Acts 27:27-29 But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria… How did they know that at last they had neared land? Well, you must be a sailor to understand that. No doubt there was something in the run of the water, or in the breeze, or in the noise of the waves that appealed to the sailor's instinct. Hearing the billows breaking, they dropped the four anchors out of the stern. That seems a very unsailor-like proceeding, say some critics. Perhaps, if they knew a little more they would not be so surprised, for that is just how Admiral Nelson put them out at the battle of the Nile; and when the ships were formed for action at Copenhagen, we are told that they were all anchored by the stern (Nelson had been reading this chapter that morning). There is a picture in Herculaneum contemporary with Paul's time, in which you will see vessels with provision made for anchoring by the stern; and I am told that in Greece they still frequently adopt this plan. But if they had lowered the anchor at the bows, she would have swung round and perhaps on to the rocks, as they did not know how much sea room they had. Four were lowered, and when it was found that they held, the sailors had a prayer meeting — they prayed for the day to break. I will throw what I have to say under three headings, which shall have a little rhythm in them, so that you may remember them the better. I. LAND AHEAD. "The shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country." That is very vague. They were not quite sure whether it was Europe or Africa; but there was something which said, "It won't be long before we are aground." There had been land ahead all the fourteen days; for how was it possible for any ship to be going about in Adria without having land ahead? But they never thought about it until they got uncomfortably close to it. The moment a tiny little craft is launched on the ocean of life, there is land ahead, and whether it be an hospitable one, or an iron-bound coast on which the craft goes to pieces, depends upon what sort of a voyage it has made and who is its captain. With some of us, it is a long time before we realise that we are coming to some country. Oh, it is a grand thing when there steals over a man's mind, "This life is not the end of everything; the time is not far off when my craft shall touch some country or another!" What is leading many a man to realise that he is drawing near some country? Sometimes it is a memory or a word; I have known it come through a dream. When Columbus was searching for the Western country, what kept up his brave heart was that every now and then he saw floating on the water either a stick or a leaf, that he knew must come from the land. Anon he would see flying overhead a bird, which he was certain had left the shore not many hours before. Ay, and there comes a time when a man will look round and see this, that, and the other all saying to him, "You are bound for another country." There starts up to his memory that which he has not thought of for many a long year — the word, perhaps, that mother spoke; that address given in the Sunday school; but all of a sudden something says to the man, "There is another world; you are drawing near to it." It may be that the warning does not bring very much comfort, as in the case before us. To cry, "Land ahead!" does not necessarily bring joy. It just depends on the circumstances of the person who hears it. It is one thing to know that you have land ahead when you see the harbour right in front of you; but it is another thing altogether when the night is dark and you are pitching and tossing, ignorant of your latitude and longitude. Tell a man then that there is land ahead, and he will say, "It is the worst news I could possibly hear." Some time ago, a brother preached here who was not very well up in nautical matters. In a very vivid manner he described such a storm as never blew. Eventually he asked, "Now, what does the captain do? Why, he keeps as near the shore as ever he can." An old tar who was listening, said, "Bosh! turn her nose and beat to wind'ard." Now, when the news of "Land ahead!" strikes a man's ear in a storm, it is no comfort to him if he does not know what land it is. And so is it with the soul. Tell some of us that there is land ahead, and we say, "Thank God! for I know what it is." But oh, if it were rung out in the ears of some of you, would it be good news or evil? A little while ago I had the privilege of helping to send a young wife out to her husband in the colonies. I can imagine that young wife standing on the ship's deck with her three little ones by her side, and looking anxiously before her as the vessel nears its destination. By and by the man perched aloft sings out, "Land ahead"! How that young wife's face lights up at the sound! how her eyes drink in that cloud-like object, which very soon will develop into the land she has come so far to reach! But on board that same ship there is a felon, who is being taken back through the Extradition Treaty. "Land ahead!" It is heard right down in his cell on board the ship, and he says, "Curse it! that means the gallows for me." We are all on board the ship of life, and the day is coming when the cry will be heard, "Land can be seen now." It will be with no dim eye, unless it be filled with tears of joy, that I trust we shall all be