)Brn> 
 
 Duke University Libraries 
 
 The Sailor lost 
 Conf Pam 12mo #667 
 
No. 52. 
 THE 
 
 , SAILOR 
 
 LOST AND FOUND 
 
 A TRUE STORY. 
 
 CHARLESTON, S. C: 
 
 PUBLISHED BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA TRACT SOCIETY. 
 Evans & Cogswell, Printers, No. 3 Broad street. 
 
THE SAILOR LOST AND FOUND. 
 
 A TRUE STORY. 
 
 On the morning- of the 25th of February, 1851, the 
 dawning light disclosed a scene of the deepest distress 
 on the broad expanse of the North sea. Racked in 
 body and tortured in mind, four successive days had 
 
 James D- 5 and his companions strained their eyes 
 
 in search of a sail. Death was apparently approach- 
 ing. The suffering from cold was intense. Their posi- 
 tion on the mast, the only remains of their vessel, which 
 had foundered, and to which they were lashed, being 
 such as to preclude the possibility of their moving. 
 Wave after wave dashed over them; hour after hour 
 rolled on ; but not one speck betokening a sail darkened 
 the horizon. Apart from the consciousness of present 
 suffering, there might be traced on the countenances of 
 
 all, but James D , a fulfilment of the truth, "the 
 
 wicked have no bands in their death." There appeared 
 a sullen carelessness of what was to be, when the last 
 sigh had been drawn, and the spirit had returned to the 
 God who gave it. Occasionally the awful silence which 
 reigned on the face of the waters was broken by the 
 expression of a hope from one of the sufferers, that 
 " they would fare as well as their neighbors, were they 
 unable to weather the present storm." 
 
 No such ill-founded hopes lessened what appeared 
 to be the dying agonies of James D ; the terrors 
 
4 THE SAILOR LOST AND FOUND. 
 
 of " the worm that dieth not, and the fire that never 
 shall be quenched," seemed to be placed before him : 
 and with bitter groans, as he gazed around, above, be- 
 neath, he exclaimed, " I am a lost sinner, for I have 
 sinned against light. My mother's prayers and advice 
 I scorned, and now my soul is damned — I am without 
 hope." 
 
 But deliverance was at hand. "A sail ! a sail!" was 
 feebly uttered by one of the sufferers. There were two 
 men on that mast whose hearts were never to throb 
 again, either in expectation of woe or joy; the waves 
 
 had done their appointed work, and the souls of J. O 
 
 and F. T stood before a ''reconciled Father in 
 
 Christ/' or an angry Judge. 
 
 A few moments of intense anxiety was still the por- 
 tion of the surviving crew, for it was by no means cer- 
 tain that the vessel saw them; but soon she appeared 
 
 to be bearing up to them, and James D , and his 
 
 three companions rescued from destruction, were carried 
 beHow; James D in a state of insensibility. 
 
 Again the bright morning light streamed in upon a 
 
 scene of suffering, in which James D bore his sad 
 
 part. The dead and the dying were around, and again 
 his countenance bore the marks of despair. 
 
 " Now," he cried out as he tossed about on his fever- 
 ish bed, " now I am, indeed, without hope; the good 
 resolutions I made on the mast have been broken, and 
 now the Lord will laugh at my calamity, mock at my 
 fear : for oh ! how often have I refused His gracious 
 invitations." 
 
 Pays passed on, when, in the ordering of God's prov- 
 idence, a captain in the navy was led to the bedside of 
 
 James D ; but oh, how changed was he from the 
 
 hardened sailor of oilier days ! "Sir," said the sufferer, 
 
THE SAILOR LOST AND FOUND. 
 
 r> 
 
 as his visitor enquired whether he had lt a good hope 
 through grace/' "Sir, I have a hope which is as an 
 anchor to my soul, both sure and steadfast. I have 
 been led to cast anchor on the Rock of ages, and all the 
 waves of time, and all the storms of eternity, shall be 
 unable to unmoor me. This illness, sir, has been blessed 
 to me, through the goodne.ss of God; a book of sermons 
 
 sent to me by Mr. , was the means of bringing me 
 
 to Jesus, my only hope, my precious Saviour. I was 
 the child of many prayers: they were registered on 
 high : they are now answered." 
 
 Many interesting visits were paid to the dying man 
 by Captain . 
 
 The Spirit which worketh, as well as a maketh inter- 
 cession according to the will of God," appeared swiftly 
 completing the work of sanctification in his soul. 
 
 In the course of conversation, Captain asked 
 
 him what were his feelings when lashed to the mast. 
 
 fi Oh, sir," he replied, " they were awful; I have 
 hardly dared bring them to my recollection ! At times, 
 from the excessive cold, I was nearly insensible: but 
 there were moments of horror quite indescribable; hell 
 seemed to accompany every wave ; and each wave 
 brought hell more vividly before my eyes." 
 
 Captain . asked him if he did not try to pray. 
 
