А.
ster
ву
43 6
гаёit&&&#
В) 5
На тој на
Кі
наемаа
о
при
М
:
..
.
...
. ..
".
.
"
Tappan Presbyterian Association
LIBRARY
Presented by HON. D. BETHUNE DUFFIELD.
From Library of Rev. Geo. Duffield, D.D.
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
ET AMICIS
LIPOMTADIATO
w
..
-
**
TUS
M
r
-
TRX
.
.
w
V.
.
.
2
na
.
.
.
.
.
.
HIP!HIFTY 11111111111
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
2.
.
.
.
.R
d
.
..
.-.
Toe te ftuleLAM
.
1.
'
.
In tali nunquam lassat venatio sylva.
A.D.1884.
BV
4310
S3
prie foto Venereld.
ather by 5 Bethune
.
.
.
.
.
Celut
Received from the venerabile
futher he hirure Hetture
(12","262418222
SEA SERMONS;
OR
TWELVE SHORT AND PLAIN
DISCOURSES
FOR THE USE OF SEAMEN:
WHICH MAY BE READ BY INDIVIDUALS. IN PRIVATE, OR
BY THE MASTER OF THE vessel TØ His crew.
TO WHICH ARE ADDED,
A PRAYER adapted to each Sermon, and other PRAYERS
for ordinary and extraordinary Occasions ; with
HYMNS
suited to various Occurrences.
BY THE REV. GEORGE BURDER,
AUTHOR OF VILLAGE SERMONS, IN EIGHT VOLUMES.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY B. BENSLEY,
Bolt Court, Fleet Street ;
· AND SOLD BY F. WESTLEY, STATIONERS'-COURT,
and all other Booksellers.
1822
CONTENTS
1. The Wonders of God in the Deep.
11. Seasonable Considerations on the Com-
mencement of a Voyage.
III. Repentance and Conversion.
IV. The Way of Salvation.
v. Noah's Ark.
VI. The Anchor of Hope.
VII. The Compass.
VIII. The Storm.
IX. Thanksgiving for Deliverance.
x. On the Death of a Shipmate.
XI. On seeking the Lord while he may be
found.
XII. The Seaman's happy Return.
2.23 1732
PREFACE.
The following short and plain Discourses are
composed for the use of that numerous and valua-
ble class of society-The British SEAMEN-a
class hitherto generally neglected, even by those
who are distinguished by their pious benevolence.
To many such persons the case of the Sailors ap-
peared to be almost hopeless. It was appre-
hended that they were too thoughtless and too
vicious to receive religious instruction, were it
offered to them: they were therefore passed by,
as the wounded traveller was, by the priest and
the levite.
But it pleased God to commence a remarkable
work of grace in the hearts of many of the Bri-
tish sailors on board his Majesty's ships, during
the late war with France. A few pious men, in
several of the vessels associated with each other,
read their Bibles, conversed on religious subjects,
and called upon God in social prayer. Thus they
edified each other, and were multiplied; so that,
at the close of the war, there was a band of pray-
ing officers or seamen on board of about four-
score ships of the Royal Navy, not to mention
similar appearances in many of the merchant
vessels. *
When this became known to serious people at
home, they were roused from their state of su-
pineness, and took active measures, in a variety
* See a Sermon, preached at St. Bride's Church, Oct. 19,
1821, before the British and Foreign Seaman's Friend
Society, and Bethel Union, by the Rev. R. Marks.
SERMON I.
The design of this discourse is to engage the
seamen who hear or read it, to contemplate the
ocean which they traverse, and by their consi-
deration of its Extent-its Limits-its Tides its
Saltness-its Inhabitants—and its Utility, to learn
to glorify Him who made the sea, and to seek
his mercy and grace for the salvation of their
souls, through Jesus Christ.
How amazing is the Extent of the sea! The
surface of the globe is said to be 200 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 140 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 of it is unfathon-
able. Who then can compute the immense
quantity of water it contains? It is therefore a
fit emblem of the immensity of its Maker, of
whom it is said, “ Who by searching can find
out God, who can find out the Almighty to per-
fection?” 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 launchied; for as it is utterly impossible
to count all the drops of water into which the
sea may be divided, so is it utterly impossible to
calculate the years of eternity. If only one drop
of the sea were to be taken away every year,
how many millions of millions of millions of years
would it be before the whole was exhausted! But
Eternity will infinitely exceed even such a sum!
Think then of the infinite greatness of God; for
this God is “ahle both to save, and to destroy."
His favour is better than life, his anger is worse
than death. “ Seek the Lord, then, while he may
be found, call upon him while he is near."
THE 1
WONDERS OF GOD IN THE DEEP. 3
But vast and extensive as the sea is, yet it
has its bounds and limits, and these are appointed
by its Maker. God himself is pleased to demand
our attention to this point. By his prophet Jere-
miah he says, “ Will ye not fear me, will ye not
tremble. at my presence, who have placed the
sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual
decree, that it cannot pass it; and, though the
waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not
prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass
over it ?" (Jer. v. 22.)
A person unacquainted with the sea, and stand-
ing near the beach, fancies that the ocean rises
higher than the land, and that it seems to threaten
to overwhelm it, especially when the tide is
coming in, and the sea runs high; but as every
wave reaches the beach, it finds its appointed
limit, and dies away on the sand, or rolls back
from the shore, and is lost in the deep waters
from whence it came. He who made the sea
has ordained its limits, and says to the raging,
foaming billows, “ Hitherto shall ye come, but
no further, and here shall your proud waves be
stayed.” He is also represented as a shutting
up the sea with doors and bars," and managing
it, with as much ease as a nurse manages a little
infant. Job xxxviii. 8-11. And a grander idea
still, of the infinite greatness of God, is bor-
rowed from the ocean; for when his Divine
Majesty is described, in opposition to the paltry
idols of the heathen, it is said, “ the nations are
as a drop of a bucket; he taketh up the islands
as an atom ;" and(observe it, seamen) " He
measures the waters in the hollow of his hand !!!
Yes, all the wide and deep seas and oceans in
the world, are no more to him, than a few drops
of water are to a man who holds them in the
B 2
SERMON 1.
palm of his hand. (Isa. xl, 12.) And shall sucli
a God be forgotten ? Shall he be insulted by
profane oaths, or disgusted by beastly drunken-
ness or abominable uncleanness? Let conscience
answer.
How wonderful are the Tides! That the waters
of the sea are continually rising and falling is
known to every seaman, although the real cause
of their doing so is but imperfectly known to
the wisest philosopher. That the tides however
appear to be under the influence of the Moon,
and regulated by her changes, is plain to all;
and the exactness of the tides in their ebbing
and flowing is truly wonderful. Nor is the
utility of the tides less to be admired, for thereby
ships are enabled to make headway against con-
trary winds, and to work up rivers far inland, so
as to convey the most valuable goods, brought
from the most distant ports, into the very centre
of populous cities, and to the very doors of the
merchant's warehouse, where they may be most
readily landed, and from whence the produce of
that place may as easily be shipped and trans-
ported to distant countries. Surely the goodness
of God in thus facilitating the communication
of one nation with another, and the exchange of
their commodities for mutual comfort and ad-
vantage, ought to be thankfully acknowledged;
and let the seaman also learn from the wonder-
ful regularity of the tides to be punctual, to a
minute, in the discharge of every branch of his
duty, both to God and man. The waters obey
their Creator; and shall man be disobedient ?
And may not the ebbing and flowing of the tide,
twice every day, remind the sailor of the proper
seasons of prayer and praise; and does not rea-
son, as well as scripture, direct that twice, at
THE WONDERS OF GOD IN THE DEEP. 5
least, every day, that God who made and ma-
nages the sea, and who preserves the seaman while
floating upon it, should be worshipped ?
The Saltness of the sea is a circumstance not
to be overlooked, for thereby, together with
its perpetual motion, it is kept from that putre.
faction which stagnant waters acquire; and it
has another advantage too, for salt water is far
more buoyant than fresh, and fitter for the pur-
pose of swimming in it, and of bearing up the
heavy vessels which sail upon it. This too, may
serve the purpose of moral instruction, and re-
mind the seaman that his “ speech should be
alway with grace, seasoned as with salt.” It is
the sad disgrace of many a ship, that the crew
suffer much evil - communication to proceed
out of their mouths ;' and heretofore, English
seamen were distinguished by foreigners from
other sailors by their oaths and curses. But we
hope this reproach will soon be wiped away from
our country, and that British seamen will be as
remarkable for their piety, as they were once
for their profaneness.
Let us next reflect on the Inhabitants of the
sea. Of these there is an astonishing variety,
and a number still more astonishing! 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. The great Creator gave the command
that the fish of the sea should multiply abund-
antly; and accordingly, his providence fulfils the
word, and the ocean produces, for the food of
man, a vast and cheap supply; while it employs
a hardy race of industrious men, who procure
SERMON 1.
it by their peaceful toil. And it is no small
honour to persons of this occupation, that the
Lord of all was pleased to select the first preachers
of his Gospel from among the fishermen of
Galilee. 46. Follow me,” said he to them, “ and
I will make you Fishers of men.”
But let us turn our attention to the Utility
of the sea, and contemplate the great advan-
tages which, through the goodness of God,
the world of mankind derives from the great
deep.
At first sight it may seem that the nations of
the earth are unhappily separated from each
other by the oceans which roll between them;
but, in fact, the sea affords a far better means of
communication with each other than they could
otherwise have obtained. Some parts of the
globe are so distant from others, that a journey
by land from one to the other would be the la-
bour of a man's whole life, and would have been
in many cases absolutely impossible; and the
conveyance of goods from distant countries would
have been quite impracticable; but now, by
means of the sea, and especially since the dis-
covery of the compass, the improved build of
our ships, and the noble art of navigation, the
mariner can with ease and certainty direct his
course almost from pole to pole, and visit the
most distant islands and harbours and headlands
of the eastern or western world. Thus we can
import to Britain the choicest productions of the
Indies; and send out, to almost every country of
the globe, the manufactures of England, Scot-
land, and Ireland, by which hundreds of thou-
sands of our countrymen are employed, and
enabled to gain a comfortable support for them-
selves and their families; so that on this account
THE WONDERS OF GOD IN THE DEEP. "7
the seaman may congratulate himself on the
great utility of his occupation.
It is no small advantage that thus we become
acquainted with the different parts of the world;
with the dress, the food, the raiment, the cus-
toms, and the religions of many distant coun-
tries, from some of which we may make additions
to our own stock of knowledge. But while the
art of navigation has enabled us to obtain ad-
vantages from other parts of the world, it has
also enabled us greatly to benefit many distant
countries; for unquestionably, the greatest im-
provements which have been made by nations
abroad, for some centuries past, have been de-
rived from Britain. Our arts and sciences, our
manufacturies, our discoveries in medicine, our
principles of civil and religious liberty, and above
all our charities, have given occasion to the most
important reformation and improvement in fo-
reign lands.
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 ex-
ceeds 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 Bri-
tish princes and nobles who had been prisoners
in Rome, where it is thought they were converted
by the ministry of St. Paul. Before that happy
period, our forefathers were painted savages and
blind idolaters. They knew not the true God
and his Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, but were
priest-ridden by the Druids, who are said to
have offered up to their idols, the bodies of men
SERMON 1. .
whom they had murdered for sacrifice. To the
Gospel we owe the great and innumerable im-
provements 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.
Other branches of knowledge may contribute
to the safety and wealth of a people, but the
Gospel only reveals the true nature and perfec-
tions of Jehovah,--shows us, in the holy law,
what God requires of men; how defective man
is in his duty; the wages due to every sinner for
his iniquity; and, above all, the true and only
way of Salvation, through faith in the blood of
Christ, “ who loved us and gave himself as a
ransom for us," “ to redeem us from the curse of
the law," and to reconcile us to God, that we
may obtain the pardon of all our sins, the sanc-
tification of our hearts, and a fitness for that state
of glory and immortality which are brought to
light by the Gospel. Such, seamen, are the
precious benefits which were, many hundred
years ago, brought by some favoured vessel from
the Mediterrenean or across the channel from the
opposite shore to our own country. Othen take
care to receive and prize these benefits, for it
will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah
in the day of judgment” than for Britons, if they
“ neglect so great a salvation,” and “refuse to
hear him that speaketh from heaven," in the
everlasting gospel.
And esteem it, Seamen, your honour and your
happiness if it should be your lot to convey, in
your ship, any faithful servants of Christ, who
go abroad to foreign lands as missionaries, to
co preach among the heathen, the unsearchable
riches of Christ.” Think yourselves happy to
THE WONDERS OF GOD IN THE DEEP. 9
assist in conveying to India, to Africa, to the
South-sea Islands, or to any other part of the
world, that word of truth and life which is able
to make wise unto salvation” the hundreds of
millions who are now “ perishing for lack of
knowledge;" for it is a certain truth, as declared
by the apostle Peter, that “there is salvation in
none but Christ; and that there is none other
name under heaven, given among men, whereby
we can be saved, but the name of Jesus.” Acts. iii.
Too often have British seamen, forgetful of
God and of their Christian profession, communi-
cated to persons of other countries their vices
and their diseases; let it now be their ambition
to make amends for those evils, and by every
means in their power, both by word and deed,
to shew the idolatrous heathen whose shores they
may visit, the nature, reality and power of true
Christianity
CONCLUSION, .
Men and Brethren - In the discourse you
have now heard, the preacher has called your
attention to those lessons of instruction which
you, who “ go down to the sea in ships, and do
business in great waters," ought to learn from a
view of the ocean. Too often, it must be ac-
knowledged, too often, seamen are thoughtless and
inconsiderate men; but there is no reason that
they should be so. Brethren, you have the same
understanding as other men, and you are sur-
rounded with objects which are truly wonderful,
and you are called to " magnify the works of
God," which surround you. Remember that
“ the sea is his, and he made it." Reflect on
its prodigious extent-its limits its tides its
saltness.its numberless inhabitants, and its won-
derful utility; and shall it be said of any one of
lo
SERMON 1.
you, amidst all these wonders of the deep God
is not in all his thoughts?”. Remember it is
written in his holy word, “ The wicked shall be
turned into hell, with all the nations that forget
God:” and have not some of you forgotten
him, or remembered him only to blaspheme?
O reflect on your sin and folly, and let the sea
which surrounds and bears you up, constantly
remind you of your Maker!
Remember your dependence on God. He only
who made the sea can preserve you upon it.
You need not be told that the seaman is exposed
to many and great perils. Sometimes, indeed,
sailing is perfectly easy and delightful; but it is
more frequently otherwise. What is more un-
certain and deceitful than the ocean? Stormy
winds are permitted to rise; the sky is darkened;
the tempest rages; dangers thicken; the ship
may be dismasted or spring a leak; she may
strike on a rock, and founder, or be wrecked on
the coast. You are exposed to a thousand evils
which no prudence can foresee, nor skill pre-
vent. How happy then is that seaman who hath
“ God for his refuge," and who finds him “a
present help in every time of trouble.” There
is a text of scripture which exactly suits your
case, and well deserves your attention, namely,
Psalm Ixv.. 5. “O God of our salvation; who
art the confidence of all the ends of the earth,
and of them that are afar off upon the sea."
Observe,He is “the God of salvation”--the
salvation both of soul and body. He is able to
save both, and that to the uttermost; and won-
derful indeed are the deliverances he has often
given to distressed seamen, when every other re-
fuge failed. Nor is his presence and help con-
fined to one place or country; though you should
THE WONDERS OF GOD IN THE DEEP. 11
Mediathereformes, and at a cast
be removed far from England, to the very "ends
of the earth;” though you should sail to seas
“afar off," north or south, east or west, still is
he every where, and at all times, even in the
worst of times, “ The God of salvation." To
him therefore, in and through Jesus Christ the
Mediator, direct your eyes, address your prayer,
and let him be your « confidence.”
Think, my friends, often think of the great-
ness of that God who made the sea. As it is the
most desirable thing in the world to obtain his
favour, so it must be, of all things the most
terrible, to incur his anger. You see his power
in the ocean. Who can withstand or resist that
power which “ raiseth the stormy wind, which
Iifteth up the waves thereof?-They mount up
to the heaven, they go down again to the depths.”
Then the stoutest heart must tremble, “the soul
is melted because of trouble.” Psalm cvji. 25.
Would you wish this great God to be your enemy
or your friend ? Be ye sure of this, that he is
the best friend or the worst enemy you can have.
Flee therefore from the wrath to come. Seek
his favour then; seek it earnestly; and seek it
without delay; for why should you remain an
hour longer exposed to everlasting ruin? Why
should you defer to repent, and pray, till you
are laid on the bed of sickness; or till the
furious storm threatens you with immediate
destruction. Now, is the best time, perhaps the
only time. But seek mercy only through Jesus
Christ. No sinner can come back to God, and
obtain pardon and peace, but through faith in
Jesus, who died on purpose to bring us back to
God. And know this for your encouragement,
that the gracious Saviour, the friend of sinners,
the friend of seamen, has kindly declared that
12
SERMON 1.
he will receive all who come to him, even thie
chief of sinners, and by no means cast them out.
Let this then be the sincere language of your
heart, “ God be merciful to me a. sinner, for
the sake of Jesus Christ, who came into the
world to seek and save that which was lost.”
THE MARINER’S PSALM.
The works of glory, mighty Lord,
Thy wonders in the deeps!
The sons of courage shall record,
Who trade in floating ships.
At thy command the winds arise,
And swell the tow'ring waves ;
The men, astonish'd, mount the skies,
And sink in gaping graves.
Again they climb the wat'ry hills,
And plunge in deeps again:
Each like a tott'ring drunkard reels,
And finds his courage vain,
Frighted to hear the tempest roar,
They pant with flutt'ring breath;
And, hopeless of the distant shore,
Expect immediate death.
Then to the Lord they raise their cries;
He hears the loud request,
And orders silence through the skies,
And lays the floods to rest.
Sailors rejoice to lose their fears,
And see the storm allay'd :
Now to their eyes the port appears;
There let their vows be paid.
'Tis God that brings them safe to land:
Let stupid mortals know
That waves are under his command,
And all the winds that blow.
O that the sons of men would praise
· The goodness of the Lord!
And those who see thy wond'rous ways
Thy wond'rous love record.
Seasonable Considerations on the
commencement of a Voyage.
SERMON II.
HAGGAI 1. 5.
Now therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts;
Consider your ways.
EVERY voyage which a seaman undertakes
* may be considered as forming a distinct pe-
riod in the history of his life, and may prove so
eventful and important in its consequences, that
it ought not to be commenced without some se-
rious reflections. He who has been to sea before,
must have acquired some degree of experience,
and it will be his own fault if he does not profit
by it. An honest-hearted seaman will frankly
confess that “ he has left undone some things
which he ought to have done,” and also, that
« he has done some things which he ought not
to have done ;” and, if he be a prudent man, he
will wish and endeavour to do better in time to
come. To assist the mariner in so doing, is the
object of the present discourse; and for this pur-
pose, the word of God which was formerly ad..
dressed by the prophet Haggai to the Jews, is
now addressed to British seamen, and Oh! let it be
listened to as the word of God, and not the word
of man-". Thus saith the Lord” to you to every
one of you" Consider your ways."
14
SERMON II.
1. Now that you are about to quit your native
land, consider how you have spent your time
since you have been on shore. You finished your
last voyage in safety ;-did you repair to the house
of God the first opportunity, and return thanks
to your Almighty Preserver? Surely this was
your duty; and if you did it not, it was a sad
proof of thoughtlessness and ingratitude. The
brute beasts are sensible of the kindness of those
who feed them, “ The ox knoweth his owner,"
saith the scripture, " and the ass his master's
crib,” but, it is added, "My people doth not know,
Israel doth not consider.” (Isa. i. 3.) “ The
goodness of God leads to repentance;” that is
its proper tendency; and where it does not, it is
a lamentable proof of hardness of heart.
How have you spent your Sabbaths since your
last voyage? When you are at sea, you cannot
i go to a place of worship, and join the congrega-
tion in the delightful exercises of prayer and
praise, and in hearing the gospel of salvation ;
but when on shore, you may enjoy thật privilege
every Sunday, and at other times also. And is it
not a reasonable thing, for a creature to worship
his Creator, to acknowledge his goodness, to seek
his favour, and the pardon of sin, and grace to
lead a new life, according to his holy will and
commandments? I appeal to your conscience if
this be not perfectly reasonable ; and if you have
neglected these opportunities, I again appeal to
you whether it does not strike you as very im-
proper and blameable conduct?
When you are at sea, you know how to im-
prove all the changes of wind and tide to get
forward on the voyage. You well know that
“ winds and tides stay for no man." You there-
fore gladly catch' a fair breeze, and make the
SEASONABLB CONSIDERATIONS.
15
most of it; you watch every change of the wind,
and tack accordingly; and thus, by good ma-
nagement, and the blessing of God, you take the
ship over the ever-changing sea, and at length
reach the destined port. But if all the seamen
on board a vessel were ignorant, or idle, or
drunken, and neglected to take the advantage of
leading winds and favourable tides, the vessel
would never reach her port, and would most
probably be lost at sea.
And shall men be so wise for Time, and so
careless for Eternity, as many are who let Sab-
baths, and sermons, and friendly advice, all pass
by without improvement? O how much is it to be
regretted that such golden opportunities should
be lost! The Sabbaths which have been mispent
at public-houses, in drinking and carnal amuse-
ment, can never be recalled; but you must give
an account of them in the day of judgment.
How tenderly did our compassionate Saviour
lament the case of Jerusalem, when he wept
over it, and said, “O that thou hadst known, at
least in this thy day, the things which belong
.unto thy peace! but now they are hid from tbine
eyes.” So, those means of grace are gone by,
which might and ought to have been improved
for the good of your souls, and perhaps you may
never enjoy such any more.
How, and where, and with whom, you have
spent your time on shore, deserves your con-
sideration; and how you have spent your money
too, requires reflection. Remember, that " for
all these things God will bring you into judg-
ment.” May you receive pardoning mercy, and
renewing grace, before you are called to that
tribunal !
16
SERMON IT.
2. It may be useful to consider the advantages
and disadvantages of a sea-faring life, in order to
secure the former, and avoid the latter; and, in
the first place, to reflect on the advantages which
a seaman may, and will, if he be wise, obtain on
his voyage.
The seaman, when on board, is free from many
of those temptations which assail him on shore;
bad men, and worse women, often lie in wait to
seduce, deceive, and rob the thoughtless mariner
when in a sea-port town. There are wretches
always on the watch to take the advantage of a
thoughtless man, who, perhaps, by intoxication,
scarcely knows what he does; but when he leaves
the land he gets rid of these harpies and tempters,
and has time to reflect on his folly in having fal.
len into their snares.
The business of the ship, especially on her de-
parture, and on the coast, in dangerous circum-
stances, or in rough weather, is such as to
require the utmost activity of all the crew; but
when out at sea, with a leading wind and smooth
water, some of the crew will mostly have oppor-
tunities, both by night and day, for serious con-
sideration, especially in the night-watches. When
all is still and quiet, when the weather is fair and
the sky clear, the mariner who fears and loves
his God, feels himself surrounded by his wonder-
ful works, and called upon to adore him who
created the moon and the stars and the sea. This
is a fit season for self-examination ; for a review
of his past life; for the exercise of godly sorrow
for sins committed, and means of grace neglected;
the counsel of a pious mother or friend disre-
garded; this is a fit season for lifting up the heart
in a short prayer, like that of the Publican in
the gospel-“ God be merciful to me a sinner!”
SEASONABLB CONSIDERATIONS. 17
sses it may dayon
Such a petition sent up from the heart, and of-
fered in the name of Christ, shall not be rejected.
· The seaman may find time, if he will, to read
a little of the Bible almost every day, and if it
be but two or three verses in the morning, before
he enters upon business, it may serye for occa-
sional meditation through the day, and happily
preserve him from many a temptation. Longer
portions may be read at other times; and it will
be well to select a verse or two before he goes
con deck to keep the first or middle watch, which
may employ his thoughts in the hours of silence.
And if it be the happy lot of a pious seaman to
find some of his ship-mates of the same mind,
occasional conversation with them, and meetings
at proper times, (when the business of the ship
will allow) for prayer and singing the praise of
God, (if permitted, as it may be hoped, it will be,
by the captain or master of the vessel, if properly
and respectfully requested) will be found highly
advantageous, and render the voyage doubly
agreeable. And should this be allowed, let the
religious seaman take care that his “good be not
evil spoken of,” nor any occasion given to re-
proach him with want of care, or diligence, or
courage, or dutiful submission to the officers.
Sometimes a man will be reproached, nick-named,
and ill-treated, because he loves praying rather
than swearing, and sobriety rather than drunken
ness; but let him be patient, “not weary in well
doing,” and he will find at length that all will be
well, and the time will come, sooner or later,
when the most wicked and ungodly will wish to
be like him.
But it must be owned that as there are some
advantages which may be expected at sea, so
18
SERMON II.
there are disadvantages too, which must be care-
fully guarded against. One of these is, the ex-
treme wickedness of some men. Some are shock-
ingly addicted to Swearing ; this is so much thre
habit of some unhappy men, that they really know
not when they do swear. They can hardly speak
without the profane use of the name of God,
little considering what is said in the Third Com-
mandment, “ Thou shalt not take the name of
the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not
hold him guiltless who taketh his name in vain.”
Let swearers consider that. If the great God
will not reckon him guiltless (whatever men may
do) he will deem him guilty, and doom him to
everlasting punishment. It is in vain to pretend
excuses, or say I meant no harm. What! Is
there no harm in a man's calling on God to damn
his soul, or blast his eyes? A moment's thought
must convince any man that there is much harm
in such a practice. What if God should hear
the swearer's prayer, and take him at his word!
Some indeed have died with such oaths in their
mouths: and who can tell but God may suddenly
call him to judgment, who thus defies the Al-
mighty to his face. Now it is a miserable thing
to be shut up for months in the same vessel with
a horrid swearer.
Drunkenness is another sin too common among
seamen. There are men who will, if possible,
drink to excess whenever they can procure liquor,
and thus render themselves not only unfit for
business, but vile, filthy, mischieyous, and more
disgusting than any of the brutes. And yet these
poor unhappy creatures would fain excuse theme
selves and one another, and ask “ What harm is
there in it ” It is easy to answer that question.
Drunkenness degrades a man; deprives him
SEASONABLE CONSIDERATIONS. 19
of reason, and makes him like a beast. It ex-
poses him to great danger. Many a drunken
sailor has fallen from aloft, or from the gangways,
into the depth; and others have died in their
hammocks, never having recovered from a fit of
intoxication. Many by this horrible practice
have rendered themselves unfit for employment,
and have been reduced to beggary and rags.
But the evils produced by drunkenness in this
world, are nothing when compared with the
wages of it in the next. God's holy word, by
which all men will be tried in the day of judg-
ment, says “ Drunkards shall not inherit the
kingdom of heaven.” (1 Cor. vi. 10.) It is there-
fore a damning sin, and if not repented of, if not
forgiven, and if not forsaken, will sink the sinner
down into hell, where he will in vain request,
with Dives, a drop of water to cool his tongue.
Woe then to the Drunkards, who not only intox-
ioate themselves, but lead others into this sin;
who not only practise and excuse, but promote
and commend the practice in others.
The sin of Lewdness or uncleanness, is also too
common among seamen. Fornication, adultery,
and other abominations too shameful to be named,
are too frequently practised. Foolish and wicked
men may cry again-What harm is there in
these? yea, they may swagger and swear, and.
glory in shame; but this will not lessen the black-
ness of their abominable crimes. It is not what
wicked men may think or say of them, but what
a holy and just God thinks of them which must
guide our judgment; and what does He say in
his word ?-1 Cor. vi. 9. " Be not deceived
neither fornicators nor adulterers shall inherit
the kingdom of God :" and in another place (Gal.
v. 19.) “ Adultery, foruication, uncleanness, and
SERMON II.
lasciviousness" (which means lustful desires) are
reckoned among those “ works of the flesh,"
which shút men out of the kingdom of God, that
is, out of heaven. Let none then “ make a mock
at sin," or call those things trifles, which will be
followed with everlasting punishment.
These are some of the prevailing vices of sea-
men, and where they do prevail on board a ship,
they render a good man uncomfortable; for,
blessed be God, all seamen are not addicted to
these vices, and those who are not, must be
grieved when they behold any of their compa-
nions so besotted, so profane, or so unclean, for
they know that “ the end of these things is
death."
We need not dwell on other disadvantages.
The life of a seaman is often a life of hardships
and dangers. He is exposed to many trials and
privations which land-men know nothing of;
but as it is the calling into which the Providence
of God has led him, he has reason to hope for
the Divine guidance, protection, and support:
and the blessing of God who is every where pre-
sent, as well at sea as on shore, can render him
contented and cheerful and happy. :
3. And now, having considered, first, The
seaman's conduct when on shore, and secondly,
The advantages and disadvantages of a seafaring
life, let us proceed in the third and last place to
consider What is the way which the seaman
should take in time to come.
The propriety of consideration at the com-
mencement of a voyage is what none can dispute.
Indeed conscience, unless it be hardened by long
habits of sin, will generally suggest the need of
Reformation, and it is not uncommon for sailors
BBASONABLE CONSIDERATIONS.
21
to form resolutions to abstain from particular
sins for the whole time of their voyage. But,
alas ! sad experience has proved how ineffectual
such resolutions have been; and the transgres-
sor (to use a scriptural comparison, which is not
too disgusting, when the filthiness of sin is con:
sidered) has returned “like the dog to his own
vomit; and the sow that was washed, to her
wallowing in the mire.” (2 Pet. ii. 22.)
