MR. SPURGEON A PARADOX. 189 possible out of the voyage. Passengers ought to study, in a measure, the captain for their own sakes, which is not by any means the order of the day. He has to be awake when they are asleep, with a pressure of care and responsibility they are not really aware of, especially in our “Atlantic Steamers," when they may encounter so many icebergs. If a captain is not popular he is not liked, and does not give satisfaction. In port they suffer much from reaction, also they have very little time for quiet study. How then are our officers to grow in grace? Why, they must at the outset put their foot " firmly down” on all that is not consistent, and “ praying much " through their silent, dark watches,—and so preparing them for any coming danger—let our dear officers and sailors “ daily” consult the Bible “Chart and Compass,” then they will surely grow. As flowers must grow when they have water, air and sunshine, so will they be strengthened and grow in grace by God's Word, prayer and watchfulness. E. L. [Mrs. L., wife of one of our good Atlantic Captains sends us this appropriate paper on the Captain at sea.--Ed.] MR. SPURGEON A PARADOX. My Sermon Notes, and Selections, from outlines of discourses delivered at the Metropolitan Tabernacle by C. H. Spurgeon; from Genesis to Proverbs i. to cxiv. London-Passmore and Alabaster. Mr. Spurgeon is a perfect paradox. A preacher of Calvinism, yet the greatest Arminian (if good works be Arminianism) of this age. He preaches impromptu speeches but writes such loads of books that neither John Ploughman nor his teams of horses could drag them out of Paternoster Row. He preaches water more than most men, but few have set so many on fire. It is said he preaches manner to his students, but not even the Puritans gave more solid matter. When they say he is sick, look out, not for breakers ahead, but crested wavelets in the shape of chapters fresh as old Briny. Did you ever hear him speak without the grave and gay ? Both grace and gift blend, like twin sisters, in sweet harmony. This sentence in the preface to “My Sermon Notes " suggested this thought,-but why pursue it further ?“My actual notes were a little too scanty to be understood by anyone but myself and therefore I have filled them up. The front of an ordinary envelope has frequently sufficed to hold my memoranda; but now that I find it needful to write in a bolder hand I use the half of a sheet of note paper. I sometimes wish I had never used even this, for the memory loves to be trusted, and the more fully it is relied upon the more does it respond to our confidence. The preachers who can wholly dispense with notes must be few, but if their preaching is up to the mark they are happy men. Some go on crutches, and read almost all the -sermon, this, as a rule, must be lame business. The most of us need to carry a staff, even if we do not often lean upon it. The perfectly able man requires nothing of the kind. I am not one of these first-class brethren ; • With my staff have I crossed this Jordan,' and I hereby lend it to any who feel that they can pursue their journey by its aid.” Dear Mrs. Spurgeon has just sent us a volume for each of our missionaries. Many thanks noble lady. They passed a most hearty resolution of gratitude to be sent to you. We most heartily commend this most useful work to their study. Will they and others get them in to the hands of Christian captains, to help them in conducting services both afloat and ashore ? Here are tools for workmen. Will some generous soul send us 250 copies for floating libraries where some Christian sailors would thank God for them ? CANNOT GIVE ALL THE SPEECHES. REVS. SIMPSON, RAITT, PARKER and others, spoke well at the Mansion House, but the press did not publish their speeches or we would certainly give extracts. Mr. Samuel Linder read the balance-sheet, and afterwards Sir Thomas Brassey asked him to take the chair as he had to go to the House of Commons. He also presided over the evening missionary meeting at the Institute with much sympathy and well expressed words. We never heard the brethren speak with more heart, force, and earnestness. They must have excelled themselves and it was certainly a blessed means of grace. The ladies Mrs. and Miss Davis, Mrs, and Miss Lawton, with Mr. Bowrey's choir, cheered our hearts with song. Altogether it was a day, including the afternoon conference, not to be forgotten. Two encouraging letters came from two revered friends and members. Our much esteemed treasurer Thomson Hankey, Esq., of the Bank of England, wrote:“Dear Mr. Matthews, I am very sorry that I am unexpectedly prevented from attending your meeting to-morrow, I had fully intended to have been with youbut I cannot get to the City-please to make any apologies and say how much I regret being unable to be with you. I hope you will have a good meeting and that the cause of our good Institution may be ably advocated. I beg you to add my name to your list of contributions for £5, for which I will send you a cheque.” M. Cruickshank, Esq., wrote:-“Dear Sir, advanced years and feeble health will prevent me being present at the annual meeting of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, but as I have long felt a deep interest in the Institution, I beg to enclose a small contribution (£5) to the funds, with the wish of much success." EDITOR'S NOTES AND NOTICES. In looking over a perfect heap of cuttings and paper, the accumulation of the years, we come upon buried hopes and good resolutions unhappily sacrificed. Here for instance is the Quaker wedding of our esteemed friends, Clarence E. Rutter and Rachael M. Gilpin, which went off with such municipal dignity and honour at the right royal town of Nottingham. At their home-coming to Mere, Wilts, the little town turned out, and they turned the horses out and drew in the carriage with much enthusiasm. May their earthly pathway be strewn with flowers and fruits, and their heavenly home-coming be with an abundant entrance. BOTTLES PICKED UP.