In the Storm
“Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Csesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me,” etc. — Acts xvii. 24-37.
“TTOWBEIT we must be cast upon a certain island” XI (verse 26). What island? There are two of the same name, Malta, and Meleda in the Gulf of Venice. The question long in debate may be considered settled now. It must be Malta. It seems now strange that not a few inquirers, both in earlier and more modern times, pronounced in favour of Meleda. Their reasons were founded on mistakes, which have now been explained. For example, the term Adria was supposed to show that the island must have been in the Adriatic Gulf, which stretches northward to
5oo Venice; but it is certain that that part of the Mediterranean which lies between Crete and Malta was in ancient times called the Adriatic Sea; and the mistake has arisen from confounding this with the Adriatic Gulf. The term “barbarian,” too, applied to the inhabitants of Malta, was supposed to be inappropriate to that island, inasmuch as under the rule of the Romans the people at that date had attained some considerable measure of civilisation; but it was the custom in those times to apply the term “barbarian” indiscriminately to all except those who employed the Greek or Latin tongue.
The terms translated “driven up and down in Adria” simply mean “driven through Adria.” Drifting in the direction that the wind would carry them, at the rate of a mile and a half an hour — the rate at which it is known a ship under such circumstances would go — they must strike on the north-east corner of Malta between the thirteenth and fourteenth day after leaving Clauda. Thus accurately has the narrative been given.
About midnight, while no object was visible, the shipmen, judging from signs with which all mariners are familiar, deemed that they drew near some land. We may assume that the seamen heard the sound of breakers on the shore; ‘but these breakers could not have been ahead. With a gale blowing towards the land, if the rocks had been right in the ship’s course, she must have been so near the rocks before the sound could be heard, that she must have struck before it was possible to bring her up. On consulting the map, we find that a ship drifting in a straight line from Clauda would pass near a projecting headland, and after passing it enter a bay, still called St. Paul’s Bay; and in crossing the bay, after hearing the breakers on the promontory, there would be time to bring up the ship by her anchors before she reached the land on the other side. It is known that during a north-easter, the sea beats furiously on this headland.
On hearing the sound which indicated land, they sounded, and found the depth twenty fathoms. This is precisely the depth opposite the point; and the soundings forward in the middle of the bay gave fifteen fathoms. Fearing, from the diminishing depth of their soundings, lest they should fall among rocks, “they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.” Many foolish things have been urged against this method, and against the authenticity of the narrative. It can be demonstrated that what the sailors did was right in the circumstances, although it was a deviation from the ordinary routine. They must have been so near the rocks, that if they had brought the ship up by the bow, she might have struck in the act of coming round. In the Crimean war, when the ship Lord Raglan was placed in similar circumstances, and all hope of saving her was abandoned, the captain run her ashore, bow on, and was much commended for his judgment.
By this time the plan of the seamen was matured. They meant to run the ship aground. They had made up their minds that she must become a wreck, and all their energies were directed towards the saving of human life. But for this object everything depended on getting the ship beached on a shelving bank, and not running her on rocks. Now if her bow is to the shore when the daylight comes, they will be able to see where there is an opening, and by the use of sail and rudder, to turn her a little to the right or left, so as to strike on a favourable spot. On the other hand, if the morning should find them anchored by the bow, close to a weather shore, with a gale blowing from the sea, as soon as they should lift the anchor she would strike, long before they could take measures for turning her about.
It is objected that a ship’s anchors are always kept lying near the bow; but as this ship had at least four, none of them would be very large, and there were several hundreds of able-bodied men on board. The anchors could have been carried aft in a few moments. But even this suggestion is not necessary; for in a painting found at Herculaneum, a galley is represented with the anchor cables running out from holes in the stern.
While they waited in this position for the dawn, they were exposed to two dangers, known to the seamen, but of which the landsmen on board would not be aware. On one hand, the anchors might drag; — in point of fact they held fast, but this could not be known till experience proved it. It is worthy of note that in the English sailing directions you learn that the ground in St. Paul’s Bay is so good that “while the cables hold there is no danger, as the anchors will never start.” But, on the other hand, the ship might founder at anchor. The risk of this was greater now than when she was drifting.
Fearing lest the ship should founder or strike before morning, the sailors basely and selfishly formed a plan to save their own lives and leave the passengers to their fate. They intended to make their own way to shore in the boat; but as they were in a minority, they found it necessary to dissemble, and effect their purpose by stealth. They found a very plausible veil under which to cover their design. The ship, made fast by the stern and the sea washing over her, labours dangerously. The movement may gnaw the cables asunder; if she were anchored also by the bow she would ride more at ease. But it is obvious that this can be accomplished only by carrying an anchor forward a cable’s-length in a boat, and dropping it there. Thus the skilled seamen obtained a colourable pretext for lowering the boat and getting into it themselves. This done, they meant to desert the wreck and make for the shore. Of all the landsmen on board, only one had penetration to divine the scheme. Paul had gone through a good deal of maritime experience; and as he had skill to perceive the plot, he possessed the coolness and presence of mind necessary to crush it. Not a word of objuration to the faithless seamen; only a quick whisper in the centurion’s ear, and the thing was done. In a moment the soldiers clustered round the boat, cut with their swords the slings in which it hung, and allowed it to drop into the sea. Thus the skilled seamen were compelled to make common cause with the passengers to save their own lives. Thus the safety of all was secured: for if the sailors had left the ship, the soldiers could not have executed the manoeuvre necessary to beach her in a place of safety at the dawn.
It may, perhaps, be useful to interpose here a note on the relation between the Divine decree and the free agency of men. Already Paul had announced, on the authority of a Divine revelation, that the lives of all on board would certainly be saved; yet he now says: “Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.” Some very learned persons have gravely pointed to these circumstances as a refutation of the doctrines regarding the purposes of God — commonly called “Calvinistic.” But Calvin was not such a fool as to believe that the Divine prescience precluded human freedom. There is a difficulty, but it is not greater than might have been expected to occur at the point where man’s finite understanding touches the purposes of the Infinite. The difficulty, moreover, is not less for those who oppose Calvin’s view than for those who espouse it. In this case, for example, it was clearly declared to be the purpose of God that all these lives should be saved in the shipwreck. Now, was that declaration true at the moment it was made, or not true? If you say it was not true, you dishonour the Scripture; if it was true, then the means necessary to accomplish the promise must be taken. There is no liberty to omit them. The men acted freely, swayed by ordinary natural motives; but God acted sovereignly, employing the free-will as well as the power and skill of men to fulfil his purpose. There is no contradiction between the sovereignty of God and the liberty of man. There is a deep here which no human intellect can fathom; and it is easy, both on the one side and on the other, to shut up an opponent into a corner. But a more excellent way is to reverence the Divine omniscience, and humbly address ourselves to all revealed duty, counting that what they know not now, all the redeemed of the Lord shall know hereafter.