And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship. (40) And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoisted up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. (41) And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmovable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. (42) And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. (43) But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: (44) And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.
How our nature shudders at the cruel and desperately wicked purposes of the soldiers, in the proposal they made to kill the prisoners. Reader! do observe, not all the horrors of the shipwreck they had escaped, could soften the hardened nature of the unawakened mind. The devil raged more in their hearts than the storm of the sea upon their bodies. But, while we trace this temptation to the devil, do not fail to remark also, how the hand of the Lord was in this business, by his gracious influence on the mind of the Centurion, to counteract and defeat their inhuman policy. Oh! how blessed is it to trace the Lord's mercies both in providence and grace! Neither Jews nor Gentiles at Jerusalem and Caesarea, neither tempest of sea, or the raging of men or devils on land, shall destroy Paul; for the Lord hath said, Fear not Paul, thou must be brought before Caesar. Be of good cheer, for as thou host testified of me at Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome, Acts 23:11. And how often may it be seen in the life of every child of God, both in spiritual concerns, and temporal, that when the enemy cometh in like a food, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him? Isaiah 59:19
How very beautiful, yet simple, the language with which the chapter closeth: And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land. Yes! The Lord had said it, and so it must be accomplished. Even from the mouth of an enemy, the Lord hath forced the confession; God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent. Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numbers 33:19. And, depend upon it, so it shall come to pass with all the Lord's family, embarked as they are with Christ, and passing through the storms and tempests of the present time state of the Church. Jehovah hath given to his dear Sons all them that sail with him. And he will bring them unto the haven, where they would be! Oh! that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! Psalms 107:30-31.