-Our Boulogne Correspondent writes that on Sunday afternoon a fisherman picked up on the shore between Etapels and Portel a bottle containing a paper, indicating that a ship called the “ Atlantas," had gone down, all hands being lost. THE “ Little One's Own Coloured Picture Paper," published by Dean and Son, the only recipients of Gold Medal for Coloured Toy Books. This is a Specimen of the first paper ever printed in Chromo Lithography, and is indeed a great success, and must of necessity be a great favourite with all the little ones for whom it is so handsomely prepared. “IOLE.”—Rev. W. Lewis writes from Weymouth “ We were much gratified by the visit of “Iole.” Mrs. Moorhouse impressed us all by her modest manner and spirit, and earnest and intelligent presentation of the Gospel to the people. We were sorry that she was laid aside by illness from further speaking to the people. But much good has been done I fully believe." MRS. (DEAN) GOODE AND OUR SAILORS.-Our Missionary, Mr. John Ellis, of Holyhead, was visiting wind-bound vessels from Penmaenmawr on their way to Dublin, and was cheered to find the masters and men delighted with books EDITOR'S NOTES AND NOTICES. 191 and papers put on board by our Sailors' friend, Mrs. Goode. We have a great number of such small ports where more ladies could do the same ; and we hope those who read this will volunteer their help. PACIFIC OCEAN.–We are always glad to hear from the ss. “Explorer," owned and sailed by our esteemed friend, J. E. Arundel, Esq., Director of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society. This ship is flying the Bethel flag through that distant Pacific. She is doing in a quiet way what the steam yacht “Iole" is doing in our own Channel. Mr. Arundel has arrived at San Francisco, for a brief stay, and ordered two hundred copies of " Our Sailor's Hymn Book.” We have a few thousand still left, but we are anxious to work up the edition as soon as possible. Books, like bread, do no good in cupboards, scatter them. Lord Aberdeen, the late Bishop Claughton, Miss March, and many others helped us to bring out this hymn book, and it has been pronounced by the Rev.R.J. Simpson, M.A., Clerical Secretary of the South American Missionary Society as the best hymn book for sailors he had seen. On the 4th of February, when the “ Alaska ” lay disabled by the loss of her rudder, in Latitude 42' 30'', Lon. 60' 30'', the attention of the “Lake Winnipeg," was attracted by the signals of distress at a distance of thirteen miles, and went to her assistance. The signals used by the “ Alaska ” were the Socket Distress Signals, manufactured by the Cotton Powder Company, Limited, of Faversham, Kent. See Advertisement. The following brilliant young officer had the misfortune to fall from the foretopsail yard. We were much affected by the touching narrative told us by his distinguished relative, Dr. Fleming Stevenson, of that fearful, mangling, crushing fall. Recovery was a miracle, and regeneration which followed beautiful. Our gifted friend, though unable any more to go to sea, yet desires to help those who do go. Mr. M. J. Meyer (for this is his name), 49, St. Charles Square, Notting Hill, undertakes to prepare candidates in Navigation for the Board of Trade Examinations (Masters and Mates), at very moderate fees. OUR Sailor Poet, Captain Charles Robertson, has written lines on the late Lord Mayor, who is referred to in this issue. We are sorry to be unable to give only the verses on the Civic visit to our Institute, and his gifts to the Blue Coat Boys. “Among his acts of known repute And oft again let us record To districts poor in state he went. His last kind deed, the Bluecoat Boys • The Sailors' East End Institute,” (Though stricken, yet he kept his word), Great good derived the object meant. Their gifts received,suppressing noise.” Chart and Compass Receipts, April 13th to May 12th. £ S. d. £ s. d. Forward .............. 189 8 4 Lonsdale, Mr. S., London. O 4 6 Arundel, J. T., Esq ........ O 13 0 Mattsson, Mr. C., do. ..0 o 6 Bailey, Mr. H. V., Falmouth 0 8 0 Swansea Sailors' Society ....7 0 0 Becket, Miss, Paisley ......o 5 o Smellie, Mrs., Exhibition ..0 3 6 B. &. F. S. S., London ....7 4 Sharples, Capt., Cardiff .... 0 Chapman, Mr. J., Gravesend 4 Sundry Sales .............. 0 7 3. Gilbert, Mr. J., Dover ...... 0 By Advertisement.......... O 12 0 Ham, Mr. J., Antwerp...... 0 10 Jarvis, Mrs. ..............0 4 0 TOTAL ..........208 16 II Jordan, Mr. W., Newcastle.. 0 2 0 world Piin him: d the SUNDAY THOUGHTS FOR SAILORS FROM THE WORD OF GOD. “Be not faithless, but believing." —JOHN XX. 27. SUNDAY, June 7th.-"Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. * * * And the world PASSETH AWAY, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God ABIDETH FOR EVER.”—1 JOHN Ü. 15-17. SUNDAY, June 14th.-" Hearken my be loved brethren, Hath not GOD chosen the POOR of THIS world RICH in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which He hath promised to them that love Him."-JAMES ii. 5. SUNDAY, June 21st.-" What shall it pro fit a man if he shall gain the WHOLE WORLD, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his SOUL.”—MARK viii. 36-37. SUNDAY, June 28th.—“In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of GOOD CHEER, I have overcome the world." " If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you." " Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with Me."-JOHN xvi. 33; xv. 18. REV. xxii. 12. Those interested in «Chart and Compass” would be very grateful for the prayers of all who read these « Sunday Thoughts,” that they, and all God's word and truth in the Magazine, may be greatly blessed to many Sailors. Sunday Mornings would be a goodtime for such. |