Paul in the Tempest

Paul in the Tempest

(No. 3145)

A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, MAY 20, 1909.

DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.

"And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they
lightened the ship; and the third day we cast out with our own hands
the tackling of the ship. And when neither sun nor stars in many days
appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be
saved was then taken away. But after long abstinence Paul stood forth
in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, you should have listened to me,
and not have sailed from Crete, and incurred this disaster and loss.
And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of
life among you, but only of the ship. For there stood by me this night
the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul,
you must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God has given you all them
that sail with you. Therefore, Sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe
God, that it shall be even as it was told me." Acts 27:18-25.

[Other Sermons by Mr. Spurgeon, upon parts of this passage, are as
follows–Sermons #1070, Volume 18–WRECKED, BUT NOT RECKLESS; #2952,
Volume 51–THE CHURCH–THE WORLD'S HOPE and #1355, Volume 23–A CHEERY
WORD IN TROUBLOUS TIMES.]

HERE we see a Believer full of comfort cheering others. The words of
good cheer now before us are from a man, but inasmuch as he does but
repeat what the Lord had spoken to him, they are none the less
precious. And they may be all the more profitable if they move us, by
their example, to speak words of cheer to others.

The Believer is sure to come to the front. He may be hidden away in the
crowd and his condition and circumstances may put him in the rear rank
for a time, but his light will by some means rise out of obscurity.
Paul is nothing but a prisoner all the time the ship sails safely. He
is courteously entreated, yet he holds rank among others who are being
carried to Rome for trial. But the storm comes on and the ship is
driven before the tempest–and he who was only a prisoner becomes
practically the chief man in the ship! The owner, the captain, the
centurion–these are very small figures in the picture. You scarcely
notice them in the group huddled together in the laboring boat. Paul is
the center of the whole company, the observed of all. He is as much the
master of the ship as Caesar was when, in the tempest, he encouraged
the mariners with the words, "Fear not, you carry Caesar and all his
fortunes." Paul is greater than Caesar, for he says less of himself and
more of the Eternal God. He is evidently reverenced and esteemed even
by those who hold him in chains.

Paul on board that vessel was strikingly like the Lord Jesus when He
came into the ship upon the Galilean Lake. There are many parallels
between every true Believer and his Lord. Albeit that He is great and
everything about Him is colossal, we, if we follow Jesus, are like
He–and in this world we are as He was–we are miniatures of His
life-size portrait, shadows of His glorious Substance! When Paul, on
board the ship, sees the fears of those about him and he lovingly
cries, "Be of good cheer," his voice has a consoling ring borrowed from
his Master's. If you, dear Friend, are thoroughly and strongly a
Believer, you will find a place in which you shall illustrate to others
the Character of your Lord. If I might so speak, on board that ship
Paul was prophet, priest and king. In our text he spoke prophetically,
for he declared to them their perfect safety. He acted like a priest in
his prayers for them all and I had almost added that in his breaking of
bread, he was dimly like Melchizedek–blessing men and refreshing them
with bread and wine. As for the kingly office, was not Paul truly
royal? No mortal brow was ever more worthy of a crown! Amid that
crowded ship he was more imperial than Caesar–and all on board
acknowledged it. They felt constrained to obey him, for he stood
superlatively above them all–unassuming, modest, gentle, self-denying,
sympathetic, yet evidently a superior being. If we had more faith, we
would sink in our own esteem, but we would greatly rise in our
influence upon others, for we, too, would dwell

among men as prophets, priests and kings! Are not the saints the
twice-born of a higher lineage and a nobler race–the excellent of the
earth in whom is the delight of holy men?

Let us think for a while of the Apostle's character as set forth in his
cheery speech and view him under three aspects. First, let us see in
him the avowed believer Secondly, let us consider him as the bold
prophet. Thirdly, as the sympathetic comforter. May we, by God's good
Spirit, be made to bear each of these characters!

I. First, as we read our text, the Apostle will be seen as THE AVOWED
BELIEVER. Hear him as he says, "I believe God, that it shall be even as
it was told me."

