Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-11-30
RELIGIOUS MISCELLANY.
REVIVAL ON BOARD OF A SHIP.

the Rev. E. P. Swift, Secretary of the
Western Foreign Missionary Society,"
! Written on board Of the ship Charles
Wharton, Bay of Bengal. March 25, 1886.
When we left Philadelphia. ola crew Of
eighteen, none, except the second officer.
cared for his soul. The captain and f.
mate were what world would call NOR
al men, but the sailors were sunk in the
deepest vice BY consent Of The 2-p.ain
we Instituted public worship On &c d-rk,
every Sabbath. once a d%v, aud ih, wise
prayers and addresses every evening when
the weather would permit, ont for nearly
three months no apparent effect was pro-
duced on their otdurate hearts. We be-
gan almost to despair Of doing them any
GOOD, but thought we could not give them
up for lost without more vigorous effort.
A day was therefore set apart for humlia-
tion and prayer, that the Lord will have
mercy upon their sous Soon after
brother NJ Ewin preached from the words,
"be sure your sins will find vow out but
all appeared as careless and d;scouraging
as ever during the discourse. We had
meeting again on the deck in The evening.
when brothers Wins'ow and Campbell
prayed, and made few remarks on the
necessity ofspeedv repentance, hut with as
little apparent effect as before, but to our
surprise, immediately after meeting, three
Of the seamPn came weeping to brother
Campbell, and inquired what they should
! do 10 be saved. The Lord had caused
their sins to pass before them. and they
were in an agony lest they should snI,
down to hell. Their language was, q!
what great sinners we have been; Lord
have mercv upon US. Sleep departed from
their EYES, and they found no rest until,
we trust they all three have found pea
in believing. The intelligence was an
electric shock to their messmatcS, they
knew not what 10 think Of it, bat were
afraid 10 riIicuIe We continued to meet
with as many of the seAmen as were dis
posed to attend, in the torCCastlc once or
twice day, and soon we had eight or ten
enquirers. We also set apart from half
past six to seven in the morning for pri-
vate prayer in our rooms, and from - to |
at noon for social prayer, and the Lord
, might prosper his work. Blessed he his
name; he has heard our supp}Ications.
The next who manlft stcd a regard for
his sours salvation was our fellow p1ssen-
ger, M'Cray, Of Philadelphia He had
, long withstood the invitations of the Cos
pei and according TO his own confession
had been great sinner, but he could re-
sist the influence of the Spirit no longer
he surrendered and came to brother Wins,
low weeping, as an humble pcnItent, and
; enquiring the way to Jesus. After Sc
we're conflict with Satan and his own heart
: he obtained hope in Christ, and now
Joins with US in prayer, we hope true
convert We then selected the captain as
E special object of prayer, and in few
y days we had the unspeakable pleasure o
hearing him express a determination tc
g. embrace religion, he adhered to his put.
pose
Night after night he paced the deck tc
o and fro, signing and weeping like chi d
4 He confessed he had never prayed In hI'
!, life before, nor felt anxious for his soul
y but he now rejoiccs in hope Of eternal HE
and also united with US in prayer and eN
IS the sailors around him on deck, and toll
, them they had met on perfect equality
l. he did not now consider himself their su
IS perior, he was their fellow vovager to eter
nifty, and entreated them 10 sign his arti
> cles, and sail with him to the port OF h av
en-. He said he bad enjoyed more pleas
r. ure in the few days he had experienc e.
n religion, than he had done in thirty year
n before, and that reading the Bible was Iik
= taking lunar observations, when he rea'
one chapter he had always to read anoth
; er. The next We selected as an OBJECT Q
- special prayer. was the first officer; ne1f
J. ly two weeks passed away befo.e We Ia.
r. any evidence that our petitions were heard
N but at length the Spirit of the Lord touch
iis ed his heart; he confessed he had been
p great sinner, and at frN despaired of eve
n. finding mercy; one or two nights he CAV
n up his watch on deck, and spent them
no most intense mental agony; he cried aiou
$. for mercy on his soul. The Lord hear
his voice, and granted him lively hope
IRIS He now says, he knows his Redeeme
an lIveth," and unites with the captain }
Ter prayer, and exhorting those Of the sailor
as who are yet without God aud withot
,al nope in the world" lay hold on the
mt iers OF the Gospel speedily etold ther
De-. ne once thought he ought not to speak
IA them only by way Of command, bat no
If. ne len willing to take them by the han'
80. and coil them brothers. Thus the LoT
M. has owned the labors of his humble Sc
= wants, ana heard our supplicstions IN b
a.. half OF these once hardened seamen.-
~ Never did I see The ,.o,,,.r oFtha NJ