“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.”
IN the terrible times of the French revolution of 1793, there lived in the county of Suffolk, near the sea-coast, a wealthy farmer, originally of Danish descent. A numerous offspring graced. his ample board, seven of whom were sons. Unlike too many agriculturists of more modern days, this worthy farmer, whom we will call Mr. T—, did not bring up his boys in idleness and imaginary gentility, neither did he fall into the too common error of supposing that his own calling must of necessity become theirs also. Each was suitably educated for some useful employment or profession, in the choice of which, inclination and adaptability were, as far as possible, consulted. In the stormy times which succeeded the “Reign of Terror “in France, when devastating wars convulsed the whole continent of Europe, and shook even our island home, when volunteer bands, recruiting companies, and press-gangs, kept up a continual excitement throughout the country, numbers of young men forsook more peaceful employments to devote themselves to the vain pursuit of military or naval honors, while many more were forcibly carried on board ship by the press-gangs, and there compelled, willing or unwilling, to serve “before the mast.” The threatened invasion of Napoleon Bonaparte kept the inhabitants of our seaport towns constantly on the alert, and none more so than the population of Yarmouth and its neighborhood. It would have been strange, if under those circumstances every one of the seven sons of Mr. T― had remained unaffected by the general excitement. Yarmouth Roads were crowded with ships of war; boats with their complement of “blue-jackets” and officers in uniform were continually passing to and fro, and such associations naturally exerted an influence on many. Among the rest the subject of this little narrative early evinced a decided partiality for a naval life and while yet but a boy of twelve years of age was appointed midshipman on board His Majesty’s ship “Majestic.” At this period. Edward T―knew nothing of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ile appears indeed, in common with all his family, to have been trained in habits of the strictest integrity and moral rectitude, but however valuable such principles may be in their proper place, they are but poor safeguards against temptations from within and without. Surrounded on board ship by those who despised religion, blasphemed the name of God habitually, and were prepared to ridicule even common morality, it would have been by no means strange had one so young speedily lost every vestige even of that which early training and home influence had given him. That he did not do so was assuredly owing to the watchfulness and overruling mercy of One who never slumbereth, and who, having purposes of-grace towards him, kept him in the hollow of his hand, all through the dangers moral and physical by which he was everywhere surrounded. That he maintained his integrity, and that too in such a manner as to attract the notice and win the confidence of his superiors, his parents had what must have been to them most gratifying proof within little more than a year after his appointment. A small Dutch vessel having been captured by the “Majestic” off the coast of Holland was, as usual in such cases, to be sent to England. Under these circumstances it was customary to put a crew on board sufficient to work, and if necessary defend, the prize, and to select the most trustworthy from among the midshipmen to command.
Although Edward T——was at this time little more than thirteen years of age, his captain chose him for this service, and with eight men under his command he set sail in the Dutch galliot for Yarmouth, where he appears to have arrived without any incident worthy of notice, except the fact, that boy as he was, he was counted worthy of this trust, and fitted to control a crew of eight rough sailors. Having successfully discharged this duty he shortly sailed again in the “Majestic,” from which vessel, after about three years, he passed into another man-of-war, called the “Zenobia.” Writing from on board this ship, when about seventeen years of age, to his parents, he speaks of himself as being “where nothing but vice and folly in every shape are to be seen;” as “surrounded by vice of every kind,” and “samples of human wretchedness and depravity!” What terrible circumstances for a youth at such an age to be in! Up to this time, and for some years afterward, he still seems to have been ignorant of Christ, while his only load-star was filial affection. For this he was remarkable through all the change of scene, excitement of war, and influences of companionship. Love to his dear parents breathes through every letter he wrote home all through his many wanderings: “Thank God,” he exclaims in one such letter, “those sentiments of gratitude and esteem which were inculcated in my early years, and fostered by the tenderness of parents are still dear to me.” In this he is a bright example even to the unconverted readers of this little narrative; and a happy thing it was for himself that through God’s goodness to him those sentiments wore maintained so warm and true, for without doubt they were instrumental, in the absence of higher principles, in saving him from many a sorrow, by exercising a control over his actions and supplying motives without which he might have been swallowed up in the vortex of evil which so incessantly surrounded him.
Time passed on, and Edward T― had now become a lieutenant on board the “Volontaire.” During a long and tedious cruise on the South American coast, he was engaged, on one occasion, in reading Rollin’s Ancient History. His object, in all probability, was chiefly to pass away time, which hung heavy on his hands, by reading a useful and attractive work. Little did he know the momentous consequences which the perusal of that old book would lead to. On what apparent trifles are sometimes made to hinge results of incalculable importance! Rollin’s History contains many references to scripture, but Lieutenant T―had not so much as a bible in his possession! Wishing to pursue his study, he inquired for one, but for some time no such thing was to be had throughout the ship. What the size of the “Volontaire” may have been it is impossible now to say, but there were probably several hundred men on board, yet not a bible known to be among them! At length a brother officer recollected that an aged relative had given him one, which, out of respect for the donor, he had accepted, but had never since looked at. After some rummaging it was at length discovered at the bottom of this officer’s chest, and handed to Lieutenant T―. Sitting down to compare the references given in Rollin’s work, merely as a matter of historical research, he was led on by Him who from his early boyhood till now had so graciously preserved him from the numberless dangers incidental to his profession and all its associations. It was not indeed as the scoffer or the infidel that he began to peruse the scriptures. He had no doubt been trained up to reverence the bible as God’s word, but that strange reverence with which so many regard the book while they utterly disregard its exhortations, threats, promises, and pleadings, is not only inconsistent with itself, but often sadly deceives the soul; and but that the grace of God opened his eyes, it would perhaps only have had the effect of causing him to esteem himself better than those around him, who so completely despised it. But who shall estimate the value of the opportunity now given to this young officer as in the solitude of, his own quarters he sat reading the written word! “For what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Attracted, he knew not how or why, Lieutenant T― read on. Rollin’s History was forgotten; the bible, so long despised and left at the bottom of his brother officer’s sea-chest, was studied now, no longer as a mere book of reference, but for its own sake. Whether any particular passage was used by the Spirit to arouse conviction we are not told, but ere he laid it aside he had discovered the power of the word, and learned experimentally that “the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.”
“The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live.” Edward T — was one of these. The “voice of the Son of God.” reached him there through the written word, on the wide ocean, alone in a crowd of sinners whose very trade was violence, far away from home and all its kindly influences, and without the intervention of one human agent. Brought to Jesus, washed in his precious blood, made a new creature, this affectionate son was now become a child of God indeed, and when, not very long afterward, he was permitted to return home, and the long war came to an end, his sense of the great goodness of the Lord and the glorious grace displayed towards him was such that, in the face of many difficulties, he resolved henceforth to devote himself to the service of his blessed Master. Laying aside his sword and all the trappings, honors, and prospects of his profession, he gave himself to the ministry of the word, and for two-and-thirty years labored in the gospel with an earnestness and diligence becoming one who under such peculiar circumstances had learned it as “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.”
He is gone to his rest; the old “Volontaire” has long since passed from the face of the ocean; the empty honors won upon her decks, like the smoke of her guns, have fled away forever; some of those who walked her planks and climbed her shrouds, it may well be, lie buried in unfathomable depths, waiting for that awful moment when “The sea shall give up the dead that are in it;” but he who sought and found, and read the long-despised and hidden bible, lives an eternal monument of the saving grace of God, an example of the blessed truth that “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.”
J. L. K.