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Seaman's Magazine.

He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they [sailors] glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. Psalms.

LIVERPOOL BETHEL UNION.

THE Bethel meetings at our wharves have been suspended for the present on account of the prevailing fever, and in the absence of the reports which they usually furnish we presume the following summary of the proceedings of our friends at Liverpool will be found profitable and interesting.

Ar a late meeting some Seamen prayed in language that drew forth the best and finest feelings of the heart, and gave a tone to the meeting which was highly pleasing and gratifying. Just when the meeting was breaking up, a seaman stepped forward and said: "Avast there, shipmates! I have a word to say to you; I will not detain you long. You all remember the gale of last night, and how it blows even now. I was out in the midst of it. We put to sea in company with many others, and were overtaken in the storm. It was a dreadful one :-a dreadful night indeed. I have encountered many gales, but the gale of last night was the stiffest one I ever remember. When the captain took the command of the ship, I went down below to refresh myself a little, (having been on the deck for many hours,) and the first thing I did was to get down on my knees, and thank God I was not washed overboard; I had great comfort from reading the 107th Psalm.-I continued praying and reading nearly one hour, and rose from my knees quite refreshed and recruited in my strength, as though I had not endured any fatigue. My soul was stayed upon God; and although the sea was raging mountains high, all was tranquil and peace within. I felt the mighty power of God supporting me in that dread hour, and experienced the consolations of religion in a manner I never felt before, though in the very jaws of death. I would not have exchanged my feelings for all the world. I knew by happy experience the Bible is not a cunningly devised fable, and that

The Lord who rules on high,

And all the earth surveys,

That rides upon the stormy sky,

And calms the raging seas,'

was mine; and that I had nothing to fear. I again went upon deck, and the captain went below; and he also went to prayer, (as he told me ;) and, blessed with fresh courage and strength, we were enabled to weather the storm, and bring back our vessel safe to port, without losing a single spar or rope, or a hair of our head being hurt.-Who

can experience such a mighty deliverance, without acknowledging the hand of providence, and thanking God for escaping a watery grave, when we hear of many of our shipmates having been lost, and swept away into eternity, in last night's gale. I bless God for these Bethel meetings, for Seamen to repair to. I have come here to-night, thinking it best to do so, and tell you of the Lord's dealing with me."

March, 1822.-In conversation with a respectable middle-aged seaman at one of the prayer-meetings, one of our members asked him, what first induced him to attend to religion? After a pause of some moments, in order to recover the agitation the question had produced, he related the following narrative :

"I have been a sailor from a very early age, and never thought about religion, or the concerns of my soul, until my return from my last voyage. My home, where I have resided eighteen years, is at a village near Workington, in a small cottage, the next to a neat chapel; but, the people who go to this chapel being called by the neighbours Methodists, I never would venture inside the door, nor suffer my family, if I could prevent it. I usually sail out of Liverpool. During the winter the vessel is laid up. At those times 1 return home for a few weeks to my family. Having a small family, and the times pressing rather hard upon us, during my absence last summer, my wife, endeavouring to save a little, sent my oldest girl, about six years of age, into the Sunday-school established at the chapel. My stay when at home being generally of short duration, (about three or four weeks,) my wife might suppose it would be no difficult matter to keep me in ignorance of the circumstance.

"I came from my last voyage before Christmas, and journeyed home. Being late when I arrived, I had not the opportunity of seeing my eldest girl until the following day. At dinner time, when we had sat down, I began, (beast-like,) to eat what was before me, without ever thinking of my heavenly Father, that provided my daily bread; but glancing my eye towards this girl, of whom I was dotingly fond, I observed her to look at me with astonishment. After a moment's pause, she asked me in a soleron and serious manner, Father, do you never ask a blessing before eating?" Her mother observed me to look hard at her, and hold my knife and fork motionless; (it was not anger,—it was a rush of conviction which struck me like lightning :) apprehending some reproof from me, and wishing to pass it by in a triffing way, she said, Do you say grace, Nanny.' My eyes were still rivetted upon the child, for I felt conscious I had never instructed her to pray, nor even set an example, by praying with my family when at home. The child seeing me waiting for her to begin, put her hands together, and lifting up her eyes to heaven, breathed the sweetest prayer I ever heard. This was too much for me: the knife and fork dropped from my hands, and I gave vent to my feelings in tears." Here a pause ensued. He appeared much affected. On recovering himself, he continued, "I inquired who had thus instructed the child. The mother informed me, the good people at the chapel next door; and the child never would go to bed, nor rise in the morning, without kneeling down to pray for herself and her dear father and mother.

