Acts 27:20-26 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us… I. SOMETIMES I HAVE BEEN GLAD TO HEAR THAT CRY. Multitudes of persons are sailing in what they think to be the good ship of self-righteousness: they are expecting that they shall get to heaven in her. But she never did carry a soul safely into the haven, and she never will. Now, this vessel manages to keep on her way against all the good advice of Scripture. I am glad, therefore, when some terrific tempest overtakes this vessel; and when men's hopes through their own doings and their own feelings are utterly wrecked. It must end in destruction, and it is therefore a thousand mercies when they find it out soon enough to get another and a better hope of being saved rather than this. Yet it is really wonderful how self-righteous persons will do their best to preserve their self-righteousness as long as they can. Like these mariners — 1. They have got a boat behind the vessel. There are some who have not only good worlds enough, but a few to spare. They have hauled this in very soon under stress of weather, and got the boat on deck for fear of losing it altogether. "If we cannot be saved by good works," they say, "we will get under the lee of some church and get ceremonies to help us out." And when the hurricane has blown them out to sea, and they have found that there is no defence for a soul in ordinances; that only the precious blood can cleanse away sin, and even that must be applied through the Holy Ghost by faith to give the conscience peace — alas! poor souls, their hope of being saved has become more slender than before. 2. They undergird the ship; gird their self-righteousness together; pray more, read the Bible more, go to a place of worship oftener — by any means they will endeavour to keep together the timbers that the storm has begun to loosen. But the storm blows too severely; the vessel cannot be preserved by such appliances as these. 3. They cut down all that might hamper them. They cry, "We cannot boast any longer; we acknowledge we have transgressed in some respects, but, Lord, accept our confessions; put away our sin, because we have repented of it." They have given up a good deal, but they still cling to the old ship as long as they can. She must go to pieces, or you cannot get them out of her; so the Lord sends the wind, and the storm again breaks over them. 4. They go to the Word of God for comfort, but, like the mariners, they get no food, for there are no consolations for those who can save themselves. 5. We find that the sailors with Paul laboured hard; they tried to pump the vessel. Meanwhile, neither sun, nor moon, nor stars appeared. They were all in the dark: and that is just the condition of a self-righteous soul when the Spirit of God blows with His rough north wind upon it, and it comes to see that "By the works of the law there shall no flesh be justified." It is an awful condition to be in, in some respects; it is a most blessed one in others. Oh, for such a storm as would that vessel wreck which is sailing under the flag of self-righteousness, that all hope of being so saved might be taken away from you. II. SOMETIMES I HAVE DEPLORED IT. I have heard some such lamentation as this from men who had no self-righteousness certainly, but who had fallen into despair, or had been guilty of stifling conscience, or had grown careless while hearing the Word, and they had gradually wrought themselves into the belief that they must be lost. 1. I am sorry for these reasons. (1) I am afraid that you will go and do something very wrong. "Because there is no hope," says the man, "I do not care what I do. As well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb." Despair has been employed by Satan to lead many men into desperate crimes. Some have taken their own lives. Do not believe what Satan is telling you. The hope that you may be saved is not altogether gone. (2) I fear that you will leave off hearing the gospel. I have met with some who said that they would never go any more to the house of God because it was no good. They had seen a great many converted, but it had never touched them, and therefore it was no use; they were only adding to their responsibilities. Don't give up hearing, I pray you. I would sooner you came here and went to sleep, for perhaps when you woke up a saving word might get in somehow or other. (3) For you will keep on coming out of custom, but you won't listen with any attentions because you will feel "It is no good." I have heard of a boy who was noticed to lean forward to catch every word of the preacher; and his mother said to him, "William, what makes you so very attentive?" "Because," said the boy, "our minister said that if there was a sentence in the sermon that was likely to do us good Satan would try so that we should not hear it, and therefore I want to hear all that is said in the hope that God may bless me." I do believe, if you were to hear like that, you would get good one of these days. 2. But you must not give way to that feeling that there is no hope. (1) It is quite contrary to Scripture. Do you find the passage there that says there is no hope for you? You find this: "Him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out."(2) It is opposed to all fact. There are many here present who were sinners and seekers like you now are, and they have found peace. Now, if they have been delivered, why should not you? (3) It is to insult the great Father who always receives the prodigals that come back to Him. Say that He cannot save you? why, you deny His omnipotence and distrust His mercy! (4) It is to grieve Jesus. Do you think His blood cannot cleanse you? What, is there some new sin come up that Jesus did not know of? (5) It is to do injury to the Holy Ghost, for there is nothing which the blessed Spirit cannot move out of your way which is now an impediment. If thy heart be like the millstone, He can turn it into wax. If you cannot believe, He can give you faith. III. I HAVE SYMPATHISED WITH IT, because many a time have I felt the same. Children of God do not always find it smooth sailing to heaven. Even in the good bark of Christ crucified there are storms. Christ may be in the vessel, but He may be asleep, and the ship may be tossed with the tempest. I have introduced this subject because there are many young believers who get into such a squall, and do not know what to make of it. They say, "Why, had I been a child of God, I could not have drifted into this frightful tempest." How sayest thou so? Did not David go through it? He said, "All Thy waves and Thy billows have gone over me." You cannot expect to be upon these seas and not have tossings to and fro sometimes. The strongest faith that ever was in this world has sometimes faltered. The old story tells us of Caesar in the storm, when he said to the trembling captain, "Fear not! Thou carriest Caesar and all his fortunes!" Now, Christ is in the same boat with all His people. If one of His members perish, He must perish too. "Because I live ye shall live also." (C. H. Spurgeon.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. |
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