DISCOURSE V. ON THE BENEFICIAL INFLUENCE OF THE CONDUCT OF PIOUS SEAMEN. ZECHARIAH VIII. 13. And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong. THOUGH these words, in their original and primary sense, evidently refer to the Jews, yet we shall apply them, as in a former discourse, to the case and condition of seamen. And this application of them we believe to be justified, in consequence of their striking appropriateness, by the authority and example of the sacred writers themselves. For as no scripture is of private interpretation, neither can the whole sense and edification be derived from a single interpretation. Interpreting, therefore, according to the analogy of faith, we shall find the scripture before us, I trust, 66 profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." In applying our text to the case of seamen, we considered, in the preceding discourse, IN WHAT RESPECTS SEAMEN HAVE HITHERTO BEEN A CURSE AMONG THE HEATHEN. And the two particulars in which we illustrated and proved the melancholy fact that seamen had too often been a curse among the heathen, were, By giving, through their wicked behaviour, a false idea of the Christian character; and, By polluting the nations with whom they had intercourse. Of both these painful truths, we brought forward, perhaps, too abundant proof. We showed, by facts which have been published abroad to the world, a variety of occasions in which the misconduct of our seamen, and those of America, in breaking through the salutary laws of the islands of the Pacific with ruffian violence, had done more to injure the cause of religion, to retard, if not to mar, the efforts of the Christian missionaries, and to uphold the kingdom of Satan, than a long and diligent exercise of Christian zeal could reasonably be expected to repair. And we might have showed that the missionary reports of our brethren in America teem with statements and reflections from which we draw expostulations to this effect;-Seafaring brethren, behold what you have done! Why will ye be a curse among the heathen rather than a blessing! But we willingly leave this painful part of our subject, like the gloomy pillar of the cloud that presented its dark and threatening side towards the armies of Egypt, and turn with peculiar pleasure to the brighter side, as the animating and illuminating aspect of the cloud presented towards the camp of Israel. And this is the hopeful contemplation to which we now turn; that it shall come to pass, as ye were a curse among the heathen, O ye men of the sea, so will the Lord speedily save you, and make you a blessing!' II. In reference to this second part of our subject, we shall consider, IN WHAT RESPECTS SEAMEN BECOME A BLESSING AMONG THE not, but let your hands be strong," for surely the Lord will "save you, and ye shall be a blessing." 1. Here, brethren, is the secret and commencement of all real usefulness in the world-our personal attainment of salvation. If ye would be a blessing to others, seek for the inestimable blessing of salvation for yourselves. For though God, in his infinite condescension, may sometimes employ unconverted men to do his work; yet, generally speaking, we find, that the reasonable hope of the wicked man can only be, that, by the restraining grace of God, he may not be so great a curse as others. He may strive, and he ought to strive, by every possible means, that others may not be injured by his worldly and sinful influence and example. He ought to watch with all possible diligence against hindering the Lord's work, especially among the believing strangers, being warned by the solemn declaration, that "whoso shall offend one of these little ones," that believe in Christ, "it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." Carefully ought the wicked man to guard against betraying the ignorant heathen, or his too confiding brethren, into the ways of sin and Satan which he himself pursues,-for unless he repent of his wickedness, and through the blood of Christ shall find mercy, it may be said of him as it was of Judas," it had been good for that man if he had not been born! But if he would effectually escape this awful condemnation; if he would become a blessing, and not a curse among the heathen with whom he associates, he must first seek the grace of God which bringeth salvation, for the salvation of his own soul. Without this, vain are his hopes to be a blessing in the world. Without this, he can neither desire the spiritual welfare of the heathen, nor can he effectually promote it. Without this, he can neither know what it is to be a curse among the heathen, nor can he altogether prevent it. Without this, the best of his fruits, however enticing they may be to the eye, in reality will be but as astringent crabs, or sour grapes. "Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? No; but "by their fruits ye shall know them." "For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit." So "a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil.” Therefore, we infer, that whilst a wicked sailor will not fail, in some degree at least, to be a curse among the heathen whose lands he visits, so the godly sailor will not fail to be a blessing wheresoever he goes. And if so, how great a blessing! For whilst the extent of most men's influence is bounded by the little circle of their brethren, acquaintance, and fellow-labourers, the influence of the sailor is bounded only by the circle of the navigable globe! The most distant nations witness his example; numerous heathen are within reach of his influence. Other Chris tians, by their pious zeal and holy conduct, may, through Divine grace, be the means of imparting |