overflowing river that had refreshed me often before; but wickedness swelled about me to an incredible degree, so that I was weary of my life."

The fleet under Boscawen had not long returned to Gibraltar, before information was received that M. dela Clue, with the French fleet, were passing the Gut. They immediately pursued, overtook the French next day, and gained, on the 18th of August, a signal vietory, taking three ships of the line, and destroying two. The particulars of this engagement belong to the history of the country, rather than of Mr. Meikle. It is enough here to observe, that the Portland was five hours engaged, and lost a considerable number of men; that she narrowly escaped being blown up by a six-pound cartridge of gun-powder, which blew up at the very door of the fore powder magazine; that Mr. Meikle sat composedly during the chase, writing Meditation C. of this volume, till the drum called all hands to quarters; and that during the heat of the engagement, when, in consequence of the blowing up of the cartridge, he expected to go down to the deep in a moment; with a serenity of mind, the thought of which long after refreshed him, he committed his soul to God. He also remarks with gratitude to his preserver, that, while in one of the ships, a surgeon, and a surgeon's mate, lost a leg each, he escaped; and observes, that he felt indescribable horror on reflection at the scene, stunned with the noise of great guns, pierced with the groans of the wounded, whose pains he was unable to relieve, besmeared with human blood, and surrounded with the dying and the dead.

It added considerably to Mr. Meikle's duty during the engagement and afterwards, 'that the first mate

had been put ashore at Gibraltar, ill of the scurvy, and never returned to the ship. In other respects, he accounted this a happiness. Though a quiet lad, yet being a stranger to religion, his conversation had often distressed him, and his company deprived him of that liberty which he desired for religious exercises. Now, however, he had the birth for himself; and as he was soon after promoted to the rank of first mate, and the place of second mate continued vacant during the remainder of his time at sea, he enjoyed advantages to which he had formerly been a stranger. One of the first uses which he made of this change in his situation, was to take two of the ship's boys into his birth, and to endeavor to train them to the knowledge and practice of religion; and though those whom he first took under his charge run-off from the ship as soon as they reached England, he appears to have persevered in the practice as long as he continued on board.

The Portland, and some other ships, being ordered home with the prisoners, and to be repaired, Mr. Meikle reached Spithead on the 16th of September. His first business was to write the Admiralty, that he might be superseded. "I could willingly," he says, "have continued to serve my country in my mean station, in defence of our religion and liberties, had what I daily saw and heard been tolerable for me; but their wickedness made me weary of my life."

The poor wretches who had been preserved from death in the late engagement, instead of rendering to the Lord according to his goodness, gave themselves up to all manner of sin. In their sin, I saw the corruption of fallen nature; for though many unrenewed men break not out into the same excess of riot, yet, till the saving change commence, the heart is in all the

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same; and I trembled lest their example should lead me to look on sin with less abhorrence than before."

The necessities of the service, however, obliged the Admiralty to refuse his petition; but he was promoted to the rank of first mate. They put to sea, therefore, on the 22d of October, for the coast of France; and on this voyage, as formerly, he tasted much of the pleasure of true religion. "November the 4th, being Sabbath," he observes, "was a day of refreshing to my soul; I was helped, not out of a stoical stupidity, but being convinced of the equity and noble ends, though to me unknown, of God's doings, from the heart to welcome all that had befallen me, and keep silence because HE had done it." And, Jan. 27, 1760, he exclaims, "O what sweetness my soul enjoyed this day in his presence, even a foretaste of that happiness that refreshes the hosts above. I was made rather to magnify God in all his ways, than murmur at any of his doings."

While on the coast of France, they had two very providential escapes. The Portland, and the other five ships of inferior force, were employed in watching a fleet of transports, intended for the invasion of England, when the signal was made for an enemy. They slipt their cables and pursued, supposing the fleet they descried at a distance to be merchantmen or transports. Already they were within a few leagues of the enemy, when, to their confusion, they found that they were running into the jaws of the Brest fleet, commanded by Marshal Conflans. They attempt ed to fly, but with scarce a hope of escaping. The Portland, which sailed very indifferently since she was last repaired, was within reach of the enemy's shot, and expecting every moment the order to strike, when a man on the mast-head, announced a

feet bearing down before the wind. Signals appeared at the same instant flying in the French fleet, and in a little they altered their course. It was the British fleet under Hawke which now hove in sight. Every heart on board the Portland was joy; she turned to join in the pursuit of her pursuers; and by the evening of that day, Nov. 20, 1759, one of the greatest naval victories was gained which adorn the annals of Britain.

The remains of the French fleet took shelter in the river Vilaine, and the Portland was stationed on the coast, along with some other ships, to prevent their escape. While on this duty, they were assaulted by a dreadful tempest on the 1st of Jan. 1760; and the ship drove. One anchor was broken off by the fluke, another through the middle of the stalk; but when they were almost on shore, and all on board expected to perish, the sheet-anchor was let go, which brought the vessel up, so that she rode out the storm.

While Mr. Meikle remarked these, and many other less striking circumstances in the course of divine providence, his soul mourned in secret over the insensibility of his companions, whom neither judgments could terrify, nor mercies allure. A paper has been found in his own hand-writing, which, in the most feeling manner, expresses the anguish of his heart on their account, and will supercede the necessity of a more particular detail. It has no regular connection of sentences, but seems to have been written occasionally during the ship's continuance on the coast of France, when his mind was at any time more than usually impressed with the view of their wickedness; and afterwards written out on Sept. 7, 1760, immediately after their return to Plymouth from that station, when, in the fields near that place, he de

voted a day to prayer and fasting on their account and his own. It runs thus:

"Woe is me that I sojourn in Mesech, and dwell in the tents of Kedar.

"My soul is among fierce lions, though they are sons of men; for their words are spears and darts, and their tongues are a sharp sword.

"O how those who should live like expectants of glory, resemble the damned in hell!

"Where is the honour of thy name, which by every tongue is continually blasphemed?

"How often would the loss of an organ have a little relieved the anguish of my mind, and the sleep of death shut out the mournful scene!

"Who can enough extol the patience of God! But who can be enough astonished at the impenitence of man, who still goes on in sin!

"Whence shall I fetch floods of tears to weep over my demented acquaintances, who are hastening to hell, yet believe it not?

"Surely my dwelling is in the suburbs of hell, where I hear the blasphemies of the damned!

"The lips that should daily praise thee, are daily speaking perverse things; the tongues that should talk aloud of thy righteousness, are set on fire of hell.

"Where, in the day of judgment, where shall these poor souls appear? and whither will they cause their shame to go?

"Ye saints! ye little know what a life your children lead when far from you, however well they may have been brought up.

"Surely sinners come nearer to the devils in their wickedness, than saints to the angels in their sanctity; yet a glorious change awaits the one, but a fearful end the other.