I've sailed the seas for forty years, I used to think it hardly worth And broken-down may fare, Who ruleth every sea. I've faced the howling tempest when The bravest bent the knee; I've seen as noble ships go down As ever sailed the sea; And many a messmate, dear to me, But had no power to save. Through all, my life has been preserved; For very kind to me Has been the Mighty Admiral Who ruleth every sea. And more and more I seem to feel My loneliness depart, As more and more I breathe to Him Who, when our life on earth is done, Will care for such as we It is the Mighty Admiral Who ruleth every sea.' FROM THE HERO OF THE HUMBER." Chapter IX. God's most wonderful work is Redemption, as revealed in the texts which speak of His love to man-'Steer straight for me, father.' WE E began with this verse on our title-page 'Seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read'; in closing, we would add: Understandest thou what thou readest?' Acts viii. 30. God's works in creation and providence, viewed in connection with the sea, are wonderful; but far more wonderful is His work of redemption, as revealed in those passages where the love of God is spoken of, at some of which we will now look in order to a clearer understanding of the way of salvation. In the Old Testament there are many manifestations of God's love to the human race recorded; as the promise to Adam after he fell, that The seed of the woman (Christ in our nature) should bruise the head of the serpent.' 'When man, on account of sin, was driven out of Paradise, he was shut out and kept out by justice, and could not get back to God's favour till justice was satisfied; but even at the gate of Eden there was a token of hope, in the cherubim behind the flaming sword. When Jesus came He braved that sword, and as it entered His flesh and blood it was quenched for ever.' Old Testament saints were redeemed in anticipation of Christ's sacrifice; now Jesus has come and opened up the way clearly. 'But when the fulness of the time was come, God Gal. 4. 4, 5. sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law.' No greater proof of Divine love could be given, than the gift of God's only Son. Some persons have the mistaken idea that Jesus died to induce God to love us. No; but God, out of love, sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world. 10. 'In this was manifested the love of God 1 John 4.9, toward us, because that God sent his onlybegotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.' Christ died for us because God loved us. 'For God so loved the world, that he gave his John 3. 16. only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.' Jer. 31. 3. Rom. 5. 8. Titus 3. 4, 5. Eph. 2. 4, 5, 9. It has been said that the devil hates that little word so, and would remove it from the Bible if he could. He wouldn't have cared if God had only loved the world in a general way; but God's great love in giving His son to die for sinners, Satan cant bear. From all eternity God's purposes to us were purposes of love. 'Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love.' God does not love us because of any merit in us but of His own free grace. 'God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.' 'But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost.' · God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ; (by grace ye are saved;) . . . Not of works, lest any man should boast." Those who, in their unconverted days, have been preserved from open and gross sins by God's restraining grace, have great reason to thank and praise Him. But it is a solemn and humbling thought, that the best of Adam's |