 " No, sir," was his answer, u Satan would not allow me 
 to pray: he whispered to me, You have nothing to do 
 with prayer, there is no hope. This is all I can remem- 
 ber, for by the time the vessel that picked us up hailed 
 us, I was insensible to all outward things." 
 
 About two months passed, when in one of Captain 
 
 visits, James D informed him, with a sad 
 
 countenance, that there was a proposition to remove him 
 to , many miles from his present scene of "suffering. 
 
6 THE SAILOR LOST AND FOUND 
 
 But one thought seemed to distress the dying man. 
 "Sir," he exclaimed with deep feeling, "I shall lose 
 your visits!" Alter a moment's pause, as faith and 
 hope asserted their power to make up for every loss, he 
 added with a look of earnest thankfulness, "I leave 
 this place with that which can never be lost." 
 
 Reader, before you read these lines, James D will 
 
 be in the full enjoyment of that which never can be 
 lost; and what is it? All that is comprised in being 
 an " heir of God and a joint heir with Christ" — a new 
 heart, a living faith. Have you got these things ? Can 
 you look up, and thank God that you have that which 
 never can be lost? Then fear not difficulties, fear not 
 trials, but "Go forward." 
 
 Reader, have you not got that which never can be 
 lost? then sit down quietly and seek rightly to estimate 
 your misery. 
 
 You have life, but in your calling it is frequently 
 exposed to danger — it may be lost! You have health 
 to-day,- but to-morrow — it may be lost! You have 
 regular employment now, perhaps a boat of your own, 
 but one storm, and — it may be lost! You have a 
 happy home, wife and children, but you cannot shut to 
 your door, and shut out death — they may be lost ! 
 You have a soul, and — it is a lost soul! There is but 
 one thing which will not be lost, if you continue in 
 your present state. Sinner, do you wish to know what 
 is your only certain possession? It is — eternal mis- 
 ery! All your earthly blessings will soon be lost, and 
 heaven is also lost ! 
 
 Oli, turn not away! Stay not to curse the day in 
 which you were born, but listen to words of hope. 
 "Tin* Son of man came to seek and to save that which 
 iv as lost.'* 
 
THE SAILOR LOST AND FOUND. 7 
 
 Do you ask for His authority ? He was " sent of 
 God." Do you say, Is He willing? Hear His words: 
 "Come unto me all ye that labor and are, heavy laden, 
 and I will give you rest." And, again, " Him that 
 cometh unto me 1 will in nowise cast out." Do you 
 
 inquire as to His power? We point to James D , 
 
 once miserable though in health, now happy though in 
 a hospital on a death-bed.* 
 
 Go to Jesus. Pray to Jesus. Ask Him to send His 
 Holy Spirit to change your heart and lead you to wash 
 in "the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness;" and 
 then, though frequently tossed about by the waves of 
 tribulation, you will never lose sight-of Jesus, " the 
 bright and morning star." As regards your soul, the 
 promise is, that " the waters shall not overflow thee;" 
 and then, though your grave may be in the wide seas, 
 and the thoughtless world and your own acquaintances 
 may forget you, not even laying your death to heart for 
 a moment, you will but be "taken away from the evil 
 to come;" your name will be " written in heave^L and 
 when " the sea gives up the dead which are in it^you, 
 in a brighter land, where there will be " no more sea," 
 will gaze upon Him, who rose as "the Sun of righte- 
 ousness," on the ocean of your despair and misery. 
 
 You may have trials, heavy trials, but they will not 
 be lost trials ; they will lead you closer to Jesus : you 
 will have difficulties, but fear no evil. 
 
 "Loud roaring, the billows would thee overwhelm. 
 But skilful the Pilot that sits at the helm ; 
 His wisdom, His power, His faithfulness stand, 
 Engaged to conduct thee in safety to land." 
 
J5 THE SAILOR LOST AND FOUND. 
 
 Reader, seek that which cannot be lost — a saving 
 interest in the blood of THE SINNER'S FRIEND, 
 and then you can sing — 
 
 Sav'd by blood, I live to tell 
 
 What the love of Christ hath done; 
 He redeem'd my soul from hell, 
 
 Of a rebel made a son. 
 Oh ! I tremble still to think, 
 
 How secure I liv'd in sin; 
 Sporting on destruction's brink, 
 
 Yet preserv'd from falling in. 
 
 In His own appointed hour, 
 
 To my heart the Saviour spoke ; 
 Touch'd me by His Spirit's power, 
 
 And my dangerous slumber broke. 
 Then I saw and own'd my guilt ; 
 
 Soon my gracious Lord reply'd — 
 " Fear not. I my blood have spilt, 
 
 'Twas for such as thee 1 died."' 
 
 Shame and wonder, joy and love, 
 
 All at once possess'd my heart ; 
 Can I hope thy grace to prove, 
 
 After acting such a part? 
 " Thou hast greatly sinn'd," Pie said, 
 
 " But, I freely all forgive: 
 I myself thy debt have paid, 
 
 Now I bid thee rise and live." 
 
Hollinger Corp. 
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