Let it be remembered then, that our nature is
so fallen, so corrupt, so entirely depraved, so
bent upon evil, so averse to God and goodness,
that no real alteration for the better can take
place, without his special grace, and the gift of
his Holy Spirit. “In my flesh”--that is in my
corrupt nature, said a holy apostle, “ there is no
good thing." " Whatsoever," said our Saviour
himself, « whatsoever is born of the flesh is
flesh;” nothing truly good can spring out of our
hearts, until they are renewed by Divine grace.
“ We must be born again.” So Christ solemnly
declared to a ruler of the Jews, who came to
him, secretly, for instruction—" Verily, verily, I
say unto thee, except a man be born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God," that is, he
must experience such an inward and entire
change, as may justly be compared to being born
a second time; but not as at first, “ born of
a woman,” but “ born from above," " born of
God," “ born of the Spirit.” This change, per-
haps, you have seen in some others; that which
they once loved has become the object of their
hatred, and that which they once hated (as reli-
gion for instance) that they now delight in. And
it may be, you have despised the change, and
have called such persons by a nick-name: but
take care what you are doing, and remem-
22
SERMON II.
1
ber what is said in Galatians iv. 29—" as then,
he that was born after the flesh persecuted
him that was born after the Spirit, even so it
is now."
Rather let every man pray with the royal pe-
nitent in the fifty-first Psalm, ver. 10 “ Create
in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right
spirit within me."
Would you consider your ways so as effectually
to reform them? let the word of God be your
guide. The question is asked, Psalm cxix. 9.
“Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way?”
Do you sincerely ask the same question? mark
then the Divine answer"By taking heed there-
tomaccording to thy word.” Observe! it must be
according to God's word. That word you have
in the Holy Scriptures. Read them then. Daily
read them; but read them with prayer, that the
Spirit of God may open the eyes of your under-
standing, and show you the wonderful and ex-
cellent things therein contained, and that so you
may become “ wise to salvation."
But if indeed you wish to lead a new life; you
must first be made a new creature in Christ
Jesus.” Do not suppose you must first reform
your life, and then afterwards believe in Christ,
and look to him for salvation. Your first busi-
ness in religion is cordially to receive the Divine
testimony of God in the Gospel concerning sal-
vation by Jesus Christ, and to come to him as a
sinner ready to perish, believing that he is both
able and willing to save the chief of sinners. The
grace of God in salvation is perfectly free, and all
its blessings are bestowed upon the unworthy,
“without money and without price.” (Isa. lv. l.)
Jesus Christ waits to be gracious. He is willing
. to receive the greatest sinners who come to
SEASONABLE CONSIDERATIONS, 23
him; and he will bestow pardon and grace upon
all who ask him. Come then to him without
delay, and he will give you his Holy Spirit; he
will implant in you a new and Divine principle
which shall be as “a well of water springing
up to eternal life.” (John iv. 14.)
It is thus alone your ways will be so " directed
that you may keep his statutes"-thus will you
go in the path of his commandments-thus will
you run, with cheerfulness and alacrity, in his
good and holy ways---you will be a companion
of them that fear God; you will escape the cor-
ruptions that are in the world through lust; thus
you will be useful in your place, contented in
your lot, and be prepared for whatever may be
the will of God in his providence.
The life of a seaman is always precarious. No
man knows what a day may bring forth; nor
can a seaman know what a voyage may produce.
But the man who has committed his soul to
Christ, and trusts in him for salvation, is pre-
pared for every event. If prosperity crown his
voyage, he will be thankful. If adversity be his
lot, he will be patient and resigned. “ If he
lives, he will live to the Lord; if he dies, he dies
to the Lord;" and verily " it shall be well with
the righteous," both in life and death.
You see then, my good friends, the usefulness
of consideration, and the propriety of beginning
a voyage with it. You see it is necessary to
consider your ways, that you may be penitent for
past sins and obtain pardon for them; and it is
equally necessary in order to your future amend-
ment: and you have been told that you must
first come to Christ, and believe on him for sal-
vation, that you may be a new creature ---
that old things may pass away, and all
SERMON II.
things become new.” If this advice be duly
regarded, there is reason to hope that the present
voyage will prove the happiest and best that you
ever undertook; and that it may be so, God, of
his infinite mercy grant, for the sake of Jesus
Christ. Amen.
GRATITUDE FOR MERCIES,
God of my life, whose gracious power
Thro' varied deaths my soul hath led,
Oft turn'd aside the fatal hour,
Or lifted up my sinking head.
In all my ways thy hand I own,
Thy ruling Providence I see
Assist me still my course to run,
And still direct my paths to thee.
Oft hath the sea confess'd thy power,
And given me back at thy command :
It could not, Lord, my life devour,
Safe in the hollow of thine hand.
Oft from the margin of the grave,
Thou, Lord, hast lifted up my head;
Sudden I found thee near to save :
The fever own'd thy touch and fled.
Whither, whither, should I fly
But to my loving Saviour's breast;
Secure within thine arms to lie,
And safe beneath thy wings to rest.
I have no skill the snare to shun,
But thou, O Christ, my wisdom art;
I ever into ruin run;
But thou art greater than my heart.
Foolish, and impotent, and blind,
Lead me a way I have not known:
Bring me where I my heaven may find,
The heaven of loving thee alone.
Repentance and Conversion..
SERMON III.
ACTS II. 19.
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your
sins may be blotted out.
TRUE Religion is the same in all ages and in all
countries. The necessity of Repentance and
Conversion is the same now that it was eighteen
hundred years ago, and may as properly be en-
forced on the present company, as it was upon
the Jews by the apostle Peter, whose words have
been read for our text.
The apostles Peter and John had performed a
great miracle. In the name, and by the power of
Jesus Christ, they cured a poor man who had been
lame from his birth. This miracle excited much
notice, and directed the attention of the astonished
people to the apostles, who seized the opportu-
nity of preaching to them that Jesus by whose
power the lame man had been healed; and they
here exhort the Jews to repent and turn to God.
And is not the same exhortation necessary
here? Is there not sufficient occasion to exhort
seamen to repentance? This perhaps will not
be denied; for seamen, with all their faults, are
generally frank and honest, and it may be hoped
will not attempt to “ dissemble nor cloke their
sins before the face of Almighty God," but be
disposed, according to the words in the Liturgy,
to confess them with an humble, lowly, peni,
tent, and obedient heart, to the end that they
may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infi-
nite goodness and mercy.”
26
SERMON III.
Let us now proceed to consider the three fol-
lowing things :-
1. The Nature of Repentance;
II. The Need of Repentance; and
II. The Fruits of Repentance,
The Nature, the true Nature of Repentance,
must be first considered. The word Repentance
signifies a change of mind an alteration in the
judgment and in the inclination, especially with
regard to sin. It is the unhappiness of many
persons that they entertain very light and mis
taken thoughts of sin. They do not see the real
evil, the abominable nature of it, Although it is
the cause of all the miseries in the world of all
the evils that we see, or feel or fear; although it
be the sole cause of death-that most terrible of
all evils in this world, and of the second death,
or eternal torments in the world to come, yet,
poor mistaken, deluded men, see little harm in
it; and some go so far as to “ make a mock
at it;” it is the subject of humour and merri-
ment; yea they can even “ glory in their shame,"
and boast of their rebellion against God. But
this shocking mistake will not at all alter the
case, or render sin less destructive to the souls of
men. A set of felons in a jail might make them-
selves merry in talking of their robberies and
murders, and might turn them into songs for their
amusement; but when the time of the assizes
arrives, when the Judge is seated on the bench,
the prisoners are called to the bar, their crimes
are laid to their charge, and if found guilty, they
are sentenced to a shameful death. Just so, un-
happy mortals, who have been accustomed to
laugh at sin, must hereafter appear before the
judgment seat of Christ, and if impenitent and
REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION.
27
pnconverted, must remain unpardoned, and be
sentenced to everlasting punishment.
· The first thing necessary to Repentance is a
Conviction of sin ; a clear, füll, abiding conviction
on the mind of a sinner that he is verily guilty in
the sight of God. And as “ sin is a transgression
of the law,” it is necessary that the sinner should
know that law, for, as the Scripture speaks
“ By the law is the knowledge of sin.” Now
the law of God is contained in the ten com-
mandments; the sum and substance of which is,
that we should « love God with all our hearts,
and our neighbour as ourselves.” This law there-
fore requires us to worship him and him alone,
and that, only in the way he has appointed; it
forbids all cursing and swearing; it requires us
to keep holy the Sabbath day; it requires us to
honour our parents and all our superiors; to ab-
stain from all murder and cruelty; from all for-
nication and adultery; from theft, and false
swearing, and covetousness; and this last com-
mandment deserves particular notice, for St. Paul,
speaking of his own repentance and conversion,
says--Rom. vii. 7.-"I had not known sin, but
by the law; for I had not known lust, except the
law had said Thou shalt not covet." St. Paul,
before his conversion had been a moral and reli:
gious man, in his way, and thought highly, as
the Pharisees did, of his own righteousness; but
“ when the commandment came,” when it was
brought home to his conscience by the Holy
Spirit, then he perceived that a covetous thought,
any irregular thought, or desire to sin, was a
sin in the sight of God, and made him a breaker
of the law. Then says he, “ I died”-that is,
he felt he was a condemned sinner, liable to eter-
nal death, as every transgressor is, even for a
28
SERMON III.
single offence, were he guilty of no other, and
that only in desire; for thus saith the word of
God, “ Cursed is every one that continueth not
in all things written in the book of the law to do
them.” Gal. iii. 10. Now if this be the true state
of the case, surely every man in the world is
called to repentance; and if one sin would ex-
pose the transgressor to the curse, what punish-
ment is due to the man who has been sinning
every day and every hour for many years; who
has uttered curses without number; who has
insulted and defied his Maker with innumerable
oaths; who has been guilty of filthy lewdness,
and delighted in obscene conversation and songs;
who has associated with wanton, wicked harlots
who made a trade of iniquity; who has been
guilty of beastly and abominable drunkenness;
who has disregarded the holy Sabbath, and neg-
lected the worship of God when on shore; and
who has perhaps added to all these crimes a con-
tempt of Religion, turning every thing sacred
into a jest, and despising and ill-treating those
who feared God, and would not join him in his
wickedness.
Surely every man who duly considers these
things, will find cause to imitate the humble pe-
nitent in the gospel-to smite his breast, as the
seat and source of his iniquity, and to cry with
his whole heart-" God be merciful to me a
sinner!”
If it please God to give you “repentance unto
life,” this conviction of sin will be fixed in your
minds; it will not be a transient pang and soon
forgotten, so as to let you “ return again to
folly;" but it will remain and abide; it will be
uppermost in your minds, and follow you to your
bed, and table, and labour; nor will it be in the
REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION.
power of your vain and wicked companions to
laugh you out of it; you will be so deeply per-
suaded of the danger you are in, that you will
determine, at all events, and whatever it may cost
you, to “ flee from the wrath to come.”
This conviction of sin, if true and genuine, will
be accompanied with Sorrow for sin. The heart
that was before as hard as a stone will be softened
by the grace of God, according to his gracious
promise, in Ezek. xi. 19. to take away the heart
of stone, and give an heart of flesh. And the
true penitent will not only be sorry that by sin
he has brought himself into danger; but he will
be sorry that he has offended God--a good God
a God who has preserved him all his days
preserved him, it may be, in great storms and
dangers, when there was but a step between him
and death. “The goodness of God leads to repen-
tance." Think then of his goodness to you all
your lives long, and that he has spared you to
this day, when many of your companions have
been cut off, and some, it may be feared, “in their
sins:" but now, the blessed God calls you to re-
pent and be converted, “ that your sins may be
blotted out.” If he were not willing to pardon
and save you, he would not call you to repen-
tance; but now he says, “Let the wicked for-
sake his way, and the unrighteous man his
thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord,
and he will have mercy upon him, and to our
God, for he will abundantly pardon." Isa. lv. 7.
Oh! how sweetly encouraging, how powerfully
attractive, are these gracious words! God grant
that they may effectually and immediately lead
you to repentance! Then will you heartily adopt
the language of the distressed and humbled Pro-
the soudness do to repen
30
SERMON III.
digal -" I will arise and go to my father, and
will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against
heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy
to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired
servants.” Luke xv. 18. And if such be your
language and your conduct, depend upon it, your
heavenly Father will notice your return, will
have compassion on you, and gladly receive you
as a dear child.
I scarcely need add, that true Repentance in-
cludes the Confession of sin. To hide, or deny, or
pretend to excuse our sins, is to dishonour God,
as if he who sees all things could be deceived ;.
but we glorify God when we make a humble con-
fession of our sins; we glorify his omniscience,
for he sees and knows all that we do, yea all that
we think; we glorify his justice, for we own that
he might most justly punish us; and we glorify
his mercy, when we acknowledge that we have
nothing else to ground our hopes upon. And we
are greatly encouraged to make this frank con-
fession, for God has declared that “ if we confess
our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
1 John i.9.
II. We proposed, in the second place, to point
out the Need of Repentance.
It is necessary because God has commanded it.
St. Paul says, Acts xvii. 30. 6 God now com-
mandeth all men every where to repent”-all
men-Seamen then as well as other men; every
where, on board a ship, therefore, as well as on
shore. And do not seamen need repentance: It
is not pretended that they need it more than other
men; but it may and must be said to them, as
REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION. 31
well as to others, as our Saviour said to the Jews,
Luke xiii. 3. “ Except ye repent, ye shall all
likewise perish.”
Repentance is necessary to salvation, for this
plain reason--none but the penitent feel their
need of a Saviour. “ The whole,” said the Sa-
viour himself, “ need not the physician, but they
that are sick.” A healthy man does not wish for
medicine; no, he dislikes it exceedingly; so a
man not convinced of the evil of his sin, not
alarmed by the danger he is exposed to by it, will
never look to Jesus, and seek salvation through
faith in his blood. No; all who think well of
their own state, who plead they are as good as,
or not worse than, others; who, like the Phari-
sees, “ trust in themselves that they are righte.
ous”-all such inust be numbered among the
impenitent and unbelievers, and remaining in
that state, cannot be saved, but must perish in
their sins. They neglect the only remedy, for
they feel no need of it; and having no interest in
Christ, “ the wrath of God abideth upon them."
And O how dreadful a state is this ! for who can
endure that wrath? who can dwell with ever-
lasting burnings? Repent therefore or perish..
III. We proceed, in the third place, to shew
you what are the blessed fruits or effects of Re-
pentance.
And the first we shall mention is Conversion,
or turning from sin unto God. You see how they
are joined together in the text-Repent-and-
be Converted. If Repentance be a change of mind,
Conversion is a change of conduct. Turning to
God is the proper effect of that conviction of sin,
and that sorrow for sin, which we have spoken
of. When multitudes of persons were convinced
las baten yapthe
SERMON 111.
of sin by the preaching of John the Baptist, he
said to them, “ Bring forth fruits therefore meet
for repentance," as if he had said, Prove the sin-
cerity of your sorrow for sin, by forsaking it, and
turning to God. In like manner Solomon puts
these together in Proverbs xxviii. 13. “He that
covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso
confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy.”
- A remarkable instance of this is given to us in
the gospel of St. Luke, xix. 8. Zaccheus, a rich
publican, (that is a collector of the Roman taxes
among the Jews) received Jesus Christ into his
house, near Jericho; and being convinced of his
former sins by the grace of Christ, he immediately
brought forth fruits meet for repentance. « Be-
hold," said he to the Lord, “ the half of my goods
I give to the poor; and if I have taken any
thing from any man by false accusation, I restore
him four-fold.” Here you see was both Confession
and Conversion. He is willing to make restitu-
tion-ample restitution--four times as much as
he had wronged any man of. And, depend upon
it, a true penitent will endeavour to undo, as
much as possible, the evil he has done. Many
men by their sins injure others, and lead them
into sins, perhaps into ruin. There are perhaps
some unhappy sinners now suffering in another
world for the sins you led them into when in this
world. Alas! alas! they are now beyond your
réach; you can do them no good now; you can-
not undo the evil that you formerly did them. But
this reflection should occasion nuch pain and
grief; and you should be very earnest in seeking
mercy to pardon sins so great. But perhaps
there are some yet alive whom you have injured
by your sinful words or deeds, and you should
make all the amends you can, without delay. .
REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION. 33
There is another, and a very great and blessed
fruit and effect of repentance, mentioned by St.
Peterin the text. “Repent,” said he, “and be con-
verted, that your sins may be blotted out.” O what
a great blessing is that-to have our sins blotted
out! that is, struck out from God's book, where
all the sins of men are recorded. For, speaking
after the manner of men, and in allusion to their
practice, God is represented as keeping an ac-
count of the sins of men, in the book of his
remembrance; not that He needs such a method;
for his understanding is infinite ; and all things,
past, present and to come, are always present to
him: but condescending to our capacities, he
thus speaks. Accordingly in the book of Reve-
lation, xx. 11. &c. where the judgment of the
last great day is mentioned, “ when the sea shall
give up the dead which were in it, when small
and great shall stand before God,” it is said
« and the books were opened, and the dead were
judged out of those things which were written in
the books, according to their works.”
How awful will it be for sinners then to hear
their deeds of evil, their oaths and curses, their
drunkenness, their lewdness, and all their abo-
minable vices, called over, and proclaimed before
the bar of God, and before an assembled world!
Then the boldest sinner will tremble, and wish if
possible to hide his guilty head. But how inex-
pressibly happy will that man be, who, having by
the grace of God repented of his sins and been
converted to him; shall receive a free pardon
and full justification, it appearing that all his sins
had been blotted out, when he was enabled to
believe in Jesus. God will remember them no
more; or, to use another similitude, very suita-
ble to seamen " Thou hast cast all their iniquia
34
SERMON III.
ties into the depths of the sea.” Micah. vii. 19.
Fine expression! glorious privilege! thus to be
completely and for ever freed from the guilt of
sin; and well might the holy apostle Paul say,
(as David before him did) -" Blessed are they
whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are
covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord
will not impute sin”-or, as he expresses it in
another verse--" to whom God imputeth righte-
ousness; without works.” Rom. iv. 6-8.
CONCLUSION,
Having now shewn, from Scripture, the true
nature of Repentance, and also the blessed effects
of it, in Conversion to God and the pardon of
sin, it is very proper and necessary for every man
here present to take himself to account, and ask
his conscience the important question-Have I
repented of my sins ? God says I must repent or
perish. Do I believe what he says? Am I really
convinced of the evil of my ways? Do I see that
I have broken God's holy law, and am thereby
liable to the curse? Have I considered what a
fearful thing it is to fall into the hands of the
living God? If I have been thus convinced,
has the conviction worn off, or has it continued ?
And has it been accompanied by real sorrow, and
grief, and shame? Has it led me to prayer for
mercy? If not if I have not known nor felt
these things, then surely I have a heart despe-
rately hard, and much I need the grace of God
to soften it.
Remember, that Repentance is “ the gift of
God.” If God were to leave any man to himself,
his heart would grow harder and harder, and he
would never turn to God. But “ Jesus Christ is
exalted to give Repentance to Israel and Remis-
REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION. 35
sion of sins.". Observe, they go together-Re-
pentance and Remission of sins; without Repent-
ance there can be no Remission of sins; but God
is the giver of both. O then, seek the Lord by
earnest prayer, that he would give you his Holy
Spirit, to convince and convert you, that so your
sins may be blotted out!
But beware of a mistake which too many per-
sons make. They are apt to trust in their Re-
pentance, and make a Saviour of it. They think
that by repenting they have made their peace
with God, merited his favour, and made them-
selves worthy of his mercy. But be not so dan:
gerously deceived. Repentance is only to bring
you to Christ as a Saviour, and not to take his
office. He died, “ the just for the unjust, ta
bring us to God," and only by believing in him
can we obtain mercy,
Seamen are exposed to many and great dan-
gers; they should always be prepared to die,
Death may come in an unexpected hour, and in
a way never thought of. Who, in his senses,
would venture to defer repentance and conver-
sion to the bustle and confusion of a storm, to
the heat of an action, or even to confinement in
a sick hammock! There can be no time better.
than the present; there may be no other time.
“ Seek then the Lord, while he may be found,
and call upon him while he is near,” Jesus
Christ, who “ came to seek and to save that
which was lost," and " to call, not the righteous,
but sinners to repentance,” will not reject you,
whatever you may have been, or done, even if
you are “ the chief of sinners;” and to penitent
siuners, he holds out the sweetest encouragement.
Hear what he says, Matthew xi. 28. “ Come unto
me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and
36
SERMON III.
I will give you rest: ” yea, for your further en-
couragement, he says, John vi. 37. “ All that the
Father giveth me shall come to me; and him
that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out."
Come then to him, now; this moment; without
further delay. Are you ignorant ? he will teach
you. Have you a hard heart? he will soften it.
Have you a corrupt heart? he will sanctify it.
Have you a heart full of guilt? his blood cleanseth
from all sin. In short, he is a gracious and all-
sufficient Saviour; come to him, and you shall
have pardon, peace, holiness, happiness, and
everlasting life,
HYMN.
And are we wretches yet alive?
And do we yet rebel ?
'Tis boundless, 'tis amazing love
That bears us up from hell!
The burden of our weighty guilt
Would sink us down to flames !
And threatening vengeance rolls abore
To crush our feeble frames.
Almighty goodness cries, Forbear!
And straight the thunder stays ;
And dare we now provoke his wrath,
And weary out his grace?
Lord, we have long abus'd thy love,
Too long indulg'd our sin;
Our aching hearts e'en bleed to see
What rebels we have been.
No more, ye lusts, shall ye command,
No more will we obey;
Stretch out, O God, thy conquering hand,
And drive thy foes away.
WATTS.
The Way of Salvation.
SERMON IV.
ACTS XVI. 17.
These men are the servants of the most high God,
which shew unto us THE WAY OF SALVATION.
TF any man has a great object in view, he always
considers in what way he may attain it. If a
man has occasion to go by land to a distant town,
he will inquire which is the road to it; and if
persons tell him of several different ways, and
some of them are directly contrary to each other,
'he will be anxious to avoid the wrong ways, and
choose the right. If a man have occasion to go
by sea to a foreign country, he will take care to
ship himself on board a vessel, the master and
officers of which know the way. No man in his
senses would sail for the East or West Indies, for
Africa or the Baltic, without a quadrant, a chart
and a compass; for unless there were these in-
struments on board, and officers who understood
how to use them in the navigation and pilotage
of the ship, he would certainly be lost, and never
reach the desired port.
Now, brethren, we are all on our voyage to
Eternity. We all profess to believe that there is an
hereafter a future state of endless bliss or eter-
nal woe; and self-love naturally inclines us to
hope for heaven when we die. But do we know
the way to heaven? Do we not need a guide ?
Will no man go a journey by land, nor take a
voyage by sea, unless he can obtain the assistance
of those who know the road which ought to be
taken, or the course that must be steered ? And
38
SERMON IV.
shall men be less careful of their immortal souls,
and of their eternal safety and happiness, than
they are of their dying bodies and their worldly
interest ? Every man's conscience will give the
answer.
Now, it is our infinite mercy that the great and
good God has been graciously pleased to send his
servants, to shew unto us the way of salvation.”
The 6 servants of the most high God," referred
to in our text, were the Apostle Paul, and his
companion Silas. They had been to various
places to preach the gospel to the heathen; and
they were directed by a special order from above
to go into Greece for this purpose. Accordingly
they crossed over to the gulf of Smyrna, then
called the Egean Sea, and proceeded from Troas
to Samothracia, thence to Neapolis, and from
thence to Philippi.Observe, this was the first
voyage we read of, taken for the purpose of
bringing the gospel to Europe; for from Asia the
Apostles proceeded to Greece, and coasting along
the north side of the Mediterranean westward,
they came to Rome, and from thence to Spain
and to England itself. Blessed be God, who thus
sent it to our dear, native Country! :
Paul and Silas having arrived at the city, met
with some pious women, who were Jeweses, who
assembled together to pray to God, whom they
instructed in the knowledge of the gospel, and
Lydia with others were converted. Great atten-
tion was paid to the doctrine ; but Satan, the
enemy of all righteousness, endeavoured to bring
it into disgrace; for there was a girl who pre-
tended to supernatural knowledge, and who was
looked upon as inspired by Apollo, one of the
heathen deities. She followed Paul and Silas
along the streets, crying, “ These men are the
THE WAY OF SALVATION.
39
servants of the most high God, who shew unto
us the way of Salvation.” Paul, who knew that
this was a device of the father of lies, to make
the people think that the Apostle was in league
with the idol, silenced the woman, and put an
end to her influence as a soothsayer. This, how-
ever, drew upon them the resentment of her em-
ployers, and issued in their expulsion from the
city; but not before they had indeed proved, that
they were the servants of Christ, many having
been converted to him by their ministry.
Now, though these words were originally ut-
tered with a bad design, yet we may very pro-
perly employ them for a good one, and we may
learn, even from an enemy, this truth-that
It is the principal business of the ministers of
the Gospel, to make known to sinners the way
of salvation through Jesus Christ.
There is then a way of Salvation! Hear it,
with joy and thankfulness-there is a way of sale
yation--Salvation is possible-salvation is attain-
able. This is indeed Good news--glad tidings of
great joy. O, what gladness would it spread
through the dismal regions of darkness and de-
spair in hell, could it be there proclaimed by
Divine authority--there is a way of salvation for
the miserable inhabitants of this prison. But God
never yet sent, nor will he ever send his servants
to that place with such a message. But to you,
who are here present, is the word of this salvation
sent; O that you may hear and receive it with
penitent and believing hearts!.
It never was said to fallen angels, there is a
way of salvation for you. No. They are left to
endure the just punislıment of their rebellion;
E 2
40 ?
SERMON IV.,
and why is not man left in the same manner?
We know no reason, but that the most high
God displays his awful justice in the one case,
and his glorious grace in the other ; but how
justly will impenitent and unbelieving sinners
have their portion with the Devil and his angels,
if they refuse to hear him that speaketh from
heaven, and by his servants shews to sinful men,
the way of salvation.
Salvation signifies Deliverance from danger.
The word implies it; nor can we understand,
in the least degree, what this salvation means,
unless we duly consider the sinful and miser-
able state of fallen men. Be it remembered,
therefore, that man is a fallen, sinful, guilty, and
helpless, creature; exposed to the just anger of a
holy God; for « his wrath is revealed from
heaven, against all ungodliness and unrighteous-
ness of men,” Rom. i. 18; he will render “indig-
nation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon
every soul of man that doeth evil.” Rom. ii. 8, 9.
And this is the state of every man in the world,
till he is pardoned; for “ whatsoever the law
saith, it saith to them who are under the law :. that
(0, observe it) that every mouth may be stopped (ob-
serve it, every mouth-every one of your's conse-
quently) every mouth may be stopped,” no more
excuses-no, not a word; but that “all the world
may become guilty before God” (Rom. iii. 19.)
and if all the world, every one here present, as if
mentioned by bis name-guilty! guilty! guilty!
But, glory be to God, there is salvation for
guilty man. " There is forgiveness with God”
with the Lord there is mercy”-yea, “ with
him is plenteous redemption." Psalm cxxx. 4.7.
To the penitent believer he says “ though your
sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow;
THE WAY OF SALVATION.
41
though they be red like crimson, they shall be as
wool.” To them who are in Christ, « there is
no condemnation :" they are justified, or declared
and pronounced righteous; they have “ passed
from death unto life,” and “ God will remember
their sins no more.” This is a glorious branch
of God's great salvation. Do you not desire it?
Salvation includes also a change of heart
a new nature-a deliverance from the dominion
of sin, from the slavery of Satan, and from the
prevailing love of the world. God gives his Holy
Spirit to the heirs of salvation; he enlightens
them, he purifies them, he comforts them, and
makes them meet for the full salvation reserved
for them in glory.
For this salvation includes Eternal life. It
is not merely a deliverance from evil, but an ex-
altation to the highest dignities and honours of
the heavenly world, to an eternity of perfect pu-
rity and glorious happiness in the presence of
Christ, and angels and saints-but it doth not yet
appear what we shall be, it is enough to know
that “ we shall be like Him, for we shall see
him as he is.”
Now, my friends, if you are at all impressed
with the greatness of this Salvation, and if you
are at all desirous of obtaining it for yourselves,
will you not be anxious to know the way of salva-
tion? Surely you will; and this is what we are
next to consider. Paul and Silas shewed to the
people of Philippi the way of salvation, and we
have that same way clearly laid down in the gospel,
which is the true chart by which we may confi-
dently shape our course to the port of heaven.
And here let it be observed, that without di-
vine instruction we could never have discovered
the way. Man, by nature, is totally ignorant of
SERMON IV.
God, and he could never have found the way,
The observation of God's works, the sun and moon
and stars, might have convinced us that there is a
Creator, but they could not have discovered to uis
a Saviour. Conscience, and the observation of
men's vices, might have convinced us of sin; but
without the Bible we could never have known
that sin could be forgiven, nor could we ever
have been certain of a future state. How then
should we prize our Bibles, and employ them as
the mariner does his Chart and his Compass to
direct us in the right way!
Do you inquire then, What is the way? We
answer in one word-CHRIST-Christ is the
way. Will you take his word ? Hear then what
he says, John xiv. 6. “I AM THE WAY."
When he told his disciples that he was going to
heaven, to prepare a place for them, and that he
would come again, and take them with him; he
added, “Whither I go ye know, and the way ye
know;" and they ought to have known both;
but the apostle Thomas, being rather of a doubt-
ful mind, replied, “ Lord, we know not whither
thou goest; and how can we know the way?"
