The more the sailors hear, the worse the situation gets - the sea was growing more tempestuous . Perhaps out of compassion for the sailors Perhaps out of a desire to be forced into complete dependence upon God alone. After all, There is no safer place than casting yourself totally upon God Perhaps out of a feeling that anything was better than his continual resistance against and running from God Perhaps because he had already truly repented. In a logical response the sailors feared the Lord exceedingly , sacrificed to God and made promises to serve Him. Brethren, I wish I had meet words with which I could fitly describe the peace which comes to a human heart when we learn to see Jesus cast into the sea of divine wrath on our account.
Conscience accuses no longer.
Judgment now decides for the sinner instead of against him. Memory can look back upon past sins, with sorrow for the sin it is true, but yet with no dread of any penalty to come. It is a blessed thing for a man to know that he cannot be punished, that heaven and earth may shake, but he cannot be punished for his sin. Based on this, many commentators believe that the sailors came to a true faith in God. Spurgeon preached a sermon with four wonderful points based on the actions of the crew in this chapter.