about the candle like silly moths, and the wonder is they do not singe their wings. 'Tis better far to be ready for every good word and work, that we may stand in the evil day.

And is there not need for exertion as well as vigilance? The world, the flesh, and the devil are leagued against us, and "who is sufficient for these things?" Just as the sturdy ship seems like a nutshell in a boiling cauldron when surges seethe about her, so are we powerless of ourselves amidst the devouring elements of sin.

But the vessel outlives the storm. She is handled by intelligence and steered by skill. The sport of the surges, the toy of the tempest, the butt of the billows, she yet bears bravely on. Even so shall we triumph through him who strengtheneth us. Our sufficiency is of God. Hope and trust shall render us buoyant, and while we do not on this account relax our own efforts, believing that God helps those who help themselves; our hope is in him alone, and bringing all our hands on deck, we ask him to put his to the wheel, and we have no fear as to results. Ours is no trifling task that we can afford to let any talent be hidden in a napkin, or allow a single grace to remain dormant. "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

The devil is our foe, his angels are our enemies. Hell is a forge for "the fiery darts of the wicked one." Our hearts are the targets at which Satan aims. Shall we sleep and be slain, or wake and vanquish ? How can we "turn in" to slumber while storms are brewing and squalls are threatening?

"Christian seek not yet repose,

Cast thy dreams of ease away.
Thou art in the midst of foes,

Watch and pray, watch and pray."

[By permission from the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon, who has two sons, both are gifted with much of their father's spirit and power. Thomas is in Australia, and is sending to the "Sword and Trowel" these Sayings from the Sea.-ED.]

GLAD TO BE REMEMBERED BY OLD FRIENDS.

"I HEREWITH enclose Cheque for 1 Is. od. being my annual subscription to the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, I also send 2s. in Postage Stamps for 'Chart and Compass.'

"Kind remembrance to Lonsdale and Custard, and other Missionaries. I still continue to feel an interest in the operations of your Society.

Scarboro'.

I remain &c.,

G. P. BUTCHART."

(Written for "Chart and Compass" by Lady Hope, of Carriden.)

"Look aloft"

WE thought about the benefits to be obtained by a last month, and now let us see if we can gain any advantage by a good "Look ahead!" I saw a fellow shuffling along the streets the other day, with his hands in his pockets, and his eyes fixed on his toes all the time, or on the pavement! I don't know which. But I thought to myself, "Well, my man; you won't gain much by that look; and yet you are very like a great many more of us! We keep LOOKING DOWN, instead of LOOKING UP, and LOOKING ON." Is it not so, my friend? Do you not agree with me here? As Saul of Tarsus madly rode along the high road to Damascus, spurring on his horse to his own destruction, he was blind indeed; blind with a fatal disease, that needed a stern operation from the Physician's hand, and a speedy one, to save him from rushing on into the "outer darkness." Then came the light from heaven, and in a moment Saul of Tarsus fell to the earth, as though stricken by a deadly blow, but it was the touch of LIFE! Then he took his first LOOK UP. "Who art Thou. Lord ?" And then he took the LOOK ON-the grand "Look ahead;" and he said, "What wilt Thou have me to do?" This was the turning point in his life. His bodily sight had gone; he was blind; but his heavenly sight had begun, and he could see his first true ray of light. And that light never faded. It was from the Sun of Righteousness, and his pathway was, from that time, as the " shining light" that "shineth more and more unto the perfect day." A marvellous change that soul-look wrought in this furious, cruel man! His very name was changed through it; his whole character, his life, his profession, his work, his letters. No one could understand it at first. Indeed, the Christians could hardly believe it; and no wonder they were surprised. It was a miracle, and nothing less.

So is a man's conversion now. It is nothing less than a miracle. It is a turning of night into day. It reverses everything. There is no use in trying to shun it. If you do so, you are shunning the greatest boon that could possibly happen to you. You are shunning the best windfall of fortune that ever a man came in for.

Now this "Look ahead " is after all but practical common sense. The worldly man looks forward to the future. The father looks to the well-being of his children. The mother looks to the affairs of her home. Some of us like to build castles in the air. When we are in trouble, we try to think that "things will look brighter after a little;" and so we go on. We are always looking forward. I don't think we can help it. It is our nature. But this is the difference between the right and the wrong "Look ahead!" One look is BOUNDED BY TIME. It does not go any further. The other, and the RIGHT look, is right ON INTO ETERNITY. We take that look in the light of God's Word; and we tread in the path there marked out. When a man drinks hard, we say, "he is blind to his own interests." He is emptying his pockets, hurting his body, hurting his soul. When a man plays with drink-" Oh! just a little! it is of no consequence," he says, and laughs at Satan's poisonous toy, by which he is trying to draw him downwards, then that man is not "Looking ahead." He is quite as foolish, and more so, than a captain who steers his vessel straight into a rolling, seething, bubbling whirlpool, that sucks him down into its terrible depths. When a man dallies with evil company he is not going straight ahead. He is in very great danger. The Lord cries, "Follow Me;" and the poor deluded sinner follows the voice of the Evil Charmer instead! Oh! how terrible!

