the pris
oners be killed to prevent escape, but the fact
that Paul was a prisoner led the centurion to
protest, In order to save Paul, he would risk
the escape of the others and the punishment
that their escape might bring upon him,
THE MAN OF FAITH ALWAYS A LEADER
- It is a great thing to be the companion of
such a man 'as Paul. God not only watched
over Paul, but He watched over those with
him. Taking God boldly at his word, Paul
promised allr on the ship that not a "hair
would fall from the head of any of them." The
irian -who relies upon himself is very weak in
the hour of danger; the man who relies upon
any companion like himself is fearful. But
they could rely upon Paul because he relied
upon God!
An old v adage , declares that darkness
brings out the stars; and is it not true? In
every great emergency some one appears, some
one who believes in God. A man always wor
ships the highest being he knows. If he does
not believe in God, he worships himself and
therefore has nothing to lean on when he
reaches the 'limitations of his strength. The
atheist is helpless; the agnostic is confused;
only those who trust in God are confident.
They are confident because they put their
faith in the Almighty.
Ingersoll's doctrine, "I do not know," was
good enough for him when he, was on the lec
ture platform, convulsing an audience with his
humor, but his agnosticism would not serve him
in the presence of a dead brother. Then only
"hope sees a tar," and then only "listening
love can hear the rustle of a wing."
It was a calm, God-fearing Lincoln to whom
the North looked when the Union was in danger,
and the South put its trust in leaders equally
devout.
It was Foch, a believer in God, whom the
Allies chose to lead the united armies in the
world's greatest war. ,
Crises less important have revealed leaders
less prominent, but some man always meas
ures up to the requirements of the occasion,
and he is a man of faith.
- tfHE PROTECTING POWER OF RIGHT
COMPANIONSHIP
It is not out of place to emphasize the im
portance of choosing the right kind of com
panionship. In Paul's case, the sailors and
prisoners came without their own volition with
in the charmed influence of the great Apostle,
but the protecting power that he had over them
ought to suggest to us the wisdom of allying
ourselves with the good rather than with the
-wicked. Many a young man has been led into
vice and crime by an evil companion; nearly
every first departure is due to the influence of
bad associates. On the other hand, good play
mates, good friends, and good business asso
rt teq are a constant source of strength.
Cia-Blessed is the man that walketh not in the
counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way
of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scorn-
ThR Bible gives us numerous instances of peo
ple being "Son to God by the faith of His fol,
fnwers Many a young man has been brought
bwk to the Church by thq patient, steadfast
faith of a father or mother. The prodigal son
came back to a father more have, come back
to a mother after they have learned how littl
of real satisfaction the lust of tho flesh can
yiold. ,
It was Christianity manifested in human lffo
that brought Romanes back from agnosticism tar
a boliof in God and Christ. Tho sceptic can scoff
at creeds and make fun of sermons, but he can
not answor a Christian life.
"Whore is my wandering boy tonight" pre
sents an appoal to the heart that silences the
unbeliever, bocauso it is an expression of faith.
Christ magnifies tho example: "Lot your
light so shino before mon that they may- sae
your good works arid gjprify your Father which
is in Heaven."
THE NEED OF FAITH EVERY, DAY
Faith is tho moBt impressive characteristic
that man can manifest, and tho outstanding
thought of today's 'Talk is. found in tho bold
ness of a man who backs up against tho prom
ises of God and borrows strength from that in
finite source of strength. Dangers do not dis
turb him; his courage make's him calm; others
recognize and trust his leadership, and ho saves
those given into his keoping.
Tho Christian of today may not behold, aa
Paul did, tho messenger from heaven; ho may
not, as Paul did, hear tho voice of an angel.
But in prayer ho can approach tho throne with
a heart open to divine suggestion; ho can re
ceive strength, and that strength can givo him
an acknowledged leadership, and that leader
ship can bless others as well as himself.
Paul's life is one of the greatest lessons in
faith, and tho strength and confidence that
springs therefrom, that the Bible gives us. We
need it every day, that we, too, may bo strorig
for the tasks that c6nfront us for the lead
ership which the world never needed more than
now, and which Is Impossible without tho com
pleteness of faith that Paul manifested.
THE CHRISTIAN COURAGEOUS AND,
-UNASHAMED
By WILLIAM JENNINGS BUY AN. ...;.
BIBLE TEXTLESSON FORDEC;, 4
(Acts 28:1-160
And when they were escaped, then thcy!.know,
that the island was called Mel It a.
And the barbarous people showed Us no little
kindness: for tlmy kindled a fire, and received
us every one, because of the present rain, and-bo-cause
of the cold. ' '
Ahd when Paul had prathored a bundle of sticks,
and laid them on the fire there came a viper out
of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
And when tho barbarians saw tho venomous
beast hang on his hand, they said among them
selves. No doubt tills man Is a murderer, whom,
though he has escaped the sea, yet vengeance uf
fcreth not to -live. .
And. he shook off' tho beast Into tho Are, and felt
no harm. i :
Howbelt they looked. when ho should have swoll
en, or fallen down, dead suddenly: but after they
had looked a great while, and saw no harm come
to him, thoy changed their minds and said ' that
ho was a gpd. , .
In the same quarters were possessions of the
chief man of the Island, whoso name was Publlus;
who received us, and, lodged us three days courte
ously. And It camo to pass; that tho father of Publlus
lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux, to whom
Paul entered In, and prayed, and laid his hands
on him, and healed him.
So when this was done others also, which had
diseases in the Island, came and were healed:"
Who also honoured us with many honours: and
when we departed, they laded us with ouch things
as were necessary, " ' U
And after three months we departed In a amp
of Alexandria, whlqh had wintered In tho , rfslo,
whose sign was Castor and Pollux.
And landing at. Syracuse, we tarried there three
days. ' " ' ''
And from thenco wo fetched a compass, and
came to Itheglum: and after ono day tho '.south
wind blew, and we came tho next day to Puteoll:
.Where we found brethren and were desired to
tarry with them seven days: and so we went to
ward Rome, , . '
And from thence, when the brethren heard 6t us,
they camo tp meet us as far as Appil forum; .ana
the three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he
thanked Gpd, and took courage. '
And when we came to Rome, the centurion de
livered tho prisoners to the oaotain of the guard:
but Paul was, suffered to dwell by himself with
a soldier that kopt him.
It is A. D. 03, one thousand eight hundred
and fifty-eight years ago. Nero is seated on' the
throne of the Caesars. And approaching IVpmo
along tho Appian Way of the imperial con
querors conies one of the greatest men'( the
worlds most famous city has ever received in
all its long and fateful career, reaching hack to
thelrst dim days of history. . . .
A prisoner he comes, claiming, his righfc fcs
a Roman ciZGn to appeal unto Caesar from hi a
accusers in Asia., . , '
And through what has he come to his.trJaU
He . has. been stor,med-tossed and. shipwreqkgd.
He has, been cast on an island the Malta-, of .to
day. Ho has heen bitten by a viper while aid
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