66 DO YOU DAILY READ THE BIBLE? IR WILLIAM JONES was one of the English judges at Calcutta. In Oriental learning, he, perhaps, exceeded every scholar in this or any other age. Sir William was also a sincere Christian, and his opinion of the Bible he sums up on the last leaf of his copy, in the following words :-"I have regularly and attentively read these Holy Scriptures, and am of opinion that this volume, independently of its Divine origin, contains sublimity and beauty, more pure morality, more important history, and finer strains of poetry and eloquence, than can be collected from all other books, in whatever age or language they may have been composed." CUTTING THE ROCKET LINES! 'HE violent storm, which recently scattered destruction on land and sea from one end of our island to the other, was especially fatal on the coast of Northumberland. Stone chimneys, as well as trees and solid walls, were laid low. In one village, however, the brave sailors had providentially not gone out that day. They were, nevertheless, on the alert, watching their dangerous coast with keen, experienced eyes, their salvage apparatus ready for use-and not in vain. In the gathering darkness they saw a ship driving before the gale straight upon the coast. Soon their practised hands had fired a rocket, and every eye watched its fiery course in the air, and they breathed more freely when they saw the aim had been true, and eagerly began to pull the rope! To their amazement it yielded easily, and no communication was formed with the ship. Immediately another rocket was sent off, with the same result. A third; and they saw the infatuated crew of the doomed vessel take their hatchets and cut asunder the rope! Seeing the fearful danger of these poor fellows, the brave men, at the risk of their lives, got into a lifeboat, and with difficulty 208 THE HARBOUR OF REFUGE. reached the vessel. On climbing on board, they saw, to their astonishment, the crew crouched down in one corner in the most abject fear. The poor ignorant Greeks had taken the fiery rockets for missiles of destruction, and now were persuaded they were boarded by pirates, and it was with the utmost difficulty they were prevailed upon to get into the lifeboats before the vessel was dashed to pieces. What a true picture of the state of multitudes around us, hurrying on to destruction, and yet resolutely putting away every kindly effort to save them! The god of this world has blinded their eyes, and they will not come. Fellow-workers, do not get discouraged. If you have tried to reach men by tracts, services, tents, and all the usual means, in vain, do as these Newbiggin sailors did—go to the men, seize them in the strong arms of your love, and compel them to come in." M. F. THE HARBOUR OF REFUGE. INCE I have been watching the sea a wind has sprung up, and suddenly the ocean is dotted with ships. This little town has a harbour, and trading vessels of small tonnage evidently expect a storm, for here they come. Like seafowl borne on white wings they are flying for the harbour. Differing in their tacking, yet it is evident that they are all making for one spot. How beautiful it is to see them enter the haven, cast anchor, and rest! O that our fellow men were equally wise as to spiritual things! A thousand signs betoken the approaching tempest; they know there is a place of refuge, will they not hasten to it? They will suffer loss, nay, they will be wrecked totally, if they try to weather the last dread storm; the harbour is free, there is time to reach it, there is ample room within its shelter; why will they refuse the safety? Ah me; this is cause for tears. Are my fellow-creatures mad? Do they despise Jesus, the appointed haven of souls? Do they so despise Him as to perish to show their contempt ? My God, help me to mourn for them, if I cannot persuade them, and do Thou give them understanding enough to accept their own lives." We clip this from the Sword and Trowel, and believe that this view was seen by Mr. Spurgeon from his Mentone window; for on our arrival at Mentone after a storm, the great preacher was telling us about the ships running for shelter.-ED. A GOLDEN YEAR.-The Year 1882 begins and ends with a Sunday. A Year, girded by a Golden Belt of fifty-three Sabbaths, should stand out in our lives worthy of remembrance. A WORD TO SAILORS. By a Lady Helper of "Chart and Compass." HERE are not many hearts so utterly selfish and wrapped up in their own little home circles, but which will offer up a prayer at the time when these gales are blowing, for their fellow creatures on the sea, and it is to you who go to see the wonders of the Lord in the deep, that I would, God helping me, address a few words. Probably you are just going to start on a voyage. Let me ask you a few questions. Have you, first of all, confidence in your captain? Is he an experienced one, a tried one? Suppose just as you were weighing anchor, you were told that you had got on board under a commander who, through carelessness or neglect, had lost many a good ship and brave crew, always managing to escape, however, with a few of his officers, who, like himself, delighted in witnessing the loss of human life. Would you not, if there was a possibility, leave the ship while you could? Or if your captain is all you wish, what about the chart? Is the compass in good condition? and is