Jesus then kindly answered, “I am the way, the
truth, and the life--no man cometh unto the Father,
but by me.” He is the way to God to the Father,
To understand this, remember that when
man was created, he was a holy and a happy be-
ing: He knew God, he loved God, he had com-
munion with God as his friend and Father. But
soon he sinned, and hid himself from God; he
was afraid of God, and shunned him. And this
is the state of all his posterity. We are born
strangers to God, and is enemies to him in our
mind by wicked works.” “The carnal mind (that
is, the mind of every man before conversion) is
THE WAY OF SALVATION.
48
enmity against God.” Shocking to think of!
Enmity against God? Is it possible? Enmity
against such a good Being, against our Maker,
and Preserver and Benefactor? Is it possible ?
Alas! the wicked works of men too plainly prove
this. Whence else those oaths and curses that
pollute the air and insult the Majesty of heaven?
Whence that dislike of prayer, and of the Bible,
and of all godliness? Whence that love and prac-
tice of lewdness, and filthy songs and conversa-
tion? Whence that disgraceful drunkenness,
which degrades a man below a beast? Ah!
conscience must submit, and allow the sad truth,
that " the carnal mind is enmity against God.”
Thus sinful man is far from God, and so he
wishes to remain, for the language of his prac-
tice, if not of his lips, is—" Depart from me, for I
desire not the knowledge of thy ways.”-His neg-
lect of the Sabbath, and aversion to religion, fully
prove this. And in this sad and dangerous state
man lives and dies, unless the special grace of
God prevent it. For the sinner, left to himself,
neither desires to return to God, nor does he in-
quire in what way he may return.
Put God, in his infinite goodness out of pure
grace, unasked, undesired, has provided a way
in which the sinner may return; and he has been
pleased to publish it, and sends his ministers, his
servants, to shew to men that way.
But how is Christ the Way? He is the way,
by becoming the Mediator between God and
man; by bringing about a reconciliation between
them; and this he did by becoming ipan, and in
his human nature offering himself up as a sacri-
fice, to satisfy Divine Justice ; for it was necessary
that, in the salvation of a sinner, the Justice as
well as the Mercy of God should be glorified ;
44
SERMON IV.
and in this way God appears to “ be just while
he justifies the ungodly." Justice is glorified by
the voluntary and meritorious sufferings and
death of Jesus Christ, while Mercy is exalted in
providing and accepting a sacrifice and satisfac-
tion. Thus the gracious Redeemer died, “ the
just for the unjust, to bring us to God," and was
“ made a sin-offering for us, that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him ;' and
thus, when St. Paul speaks of Christ as “the new
and living way," he observes that this way was
“ consecrated for us, through the vail--that is,
his flesh.” Heb. x. 20.
Further to recommend to us this blessed way
to God and heaven, let us contemplate what sort
of a way it is
It is called, Heb. x. 20-" A new and living
way.” It was called new, when the New Testa-
ment was written, because Jesus had then been
newly slain, and because this way had been newly
revealed ; it was new in comparison of the Old-
Testament-sacrifices, which consisted of Lambs
and other animals : our Lord therefore, when he
instituted the sacrament of the supper, said,
“ This is my blood of the New Testament, which
is shed for the remission of sins."
It is also called a Living Way, for though it
was procured by the death of Christ, yet, he
“ who was dead is alive again, and liveth for
evermore;” “he ever lives to make intercession
for us," and “because he lives, all those who
believe in him shall live also.” Yes, “ he that
liveth, and believeth in him, shall never die."
This way to God and heaven is a plain way;
it is not difficult to find; it is intended for plain
people. It is not necessary to be a scholar in
order to be a Christian ; but the simple and
THE WAY OF SALVATION.
45
sincere inquirer who prays to God to teach him
by his Spirit, shall find and keep this way; and
therefore the scripture says, “ The way-faring
men, though fools, shall not err therein." It is
true that there are some difficulties in religion,
and learned men may differ about some high
things; but all that is necessary to salvation is very
plain. What is plainer than one person's paying a
debt for another, or one person's bearing a punish-
ment for another and this is the chief thing in the
gospel Christ “ bearing our sins in his own
body on the tree;" and,“ Christ hath once
suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he
might bring us unto God.” 1 Pet. iii. 18.
Observe further, that this way is a free way it
is “ the King's highway”-free for all, high and
low, rich and poor. There are no bars or gates
in it; salvation is “ without money, and without
price.” It is “ consecrated”-that is, appointed,
dedicated by authority, and made a free, public
way, for the use of all who desire to travel in it.
Come and welcome to Jesus Christ.
It is also a pleasant way. The scripture truly
says that “ the ways of wisdom are pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.” Satan entices men
to walk in the ways of sin, because there are
pleasures in them; and he hinders them from
walking in the ways of religion, by pretending
that they are rough and painful. But whom
shall we believe; the God of truth, or the father
of lies ? Besides, ask those who have tried both
ways; ask your shipmates, or others, who are
now converted from the error of their ways, and
they will tell you that “ the way of transgressors
is hard;" that there is no real solid pleasure in
vicious courses ; disease, and poverty and disgrace
are the frequent effects of sin in the present world;
46
SERMON IV.
besides the certain and everlasting ruin which is
" the wages of sin :" but they will one and all
assure you that there is more pleasure and satis-
faction in the service of God, in prayer, and
praise, in reading and hearing his word; in
peace of conscience, in the sense of pardoning
love, and in the lively hope of eternal happiness,
than in all the wild, foolish, mad and wicked
pursuits of men in their unconverted state.
Once more, it is a safe and sure waymit cer-
tainly leads to God and glory. You may enter
upon it without fear. “ He is faithful who hath
promised : he cannot deny himself.” God has
given his word for it, that " whosoever believeth
in Jesus shall not perish, but have everlasting
life.” The way therefore is as safe and secure
for every spiritual traveller, as the promise and
oath of the God of truth can make it. No fatal
danger can befal the believer, but he that really
enters on this path, “ shall hold on his way;
grow stronger and stronger;" and at last “receive
the end of his faith--the salvation of his soul.”
Lastly observe that it is the only way. There
are many ways to hell; there is but one to
heaven. It is a dangerous mistake, into which
many have, fallen, who think and say that any
way will do, if a man is but sincere. Beware of
this error. Jesus Christ is the only way to God
and heaven. Hear what the bold apostles said
before the Jewish council. “This is the stone
which was set at nought of you builders, which is
become the head of the corner. Neither is there
salvation in any other : for there is none other
name under heaven given among men, whereby
we must be saved.” Acts iv. 11, 12. It is foolish
therefore to think or say that one religion is as
good as another. Christ is the way, and there
THE WAY OF SALVATION.
47
is no other; and he who will judge us all at the
last day has said " He that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not
shall be damned.” Mark xvi. 16.
CONCLUSION.
This then is THE WAY—the way which God
himself now sets before you. Attend to it. “It
is not a vain thing, it is for your life.” This is
the way which God has prepared and provided.
This is the way which he has commanded his
ministers to publish. “ These men,” says our
text, “ are the servants of the most high God,
which shew unto us the way of salvation." Let
ministers then be treated as the servants of the
most high God; their office entitles them to
respect; and if seamen pay respect, as it is their
duty to do, to his Majesty's officers in any de-
partment, or to the masters of ships, surely they
will also pay a becoming regard to those whose
business it is to shew unto men the way of sal-
vation.
Having now shewn you this way, and pointed
out the various excellencies of it, give me leave
to ask, or rather request that every man would
ask himself this question-Am I walking in it ?
Am I sensible that, as a sinner, I am far from
God; and remaining far from God, that I must
eternally perish ? Am I desirous of returning to
him with sorrow and shame for my sins? Do I
now see that Christ is the true and only way to
the Father and do I, in heart, sincerely come
to God by him, entreating mercy and grace.
for his sake? If so, you are a happy man;
and I congratulate you upon it. Give God
the glory, and go on your way rejoicing ; for
“ now, being made free from sin, and become a
48
SERMON IV.
servant to God, you have your fruit unto holiness,
and the end everlasting life; for the wages of sin
is death ; but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom. vi. 22, 23.
But before we close, it is necessary, though
painful, to make this observation, that, -as there
is a way to heaven, there is a way to hell also.
Christ, as we have proved, is the way to heaven,
and sin is as certainly the way to hell. Jesus Christ
himself calls sin“ the Broad road," and says “there
are many that walk therein." Let every man
then honestly consider his present path; consider
it closely, seriously, faithfully, for Solomon
says the way of the wicked seduceth them”
a man may be dangerously deceived. You know
the danger of mistaking your course at sea, and
you wisely take a great deal of care to prevent it,
for you dread the consequence. Be as wise for
your souls as for your bodies, as prudent for
eternity as for time. And depend upon it,
Sin indulged and Christ slighted will ruin
you for ever. Pray to God then, in the
words which he has taught you (Psalm cxxxix.
23, 24.) “ Search me, O God, and know my
heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see
if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me
in the way everlasting.”-Amen.
This is the way I long have sought,
And mourn'd because I found it not;
My grief and burden long has been,
Because I could not cease from sin.
Lo! glad I come, and thou, blest Lamb,
Shalt take me to thee, as I am;
Nothing but sin I theé can give,
Nothing but love shall I receive.
Then will I tell to sinners 'round,
What a dear Saviour I have found;
I'll point to thy redeeming blood,
And say-Behold the way to God!
Noah's Ark.
SERMON V.
HEBREWS XI. 7.
By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not
seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to
the saving of his house; by the which he con-
demned the world, and became heir of the righte-
OUSNESS which is by faith.
K BY one man sin entered into the world,” and
- never left it since: “ By one man's disobe-
dience, many were made sinners,” and, in about
fifteen hundred years after the creation, the world
was become so wicked, that he determined to de-
stroy it. The scripture says, Gen. vi.5. “God saw
that the wickedness of man was great in the
earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts
of his heart was only evil continually." God,
who is infinitely holy, was thereby so much dis-
pleased that, speaking after the manner of men,
it is added It repented the Lord that he had
made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his
heart,” (verse 6.) Perhaps there are no words
in the Bible which express more strongly " the
exceeding sinfulness of sin," or shew how much
it is hated and resented by our Maker; and yet.
sad it is to think that there are “ fools who make
a mock at sin," and can dare to laugh at that
evil, which
"Brought death into the world and all our woe."
50
SERMON V.
The patience of God has its bounds. There
are extremes of sin, in individuals and nations,
which God will not endure. There is such a
thing as “ filling up the measure of iniquity;"
after which, the wrath of heaven comes down to
the uttermost, and without remedy. So it was
with the Jews, when they had crucified Christ,
rejected his salvation, and forbad the gospel to
be preached to the heathen. So it was with the
Amorites, who once inhabited Canaan. So it was
with the people of Sodom and Gomorrah; and so
it was with the old world in Noah's time." And
the Lord' said, I will destroy man, whom I have
created, from the face of the earth, both man, and
beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of
the air; for it repenteth me that I have made
them," ver. 7. “ And behold, I, even I, do bring
a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all
flesh, wherein is the breath of life, and every thing
that is in the earth shall die,” ver. 17.
But God was pleased to give a long warning
of this sad event, 120 years before it took place,
thereby giving men“ time and space for repent-
ance.” He was also pleased to direct Noah,
who was an eminently pious man, who “ found
grace in his sight,” to make an Ark for the sav.
ing of himself and his family. Noah believed the
word of God, and prepared the ark, according to
God's orders; and when the rain descended
for forty days and nights together, and “the foun.
tains of the great deep, were broken up, and the
waters prevailed exceedingly," Noah and his fa-
mily, with the animals which God intended to
preserve, went into the ark, which floated upon
the waters in safety for about a year; after which,
when the waters had abated, the ark rested on
Mount Ararat; and Noah, with his family, again
- NOAH'S ARK,
51
inhabited the renewed earth. Read the whole
history of this wonderful event in the sixth and
following chapters of the book of Genesis.
This history cannot but be interesting to sea-
men; for probably the ark was the first large
vessel which was ever built. It had neither masts
nor sails, for it was intended merely to float on
the surface of the water ; but it was immensely
large, being about 550 feet in length, 90 feet
wide, and 50 feet high,* so that it would contain
43,000 tons burden, and be equal to forty-three or
more of our merchant ships of 1000 tons each; it
was therefore capable of stowing the numerous
animals put into it, and their food.
But we do not propose this subject merely for
entertainment. Our text shows us how to make
a spiritual improvement of it. It was “by faith"
that Noah acted upon this occasion, so that he
not only - saved his house," but he saved his
soul; and he “ became heir of the righteousness
which is by faith,” that is, of the righteousness of
Christ, which is held forth to us in the gospel,
and by which alone Noah, or any other sinner, can
be justified in the sight of God. We, therefore,
are deeply concerned in this matter, and must be
imitators of Noah's faith, if we would be saved
from the deluge of fiery wrath which will cer-
tainly come upon the world of the ungodly.
• It was nearly as long as St. Paul's Church in London,
and as broad as the middle aisle of that church, and having
three stories (or divided by two decks) must have been ex-
ceedingly capacious. Peter Jansen, a Dutch merchant, is
said to have caused a vessel to be built, in the beginning
of the 16th century, answering in its proportions to those of
Noah's ark, and that it was found to be exceedingly commo-
dious for the purposes of commerce.
52
SERMON V.
And now let us seriously attend to the follow-
ing particulars.
1. The Warning;
2. The belief of that warning;
3. The effect of that belief;
4. The means used for safety; and
5. The success of those means.
And first, we find that when God threatened to
drown the world, he gave Warning of that ter-
rible event. He gave the warning first to Noah;
and Noah, being a “ preacher of righteousness,
gave warning to others; and this probably he
did during all the hundred and twenty years
which intervened between the threatening and
the execution of it--so long did the Spirit of
God, which inspired this holy prophet, « strive
with men,”-with carnal, fleshly men, who de-
spised the warning.
And does not the blessed God, in the same
manner, and by the same kind of means, now
strive with men, that is, by the ministry of his
servants? In all ages, the prophets, apostles, and
ordinary preachers of the word, faithfully told
men that if they persisted in sin it would be their
ruin." Hear the charge which God gave to the
prophet Ezekiel, (iii. 17, &c.) “Son of man, I
have made thee a watchman unto the house of
Israel : therefore hear the word at my moùth, and
give them warning from me. When I say unto the
wicked, Thor shalt surely die ; (and mind, he
says this to you, if wicked) and thou givest him
not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked
from his wicked way, to save his life; the same
wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his
blood will I require at thine hand.” And in like
manner the holy apostle Paul, when he was in
NOAH'S ARK.
53
the great and wicked city of Ephesus, for three
years together “ ceased not to warn every one,
night and day, with tears.” And thus God Al-
mighty still says to every man here present, if
living in sin, “ Thou shalt surely die ;' and if he
will not take the warning, and fly from the wrath
to come, to Jesus Christ, the sinner's only refuge,
he will “ die in his sins," and his blood will be
upon his own head. He is his own destroyer, the
murderer of his own soul, and must perish without
pity and without remedy-which, God forbid !
- 2. But, secondly, Noah took the warning.
“ By faith," says the text, “ Noah being warned
of God: " He was effectually warned, because he
believed God; and it is the duty of all men to
believe what God says in his word; and if we be-
lieve him not, " we make him a liar," that is, we
treat him as if he were a liar;. and this is cer-
tainly the greatest of all sins; it is the damning
sin, for Christ himself says, “ He that believeth
not, shall be damned,” (Mark xvi, 16.) and, again,
“ He that believeth not, is condemned already,"
(John iii, 18.)
The world is full of unbelievers; and many are
really unbelievers who profess to believe the scrip
tures, as well as those who unhappily, and for
want of due consideration, reject them as false,
If a man verily believed that his sin would ruin
his soul, and lead him to everlasting punishment,
he would be uneasy; he would begin to pray for
mercy; and he would try, with all his might, to
forsake his sin. If a man were to see another mix
poison with the drink he was going to take, no
mortal on earth could persuade him to drink it,
however thirsty he might be, or however much
he might like the liquor. So if a man verily be
SERMON V..
lieves what God says in his word, that Swearers,
Drunkards, and Whoremongers, shall not inherit
the kingdom of heaven; and that all unconverted,
impenitent, and unbelieving sinners shall be shut
up in hell, and endure the wrath of God to all
eternity, they would immediately cry to God for
mercy. · A man who is condemned to die for his
crimes, and expects to be led out to execution to-
morrow, cannot forget it; and if men were really
convinced of their sin and danger, they would
not be easy nor happy a single moment, till they
sought and found mercy.
And this is the third thing to be considered.
. 3. The Effect of believing " he was moved
with fear;" and was there not reason to fear?
It was a terrible calamity which was threatened,
no less than the total destruction of all the people
upon earth, of all the millions of mankind who
then inhabited it, and probably they were as nu-
merous as its present inhabitants. Noah was
warned.mert of things not seen as yet”-that is, of
the universal deluge; for such a thing had never
been seen or kpown before, and it is likely that
many, who were wise in their own conceit, would
argue against it, and say it was neither probable
nor possible. And such persons would laugh at
Noah, and the numerous workmen employed in
building the ark, especially if it was built at a
distance from the sea, and on high ground; as
most probably it was. Indeed it is evident from
what our Saviour says in Matt. xxiv. ver. 37,
&c. that the world would not believe their
danger. “As the days of Noah were, so shall
also the coming of the Son of man be; for, as in
the days that were before the flood, they were
eating and drinking, marrying and giving in
&c. that " As the the son of mapod, they we in
He worldays in Marit is evidound; "as
alsonger.
NOAH'S ARK.
55
marriage, until the day that Noah entered into
the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and
took them all away; so shall the coming of the
Son of man be."
The warning, you see, was slighted, because
the word was not believed; it is said, “ they knew
not." How was that? Why did they not know?
the truth is they, did not believe. They were
therefore safe in their own conceit, and pursued
their trades and pleasures as if there were no
danger..
And thus it is now, with many, it may be
feared if not with most. God threatens; but man
believes not, therefore fears not. But will this
prevent the mischief? No:“let God be true, and
every man a liar.” “God is faithful," and heaven
and earth shall pass away, rather than a jot or
tittle of his word shall fail, whether it be of
his word of threatening or his word of promise,
till it shall be fulfilled. Not a word shall fail.
But Noah believed and therefore feared ; and
every sinner who really believes what God says
of sin and its wages, must and will fear; for ve-
rily “ it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands
of the living God." Can any man withstand
when he is angry? Try to resist the raging storm,
when the sea runs mountains high. Can you re-
buke the furious winds and the breaking waves ?
No, you well know that all human power is total
weakness; and can the puny arm of a mortal
resist the anger of an almighty and offended God?
Fear then is salutary, if it leads to safety, as
Noah's did. The foresight and prudence of an
experienced seaman may sometimes guard against
a threatening storm, which would otherwise prove
destructive; why then should not the same fore-
sight and prudent fear be employed to ward off
56
SERMON V.
the greatest of all evils, the wrath of a justly
offended God, especially when there is a certain
refuge, a sure means of safety, an ark provided
for the salvation of the soul? And this leads us to
consider the fourth particular.
4. The means which Noah employed to secure
himself and his family from the overwhelming
flood. God himself directed this preservative.com
this life-boat: “ Make thee an ark of gopher-
wood ;” its form and dimensions were all laid
down. Noah obeyed: “according to all that God
commanded him, so did he." Gen. vi. 14. 22. It
must have been a work of immense labour, and
great cost; it must have employed many hands
for many years; but it was “ the work of faith ;"
and faith, if true, is always active, it “ works by
love." And when this immense vessel was finish
ed, the hundred and twenty years being nearly
expired-just a week before the flood began--all
being now ready, the Lord said “ Come, thou,
and all thy house into the ark.” Noah, his wife,
with his three sons and their wives, obeyed the
summons, and the history adds, “The Lord shut
him in"-so shut him in, as probably to shut all
others out, and render it impossible for them to
enter, or for him to afford any aid to those who
might earnestly desire it. For soon, no doubt,
multitudes would piteously and loudly cry for
admission, who before had laughed at the vessel
and its builder..
And now the rain descends in mighty torrents
for forty days together; sheets of water are dashing
against every house; the rivers overflow their
banks; the sea by an unusual influence of the
moon, or perhaps of a comet, rises far above its
usual level; and now, not only are the win
NOAH'S ARK.
57
dows of heaven opened," as it is expressed in
scripture, but “the fountains of the great deep
are broken up"-the unfathomable abyss of waters
under the earth, which ever before and ever since
God had confined by certain bounds, " so that they
might not pass over to cover the earth,” (Psalm
civ.9.) all unite in one dreadful mass of water, and
rising higher and higher, delugenot only the plains,
but the loftiest hills, and the highest mountains,
rendering every refuge to which the astonished
and affrighted people repaired, altogether una.
vailable." In one irresistible and dreadful ruin,
the world of the ungodly are involved, and swept
away from the face of the earth which they had
polluted by their sins.
5. We now come, in the last place, to contem.
plate-The success of those means which God
appointed, and which Noah gladly adopted. :
Let us turn our eyes to the venerable Patriarch:
There he sits, in the inidst of his family, calm
and secure. Whilst the rain descended, the
winds blew, and the waves beat upon the ark;
whilst the affrighted cattle were bellowing with
terror, and the drowning multitude screaming
with horror, Noah feels no dismay nor disturb-
ance; he who directed him to make the ark, and
enabled him to begin and finish it, had promised
him security; he believed the promise, he relied
on the faithfulness of God, and he felt perfect
confidence in his great Preserver.
And thus, the believer in Jesus, he who has “fled
for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before him"
in the gospel, may rest assured of his perfect
safety. « Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed upon thee, because he trust-
eth in thee." Is it not written, " There is no
SERMON V.
sacred som believer Spirit prding to the rofess-
condemnation to them that are in Christ," and
prove that they are so really, as well as profess-
edly, by “ walking, not according to the flesh,
but according to the Spirit ?" Take courage,
then, humble believer in Jesus, and joyfully sing
that sacred song, long ago composed for the gos“
pel-day (Isa. xii. 1, &c.) “O Lord, I will praise
thee; though thou wast angry with me, thine
anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and
not be afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my strength
and my song; he also is become my salvation."
Jesus is " able to save to the uttermost, all those
who come unto God by him;" and he says, again
and again, of his believing people they shall not
perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my
hands; but they shall have everlasting life.”
Conscience may accuse the Christian of ten
thousand past offences; the broken Law may
thunder its fearful curse; Satan, unwilling to
lose his prey, may rage and roar; and the world,
condemned by the Christian's faith, as once by
that of Noah, may frown, and fret, and persecute;
but still, the Christian is safe. All is well, and
shall be well for ever.
CONCLUSION.
« Faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen.” This is the
scripture account of faith; and we have now been
considering a grand example of its nature and
efficacy in the case of Noah. Evil was threat-
ened. The warning was taken. An expedient
was provided. The means of safety were gladly
adopted, and Noah and his family were saved,
while millions perished in the deep.
Thus the blessed God, not willing that any
NOAH'S ARK.
. 59
should perish, and taking no delight in the death
of a sinner, is pleased to give him a fair warning.
He bids him a flee from the wrath to come.”
He has provided the refuge, and now he says,
" Come thou and all thy house into the ark.”
When the threatening waters were fast in-
creasing, and the hills began to be overflowed,
how gladly would the ungodly have listened to
Noah's invitation, had he been authorized to say
Come, my perishing neighbours, come into the
ark; come and welcome, come hither and share
with me and my family, the safety which God has
graciously provided. But no such invitation was
given. The door was shut, and none but the
eight persons, composing Noah's family, could
gain admittance. And thus will it be at the great
day. Then will that awful scripture, (Prov. i. 28,
&c.) be fulfilled. " Then they shall call upon
me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me
early, but they shall not find me. For that they
hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of
the Lord. They would none of my counsel, they
despised all my reproof, Į also will laugh at
your calamity, I will mock when your fear
cometh.” Ver. 26th, But, blessed be God, this
is not your case at present. Now the gospel
sounds with a sweet inviting voice. It proclaiins
nothing but good news-glad tidings of great joy.
Christ, the only refuge for guilty sinners, is set
before you. Christ, who is able and willing to
receive and save all who come unto him. The
language of the gospel is, “ Come, for all things
are now ready.” “Come unto me all ye that
are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you
rest.” “Come thou and all thy house into the
urk”—The door is wide open. Come and wel-
come to Jesus Christ.
And come, you certainly will, if convinced of
60
SERMON V.
mortals, large drobe w
your danger. Nothing but a disbelief of this will
keep you back. And will you not believe the
God of truth? See you no tokens of his anger
against sin? What are all the toils, and perils of
men, the barrenness of the earth, the diseases of
mortals, the tempests by land, the storms by sea,
but the large drops which frequently fall before a
heavy shower? Be wise therefore, in time. The
very beasts will hurry home when a storm is at.
hand. Behold the shelter, even Jesus, who
delivereth from the wrath to come,” « Come
thou and all thy house into the ark.” The Lord
make you “ willing in the day of his power.” To
him be glory, even the glory of our whole salva-
tion, now, henceforth, and for evermore. Amen.
opronar
HYMN.
The deluge, at the Almighty's call,
In what impetuous streams it fell!
Swallowed the mountains in its rage,
. And swept a guilty world to hell.
In vain the tallest sons of pride
Fled from the close pursuing wave;
Nor could their mightiest towers defend,
Nor swiftness 'scape, por courage save.
How dire the wreck ! how loud the roar!
How shrill tbe universal cry
Of millions in the last despair,
Re-echoed from the lowering sky!
Yet Noah, humble, happy saint,
Surrounded with the chosen few,
Sat in his ark, secure from fear,
And sang the grace that steer'd him through,
So may I sing, in Jesus safe,
While storms of vengeance round me fall,
Conscious how high my hopes are fix'd,
Beyond what shakes this earthly ball.
Nor wreck, nor storm above is seen,
There not a wave of trouble rolls;
But the bright rainbow round the throne
Seals endless life to all their souls,
The Anchor of Hope.
SERMON VI.
HEBREWS vi. 19.
Which hope we hade as an anchor of the soul, both
sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that
within the vail.
WHOEVER believes that there is a future
state-a state of eternal bliss or of eternal
woe, must sometimes think what will become of
him when he dies. It is to be lamented that
such thoughts as these are generally so slight and
so transient, that they are like writing on the sand
of the sea-shore, erased by the next tide. The
thoughts of death, and the fear of punishment,
are so unwelcome to an ungodly man, that they
are soon dismissed, and are seldom so enter-
tained as to lead him to repentance. He flatters
himself that he is not worse than others, that
God is merciful, particularly to sailors, and he
therefore hopes that, somehow or other, he shall
be saved at lastr
The condition of such a deluded person is like
that of a man sailing in a pleasure boat on a fine
sywmer's day, when the face of the ocean is only
rippled by the wind, and not the least suspicion
of danger is entertained. But if a heavy gale
sets in, and continues to increase, then the case
is altered. When the sky blackens round with
wild and threatening clouds, when the sea runs
high and breaks furiously, when night sets in
62
SERMON VI.
then, tir leak, or ther; whe
pied feel the
and brings worse and worse weather; when the
vessel springs leak after leak, or is drifting fast
on a lee-shore, then, the stoutest heart will see
and feel the danger, and the mind will be occu-
pied in planning and doing every thing that may
be most likely to preserve the ship and save life.
Should the vessel, in such circumstances,
fetch under some head-land, or weather-shore,
or gain some road-stead or bay, how valuable
would good anchors then be! To them the mari-
ner would look as to his only hope, and in gene-
ral they would hold his vessel, and deliver the
crew from destruction. Indeed there are ten
thousand circumstances continually happening
wherein good anchors are not only required, but
in which the ship and crew must be lost without
them. Hence every ship is provided with such
a set of anchors as is considered sufficient to an-
swer every common and every dangerous event.
Now it has pleased God in his holy word to
make use of this similitude, and to represent
Jesus Christ his Son, our Saviour, as the anchor
of the soul, and its only security against all the
storms and tempests which may endanger its
safety. You will therefore listen with attention.
to what shall be offered on this subject, a sub-
ject in which every one of you is deeply inte-
rested; and God grant that in the day of trouble,
and in the hour of death, our souls may enjoy
peace and safety, by a good hope in Christ, the
anchor of the soul!
Great are the comforts and consolations which
true religion affords in this present evil world.
The words of the text are taken from one of the
most pleasing and consolatory passages of scrip-
ture. True Christians are here called “heirs of
promise," that is, heirs of all the blessings of
THE ANCHOR OF HOPE. 63
grace and glory promised in the gospel. And
they are further described as persons “ who have
fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set
before them”-that is, they have perceived their
danger as sinners, and have fled to Jesus Christ
for salvation; for he is the refuge which the
gospel sets before us, and he alone. Now, even
such persons are liable to doubts and fears re-
specting their safety; and therefore God has
been graciously pleased to make provision for
the total removal of this discomposure, by con-
firming his unchangeable purpose to save be-
lievers, both by “his promise and his oath," that
so, “by two immutable things, in which it is
impossible for God to lie,' such persons might
enjoy. “ strong consolation,” and good hope
through grace;"--and this a good hope” fixes
on Christ, the true and heavenly anchor. We de-
sign, therefore, in this discourse to shew that,
Jesus Christ is that security to the soul, which an
anchor is to the ship.Or, in other words, Jesus
Christ is the sinner's only true object of hope;
and, by believing and trusting in hini, the soul is
secured in all the storms, and troubles, and dan-
gers to which we are exposed in this world.
This world is often, and justly, compared to
the sea, and every one knows that storms may be
expected there. At times, indeed, it is smooth
as glass. To venture afloat seems then as safe as
to walk in a green meadow; it is so pleasant as
to be inviting to the most timid landsman. But
how quickly may all this fair scene be changed
In a short time it may blow a hurricane, and the
best ship that ever floated may be in danger,
and the ablest seaman may be at his wits' ends,
and many a vessel may be swallowed up in those
X
.
:
.
