Milford chronicle., 1903-07-24
A PrnrihentinI Rnscne.

Be not afraid. my brother, that You
will never have an opportunity to save
men and women upon the land who are
flying signals of distress. If you will
once consecratc your lives to his serv-
ice God will reveal them to you. the
same as he led old Captain Pendlat9n,
many years ago, 10 save the passengers
and the crew OF IL sinking ship. The
old captain was neighbor of my ia
Tiers and a friend of my childhood.
lie had upon his wall a picture com
memorative of this rescue. He again
and again told me this wonderful
story He had been TO the far east.
After voyage of many months he was
nearing New York harbor. He was
only two or three days from home.
Suddenly. rs he lay in his cabin, a
strong and even imperative command
came to him from on high. He seemed
to hear divine voice saying: Go back!
TO back! About ship and 20 back!'
He was not in the least a man given to
vagarics He shook himself and went
upon the deck The stars were shining
dAtON g. llt' ~ d ~ tto AsAAlAl 1 l-- w lAAHt
was brisk, ana the sails were well fill
cd He went down to his cabin AMI
again tried to sleep. Again came thar
strange command: eco back, Go back |
About ship and go back" So forc'bly !
did this second command come that
Captain pondleton gave the command .
to about ship. The mates and sailors /.
thought he was going crazy. H said |
nothing, but sailed on for two hours. ! 4
think. when, 10, a sinking ship hove in /
sight, and hp was able to rescue many 1
lives That picture upon the wall was
presented 10 the Old captain by the res /
cued men and women. So God. if we
consecrate our lives to his service, will /
lead MS in strange and devious ways. |
He will so guide us that we may be !
able to save immortal men and women /
from sin upon the land as Old Captain !
pendloton rescued those men and wo-
men from a watery grave.
The human vessel. i'm order to reach |
the harb0r for which Christ intended /
him to sail, must be able in one sense
to make the voyage Of life alone. /
mean by that that he must steer his own
course irrespective of what other hu-
man vessels may do. y great harbOr like
New Yorks always teens with life.
Tho many trees which cover the noun
tain sides do not seem to the imagina
tive eye to be dcuser than the forests
of masts which are crowding about
the docks. When the great steamer is
being pulled out of her wharf little
tugs shrek and puff and grunt The
multitudCs who have come to bid their
friends goodby wave their handkeI-
chiefs. The river boats salute the huge |
ship as sne slowly moves down the bay. !
But after awhile the surrounding ships
become less and less i'm numbers.
Then if you are sailing upon the Pa
cific, or even upon the Atlantic. you
may 20 days and weeks and not sight
another craft If you are on a sailing
ship yoS will get head winds as well
rs those from the stern. Then you, as
a sailing master, will have to tack and
beat up against those head winds You
will have but one purpose-always
working ahead toward the harbor, al
ways pressing toward the one destina-
lion to which you wish to 20. The
voyage Of the Christians life is very
similar to a sailing ships journey
across the seas.
The Lone Navigntor's Friend.
Similarly in reference to its soiitari-
ness. When we start out we have
plenty Of friends. But if we deter
nine to do right, if we are set in our
purpose to follow the course which
Christ has laid out for us, we shall
ind that our friends will often leave
Is, one by one We shall be as much
Hone as for many years Christopher
Columbus was alone in his attempts to
,rove the circumnavigation of the
ylobe: as William Harvey, the great