The Hickman courier., 1878-07-12
A Voice from the sea.
by REV. c. H. STURGEON


A Voice from the sea.
BY REV. c. II. sPURGEoN.
"Yea. it shall be a. an instant suddenly
Isaiah xxx ,,.1u
The Lord sent out a great wind into the sea -
Jonah 1. 4.
About o'clock in the afternoon of
Lords day, March "a the inhabitants of
London were startled by a sudden hurri-
cane which all at once brought with
it darkened clouds of dust, and for
short season ragged furiously. Sitting
in our study in quiet meditation we were
aroused and alarmed by the noise of
doors and windows, and the terrible
bowling of the blast as it swept upon its
headlong course. Unhappy were trav-
elers across heath and moor who were
gust. for it gave no warning, and allowed
no time to seek shelter. 1t was soon
over, but it was followed by cold and
dreary weather, and it would seem to
have been a token that winter meant to
make another struggle to assume his
ancient throne. His Partisn arrow was
driven forward with intense force and
left its mark in ruin and death.
Just at this moment when landsmen
were terrified by the threatening storm,
her msjesty's training ship "Eurydice," !"
which had returned from a cruise to the
| West Indies, was rounding Dunnose
headlaud. off the Isle of Wight, with all
plain sails and also her stUdding sails set
Those on board were all naturally anxious
/ to reach their homes, and having only 10
round the coast and anchor off Spithead,
/ they were making the best of the wind
The noble frigate was plainly seen from
the lovely village of Shanklin but one
who was watching the fine vessel sud
denly missed it and wondered why. She
was fastening along with all sails set ex-
cept her royals, and her ports open, when
in moment the fierce wind pounced up
on her. 1t was in vain that the captain
ordered sail to be shortened the ship
! lurched till her keel was visible, and in
less time than it takes us to write it the
ship capsized, and more than 300 brave
seamen perished. Well might her ma
jesty's telegram speak of "the terrible
calamity of the Eurydice.'" What
mourning and lamentation had that one
cruel blast scattered over the land How
swift is the swoop of death How
stealthy it's stepl How terrible its leap
In the midst of life we are on the verge
of the sepulcbre. This lesson is preached
to US by those three hundred men who
lie enshrouded in the all-devouring sea,
with gallant ship as their mausoleum.
Toll for the bravei
Iae brave that are no more
/ All sunk beneath the wave,
Fast by their tive shore!
Great is the peril of the ocean, but
there are also dangers on the land, and
at any moment we also may be sum-
moned to appear before our God. Since
this cannot be questioned, let each pru-
dent man feresee the evil and prepare
himself for it.
Another lesson which lies upon the
surface of this sad event is this-never
feel perfectly safe till you are in port.
Many awakened souls are almost within
the haven of peace and are at this time
rounding the headland of thoughtful
ness, with the sails of earnest inquiry
all displayed to the breeze. Their con-
dition is very hopeful, but it is not
satisfactory to those who are anxious
about their eternal welfare, nor should
it be satisfactory to themselves. They
are steering for the harbor, they enjoy
favoring winds, they have all sails set,
but still they have not quite believed in
Jesus, nor surrendered themselves to
His grace. We who watch them can see
that their ports are open, and we
| dread lest they should be overtaken by
a sudden temptation and should sud
denly be overturned at the very mo-
ment when our hopes are at their best.
Is the reader in such case? Then let
us beseech him not to be content till
he has found Christ and 80 by faith has
anchored in the harbor of eternal SAL
vation." Do not be happy, dear friend,
till you are moored on the Rock of Ages,
under the lee of the everlasting hills of
divine mercy, through the atoning
blood. 1t seems very wonderful that
snip which had been to sea so many
times and had just completed a long
winters cruise in safety should at last
go down just off the coast in a place
where danger seemed out of the ques-
| tion. 1t is doubly sad that so many men
should be within sight of shore ups
On which they must never set their foot.
To perish in mid ocean seems not so
hard lot as to die with the white cliffs
of Albion SO near to die with the gospel
ringing in our ears is still more sad.
Never reckon the ship safe till it floats
in the haven; never reckon a soul safe
till it is actually " in Christ" The cal
most persuaded are often the last
to be fully persuaded. Aroused, i'm
pressed, and moved to COED resolu-
tiCns, TO tears, and even to prayers,
vet men postpone decision, and by
the force of Satan's arts are lost-lost
when we all hoped to see them saved.
o that seekers were wise enough to be
distressed until they are thoroughly re-
newed. Any position short of regen.
Grafton is perilous in the extreme. The
man slayer would have been cut down
by the avenger had he fingered outside
the walls of the refuge>city; it would
have been all in vain for him to have |
touched its stones or sheltered near its
towers; he must be within the gates or
die. Seekers after salvation, you are |
not safe till you actually close in with |
Jesus, place all your confidence in Him |
and become forever His. Shall it be so |
now, or WI you abide in death +? Rest
not an hour. Trife not for another mo-
ment for death may seize you, or a
spiritual lethsrgy may come over your
soul from which you may never again be
Give no sleep to your eyes
nor slumber to your eyelids till your