Litchfield enquirer., 1845-11-13
"TELL coLLINcWooD no ANCHOR. ;


 The moral contained in these last words of Mel. son, IS well worthy the serious attention of all who are engaged in the conflicts that agitate the ocean of life When the above message was conveyed to CoIlingwood, he knew not its significant import The battle had been fought, the victory won, and why, under the rcumsiances, such suggestion should be made, he was at loss to understand But the sequel proved that Nelson was practical seaman as well as brave commander. His far seeing eye had detected in the distant horizon the precursor of a coming storm, and his last words were those ofwarnng. which he hnped might a. vert disaster from his victorious fleet. But his caution was unheeded, and the same night several of the ships. uninured by the deadly cannon of the enemy, sank in the yawning abyss. What lesson may the Christian derive from this dying sugges- tion ot one of earth's heroes! Are those who stand in an infinitely more important relation 10 the impenitent. than that sustained by Nelson tow ards those who fought under his command, giving similar warning to their perishing fellow men, who see no signs of approaching danger--ot the coming ofa storm. tar more terrible than any that ever lashAd the waves of the ocean into fury. and hurried the shrieking mariner to watery grave: The sea of life is crowded with voyAgers on their way to immortality. Every sail Is stretched to the passing breeze. To the impenitent the sky seems fair, hut the followers of JeSuS who "with Him in the vessel, smile at the sorm," can trace the cer- tainty of fearful hurricane, which shall sweep the unsuspecing and unprepared into the gnlph of eternal despair. Christian! while you are m the Ark of Saiety." sailing serenely by the side of these infatuated ones, do you speak to them from l'iay to day, as you proceed to widely different | destiny! Do you hail them and kindly warn them of impending ruin? You have "an anchor, un- seen by them. " cast within the val." How cruel, then is it, to allow these teow->oyagers to pass on, unprepared, to meet the gathering tempest.- How unlike the Saviour, whose spirit you profess to cherish thus to wrap yourselves ln guilty SCI. | fishness, while the mutterings ot the dreadful storm are heard in the distance. and to your prac'
 sed eye, the black clouds are seen to roll onward, l soon to break over their devoted heads They have no Pilot, and, without chart or cnmpass. are ere long to be wrecked and lost unless speedily d- rected by you " tO anchOy' where they may outrde | the gale, and under the guidance oi linn, who slilled the waves of GalItee, reach in safety the | shores of a happy eternity. We olten near of 1 Christians who, at the hour of death, when the
 solemn realities of future state are brought viv-
 idly before the mind, leaving dying message, as l did Nelson, to those around them-"t 10 east an. chor This is we'll for if the burden ot souls d!d ! not press upon the hearts of Christians at such a time, we should be inclined to doubt the shcer'ty of their professions, and the genuineDess ol their l hope But this performance of an Indispensable duty at the close of life, which through previous years had been neglected, cannot make amends for l past remissness. Although such warnings are of. ten productive of good to the mpenitent, and are made the means of conversion, they are like the hoarded treasures of the rch which are not allow ed to benefit the poor and needy. until the possess sor of them s brought to the hour of dissolution- None knew better than Nelson the power of the , anchor in the time of storm. Often had he found
 in it safeguard from the terrific violence of the O. cean's rage And so has the Christian found the 1 inestimable value of well-anchored hope. II IS l this which makes him stand unharmed and 1nds. mayed when the storms of diversity howl around him. and the waves of death threaten to over- whelm his soul He needs no spiritualiZed inter rretatinn of Wellington's address to his troops, when about to encounter lhc Terce onset ol a de- termned enemy. It was then he cried, .' Be stea- dy, bnys!"' "6e STEADY ."--and the victory was gained. It is worth while,in this connection to | inquire whether professors of religion, who are tossed Co aud frO'' the waves of scorIdiinesS, and who sail as near as they dare with, reference I to ultimate safety to the .Maelsrom that skirts lost eternity, have any wellgrounded hope of sal vaion-a hope that is anchored on the Rock Christ Jesus Fellow. professor see 10 it that you are made fast to the throne of God for unless thus moored, you are, on lfes dangerous sea, unprotec- ted. and your destruction, while in this sad state, is inevitable. Fellow sinner! you also are in peristing need of can anchor to the soul!" That immortal spirit of yonrs, in frail and sinking bark, must be rrevocably lost, unless you obtain the Christians hope, which is as sure and stead. fast" as the promise of the eternaly faithiul God can make it.. a. 't.@ 'r' l.a 19 H.s::.c' al.u e. "..a.. ..a s M Y. Evangeliss.