William Burkitt's Expository Notes

Acts 27:20

Observe here, 1. The hopeless, helpless, comfortless state, which St. Paul, and those in the ship with him, were now reduced to: neither sun nor stars appeared, and the weather proved very tempestuous, and when they utterly despaired of life, then God gives Paul, and he the rest,. comfortable assurance that nothing should be lost, but the vessel only.

O how does God delight to deliver those that are forsaken of their hopes; what. present help is he to the helpless: He reserves his holy hand for. dead lift! our extremities are the seasons of his succour.

Observe, 2. The great and special favour which God indulged the holy apostle, even to send an angel to him to comfort him: The angel of God, whose. am, and whom. serve, said, Fear not.

O what an encouragement is it to us to enter upon, and be faithful in, the service of God, when he causes his holy angels, upon all occasions, to serve us! When visible dangers are before us, God has invisible servants round about us, both to succour and secure us. Lord, help me in sincerity to say, Thine. am, and thee. serve! Let me be found faithful in all the instances of my duty to thee,and then shall. find (as the apostle here) that safety evermore accompanies duty.

Observe, 3. How God was pleased for St. Paul's sake to save all that were with him in the ship; sinners are spared and saved for the saints' sake, whom yet they hate and seek to destroy. The wicked are oft-times delivered from temporal destruction for the sake of the godly who live among them, and intercede with God for them; there were two hundred threescore and sixteen persons, all heathens, except three or four, saved for St. Paul's sake, who no doubt begged their lives of God.

Lord, what fools and madmen are the wicked, who seek the destruction of those for whose sake it is that they are not themselves destroyed! The breaches which wicked men make by sinning, they make up by praying.

Observe, 4. How steady and steadfast the apostle was in the faith and belief of God's promise and providence for his own and the company's preservation: I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

We honour God exceedingly, when we depend upon his promise, rely upon his power, believe his word, though what he says be very improbable, and unlikely to come to pass.

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William Burkitt's Expository Notes

Acts 27:20

Old Testament

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