He commences his statement of his faith by saying that he believed God.
We cannot have a better basis of faith than that! We must settle in our
minds that there is a God, that the Word of God must certainly be true,
absolutely infallible, and beyond all question. "I believe God"–if a
man can say no more than this, it means, in the very mildest sense of
it, he is on the way towards faith. But he who can say, "I believe
God," in such a sense as the Apostle intended has reached to an eminent
height of faith and has obtained the elements of spiritual strength.

"I believe God." Sometimes it quite staggers me that it should be
difficult for us to believe God. Dear Friend, do you not sympathize
with me in my wonder? If our hearts and minds were as they should be,
faith in God would be a matter of course! And even now, imperfect as we
are, it ought to need a crushing argument to persuade us to entertain
the slightest doubt of God. It is most of all surprising that God's
children should ever doubt Him–especially those who have been so
highly favored as some of us have been. Let preacher and hearer be
amazed that we should ever dare to say that we find faith in God to be
difficult. It is a grievous imputation upon God when we talk about
faith as difficult!

If we were to say of a neighbor, "I find it hard to believe him," I do
not know what worse we could say of him. If a child were to say of his
father, "You know my father–he is in high repute but I find it quite a
struggle to believe him." What rumors would get abroad! What whispers!
"That man's own child confesses that he finds it hard to believe him!"
Will not this bring forth from us the blush of shame and the tear of
repentance, to think that we would ever have spoken thus of God, our
Father? Is there any proof of our fall more conclusive than this? Is
there any token of the natural depravity of our heart more glaring than
that we should be so out of order as to doubt the living God? Why do we
not trust Him altogether and implicitly? How is it that when we get a
great promise, we begin to say, "And is this true?" When we come into
deep trouble, how is it that we mistrust His goodness? How is it that
we do not rest in God in all things great or small? He that is true to
His Covenant and to His oath will be true in the very jots and tittles
of His promises! He that is true to Christ will be true to every member
of Christ's body. He cannot lie! It is impossible that He should deny
Himself–ought it not to be impossible for us to suspect Him? The
Apostle is worthy to be called "the master of the sentences" in this
brave utterance, "I believe God." Take this one line to heart, Beloved,
and repeat it for yourself full many a time, "I believe God." Whatever
else you question, always believe God!

Paul's firm faith was grounded upon Revelation, for he says, "I believe
God, that it shall be even as it was told me." He believed, then, that
God had told him something. He says of a certain, "it," that it was
told him. An angel had told him, but we need not envy him the channel
of communication, since the written Word of God is a more sure word of
testimony than anything else can be! Even the word which came on the
holy mount in the Transfiguration, when Peter and James and John saw
Christ in His Glory, though it was a true and pure and bright word, yet
is it spoken of by Peter as second to the Scriptures! He says, "We have
a more sure word of prophecy"–more sure, even, than speech heard by
the ear! Nothing is so sure as the Revelation of the Inspired Book! The
man who quibbles at the Inspiration of the Word of God has given up the
very foundation of faith! You and I, kind Friend, at any rate, are able
to say that we believe that God has told us something, for we accept
the Bible as His Word to us–even to us! We are not of those who say of
a certain Chapter, "That is for the Jews," for in Christ Jesus there is
neither Jew nor Gentile, but all the promises are yes and amen in
Christ Jesus to the glory of God by us. We are the true Israel who
worship God in the spirit and have no confidence in the flesh–and the
promises are sure to all the Seed. We believe in Inspiration and
Revelation–and we ground our faith thereon, even as Paul did. "I
believe that it was told me," is our unmistakable avowal.

Observe carefully that Paul's faith, grounded upon God and the fact of
a Revelation, went on to a conviction of the absolute certainty of that
Revelation–"it shall be even as it was told me." "It shall be." You
can apply this to everything that God has told you. Whatever promise He
has made. Whatever declaration He has set forth in His Holy Word, it
shall be even as it was told you! Just as when the press comes down
upon the paper, the type leaves its own impression

in each line and letter, so shall the eternal purpose and promise of
God leave its impression in your life and mine, fulfilling in actual
fact all that the Lord God has promised! We shall try the Word and we
shall prove it true. We shall expect the promise to be faithful and we
shall find it so. "It shall be as it was told'me." There shall be no
errata at the end of the Chapter, no emendations and obliterations.
What God has written, He has written, and it must be even so. Augustine
wrote confessions and retractions at the close of his life–but not so
Augustine's God! At the Last Day, when the roll of history shall be
complete and, "finis," shall be put to it, it will tally with the
forecasts of God's Word in every respect! Has He said and shall He not
do it? Has He spoken and shall it not come to pass? Heaven and earth
shall pass away, but God's Word shall never pass away! Here is the joy
of the Believer–he can say, "I believe God, that it shall be even as
it was told me."