able to say, "Lord, that is the best news I heard for many a year." II. HEAVE OUT THE LEAD. When those ship men took soundings they found twenty fathoms of water. Why did they sound? Because they knew they were getting nearer and nearer, and wanted to be sure of their position. Those men were wonderfully like some of us; they did not begin to sound until they were in danger. They found twenty fathoms, which is a good deal of water; but directly after "they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms." What, shoal off five fathoms so quickly! There can be no doubt now of danger. Oh, you dear fellows, I want you to heave out the lead. Have you realised how far your ship has got? Perhaps you could if I were to put a line into your hands. Take sounding by this — 1. The change that you can see in others. When you arrived home, after a long absence, and went to look at your old chums, you were astonished to see how they had grown. That bit of a boy is now as tall as yourself; and of another you said, "What an old chap he is getting!" But remember that you look as old in his eyes as he does in yours. Is it not strange how we can all mark alterations in others which we do not notice in ourselves? Take soundings, man. 2. Or, if you cannot realise your position in heaving out the lead in that way, call to mind the names of the ships you have sailed in and the crews you once belonged to. Where are they? How many captains have you sailed under? Any of them dead? Call up to mind those you have voyaged with, and I think, as you look along the list, and put a mark against those whose ships have touched the shore, you will come to the conclusion, "Shallowing fast! Twenty fathoms! — fifteen!" 3. And are there not signs in yourself that you are drawing near some country? Some of you will say that ships' sides are not so easy to climb as they were twenty years ago, and that it seems a longer way up the mast than it used to do. You have not the legs and hands you once had; your sight is not so clear as it was once. Your wife says, "I am going to pull out all those grey hairs"; but you say that if she does you will not have many left. Go and look in the mirror tonight, and, if you are a sensible man, it will be like heaving the lead. "Yes," you will say; "I cannot be far off some shore." Ah, life is shoaling fast with us all. Come, is it twenty fathoms — fifteen? Some of you are much nearer than that. Let down the lead again, and you will find that it is shoaling off to ten fathoms, five fathoms — less than that! Heave out the lead, then, those of you who are still a little way off. Do not go drifting on to the rocks like a fool. If you will not believe our testimony that there is land ahead of some sort, then heave out the lead for yourselves, and you will find, beyond all doubt, that your life is shoaling rapidly. III. DOWN WITH THE ANCHOR IN THE OCEAN'S BED. After those sailors had let down the lead it was no use their saying that they did not believe the tale that it told, for it said, very plainly, "In a few minutes you will be on that rocky gridiron." There was only one thing to be done now — to drop anchor, and pray God that they might grip. So out went the four. That must have been a very anxious moment; for they did not know whether there was good anchorage or not. Captain Smith tells us that the very best possible anchorage is in St. Paul's Bay, and another nautical book says, if only the cable do not give way, no anchor will ever drag there. They were in the right place, though they did not know it. For a moment they asked themselves, "Will the cables snap? Will the anchors drag?" But, thank God! they held; and now the ship is stopped. There is hope for them now, though they are not saved yet; and so they go down on their knees and pray for the day. This scene reminds me of a far different one; but there Paul also was throwing out his anchors. He is in Damascus. The Lord has stricken him down; he is blind — in the dark; but he confesses his sin — and then out go the anchors of prayer, and hope, and faith. Out with the anchors, and let your prayer be that of these men, who "prayed for the day." They got their answer. They had conscious salvation brought to them, for when the day dawned, Paul came to them and said, "Be of good cheer; not a hair shall fall from the, head of any one of you." They are not out of the ship yet, but prayer is answered; there is light in the sky, and God says they shall all be saved. "And when it was day" they saw a little creek right in front of them, and letting go the anchors they steered right for it. True, the ship went to pieces; but every one of the two hundred and seventy-six on board got safe to land. Look you, the poor ship of man's human body has to go to pieces; but that need not trouble us much so long as the passengers are all right — as long as the soul is secure, never mind the old ship. We shall all get "into a place where two seas meet" before long. If we are called to die Christ will show us a creek where we can die safely. And the Lord will do for our old ship what was not done with that of which we have been speaking — He will put it all together again on the Resurrection morning; and it will be a better ship than before. (Archibald G. Brown.) Parallel Verses KJV: But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; |
    |