No. IX.

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF WIND AND TIDE.

"I MUST WORK THE WORKS OF HIM THAT SENT ME, WHILE IT IS DAY: THE NIGHT COMETH WHEN NO MAN CAN

WORK."-John, ix. 4.

EVERY seaman knows how absolutely necessary it is that those who have the conducting of boats or ships should understand and take advantage of wind and tides while they are in their favour; because experience and common sense have taught them, that "wind and tide stay for no man." Hence they see the wisdom of catching a fair breeze when they can, and of making the most of it while it continues. When they are at sea, they also put the same wise principles into action; they watch every shift of wind, and brace up or square the yards accordingly; at one time hauling the bowlings, and at another slacking off the sheets; at one time sailing on the starboard tack, and at another on the larboard, as may best suit to the varying element they have to contend with. Hence it is, that with the same wind, by skilful and proper mas

nagement, twenty different vessels may at the same time be sailing on twenty different points of the compass. It is by this watchfulness and skill, accompanied with the blessing of Divine Providence, that so many ships pass in all directions on the bosom of the great deep, to their various destinations. If, however, men go on board a ship, who are too ignorant or too idle to take advantage of flowing tides, and fair and leading winds, it is no marvel if they lie windbound in a foreign country, or perish at sea; while their more skilful and persevering neighbours return home in safety and peace.

So it is in spiritual things. "There are sea "sons and fair gales of grace for our souls, gol"den opportunities of salvation afforded to men,

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the neglect of which proves the loss and ruin "of souls. God hath given unto man a day of "visitation or opportunity, which he hath li "mited, (Heb. iv. 7.) and keeps an exact ac"count of every year, month, and day that we "have enjoyed this favourable season; as ap

pears in Luke, xiii. 7.—Jeremiah, xxv. 3, 4. "Luke, xix. 42. The longest date of this "fair wind, this favourable season of grace, can

be but the time of this life; this is our day to "work in, and upon this small wire the whole "weight of eternity hangs. But sometimes this grace is ended before the night of

season of

death comes: the accepted time' is gone, men frequently outlive it. (Luke, xix. 44.— "2 Corinthians, vi. 2.) Or, if the outward "means of grace be continued, yet the Spirit

many times withdraws from those means, and "ceases any more to strive with men; and thene "the blessing, power, and efficacy are gone "from them, and instead thereof; a stupid har→ "dened curse seizes them; as we find expressed "in Heb. vi. 7, 8, and Jerem. vi. 29." Of what immense importance then it is that we should watch, and study, and take all advantages of these blessed winds and tides, these favourable visitations, these leading opportunities of grace! How necessary to trim every sail, every faculty of the soul, to all the various gracious providences of God; that we sail with every favourable gale, until, through the mercy of God in Christ Jesus, we have run our distance, finished our voyage, and received our crown.

"How tenderly did our blessed Saviour be"wail Jerusalem on this account! O that thou "hadst known, at least in this thy day, the

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things which belong unto thy peace! but now

they are hid from thine eyes.' (Luke, xix. 42.) "Oh! what precious seasons of grace have

many men enjoyed! Yet these precious gales "have blown upon them to no purpose! The

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Spirit has waited and strove with them in

"vain."* They have resisted the Holy Ghost, as their comrades did before them.

This was the case with the poor infatuated Israelites, whom the Lord led for forty years in the wilderness, and before whose eyes he made so many of his judgments and mercies to pass. But they tempted and resisted his Spirit, and almost broke the heart of Moses, when he exclaimed, "Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!" (Deut. xxxii. 29.)

And where is there a Christian minister, or a Christian seaman, who does not see abundant cause to make the same exclamation, whichever way he turns his eyes?

For a certainty there are few families who could not furnish striking and melancholy comments on the folly of men in trifling away their most favourable means of grace, and precious opportunities of salvation. But not many of them will tell the world what their despairing dying relatives have told them. And why will they not? Because they love to follow the former negligence, ignorance, and worldly-mindedness of their departed friends, rather than their late wise and solemn admonitions. Hence so many death-bed sermons, so many dying entreaties, and injunctions are, as much as possible, for

* See Flavell's Navigation Spiritualized, chap. ix.

gotten by the surviving members of the household, and never made known to the world.

Well does the writer of these pages remember almost the last words of lamentation which a very near and dear female relation uttered to the minister who attended her a short time previous to her death. He was then a giddy youth, so young as to be permitted to remain in the room while the elder ones withdrew, and the awful subjects of death and judgment were discoursed on by his relative and her pastor. Little, very little, of these matters did the writer then know, and less, if possible, did he wish to consider them. He therefore, for some time, paid no attention to what was said, until his relative uttered one sentence with such uncommon emotion, as at once roused his attention, thoughtless as he then was. Nor have her words, and her manner of uttering them, ever long together escaped his mind from that day up to the present. hour. "O Sir, Sir," exclaimed the distressed and dying woman, "I have often, in the days of health, been walking out in the fields when others have been going to church.-I have been seeking my own amusement when others were seeking the Lord in different places of divine worship."

This was all which the writer attended to. He does not recollect what reply or advice the