in love, might be able to comprehend with all saints what is the length, and breadth, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that we might be filled with all the fulness of God! There's the wings! And, oh, how wonderful, how glorious! There, too, is the amazing flight, passing all knowledge, and never ended, till it is lost in all the fulness of God, and still again never ended, but on, on, on, from height to height, from depth to depth, from glory to glory, to all eternity! That ancient Singer whose heart had music in it, and whose songs have cheered many a Seaman on his course for the Celestial Country, had a view of it when he sang so sweetly, I'll praise my Maker with my breath, Praise shall employ my nobler powers. My days of prayer shall ne'er be past, 13 Eph iii. 18, 19. CHAPTER XXIV. PRAYER, PROVIDENCE, AND FAITH. THE morning after this talk, it was blowing heavily. During the night the change had come, for though the weather was still clear, and not one speck of cloud to be seen, and the stars shining intensely bright through the deep, unfathomable blue, yet the wind had come with fury, none could tell where from, and now had got to a gale, and the sea was high, and the ship uneasy. Some of the men had been busy aloft during the night, shortening sail; for the day before, and at sunset, all sail had been crowded, the wind and weather being so perfectly fair and prosperous. In the morning, just as they had finished clewing up and securing the fore and main-top gallant sails, all on a sudden a startling report was heard, like the firing of cannon, and the fore-topsail split bodily, whereupon the men lay out upon the yard, and had hard work reefing. They had scarcely got through with this, when the main-royal blew loose from the rigging with another explosion, and flapped and banged like the wings of a demon, as if it would tear the mast out of the ship's centre. Here was a double piece of work, and not without danger; and all hands sprung aloft to get in the royal, and send down the yard. But the wind. blew so furiously, that it almost held the men fast bolted to the spars and rigging, and they had the greatest difficulty to secure their work. So they drove on for a while, still under a good press of sail, considering the fury of the elements, and perhaps too rashly, had they continued it, though Peter and John were not afraid of the wind, so long as they could hold on safely, and keep the ship quick answering to her helm. However, the order soon came, Let fly the topsail halyards! Haul upon the clew-lines! and the men, as quick almost as the words, lay aloft, and got upon the yards, while the ship lay at such an angle in the water, that it seemed as if they would be buried in the deep. But while this was going on, one of the foot-ropes gave way, where the men were reefing, and one of them, who just at that moment had no hold on the reefing point or life-line, fell sheer over headlong into the raging sea. But by a gracious providence, before ever the shout could be raised, A man over board! Peter saw him as he fell, and with a sudden and almost incredible dexterity, cast forth the end of a coil of strong rope, called Grace-to-Help-inTime-of-Need,' in such a direction, that before the ship had shot ahead too far, the man succeeded in catching it, and getting a turn round his body, or otherwise it seemed as if he must certainly have been lost. But the rope held, and the man clung to it, though half drowned, and in a moment he was drawn on board, thanking God for such a merciful preservation. Now when the wind abated, and they talked over this matter, they could not help remarking on' the good providence of the man's fall happening by daylight, when Peter could see him; for if it had been at night, and no help instantly at hand, he could not have been saved, with the ship driving so swiftly. It made all the men feel anew their dependence on God, and the importance of being prepared, every moment, for anything that might happen; for a sailor's life is so exposed to danger and death, that he needs to have all made tight for a better world, and to live in unceasing faith and prayer. And whether he is reefing sail in a storm, or dog-watching in fair weather, or what not, he ought to be keeping his mind anchored according to that great rule of Paul, by the 1 Heb. iv. 16. Spirit, In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your heart and mind through Christ Jesus." Then said Peter, The Lord upholdeth all that fall,3 and if never a sparrow falleth to the ground without our Father, how much more, never a man. And God saith, A just man falleth seven times, and riseth again," but the Lord only can make him stand. The longer we live, the more we see of God's interposition. And what says David, Wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? Thus did he pray unto God, and God answered him Yes, for he saith afterwards, I was brought low and he helped me. Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. So he keeps us. 7 I think, said John, that both the sovereignty and the particular providence of God are very precious to every true seaman; and in truth these things constitute the security of our hope; for God can and will 2 Phil. iv. 7. 3 Ps. clxv. 14. 4 Matt. x. 29. |