and worldliness, sin and folly, till he has been well-nigh sinking, and then he has wondered that, at the first storm he encountered, he was wrecked. Let the mariner who sails for Heaven ask the Master to load him with spiritual gifts, and to fill him with the Holy Spirit-no fear of shipwreck then.

And mind not to let the ballast shift. Once being well ballasted with knowledge of what is right, and desires to do the right, don't let it shift. Many a good vessel has heeled over and become a total wreck, for want of care in this respect; don't neglect to look to the ballast, and it can only be kept in place by well packing it with prayer and faith.

Not a few vessels have gone to the bottom through being unseaworthy; they haven't been able to stand the slightest cat's-paw, nor to encounter a moderate sea. But never a man starts on the voyage of life but what, if he sails according to orders, and trusts, not in himself, but in the great Master, may overcome all difficulties, and at last reach the quiet, peaceful haven for which he sailed.

Heaven is the port we hope to reach, Jesus is the Master, and the Bible our chart. Those that we see around us, who are making shipwreck of their souls, should be beacons to guard us from following in their course. There are some temptations that prove more deadly than others, and that cause more wreck dots on the coast by which we are sailing; but all along there are temptations, and Satan will not let us escape if he can help it. Let us, then, watch and pray, lest we enter into temptation. Let us have Jesus for our friend, and the Holy Spirit always abiding in us, and we need fear no weather, be it calm or rough.

"With Christ in the vessel we'll smile at the storm."

G. H. S.

The Voice of Faith amid the Storm.

O

UR masts were gone, our engines stopped,
The vessel half a wreck,

And every wave that struck her side

Went sweeping o'er the deck.

A day and night of fearful storm
We'd drifted o'er the sea;
At last arose the welcome cry,
"A sail upon the lee!"

We made a signal to the ship

To help us in our strait;

'Twas noticed by the men on board,
Who signalled back, "We'll wait."

"Now lower a boat," the captain cried,
"If such a thing can be;
But much I fear no boat can live
In such an angry sea."

No easy task is it to pass,

When winds and waters rave,
From heaving ship to heaving boat,
Upon the heaving wave.

The little craft the sailors' skill
Could scarcely keep afloat,
But after many a lurch and heave
We got into the boat.

One other woman, only one,

Besides myself was there:

An aged dame with furrowed check
And silver 'mid her hair.

Her accent told that she was Scotch,

Upon a foreign main;

Strange seemed it then to hear her voice
Amid the hurricane.

For now and then at intervals,

When danger seemed to lower,

She spoke of God in Bible words,

His mercy and His power.

She seemed addressing none of us,
As far as we might deem;
But speaking with a far-off look,
Like some one in a dream.

As if for other ears than hers
The words were scarce designed;
But that she only spoke aloud
The thoughts within her mind.

A promise true of help in need
To weary storm-tossed men :
"When thou dost pass the waters through,
I will be with thee then."1

Then when the storm so wildly raged,
The boat could scarce withstand,
She said, "He holds the winds within
The hollow of His hand." 2

"The Lord's voice on the waters is,
The God of Majesty

66

Doth thunder, and on multitudes

Of waters sitteth He."

The gale was going to moderate,

So spoke the sailor men;

Upon the wings of wind He flies,"

The woman murmured then.

When the wind dropped, and the wild spray

No longer hid the skies,

"The sea is His.5 He stills the waves
Thereof when they arise." "

"Then He arose, rebuked the wind,

And said, Peace, be thou still!
Unto the sea. The sea was calm—
Obedient to His will."?

"A great calm "-she went o'er the words-
"And there was a great calm."7

They fell upon our anxious hearts
And troubled souls like balm.

1 Is. xliii. 2.

2 Is. xl. 12. Ps. xxix. 3, Scottish Version.

4 Ps. xviii. 10.

6 Ps. lxxxix. 9.

5 Ps. xcv. 5.
Mark iv. 39.

We thought of Jesus who rebuked

The waves of Galilee,

And trusted He was with us still
Upon the stormy sea.

"I hope the captain of that ship,
Although the hour is late,

Is keeping her at anchor still,
And will our coming wait."

So spoke a sailor, looking round
And out into the night,
To see if on the dark'ning deep
He could descry her light.

Again the aged woman's voice

Was heard by all on board

"The Captain of Salvation is

Our Saviour, Christ the Lord." 1

"Yes, when the winds are raging fierce,
And wild the billows roll,
This hope so sure and steadfast is
The anchor of our soul." 2

Her lips had hardly ceased to speak,
Scarce had the words been said,
When cheerily a sailor cried,

"I see the lights ahead!"

Then heard we, as we looked and saw
The welcome vessel near,
"Jehovah is my light and strength,

Then wherefore should I fear?" 3

At last we reached the vessel's side,
The sailors flung a rope;
The Saviour that she trusted in
Had not deceived her hope.

Then, as she rose to go, she took
Hold of my hand, and said
"God is our refuge, and our strength,

In straits a present aid. '

1 Heb. ii. 10.

Psa. xxvii. I.

2 Heb. vi. 19.

Psa. xlvi. I, Scottish version.

3