clay," while "the hinder-part" went quickly to pieces. "The rocks of Malta disintegrate into extremely minute particles of sand and clay, which, when acted upon by the currents or surface-agitation, form a deposit of tenacious clay but, in still water, where these causes do not act, mud is formed; but it is only in the creeks where there are no currents, and at such a depth as to be undisturbed by the waves, that the mud occurs." At the entrance of the channel between the two seas, where currents affect the deposit, the bottom is therefore chiefly clay. At this crisis, the excited soldiers, answerable with their lives for the safe keeping of their prisoners, proposed to kill them, "lest," their chains being unfastened, "any of them should swim out, and escape!" Could they not swim themselves? Their peculiar military discipline had taught them everyone to do so. They might, therefore, if all were to reach the land, be at it about the same time as the prisoners. Yet their cruel hands were upon their swords. But Julius, for Paul's sake, whom he had learned to venerate, sternly forbade the murder. Then the Centurion "commanded that they which could swim "-so giving the soldiers a fair chance-" should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land and the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship," or things belonging to it. "And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land," not one being lost out of the two hundred and seventy-six. "And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita " (Malta). Lying-to in the storm, they had drifted four hundred and eighty miles during fourteen days,—at the rate, that is, of about thirty-four miles a day,-from Clauda. And the place where they were wrecked has been named, from the earliest Christian times till now, after the great Apostle. The season at which this voyage was made, the winds encountered, the effort of the sailors to avoid the Syrtis, the distance between Candia and Malta, the rate at which a vessel drifts in a tempest, the soundings in St. Paul's Bay, the peculiar nature of its bottom, the relative situations of Koura Point and the island of Selmoon, and, not to multiply premises, the ancient tradition,-all these considerations yield sufficient reason for the conclusion that Paul was wrecked on the Mediterranean, not the Adriatic, Melita. The three common objections to this opinion are readily disposed of. 1. The inhabitants of the African Melita were not "barbarous people." (Acts xxviii. 2.) Certainly not, in our sense of the expression. But, as speaking neither Greek nor Latin, they were considered "barbarians" in the time of Luke and Paul. (Rom. i. 14; 1 Cor. xiv. 11.) 2. Malta has little wood, and no venomous serpents. (Acts xxviii. 3.) Now thoroughly changed, it might have been clothed with forest and teeming with vipers eighteen centuries ago. 3. Dysentery is unknown in Malta. (Verse 8.) This is a mistake. The more closely these, or indeed any, chapters of Luke are examined, * Smith. the more must he be respected, independently of his inspiration, as a consistent and trustworthy narrator. It was fitting that one so observant and accurate should be inspired to write "the former treatise" and its continuation, of which it has been beautifully remarked that "it is like a stem, shooting up straight from the root of the Gospels, and bearing the rich crown of the Epistles as its flowers.” * Shall we not prize and study the faultless writings of "the beloved physician?" We learn, from this inspired narrative, the duty of thankfulness for our happy lot. When on land, we are not persecuted by malicious men, or brought for our religion before Jewish or Heathen tribunals; and when at sea, no chain is upon our wrist, no sword is pointed to our heart. The world over, thanks to that Christianity for which Paul suffered, and to the Divine heroism of the first believers, the honest Englishman is free. "The lines are fallen unto us in pleasant places; yea, we have a goodly heritage." See the beauty and value of Christian friendship. Even wealth is a burden to him who has no faithful friend. Eden was a desert, till Adam looked on Eve. Adversity is weeping joy, when it perceives more closely attracted the pious friend. Have none but godly associates. They only will truly share your sorrows, and effectually comfort your troubled soul. Great as were the Apostle's trials, few were greater to him than the unfaithfulness or distance of his friends. If Julius had not allowed him to call on his friends in Sidon, that refusal would have embittered his voyage more than the beating winds and waves. Look at him on the deck between Luke and Aristarchus, dear to him as his right arm and his left. He would sooner lose a hand than either: they would sooner lose their all than him. And the Apostle, on a subsequent occasion, felt the absence of Timothy more than his fretting chain, and Demas's desertion more than Nero's scowl. The clouds hurled The winds put forth The vessel staggered, How God can protect in the time of danger! It was as if day had finally withdrawn, and night were always present. bolts from above the waves roared from beneath. their might; and rocks and sands were near. yielded, perished. But God promised the two hundred and seventy-six men and women in the ship, "There shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you." His promise was fulfilled. O ye whose bark is roughly tossed upon life's troubled sea, whether or not you literally "do business in great waters,” humbly confide in God's faithful promises. "Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for His grace: Paul travels with you. The Bible is on board. Jesus is present; and He * Olshausen. says to you, therefore." "The very hairs of your head are all numbered: fear ye not "How are Thy servants blest, O Lord! How sure is their defence! Eternal Wisdom is their guide, Their help Omnipotence. "When by the dreadful tempest borne They know Thou art not slow to hear, Nor impotent to save. "The storm is laid, the winds retire, Obedient to Thy will; The sea, that roars at Thy command, At Thy command is still." We are reminded that God's promises are conditional. Those sailors must continue in the ship; all are to exert their utmost strength and skill; and, that they may do so, they must take some food. God fulfils His promises when we fulfil our duties. He saves us by directing and prospering our endeavours. He helps those who help themselves. Let us, therefore, carefully avoid "presumptuous sins," and be at once "not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." "Give diligence to make your calling and election sure." Jewish malice imprisoned Paul two years in Cæsarea, threw him into the ships of Adramyttium and Alexandria, wrecked him on the coast of Malta, urged him to the bar of Cæsar. What then? Were God's purposes defeated? Nay, they were thus fulfilled. Lysias, Felix, Drusilla, Festus, Agrippa, Bernice, their attendants, and