The faith of Paul was most blessedly comprehensive. I want you all to
note that fact, for God had told him that He had given him all them
that sailed with him–and Paul believed it for their comfort. It is a
great thing for faith to make a sweep as wide as God's Word. I have
known some to whom God has said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
you shall be saved, and your house." But they have only gone as far as,
"you shall be saved," and according to their faith it has been to them!
As yet, they have not believed the other three words, "and your house."
And when their children grow up and grieve their hearts by their ill
manners, what is the cause of it but the parents' unbelief? If we have
not prayed be-lievingly for our children, is it any marvel that they
are not saved?

It often comes to pass that by clipping a promise, we shear off a
blessing which we might have had if our faith had accepted the Sacred
Word in its entirety. Oh, for a comprehensive faith as to all that is
in the gracious Covenant! Have you looked long enough at the promise to
see all that is in it? What sheaves of blessing are tied up in a single
promise, though it may only consist of a dozen words! I like to make up
my troubles into bundles. Do you ever do that? If a man has nine, ten,
twelve, 14 parcels to carry, they may be all little ones, but what a
worry they are to him! Here are some in this pocket, and some in
that–and they are more than he can manage, for they drop about
everywhere! If he is a wise man, he finds a bag and puts the separate
items together. True, they are no lighter, but they are much easier to
carry! Bind your troubles into one burden and then roll it upon the
Lord! With your mercies, do just the opposite–cut the string and open
the package–they will be no more, but they will give you more joy as
you count them and examine them one by one. Take care that your faith
grasps the whole mass of blessing stored away in the promise–and mind
that you believe that it shall be even as God has told you.

Further, note that Paul believed this when, to outward appearances,
"all hope that they should be saved was taken away." Paul's faith hoped
against hope. When Hope mourns, "I cannot find rest for the sole of my
feet," Faith cries, "Use your wings." When there seems nothing for
Faith to rest on but the bare Word of God, then Faith is glad, for now
she can commune with her Creator without being entangled by outward
means and instrumentalities! Did not the Lord hang the world upon
nothing but His Word? And cannot we hang our souls there, too? It is
grand to stand like the arch of Heaven, unpillared and yet unmoved,
resting only upon the invisible God! Did I say, only?. Is not that
resting upon everything that is worth trusting since God is All-in-All?

Before we leave this point we ought to notice that while Paul thus
believed God, that it would be as it was told him, he very plainly and
boldly expressed this faith He did not conceal his confidence, but he
proclaimed it even before those who did not share his belief. No matter
whether they could sympathize with him or not, he spoke out boldly. He
did not cast pearls before swine by needlessly parading his faith, but
as it was necessary to speak of it for the comfort of others, he did
not hesitate for a single moment, but confessed, in the hearing of
soldiers and sailors, "I believe God."

Nowadays, people are so dreadfully modest that they are afraid to
glorify God. God save us from such cowardice! Infidelity brawls in
every street–shall faith be dumb? If you believe, there is at this
time a grave necessity that you should declare your faith, for unbelief
is rampant. Look at the high-class reviews, look at popular
literature–these things reek with unbelief of the worst kind! Alas
that it should ever come to this–that men who call themselves
Christians should lend their pens to suggest and spread infidel
principles and even enter into pulpits to insinuate mistrust of the
Truths of God which they were ordained to preach! Honesty seems to have
fled from the earth and men have lost all conscience. Let us who
believe in God speak out at once, though men will call us
narrow-minded, destitute of culture, incapable of enlarged views and
other pretty things! What does it matter what they say? All that they
say or insinuate should only make us the more vehemently declare, "I
believe God." Why it has become a rare thing to meet a man who believes
anythingnow, for the reputed wise man of the period is he who says, "I
do not believe in anything in particular. I hold certain views, but I
am quite prepared to change them, for there is a great deal to be said
on the other side." This is not after the manner of Christ, nor
according to the ways of the faithful in the olden time, who held fast
the form of sound words and were ready to die for the Truths of God
which had taken possession of their souls. It is time now, if ever in
the world's history, for those who are Believers to speak with all
confidence. Fear nothing! Can there be anything to fear in believing
God? Can there be any shame in avowing an implicit faith in the God of
Truth? For my own part, I had rather be ridiculed for bigotry than be
applauded for "advanced and liberal views." I would sooner be despised
with the orthodox than reign with "the intellectual."