64
SERMON VI.,
very waters which of late were so smooth and
tempting. Hence the mariner expects to meet
with many dangers, many changes, many storms
so long as he follows a sea life. And thus also
he should expect, for he must be exposed to,
many dangers, many storms of violent tempta-
tions from Satan-He will also have to stem the
tide of wicked example from his shipmates, and
from many others. There are tremendous storms
of Conscience, when a sense of guilt, and dread
of deserved punishment, almost sink the soul in
the gulf of despair. There are also storms of
trouble arising from painful and dangerous sick-
ness, from heavy losses, and sore disappointments;
or from the horrible apprehensions of death, in
circumstances of extreme danger at sea. In
these and in many other trials, the soul needs
that stay and support from Christ, which a
ship, in circumstances of distress, needs from an
anchor.
In all such cases, Jesus Christ alone, is the
proper object of faith and hope: every other
foundation of hope is delusive and yain, as it is
written-"Other foundation can no man lay than
that which is laid, even Jesus Christ." And
here it may be proper to expose those false and
dełusive hopes to which many persons danger-
ously trust. There is, for instance, the hope of
IGNORANCE-ignorance of the holiness of God,
and of his holy law, which is contained in the
ten commandments. That law requires perfect
love to God and man; it requires unsinning obe-
dience through life; and condemns a sinner for a
single offence, even in thought; for it says,
(Gal. iii. 10.) “ Cursed is every one who conti-
nüeth not in all things, written in the book of the
law to do them," Now, whoever understands
THE ANCHOR OF HOPE.
65
this holy law of God aright, will not build his
hope upon his own goodness or righteousness;
but be glad to find a better ground of hope in the
righteousness of Jesus Christ. St. Paul, before
his conversion, was a Pharisee, that is, one who
« trusted in himself that he was righteous;" he
says “ he was alive without the law then," but
“ when the commandment came," he says “ he
died;" that is, when he saw that the holy law of
God condemns a sinner for breaking the tenth
commandment, which forbids, not a wicked
action, but even a covetous wish or thought, he
says “ he died;" that is, he then found he was a
dead man in law, condemned to death as a trans-
gressor, notwithstanding all his boasted prayers
and zeal; and that he must be indebted to Christ
alone for justification, and thus by believing in
him for righteousness and life, Christ became the
anchor of his soul; and all his life afterwards his
chief desire was to know Christ and be found in
him.
There is also the Hope of the Formalist-one
who keeps up the form of godliness, but denies
its power. Such a person thinks that because he
goes to church, says his prayers, and does his
duty, he shall be saved. His heart is not in reli-
gion; he pretends to love religion, but he really
loves sin and the world, and probably despises
the man who is alive to God, whose whole heart
is devoted to Christ, and who cannot join his vairt
companions in their profane oaths, obscene songs,
and vain amusements, but rebukes sin in others
wherever he sees it. But the Formalist ought to
know that “ the kingdom of God is not in word,
brit in power;" it does not consist in outward
duties and religious cerentonies, but in a heart
renewed by the Spirit of God, mortified to the
G 3
66
SERMON VI.
sinful pleasures of the world, and devoted to
Christ and holiness. Our Lord exposes the hope
of the formalist in the 25th chapter of St. Matthew,
where he represents the professors of religion un-
der the character of ten virgins attending a mar-
riage, “five of whom were wise, and five were fool-
ish.” It was thecustom of the Jews for these attend-
ants to go furth at night to meet the bridegroom
when coming home; and on this occasion, the
five foolish virgins took their lamps, but took no
oil with them; but the wise took oil in their
vessels with their lamps; and the parable adds
that " while the bridegroom tarried, they all
slumbered and slept; and at midnight there was
a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh;
go ye out to meet him.” It then appeared that
the lamps of the foolish virgins were gone out,
and they had no oil to replenish them; they
begged the wisevirgins to lend them some; but they
had none to spare: so while these foolish persons
were gone to buy somne, the bridegroom came,
and they were shut out. In this manner our
Saviour exposes the folly of all those who trust to
the empty form of godliness without the heart-
felt power of religion. Such is that hope of the
Formalist, which will utterly fail hini when he
dies, and appears before God. But happy is that
man “ whose hope the Lord is."
Once more, There is the hope of the Hypocrite
the artful, designing man, who for selfish pur-
poses assumes the forms and apes the power of
religion; who pretends to be mighty devout, and
takes. care that every body shall see how good,
and pious, and zealous he is; who probably is
very forward in condemning all about him, and
setting up himself as some great one; while, at
the same time, he secretly indulges in sinful
THE ANCHOR OF HOPE.
67
habits, and makes religion only a cloak by which
he may cover his unholy deeds. The hope of
this rotten-hearted professor will fail him in the
great day, when nothing will hide the man,
whatever he is, from the all-seeing and heart-
searching eyes of the righteous Judge.
But though the hope of Ignorance, of For-
mality, and of Hypocrisy will miserably fail,
there is, what the scripture calls “ A Good Hope
through Grace," which will never fail, but which
will be to the soul “ an anchor sure and stedfast,"
and safely fixed in heaven itself. Let us now
examine it.
When an anchor is holding a vessel in security,
you know that it has hold of the bottom of the
sea or river, and is not in sighteither from the deck
or alongside; yet you are assured that it holds the
vessel, and you look to and depend on it for
safety by night and by day, although the eye
cannot see it where it nips the ground. This
may give you some idea of faith in Christ; for
the nature of faith is this, as described Heb. xi. 1.
* Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen”-not seen, you
observe. The anchor which secures the ship
is not seen; so Christ, the object of your hope,
is not seen at present. St. Peter speaks of be-
lievers exactly in this manner, (1 Pet. i. 8.)
“ Whom not having seen ye love; in whom,
though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye
rejoice, with joy unspeakable, and full of glory."
True faith supplies the place of sight: it has
respect to something invisible, and it trusts in the
word of God for the truth and reality of what is
believed. Thus Noah, who believed the word
of God, when he threatened that the flood should
come and destroy the world, “was moved with
68
SERMON VI.
fear, of things not yet seen," and made an ark
(a large ship) according to God's direction,
whereby he saved himself and all his house.
Thus faith goes out of itself, and fixes on Christ,
though unseen, as the sure anchor of the soul.
Christ alone is the sinner's hope. “ There is
no other name under heaven, given among men,
whereby we can be saved." From the beginning
of the world he was the only hope of the true
church. It was by faith in him that Abel, and
Enoch, and Noah, and Abraham, and Moses,
and all the ancient believers were saved. The
promised Saviour had not yet appeared in the
flesh; but they saw, by faith, the blessings of
his salvation « afar off, and were persuaded of
them, and embraced them, and confessed that
they were pilgrims and strangers on the earth.”
And thus their hope was maintained, and their
minds kept in safety and peace, by Jesus Christ,
the anchor of their souls. He continued, in
successive ages, “ the Hope of Israel." When
St. Paul was a prisoner, persecuted for Christ's
sake, he said, “ for the hope of Israel I am bound
with this chain;' and he speaks of all believers
as having “ hope in Christ;' and that: “ they,
through the Spirit, waited for the hope of
righteousness by faith ;” and “ that Christ was
in them, the hope of glory." (Acts xxviii. 20.
1 Cor. xv. 19. Gal. v. 5. Col. i. 27.)
You will observe, once more, that it is Christ
in heaven, who is the anchor of the soul. An-
chors, when used, are let down to the bottom ;
but the spiritual anchor of the soul is thrown
upwards ; our text says that "it enters into that
within the vail." To understand this, you must
go back to the religion of the Old Testament,
and remeinber that the temple, consisted of two
THE ANCHOR OF HOPE.
69
parts the holy place, and the most holy," and
these were separated by a vail, or thick curtain.
The holy place signified the church of God on
earth; the most holy signified heaven itself.
Now, once a year, the High Priest went into
the most holy place, with the blood of an ani-
mal which had been offered in sacrifice, and also
with sweet incense. This was intended to sig-
nify the entrance of Jesus Christ into heaven,
after he had made peace by the blood of his
cross; he then entered into “the presence of God
for us," " to make intercession” for all who
believe in him; and he, as our anchor, is now
within the vail, that is in heaven: and this is men-
tioned for our encouragement; for he has
finished the work which he came to do, he made
a complete atonement, sacrifice, and satisfac-
tion for our sins; and his resurrection from the
dead, and sitting on the throne of glory, is a full
proof of God the Father's satisfaction with the
atonement made; and thus “ we are begotten
again," as. St. Peter says, “ to a lively hope, by
the resurrection of Christ from the dead." See
how “ the full assurance of this hope" is ex-
pressed by the apostle Paul in the 8th chapter
of his epistle to the Romans, verse 33, &c.
« Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's
elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that
condemneth? It is Christ that died” -- and
now, mark what follows---" yea, rather that is
risen again, who is even at the right hand of God,
who also maketh intercession for us." Here then is
“the anchor within the vail ;" it is good anchor-
age, the vessel that is held by it can never fail,
it is “ sure and steadfast," and we have the
word of Christ for it- Verily, verily, I say untu
you, He that heareth my word, and believeth
70
SERMON VI.
on him that sent me, hath everlastng life, and,
shall not come into condemnation, but is passed
from death unto life.” John v. 24. And in ano-
ther place, where, under another figure of
speech, Christ, as the shepherd, compares his
people to the sheep, he says, “I give unto them
eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither
shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”
(John x. 28.) In human affairs, the anchor may
prove faulty and break, or it may fall foul, and
not lay hold---or it may find bad holding-ground
and drag---or a foul and rocky bottom may cut
the cable, or the strain of wind and tide and
sea may part the best cable that man ever made;
and then in either case the last refuge, the last
hope of the seaman may fail him, and his vessel
and himself may be lost; but the Christian ma-
riner who has, by faith, made Christ Jesus his an-
chor, will be secured against every destruction
and shipwreck of soul.
. CONCLUSION.
And now, may I not ask the question-"What
think ye of Christ?" Seamen! you know what
to think of an anchor; you know its use; you
know how to prize it; and you would not go to
sea without it. For the greater part of the
voyage, indeed, it may keep its place on board
the ship; but you well know that occasions may
arise, when you must use it, or be lost. So, it
may be, at present, you are sailing before the
wind, fine weather, a pleasant gale; health of
body and cheerfulness of spirit, gay and thought-
less, forgetful of God, and neglecting his great
salvation: But will it be always thus? You
know the uncertainty of the sea too well to ex-
pect that it will always be smooth and pleasant,
THE ANCHOR OF HOPE.
71
and the weather fair; and have you not also
thought of the state of your soul? Know you
not that life is altogether uncertain; that “ it is
appointed for men once to die, and after death
the judgment?" and should you not be prepared
to meet your God? Say not, I shall have time
enough to repent. You may be cut off in a mo-
ment. A seaman is exposed to many accidents and
dangers, and by some sudden unforeseen and fatal
disaster, he may be hurried into eternity in a
moment. As therefore you would wish to have
an anchor to make use of in the time of need,
be concerned to have a good hope through grace,
which may be a stay to your soul in the moment
of danger, and in the day of trouble. Perhaps
you have hope, for most men hope to be saved;
but you have heard that there are false hopes,
the hope of the ignorant, the hope of the forma-
list, and the hope of the hypocrite, Beware of
these. They will fail you, They will deceive
you. They will make you ashamed, Mark
what the scripture saith on this head. Prov. xi. 7.
“When a wicked man dieth his expectation
shall perish, and the hope of unjust men perish-
eth;" and it is written in another place, « The
hope of the hypocrite is as the spider's web”-
and what is that good for? Can any depend,
ence be placed upon it? No, there is no safe
refuge but in Christ; all others are “ refuges of
lies. O then, be persuaded to come to Christ
that you may have life! He is the author and
giver of life. He came into the world that we
might have life. He died that we might live
live spiritually, live eternally. Come then to
him, as a penitent, perishing sinner; lamenting
your past follies, vanities and vices, and humbly
asking him to pardon all your sins, and wash
72
SERMON VI.
your polluted souls in his own precious blood,
and to give you a new heart and a right spirit,
that you may serve him henceforth in holiness
and righteousness, all the days of your life.
Behold, he waiteth to be gracious, and if you
thus come to him with sincerity, he will receive
you with as much readiness as the prodigal's
father received his returning son, And thus will
he become the Anchor of your soul in all the
storms of this life, and like the righteous, you
also shall have “hope in your death.”
A word to believers in Christ shall finish this
discourse. What has a believer to fear? Having
such an anchor as Christ, and that anchor within
the vail, what has a believer to fear? It is
“ sure and stedfast." Can any violence move
this anchor from its firm hold ? No, it is beyond
the reach of all attempts." And " who shall
separate us from the love of Christ ? Shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all
these things we are more than conquerors
through him who loved us." Rom. vii. 35, 37.
The perfect safety of the practical Christian,
whose « faith worketh by love," and whose
“ hope purifieth the heart," is stated by our
Saviour himself under a different metaphor,
Matt. viii. 24.“ I will liken him unto a wise man,
which built his house upon a rock : and the rain
descended, and the floods came, and the winds
blew, and beat upon that house ; and it fell not:
for it was founded on a rock.” Let believers
then enjoy that “ strong consolation" which God
has provided for them, a consolation “ stronger
than all the afflictions of life, the fears of death,
and the terrors of Judgment."
The Compass.
SERMON VII.
PSALM LXXIII. 24.
Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward
receive me to glory.
AMONGST the numerous arts and sciences
which men have acquired, no one, perhaps,
is of so much real utility as Navigation; and
amongst the various helps invented for the im-
provement of that art, none is so important as
that of the Compass; for by means of this won-
derful instrument, together with the quadrant,
and the chart, the mariner can direct his vessel
by night and by day to any distant port, and sail
around the world.
· When we are travelling by land, especially in
a civilized country, we readily find our way by
the roads, which are artificially formed; and, in
cases of difficulty, by the aid of guide-posts, dis-
tinguishing the right path from the wrong; or,
in the want of these, we can generally meet with
a living guide, to shew us the proper way. But
it is far otherwise at sea, where one expanded
level surface covers the innumerable rocks and
sands beneath it, and conceals from our view a
thousand hidden dangers. When near the coast,
indeed, light-houses and beacons, sea-marks and
buoys, may direct the mariner; and he may some-
times obtain the help of a pilot, who is perfectly
acquainted with the channels; but when he
takes his departure, and gets out of sight of land,
he must traverse wide and extensive oceans, and
74
SERMON VII.
needs such a guide as the Providence of God has
provided by the wonderful invention of the com-
pass. Before this discovery was made, seamen
were afraid to venture far from the coast, and
consumed many weeks and months in long and
tedious voyages; while, at the same time, from
being obliged to keep the land constantly on
board, they were exposed to much more danger
than men now. are in crossing the Atlantic. But
now, by this wonderful and happy contrivance,
the seaman can guide his vessel to every part of
the world, and direct his course, with wonderful
exactness and certainty, to the smallest island,
though it lies in the middle of the great South
Seas.
Now, what the COMPASS is to the seaman, that
is the BIBLE—the word of God, to a Christian,
As the former directs the mariner to foreign
countries, which he never saw, so the Scriptures
of truth direct us to Heaven, the place of eternal
rest and happiness. It is the design of this dis-
course to recommend to you, the daily perusal of
the Bible, as “a light to your feet and a lamp
to your path,” and as “ able to make you wise
to salvation, through faith which is in Christ
Jesus."
There are two principal uses of the Compass,
(in connexion with other instruments,) First,
To discover those places of danger which are to
be carefully avoided ; and Secondly, To point
out the right course which ought to be steered
on, towards the intended port.
There are, at sea, many reefs and rocks which
though covered, lie too near the waters-edge, to
allow of any vessel going over them. And there
are others which, though somewhat deeper, can-
not be approached without danger. These, being
THE COMPASS.
laid down in correct charts, a good reckoning
being kept, proper sourdings made, and a look-
out continued, the mariner by good steerage
keeps the channel, and escapes the threatening
danger.
And this is one great use of the word of God.
“ Thereby," says the Psalmist, “is thy servant
warned;" and in another place, “ By the words
of thy lips, I have kept nie from the paths of the
destroyer.” Many of the rocks and sands which
would take up a vessel and prove destructive to
the mariner, are, in fine weather, so concealed
by the water, that there is no appearance what-
ever of danger, and the seaman who knows not
of such shoals, would probably strike upon them,
and founder and perish. Just so it is with regard
to sin. « There is a way," saith Solomon,
" which seemeth right to a man, but the end
thereof are the ways of death." We are there-
fore exhorted to take heed, “ lest tvo be hardened
through the deceitfulness of sin.” It is the aim
of the great Destroyer to hide our danger from
our view; and many are so deluded by him, as
to say of this and that destructive sin, What
harm is there in it?
Now as a seaman would be very thankful to
any one who, by informing him of a dangerous
reef, should enable him to shun it; so ought the
sinner to be very thankful to a minister of the
gospel, or a Christian friend, who faithfully tells
him of the danger of his living in any known sin.
I hope, therefore, you will not be offended, if I
shew you, from God's true and faithful word, the
danger of some of those sins which, too often pre-
vail among seamen.
One of these is Drunkenness. It cannot be de-
nied that this vice awfully prevails among sailors.
:
.
76
SERMON VII.
Not that all sailors are guilty of this sin. No,
thank God, there are many sober seamen, who
never disable themselves from the duty of the
ship, by excess in drinking; but, that too many
are occasionally, and some habitually, drunken,
is an awful fact. Many take every opportunity
of indulging in grog or clear spirits, and in urg-
ing their messmates to do the same. They take
a pleasure in making others sin, and then glory
in their shame. And will such men still cry,
What harm is there in it? Will you hear and
regard what God, who will be your Judge at the
great day, says of it? Will you believe the God
of truth, or will you believe your diunken com-
panions? Hear the word of God. “ Woe unto
them that rise up early in the morning that they
may follow strong drink; that continue until
night, till wine'inflame them.” Isaiah v. ll. And
again, “Woe to the drunkards of Ephraim, they
shall be trodden under feet.” Isa. xxvill. 1. 3.
We are assured in 1 Corinthians vi. 6. that
" drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of
heaven;" and again, in Gal. v. 19. drunkenness
is ranked among “ the works of the flesh;” and
St. Paul says, “I tell you beforehand, as I have
also told you in time past, that they which do
such things shall not inherit the kingdom of
God.” And if drunkards cannot go to heaven,
where must they go? Let conscience give the
answer.
And O what miseries have frequently followed
drunkenness even in this world! It often brings
a man to poverty. How many, when they come
ashore, foolishly squander away all-their wages
in public-houses and brothels; and after years
of hard labour and danger at sea, become, by
this vice, ragged beggars in the streets! How
THE COMPASS.
77
many, by drunkenness, having made themselves
incapable of duty, have fallen from aloft on the
deck with broken bones, or into the sea, and have
been drowned ! Others have been called to the
middle watch, but having drunk hard in the
evening, have staggered when they came on
deck, and have fallen overboard. Others have
by a drinking bout, brought upon themselves
fatal diseases, have died by lingering disorders of
the liver, or been cut off in a few days, or hours,
by inflammation. Yea, there have been instances
of ships, with their whole crew, entirely lost by
this brutal, detestable sin. And will any persons
still be foolish and hardy enough to say, What
harm is there in it? O, Sirs, it is only fools and
madmen, “ who make a mock at sin.” Surely
that is a horrible and murderous evil which shuts
men out of heaven, and shuts them up in hell,
where the drunkard, like the rich man in the
parable, who had fared sumptuously every day,
lifted up his eyes in torments, and in vain re-
quested a drop of water to cool his parched tongue.
Another sin which sadly prevails among sea-
men, and which, like a dangerous sand or rock
in the sea, is marked out in the word of God, is
Uncleanness, including Fornication, Adultery, and
other abominable impurities, secret or social,
which are too shameful to be named among
Christians. These vices debase the man, and
make him resemble the brute beasts that perish;
and yet they are so common, that many of our
ships and sea-port towns are, at times, almost as
full of lust and uncleanness as were the cities of
Sodom and Gomorrha. “I have known," says a
Clergyman, who was formerly a lieutenant in the
Royal Navy, “ between three and four hundred
prostitutes on board of a 74 gun ship, at one
H 3
78
SERMON VII.
time, in Cawsand Bay." * This is a vice at which
foolish and wicked men may laugh, and say,
What harm is there in it? But let the sinner
know that the holy God, who " is of purer eyes
than to behold iniquity," hath said, that“ Whore-
mongers and Adulterers he will judge,” that is,
he will condemn. And if, in the judgment of
our holy Saviour,“ Whosoever looketh on a
woman, to lust after her, hath committed adultery
with her already in his heart, (Matt. v. 28) what
will the punishment of those be, who actually
and habitually commit such abominations ? The
scripture excludes them from heaven, for it
says, “Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor
adulterers, shall inherit the kingdom of God,"
(1 Cor. vi. 9) and, in another place it declares
that, “ the abominable, murderers, and whore-
mongers, shall have their part in the lake which
burneth with fire and brimstone." Rev. xxii. 8.
There is another sin which shockingly abounds
among sea-faring people, and that is Swearing.
This sin so generally prevails among English sea-
men, that people in foreign ports have almost
distinguished them from other sailors by their
horrid blasphemies and profane abuse of the holy
name of God. It is indeed dreadful to a serious
mind to think of the wicked oaths and curses
O
* See an excellent tract, entitled The Seaman's Friend.
This, together with The Seaman's Spy-Glass ; The Ship-
mates; and Conversation in a Boat; and other Tracts,
written by a Clergyman of the Church of England, formerly
a Lieutenant in the Navy, are admirably adapted for the in-
struction of Seamen, and earnestly recommended by the
author of these Sermons. They are very cheap, and may
be had of Mr. Collins, at No. 56, Paternoster-row, London.
See also various Tracts by the Rev. Mr. Smith, of Penzance;
and The Sailor's Magazine, published every month, ...
THE COMPASS.
. 79
which proceed out of their mouths. It shocks
one to think of men's damning their eyes and
limbs and souls, or those of their shipmates; or
calling God to witness the truth of some wilful
and deliberate lie. O, if God should hear the
Swearer's prayers and take him at his word, and
damn him, according to his request, how awful
would his condition be! And there have been
instances of men's being swept overboard, or
killed by a shot, at the moment of their uttering
some dreadful imprecation. And it is no excuse
for a man to say, I meant no harm- did not
know that I did swear. Nor will it suffice to
say, that the business of the ship cannot be done
without swearing, for this is utterly false, as
many commanders of ships, and seamen too,
happily know; but all these excuses are foolish
and vain, for the word of God plainly says,
“ Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy
God in vain ; for the Lord will not hold him
guiltless, who taketh his name in vain." It is of
no use therefore for the swearer to hold himself
guiltless : It is not what a criminal says or thinks
of himself, but what the Judge says, that must
determine the matter: and how justly may he
pronounce the final curse, “ Depart from me,”
upon those who have loved and practised cursing
all their days. O that you who curse and swear,
may hear and fear, and do no more so wickedly.
There is a sunken rock, seamen, not faithfully laid
down in all the charts, which is as dangerous and
destructive as those that have been mentioned, and
perhaps more so, for, in fact, few seem to be fully
apprised of it. I mean UNBELIEF-that is, a rejec-
tion of the Gospel of Salvation. That this is a
fatal rock, our Savour's words assure you-" He
that believeth not shall be damned;" and, "the
SERMON VII.
wrath of God abideth upon him." And is it not
“ a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the
living God," and abide for ever under his fiery
indignation ? " Take heed therefore, lest there
be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief;" for
if the gospel be rejected, there is no possible way
left of escaping from the wrath to come. And you
have the more need to guard against this rock,
because the infidels of the day would fain per-
suade you that there is no danger at all in it.
But I ask again, Whom will you believe? the
God of truth, or the father of lies, that diaboli-
cal deceiver, who deceiveth the whole world?
Now these are some of those deadly evils which
the scripture points out that you may avoid them,
as, by the help of the compass and your charts,
you discover the dangers of the seas, and learn
to steer clear of them. To this holy word, there-
fore, as to the compass of your soul, you will “ do
well to take heed, as to a light that shineth in a
dark place.”
But the word of God not only enables you to
discover and avoid the dangers to which you are
exposed, but it is intended to direct you into the
true and safe way, which leadeth to life everlast-
ing; for heaven is the port to which you should
direct your course; and as it is by the aid of the
compass and other mathematical instruments
that you steer for the place to which you are
bound, so it must be by the directions which the
holy gospel affords, that you discover the path of
life, and finally anchor in the harbour of heaven.
If an ignorant landsman were to undertake
the care of a ship, and say he would conduct it
through the Baltic, or to China, or Jamaica,
would you venture to ship yourself on board
THE COMPASS.
81
and you nou as
use
his vessel? Or if any seaman would engage you
to accompany him, while he refused to take a
compass, a quadrant, or a chart, would you agree
to go? Certainly not. And will you undertake
to find the way to eternal life and glory without
a guide, or will you refuse to make use of the
good word of God for your direction. You see
to what absurd and foolish methods the poor
heathen resort in their superstitions and idola-
tries; how they make a god of a log of wood,
and then worship it; how they will submit to
say thousands of prayers which they count with
their beads, and take journeys of hundreds of
miles on pilgrimage, to bathe in a pretended holy
river; or drag the huge car of an idol ; how they
will run spits through their tongues, and swing
with hooks in their sides; and how the women
will suffer themselves to be burnt alive with the
dead bodies of their husbandsthese and a thou-
sand other ceremonies are resorted to in hope of
obtaining the pardon of their sins and eternal
life; and the language of all these practices is,
Wherewith shall I come before God, and obtain
his favour? Or, in other words, What shall I do
to be saved ?
Now these poor heathen have not the Compass
I mean they have not the word of God, which
plainly tells us how we may be saved. Therein,
Jesus Christ is set before us, as “the Lamb of
God, who taketh away the sin of the world;" who
so loved us, as to lay down his life, and shed his
blood for us, that he might redeem us from the
curse of the law, by becoming a curse for us.
He died in the sinners' place, and bore the pu-
nishment due to sin, to relieve us from it, so that
all who believe in him,--all who look to him,
and trust in him for salvation, may not perish, as
SERMON VII.
they deserve, but have pardon, peace, holiness,
and everlasting life, as the free gift of God
through Jesus Christ his Son.
Now this is the right and true way, and there
is no other; Jesus Christ says, “I am the way,
and no man cometh to the Father but by me.”
He became the way by shedding his blood, and
laying down his life for us ; for sin must be pu-
nished with death, the death of the sinner, or
the death of the surety, for “ without shedding
of blood there is no remission of sins;" but
through the shedding of Christ's blood, there
is remission, full' remission, free remission; his
blood is so efficacious that it “ cleanseth from
all sin,” and he who believes, “ though his sins
were as scarlet they shall be white as snow,
though they were red as crimson they shall be
as wool.” God will freely pardon all the sins of
those who come to him by Jesus Christ; and to
show how perfectly he pardons them he says,
“ they shall be cast into the depths of the sea,"
(Micah vii. 19.) so that if they be sought for,
they shall not be found. O what a blessing is
this! How completely lost is a heavy substance
cast into the sea; and would you not wish that
all your sins may thus be lost and buried in ob-
livion, and never be remembered or brought for-
ward to your confusion and condemnation? Be-
lieve then in Jesus. Believe what God says of
him in his word. Believe what he says of him-
self. Believe what the holy apostles said of him,
who died martyrs in his cause. So believe on
him as to receive him, each of you for his own
salvation, and put your trust in him, commit-
ting your souls to his care and keeping, and
then saying with St. Paul in the prospect of
death, “ I know whom I have believed, and
THE COMPASS.
83
UN
am persuaded that he is able to keep what I have
committed to him against that day”- the
day of death; and the day of judgment. This
was St. Paul's consolation, and it gave him cou-
rage in the expectation of martyrdom; and this
is the way for a seaman to live and die happily.-
It is the way to live happily; for the peace of God,
which passeth all understanding, shall keep the
heart and mind of the believer. « Blessed is
the man whose transgression is forgiven, whose
sin is covered; blessed is the man to whom the
Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit
there is no guile” (Psalm xxxii. 1, 2.) And as
it is the way to live happily, so it is the only pos-
sible way to die happily. For men who are
healthy and strong may contrive to pass away
their time in the day of prosperity without reli-
gion; but let a man be confined to his ham-
mock with pain and pining sickness, with tedious
days and more tedious nights; let him be look-
ing forward to a vast eternity, and what will he
do then? Then he wants a guide, then he needs
the compass, and the chart of God's word; and
if he be a believer in Jesus, he may look at Death
without dismay. Then, whether he die in his
hammock, or sink in the ocean, or be killed in
battle, all is well and will be well for ever; for
“ whosoever believeth, hath everlasting life.”
Let it also be remembered that the word of
God not only points out the way to eternal life
hereafter, but it is intended to direct our course
through the present world, “Wherewith shall
a young man cleanse his way?” is an important
question proposed in the Psalms; and the answer
is, “ By taking heed thereto, according to thy
word.” The true christian therefore desires to
walk, “ not according to the course of this
84
SERMON VII.
world,” not to “ follow the multitude to do evil;"
not to excuse sin because others do the same; but
his language is, “O that my ways were directed
to keep thy statutes-Make me understand the
way of thy precepts-Incline my heart unto thy
testimonies--I esteem all thy precepts concerning
all things to be right, and I hate every false
way.” Ps. cxix.
CONCLUSION.
The whole of this discourse is designed to
recommend to you the good word of God. You
all know the value of the Compass, which enables
you to direct the course of the ship, nor would
you by any means go to sea without one. Should
not the word of God be equally valued, or rather,
much more valued ? Is not the soul of more im-
portance than the body? Is not eternal life of
infinitely greater value than the present short life?
