Remembering gratefully, as all students should do, the immense literary value of the Bible, it is not without a pang of regret that we are obliged to confess that its Pages are so m of allusions to the grandest of all the Almighty's work—the encircling sea. Of course we cannot be surprised at this, seeing how scanty was the acquaintance with the sea enjoyed by ancient civilised peoples, to whom that exaggerated lake the Mediterranean was the "Great Sea," and for whom the river Oceanus was the margin of a boundless outer darkness. Yet in spite of this drawback, Old Testament allusions to the sea} then known, few as they are, remain unsurpassable in literature, needing not to withdraw their claims to pre-eminence bo-fore such gems as "Ocean's many-dimpled smile" or the "wine-dark main" of the) pagan poets. In number, too, though sparsely sprinkled, they far surpass those of the New Testament, which, were it not for one splendid exception, might almost be neglected as non-existent.
Our Lord's connection with the sea and its toilers was confined to those petty Syrian lakes which to-day excite the traveller's wonder as he recalls the historical accounts of hundreds of Roman galleys floating thereupon; and all his childish dreams of the great sea upon which the Lord was sailing and sleeping when that memorable storm arose which He stilled with a word suffer much by being brought face fo face with the realities of little lake and tiny boat. St. John and St. James show by their almost terror-stricken words about the sea what they felt, and from want of a due consideration of proportion their allusions have been much misunderstood. No man who knew the sea could have written as one of the blissful conditions of the renewed heaven and earth that there should be no more sea," any more than he could have spoken of the limpid ocean wave as casting up "mire and dirt."
But by one incomparable piece of Paul, the Apostle born out of due time, has rescued the New Testamen! from this reproach of neglect, and at the same time has placed himself easily in the front rank j of those who have essayed to depict the awful majesty of wind and ware as well the feel 85, allied to almost presumptuof those who d" business iv great waters. Wonder and admiration must also be greatly heightened if we do but remember the circumstances under which this description was written. The writer had by the sheer force of his eloquence, by his daring to await the Precise moment in which to assert his citizenship, escaped what might at any moment have become martyrdom. Weary with a terrible journey, faint from many Privations, he was hurried on board a ship of Adramyttium bound to the coast of Asia (place not specified). What sort of accommodation and treatment awaited him there under even the most favourable circumstances we know very well. For on the East African coast oven to this dey we find precisely the same kind of vessels, the same primitive ideas of navigation, the same absence of even the most elementary notions of comfort, the same touching faith in ite being always fine weather as evinced by the absence of any precautions against a storm, Such a vessel as this carried one huge sail bent to 2 yard resembling a gigantic fishing rod whose butt when the sail wae set came nearly down to the deck, while the tapering end soared many fect abore the masthead. As it was the work of all hands to hoist it and the operation took a long time, when once it was hoisted it was kept so if possible, and the nimble sailors with their almost prehensile toes climbed up the scanty rigging, and clinging to the yard gave the sail a bungling furl. The hull was just that of an exaggerated boat, sometimes undecked altogether, and sometimes covered in with loose planks, excepting a hut like erection afb which was of a little more permanent character.
oars were used in weather that admitted of this mode of propulsion, and the anchors were made of heavy forked pieces of wood whereto big stones were lashed. There was a rudder, but no compass, so that the crossing of even so narrow a piece of water as separated Syria from Cyprus was quite 2 hazardous voyage. Tacking was unknown or almost 60, and once the mariners got hold of the land they were 60 reluctant to lose sight of it that they heeded not how much time the voyage took or what distances they travelled.
The nameless ship of Adramyttfum then at last ventured from Sidon and fotched Cyprus, sailing under its lee. How salt that word tastes, and what visions if opens up of these infant navigators creeping cautiously from point to point along that rugged coast heeding not at all the unnecessary distance so long as they were sheltered from the stormy autumn weather. Another perilous voyage seress "the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia" (another purely maritime term) and the har-hour of Myra was gained. Great were the rejoicings of the voyagers, but premature, for every day that passed brought them nearer to the time of tempest, and consequently of utmost danger. Tu fact the memorable voyage of St. Paul may be said to begin here, The crossing of the Great Sea had been accomplished without incident, although doubtless occupying many days that the landsman were by this time somewhat accustomed to the misery of life at sea in those days, when in coarse weather sea-sickness was one of the least of their woes.
The shipment by the centurion of his prisoners on board of the Alexandrian wheat-ship marked the commencement of a series of troubles. In the first place, for such a ship and such a voyage the number of people on board was far too groat, even if we accept the lower estimate—seventy-six—which is placed ow her complement by some ancient authorities. If she curried two hundred and seventy-six she must have been like an Arab dhow running a full cargo of slaves, and it is difficult to see how, oven taking into consideration the way in which both mariners and passengers were inured to hardship, she could have carried them all through the wild weather and weary days following without some deaths. "And when we hed sailed slowly many days" (what a world of suffering can be read into those few pathetic words), they fetched under the leo of Crete with all the thankfulness that might be expected from men who had been so pitilessly exposed to the fury of the open sea. With difficulty they crept along the coast until they got into the Fair Havens and refreshed their weary hearts.
No wonder they were reluctant to put again to sea, even though they knew that every day brought wilder weather, and their chance of wintering in their present harbour safely was poor, from its exposed position. And now we find St. Paul taking the risky step of advising seafarers as to the proper conduct of their own businese,—
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.