II. We have thus gone over Paul's words as an avowed Believer. And now
we may turn to look at him AS A BOLD

PROPHET.

Far be it from any one of us to set ourselves up as prophets, for
thereunto we are not called. Yet every truly-instructed Christian is in
some sense a prophet and may prophesy according to the proportion of
faith, if he will follow the true method. Paul was not rash in his
prophecies. He confined himself to revelation. He said, "It shall be."
But what shall be? "It shall be as it was told me." You may always go
that length–and you will be to many men a wonderful personage. If you
go only as far as that, they will marvel that you dare say, "It shall
be even as it was told me." We speak positively where they can only
guess and dream. We cannot see behind that veil which hides the future,
but we know what is to come as to some matters, for God has told us and
we can, therefore, prophesy that it shall be according to His
declaration. Learn from Paul not to be a presumptuous dreamer, but a
prudent speaker.

On what he foretold he staked the honor of God, for he said, "It shall
be as it was told me." But why? Because "I believe God." If God is not
worthy of belief, then it may not be as it was told me–but His Word
must be fulfilled and His promise kept since He is a faithful God.
Never recklessly compromise the honor of God by any rash assertion of
your own! But you may always challenge the veracity of God as to His
own promises or threats and be quite sure that He will vindicate both
Himself and His servant by making it to be as He told you.

The Apostle uttered this prophecy of his before all that were in the
ship. Most of them were unbelievers, but he boldly said to them, "It
shall be even as God has told me." Some of them were his superiors in
station–officers of the Roman army–but he told them, "It shall be
even as it was told me." It is sometimes hard to confess Christ in
polite society, in the presence of those who are considered to be
superior persons, but let not any believer in Him yield to fear. Say
with David–

"I'll speak Your Word, though kings should hear, Nor yield to sinful
shame."

Paul made his avowal of faith in the presence of very rough
men–selfish sailors, cruel soldiers and criminal prisoners, but what
of that? An avowal of faith in God might be made before all the fiends
of Hell and you could not say a better thing before the angels of
Heaven! In no place and in no company can the testimony of faith in the
living God and His Son, Jesus Christ, be out of place. Therefore fear
not to make it. My Friend, make the world conscious of your solemn
conviction that God is to be believed. Protest and so act as a true
Protestant! Confess Christ and so be His disciple, indeed! Speak that
which He has told you in His Word like a prophet in the name of the
Lord, and fear no man! Let the fear of God forbid all other fear.

Paul so truly, so practically believed God that thepower of his faith
told on all that were around him. If they did not themselves believe,
yet that calm face amid the storm, that practical action in bidding
them take bread and eat, that common-sense proceeding in cutting away
the boat that the sailors might remain to manage the ship–all this
made them see that he was not a man who merely talked of faith, but one
to whom believing was part and parcel of his life, the fountain of the
common sense which fitted him to be a leader! He acted like a man who
believed in God in a business-like way. Faith was real in him and,
therefore, practical. Many Christians appear to hold their religion as
a pious fiction– regarding the promises of God as pretty things for
sentimentalism to play with–and His Providence as a poetical idea. We
must get out of that evil fashion and make God to be the greatest
factor in our daily calculations–the chief force and fact of our
lives! We must, each one, boldly act on the conviction that "it shall
be even as He has told me."

Paul was all this while in trouble, for he was in the ship with those
whom he comforted, suffering the same discomforts and yet he said, "I
believe God." It is all very fine for one who has a good income, enjoys
good health and is in excel-

lent spirits to sit down by the side of some poor half-starved woman
who is full of disease and near to death, and say, "My good woman, you
should have faith in God." Do you hear that landsman teaching sailors
how to go to sea? That is true faith which believes God when it is in
the sinking ship, in the same peril and trouble with others and yet
unmoved where they are filled with alarm! How I wish that each of you
may be able to believe this!