And will you not consult this sure guide to eternal
life? Perhaps you have hitherto neglected it.
Let the time past suffice for the criminal omis-
sion. Now take it into your hands, and from this
time forward, let not a day pass (when the wea-
ther and ship's duty will permit) without reading
a chapter or two, and always read with prayer,
to this purpose: “ Lord, open mine eyes, that
I may behold wondrous things out of thy law;"
or, in the excellent words of one of the Collects
of the Church of England .
« Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be
written for our learning ; Grant that we may in such wise hear
them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest' them, that by
patience, and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and
ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou
hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen."
The Storm.
SERMON VIII.
PSALM CVII. 23—28.
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do busi
ness in great waters; these see the works of the
Lord, and his wonders in the deep : for he com-
mandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which
lifteth up the waves thereof; they mount up to the
heaven, they go down again to the depths; their
soul is melted because of trouble : they reel to and
fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at:
their wit's end. Then they cry unto the Lord in
their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their
distresses.
IN these words we have a just description of a
dreadful storm at sea, and the effect of it on
the seamen; “ their hearts were melted” with
fear; then they had resort to prayer; and were
delivered from death and danger. This is a very
interesting subject for seamen, all of whom have
known, or probably will know, how awful is the
situation of men who expect every moment to
go to the bottom, or be wrecked on the shore.
Let us, in considering the subject,
1. Attend to this description of a storm;
11. The trouble thereby occasioned; and
111. The refuge of distressed seamen.
1. The Storm. The Psalmist speaks of seamen
as having great opportunities to observe the
works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep."
And O that they were disposed to observe tliem.
5
86
SERMON VIII.
:
But, alas! too many seamen forget God when at
sea. “God is not in all their thoughts," although
they are surrounded by the ocean which is the
work of his hands, and although the preservation
of their lives and health depends every moment
upon his good Providence. Too often, while they
have fine weather and a fair wind, and are rapidly
sailing before it, they forget that they owe this
success to their God.
But favourable weather, and leading winds,
are not always to be expected. The seaman
looks for foul weather as well as fair, and is
enured to hardships arising from heavy gales.
There are seasons like that described in the text,
" When he commandeth and raiseth the stormy
wind, which lift up the waves of the sea." Observe
- it is God who commandeth the winds to blow,
and the waves to rise. Neither favourable winds
nor stormy gales can blow by chance. There
are, indeed, natural causes, to which they may
be ascribed, but they are all under the direction
and control of the great Creator. “He," it is
written, 6 gathereth the winds in his fists;"
“ HE bringeth the wind out of his treasures,"
and assigns to it its degree of strength, its dura-
tion, and its limits; saying to the restless winds,
“ Hitherto shall ye go, and no further," and to
the foaming, breaking sea, “ here shall your proud
waves be stayed."
Sometimes, to display his power, to manifest
the evil of sin (the cause of all natural evils) to
rouse the stupid and sleepy consciences of guilty
sinners, or to shew forth his goodness in their
-deliverance," he raiseth the stormy waves,” to
such an awful degree, that the mariners may be
said « to mount up to the heaven.” The ship
rises with the long and high ascending wave,
IT
:
.
.
1
'
:
..
THE STORM.
87
and O what a horrid gulf presents itself; when
down again she descends, as it were, " to the
depths," so that the hollow of the sea looks like
the opening grave into which she goes down ap-
parently to rise no more
But take the description of a storm from the
pen of a clergyman, who had once been a Lieu-
tenant in the Royal Navy. *
“No man has long been at séa' without expe-
riencing what the landsman calls storms and
tempests. And those who have navigated foreign
seas, -and been accustomed to distant voyages,
have often witnessed what no mere resident on
shore can form any adequate idea of; the gather-
ing darkness and wild confusion of a tempest-
driven sky, torn asunder only to make way for
fresh discharges of lightning, and stronger howl-
ings of the wind ;--the thunder rolling through
the vault of heaven, and shaking the trembling
masts down to the very keel of the labouring
vessel. The mountain-waves, piling on each
· Other, rushing forward, and sounding the very
knell of death as they break, and half bury the
restless bark in their dreary foam. The sails
blowing from the yards, the yards themselves
gone in the slings; the masts, perhaps, plunging
over the side, and carrying part of the helpless
crew with them into the merciless deep. The
groaning wreck rolling ungovernable in the
trough of the sea; the leaks increasing and gain-
ing on the crew; the chain-pumps sending forth
their dismal clanking sound; and, above all, a
frightful lee-shore stretching itself within view,
.
.
:.
The Rev. Richard Marks, Vicar of Great Missenden
Bucks, author of The Retrospect, and of many valuable
Tracts for Seamen.
88
SERMON VIII.
and every hour becoming more and more distinct,
frowning only death on all who approach it." :
..These are scenes on which poets have often
written, and orators have harangued their au-
dience; but they are scenes which neither poets
nor orators can describe as they really appear to
those who themselves go down to the sea in
ships, and do business in great waters." These
men do, indeed,“ see the works of the Lord, and
his wonders in the deep." O, that they were
more inclined to acknowledge his hand, and to
fear his power, to seek his blessing, and to be-
lieve in, and love, his Son Jesus Christ!”
11. We may now procecd to consider the natu-
ral effect of a dreadful storm, or, the fear and
trouble thereby occasioned. Our text says of the
mariners" their soul is melted because of
trouble; they reel to and fro, and stagger like
a drunken man, and are at their wit's end."
There are, at sea, seasons of such dreadful
danger, that the stoutest heart must tremble;
when, having tried every means of safety that
experienced seamen could devise, they are at
o their wit's end”-not knowing what more
to do in fact, able to do nothing more, but
let the ship drive, and leave themselves, to
the mercy of God; when, perhaps, such is the
rolling of the ship that, as the text speaks, “ they
stagger” on the deck, unable to keep on their
feet at all. In such circumstances it is no dis-
grace to fear, or be sensible of the danger. It
is said in the book of Jonah, (chap. i. 45.). that
when that prophet had disobeyed his God, and
was fleeing to Tarshish, instead of going to
Nineveh, to preach repentance to the people,
and had gone on board a vessel at Joppa bound
THB. STORM.
89
to Tarshish, that God, in order to punish him for
disobeying orders,“ sent out a great wind into
· the sea (the Mediterranean) and there was a
mighty tempest, so that the ship was like to be
broken”-that then“ the mariners were afraid”-
not the passengers, who might not be used to
hard gales, but the mariners--bold, hardy men,
accustomed to difficulties and dangers, even they
were afraid. Those mariners were heathens, who
knew little of another world; of the joys of
heaven, or the miseries of hell; who scarcely
knew that they had souls, which must live after
the death of the body. How much more reason
have those mariners to fear, who have received
some knowledge, however small, through their
criminal neglect, from the Bible, which tells them
that the great God who made them, and who has
threatened impenitent sinners with eternal pu-
nishment, can not only kill the body, but cast
both body and soul into hell.?' Surely " it is a
fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living
God,! who is justly provoked by our sins ! :
: A storm at sea has a tendency to awaken the
sleeping conscience; to call to mind the years
that are past, and the sins with which they have
been filled ;-the thousands of horrid oaths which
have been sworn; the abominable and filthy acts
of lewdness which have been committed; the
obscene and blasphemous songs which have been
sung; and the beastly drunkenness of days and
years that are past. Then also will rush into his
mind his sin and fully, in neglecting the means
of grace when on shore; the wretched manner
in which his sabbaths were spent; and his sin-
ful slighting of that gospel which, had it been
duly regarded, would have inspired him with a
blessed hope of salvation, sufficient to support
...
"
I 3
90
SERMON VIIT.
his heart in the present moment of distress : and,
added to all this, perhaps, the recollection of the
neglect and contempt of a pious mother's ad-
vice and prayers and tears. O what bitter re-
morse, what keen anguish must seize the mind
of the guilty wretch, who has all his life long
defied his Maker, forgotten his soul, lived with-
out God, and without prayer, and is now ready
to launch into an awful eternity! For what is
the sinking of the body into the deep, compared
with the sinking of the soul into hell? What is
the pain of dying in the water, compared with
the torments of the damned in hell," where their
worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched?".
It is thus that “ the sting of death is sin," It
is not merely dying, though that is terrible to
nature; but it is the consequence of dying, and of
dying “in our sins"-sins unrepented of! sins
unforgiven! For a vast eternity is before us.
Eternity! O who can conceive what that word
means? Thousands tens of thousands-millions
of years more millions of years than there are
drops of water in all the oceans of the world!
And into this boundless eternity the soul must
launch at death. “ It is appointed unto men
once to die, and after death the judgment."
“ Every man must stand before the judgment
seat of Christ"-of that gracious, but neglected
and despised Saviour, and then every one of
us must give an account of hiniself to God;"
then every man's works shall be exposed all
his thoughts, words and actions, even those which
were the most secret; God will bring them all
into judgment. And, 0, who can then stand ?
Then, indeed, the wieked will be " at their wit's
end," and know not what to do. Happy will
they be, though now despised, who, sensible of
19
THE STORM.
91
their sin and misery, have fled for refuge to the
Redeemer, and have believed in him to the.
saving of their souls; while all unbelievers and
neglecters of Christ will be condemned, and must
hear the dreadful sentence “ Depart from me,
ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the
devil and his angels.”
These are reflections which will force then-
gelves upon the minds of men in seasons of ex-
treme danger. The Lord has a voice that will
be heard, when he “ thunders in the excellency
of his power;" then the most profane will cease
to damn his soul and his limbs, as he used to do
before, when the vivid lightning glares before
his eyes, and the yawning gulf is ready to swal-
low him up: then the profane infidel will feel his
heart sicken within him, and he will tremble at
the rolling thunder that rends the skies, the roar-
ing, breaking surf, or the nearing, terrific, lee-
shore. It is not in the power of a wicked man to
witness such scenes with stoical indifference;
nothing but “ a good hope through grace," that
sin is pardoned, and the soul secure in Christ, is
sufficient to produce a calm within; for, desti-
tute of this, the raging tempest without, is but
an emblem of the more dreadful storm within ;
for “there is no peace saith my God, to the wick-
ed,” but their guilty consciences are like the
troubled sea which cannot rest."
What can be done in this case? Is there no
remedy for the distressed, despairing seaman?
Is there no refuge, when earthly helpers fail, and
when “his soul is melted because of trouble?”
We answer, there is a remedy; there is a refuge,
there is an Almighty Helper, “one who is able
to save to the uttermost." To him, therefore,
let instant application be made by fervent prayer.
1.
92 :
SERMON VIII.
And this is the third part of our discourse. The
text says" Then they cry unto the Lord in
their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their
distresses.” Let us, then, contemplate,
in. The Refuge of a distressed seaman in a storm.
And where shall the seaman, ready to perish,
find a refuge? He is “ at his wit's end." He
has done all he can. No human arm can help.
He must look to God, who is called by the psalm-
ist (Ps. Ixv. 5.) “ The God of our salvation"-
" the confidence of all the ends of the earth;"
and, let the seaman mark it well, it is added,
6 the confidence of them that are afar off upon
the sea." Are you far from your native country?
Are you far off in a foreign sea ?-still is God, the
true and only source of confidence. He is able to
help in the most dangerous circumstances. And
how often has he appeared to the despairing
mariner, “a present help in the time of trouble!"
You have, doubtless, read or heard of numerous
instances, in which God has sent relief, when the
seamen have judged that there was but a step be-
tween them and death, when they expected every
moment to be buried in a watery grave!
· Remarkable was that interposition of our
Saviour on behalf of his disciples, which is record-
ed in Matthew viii. 23--27Our Lord was with
them in a boat on the sea of Galilee, when it
blew such a terrible gale, that the vessel " was
covered with the waves ;” indeed slie had shipped
80 much water that she was nearly swamped, and
just ready to go down. Our Lord, who had
nothing to fear, was calmly sleeping in the stern.
His disciples, who were fishermen, and accus-
tomed from their childhood to the water, were
greatly alarmed; and waking him from his re-
.
.....
1
X
Si
A
THE STORM.
93
pose, cried " Lord, save us, we perish!"-a
short but good prayer in a storm, “Lord,
save us, we perish.” Our merciful Saviour
immediately regarded their cry, “ arose; re-
buked the wind and the sea; and said unto the
sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and
there was a great calm.” Well might the dis-
ciples express their astonishment as they did, for
they exclaimed, "What manner of man is this,
that even the winds and the sea obey him!”
Seamen! Jesus Christ was the Maker, and is
still the Master of the sea; but he is not asleep.
He sees you; he see your distress, and is able
to deliver you. Cry unto the Lord in your trouble.
Say, as the disciples did,“ Save, Lord, we perish;'
and who can tell? it may be he will arise for
your salvation.
There is an old proverb to this effect: “If a
man would learn to pray, let him go to sea;' the
meaning is-Such are the perils of the sea, that
even ungodly men who used not to pray on shore,
will be obliged, by danger and fear of death, to
pray to God for help. It would be well if all who
go to sea, would learn to pray, and, certainly, of
all men in the world, seamen ought to be the most
holy and religious, for none are exposed to so
many destructive dangers. But there are few
men so hardened in sin, who, when danger and
death stare them in the face, will refuse to pray. ;
A remarkable instance is recorded in the book
of Jonah, (which was just mentioned before), of a
ship's crew, consisting entirely of heathens, ex-
cept the prophet Jonah, who in a very dangerous
storm was rebuked by the master of the vessel for
neglecting to pray. The master was surprised
that he, who 'professed to be “a man of God,”!
should not pray in such a time of danger! As for
94
SERMON VIII.
them, we are told, that “every man cried unto his
god." The light of nature, the voice of con-
science, and the fear of death, urged them to seek
relief from their Idol gods, which, after all, were
no gods. These poor blind heathens did not curse
and swear in the gale, as some men, who are
called Christians, do; but they prayed tomthey
knew not whom. Will not these poor heathen
rise up in judgment and condemn those British
seamen, who curse and swear, but never pray?
The ship-master reproved the careless prophet
by saying, “What meanest thóu, O sleeper? Arise,
and call upon thy God, if so be that God will think
upon us, that we perish not." Here is a fine
example for a master of a vessel. Such a man
ought to care, not only for the safety of the ship,
and of the cargo, and of the bodies of the crew,
but for his own soul in the first place, and then for
the souls of all who sail with him. He ought to
maintain the worship of God in his ship with his
men, daily, and especially on the Lord's day: he
should restrain sin as much as possible, and pro-
mote religion in all the crew. And, like the
master of the ship in which Jonah sailed, he
should exhort all on board, in the time of danger,
to unite in prayer for deliverance. He should
bid “every man call upon his God." .::
How often has he been pleased to listen to the
cry of distressed seamen, and, according to our
text, “bring them out of their distresses!” The
gale has abated; the wind, which was driving
them on a lee-shore, has shifted; the leak has been
stopped; or by some other means, the ship has
been restored to a state of safety, every life has
been spared, and all have proceeded on their
voyage: or, when it has happened otherwise, and
the ship has either foundered, or been driven on
UIT
1
THE STORM.
95
shore, how often has God in his goodness sent re-
lief, by the assistance of another vessel, the arrival
of boats from the shore, or even by floating on the
wreck, so that, as in the case of St. Paul's ship-
wreck on the island of Malta," some on boards,
and some on broken pieces of the ship; and so it
came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.”
But let it be remembered, that the salvation of
the soul is of infinitely greater importance than
the salvation of the body. The seaman delivered
from a watery grave, obtains only a tempo-
rary respite; for “what man is he who liveth and
shall not see death?" And it is of comparatively
little consequence whether a poor mortal die at
sea or on shore; and whether he die a young or
an old man, so that his soul is safe. It should,
therefore, be much more the concern of every sea-
man that his sins should be pardoned, and his
soul prepared by grace for a holy heaven, than
that he should escape the danger of the sea. God
has no where given an absolute promise to deliver
from , death every man who prays for it; and,
doubtless, many a good as well as bad man has
been drowned in the sea; but God has graciously
promised, that “whosoever confesseth and forsak-
eth his sin, shall find mercy.” Jesus Christ has pro-
mised, that " whoever comes to him” for life and
salvation shall “ in no wise be cast out”-that as
Moses lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilder..
ness, so that every wounded man who looked to
it was healed and lived, so he, being lifted up on
the cross, will save every one who looks to hiin
by faith for salvation : he has promised that who-
soever comes to him, looks to him, calls upon him,
believes in him, “shall not perish, but have ever- -
lasting life.” For this purpose, then, first and
chiefly, let the affrighted seaman, in the furious
96
SERMON VIIT.
and threatening storm, “ call upon the Lord in
his trouble;" let him pray for pardoning mercy.
and sanctifying grace; and then, in humble sub-
mission to the will of God, intreat the deliverance
of himself and his shipmates from the threatening
danger, and then, whether he lives or dies, all will
be well.
Such are the sentiments which ought to be en-
tertained by Mariners in a storm; and, for this
purpose, they should be received beforehand.
Let them be seriously considered in the time of
prosperity, when all is calm and still; for such is
generally the state of things in a gale, that men
cannot possibly read, and seldom can they medi-
tate, as they ought, on the approach of death. Let
the seaman, then, read or hear this Sermon, and
think of it while in a state of safety and peace.
Let him suppose that a storm, such as has been
described, may happen, during the present voy-
age. Let him figure to himself what may be the
fears and terrors that may seize his mind when
death seems just at hand. Let him ask himself,
What shall I do then? Where shall my guilty
spirit find a refuge? And let him learn that Jesus
Christ is the sinner's friend, the sailor's friend.
Even now he waits to be gracious, and is ready
to receive you, if you come to him for refuge.
Know then, for your comfort, that “Now is the
accepted time--Now is the day of salvation."
Look to him for pardon and grace. Trust in him
for everlasting life. Seek from him a new heart
and a right spirit. Now begin a life of faith and
prayer, of love and of holiness-then fear no
storms nor tempests. There is no condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus; we have his
word for it-" they shall never perish, but have
everlasting life!”
Thanksgiving for Deliverance.
SERMON IX.
PSALM cvii. 31,
Oh that men would praise the Lord for his good-
ness, and for his wonderful works to the children
of men!
HOW reasonable is this wish! All men have
reason to praise the Lord for his goodness;
but SEAMEN have peculiar cause to do so, espe-
cially when delivered from death and danger, to
which they were exposed in a heavy gale. Thou-
sands of seamen have perished in such a storm
as that which you have just weathered. Many,
it may be feared, have actually perished in the
late storm; but you are saved; you are “ the liy-
ing to praise God:”O that you may now « praise
the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful
works" to you, the children of men. The text
teaches us that
TES
God's goodness ought to be thankfully ac-
knowledged by seamen who have safely weathered
a storm.
The text seems to intimate the Forgetfulness
of those who have received mercies; or their
Ingratitude, in neglecting to praise the Lord for
his goodness. “O that men would praise the
Lord for his goodness !” Men are generally more
ungrateful to God than they are to one another.
If a man receives a favour from his friend, he
o
thate to praise Tess or their
Lord for his
s
98
SERMON IX.
usually acknowledges it with pleasure, and en-
deavours, if he can, to return the favour; and
British seamen are generally reckoned generous
in their conduct to their friends, and even to
their enemies. It is a sad thing that we should use
God worse than we use one another, for he is
certainly our best friend at all times. But alas,
he may justly complain of us, as he complained
of his ancient people the Jews of Hear, o
heavens, and give ear, 0 earth: for the Lord
hath spoken: I have nourished and brought up
children, and they have rebelled against me.
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his mas-
ter's crib : but Israel doth not know, my people
doth not consider.” (Isaiah i. 2, 3.) Our Saviour
made a like complaint against several persons
whom he had cured of their leprosy. Ten men
had been healed of that disease, but only one
praised the Lord for his goodness." Were there,
not ten cleansed," said he," but where are the
nine? There are none who returned to give glory
to God, save this stranger." And shall it be
said of this ship's company, All are saved, but
there is not one in ten of them who praises the
Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful
works to the children of men ? Even good men
sometimes neglect this duty. It is charged upon
Hezekiah, the pious king of Judah, when he
recovered from a very dangerous illness, that
“ he rendered not unto God, according to what
he had received :" and it is recorded concern-
ing the people of Israel, who had been con-
ducted dry-shod across the channel of the Red
Sea in safety, and delivered from their furious,
pursuing enemies, that though “ they did sing
his praise, they soon forgat his works." Now, to
prevent such sinful ingratitude, by which the
THANKSGIVING FOR DELIVERANCE. 99
God of your mercies will be sorely displeased,
attend to the following considerations.
31
1. Consider the greatness of the danger which
you have escaped. May it not be said, “ There
was but a step between you and death?” Others,
it may be, have perished in the late gale; they
aite taken, and you are left. Some, perhaps,
have sunk in the mighty waters, and are be-
come the prey of the devouring inhabitants of
the ocean. Their souls have been summoned
to the tribunal of a holy God, and have received
the sentence of life or of death. They have en-,
tered upon that state of suffering or of enjoyment
which shall never, never end. But you are
spared. God has lengthened out the space al-
lowed you for repentance. But had you died,
where would your soul have been now? Ah!
Conscience, what sayest thou? What is the pro-
bability ? Certainly, if God had “ dealt with you
according to your sins, and rewarded you ac-
cording to your iniquities," you would even now
have been lifting up your eyes in torments. But
God, in his infinite mercy, has spared your life,
that henceforth you may seek his face, obtain
the pardon of your sins, and « work out your
own salvation with fear and trembling." Surely
he is now saying to you, “ Let the wicked for-
sake his way, and the unrighteous man his
thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord,
and he will have mercy upon him; and to our
God, for he will abundantly pardon." Is. lv. 7.
O reflect then, on the dangers you have es-
caped--the dangers of the sens, and the far
greater danger of eternal misery! God has “re-
deened your life from destruction”--the life of
your body; O pray to him also to “ forgive all
100
SERMON IX.
your iniquities," “ to heal all the diseases” of
your souls, and to crown the late deliverance
with his “ loving kindness and tender mercies."
Psalm ciii. 3, 4. .
2. Consider by whose Almighty POWER you
have been delivered. Ascribe not your safety
to Chance or good Fortune. There is no such
thing as Chance or Fortune. It is a heathen
fancy, and the words do not become the mouth
of a Christian. No. It is to the good Provi-
dence of God; it is to his Almighty Power, that
you owe your deliverance. Say not it was by
your skill, your good seamanship, your courage,
your labour, your persevering efforts, that the
ship is saved. If God gave you skill and courage
and strength, thank him for it; but know and
acknowledge that it is He who “ maketh the
storm a calm, so that the waves of the sea
are still.” You may now adopt the words of
the Psalmist (Ps. xciii. 3, 4.) « The floods have
lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their
voice; the floods have lifted up their waves :"
and you may add, “ The Lord on high is mightier
than the noise of many waters, yea, than the
mighty waves of the sea.” Those waves were
indeed mighty; that noise was indeed tremendons,
and threatened soon to reduce to the silence
of death every soul on board; but the Lord, who
holds the seas in the hollow of his hand, was
pleased to issue his high command; he said,
6 Peace, be still,” and then the winds were
hushed, the gale abated, the sea went down, and
you were saved.
3. Consider, especially, the GOODNESS of God,
in this deliverance. This is what the text par-
THANKSGIVING FOR DELIVERANCE.
101
ticularly invites you to regard. “O that men
would praise the Lord for his goodness.” “The
Lord is goorl to all, and his tender mercies are
over all his works." His goodness feeds us; his
goodness clothes us; his goodness protects us:
but when he snatches us from the very jaws of
destruction, from the watery grave which opened
its mouth to receive us--then, especially, is his
great goodness to be acknowledged and ad-
mired.
Honest Seaman ! say, Was there any thing in
thee to deserve this favour? Did thy oaths, thy
drunkenness, thy lewdness, thy sabbath-breaking,
deserve such a blessing as this ? No; you will
frankly say, my sins called for a different treat-
ment. God might have taken me at my word,
when I uttered some blasphemous imprecation;
and I might have known, by woeful experience,
the meaning of such words as “hell and danma-
tion," which I was accustomed wantonly and
wickedly to use. Whoever pretends to merit,
I have none to boast of; but goodness, pure
goodness, undeserved goodness, forfeited good-
ness, has rescued me from destruction, and
spared me to bless my great and gracious
Preserver.
It is said of the heathen mariners who sailed
with Jonah the prophet, that, after they had, at
his own request, “ cast him forth into the sea”
and, in consequence thereof the sea ceased
from her raging”-“ then the men feared the
Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto
the Lord, (Jehovah,) and made vows.” Jonah i. 16.
By the ceasing of the storm, according to the
prediction of the prophet, they were convinced
that Jonah's God was the only true God, and they
resolved they would never worship any other
K 3
102
SERMON IX.
C
doup had, aame to the sacrifat we are. 150
6 they feared him exceedingly”--they were filled
with a holy awe and reverence of him; they
feared the Lord and his goodness; and in token
of their gratitude, they offered a sacrifice to him.
Whether they had any animal left on board that
survived the gale, we know not; if they had, no
doubt they sacrificed it; but they gave the best
they had, and probably resolved to do more
when they came to anchor. However, we are
sure that they offered the “sacrifice of praise and
thanksgiving.” And this is what we are now
called to offer, as St. Paul speaks, (Heb. xiii. 15,)
“By him that is by Jesus Christ) let us offer
the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that
is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his
name.”
It is further said of them, “ they made vows."
In the time of great danger, and when the fear
of death prevails, it is no uncommon thing for men
to make vows; to make solemn promises to God
of repentance and reformation, if he will save their
lives, and send them deliverance; and some of
the most hardened and atheistical sinners have
been known to do this, in the moment of ex-
tremity, though they were unwilling to own it.
Nor is it improper to make vows, if it be done
with a dependence on the grace of God to enable
us to perform them; for so deceitful and des-
perately wicked is the human heart, that such
vows are frequently forgotten, and come to
nothing. And if they are made in our own
strength, this will probably be the case. But let
the seaman humbly resolve that, if God spare his
life, he will, by his grace and strength, forsake
his sins, seek his face, and engage in his service.
And not only did the poor pagan seamen thus
resolve, but Jonah himself also, who, after be
THANKSGIVING FOR DELIVERANCE. 103
had been thrown into the sea, and swallowed by a
whale, or rather, the great fish * “ prayed unto
the Lord his God, out of the fish's belly.” He also
promised to " sacrifice unto him with the voice
of thanksgiving, and pay to the Lord that which
he had vowed.” Jonah ii. 9. This was the reso-
lution of a man of God, when he was punished
for refusing to go and preach repentance to the
Ninevites. He believed that God would hear his
prayer, save his life from corruption, and bring
him again to see his holy temple at Jerusalem.
There and then, no doubt, he presented proper
sacrifices, and paid the vows he had made in the
* Some persons have pretended that it was impossible for
Jonah to be swallowed by a whale, because the throat of
that fish is too narrow to admit of a man's body. To this
objection I would answer, 1. In the book of Jonah, where
this event is recorded, it is not said that a whale swallowed
him. The words are (chap. i. 17.) “ Now the Lord had
prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah ;" and in the ed
chapter, verse 1, “ Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out
of the fish's belly"-it is not said out of the whale's belly.
And who can doubt that the Almighty could, if so he
pleased, prepare a fish sufficiently large for this purpose.
In, the New Testament, the Greek word, translated in
Matt. xii. 40." a whale,” signifies a great fish, or sea-beast,
and not necessarily a whale. Indeed many think it was a
shark which swallowed Jonah, for the throat of a large
shark is capable of receiving the body of a man, and the
bodies of men have been found whole in the bellies of
sharks ; it is also well known that sharks are found in the
Mediterranean--the sea in which this happened."
It ought also to be known that there is a species of whale
called the Cashelot, Catodon, or Pott-Fish, described in
Crantz's History of Greenland, Vol. I. p. 112, &c, whose
throat is so large that he can swallow an ox. One of these
whales, having been struck by a harpoon, threw up, in his
anguish, a whole shark, four yards in length.
After all, the miraculous power of God, can alone ac-
count for the whole transaction, and with him “ all things
are possible." "6 Is any thing too hard for Jehovah ?"
104
SERMON 1X.
day of trouble. « Salvation," said he, “ is of the
Lord.” Well inight he say so, and well may you
say so. Yes, your salvation is indeed of the
Lord. “O that men would praise the Lord for
his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the
children of men!”
This then, is the duty to which you are called.
After a heavy gale, as soon as circumstances
would allow, pious captains have called their
people together, and on their bended knees have
offered up their heart-felt thanks to their almighty
preserver. Every seaman should do the same for
himself, in a private manner, as soon as he can.
And when it is practicable to go ashore, it is very
proper to resort, the fiøst opportunity that occurs,
to a parish church, or some other place of
Christian worshi!, and there, by the mouth of
the minister, (who should be fully informed of
the deliverance) present to the living God the
tribute of your praises.
But this is not enough. Let every seaman say,
with David, "What shall I render to the Lord
for all his benefits ?" This is the proper language
of a grateful soul. As if he should say-Surely
I ought to render something! I owe much to
God; my body, my soul, my life, my all. But
What can I render? I have nothing worth his
acceptance. I can no more give a recompence
to him now, for his mercy, than I could do any
thing beforchand to merit his favour. He is too
great to be enriched by the most princely gifts.
