and we dragged the boat up, above high-water mark, capsized her, and all of us crept under her and found shelter from the weather. "In the morning the storm was raging with unabated fury, and we felt that we were in as great peril as ever. On the one hand, we were shut up in a cove, from whence there was no escape by land, the cliffs being perfectly inaccessible, and on the other, it was impossible to launch the boat in such a sea as was then running. "The day was the sabbath, and it was the fifth day since our ship foundered. Hitherto I had said very little, for indeed, being a supercargo, and not a regular seaman, I always felt a delicacy in giving my opinion upon purely nautical subjects; but when I remembered that it was God's holy day, and when I marked the settled melancholy upon all hands, crouched together under the boat like criminals in a condemned cell awaiting death, my heart was stirred within me, and I took courage to address my companions. "Whilst I should be sorry, my friends, to say anything to damp the little hope we may yet have of being saved, I think we cannot disguise the fact that we are in a great strait; and it is my firm belief that unless the Almighty God deliver us, vain is the help of man.' "That's true,' muttered two or three voices. "This, my friends,' I continued, 'is God's holy sabbath day; it is now about the hour when thousands in happy England are wending their way to places of worship to offer to God the sacrifice of prayer; thousands of hearts are lifting up the petition, "That it may please thee to succour, help, and comfort all that are in danger, necessity, and tribulation;" and may we not hope that some who love us are thinking of us as they respond, "We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord ?" I will repeat to you, if I may, something from the Bible, which I learned at my mother's knee, and which concerns sailors especially.' "I paused for assent, and a general cry of 'Do! do! go on!' encouraged me to proceed. This is it, my friends. "They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business, in great waters; these see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. For he commandeth, 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 wits' end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men !" 666 Now, my friends, have we cried unto the Lord in our trouble? Have we praised the Lord for his goodness in sending that French ship to our relief, and to which great mercy we all owe our lives at this moment? For there can be no doubt but for that seasonable relief some of us might by this time have been in another world, in an eternity of endless joy or woe.' 666 Let us cry unto the Lord now,' said Jonas, and the wish was echoed by the others. "I seized the moment, and kneeling down I said, 'Let us pray.' I don't know what I prayed, nor how long I prayed; I felt we were on the very brink of eternity, and I cried and pleaded as a man might be expected to do over whose neck the headsman's axe was uplifted. Many joined me with tears and strong cries, and I rose from my knees with a sense of the peace that passeth all understanding. the peace that was lost in Eden's garden and found at the foot of the cross; and He who hears and answers prayer caused the storm to lull considerably during the course of the night, and the wind to chop round and blow off shore. But still there were heavy rollers on the beach, and abundance of drift ice. After a serious consultation, it was determined that we should make an effort to launch the boat; but as she could not possibly live through the sea if thirteen got into her, it was settled that five should remain, and the other eight endeavour to reach the British settlement. "In one of the cliffs was a good-sized cavern, but as the opening faced the sea, we made some wooden pegs, and suspended the tarpaulin as a screen before the entrance, and thus made it a retreat for our five companions who had consented to remain behind till we could send them relief. We also gave them all the provisions that remained, and bidding them farewell, we took advantage of a slight lull, and ran the yawl through the breakers as quickly as possible. Three men had the oars passed, and the other five of us tumbled in, and in a few minutes were in open water. Our strength was so much reduced that it was night before we reached the settlement, when some of us crawled, and others were helped along to the house of a gentleman, who with great humanity refreshed us with such things as the place afforded. "We immediately acquainted him with the perishing state of our five companions, entreating him to hire a boat, and send provisions, etc., for their relief. This he kindly promised to endeavour, and before we went to rest we were told that a boat would go the following morning to fetch them off. Judge then of our grief when we found that, partly from the want of men acquainted with the cove, and partly owing to the omission of masters of vessels that fished there, the boat did not proceed the next day, and a heavy gale prevented them from going the following day, so that it was not till late in the evening of the third day that our poor forlorn shipmates were removed. One of their number was found dead, and the other four were conveyed to Treposse, the wind not permitting of the boat returning to us. Everything was done for them that medical skill could suggest, but their legs were so mortified that amputations were resorted to, and only one out of the four survived the operations. Of the eight of us who arrived at the plantation, one died after three weeks, poor Jonas lost four toes, and the rest had for a time great sufferings. But by the blessing of God our lives were spared to praise the Lord for his goodness, and declare his wonderful works to the children of men.' A NATION'S TRUE GLORY. THE wisest prince that ever sat upon a throne has told us, that "righteousness exalteth a nation," Prov. xiv. 34. It is not valour in war, but righteousness; it is not policy in government, but righteousness; it is not wittiness of invention, but righteousness; it is not civility in behaviour, but righteousness; it is not antiquity of forms, but righteousness; it is not largeness of dominion, but righteousness: it is not greatness of command, but righteousness: that is the honour and the safety, that is the renown and security of a nation. The nation that exalts righteousness, that nation shall be exalted by righteousness. It is not Ahithophel's policy; it is not Jeroboam's calves in Dan and Bethel; it is not Jehu's pompous zeal; it is not Goliath's sword; it is not rich mines of gold or silver, nor magazines, nor armies, nor counsels, nor fleets, nor forts,—but justice and righteousness that exalts a nation, and that will make a mean people to become a great, a glorious, and a famous people in the world. The world is a ring, and righteousness is the diamond in that ring; the world is a body, and righteousness and justice are the soul of that body. Ah, England! England! so long as judgment runs down as waters in the midst of thee, and righteousness as a mighty stream, thou shalt not die, but live, and bear up bravely against all gainsayers and opposers.-T. BROOKS. `(Written in 1662.) THE INTERCESSOR. THOU who didst for Peter's faith Still direct my devious way! When a tempting world in view Which the world can ne'er impart. Beam again around my heart! By a look of love divine. Then if heavenly dews distil, If my hopes are bright and clear, Temper joy with holy fear. Keep me watchful, Safe alone when thou art near. When the chilling eastern blows. "WHAT, lads! what!" said old Ben Cairns, better known throughout the neighbourhood by old and young as "Daddy Ben." "What, lads!" he cried, as clambering over his boat that he had just been cleaning, he saw some boys engaged in a fierce quarrel that promised to end in a fight. "Is it you that's spoiling this beautiful day with such ugly faces? For shame of you-here's the sun shining and the tide coming in as gentle as a lamb, and you looking like thunder and saying words that would frighten the fishes if they could but hear 'em." MARCH, 1867. D |