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upon him at any moment. However in the case before us the Centurion proved true and all the prisoners were saved for Paul’s sake. I wonder how grateful these pris oners were to their saviour? dn one way and another they “ escaped all safe to land,” both those who could swim and those who couldn’t. It did seem as if some o f those 276 passengers must be lost; but God had given his guarantee that there would be “no loss o f any man’s life among” them, and God’s word is sure no matter how the breakers may dash and no matter how the ship may go to pieces.. In this case God’s promise was fulfilled to the very letter and every promise o f God will be fulfilled to the very letter. vs. 1-4. “And when they (we) were escaped then they (we) knew that the island was called Melita. And the barbarous peo ple (barbarians) showed us no little (com mon) kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every orie (all), because of the present rain, and because of the cold. And (But) when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat (a viper came out by reason of the heat) and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venemous creature hang on (hanging from) his hand, they said among them selves (one to another), No doubt this man is a murderer, whom though he hath escaped (add, from) the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not (Justice hath not suffered) to live.” The promise o f God when made did seem utterly impossible of fulfillment but God had kept it to the very letter and now God made all things and all persons to minL ister to his faithful servant Paul (cf. Rom. 8:28). The storm had swept Paul on toward his definitely appointed destination. The shipwreck had given him ascendency over soldiers, sailors and officers and now these unknown foreigners minister abun dantly to his needs. Paul was a great man —the world’s greatest preacher, greatest missionary, greatest reformer,, greatest philosopher, greatest man o f letters—but Paul was not above picking up sticks on a wet day if that was the work at hand.
them. The land was utterly unknown to them and it was a grave question with them whether they would be able to make a land ing; but there was no longer any occasion or excuse for anxiety, they had God’s sure word o f promise that not one life would be lost or any person injured even in the slightest degree (vs. 24, 25, 34). Part of Paul’s prediction (v. 26)' was already being fulfilled before their eyes. Every step they took and everything that occurred was only an exact fulfillment o f what God had said (cf. v. 22). Nevertheless there was doubtless many an anxious heart as the vessel began to go to pieces. There was, however, one heart that was perfectly calm, Paul’s heart (cf. v. 25; Isa. 26:3). vs. 42-44. And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the ■prisoners, le-st any Of them should swim out, and escape. But the cen turion, willing (desiring) to save Paul, kept (stayed) them from their purpose; and commanded that they which (who) could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: (cast themselves over board, and get first to the land;) and the rest, some on boards (planks), and some on broken pieces of (other things from) the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all (all escaped) safe to (add, the) land.” In the soldiers’ counsel to kill the prisoners, we have a striking illustration o f the brutalizing tendency o f a military life. They had just escaped from extreme perils themselves, and not only so, but it was through one of the prisoners that they had escaped and now they would turn around and kill all the prisoners, Paul included. I f there is anything in the world that can make a brute and demon out of a man it is the profession o f war. It is true that there are many Christian men in our armies, but the experience, of all ages and all lands proves that the soldiers life is frightfully demoralizing. But the bru tal ingratitude o f these soldiers toward Paul is nothing to the ingratitude o f the great mass, of men today, toward Pauls Master, Jesus. Every man owes all his safety for time and eternity to Jesus Christ. Yet the average man is willing to turn
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