IN the early sixties H.M. sloop “S — ”was commissioned at Plymouth for service on the Pacific Station. She was a fine heavily-rigged little vessel, and carried a crew of 130 officers and men.
As far as the writer of this paper knew, there was but one man on board at that time to whom the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ was known. This man was a color-sergeant of the Royal Marine Light Infantry, and in command of the small detachment of his corps on board.
Sergeant B —, from the day he stepped on board the ship, showed his colors as a good soldier of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first evening he was on board he quietly kneeled down at his chest before retiring to his hammock, and though this step met with the derision and disapproval of those around him, his subsequent life and conduct soon showed that he was thoroughly in earnest, and soon became a marvelous power for good on board.
Being well up to his duties, sober and conscientious, he soon gained the approbation of his superior officers.
There was some influence about him his shipmates did not understand. He took various opportunities of speaking to them about the eternal verities of life whenever he could; generally in the night watches, in heavy gales, or when anything occurred more than usual to solemnize the minds of his hearers. When he did introduce these topics, he did it in such a way that interest was excited and no antagonistic feelings aroused.
Before the ship reached Valparaiso, the sergeant had spoken to many of his shipmates, and one quiet Sunday afternoon, when anchored in one of the magnificent inlets of the Magellan Straits, he proposed to hold a Bible Class in the stokehole, the chief engineer having kindly given permission; three officers and six men attended.
The writer of these lines was one of those who were early interested in heavenly things by Sergeant B—, and well remembers this first meeting, and its rather lugubrious surroundings. It was the first service of the kind that he had ever attended, and made an impression that many long years cannot obliterate. There was a reality in the sergeant’s prayers; a personal earnest pleading with his Heavenly Father that at the time we could not understand. He spoke “as a man talketh to his friend,” and the Lord Jesus was a living bright reality to him.
The writer has never met before or since any one so completely in touch with the intense personality of a living Saviour who loved him and gave Himself for him.
Before the ship was twelve months on the station, the members attending the Bible Classes greatly increased. Sankey’s hymns were often sung on Sunday evenings on the fok’sle. A week-day prayer meeting was started on Wednesday evenings, and one by one many were brought to the Lord. When lying in port, local services were attended, and quite a revival spread over the ship. Five officers and forty-five men joined the “Blue Lights,” as the Christian Association was called, and the little band were quite a power in the ship, and greatly told in influencing for the better the conduct of the ship’s company, as could be seen by the small “Punishment Return,” an important document annually sent in to the Admiralty.
There were some lapses, and it was not all plain sailing, but the power of a risen Saviour kept most of the little party faithful and firm, and many of them joining subsequently other ships became centers of Christian effort and were means of blessing in their new spheres.
Sergeant B —, having finished his service, took his pension, and shortly after got an appointment under the London City Mission. The writer of these lines has not heard of him for many years, but he has seen the results of his consecrated life. Many hundreds of naval officers and seamen have reason to thank God that the influence of one life, and that too in a humble position, has been the means of calling them out of darkness into His marvelous light.
B. ST G. D.