The Hawaiian gazette., 1871-11-08

Rev :. q. DAMON. -"
TFUBusHED 81 REoUEsT.I
P,nM lo7.2s 2l-Tey that 20 down 70 the sea IN ships
aud Do business in great These tie works Of the
I1rd and hs wonders tn the deep
" el4-aAnd 20 it came to pass that they escaped all
f.fe 90 land"
Sometimes God speaks to man, by His Provi-
dsnce, as clearly and distinctly, as If an audible
voice was heard. Ordinarily men. in their care
leszness ana sin, neglect to recognize the hand
of God in the affairs Of common life, but occa-
sionally God makes His power and presence SO
Ynanifestly felt that they Involuntary exclaim, in
the language Of the Egyptian Magicians to Pha-
raoh. This is the finger Of God" Much as we
NAV endeavor to account for the changes and
revolutions in the material and natural world,
anon the operation Of natures laws, or the laws
oftbe Universe, vet over and above oil these the
minds Of men are frequently SO impressed that
they CRY out, as did Jacob Of old Surely the
Lord & in this place aud knew it not" Among
the hundreds who have recently escaped sale to
land. and been most sigBaly delivered from ex-
IRENE poril and danger, amid the rigors and
ierrors Of the Arctic Ocean, have not met with
ope who failed to recognize the interposition OF
. most kind Providence. To me, this has
been exceedingly pleasant. delight to hear
men gratefully and reyerenty recognize Gods
presence. 1t is proper and becoming that we
should always do SO. No inspired or unlnspIred
writer ever made more touching and appropriate
allusions 10 the presence and agency of God,
than the Psalnist David. gbe passage selected
for our present consideration seems as if written
f,r this occasion. Human language could not
more accurately describe, in poetic style, the
circumstances, deliverance and present condition
OF those recently landing upon our shores, from
The Arctic Ocean:
.sTbey that 20 down 10 the sea in ships, that do
business in great waters these see the works OF the
Lord. and bis wonders in the deep. For he com
1nnndeth and raseth the stormy wind, which lfteth
upthe waves thereof They mount up TO the heaven,
they 70 down again to the depths: their soul is
melted because OF trouble. They reel TO and fro,
and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their
wits end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their
trouble and be bringsth them out Of their distresses
lie ruaieth the storm Q calm, so that the waves
thereof are still Then are they glad because they
be ouiet so be brIngeth them unto their desired
haven. Oh that men would praise the Lord for bis
goodness, and for his wonderful works to the Chi
dren Of men !"
The mariner sees manifestations Of Gods
power, such as are not to be seen upon land
The land is stationary, but the sea is IN mo-
ton. 1t can not rest, except when CONCEALED
and then, even more than when in motion, Gods
mighty power is manifest So thought those
who looked oct upon an Arctic Sea, one day
dashed by she winds, and the next, frozen into
solid masses-aye, mountains of ice. One day.
that sea permitting the ship 10 glide through its
waters as smoothly as the bird cuts the air, but
the next day, the waters Of that same sea holding
that same ship in its tight grasp, as in a mighty
wise. or. rather, taking some Of them and crush
fnr them TO atoms +" A ship overheard one
10 remark, was crushed as easy as an egg-sheil"
In view Of this vast display Of the Almighty
mower. the most thoughtless must acknowledge
mans Feebleuess and weakness. For he l. e
Godl commandeth. and raiseth the stormy wind
which Iifteth up the waves thereof" God has
but to speak, to say the word, and the stormy
winds 20 forth on their errands, to lash the ocean
and sweep fleets from its surface. Who that has
sailed much upon the ocean, has not often seen
the winds to lift up the very waters, and mingle
air and sea, so that you can scarcely discern the
line Of separation
bow aptly the inspired Psalmist describes the
voyagers upon the deep when in violent storm
They mount to the heaven, they 60 down again
10 the depths. Their soul is melted because of
trouble. They reel to and fro, and slagger like a
drunken man, and are at their wits end" Does
not this very accurately describe the uneasy po-
sition Of the mariner in a storm ? And are at
their wits end All their wisdom is gone. What
TO do. they know not. Methinks, there we're
moments and hours, when the ice was making
around your ships, that you were at your wits
end" What TO do, you knew not Should you
fee, or remain That was the question. Every
hour you saw the icy barrier crOvding down upon
your ships, aud on your lee was the barren, tree
less and desolate shore, while under their keels,
there was barely water enough TO float your
ships. Al such time, and in such place, and
with such surroundings, il would not be strange
# man should feel at his wits end" This is
the language Of the masters Of those ice-encirced
ships
ave think il would not be prudent to leave q
single soul TO look after our vessels as the first west
cv gale will crowd the ice ashore, aud either crush
the ships OF drive them high upon The beach Three
Of the feet have already been crushed, and two are
now living hove out, which have been crushed by
the ioe. and arc leaking badly. We have now five
wrecked crews distributed among US. We have
barely room to swing at anchor between the pack Of
fceand nc beach, and arc lying IN three fathoms Of
water. Should VIC be cast upon the beach it would
be al least eleven months before we could look for
assistance and in all probability nine out of ten
would die Of starvation or scurvy before the open
ing Of spring
~Tben they CRY unto the Lord, and he bring
eth them out Of sheir distresses-"
I have no doubt that many earnest prayers
went up from that large number Of distressed
and hurd-pressed mariners 1t has become q
rro7erb that 10 storm Che sailor prays however
much he may neglect that duty at other times
violent storm at sea, when death stares the