Dear friends, be wise.

“LOOKING UNTO JESUS," the Author and Finisher of faith, Who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is "set down at the right hand of God.”

AN EVENING IN THE EAST LONDON TABERNACLE.

HE Rev. W. Cuff's Lecture on C. H. Spurgeon, in the East London Tabernacle (given for our Sailors' Society) suffered somewhat (at least the audience) from the tempestuous weather; yet, as it was expected, went off with real eclat. The lecturer was at his best, and had the entire sympathy of his audience. Eloquent thoughts were eloquently expressed. We can assure the living subject of the lecture that he did not suffer in the hands of his trusted and loyal friend. Woe to the man who should

AN EVENING IN THE FAST LONDON TABERNACLE.

73

touch antagonistically the hem of his (C. H. S.'s) garment, or even the innocent cigar, in the presence of this intellectually tough doughty champion. Mr. Spurgeon has two sons, neither is the elder nor the younger. He has also two college boys (though many more), neither is the greater nor smaller in great parts and good deeds and these are Archibald Brown and William Cuff.

Both have come under the mighty spell of their great chief, both are saturated with his great ideas, both have drank deep into his spirit, and both go in for big things. Yet these two pastors are quite diverse in their physical, mental, and moral make-up; and each retains his individuality. Both have large buildings, just where they should be, in densely populated districts; both have large congregations, who are drawn and attached to them; both have orphanages (Mr. Cuff's are in his own house, with eyes and characteristics which shew they are chips off the old block; while Mr. Brown's, in addition to his own, has adopted thirteen orphans); both have preaching abilities which find their highest heaven in the ministry; and both have those powers of organisation and pastoral qualities which will never want a congregation.

In both we have observed an overflowing good nature, in which deacons and people are one. On our first visit to the East London Tabernacle, we saw how bright and happy everybody seemed to be. The orphans came tripping into the vestry, as though they had been there before and still would go, and the pastor took off their comforters, and kissed one, if not more. This was a little thing; but it impressed us as the outcome of a genuine good nature.

In preaching, we observed Mr. Brown has graceful actions, and speaks with his fingers, hands, and arms, as well as with his tongue. Manner, as well as matter, tells its tale. We know no school of the prophets, where MANNER in public speaking has received such constant attention as at the Congregational Institute at Nottingham, under the able conductorship of Principal Paton. But we know no college where the VOICE has been made a speciality, as at Mr. Spurgeon's. In this respect he has introduced a new era in pulpit speech. Unfortunately, Mr. Paton has a weak voice, while everybody knows what Mr. Spurgeon's is like.

But Mr. Brown has not only a pleasing manner and clear full voice, with a cultivated power of illustrating truth, but we observed a perfect ramification of activities. Classes, schools, and charities, with the well-worked societies connected with the Church, are like so many bee hives in the one garden. Mr. B. was to have presided at the lecture, but was prevented by a slight attack which demanded a few days' rest. We had purposed taking a few mental notes for our readers. We hope the above remarks will awaken

curiosity, to keep a look out in the pages of "Chart and Compass' for a sailors' sermon which the Rev. Archibald Brown has promised to preach for us.

As Mr. Spurgeon does not intend crossing to America, the next best thing he can do to satisfy his friends and admirers on the other side of the Atlantic is to let the gallant Cuff go over with his lecture, pictures, apparatus, and all complete, and gratify our kin across the sea. At present there is a missing link in the lecture; the Americans will want to see Mrs. Spurgeon. How incomplete is the whole without her! But friend Cuff means business, and hopes to bring back several thousand pounds towards his new schools, &c., &c. This can be easily done if the right methods are adopted. But he will not get the chief help from the Baptists! Speaking at a Baptist meeting in Boston, we thought a good point was made by a reference to Mr. Spurgeon. But a typical Baptist, to our disgust afterwards, said to us, "We should not know what to do with him if he came to our country!" No; we expect not! Would they be more merciful to his herald? If Mr. Cuff goes to the American churches and peoples, irrespective of narrow sects and narrower political factions, and, what is more than all, national antipathies, he will have a warm reception and generous response. But we won't let him go away till he preaches us a sailors' sermon, which he can afterwards give in mid-Atlantic when he gets upon his sea legs! By-the-bye, if he goes in a first-class steamer, and shows his lantern on the outward and homeward trips, he will make over one hundred pounds a night! But enough of this, or we shall want to go shares; so we abruptly close with a bon voyage.

THE WRECK OF "THE INDIAN CHIEF."

INTER voyages in these northern latitudes are attended, not only with risk and danger to our ships, but cold and exposure to our sailors, undreamt of by landsmen, to say nothing of those occasional severities which fell on the crew of the "Indian Chief."

I well remember one winter in the North Sea, in a crazy old barque. Only a sailor boy then, but the severity of the weather was such as to make an indelible impression on my mind. The night the wind freshened from the east, with blinding snow squalls. Toward the close of my watch on deck I was ordered, with another youth, who was considerably older than myself, to furl the main top-gallant sail. I feel the wind and snow getting up under my jacket, and into my very skin, even now! With benumbed hands,