(_A Sermon to Seamen._)
xxxiii. 23. _Thy tacklings are loosed, &c._
Seas, rivers, and ships have for ages afforded the world the mainstay
of commerce. Not only so; the imagery of many of our best books would
have been very much the poorer had not visions and dreams of the sea
been present to the writers. Isaiah makes good use of these. In ver.
21 he says, "The glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad
rivers and streams," &c. Jerusalem was badly off, compared with
Babylon and other cities, in that it had neither sea nor river, but
only a small rivulet. Large and deep rivers near great towns have
their advantages and disadvantages in time of war. The prophet here
says that God would be to Jerusalem a place of broad rivers and
streams, wherein no ship of war should be allowed to approach to
injure His people. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put
confidence in seas or war-ships. (ver. 22).
Jerusalem, at the time, was in danger from a great power, and in the
text that power, Assyria, is compared to a ship whose "tacklings are
loosed," &c. A sad plight surely for a ship to be in! But not only
great powers like Assyria are, in reality, in a bad way, as abettors
of wickedness, but individuals also, like the disabled vessel spoken
of by the prophet; for, 1. _A wicked man is like a ship whose
tacklings are loosed._ The tackle of a ship is of immense service in
many ways; but a ship whose tackle has got loosed from her masts is
not fit for a voyage. No seaman would dream of sailing in such a
ship. Every rope must be in its right place and securely fixed. But
how many men are out on the voyage of life, with the gear of mind and
heart all loose! In fine weather, even, they make no real headway; in
storms they are in peril of being cast away. They are at the mercy of
every wind that blows; for, 2. _A wicked man is like a ship whose
masts will not stand upright._ The tackle of a ship is of service in
strengthening its masts. But men are out voyaging on the sea of life:
they would fain stand upright, but they cannot; for their thoughts
and feelings are not made use of to sustain them in an upright life;
they sway under the blast; the crash of ruin is always impending.
3. _A wicked man is like a ship without sails._ On a mast,
unstrengthened by good tackle, it is worse than useless to attempt to
spread a sail. But without sails to catch the heaven-sent breezes,
how shall the distant haven be reached? Even men of some moral
ballast are at best like poor toilers at the oars. The port is a long
way off, and they need sails--wings filled with spiritual
energies--to carry them onward over miles of sea day by day. 4. _A
wicked man is like a dismantled ship which plunderers attack._ "Then
is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey." How
poor sailors are plundered by the weakest of mankind and womankind!
CONCLUSION.--Sin, iniquity, that is _in-equity,_ is at the root of
the godless man's loose thoughts and passions, tottering steps and
wingless spirit. The ship wants a thorough overhauling; nay, it wants
remaking (John iii. 3).
We should be homeward-bound for the kingdom of God; but it is vain to
dream of reaching port as an unseaworthy vessel.--_J. Macrae Simcock._