He said to his people of old, “I will take no
bullock out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy
folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, and
the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the
fowls of the mountains, and the wild beasts of
the field are mine." Psalm 1. - 12. What
THANKSGIVING FOR DELIVERANCE. 106
then can a poor seaman render to his Almighty
Deliverer, his heavenly Benefactor? God him-
self has vouchsafed to give the answer, and satisfy
the enquirer. It follows, in the same psalm-
“ Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows
unto the Most High: and call upon me in the
day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou
shalt glorify me.” God is pleased to account
himself honoured, even by his unworthy creatures,
when they praise him, for he has said, “ Whoso
offereth praise glorifieth me." And after the
text just referred to after the psalmist had said,
“ What shall I render p" he adds" I will take
the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of
the Lord.” It was the custom of the Jews at
some of their feasts, to drink of a cup handed
round to all, which they called “ The cup of sal-
vation," or " the cup of blessing,” or of thanks
for some great deliverance, or some great mercy
received ; and our Saviour alluded to this custom
when he instituted the holy sacrament of the
Supper. Think of this when you drink for your
refreshment, and let blessing, not cursing, ever
hereafter accompany such refreshment. If you
remember to bless God at such times, you will
never drink to excess.
And here, let it be observed, that it is not
enough that you thank God with words merely;
he expects that you should glorify him by your
future obedience. Call to mind those excellent
words which you have in the “ General Thanks-
giving,” in the Common Prayer Book. “And
we beseech thee give us that due sense of all thy
mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly
thankful; and that we may shew forth thy praise
- not only with our lips, but in our lives; by giving
106
SERMON IX.
op to thy odnesses you tes, and be
up ourselves to thy service, and by walking be.
fore thee in holiness and righteousness, all our.
days, through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Let me remind you also of those sentences
which you will find in the “ Forms of Prayer to
be used at Sea”-“And we beseech thee, inake
us truly sensible now of thy mercy; as we were
then of the danger : and give us hearts always
ready to express our thankfulness, not only by
words, but also by our lives, in being more obedi-
ent to thy holy commandments."
The goodness of God in your late deliverance
powerfully invites you to RÉPENTANCE. Look
back upon your past lives, and be ashamed and
grieved that you have so often provoked that
gracious Being who followed you with goodness
and mercy all your days, and who has now added
to all his mercies this great deliverance. Do you
feel sorry for your sins? Is the “ remembrance
of them grievous, is the burden of them intoler-
able ?” Look then to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of
- God. That precious blood which, once for all,
he shed on the cross, is sufficient to cleanse you
from all your sins, and secure your peace with
God. But “ bring forth fruits meet for repent-
ance,” Matt. iii. 8.-That is, prove, by the re-
formation of your lives, that you are sincere pe-
nitents. The truth of repentance cannot be
proved by the terrors felt in a storm, by the
prayers then poured out, nor by the thanksgivings
offered just after the danger is over. We are not
truly sorry for our sins, if we go on in them.
True repentance is seated in the heart, but it ;
must produce fruit in the life. The sincere pe-
nitent will forsake his sins; will be humble and
lowly in his own eyes, will be patient in his suffer-
THANKSGIVING FOR DELIVERANCE. 107
ings, obedient to his superiors, and kind to all his
neighbours. In short, he will be “a new creature.”
CONCLUSION.
And now, fellow-seamen, Let the late gale be
well improved. Perhaps you will not easily for-
get your danger; do not forget your deliverance;
do not forget your Deliverer; do not forget to
praise him both by your lips and your lives. For
should you again return to folly; should you
again plunge into your former vices, know this,
that your guilt will be redoubled. You have had
a fair warning. O, beware “ lest your hearts be
hardened, through the deceitfulness of sin," as
St. Paul speaks Heb. iii. 13. It is a most awful
word which we have in the book of Proverbs,
chapter xxix. 1. “He that being often reproved
hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed,
and that without remedy." Have you not been
often reproved by parents, by ministers, by
officers, hy shipmates and by this escape-per-
haps by former escapes ? O refuse not reproof,
lest sudden destruction come upon you, as it
certainly has done upon some rebellious and
hardened sinners!
As yet there is hope. God has delivered you
from the raging sea; pray to him to deliver
you from your reigning sins, and from that tre-
mendous storm of wrath, far worse than that
you have just escaped, which will fall upon im-
penitent sinners. The refuge is before you; the
gate is open; fly to it, and you are safe for ever.
108
SERMON IX.
THE REFUGE.
JESU, Lover of my soul,
Let me to thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters rolle
While the tempest still is high:
Hide me, () my Saviour, hide,
Till the storm of life be past:
Safe into the haven guide,
O receive my soul at last!
Other refuge have I none,
Hangs my helpless soul on thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me:
All my trust on thee is stay'd;
All my help from thee I bring ;
Cover my defenceless head
With the shadow of thy wing.
Allmu support a
Thou, O Christ, art all I want;
More than all in thee I find : .
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
Heal the sick, and lead the blind :
Just and holy is thy Name;
I am all unrighteousness :
Vile, and full of sin, I am;
Thou art full of Truth and Grace.
Plenteous grace with thee is found,
Grace to pardon all my sin:
Let the healing streams abound;
Make and keep me pure withio :
Thou of Life the fountain art,
Freely let me take of thee:
Spring thou up within my heart,
Rise to all eternity!
On the Death of a Shipmate.
SERMON X.
PROVERBS xiv. 32.
The wicked is driven away in his wickedness; but
the righteous hath hope in his death.
SOLOMON said— The living know that they
shall die,” and he said truly; they do know
it; but they too often forget it; nor do they wish
to remember it: but there are times and seasons
when we are all obliged to remember it: and
such is the present time, when it hath pleased
God," in whose hand is our breath and all our
ways," to remove by death one of our number.
We should manifest a brutish insensibility if, on
so solemn an occasion, we should not lay it to
heart, and “ so number our own days, as hence-
forth to apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Death
is a great teacher; and it will be our own fault
if we do not listen to its instruction; and learn,
.by the death of others, to prepare for our own; for
doubtless the language of this event to each of
us, is, “ Be-ye also ready; for in such an hour as
ye think not, the Son of man cometh.”.
The text divides the world into two parties-
the two parties into which all mankind will be
divided in the day of judgment—" the righteous
and the wicked.” Both must die; but there is
a great difference between their manner of
dying— the wicked is driven away in his wicked-
ness,” that is his dreadful manner of dying ; but
“ the righteous hath hope in his death," a "good
hope, through grace," of being with Christ, and
110
SERMON X.
happy for ever. Now, if such will be the great
difference between the death of the wicked and
that of the righteous, and as we all know that
we shall certainly die, it will be our wisdom to
attend seriously to what will now be said
1. On the Death of the Wicked, and
II. On the Death of the Righteous; and may
the Holy Spirit of God so affect our hearts with
these great and important truths, that each of
us may devoutly say, “Let me die the death of
the righteous, and let my last end be like his !”
First, let us seriously consider this sad part of
the subject--the death of the wicked. But let
us first dwell a moment on this solemn thought
ALL MUST DIE. All, without exemption; from
the king on the throne to the poorest labourer in
the cottage--from the admiral down to the cabin-
boy. And why must all die? Because " it is ap-
pointed for men once to die." It is the decree
of him who made all the laws of nature; who
appointed day and night, summer and winter,
seed-time and harvest. As well might we try to
alter the ebbing and flowing of the tide, or for-
bid the wind to blow, as resist or alter this high
decree of heaven. On the entrance of sin into
the world by the fall of Adam, God pronounced
the awful sentence on all the human race, “ Dust
thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."
This sentence is daily executed; thousands of
our fellow creatures die every hour; and one of
our own number has lately been called hence;
his body has been committed to the sea, and his
“ spirit hath returned to God who gave it."
O consider how short-how vain-how swift is
human life! Once it extended to almost a thou-
ON THE DEATH OF A SHIPMATE. 111
sand years; now it is reduced to seventy, or much
less. “Man that is born of a woman is of few
days;" yea, his life is compared to “ the day of
an hireling ;' it is compared to “ a span;" yea,
to an “ hand breadth.” It is compared to the
“ fading flower of the field;" to " a vapour;" to
the “ wind;" yea, the Psalmist says—“Mine age
is as nothing before thee!”
And I, how vain it is! " Childhood and youth
are almost always vanity." Childhood is spent
in pitiful trifling and foolish pastines. Youth
is too often rash, proud, headstrong, devoted to
sinful pleasures, and carnal lusts, " which war
against the soul.” Middle life is generally filled
with anxious cares and severe exertions. Then
comes old age, with all its pains, and aches, and
infirmities, and is little more than “ labour and
sorrow."
In all cases, it passes away swiftly, it is like
the “ shadow of a cloud,” skimming over a mea.
dow in a windy day. It is “swifter than a weaver's
shuttle,” which is shot in a moment across the
web. It is “ swifter than a post," which like
time and tide, pauses for no man; it is com-
pared to the flight of an “eagle," pouncing on its
prey; and finally to“ the swift ships.” (Job ix. 26.)
This is a striking comparison. You well know
with what amazing rapidity some fast-sailing ves-
sels, with a fresh and fair wind, will fly, as it
were, by every object that is stationary, or that
may be thrown overboard by any of the crew.
Scarcely has the eye caught the object than, in
an instant, the vessel has passed it by, and in a
short time it is left many leagues astern. Such
is the rapid flight of man's days here on earth.
He is constantly hurried on in his voyage of life.
Time, like a mighty wind, fills every sail, and
112
SERMON X
neither slackens nor shifts its point until it has
borne us into the port of death.
Such is life! short-vain--swift! And then
comes Death-it comes to all. But mark. See
how it comes to the wicked to the man who has
lived without the fear of God to the profane,
the drunken, the debauched ; to the man that
lived without prayer, that lived without God,
the careless sinner, the scoffer at religion, the
infidel! How does he die? “He is driven away."
He is driven away. This implies Violence, and
Reluctance. Violence. Die he must. The time
is come. His bounds were appointed; he can-
not pass. Solomon says, Eccl. viii. 8. “There
is no man that hath power to retain the spirit;
neither hath he power in the day of death: and
there is no discharge in that war ; neither shall
wickedness deliver those that are given to it.”.
Death is an irresistible foe. None can escape it;
none can bribe it, none can conquer it. Not the
prince with all his authority; nor the statesman
with all his policy; nor the lawyer with all his
skill; nor the physician with all his experience ;
nor the orator with all his eloquence; nor the
soldier or sailor with all his courage. The timid
coward cannot be excused from engaging with
this enemy, or find a substitute to fight for him
for “ there is no discharge in this war” as there
is in some others. Nor shall wickedness skreen
the sinner. Notorious offenders sometimes resist
or evade the power of human laws; but how-
ever he may “strengthen himself in his wicked-
ness,” (Ps. lii. 7.) he will find death too strong
for him, and his wickedness will be so far from
delivering him from death, that it will render
bim a more easy prey.
The wicked is driven away; he goes with great
ON THE DEATH OF A SHIPMATE. 113
reluctance. Fain would he live, were it possible,
at any rate. Some wicked men, who were very
rich, have offered thousands of pounds, yea, half
their estates, to their physicians, if they could
lengthen their lives but for a few weeks. And
well may a wicked man be afraid to die. That
all such persons do not tremble at the approach
of death may easily be accounted for. In many
cases they are flattered by their friends, who will
not suffer the word Death, or the danger of it,
to be mentioned in their hearing; and who will
not send for a minister to pray with them, lest
they should be alarmed, or lest he should faith-
fully warn them to fly from the wrath to come.
In other cases, especially in some disorders, dying
people flatter themselves--will not believe they
are in danger, continue their worldly pursuits
and amusements, and die, perhaps, with the
cards in their hands.
In too many cases, dying people encourage
themselves by a false and deceitful hope. There
is the hope of the Ignorant, the hope of the
Pharisee, and the hope of the Hypocrite.
The ignorant man knows not God; knows not
that he is a holy and just Being, who has given
man a law to be obeyed, and a gospel to be be-
lieved, and both on pain of eternal death. But
he foolishly supposes that God is all mercy ;
pretends that he will not damn his creatures for a
few sins; boasts that he is not worse than others,
and that he shall do as well as the rest. Such
horrid ignorance is to be found even in this en-
lightened country.
The pharisee builds his false hope on his own
good heart, or his own good works; and thinks
that his praying, and charities, and sincere obe-
dience, will save him. Thus he “ goes about"
L 3
114
SERMON X.
(as the Scripture speaks) “ to establish his own
righteousness, not submitting," as he ought most
thankfully, “ to the righteousness of Christ.”
Thus he rejects the way of salvation prescribed
in the gospel, and does in effect “ frustrate the
grace of God," and say that “ Christ died in
vain.”
Then there is the still worse and destructive
" hope of the Hypocrite," which for its insecurity
is compared to the spider's web. Job viii. 14.
The hope of that wicked man, who wears the
mask, and assumes the garb of a saint, merely
that he may deceive, and cover his hateful crimes
under the cloke of religious profession, forgetting
that the eyes of Christ, with whom he has to do,
are as “a flame of fire,” and that there is nothing
secret now, which shall not be published in the
great day.
These are the false hopes by which sinners,
under the influence of the Devil, the great De-
ceiver, impose upon themselves, and sometimes
die in peace, or “ like lambs," as the common
saying is. Whereas, if they knew God, if they
knew themselves, they would tremble to think of
appearing before him.
Doubtless there are many of our unhappy
fellow-mortals who die in black despair. Some-
times they are too weak to be able to tell their
fears; or are unwilling to distress their weeping
relations, and sometimes, the dreadful and
agonizing fears of perdition are not understood
by ignorant nurses; or kept secret by their friends,
who perhaps impute all religious concern to the
effect of disease.
However this may be, sad indeed is the con-
dition of those who are “ driven away in their
wickedness,” that is, in their sins, as Jesus Christ
ON THE DEATH OF A SHIPMATE. 115
said to the unbelieving Jews, (in John viii. 21.
&c.) “ Then said Jesus unto them, I go my way,
and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins;"
and again, “ for if ye believe not that I am he,
ye shall die in your sins.” Dreadful condition
indeed! to die in their sins, that is, with the
guilt of sin unpardoned, and the power of sin
unbroken. If we do not repent of sin, and come
to Christ by faith for the pardon of our sin, we
must “ die in our sin.” So Christ himself de-
clares, John iii. 36. «He that believeth on the
Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth
not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of
God abideth on him." Observe that sentence.
“ The wrath of God abideth on him.” All the
wrath or anger of a just and holy God, to which
he has made himself liable by the breach of the
holy law, if not removed by the grace of the gos-
pel, is bound upon him. His unbelief binds it
upon him, and if he die in unbelief, that wrath
will remain upon him for ever and ever.
This is the Sting of Death, as the scripture
terms it. I Cor. xv. 56. " The Sting of death is
sin"-"and the strength of sin is the Law”-it
is the divine threatening against any and every
transgression of the law; it is the curse there de-
nounced against every sinner, that gives power
to sin. It is the sting of a serpent that makes it
formidable; we are afraid of the poisonous, kill-
ing venom conveyed by the sting, which some-
times occasions agonizing pains, corrupts the
blood, and destroys the life in a few hours. Take
away the sting of a serpent, and it becomes harm-
less, it can do no hurt. So with regard to those
who look to Christ, come to Christ, trust in
Christ for salvation, the power of death to hurt is
taken away, and the righteous hath-not terror
116
SERMON X.
but hope in his death. And this is the second
part of our subject.
11. The Death of the Righteous.
This is contrasted with the death of the wicker).
« The wicked," as we have heard, 6 is driven
away in his wickedness.” Not so, the righteous,
for he hath “ hope in his death.”
· Now let us inquire what it is to be righteous,
and who may be truly said to be righteous ?
Righteousness, strictly considered, is a perfect
conformity to the holy law of God, as contained
in the ten commandments. This law is spiritual.
It requires constant, perfect, unsinning obedi-
ence. It requires that God should be loved with
all the heart and soul and strength. The law
makes no allowance for infirmities; it demands
supreme love and perfect obedience. It does not
say, Do as well as you can; but, Do this and live;
or, if you fail in one instance, you are a sinner,
you are unrighteous, and exposed to the wrath of
God.
Perhaps it will be said--According to that, there
is none righteous. You say truly; you say just
what the scripture says, “ There is none righ-
teous, no not one." All men therefore are sin-
· ners, and as sinners they are condemned by the
holy law.
It may be next asked, How then are any righ-
teous? Does not the text say "The righteous
hath hope in his death}" Yes, blessed be God, a
sinner may be made righteous, and accounted
righteous in the sight of God. But how?
I answer, it is the chief design of the gospel to
tell us how. See Romans i. 17. “ Therein,"
(that is in the gospel) is the righteousness of
God revealed from faith to faith,” or “ the righ-
ON THE DEATH OF A SHIPMATE. 117
S
teousness of God, by faith, is revealed to faith.”
Jesus Christ came down from heaven, and came
into our world, on purpose to produce this righ-
teousness for us. For this purpose he obeyed
the precepts and suffered the penalty of the law,
bearing the curse of it, that so he might redeem
us from that curse, It is very clearly expressed
in 2 Cor. v. 21. where St. Paul is speaking of
the gospel as a message of mercy from God.
“ We are ambassadors," said he, “ for Christ, as
though God did beseech you by us: we pray
you, in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.”
What astonishing condescension is this ! “ Is this
the manner of man, O Lord ?" Does an offended
Prince send ambassadors to his rebellious sub-
jects, and intreat them to be reconciled to him ?
No; but as the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are his ways higher than our ways, and
his thoughts than our thoughts.” (Isa. lv. 9.).
And what is the ground on which this gracious
proposal of peace proceeds ? It is this. “For he
hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no
sin; that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him.” Jesus Christ knew no sin; he
had none by birth, as we have; he had none in
his practice, as we have. He never sinned ; yet
was he made sin for us the Lord laid upon
him the iniquities of us all;" “ he suffered the
just for the unjust.” He freely entered into an
obligation to stand in our place, and to undergo
the punishment due to our sins; and thus he was
made sin or a sin-offering a sacrifice for sin.
And thus, as God was pleased to impute our sins
to him, so is he pleased to impute his righteous-
ness to us, that is, if we receive Christ and his
atonement by faith, and rely upon Jesus alone
for salvation, then are we “ made the righteous-
118
SERMON X
ness of God,” in him, not in ourselves; for
“ Surely, shall one say, In the Lord have I righ-
teousness and strength.”
Let it however be carefully observed, that every
one, who, through faith, is thus justified by the
righteousness of Christ imputed, is also sanctified
by the Spirit of God imparted; for it is written,
“Without holiness no man shall see the Lord;"
and,“ the fruit of the Spirit is in all righteous-
ness and truth :" Eph. v. 9, and we are to be
“ filled with the fruits of righteousness, which
are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise
of God,” Phil. i. 11.
Now, of the righteous-persons thus justified
and sanctified, it is said they “have hope in
their death.” Hope relates to the future and
eternal world, into which believers are intro-
duced, immediately after death. “Life and im-
mortality are brought, by the gospel, into a clear
light,” far clearer than that which the ancient
Jews possessed. Jesus Christ, who came down
from heaven, has fully displayed the immortality
of the soul, and the resurrection of the body. He
assured the penitent thief on the cross, that he
should be with him in paradise on the very day
of his death; and he has repeatedly promised to
every believer, “ to raise him up at the last day;"
then it shall be said in holy triumph, “O Death,
where is thy sting? O Grave, where is thy vic-
tory?”
This is the blessed hope of the dying Christian.
It is indeed a most serious and solemn thing to
die! It is so, even to a believer. To leave the
body, the family, the world ; and to launch out
into an unknown, untried, and unalterable state,
is à most serious business, and one of which we
have had no experience. To nature, all this is
ON THE DEATH OF A SAIPMATE. 119
truly formidable; and nature, even in Christians,
may shrink from the conflict. Yet, still hope
prevails; “ the righteous hath hope in his death;"
and usually, “ a lively hope’ too; some are fa-
voured with “ the full assurance of hope;" they
" walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
and fear no evil.” And why should they fear ?
Is not the Lord with them? Hath he not said,
“ I will never leave nor forsake thee ?”Well
then may the Christian say, “ for me to live is
Christ, for me to die is gain.” “I have a desire
to depart, and to be with Christ.” Jesus our
advocate and forerunner is gone before, to pre-
pare a place for us; and he will come by death
to take us to himself: then shall his prayer be
fulfilled, “ Father, I will that they whom thou
hast given me be with me where I am, that they
may behold my glory.”
CONCLUSION.
And now, to conclude, Let us seriously lay to
heart, the certainty of our own death. It is not
enough to say, We must all die; but let each one
consider himself, and say with Job, “I know
that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the
house appointed for all living !” Realize this for
yourselves; be assured, that as certainly as he
died, whose decease occasions this discourse, so
certainly must you die. And presume not that it
will be at a distant day. It may be soon; at such
an hour, and by such means, as you think not.
Seamen are exposed to death by a great variety
of means, and should always live in a state of
preparation for it. .
The great question then is-Not shall I die ?
but, Am I prepared to die? How shall this
question be answered ? By another question.
Am I in Christ ? am I a new creature ? am I
120
SERMON X.
numbered with the righteous, or with the wicked?
None is righteous unless he has believed in Christ
for righteousness. None is holy unless united to
Christ by faith, and made a partaker of the Holy
Spirit. “Without faith it is impossible to please
God;" and “if any man have not the Spirit of
Christ he is none of his." Pray then, without
delay, that God would give you his Holy Spirit.
And finally, seeing that life is short, and death
approaching, let us not trifle away our time, and
spend our lives unprofitably; but let us “ work,
while it is called to-day," and, “ whatsoever our
hands findeth to do, let us do it with our might,
for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge,
nor wisdom, in the grave whither thou goest.”
But the grave and the sea shall give up their
dead, and all shall appear before the judgment
seat of Christ, and 6 then shall ye return and
discern between the righteous and the wicked :"
“ The wicked shall go away into everlasting pu-
nishment, but the righteous into life eternal,"
HYMN.
Death! 'tis a melancholy day
To those that have no God,
When the poor soul is forc'd away
To seek hier last abode.
Awake and mourn, ye heirs of hell,
Let stubborn sinners fear,
You must be driv'n from earth, and dwell
A long for ever there.
He is a God of sovereign love
That promis'd heav'n to me,
And taught my thoughts to soar above
Where happy spirits be.
Prepare me, Lord, for thy right-hand,
Then come the joyful day,
Comé, Death, and some celestial band
To bear my sonl away.
Watts.
On Seeking the Lord.
SERMON XI.
ISAIAH LV. 8.
Seek ye the LORD, while he may be found, call ye
upon him while he is near.
THE free grace of God to sinners of mankind
is most wonderfully and sweetly displayed in
this chapter. Here we find the most High God,
the possessor of heaven and of earth, condescend-
ing to invite his rebellious creatures to regard
their own interest, and to partake of the rich
Blessings of his great salvation.
Observe how the chapter commences. It be-
gins with kind invitation, “ Ho! every one that
thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that
hath no money; Come ye, buy, and eat; yea,
come, buy wine and milk without money, and
without price.” Who are the people invited?
It is those who “ thirst." All men thirst for hap-
piness; let them come to Christ, and he will
make them happy. But do they “ hunger and
thirst after righteousness?" They shall be par-
ticularly welcome. Whither are they to come?
Let them come “ to the waters,”-to the water,
side, to the ports and to the quays, where goods
are imported by seamen from foreign parts. Let
them come to the house of God, and to the word
of God, for the supply of their spiritual wants ;
for grace and salvation are not of home produce
tion, they come down “ from above, from the
Father of lights." What are the commodities -
to be obtained ? " Wine and Milk” which
M
122
SERMON XI.
signify that which will quench the thirst, nourish
the body, and revive the spirits. This is to be
understood of the gospel and grace of God, which
is like milk for babes, and wine for strong men.
And how may they purchase these blessings, and
make them their own?.“ Without money and
without price:” that is, without worthiness or
merit of their own; all being freely bestowed
on the poor and destitute.
To this gracious God, so able and so willing to
supply all our wants, our text invites us to ap-
proach. 6 Seek ye the Lord, while he may be
found, call ye upon him while he is near.”
The text, you perceive, consists of two parts
First, A PRECEPT; Secondly, A PROMISE.
I. Here is a PRECEPT" Seek ye the Lord"
-" Call ye upon him.” Here is an important
duty required; a reasonable service demanded.
It may include the whole of serious religion; for
if a person really seeks the Lord, and sincerely
calls upon him, according to the directions of
the gospel, no essential branch of true godliness
will be neglected. But we must consider the
meaning of the precept..
1. “ Seeking the Lord” supposes a conviction
of mind that he is able to bless us, and to do us
good. None will seek him but those who are
persuaded that he is Great and Good. And well
may we be assured of this, if we believe the tes-,
timony of God in the scriptures of truth. There
we learn that Jesus Christ was the CREATOR of
the world; “ for by him were all things created,
that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible
and invisible; all things were created by him,
and for him." (Col. i. 16.) He is also the Pre-
,
1
ON SEEKING THE LORD.
123
SERVER of all he upholds all things by the
word of his power.” He is the GOVERNOR of
all--for he has “ all power in heaven and in
earth.” Now, among men, “ many seek the
ruler's favour;" how reasonable then is it, that
we should seek and call upon him, who, having
Almighty power, is able either to save or destroy.
He has Wisdom to enlighten our dark minds.
He is the “ Sun of righteousness, the light of
the world ; " " he that followeth him shall not
walk in darkness, but shall have the light of
life.” Yes, if we seek him, he will make us
“ wise to salvation."
He has the Holy SPIRIT to bestow upon them
that ask him, and the gracious influences of the
Holy Spirit are absolutely necessary to make us
real Christians; for “ if any man have not the
Spirit of Christ he is none of his."
He has RIGHTEOUSNESS, with which to clothe
the naked soul, for we have no righteousness of
our own; but lie will bestow “ the gift of righ-
teousness” upon all who believe in him;
· He has HAPPINESS to impart to the children of
men, who are “born to trouble;" hé can heal
the broken heart, and revive the spirit of the
contrite. He has that “peace" to bestow " which
passeth all understanding,” and that “joy" to
convey, which is “ unspeakable and full of
glory.”
In a word, he has ETERNAL LIFE, to give to
every believing soul. He only can confer. this
best and greatest of all gifts, which comprehends
all that is valuable in time and eternity. Let us
seek him then, for the same reason that his disa
ciples resolved to adheretohim-"Lord,” said they,
" to whom shall we go, for thou hast the words of
eternal life." Surely these considerations are
124
EBAMON XI.
sufficient to enforce the precept in the texto
" Seek ye the Lord-call ye upon him." .
2. “ Seeking the Lord" supposes a want of
those blessings which he has to bestow; it sup-
poses a knowledge and feeling of our indigence
and necessity. “The wicked, through the pride
of his countenance, will not seek after God;"
but our Lord says, “ Blessed are the poor in spi-
rit, for their's is the kingdom of heaven." There
must be a real, deep, abiding conviction of our
sin and misery, of our guilt, danger, of our ruin
and helplessness; or we shall never truly seek
the Lord, and call upon his name. And it is the
want of this, it is the ignorance of men's minds,
and the hardness of men's hearts, that keep them
far from God; it is this that keeps them in a
careless and prayerless state, living like atheists
in the world; for, as our Lord truly said, “ the
whole need not the physician, but those who are
sick”-such persons will seek and prize his help,
while medicines are hateful to the healthy; so
the unhumbled heart of men not only neglects;
but despises and nauseates the gospel of salvation.
This is the true character of all men by nature,
as God himself testifies in the 14th Psalm, verse 2,
• The Lord looked down from heaven upon the
children of men, to see if there were any that
did understand, and seek God.” And what was
the result of the inquiry? it is this they are
all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy
(or putrid ;) there is none that doeth good, no,
not one." It is sin, the love of sin, and the
power of sin, that separates man from bis God.
Thus Adam, the first sinner, hid himself from
his Creator amongst the trees of the garden ; thus
Cain, the murderer of his brother, “ went out
from the presence of the Lord;" and thus the
ON SEEKING THE LORD. 125
wicked in Job's time," said unto God, Depart
from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy
ways. What is the Almighty, that we should
serve him? and what profit should we have; if
we pray unto him ?" This is horrid language !
and few, perhaps, are bold and daring enough to
speak thus with their tongues; but is not this
the language of many hearts, perhaps of sone
of yours? Why else is it that you live, like an
atheist, without prayer? Why do you shun the
seasons of prayer in a family, or on board a ship,
when prayer is made ? Why so backward, when
on shore, to go to church? Why so unwilling
to read the Bible, so that you would prefer a
game at cards or chequers to it; in short, why is
religion so irksome to you; and why do you
make so many excuses to avoid it? Conscience
must tell you that this is wrong. Conscience
must tell you the same that the scriptures telt
you, namely, “ that the fear of the Lord is true
wisdom, and to depart from evil, is understand-
ing." And, O consider, before it be too late, hovi
justly the great Judge of the quick and dead may
say to you at the day of judgment; “ Depart from
me, ye cursed," for you formerly said, with vour
wicked eompanions, “ Depart from us, for we
desire not the knowledge of thy ways.” But
God forbid that such should be your fearful doom;
and to prevent this, hear what the great and
blessed God so graciously says in the text
“ Seek ye the Lord while he may be found."
Are you disposed to do this? If you are, you
will naturally ask, What is meant by seeking
him? In what way may I seek him?
• The text itself gives you a plain answer; for
the latter part of it explains the former Call
ve upon him, while he is near.” To call upon
M 3
126
SERMON XI.
God, is to pray to God. Seeking and praying
are the same thing, only calling seems to denote
praying very earnestly, as elsewhere it is termed,
“ Crying to the Lord;" for true prayer is the
cry of the heart for mercy and grace. Such was
the seeking, calling and crying of the poor Pub-
lican, mentioned in the gospel, who came to the
temple to pray. He, poor man, deeply hunubled
and ashamed on accouut of his sins-“stood afar
off, and would not lift up so much as his eyes
unto heaven” (though he lifted up his heart) “but
smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful
to me a sinner.” This man sought the Lord
and found himn; for we are told that he went
back to his house pardoned and justified.
