Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Acts
Book: Acts
Chapter: 27
Overview:
Paul's voyage towards
Rome.
(1-11) Paul and his companions
endangered
By a tempest.
(12-20) He receives a Divine
Assurance
of safety.
(21-29) Paul encourages those with him.
(30-38) They
are shipwrecked.
(39-44)
1-11 It was determined
By the counsel of
God, before it was
determined
By the counsel of
Festus, that
Paul should go to
Rome; for
God had work for him to do there. The course they
steered, and the places they touched at, are here set down. And
God here encourages those who suffer for him, to trust in him;
for he can
Put it into the hearts of those to befriend them,
from whom they least expect it. Sailors must make the best of
the wind: and
So must we all in our
Passage over the ocean of
this world. When the
Winds are contrary, yet we must be getting
forward as
Well as we can. Many who are not driven backward
By
Cross providences, do not get forward
By favourable providences.
And many real Christians complain as to the concerns of their
souls, that they have much ado to keep their ground. Every fair
Haven is not a safe
Haven. Many show respect to good ministers,
who will not take their advice. But the event will convince
sinners of the vanity of their hopes, and the folly of their
conduct.
12-20 Those who launch forth
On the ocean of this world, with a
fair gale, know not what storms they may meet with; and
therefore must not easily take it for granted that they have
obtained their purpose. Let us never expect to be quite safe
till we enter
Heaven. They saw neither
Sun nor
Stars for many
days. Thus melancholy sometimes is the condition of the people
of
God as to their spiritual matters; they walk in
Darkness, and
have
No Light. See what the wealth of this world is: though
coveted as a blessing, the time may come when it will be a
Burden; not only too heavy to be carried safely, but heavy
enough to sink him that has it. The children of this world can
be prodigal of their goods for the saving their lives, yet are
sparing of them in
Works of
Piety and
Charity, and in suffering
for
Christ. Any
Man will rather make shipwreck of his goods than
of his
Life; but many rather make shipwreck of
Faith and a good
Conscience, than of their goods. The means the sailors used did
not succeed; but when sinners give up all
Hope of saving
themselves, they are prepared to understand
God's
Word, and to
trust in his
Mercy through
Jesus Christ.
21-29 They did not hearken to the
Apostle when he warned them
of their danger; yet if they acknowledge their folly, and repent
of it, he will speak comfort and relief to them when in danger.
Most people bring themselves into trouble, because they do not
know when they are
Well off; they come to harm and loss
By
aiming to mend their condition, often against advice. Observe
the solemn profession
Paul made of relation to
God.
No storms or
tempests can hinder
God's favour to his people, for he is a Help
always at
Hand. It is a comfort to the
Faithful servants of
God
when in difficulties, that as long as the
Lord has any work for
them to do, their lives shall be prolonged. If
Paul had thrust
himself needlessly into bad company, he might justly have been
cast away with them; but
God Calling him into it, they are
preserved with him. They are given thee; there is
No greater
satisfaction to a good
Man than to know he is a public blessing.
He comforts them with the same comforts wherewith he himself was
comforted.
God is ever
Faithful, therefore let all who have an
interest in his promises be ever cheerful. As, with
God, saying
and doing are not two things, believing and enjoying should not
be
So with us.
Hope is an
Anchor of the soul, sure and stedfast,
entering into that within the
Veil. Let those who are in
spiritual
Darkness Hold Fast By that, and think not of putting
to
Sea again, but abide
By Christ, and wait till the
Day break,
and the shadows flee away.
30-38 God, who appointed the
End, that they should be saved,
appointed the means, that they should be saved
By the help of
these shipmen. Duty is ours, events are
God's; we do not trust
God, but tempt him, when we say we
Put ourselves under his
protection, if we do not use proper means, such as are within
our power, for our safety. But how selfish are men in general,
often even ready to seek their own safety
By the
Destruction of
others! Happy those who have such a one as
Paul in their
company, who not only had intercourse with
Heaven, but was of an
enlivening
Spirit to those about him. The sorrow of the world
Works Death, while joy in
God is
Life and peace in the greatest
distresses and dangers. The comfort of
God's promises can only
be ours
By believing dependence
On him, to fulfil his
Word to
us; and the
Salvation he reveals must be waited for in use of
the means he appoints. If
God has
Chosen us to
Salvation, he has
also appointed that we shall obtain it
By Repentance,
Faith,
Prayer, and persevering obedience; it is fatal presumption to
expect it in any other way. It is an encouragement to people to
commit themselves to
Christ as their
Saviour, when those who
invite them, clearly show that they do
So themselves.
39-44 The ship that had weathered the storm in the open
Sea,
where it had room, is dashed to
Pieces when it sticks
Fast.
Thus, if the
Heart fixes in the world in
Affection, and cleaving
to it, it is lost.
Satan's temptations beat against it, and it
is gone; but as long as it keeps above the world, though tossed
with cares and tumults, there is
Hope for it. They had the shore
in view, yet suffered shipwreck in the harbour; thus we are
taught never to be secure. Though there is great difficulty in
the way of the promised
Salvation, it shall, without fail, be
brought to pass. It will come to pass that whatever the trials
and dangers may be, in due time all believers will get safely to
Heaven.
Lord Jesus, thou hast assured us that none of thine
shall perish. Thou wilt bring them all safe to the heavenly
shore. And what a pleasing landing will that be! Thou wilt
present them to thy
Father, and give thy Holy
Spirit full
possession of them for ever.