your anchor one that you can depend upon? These are important questions to one about to cross the ocean, so important, indeed, that one takes it for granted that no captain or crew would set out on a voyage without seeing that all on the vessel is in good order. Fellow-traveller over life's ocean, have you ever put these questions to your soul? Who is your captain in this voyage? There is a captain who promises you a prosperous voyage. All, he says, will go well with you; you will sail along without any trouble, the current will bear you swiftly onwards. But mark, does he ever look at the chart? Oh, no! True, he keeps it in his chest, but it is carefully locked away. "No fear," he says, "I know all the chart can tell me." Has he a compass? Yes, but so covered is it with dust and dirt that no needle can be seen pointing with its truthful finger to the north. What happens? A storm arises, the determined captain who rejoices in seeing his crew perish now laughs at them. The locked-up chart is unopened, the compass untouched, the ship and crew perish, but the captain escapes, again to repeat this infamous act, until at last he, too, will be sent to his place, by One stronger than him. Rev. xx. 10-15. Compare this with the following verses, showing the security with those who have Christ as their Captain. "They shall never perish." St. John x. 28. "Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy name; those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost." St. John xvii. 11, 12. "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. vi. 23. His word is our guide, His hope our anchor. And though we shall meet with many a storm and many a gale, yet we shall never sink; but at last, in His own good time, we shall be landed on those happy shores, there to be "For ever with the Lord." May many who read this be enabled to say, "I will decide for Christ. He alone shall be my Captain." A FRIEND OF SAILORS. THE REV. BISHOP SIMPSON. HIS is a picture, (we wish it was worthy of the original,) of our beloved friend Bishop Simpson. He is thought as much of on this side of the Atlantic as on the other. We have said before and we say it again, he is the Spurgeon of America. Great preachers often have their special gifts in reaching diffierent sides of men's nature. One the conscience, another the reason, another the tragedy or comedy, but Simpson wins the heart. It is not our purpose to draw a pen portrait of our friend, though this * Kindly lent by the enterprising Editor of the Christian Herald. would give us great pleasure to do so. The slave found in him, as in Lincoln a great friend. Would to God that Simpson would go to the White House for the sailor. We feel and believe, that God's judgment has been on the American Marine because of her sailors. Men say it was the civil war, or protection, or competition; we do not believe a word of it. These may be elements, but the American youth, educated, refined, with his sense of freedom and justice, has been driven by bullies, fighters, and a despotism worse than slavery from under his own flag. We ask our American friends for whom we have a high esteem to assist their own Seamen's Friend Society, and plead with their Government. The English Government, Belgium, and all other maritime nations need help which only the United States can give in this great work. Bishop Simpson has been a great voyager, he has a breadth of mind and a grasp of the situation, and we hope he will help us in this matter. When at Belfast last October, we secured his presence at our British and Foreign Sailors' Society's meeting. He said when asked by the secretary to be present at that meeting, he felt he could not well decline; although he knew nothing of the purely local circumstances, and understood nothing of the work which was being accomplished at the port of Belfast, yet he had opportunities of knowing the good work which was being done in various places and in various ports, so that he could not forbear speaking a simple word of commendation on behalf of the society. There were two or three reasons why he felt such societies ought to have the support of the public. The first was that the tendency of Christian civilisation was to gather together large bodies of people in great centres. One of the great agencies was commerce, and that commerce was carried on by sailors; and in carrying it on they must undergo dangers, and have different customs and habits, and manners and conversations; and it was necessary that some one should be selected who understood their peculiar mode of living, and who should minister directly to their wants, and unless they did so they should fail in their duty. Another reason was that their lives and the lives of their friends were greatly in the hands of these men. The habits of the sailor had much to do with the safety of the ship. There was no one could venture safely on a ship where there were drunken sailors; and he hoped the day was coming when all intoxicating drink will be banished from our ships. Be that as it may, every effort that was made to benefit the morals of the sailors was a direct service to us, and our children, and our friends. There was an immense loss of property by accident, and so far as he had observed, he was led to think that at least ninety-nine out of every hundred of these accidents were in some way the |