But let it be carefully observed that all our
prayers must be offered up in the name of Christ.
A sinner can never come to God but through
Jesus Christ, he is “ the way, the truth, and the
life;" and we are assured that “ whatsoever we
shall ask in his name, will be granted,” for his
sake. . . .
Again, to seek the Lord, is to make use of all
the means of grace. God generally works by
the use of means which he has appointed, espe-
cially Hearing and Reading hiş holy word.
Would you seek the Lord? then inquire for
him in his house. Where would you seek a
man, but at his dwelling? Now the church is
God's house. : “Here,” says he, “ will I dwell,
for I have desired it." "This is my rest for
ever.” It is therefore the bounden duty, of all
to attend the house of prayer, when they have
opportunity. This opportunity you cannot have
when you are at sea; and yet," where two or
three are gathered together in my name," says
the gracious Saviour', who is not confined to
TUDI
ON SEEKING THE LORD. 127
temples made with hands, “ there am I in the
inidst of them." And we hope he will be with
us while we thus meet together to hear his word:
· Those who are seeking a person, or a thing
which is of great value in their esteem, will in-
quire of those who can inform them, as it is
written, Jeremiah vi, 16 : “ Thus saith the Lord,
Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the
old paths, where is the good way, and walk
therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls."
And again, it is written, Jer. 1. 5: “ They shall
ask the way to Zion, with their faces thither-
ward.” If in good earnest we set our hearts
upon seeking God and heaven, we shall set our
faces thitherward; and for fear of going wrong,
we shall ask the way, ask it of God in prayer,
ask it of those who know the way, ask it of pious
ministers, ask it of godly people; but observe,
such ask the way to Zion, “ with their faces this
therward”--they do not ask the way to heaven,
and set their faces toward the world. No, they
who sincerely seek God and heaven must turn
their backs upon the world, and renounce all
its pomps, and vanities, and sinful pleasures.
Let such seekers read their Bibles. That neg.
lected, despised book will no longer be reckoned
dull and useless, but will be consulted, as the
traveller consults his map, and the seaman his
chart. No mariner who understands navigation,
and wishes to conduct his ship to the destined
port will refuse the guidance of a good chart, so
no man sincerely desirous of being saved, will
neglect that holy book of God, which is a sure
guide to eternal life.
The traveller who seeks a distant country, and
is aware of the cross and perplexing roads he
may have to pass, will not refuse the assistance
AY
128
SERMON XI.
of those who know the way; so no sincere seeker
of God will decline the aid of serious and expe-
rienced Christians; for, as King Solomon says:
“ He that walketh with wise men shall be wise;
but a companion of fools shall be destroyed."
(Prov. xiii. 20.) We get much good or much
harm from the company we keep. Choose, there-
fore, if it be in your power, such persons for
your companions as fear God; and avoid all in-
timacy with determined sinners, for “a compa-
nion of fools shall be corrupted,” or “ destroyed."
Bad company, as one observes, has a still stronger
influence than that which is good, because the
corruption of human nature readily complies
with it. A healthy man cannot communicate
health to the sick; but a person infected withi
the plague may communicate it to a thousand;
and thus it is often found aboard of ship; one
vicious wicked man may spread contagion
through almost the whole crew: say therefore
to persons of such a character, “ Depart from
ine ye wicked men, for I will keep the command-
inents of my God.” Happy is the sincere seeker,
who can find a pious and prudent friend to take
lim by the hand, and afford him that counsel
which a beginner in religion always needs.
11. We the phe precept the found in must
subject CEPThe Lord may bortunit/erous, a
II. We now proceed to the second part of our
subject The PROMISE which is annexed to
the PRECEPS--the precept is Seek the Lord,".
or, “Call upon the Lord;" the promise is, that,
as yet “ he is near, and may be found;" that is,
the present is a favourable opportunity, and must
be embraced, for delays are dangerous, and
another opportunity may not return.
Youth is certainly a favourable season. The
heart is rarely so hard in vouth, as it becomes in
ON SEEKING THE LORD. 129
riper years, when the habits of vice are con-
firmed. Young men sometimes venture on sin
with fear and trembling; but by degrees the re-
monstrances of conscience are silenced ; the
sinner rebels with greater boldness; his heart is
“ hardened through the deceitfulness of sin,"
till at length he sits down in the seat of the
scorner, glories in his shame, and takes a pride
in seducing others. In youth, many, like Felix,
tremble, when the ministers of Christ, like Paul,
“ reason of temperance, righteousness, and judg-
ment to come;" or like king Agrippa, when Paul
preached, are "almost persuaded to be Christians.”
At such times God is indeed near ; as also, on
some solemn occasions, when by the death,
especially the sudden death, of a relation, friend,
or shipmate, their own mortality is recollected,
and a just suspicion arises that all is not right,
and that they are not prepared to die. There
are seasons of langer, as in a tremendous gale
at sea ; or in a painful fit of sickness; or under a
faithful sermon; or after a serious conversation
with a pious friend, when religion has appeared
in a different view; when its importance is clearly
seen, and the necessity of a change of heart and
conduct keenly felt,--and then, the convicted
sinner seems “not far from the kingdom of
God :” but alas ! such seasons not being im-
proved, by earnest prayer to God for his pardon-
ing mercy and renewing Spirit, the impressions
soon wear off, and the man returns again to his
follies and vices.
But if the work be of God, it will not como
to nought ; he who by his grace began it, will
not forsake it,“ grace will complete what gracebe.
gins;"and he who has made the penitent"willing,
130
SERMON XI.
in the day of his power," will assuredly be found
of them that seek hin.
Indeed, the very act of seeking him and calling
upon him is a token of his favour, for it is the
effect of his grace. Certain it is, that we never
seek him, until he has first sought us; and if he
be found, as he often is, of those who seek him
not, will he hide himself from those who actually
seek him ? No, we have his word of promise,
the promise of a faithful God who cannot lie, that
“ every one that asketh receivėth; and he that
seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh, the
door shall be opened.” Matt. vii. 8. And, to
crown the whole, observe with serious attention
and thankfulness, that precious promise made by
our Saviour, John vi. 37, 56 All that the Father
giveth me, shall come unto me; and him that
cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out."-
What more can a sinner want, than this assurance
from the lips of Divine Truth, that he who thus
seeks the Lord, and calls upon the Lord, and
comes to the Lord by faith, shall be heard, shall
be accepted, shall be saved, with an everlasting
salvation ?
And now, let me conclude by enforcing the
exhortation in the text. Let me remind you that
it is God himself who speaks the words of the
text. It is the God of heaven who says, and says
to all who are here, “ Seek ye the Lord.” And
shall he speak, shall he call in vain? Innumer-
able blessings are yours, if you hear his voice;
and he entreats you to hear it. Mark what he
says in the second verse" Hearken diligently
unto me;" and again in the third verse, “ Incline
your ear and come unto me: hear, and your soul
ON SEEKING THE LORD.
131
shall live.” If you refuse to hear his inviting
voice, you will surely perish; but if you hear
with a believing and obedient heart, your soul
shall live; you shall live to God; you shall live
for God; and finally, you shall live with God, in
perfect purity and endless bliss. .
But remember the words.-" while he may be
found”-“while he is near." He will not be so al-
ways. The present is the best time; perhapsthe only
time; “ to-day, then, if ye will hear his voice.”
To-day is your's, but who can tell what may be
on the morrow? Should you delay, no future
time may be so favourable as the present. Who
can tell what ensnaring companions may surround
you? what strong temptations may assault you?
what difficulties may oppress you? And 0, who
can tell to what a degree of hardness of heart
you may be given up, if the present season be
lost? We conclude, as we began, with the
heavenly call. May you never lose the im-
pression of it-“ Seek ye the Lord, while he
may be found; Call ye upon him, while he is
near."
HYMNS.
Let every inortal ear attend,
And every heart rejoice,
The trumpet of the gospel sounds
With an inviting voice.
Ho! all ye hungry, starving souls
That feed upon the wind,
And vainly strive with empty toys
To fill an empty mind,
Eternal wisdom has prepar'd
A soul-reviving feast,
And bids your longing appetites
The rich provision taste.
Ho! ye that pant for living streams,
And pine away and die;
Here you may quench your raging thirst
With springs that never dry. .
132
Rivers of love and mercy here
lo a rich ocean join;
Salvation in abundance flows
· Like floods of milk and wine.
Dear God! the treasures of thy love
· Are everlasting mines,
Deep as our helpless miseries are,
And boundless as our sins.
The happy gates of Gospel-grave
Stand open night and day ;
Lord, we are come to seek supplies,
And drive our wants away.
INVITATION.
Ho! ev'ry one that thirsts, draw nigh,
('Tis God invites the fallen race;)
Mercy and free salvation buy ;
Buy wine, and milk, and Gospel grace,
Come to the living waters, come!
Sinners, obey your Maker's voice;
Return, ye weary wand'rers, home,
And in my saving grace rejoice!
See from the Rock a fountain rise !
For you in healing streams it rolls;
Doney ye need not bring, nor price,
Ye lab'ring, burthen'd, sin-sick souls.
Nothing ye in exchange shall give,
Leave all you have, and are, behind;
Frankly the gift of God receive,
Pardon and peace in Jesus find.
Why scek ye that which is not bread,
Nor can your hungry souls sustain;
On ashes, husks, and air, ye feed;
Ye spend your little all in vain.
Hearken to me with earnest care,
And freely eat substantial food;
The sweetness of my mercy share,
And taste, that I alone am good.
Your willing ear and heart incline,
My words believingly receive ;
Quicken'd your soul by faith divine,
An everlasting life shall live.
The Seaman's Happy Return.
SERMON XII.
PSALM CVIT. 30.
So he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
AND what haren can a seaman so inuch desire
as HOME!--the place of his fathers' sepul-
chres--the place of his birth-the scene of his
childish amusements and youthful associations-
the place, it may be, where his aged parent,
brothers or sisters still live; and, wbich most
of all endears a sailor's home, where the dear
partner of his life and his prattling children
dwell, and where they are looking and longing
for his return. No landsman can fully enter into
the seaman's feelings, when, at the conclusion of
a long voyage, he once more views the welcome
whores of his native country, and has just in view
the cliffs or the sea-marks which point out that
very spot, which, above all others in the world, is
endeared to his heart. “This, says an experi-
enced seaman, this was the happy hour, the
thoughts of which bore up my spirits under the
burning suns of Africa, and amidst the snows and
ice mountains of Greenland. Yes, it was the
thought of home, and the hope of returning
thither, that made all the evils of foreign climates
bearable, and all the hardships and privations of
the voyage seem light. And now these thoughts
and hopes are more than realized; the ship has
entered the port; the anchor is gone; the sails
are unbent, the crew have stripped off their old
and dirty garments, have clothed themselves in
new apparel, are gone on shore, and in the wel-
come smiles of their dearest friends and kindred,
N
134
SERMON XII.
have forgotten all the dangers and sufferings of
the voyage, or only remember and speak of them
to increase their present happiness."*
And now, in these pleasing circumstances, what
is the seaman's duty ? Will he resort to the pub-
lic-house, and indulge, with vain and wicked
companions, in excess of riot and drinking?
Will he listen to the invitations of loose and
abandoned women, who are on the watch to en-
anare and rob him ?-Will he lay himself open to
the schemes of designing men, who will contrive
to cheat him out of his hard-earned wages? God
forbid ! Be wise. Take advice. Act the part of
a rational, immortal being. Sit down, and con-
sider two things--THE PAST, and THE FUTURE.
First, Take a review of the Pasta review of
dangers-á review of mercies-and a review of
sins.
You have been out, it may be many months,
perhaps several years. During that time, you
have seen the works of the Lord, and his won-
ders in the deep." It is much if you have not
met with heavy gales, if not with dangerous hur-
ricanes, such as perhaps excited your fears, and
proved fatal to other vessels. But the God of
providence watched over you. You have wea-
thered the gale, and have reached the desired
haven: Storms of thunder and lightning have
destroyed many a ship; fevers and other disor-
ders have carried off part of many a crew; some
véssels have sprung leaks which could not be
stopped, they have been water-logged, they have
sunk like lead in the fathomless deep, and not a
See a Tract, called "The Seaman's Spy-Glass," by
the Rov. Mr. Marks.
THE SEAMAN'S HAPPY RETURN. 135
goul has survived to tell the dismal tale. It has
been the unhappy lot of some vessels to take fire,
while the distressed crew have been reduced to
the sad alternative of being burnt or drowned.
Others have been attacked by savage pirates,
who have seized the ship, and nzurdered the sea-
men, or carried them into a miserable captivity,
from which perhaps they will never be redeemed,
but languish in the interior of Barbary or Algiers,
in cruel bondage, and under a burning sun. In
times of war, more numerous still are the dan-
gers at sea. Hundreds and thousands of brave
men have been cut off by the destroying cannon:
and in a moment hurried (perhaps unprepared)
into an awful eternity. And, where none of
these disasters have happened, tedious and un-
pleasant detentions and changes have taken place;
the destination of the vessel. has been changed
the officers have died, the ship has been taken;
or found unfit to proceed on her voyage ; and the
disappointed seamen have been obliged to find
their way home, from port to port with great
difficulty, loss of time, loss of health, and loss of
wages !
Have you happily escaped all these dangers ?
Have you had a regular supply of Bread and
Water--not brought to short allowance, or taught
to know the inexpressible value of water, by the
want of it? Have you brought honie your ship in
good order ? Have you succeeded in the object of
the voyage? Has your health been preserved; or,
if at one time suspended, has it been restored ?
O what cause have you to be thankful ! .. .
In looking back on your late voyage, you may
have occasion to reflect on moments of extreme
danger from the sea or from sickness, when you
had little expectation of life; when, like Heze-
136
SERMON XII.
kiah, at a time when he was extremely ill, you
said " I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am
deprived of the residue of my years; I shall be-
hold man no more with the inhabitants of the
world.” (Isa. xxxvjii. 10.) Then you did not expect
to see this joyful day, when God has brought you
into this desired haven, and allowed you once
more to see the faces of your beloved relations
and friends..
And while thus reviewing your mercies, forget
not to review your sins also. Look back on the
days and months, or years, of absence from home.
Are you not chargeable with many omissions of
duty ? If not of duty to man, of duty to Gool ?-
Of total neglect of prayer, or careless perform-
ance of it?--has your Bible, the gift perhaps
of a pious parent or friend, lain by neglected
in your chest? Have no corrupt communica-
tions proceeded out of your mouth ?no pro-
fane or blasphemous expressions escaped your
lips? Have no instances of intemperance oc-
curred during the voyage, while on board, or
when touching at a foreign port ? Examine
yourselves, and say with the Psalmist, (Psalm
cxxxix. 23.) “ Search me, O God, and know my
heart; try me and know my thoughts; and see
if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me
in the way everlasting."
What if God had then cut you off by violent
disease, or sudden calamity, in your sins ?
Where had you now been? But he listened to
the voice of your supplications; he saw your
tears, and heard your groans, and said within
himself, He shall not die, but live. Alas! poor
creature! if I cut him off now, he is eternally
lost. Iwill send him back a few years more into
the world; I will try him once more: it may be
THE SEAMAN1
.
W
'S HAPPY RETURN. 137
he will bear some fruits to me from this deliver-
ance. If so, well: if not, I will cut him down
hereafter. He shall be at liberty, on his good
behaviour, a little longer. And is all this nothing
in thine eyes? Wretch that thou art, dost thou
slight such a favour as this? Is it worth nothing
in thine eyes? Well, it would be worth some-
thing in the eyes of damned souls, if they might
have so many years cut out of their eternity, for
a mere intermission of their torments, much
more as a season of patience and mercy.*
God has now granted you " time and space for:
repentance;' and his great goodness invites you
to it. A generous-hearted man is won by kind.
ness; and the good God whom you have disho-
noured and displeased by your sins now “ draivs
you with the bands of a man and with the cords:
of love." He now seenis, as it were, to say to you.
“ Seaman! I have spared your life. I have
preserved you from death and danger, and I have
brought you to your desired haven ; what will
you renuler to me for all my mercies ?" Sueh,
certainly is the language of his good providence;
and he expeets an answer. What then is your
reply? And this leads us to the second part of
our discourse. We have taken a review of the
past-past dangers, past mercies, and, past sins ;
and we have seen that review calls both for hu.
miliation and thanksgiving...now then let us, in
the second place -
Tuke a prospect of the Future.
.
But let it first be said, in the words of St. Peter
..
1
..
TA
* See Flavell's Navigation Spiritualized; (p. 986) - an ex
cellent book for Seaman.
N 3
138
SERMON XII.
(1 Ep. iv. 3.) “ The time past of our life may
suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gen-
tiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts,
excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abo-
minable idolatries." And may not the time past
suffice ?--Have you not sinned enough-disho-*
noured God enough-abused his mercy enough
wronged your own soul enough? Have you not
long enough neglected his salvation-despised
his grace-indulged your lusts, and yielded to the
temptations of the devil? I know that you will
sayo. Yes, indeed long enough, and far too long.
May I not then ask, as St. Paul asked the Romans,
“ What fruit had ye of those things whereof ye
are now ashamed ?” What fruit ? Will you
not answer, Bitter reflections, and sharp remorse.
So said a great penitent of old, “ Thou writest
bitter things against me, and makest me to pos-
sess the sins of my youth.” Well then; the time
past may well suffice to have acted like heathens,
it is high tiine to conform to the will of God..
And now we are to speak of the FUTURE.The
future? What can we speak of it? Who can
reckon upon it? “Boast not thyself of to-mor-
row," said Solomon, .“ for thon knowest not
what a day may bring forth," (Prov. xxvii. 1.)
To-morrow, Lord, is thine,
: : Lodg'd in thy sov’reign hand;
And, if its sun arise and shine,
It shines at thy command."
Presume not on years to come. Say not, with
the presumptuous traders of old, inentioned by
St. James, “ We will go into such a city, and
continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get
gain : whereas thou knowest not what shall be
on the morrow: for what is your life? It is even
a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and their
re how we lo contorhave
THE SEAMAN'S HAPPY RETURN. 139
UC
vanisheth away: for ye ought to say-If the Lord
will, we shall do this or that." And remember
the rich farmer in the gospel, who had such large.
crops that he did not know where to stow them
away; and who said, “I will pull down my
barns” (they are too small) “ and I will build
greater; and there will I bestow my fruits and
my goods." And what then? Would he “ho-
nour the Lord with his substance, and with the
first-fruits of his increase ?" No such thing.
What then would he do? Why, says he, “ I will
say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid
up for many years ; take thine ease, eat, drink,
and be merry.” Such, it may be feared, are the
thoughts of many a seaman after a long voyage,
and while he is flush of money: “I will enjoy
myself-I will eat, drink, and be merry :" but
what said God to the carnal creature? “ Thou
fool! this night shall thy soul be required of
thee.” Observe! God calls him a fool. He
acted a foolish part, to regard his body and not
his soul; the indulgence of his sensual appetites,
while he totally neglected the salvation of his
immortal spirit. And instead of the many years
which he promised himself, he had not a single
day to live. And can any of you be sure of life?
Has it not sometimes happened that a seaman
who has traversed the ocean for many years,
visited many foreign countries, and weathered
many a hard gale, has been drowned in his own
port, lost his life in calm weather, or been cut
off in a few days by a violent sickness? Yes,
such events have often happened. Presume not
then on years to come; but take the wise mau's
advice, “ Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do,
do it with all thy might.” Lose no time then;
but now that you have got home in peace and
27
:.... SERMON XII. .
safety, resolve, by the grace of God, to turn over
a new leaf, and begin, as it were, your lives
xfresh
You have now opportunities of getting good,
wbile on shore, which you had not at sea. Improve
these opportunities to the best advantage. Re-
pair, on the very first Lord's Day after your land-
ing, to some place of worship, and offer up your
sincere and fervent thanks to your merciful God
for your deliverances from danger, and permission
once more to set your foot on British ground..
: Resolve, by the grace of God to observe the
Sabbath better than you ever did. It is God's
day; the day lie has blessed, and which he will
bless to all who worship him in spirit and in truth.
: Be sure, twice at least every Sunday, to attend
at some place of worship, Church or Chapel,
wbere the gospel is preached. Take care that
you hear some pious, faithful, żealous minister of
God's word, who earnestly endeavours to “.win
souls;" who speaks as if he were in earnest;
who exhorts and warns men to flee from the
wrath to come; who affectionately invites sinners
to come to Jesus that they may have life; who
sets before them the love of Christ who came to
seek and to save that which was lost; who tells his
hearers the necessity of being born again, and be-
coming new creatures in Christ; and who also
insists upon the practice of that holiness without
which no man shall see the Lord. You know
the value of a good Pilot when on the coast, and
exposed to danger from reefs and rocks and
shoals and sands; a good minister is of still
greater importance to the souls of men and their
eternal safety.. May God direct you to such a
spiritual pilot, and render his faithful instructions -
a blessing to your souls..
THE SEAMAN'S HAPPÝ RETURN. 141
Shun the company of men who would lead you
into sin. Shun them as you would shun the
plague, or a sunk rock, for their conversation
ind their example are contagious. Regard Su-
lomon's words . He that walketh with wise
men shall be wise ; but a companion of fools
shall be destroyed.” Be resolute, as becomes a
British seaman. Will you, who have braved a
thousand dangers at sea, be afraid of a laugh?
Every one who will live godly in Christ Jesus
must suffer persecution," and this is the slightest
degree of it. Take up the cross, and even re-
joice, as the apostles did, because " they were
counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of
Jesus," (Acts v. 41.) Say therefore to such as
would tempt you to resume your former evil
courses, “ Depart from me, ye evil doers; for I
will keep the commandments of my God.”
(Psalm cxix. 115.)
Guard against those sins which have most easily
beset you. Was it drunkenness? Abhor that
beastly vice; abhor the sin that would “ruin your
constitution, your property, your family, your
soul; and barter nót eternal happiness for a short-
lived pleasure that perishes in the using, and
never fails to leave a sting behind.” *
Were you accustomed to swear? O shun this
impious and unprofitable vice: nor dare insult
the God of heaven to his face, and defy, as it
were, the Omnipotent, lest he crush you to death
and destruction. " Above all things," said the
holy apostle St. James—" Above alt things, my
brethren, swear not.”
Was lewdness your failing? For God's sake,
* See Sermons on the Book of Jonah, &c. by the Rev. Mr.
Young, of Whithy.
143
SERMON XII.
for your soul's sake, “ abstain from these fleshly
lusts, for they war against the soul,” and the
body too; for “ by means of a whorish woman
a man is brought to a piece of bread, and the
adultress will hunt for the precious life; her
house is the way to hell, going down to the
chambers of death.” Prov. vi. 26, &c.
But let not Reformation, however necessary
and commendable, be thought sufficient. All
your Convictions of having done wrong in time
past, and all your Resolutions to do better in
time to come, will come to nought, unless an
entire change of heart take place. Will you
believe what our Saviour said, and said with
peculiar force, almost in the manner of an oath,
liead it, and read it again and again, in the 3d
chapter of the gospel of St. John, verses the 3d
and following-Mark, mark well the solemn
words.. The Saviour speaks. Verily, verily, I
say unto thee (to thee seaman, as well as to Ni-
eodemus to thee he says,) VBRILY, VERILY, I
SAY UNTO THEE, EXCEPT A MAN BE BORN AGAIN,
HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD”-that is
to say, except a man is so inwardly and entirely
changed, that he is like another man, a new
creature, brought, as it were, into a new world,
he cannot be a real Christian, he cannot belong
to the kingdom of Grace here, nor to the king-
dom of Glory hereafter. And when you are
thinking about this change, be not deceived by
those who tell you, that it means nothing inore
than being christened, or baptized with water;
for we see too plainly that thousands who were
baptized, have not become a new creatures,"
as the Scriptures call all true Christians. No,
something more, and greater, and better is necesa
sary; we must be born of the SPIRIT, be renewed
THE SEAMAN'S HAPPY RETURN. 143
.
in our minds by the Spirit of God; and then,
our views, our hopes, our fears, our desifes, our
endeavours will all be new, “Old things have
passed away, all things. are become new," and
the man now lives to God, forsakes sin, loves
holiness, and walks humbly with his God.
CONCLUSION.
And are these things so? Search the Scrip-
tures and examine for yourselves. Neglect ou
longer that blessed book, but read it if possible
every day of your life.
But read and hear with prayer. You have, in
this discourse been directed, on your return from
sea, to take a Review of what is past, and a Pros-
pect of what is to come; your good God has
brought you to your desired haven, he has given
you the desire of your hearts, and granted you
once more the pleasure of seeing and conversing
with your dear friends. And I appeal to your
own hearts, whether it be not reasonable to re-
view, with close attention, the dangers you have
escaped the sins you have committed, and the
mercies you have received; and, upon a serious
consideration of these, to be deeply humbled for
those sins, and to be very thankful for the many
mercies you have received. Is it not also per-
fectly reasonable that you should now com-
mence as it were a new life? I am sure your
conscience says-all this is perfectly right and
reasonable.
But know this, my friends, that without the
special grace of God, this will not be done. Such
is the weakness of our nature, such the deceit-
fulness of our hearts, and such the temptations of
Satan, that you need help from above, to enable
you to perform that which is right. We con-
144
SERMON XII.
clude, therefore, by earnestly exhorting you to
prayer: You must pray, or be lost for ever.
Begin to pray, this very day. Pray to God to
teach you to pray, Pray to him to pardon your
past sins, and to give you grace for time to come.
Look to him, through Jesus Christ, and he will
pot depise the prayer of the destitute. “Ask
and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find.
Knock and it shall be opened unto you.” And
God grant that when the voyage of life is ended,
you may have an abundant entrance into the
port of heaven, the haven of eternal rest! Amen
and Amen.
HYMN ON GRATITUDE.
God of my life, whose gracious power
Thro' varied deaths my soul hath led,
Oft turn'd aside the fatal hour,
Or lifted up my sinking head.
In all my ways thy hand I own,
Thy ruling Providence I see;
Assist me still my course to run,
And still direct my paths to thee.
Oft hath the sea confess'd thy power,
And given me back at thy command :
It could not, Lord, my life devour,
Safe in the hoNow of thine hand.
Oft from the margin of the grave,
Thou, Lord, hast lifted up my head;
Sudden I found thee near to save :
The fever own'd thy touch and fled.
Whither, O whither, should I fly
But to my loving Saviour's breast;
Secure within thine arins to lie,
And safe beneath thy wings to rest!
I have no skill the snare to shun,
But thou, O Christ, my wisdom art;
I ever into ruin run;
But thou art greater than my heart.
Foolish, and impotent, and blind,
Lead me a way I have not known :
Bring me where I my heaven may find,
The heaven of loving thee alone.
PRAYERS
FOR THE USE OF SEAMEN:
PARTLY COLLECTEI
ND PARTLY COMPOSED BY THE AUTHOR. .
MORNING.
Almighty God, and most merciful Father. In the
name of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, we thy sinful crea-
tures desire to approach the throne of grace. O Lord,
thou art a great God, and a great King above all gods.
In thine hand are the deep places of the earth; the
strength of the hills is thine also. The sea is thine ;
and thou madest it; and thy hands formed the dry land.
O Lord, what is man that thou art mindful of him,
especially in his low and sinful state. For we confess,
O God, before thee, that we are miserable sinners, and
are less than the least of all thy mercies. Enter not into
judgment with thy servants O Lord, for in thy sight
no flesh can be justified. But have mercy upon us,
we humbly beseech thee, for the sake of Jesus Christ,
who came into the world to save sinners, and who died
the just for the unjust, to bring us back to thee. By
him, who is the way, the truth, and the life, help us to
return to thee with weeping and supplication ; blot
out all our transgressions, and remember our sins no
more.
We thank thee, O God, that thou hast mercifully
watched over us through the last night, that thou hast
protected both those who were asleep, and those who
were awake, and that we have not run into any fatal
danger in the hours of darkness.
And now that thou hast brought us to the beginning
146
PRAYERS FOR THE
of another day, be pleased to preserve us through the
same by thy infinite goodness and mercy. Carry us
safely on our course, and whatever difficulties or dan-
gers may occur, help us to meet them with patience
and fortitude.
May we be in the fear of the Lord all the day long.
May we watch and pray, lest we should enter into temp-
tation; and keep us, by thy good Spirit, from offend-
ing thee, in thought, word or deed. May we pass this
day in peace and safety, and conclude it with thankful-
ness to thee our great Preserver. And this we beg for
the sake of Jesus Christ, our only mediator and advo-
cate : To whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost,
be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.
[The Lord's Prayer may be added at the end of this
and other prayers, or omitted, as the reader thinks
proper.]
EVENING.
O Lord our God! thou art infinitely great, and infi-
nitely good. Thy glory is above all our thoughts, and
thy mercies are more than can be numbered. Thou
hast added to all thy former blessings our preser-
vation through the past day, and hast now brought
us to the close thereof in peace and safety. Thanks be
to thee for all thy mercies; for these we desire to be
unfeignedly thankful, and to show forth thy praise, not
only with our lips, but in our lives.
We acknowledge, O Lord, our utter unworthiness
of thy favours, for we have all erred and strayed from
thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much
the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have
offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone
those things which we ought to have done; and we
have done those things which we ought not to have
USE OF SEAMEN.
147
done; and there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord,
have mercy upon us, miserable offenders.
There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be
feared. With thee, O Lord, there is plenteous re-
demption : and thou hast graciously promised that if
we confess and forsake our sins, we shall find mercy,
God be merciful unto us, for Christ's sake. May the
blood of Jesus Christ, once shed on the cross, wash us
from all our sins. May we be justified freely, by grace,
through faith in the blood of the Lamb, which cleanseth
from all sin : and may we obtain, joy and peace in
believing.