Ah! thought 1, and I never prayed for myself or my children. I entered the chapel in the evening, for the first time, and continued to attend the means of grace there. The Lord having awakened me to a sense of my danger through the instrumentality of a dear child, I am now seeking him with all my heart, and truly can say I am happy in the thought, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save poor sinners, of whom I am chief." After some further conversation we parted, but with a hope to meet again.

Saturday Evening, April 16.-At the close of a Bethel meeting, an interesting looking Sailor, (very meanly clad,) applied to one of the Secretaries of the Bethel Companies to know if it was possible for him, a poor sailor, who had no money, to be put in possession of a Bible. He was answered, that the books were so very reasonable, that it was presumed if a sailor was anxious to obtain a Bible, he would not refuse the small sum required. "Sir," said he, "I am going to sea to-morrow morning, and should not wish to go without; but, Sir, I really have no money; I am truly poor. If I could get one upon the credit of my word, until my return, I will then cheerfully pay its value.”—Well, my good fellow, said the friend, I have no authority to recommend you to any who gratuitously give Bibles; but. if you will call at my house to-morrow morning early, I will do my best to supply you with one. He called at the appointed time, when the following conversation ensued :

Friend. Have you never been in possession of a Bible ?—Sailor. Not, Sir, since I have followed the sea.

F. How long have you followed the sea ?-S. Nine years; rather

more.

F. You have been accustomed to read the Bible when young ?-S. When at school, or at my father's in the family.

F. Were your parents religious?-S. They used to go to church regularly on the Sabbath, and my father always prayed morning and evening in the family.

F. What led you to leave your parents' home for a sailor's life ?-S. Why, Sir, my father resided at in the West of England, and possessed large landed property. I have an elder brother and five sisters. Every attention was paid to give us an useful and suitable education; but I was prone to idleness, and would spend great part of my hours from school in any company I could meet with, however loose or wicked. I grew fond of gambling, cockfighting, racing; in short, I gave myself up to vice. My father, after many reproofs, denied me pocket money. This caused me to conduct myself more violently. I behaved very undutifully to my father, which produced a violent quarrel. I left his house, and engaged myself as a ship-boy. I thought I should then be free. Having no one to look after me, I gave way to every vice. After an absence from home of about nine years, and having been out of employ until I was almost starved, I returned to my father's house last summer. I found my father had been dead several months, and had left all his property to my brother and sisters, who informed me, that my undutiful conduct had so grieved

my father, that in the event of my ever again visiting home, he had bequeathed me only £5, to furnish myself with the means of travelling back again. I immediately left the place with a heart bursting with grief and anger. I again embarked for sea.-Often, during my last voyage, my spirits have sunk, and a painful melancholy oppressed me, occasioned by what I considered the cruelty of my friends. One day, in this frame, I took hold of an old Bible belonging to one of the crew, and read it. There I read that the heart of man is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. I soon found that sin was the cause of all my misery. I took every opportunity to borrow a Bible to read, and the Lord was pleased to bless the reading of his Word. I felt I was a great sinner, and had forfeited all right or claim to even an earthly friend. I began to pray, and to beg of God to pardon my sins, for they were great. When I came on shore from my voyage, I was invited the first evening by some persons whom I met in the street to attend a Sailor's prayer-meeting. I readily went, and, thank God, it proved a great blessing to me.

