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THE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
v. 30. As though they would cast an chor. The crew intended to desert the ship. They made a pretense to be easting out anchor. They COMMENTS EROM expected to lower MANY SOURCES themselves a t a K e ith L . B ro o k s favorable moment a n d leave the others to th eir doom. P aul saw through th eir design and gave alarm to the sol diers. They cut the ropes and let the empty ' boat drop into the sea. This is full of parabolic suggestion. There are those in the professing church—preachers and teachers—who are morally deserters. They have rejected the fundam ental doc trines of the faith . They are working under false colors. They pretend they are casting out anchors, making th e church so th a t she w ill be able to meet the prog ress of .th e world. In reality these men have rejected the church of th e New Testament as much as the sailors had re jected the ship. ‘They are ready to com m it themselves to any embarkation which their own hands have made ready. Oh, for more men like Paul to give the alarm. —Haldeman. Those who pretend to an chor the ship and y et are deserting it, are those who preach Christ and y et deny all for which the church was built.—Cook. v. 31. Except these abide. In full as surance of ultim ate safety in virtue of a D ivine pledge, to all in the ship, Paul speaks and acts throughout this whole scene in the exercise of a sound judgm ent as to the indispensable human conditions of deliverance. There is no inconsistency between these two things. Divine, agency and' human instrum entality are in all the events of life quite as much as here.— J. F. & B. The skill of the sailors was to be exerted to carry out w hat God had promised.—Lumby. Paul was the true captain of the ship because he was full of Christ. The praying, Bible-reading man is thè great man even if the world does w ant to push him back into the stern as they d id 1Paul. Paul brought them a message in a dark time—and th a t is C h ristian ity ’s place. A Christian friend in distress is. the best friend.—Sel. v. 34. Take some meat. Those who neglect th eir bodies cannot expect God to use them.—King. N ot a h a ir shall fall. The phrase is a proverbial one to express complete deliverance (1 Sam. 14:45; 2 Sam. 14:11; 1 Kgs 1:52; Luke 21:18).-— Oamb. Bible. v. 35. Gave thanks. L et us learn to give thanks to God for H is bounties even when we are among' tlfe godless (M att. 14:19; Lk 24:30, 31; 1 Tim. 4:3-5),—
Torrey. Took bread. This meal tells us typically how necessary it is th a t we must feed on the Bread of L ife in the days of danger, the times when everything breaks up.—Anno. Bible. In th e presence of them all. They knew he was not ashamed of his Lord.—Cole. v. 36. Of good cheer. Fearfulness and cheerfulness are contagious.—Sel. How inspiring to the men was P a u l’s behavior! Men may say w hat they w ill about the im practicability of C h rist’s teachings, but let a man once begin to live by them, obey them absolutely and tru st Christ u t terly, and he becomes like the lion in courage.—Devo. Com. v. 38. Lightened th e ship. Many fail to reach port because they are not w illing to sacrifice th eir worldly cargo.—Parsons. Many men keep back th eir possessions from C h rist’s cause and then are com pelled to throw them overboard to save themselves.—B ennett. Cast out th e wheat. The time may come when a m an ’s wealth is his burden.—Panin. When they had eaten. How unlike Paul was to those who, when they find a promise of God, think the only thing to do is to sit down and fold th eir hands and w ait for the fulfill ment. They were all to be saved because God said so, b u t, they were saved also through P a u l’s alertness, sagacity and promptness. True fa ith is not fatalism . v. 39. They knew not th e land. These old seamen who thought they knew ev erything were a t a p erfect; loss. “ Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom.” God can reveal to H is child in such an hour w hat the unsaved man could not know by his own reason.—Henry. v. 40. Made to shore. When a Chris tian has been long struggling w ith winds and tempest, how happy he is a t the sight of land. Many such a Christian longs to pu t in a t th e safe haven of rest.—Sel. v. 41. Ran aground. The professing church is in danger of running aground. I t is being beached, driven deeper into the sands of earthliness and helples4hess. But there is a p a rt of the ship which will not go to pieces. T hat p a rt is constituted of those who still hold to the ancient fa ith (Col. 1:23; 2:6; Eph. 3:17; 1 Cor. 15:58).—Haldeman. v. 42. The soldiers’ counsel. The devil tried all kinds of suggestions to keep Paul from Rome b u t w ithout avail.-—Al- rich. v. 43. They which could swim. As Paul had already been thrice shipwrecked and had been in the deep a night and a day (2 Cor. -11:25), you may be sure he
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