O thou author and finisher of faith, enable us to
trust in thee, through Jesus Christ, with humble con-
fidence and joyful hope ; committing our souls into the
faithful hands of him who is able to save to the utter-
most, and who has promised to cast out none that
come to him for salvation !
We beseech thee, O God, to give us thy Holy Spirit,
to enlighten our minds, to renew our wills, to sanctify
our hearts, and to comfort our souls ; that so, we may
be sealed unto the day of redemption ; may be enabled
to die unto sin, and live unto rightevusness; to mor-
tify the flesh with all its corruptions and lusts; that we
may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to
the glory of thy holy name.
Take us this night, O Lord, under thy fatherly care.
Thou art the great Keeper of Israel, who never slum-
berest nor sleepest, and whose watchful eyes behold us
in the darkness as well as in the light. May it please
thee of thy great mercy to defend us from all perils
and dangers of this night, for the love of thy only Son
our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
148
PRAYERS FOR THE
FOR LORD'S DAY MORNING.
Almighty God, the maker of heaven and earth, when
thou hadst finished the work of creation, it pleased
thee to appoint one day in seven to be a holy sabbath
a day of rest. We thank thee for the merciful and gra-
cious appointment, so useful both to the souls and bodies
of men. This is the day which the Lord hath made,
we will rejoice and be glad therein. May we be in the
Spirit on the Lord's day. Enable us, we pray thee, so
to sanctify this sabbath, that it may be means of our
sanctification; that by resting this day, as much as
possible, from our worldly labours, we may be the bet-
ter prepared to leave the world; and by conversing
with heavenly things, be the better prepared for heaven
itself.
We desire to keep this day holy to the honour of
God, the Father Almighty, in remembrance of the
great work of creation. We desire to sanctify this
day to the honour of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
the Saviour of the world, who on the first day of the
week rose from the dead, after finishing the work of
our Redemption. We desire also to keep holy this
day to the honour of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth -
and grace, who on the first day of the week, the day
of Pentecost, descended on the apostles, and whose
gracious influences have ever since been experienced
by the church of God.
Heavenly Father, help us to worship thee this day
in spirit and in truth; and although we are now far
from those houses of prayer, in which our fellow chris-
tians are serving thee on shore, may we be favoured
with thy gracious presence at sea; for thou art not
confined to temples made with hands, but wherever
USE OF BEAMEN.
149
two or three are gathered together in thy name, there
art thou, by the power of thy Holy Spirit, present in
the midst.
: O holy, holy, holy God, we confess with shame and
grief, that we are unholy; sinners by nature, and sin-
ners by practice! Thy law is holy, and just, and good ;
but we have broken it times without number. Deal
not with us, O God, according to our iniquities; but
for the sake of Jesus Christ, thy dear Son, be merciful
to our unrighteousness, and remember our iniquities no
more. Blot out as a cloud our transgressions, and as
a thick cloud our sins. Take away all iniquity, and
receive us graciously, and though our sins have been
as scarlet let them be white as snow; and though
they have been red like crimson, let them be as wool.
O let the blood of Christ cleanse us from all sin, then
shall we be whiter than snow !
And we beseech thee, Holy Father, to sanctify us
fully by thy Holy Spirit, that we, being dead to sin,
may live unto righteousness. Create in us clean hearts,
and renew within us right spirits. Give us grace to
put off the old man of sin, and to put on the new man
of grace. Help us to crucify the flesh, with its cor-
ruptions and lusts. May we so resist the Devil that
he may flee from us, and may none of his temptations
overcome us. Write thy holy laws in our hearts, that
so we may delight in the way of thy commandments,
and glorify thee with our bodies and with our spirits
which are thine.
Be present, O Lord, this day, with all the assem,
blies of thy people throughout the world. Bless all
our relations and friends who are worshipping thee,
and hearing thy word this day. Assist all the ministers
of thy gospel in their labours of love for the souls of
03
150
PRAYERS FOR TOE
men. Hear the prayers this day offered up in the
churches for all who are travelling by land or by sea ;
and we especially pray thee not only to preserve us, on
our present voyage, but all our brother seamen now
sailing on the mighty waters. May their lives and ours
be precious in thy sight; may our present voyage be
prosperous, and in due time be brought to a happy
conclusion.
Bless us and keep us, O Lord, all this day. Suffer
us not to profane the sabbath; and even while we are
employed in the necessary duties of the ship, may we
meditate on thy truth, and lift up our hearts unto thee.
And grant, О most merciful Father, that when the
voyage of life is finished, we may be admitted into thy
blissful presence, and begin a sabbath of holy joy
which shall never end !
Hear us, we beseech thee O God, for the sake of
our only Mediator and Advocate Jesus Christ. Now to
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost,
the one only living and true God, and our God, be
glory and honour, dominion and praise, for ever and
ever. Amen.
LORD'S DAY EVENING.
· O LORD our God, thou art great, and greatly to be
feared. Thou art also merciful and gracious, long-
suffering and abundant in goodness and in truth. Who
is like unto thee--glorious in holiness, fearful in praises,
doing wonders.
• We desire at the close of this holy day, to approach
thy glorious Majesty, in the name of Jesus Christ, by
whom alone sinners can come to thee with acceptance.
By nature we are far from God and from righteous.
ness, we have rendered ourselves vile and odious by our
sins, we are by nature and by practice children of diso-
USE OF SEAMEN.
151
bedience and children of wrath; and it is of thy mer-
cies that we are not consumed. Without thy favour
and mercy, O God, we are undone, for ever undone.
God be merciful unto us, miserable sinners.
Thou hast been pleasell to say that if we repent and
forsake our sins, we shall find mercy; that thou art
slow to anger, but ready to forgive ; and that the blood
of thy dear Son cleanseth from all sin. This, O God,
is all our salvation, and all our desire. We come to
thee by Jesus Christ, our Mediator. Look upon us
graciously in him, and for his sake forgive our innu-
merable offences.
And we pray thee, O most holy God, to give us thy
Holy Spirit, to purify our hearts, to fill us with a love
to holiness and a hatred to sin. We would look back
with shame and self-loathing on our former iniquities.
O let us never, never return to the practice of sin, but
help us to subdue all our vices, to crucify every bad
affection; suffer us not to think bad thoughts, nor
speak bad words, nor commit bad actions, but make
us holy in all manner of conversation and godliness.
Make us chaste, and sober, honest and diligent, loving
our neighbour as ourselves, and the Saviour above all.
Mortify in us all pride, envy, hatred, malice and uncha-
ritableness; and make us meek, and patient, and hum-
ble, like our Saviour ; that so, when we have done with
this life, and leave this world, we may be with and like
our Redeemer for evermore.
Pardon O God all the sins of this day. We do not
keep our Sabbaths as we ought; but bless the means
of grace which we have enjoyed this day, although
they have not been such as are enjoyed on shore ; and
though we are now separated from the multitude who
keep holy-day, and go up to the Lord's house in com-
152
PRAYERS FOR TAE
pany, yet may the means we do enjoy prove a blessing
to our souls, that we may become the wiser and the
better, the happier and the holier, by waiting upon
thee this day. May thy word be hid in our hearts,
that we may not sin against thee, and may we, on the
morrow, diligently pursue our calling in thy fear, and
with thy blessing
Take us, we beseech thee, O Lord, under thy pro-
tection this night. Preserve the vessel from all disas-
ters, keep us all in peace and safety, and prepare us by
thy grace to keep an eternal sabbath in the heavenly
world.
Hear these our prayers, and accept of our persons
and services through Jesus Christ, our great Intercessor.
And now, unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible,
the only wise God, and our God, Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit, be honour and glory, dominion and praise,
henceforth and for ever. Amen.
PRAYER IN A STORM.
O ALMOHTY and most nierciful God! Thou hast said,
Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver
thee, and thou shalt glorify me. O Lord behold us,
even us thy sinful creatures, in this our great trouble.
Behold, O God, our sore distress, and in thy great
mercy afford relief. Save, Lord, or we perish. In
vain we look for the help of man. But thou art
Almighty, and art able to save to the uttermost. Speak
but the word, and the raging of the sea will go down.
Rebuke the winds, and there shall be a calm. Abate
the fury of the tempest, and let us not perish in the
mighty waters. O make a way for our escape from
this present danger, that we may live to shew forth
thy praise.
USE OF SEAMEN.
153
We are miserable sinners, and deserve thy dreadful
judgments. But thou art a merciful God. God be
merciful to us sinners. Lord have mercy upon us.
Christ have mercy upon us. O God forgive all our
sins, and blot out all our iniquities. For the sake of
Jesus Christ, who died the just for the unjust, who
shed his precious blood for guilty sinners, have mercy
upon us, and pardon all our sins, though they are so
many and so great.
O God, in thine infinite mercy spare our lives, that
we may repent of our sins and lead a new life. Yet,
() God, we would resign ourselves to thy holy will,
and if this storm be sent to call us hence, prepare us
for the great change. Prepare us to appear before thee,
accepted in Christ, and renewed by thy Holy Spirit.
If our bodies must perish, yet save our souls, and admit
us into thy glorious presence.
Yet save us, O God, from this threatening destruc-
tion. All things are possible with thee. Bless our
exertions. Save us in the way thou thinkest best.
Hear us, most merciful God, hear thy poor sinful crea-
tures, begging for mercy and imploring thy help. 0
Lord, make speed to save us. O Lord, make haste to
help us : so will we render praise to thee, now, hence-
forth, and for evermore. O hear us for the sake of
Jesus Christ. Amen and Ainen.
THANKSGIVING AFTER A STORM.
Glory! Glory! Glory be to God. O Lord, we praise
thee, we praise thee with all our hearts for thy great
goodness, and for thy wonderful works to us the
children of men. O what shall we render to God for
jis goodness. To thy almighty power, and to thine
unmerited mercy, we owe this great deliverance. If
thou O God hadst not seasonably interposed for our
154
PRAYERS FOR THE
help, then the waters had overwhelmed us, and we
should have been buried in the deep. Who are we,
O holy God, to be favoured thus! Others, it may be,
have perished in the late heavy gale. We deserved no
favour at thy hands. Our sins called for judgment,
and thou mightest justly have put a period to our lives,
which have been so rebellious; but thou hast not dealt
with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to
our iniquities. Instead of bidding farewell to this world
and to all our dear friends and relations, we are again
looking forward with hope of meeting them again. In-
stead of being called to thy judgment bar, to answer
for all our sins, we have further time allowed us for
repentance. Blessed be God for this reprieve. O help
us to improve our time to better purpose than we ever
did. Help us to pay to thee the sacrifice of praise and
thanksgiving with our whole hearts, in truth and sin-
cerity.
And suffer us not, wickedly and ungratefully, to for-
get this great benefit. Suffer us not to return to our
sins and follies; but devote the lives which thou hast
so' mercifully spared, to thy honour and glory. May
we not forget the vows and promises which we made
in our trouble, but perform them with sincerity,
And, O God, as thou hast saved our bodies from
death, save our souls also from sin. Pardon all our
iniquities, that we may not come into condemnation at
the last ; and sanctify our hearts by thy Holy Spirit,
that we may die unto sin and live unto righteousness,
that so our souls may be saved in the day of the Lord
Jesus, through whose merits alone we humbly desire
the acceptance of our persons and praises, and to whom
with the Holy Father, and the Holy Spirit, be all
honour and glory, world without end. Amen.
USE OF SEAMEN.
155
COLLECTS
OR
SHORT PRAYERS, which may be used after reading the
Sermons, together with one of the Morning or Evening
Prayers, if convenient.
PRAYER adapted to SERMON 1.
O Thou great Creator of the world! In thy hand are
the deep places of the earth; the strength of the hills
is thine also. The sea, upon which we are now sailing,
is thine ; thou didst make it; and thy hands formed
the dry land. As it is our lot, in thy providence, to
carry on our business in the great waters, enable us
to observe thy works, and thy wonders in the deep.
We are surrounded with the proofs of thy Almighty
power : suffer us not to forget thee, or our dependence
upon thee. Thou only, who didst make the sea
and dost continually manage it, canst protect us from
the many dangers to which seamen are exposed. Thou
O Lord, art the God of our salvation ; thou art the
confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them
that are afar off on the sea. Be unto us, o most
merciful Father, the God of salvation, not of our
bodies only, but chiefly of our souls. We have all
sinned against thee, and deserve thy dreadful wrath.
But deal not with us, o God, according to our sins,
but pardon all our iniquities, for the sake of thy dear
Son Jesus Christ, whose blood cleanseth from all sin ;
and so renew and sanctify our souls, by the grace of
thy Holy Spirit, that we may hereafter constantly fear
and serve thee, according to thy word, through Jesus
Christ our great Intercessor.
156
PRAYERS FOR THE
PRAYER adapted to SERMON II.
GLORIous and gracious God. In thy hand are our
times, and all our ways. We have once more loosed
from our native land; we are again on the bosom
of the great deep, and once more directing our course
to a distant country. O that we may go forth in thy
fear, and in thy favour; and be conducted, in this
present yoyage, under thy blessing.
We thank thee, O most gracious Father, for all the
comforts we enjoyed on shore; and we humbly be-
seech thee to pardon the many sins we committed
during that time. We have not improved our privileges
as we might have done, and as we ought to have done.
God be merciful unto us sinners. And give us grace,
we beseech thee, to do better for time to come; and
to improve all the advantages we may enjoy on the
voyage. May we take heed to our ways, according to
thy word; and be preserved from all filthiness of flesh
and of spirit. May no profane or lewd communication
proceed out of our mouth; and may we all live in
peace and friendship with each other.
O God, be pleased to keep, direct, and preserve us
on this voyage. Thou only knowest what dangers
may befal us, and thou only canst save and deliver us
from them. We beseech thee, therefore, to watch
over us night and day; and in due time restore us in
peace and safety to our native land, to enjoy the
comforts of our own habitations, and the society of our
beloved families and friends. Preserve them, O Lord,
we beseech thee, in our absence, and be their father
and their friend in all their afflictions.
And now, O Lord, we commend ourselves to thy
mercy and protection, that whatever may be our future
USE OF SEAMEN.
157
lot, and whether we live or die, we may be eternally
saved through Jesus Christ our Lord and Redeemer.
Amen.
PRAYER adapted to SERMON III.
O most merciful God, who hast graciously promised
to forgive the sins of all those who truly repent and
believe in Jesus Christ, grant unto us by thy Holy
Spirit, the gift of true repentance. May we be deeply
convinced of our numberless transgressions of thy holy
law, and of our liability to eternal punishment. May
we look back with sorrow and shame on our past
offences, and weep to think how we have abused thy
goodness, wearied thy patience, and rebelled against
thy government.
We now humbly approach thy throne of grace in the
name of Jesus, and earnestly cry to thee for mercy.
Lord have mercy upon us. Christ have mercy upon us.
Blot out our transgressions as a thick cloud, and shine
upon us with the light of thy countenance, as our
reconciled God and Father in Christ. Thou hast been
pleased to say, Come unto me, all ye that labour and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Behold,
O Lord, we come at thy call. We obey thy kind in-
vitation. Reject us not. Cast us not out, who come
to thee for mercy through thy Son Jesus Christ.
And give us thy Holy Spirit, that hereafter we may
prove the sincerity of our repentance, and the truth of our
conversion, by forsaking all our evil ways, and walking
in all the ordinances and commandments of the Lord;
that we may be blameless and harmless, the sons of
God without rebuke, in the midst of a perverse anal
wicked generation.
Grant this O God for the alone sake of Jesus Christ,
our Lord and our Redeemer. Amen.
158
PRAYERS FOR THE
PRAYER adapted to SERMON IV.
GLORY be to thee, O God, that the salvation of a sinner
is possible ; that a way of salvation is provided for
fallen men, though none is prepared for fallen angels.
What is man, O Lord, that thou shouldest so distinguish
him by thy sovereign grace ?
Blessed be thy name, O Lord, for revealing this sal-
ation to us, in thy holy gospel, and for sending to us
thy servants, to declare unto us the true and only way
of salvation through Jesus Christ. Eternal thanks to
thee, that a new and living way was made, through
the blood of Christ, for our free access to thee; so
that we may come with boldness to the throne of
grace, to obtain mercy. In this way, rejecting all
others, we now desire to come to thee. Be pleased to
receive and accept us. And having, by faith, received
Christ Jesus the Lord, may we so walk in him; and
pursue the king's high-way of holiness, until we re-
ceive the end of our faith, even the complete and
eternal salvation of our souls.
For the sake of Jesus Christ, who is the way, the
truth, and the life, vouchsafe to hear and answer these
our prayers. And now, to the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Ghost, the one God of our salvation, be
everlasting praise. Amen.
PRAYER adapted to 'SERMON V.
O Thou who art the author and finisher of faith,
inspire us with the same faith which dwelt in thy
servant Noah, who believed thy threatening of the
flood, and thy promise of safety in the ark. May we
so believe the awful threatenings of thy word against
singers, that we may be moved by a godly fear, and
flee from the wrath to come.
USE OF SEAMEN.
159
We thank thee, O most merciful God, that thou hast
provided, in Jesus Christ, an ark of refuge for our
gouls; and that thou hast, in the gospel, invited us to
enter into it. Make us willing, we beseech thee, in
the day of thy power, to repair to this strong hold,
that we may be safe ; for there is no condemnation to
those who are in Christ Jesus ; and who prove that
they are in him, by walking, not according to the '
flesh, but according to the Spirit.
And in the great and awful day when Christ shall
come to judge the world, may we be found in him;
justified by his righteousness, and sanctified by his
Spirit; so that, when the world of the ungodly shall
be shut out, we may be admitted into glory, and be
for ever with the Lord.
PRAYER adapted to SERMON VI.
O THU, who art the God of hope, grant unto us,
we humbly beseech thee, a good hope, through grace.
We thank thee that although we are miserable sinners,
and by nature without Christ, and therefore without
hope, thou hast been pleased to set before us in the
gospel, Jesus Christ as the true and only foundation
of solid and satisfying comfort. Deliver us, O Lord,
from those false and delusive hopes which are enter-
tained by the ignorant, the formalist, and the hypocrite.
May Jesus Christ be the anchor of our souls, and in
seasons of adversity may we put our confidence in him,
and so trust as not to be afraid, knowing that this an-
chor entereth into that which is within the vail, and
is always sure and stedfast. And may this hope so
purify our hearts, that we may henceforth live to thy
glory, in all holy obedience, through Jesus Christ our
Lord and our Redeemer. Amen.
160
PRAYERS FOR THE
PRAYER adapted to SERMON VII.
O God of infinite goodness and wisdom, condescend
to be our guide, whilst we are on our passage, through
this dangerous world, to the future and eternal state !
We acknowledge our ignorance, and proneness to
mistake; but we thank thee that thou hast given us
thy most holy word for our direction. Pardon our past
neglect; for we have not paid that attention to it which
we ought to have done. May it be our study here-
after, all the days of our lives; and may thy Holy
Spirit so enlighten the eyes of our understanding, and
30 direct and sanctify our hearts, that it may be our
constant guide, in all difficulties and dangers. Thus
may we avoid all those sins and errors which are as
hazardous to the soul as sands and rocks are to a ship,
and by the sure guidance of thy word and Spirit,
safely reach the port of eternal rest and happiness,
through Jesus Christ. Amen. :
PRAYER adapted to SERMON VIII.
[See Prayer in a Storm, page 152.]
PRAYER adapted to SERMON II.
[See Thanksgiving after a Storm, page 153.]
PRAYER adapted to SERMON X.
ETERNAL Jehovah, from everlasting to everlasting
thou art the same; but we are sinful and therefore
mortal creatures. By one man sin entered into the
world, and death by sin, so that it hath passed over all
men, for that all have signed. And now, death hath
visited this vessel, and one of our shipmates has been
USE OF BEAMEN.
161
removed to the eternal world. We have committed
his body to the deep, but his spirit hath returned to
God who gave it.
And now we beseech thee, most merciful God, to
enable us by thy grace to make a right use and im-
provement of this mournful event. Teach us, oh !
God, how frail we are. Teach us so to number our
days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom; even to
true religion, for that is the beginning of wisdom.
All men must die: but thy word has taught us that
there is a wide difference between the death of the
righteous and the death of the wicked. The wicked,
we are told, is driven away in his wickedness. O let not
this sad end be ours : let us not be numbered with the
wicked in life or death. But we have heard that the
righteous hath hope in his death. O that we may be
found amongst the righteous. Make us righteous O God
we beseech thee. May we be found in Christ, having his
righteousness imputed to us, that we may be justified
thereby : and sanctify us also by thy Holy Spirit, that
we may be pure and holy, and walk before thee in all
holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives.
Prepare us, O God, for our great change. Help us
to walk watchfully and humbly with thee, that so,
whenever we shall be summoned hence, death may
prove our everlasting gain. Grant this, O God, for
the sake of Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and
the life, and who, with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
is God over all, blessed for evermore. Amen.
PRAYER adapted to SERMON XI.
OTHOU, who art the God of all grace, how wonderful
is thy goodness in saying unto us, Seek ye my face !
162
· PRAYERS FOR THE
Grant that each of our hearts may sincerely reply, Thry
face, O Lord, will I seek. Thou hast all the blessings
to bestow which, as sinful and needy creatures, we
can want, or desire :-all that is necessary to make us
happy in time and in eternity. O help us now to seek
thee; now, while thou mayest be found, and to call
upon thee now, while thou art near. Let us not pe-
rish by sinful delay, but now, while it is called To-
day, cause us, by thy Holy Spirit, to hear thy voice,
and to believe in thee for salvation, through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
PRAYER adapted to SERMON XII.
O ETERNAL, glorious, and gracious God. Through thy
great goodness we once more behold our native land.
Thou hast blessed us in our going out, and in our
coming in. Thou hast preserved us from many dangers,
seen and unseen. By night and by day thou hast watched
over us, and suffered no evil to befal us. Having ob-
tained help from thee, we continue to this day; and
after our long absence from home, we again return to
our own beloved country, and once more behold (or
hope, soon to behold) the faces of our dear relations and
friends.
What shall we render to thee, most gracious God,
for these thy great benefits? O grant us thy grace and
Holy Spirit, that we may avoid the sins, and escape
the temptations by which we formerly fell. O Lord,
keep us, by thy mighty power, from the lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. Now
we may keep holy the Sabbath-day; now may we
hear the joyful sound of the gospel with delight; now
may we read thy word with care; now may we keep
company only with those that fear thee; and enjoy
USE OF SRAMEN.'
the fruits of our labours with moderation and thanks-
giving. And may thy grace direct our future steps
through all our days; and when the voyage of life is
ended, give us an abundant entrance into thy eternal
kingdom and glory, through Jesus Christ, our adorable
Saviour. Amen.
*** The Reader may be furnished with a greater
number and variety of suitable Prayers in a book entitled
“ The Seaman's Devotional Assistant," intended to aid
the Masters and Seamen of Merchant-ships, &c. Published
by the Port of London Society.
HYMNS.
HYMN FOR SEAMEN. Ay a Bethun
(From an American Magazine)
SEAMEN, the God of Heaven adore ;
Ye see the wonders of his power;
The deep affords a rich supply,
And all the star-bespangled sky.
When swiftly through the waves you glide,
Clothing your ship with naval pride,
Who gives the strong impelling breeze, ,
That wafts you safely o'er the seas?
When storms and hurricanes arise,
And clouds and darkness veil the skies,
Who bids the furious tempest blow?
He who hath power to lay you low.
When light returus, and o'er the skies
The sunbeams spread a thousand dyes,
Think ou that Sun whose mercy brings
Healing and life beneath his wings.
HYMNS FOR THB
Compare the word and works of God,
Reveal'd and manifest abroad,
And you will find their doctrine true,
That makes his favour life to you.
The needle points you to the pole,
And yet it trembles, like the soul
That feels its guilt a heavy load,
When looking at a holy God.
But, tearful sailor, see the Cross,
Where tears of blood made up thy loss;
And mark the flesh of Jesus torn,
To heal the souls for sin that mourn.
And can a sailor's gen'rous heart
Act the ungrateful, treach'rous part,
To turn his back on such a friend ?
From such a course may Heav'n defend !
No! rather make his word your guide,
In Him, your pilot, still confide;
He'll lead you to that blissful shore, -
Where storms and death &re felt no more.
THE PILOT.
On hoisting a flag at the Mariner's Church, in Philadelphia,
While o'er the swelling sea of life
Poor sinners heedless sail,
Their guilty passions drive them far,
Till cheering prospects fail.
Then gloomy storms and fearful roar
Of tempests threaten death;
And yet all hands despise the game
Of God who gives them breath.
But oh! how merciful! how good
Is Ho whom sinners hate!
He kindly sends his Pilots out
To warn them of their fate.
[Along the dang'rous coast of Time,
The Pilots hail each crew
« The gulf-stream sets to endless wo,
The dismal port's in view !]
• See hoisted high the fag of love,
By heav'nly breezes waved !,
• Here Sailors, stop, and orders hear.
• Obey, and you'll be saved.
USE OF SEAMEN,
• The Captain of Salvation calls,
"O wretched Seamen stay!
Now change your course and heav'n-ward steer,
• The Pilots show the way.
• Then, like the stars of morn and eve
"Your future days shall prove;
Nor storms of death your hope destroy,
• For Christ your souls will love.
• The dove of peace portends the land
• Of joy and holy rest;
"There Jesus dwells and makes his saints,
• With him forever blest.
PEACE, BE STILL.
The billows swell, the winds are high,
Clouds overcast my wintry sky;
Out of the depths to thee I call,
My fears are great, my strength is small."
O Lord, the pilot's part perform,
And guide and guard me through the storm,
Defend me from each threat'ning ill,
Control the waves, say, ' Peace, be still.'
Amidst the roaring of the sea,
My soul still hangs her hope on thee;
Thy constant love, thy faithful care,
Is all thst saves me from despair.
Dangers of every shape and name
Attend the follow'rs of the Lamb,
Who leave the world's deceitful shore,
And leave it to return no more.
Thu' tempesi-toss'd and half a wreck,
My Saviour through the floods I seek;
Let neither winds nor stormy main
Force back my shatter'd bark again.
SECURE ANCHORAGE.
Now I have found the blessed ground,
Where my soul's anchor may remain ;
'The Lamb of God, who for my sin.
Was from the world's foundation slain :
Whose merey shall unshaken stay,
When heaven and earth are fled awaye
166
HYMNS FOR THE
O love! thou bottomless abyss !
My sins are swallow'd up in thee:
Cover'd is my unrighteousness,
From condemnation now I'm free :
While Jesu's blood, through earth and skies,
Mercy, free, boundless mercy! cries.
With faith I plunge me in this sea;
Here is my hope, my joy, my rest!
Hither, when hell assails, I fee,
And look unto my Saviour's breast:
Away, sad doubt, and anxious fear,
Mercy is only written there!
Though waves and storms go o'er my head,
Though strength, and health, and friends be gone;
Though joys be wither'd all, and dead,
Though every comfort be withdrawn;
Stedfast on this my soul relies,
Father, thy mercy never dies.
Fix'd on this ground will I remain,
Tho' my heart fail, and flesh decay;
This anchor shall my soul sustain,
When earth's foundations melt away;
Mercy's full power I then shall prove,
Lov'd with an everlasting love.
PAUL'S VOYAGE.
IF Paul in Cæsar's court must stand,
He need not fear the sea;
Secur'd from harm on every hand,
By the divine decree.
Although the ship in which he sail'd
By dreadful storms was toss'd;
The promise over all prevailid,
And not a life was lost.
Jesus! the God whom Paul ador'd,
Who saves in time of need,
Was then confest by all on board,
A present help indeed !
Tuo' neither sun nor stars were seen,
Paul knew the Lord was near;
And faith preserv'd his soul serene,
Wheu others shook for fear.
USE OF SEAMEN.
Believers thus are toss'd about
On life's tempestuous main,
But grace assures, beyond a doubt,
They shall their port attain.
They must, they shall appear one day
Before their Šaviour's throne;
The storms they meet with by the way,
But make his power kpown.
Their passage lies across the brink
Of many a threat'ning wave;
The world expects to see them sink,
But Jesus lives to save.
Lord, tho' we are but feeble worms,
Yet, since thy word is past,
We'll venture thro'a thousand storms,
To see thy face at last.
THE SEA SHORE.
In ev'ry object here I see
Something, O Lord, that leads to thee;
Firm as the rocks thy promise stands,
Thy mercies countless as the sands,
Thy love a sea, immensely wide,
Thy grace an ever-flowing tide.
In ev'ry cbject here I see
Something, my heart, that points at thee,
Hard as the rocks that bound the strand,
Unfruitful as the barren sand,
Deep and deceitful as the ocean,
And, like the tides, in constant motion.
.
THE BIBLE.
God is the refuge of his saints,
When storms of sharp distress invade;
Ere we can offer our complaints,
Behold him present with his aid.
Loud may the troubled ocean roar,
In sacred peace our souls abide;
While ev'ry nation, ev'ry shore,
Trembles, and dreads the swelling tide.
168
*
.
HYUNS FOR THE USE OF SEAWEN.
That sacred Book, thy holy word,
That, all our raging fear controuls,
Sweet peace and promises afford,
And give new strength to fainting souls.
AFTER A STORM.
All praise to the Lord
Who rules with a word
Th' untractable sea,
And limits its rage by his stedfast decree.
Whose providence binds,
Or releases the winds,
And compels them again,
At his beck, to put on th' invis'ble chain.
that all men would raise
A tribute of praise,
His goodness declare,
And thankfully sing of his fatherly care !
With joy we embrace
This pledge of his grace,
And wait to outfly
These storms of affliction, and land in the sky,
TAK BND.
T
B. Benitoy, Bolt Court, Fleet Struet.
CE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
wwwv
orm
3 9015 06433 6996
A 552072
DUPL