Friend. I am happy to hear such a change effected by the reading of the Holy Scriptures. Have you felt no desire now on shore to indulge yourself in your former practices ?-Sailor. No, Sir, bless God, I have desired more for the evening to attend the Bethel flag, or on a Sunday to go to church or read a Bible, than any thing besides. And now I am going to sea,-and would not for any wealth, go without a Bible. A Bible was presented to him, and he appeared to receive it with sincere and lively gratitude.

THE YOUNG DUTCHMAN.

Extract from a Letter received by one of the Members of the Bethel Companies.

DEAR SIR,-The young Dutchman you favoured with your conversation at the meeting-room in Pool-lane, and of whom you have been pleased to take notice, begs you not to be offended with the liberty he takes, in addressing these lines to you. Although a stranger to you, I feel myself pressed to offer you, dear Sir, humbly and respectfully, this small token of gratitude. I thank God for his boundless grace in the sending his beloved Son Jesus Christ to save poor sinners, and even such a miserable wretch as I am, and surely in that regard I ought to burn with gratitude and love to that God and gracious Lord, for inspiring such a body of men and Christians, as the Bethel Seamen's Friends, (blessed be they for ever,) to take so much pains and trouble to bring us, of other ranks and classes, a despised, yea abhorred, set of people, to the fold of Jesus, and as I hope, through him to God the Father. I also feel myself compelled to return my sincere thanks to you, worthy Sir, and the Rev. Mr. L., and indeed to the whole Bethel and Seamen's Friend Society, for the interest and love you have for the welfare of our immortal souls, as well as for the pains and trouble you take so constantly to call us from our profane

and profligate ways, to the way of the Lord revealed unto us by our Lord and Saviour in the blessed Gospel. O may the giver of all blessings, pour his particular blessing, both temporal and spiritual, in abundance on your heads. O may thousands, thousands of seamen be pearls in the crowns of your reward. Yes, may thousands of seamen of all nations, bless the day they first did see a Bethel flag flying in the air. May this unworthy token of my gratitude be pleasant and welcome to you.

I humbly and respectfully beseech your kind remembrance towards me in your prayers, especially that after my leaving this town the merciful Lord may grant me grace to come to him and remain with him, in and through our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ, in spirit and in truth. O what a blessing would it be for me, (who have been very hardened in sins, and have well deserved to be beaten with double stripes,) what a blessing would it be, that through me being converted and born again, showing this blessed state in all my conduct, so much as a cabin-boy may turn to the Lord, for I have been very notorious among my seafaring acquaintances, for drinking, and all the consequences of this dreadful sin, as swearing and ill communications; but hope and pray that this case, through the assistance of our blessed Saviour, may alter to the contrary.

O pray for me, for I verily deserve double punishment, having been taught in the way of our Lord, for I was educated in the Orphan House at Amsterdam. Yes, I was taught in his ways from my childhood, but did not walk in them, even not last voyage that I was home, after hearing in Liverpool last winter the Rev. Mr. L. and other ministers on board of ship, as well as in chapel. But I find that intentions made in a man's own strength are vain; yes, for he doth not keep his vows: but I now look to Christ, who will cast no one out. O pray for me, for the prayer of the righteous has great power and shall be answered.

I hope, (submitting myself to the Lord's will,) to come back here in a short time. If I should not have the pleasure of seeing you again, dear Sir, I again thank you sincerely, and hope, (may the Lord grant it, for Christ's sake,) to meet in the harbour of joy and peace, safe moored in the arms of our Saviour. The Lord bless you, and me, and every soul, for Christ's sake. Amen.

I call myself

Your humble and thankful Servant,

JACOB R

For the Seaman's Magazine.

THE SAILOR BOY'S MOTHER.

I.

SOFT and low the widow's prayer-" Thy will be done,”
As lonely she lay on her tear sprinkled pillow;

For she thought of her boy-her own darling son,
Who wand'ring, had roamed far away on the billow !

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