May God make you to be so far a prophet that you may be prophetic on
several points! In the first place, always declaring that God will hear
believing prayer and, next, that a wrong thing cannot have the Divine
blessing resting upon it. Be prophet enough to say these two things and
act upon them as downright matters of fact. You can also foretell that
if the Gospel is faithfully and simply preached, with the Holy Spirit
sent down from Heaven, it will win souls. You may prophesy that and
never fail! And you may prophesy, also, that if the biggest sinner in
the world will come to Christ, he shall be forgiven! That if the vilest
heart will yield itself to the Savior, it shall be renewed! That if the
most rebellious and obstinate man that ever lived is touched by the
finger of God and is led to repentance and faith, he is capable of
becoming one of the brightest of the sons of God! No one shall ever
shame you by proving that you spoke falsely if you speak for God in
this fashion! Speak out, then, and banish guilty silence.

III. The Apostle may be viewed in a third character, as A SYMPATHETIC
COMFORTER.

They were all in trouble, for they were all in danger of drowning. The
ship was going to pieces, death stared them in the face, dismay was
written on every countenance, but Paul says to them, "Sirs, be of good
cheer." Doubtless, his cheerful tones and manly voice helped to banish
their fears and to prevent a panic. Beloved Christian Friend, should it
not be our effort, wherever we are, to make troubled ones happy? Next
to loving God, the first duty of a Christian is to spread peace on
earth and goodwill to men. Whenever we meet with a person in trouble–I
do not mean only spiritual trouble–we should administer relief. Even
when we meet with a child who has lost a penny, or has broken a jug, we
should take pleasure in soothing its grief. His mother will scold him,
so buy him another jug, if you can, and try and cheer his little heart.
What a mass of happiness you can buy for a few pence, if you will spend
them on poor children.

Where money is not needed, you may give sympathy and consolation, and
these will be much valued. Do not reply that you are unable to act as a
comforter. Learn the art. If you cannot speak well, there is a better
way than speech. A little child once said to her mother, "Mother, I
stopped with Widow Brown, for she said that I comforted her so." "Well,
I daresay you did, my Dear," the mother replied. "But, Mother, I do not
see that I am of any use to her, for I cannot tell her anything–but I
put my cheek against hers and when she cries, I cry too–and she says
that it comforts her." Exactly so. This little child shall lead us.
Herein is wisdom. "Weep with them that weep." You cannot more
effectually console them. Comfort others with the comfort with which
you yourself are comforted of God, for Paul said, "Be of good cheer. I
believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me." He had been
comforted of the Lord and with this consolation he could cheer others.
The Lord grant us Grace to be looking out for those who are in any sort
of affliction, that we may cheer their hearts. But let us be doubly
watchful over those in spiritual distress. Let no one in our
neighborhood ever complain, "No man cares for my soul." Comfort God's
people and labor at the same time to win sinners to Jesus–and the love
of your heart shall bring untold blessings into your own bosom!
Happiness is contagious and the cheerfulness of your piety will be so
attractive that the careless and indifferent will be allured to the
ways of piety. Do not run about with ill news, but make your
communications joyous by mixing up the glad tidings of salvation with
your cheerful daily talk! So shall you imitate your Lord and His
Apostle by saying "Be of good cheer."

EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON: PSALM 90; ACTS27:1-26.

Psalm 90 is entitled "A Prayer of Moses, the man of God," and it
furnishes a suitable prayer for every man of God. Any men of God who
have had experience as deep, trying and varied as that of Moses will be
the better able to enter into the spirit of the Psalm.

Psalm 90:1. LORD You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
[See Sermon #46, Volume 1–the glorious habitaTION.] "This world in
which we live is no home for our immortal

spirits. You give us habitations for our bodies, but there are no
dwelling places for our spirits that are of a nobler order. We dwell in
You, O Lord; You are our home. Beneath Your wide wings we find blessed
shelter and in communion with

You our hearts are kept in perfect peace. Lord, You are the home of
Your people in all generations–not only in the generations that are
past, when Noah, and Abraham and Moses, and David, and all Your ancient
servants found a refuge in You, but even to this day You are still our
strong castle and our high tower, our refuge and place of defense, our
dwelling place even in this generation."

2. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the
earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
When compared with God, those hoary hills are but as infants of a day,
and the whole round world itself is but as a new-born child. "From
everlasting" has He existed–when all created things slept in His
Infinite mind like unborn forests sleep in an acorn cup and so on
forever, "to everlasting"–when all created things shall have
dissolved, when back to nothing this fair world shall have gone–God
shall still be the same. He is a rock that cannot be removed. There is
no terra firma upon this earth, but while all things are whirling
around us, we find a firm dwelling place beyond the stars in the
ever-living and Immutable Jehovah. No man's home is safe unless it is
built on something more stable than this poor trembling earth, but he
who rests on God and lives in God has the best of all habitations
wherein to dwell in safety forever.

3. You turn man to destruction; and say, Return, you children of men.
Man is mortal, conspicuously so. As we walk about our streets, how we
miss our old companions, one by one! They have returned to the bosom of
mother earth from where they first sprang. The inhabitants of this
world seem to pass in procession before our eyes–those who were here a
few minutes ago are gone and another rank has come, and another, and
another and they will soon all be gone–and we shall be gone too. He,
then, who hopes to find a home among the sons of men will miss it, but
he who makes the eternal God his habitation shall still be at home in
the Lord even when wife, and child, and brother, and friend all sleep
in the silence of the sepulcher.

4. For a thousand years in Your sight are but as yesterday when it is
past, and as a watch in the night. Our measurements of time are nothing
to God. There is nothing past and nothing future with Him–all things
are present in the eternal NOW of God. What a wonderful Truth this is
of the eternal existence of God–and what boundless comfort it brings
to the man who feels that this God is his God, his Father, his Friend
and his All-in-All!

5. 6. You carry them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep in the
morning; they are like grass which grows up. In the morning it
flourishes and grows up; in the evening it is cut down, and withers.
Such is the best estate of man–a field bedecked with daisies, kingcups
and other frail flowers, but the mower's scythe is near–you may hear
him sharpening it! And soon along the sward, all the sons of men shall
fall–and you who have found your hope, your Heaven, your confidence
here–how poor will you be in the end thereof! But O you who have sent
all your heart's desires upwards to your God, you who are living in the
future, living in the infinite, how secure are you, for no rust shall
fret your gold, no moth consume your garments! You are blessed indeed.

7. For we are consumed by Your anger and by Your wrath are we troublet.
Yes, if the Lord lets even a little of His wrath out for a while
against His servants, how greatly do we suffer! Blessed be His name, it
never is real anger against His own chosen people. He does but hide His
love under the form of wrath, just as a father never really hates his
child, and even though he is angry with him for his faults, and
chastises him, yet there is more love than wrath in every blow of the
rod. Still, it is a sad thing to lose the sense of God's love in the
heart–it consumes us and troubles us. We could bear sickness, we could
bear slander or persecution, or almost anything but the absence of the
Light of God's Countenance! That is the worst of trials to His
children.

8-10. You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the
Light of Your Countenance. For all our days are passed away in Your
wrath; we spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years
are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they are
fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon
cut off and we fly awaj. A long life or a short life, what a little
difference it makes when the last hour comes! The patriarch as well as
the child descends to the grave and all, as they sleep in their
separate graves, seem only to have lived for a little moment and then
to have passed away.

11. Who knows the power of Your anger? Even according to Your fear, so
is Your wrath. God grant that none of us may ever know experimentally
the power of His anger! But may we know it, as a matter of faith, so as
to tremble concerning it, and so as to flee to Christ to be delivered
from it! But what must it really be to feel the power of God's anger? I
implore you never to believe any teaching that seems to make God's
anger less terrible than you thought it to be. It is not

possible to exaggerate here–the power of God's anger is immeasurable,
and that is why the power of Christ's Atonement is infinite!

12. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto
wisdom. That is the great matter, after all, to get the heart applied
to wisdom, to learn what is the right way and to walk in it in the
practical actions of daily life. It is of little use for us to learn to
number our days if it merely enables us to sit down in self-confidence
and carnal security! But if our hearts are applied to true wisdom, the
Lord's teaching has been effectual.