all Cæsarea, now heard the Gospel. Triumphing over the world's conquerors, Christianity was introduced into the Roman army. Upon his floating churches, representatives from all parts of the empire received instruction and blessing from the lips of the Apostle. He who, shivering on the Maltese coast, shook from his hand the viper into the fire, had three months given him there for teaching the islanders to throw off the infernal serpent. And afterwards he confirmed the disciples, and even in Nero's presence proclaimed the Saviour of the world, in Rome. The Apostle captive wrought as much as the Apostle free. Some of his Epistles were dictated by him when chained to a Roman guard. Continually receiving and despatching messengers, Paul "daily," in his confinement, more than a Pope upon his throne, had "the care of all the churches." Chained or free, he was ever engaged in "preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ." Christian brother, never think that you are where you may not see and serve your Saviour. You are always in God's hands; and He can bless and use you anywhere. Yes, in the midst of enemies. "The Lord shall have them in derision." "Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain." They who would extinguish, sometimes, in the very effort to do so, arouse a fire. The : adversaries of the Gospel themselves have helped it on. The assaults of Satan have proved blessings to tempted souls. The wicked are favoured for the sake of the good. If there had been ten righteous men in Sodom, the Lord, in answer to Abraham's intercession, would have spared that city. Zoar was preserved for the sake of Lot. An angel said to the Apostle, "Lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee." For the sake of the Christians with them, the two hundred and seventy-six were spared. Ungodly man,' it is sometimes because Paul sails with you, that you are protected from a watery grave; because Abraham prays for you, that you are screened from the bolts of heaven; because Lot is by your side, that hell lifts not up its mouth to seize you. In extremities, the company of Luke or Aristarchus is a lifeboat for you. Our empire's shield is the church of the living God. Burke remarked that our lofty spires conduct the lightning of Divine vengeance from our guilty country. "The temples of His grace, How beautiful they stand! The honours of our native place, The Saviour says, A Christian must fearlessly show his colours. "Whosoever shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven." Paul in the ship boldly made use of the words, "There stood by me this night an angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve;" and when " he took bread," he "gave thanks to God in presence of them all," Pagans though they were. Be not afraid, if even in a ship at sea, to kneel down, as on land, when you begin the day, and before you retire to rest. Be not afraid, whoever may see you take a meal, to "give thanks to God in presence of them all." Be not afraid, in whatever company, to produce your Bible, and read the word of life. Be not afraid, whoever may listen, to make faithful allusion to God, as the good and rightful Master whose you are, and whom you serve. Let there be no mistake about your piety. Persecuted Daniel openly worshipped God, “as he did aforetime." We are taught the duty and power of prayer in times of trouble and danger. It was because Paul prayed that he and the rest were preserved. In the night, waiting upon the Lord, he received this answer: "Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Cæsar: and, lo, God hath given thee," as thou hast prayed, "all them that sail with thee." "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them." Everyone may pray for himself; but who may pray for others? Blessed is he who can offer the intercession of "a righteous man." "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." He shall not only be saved himself: his prayer is heard for others. They are blessed who have an interest in the prayers of the righteous. If you are in trouble, make your case known to the people of God, and let them pray for you. Happy is our country now in the fact that there are in it so many righteous persons to pray while the vessel of the state is wearing. Let them pray. · He replied, In a The advantage is evident of possessing religion in circumstances of peril. At the prospect of being engulfed, men who had bravely begun the voyage trembled. But he who at Sidon was glad when Julius "gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself," was now the most confident and calm. He had long been "willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." He could say, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain:" "I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better." Wesley gives a striking picture of his Moravian fellow-voyagers during a storm. "In the midst of the psalm wherewith their service began, the sea broke over, split the main-sail in pieces, covered the ship, and poured in between the decks, as if the great deep had already swallowed us up. A terrible screaming began among the English. The Germans calmly sung on. I asked one of them afterwards, Were you not afraid?' He answered, 'I thank God, no.' I asked, But were not your women and children afraid?' mildly, 'No; our women and children are not afraid to die.' fellowship-meeting conducted by the writer a few weeks ago, a brother spoke as follows:-"My little ship left me, on the coast of Denmark. All had reached the shore but myself and a boy. We were last on the rock. I could swim: he could not. I thought, Shall I save myself, and leave the boy? or try to save him too, and run the risk of both of us being lost? Then I looked to my Saviour, and loudly pleaded some of His gracious words. I am free, I then thought, but this boy is yet in bonds. He is not ready, as I am, to die. 'Do not leave me, William,' the boy called out. 'No,' I shouted, "I will not leave thee.' Then, crying to my Saviour, Thou hast promised,' I plunged into the deep, with the boy upon my back; and, praise the Lord, we both are now in Hull." On a rock surrounded by raging waves, uncertain of another hour, which would you rather be, that triumphant believer, or that trembling boy? On a ship stunned by a heavy sea, which would you rather do, scream like the unconverted English, or sing with the holy Germans? On a vessel likely soon to founder, which would you rather be, one destitute of religion, or able to say, with Paul, "I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me?" Ah, you are at this moment in you know not how great peril! Die you may in an hour. Are you prepared to die? Is your spirit chained or free? Would it sink or soar? How dare men quit their homes, how dare they stay in them, how dare they put to sea, how dare they remain on land, without religion? Reader, live prepared to ascend, from the midst of whatever perils, to the rest of heaven. Works, vol. i., p. 22. |