The Wonders of the Sea
Anon. Psalm 95:5 The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. I. ITS EXTENT. The surface of the globe is said to be two hundred millions of square miles, and of these more than two-thirds are supposed to be water; so that the surface of the sea may be one hundred and forty millions of miles. And then, with regard to its depth, it is beyond all calculation. The depth may, in some parts, be sounded; but a great portion is unfathomable. It is, therefore, a fit emblem of the immensity of its Maker, of whom it is said, "Who by searching can find God, who can find out the Almighty to perfection?" It may be considered also as an emblem of eternity, that vast eternity to which we are all hastening, and into which we must ere long be launched. II. ITS BOUNDS AND LIMITS APPOINTED BY GOD (Jeremiah 5:22; Isaiah 40:12). Shall such a God be forgotten? Shall He be insulted by profane oaths, drunkenness, etc.? III. ITS INHABITANTS. Although the surface of the sea presents only a barren prospect, having no hills nor trees to adorn it, yet it contains a multitude which no man can number of living creatures, far more numerous than all the tribes of animals which inhabit the land. IV. ITS UTILITY. But when we speak of the great advantages which the world has derived from the sea, there is one which as much surpasses all the rest as the brilliant sun in the firmament exceeds all the twinkling stars of the night — it is "the glorious Gospel of the blessed God," which must have been brought to our country by a ship; and it is supposed as early as in the days of the apostles, and most probably by some British princes and nobles who had been prisoners in Rome, where it is thought they were converted by the ministry of St. Paul. To the Gospel we owe the great and innumerable improvements gradually introduced; which have at length rendered England the glory of all lands, and have made us superior in religion, arts, and arms to every nation under the sun. (Anon.) Parallel Verses KJV: The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. WEB: The sea is his, and he made it. His hands formed the dry land.