13, 14. Return, O LORD, how long? And let it repent You concerning Your
servants. O satisfy us early with Your

mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. [See Sermons #513,
Volume 9–THE YOUNG MAN'S PRAYER and #2987, Volume 52–THE "BEAU IDEAL"
OF LIFE.] Dear young people, here is a suitable

prayer for you to present to God–"O satisfy us early with Your mercy."
Believe me, there is no joy for a lad like that of loving the Lord
Jesus Christ while he is yet young! And O you maidens–there is no
fairer jewel that you can ever wear than that of love to Jesus Christ–

"'Twill save us from a thousand snares To mind religion young! Grace
will preserve our following years, And make our virtues strong."

And each one of us may pray this prayer. "Lord, now give us Your mercy!
If we are unsaved, let us not remain so! If we have lost the comfort of
Your Presence for a while, restore it to us now! Leave us not long in
darkness, but satisfy us early with Your mercy!"

15. Make us glad according to the days wherein You have afflicted us,
and the years wherein we have seen evi. [See

Sermon #1701, Volume 29–GLADNESS FOR SADNESS.] It is right, then, to

pray for joy. Indeed, joy is so conspicuous a blessing to a
Christian–it is so closely connected with the healthfulness of all his
virtues that he should seek after it until he finds it!

16. Let Your work appear unto Your servants, and Your glory unto their
children. "Lord, let us see Your work here! Oh, for Your name's sake,
take Your right hand and work mightily in our midst! Withdraw not the
working of the Holy Spirit from us, Your people! Let Your work of
conversion, Your work of edification, Your work of the conquest of the
world appear unto Your servants!"

17. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish
the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hand. "Let
not what we do for You fall to the ground like a badly-built wall! Let
not our work be consumed in the great testing fire, 'but establish the
work of our hands!'"

Acts 27:1-3. And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy,
they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius,
a centurion of Augustus' band. And entering into a ship of Adramyttium,
we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a
Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. And the next day we touched
at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty
to go unto his friends to refresh himself Even a Roman centurion could
see that Paul was no ordinary prisoner and that it was quite safe to
allow him privileges which others might have abused.

4-12. And when we had launched from there, we sailed under Cyprus,
because the winds were contrary. And when we had sailed over the sea of
Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. And there the
centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us
therein. And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarcely were
come over against Cnidus, the windnot allowing us, we sailed under
Crete, over against Salmone and, hardly passing it, came unto a place
which is called the Fair Havens; near whereunto was the city of Lasia.
Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous,
because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them and said
unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much
damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the
ship, more that those things which were spoken by Paul. And because the
haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart
there also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to
winter; which is an haven of Crete and lies toward the south west and
north west. It was quite natural that the centurion should think that
the master and the owner of the ship knew more

about seafaring matters than Paul did, but the sequel proved that the
Apostle knew more than they did, for he had access to information that
was hidden from them.

13. And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had
obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.
That was not the only voyage that commenced favorably and ended
disastrously.

14. But not long after that arose against it a tempestuous wind, called
Euroclydon. And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into
the wind, we let her drive. Apparently that was the only thing they
could do. And, at times we may find that it will be well to follow
their example. When we have done our best and can make no headway, we
had better commit our vessel to the care of God and "let her drive"
wherever He wills.

16-19. And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we
had much work to come by the boat: which when they had taken up, they
used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall
into the quicksands, struck sail, and so were driven. And we being
exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the
ship; and the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of
the ship. They used all the means in their power and evidently Paul and
his companions took their full share of the work that had to be done–
"we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship."

20-22. And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no
small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then
taken away. But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of
them, and said, Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not have
sailed from Crete, and incurred this disaster and loss. And now I
exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of life
among you, but only of the ship. Paul might well remind the officers of
the wise advice he gave them in Crete, but he did not rest content with
that, but went on to cheer them as far as he dared, though he again
warned them that they would lose their ship. To prove that he was not
speaking without due authority, he added–

23-20. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am,
and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; you must be brought before
Caesar: and, lo, God has given you all them that sail with you.
Therefore, Sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be
even as it was toldme. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.
The next Chapter tells us that the "certain island was Melita, or
Malta, as it is now called. In that respect, as in all others, Paul's
prophecy was literally fulfilled, for the ship was lost, but all on
board were saved.