Or, a Brief Sketch of the History of Sailor Sam.
A FEW years since at a village in Somersetshire, there lived a man and his wife, named Miller; they had a family of children, one of whom, their son Samuel, at the age of ten years, ran away, and his parents knew not what had become of him. They mourned his loss more sadly than if he had died under their roof. But he went to sea, and after an absence of twenty years spent in the East India and China trade, he returned, a fine, stalwart man, what his companions would call “a jolly sailor.”
On landing, he went to his native place to look for his parents, but they had removed to Langport; thither he went in search of them, and was told that the man he inquired for worked for a Mr. Stuckey. When he got to the place of business, he saw an elderly man sweeping the pavement, and said to him, “Does Mr. Stuckey live here?” “Yes,” was the reply; “Do you want to see him?” “No; but I suppose that I want to have a word with a man that works for him,” said the sailor.
Twenty years had so changed both, that there was no recognition on either side. The old man then asked the younger―
“What is the man’s name whom you want?”
“James Miller,” said the sailor.
“That’s my name,” replied the other.
“Well, if you are the man I’m looking for, I’m your Sam,” said the heavy broad sailor.
“No! you’re not my son,” said the father.
“But I am your son,” persisted the sailor.
“Well, if you are, your mother will know you―come along with me.”
They went together to the old man’s home, and the father sent one of his children into the garden to his wife, with a message that Samuel was come home. She immediately came in, and looked steadfastly at the stranger for some time in silence―at length she said, with a significant shake of the head, “That is not our Samuel” and flaunted out of the room. Presently she returned, and said, “Our Samuel had a piece of wood grown into his arm.” The sailor instantly jumped up, drew off his jacket, bared his arm, and said, “There! will that do?” and sure enough the splinter was there, and as easily slipped about as on the day he left home.
“Yes! oh, yes! it is our Samuel; the lost one is found!” the mother exclaimed; and they fell on his neck and kissed him; rejoicing like the father over the prodigal son.
The splinter in his arm was the result of an accident. James was making a fagot-rick, and to please his son, who was just able to run about, he put him on the rick, and thoughtlessly threw the fagots at him. After some time of enjoyment, the little fellow began to cry, and the father reproaching himself for his folly, took him down, soon succeeded in soothing him, and so the matter passed away. Some time after, the child said, “Father the piece of wood is still in my arm,” which on examination proved true, and the skin so completely grown over it, that the wood could easily be slipped about. The parents were concerned, and time after time was proposed for taking him to a surgeon to have it cut out, but the time never arrived, as the Lord in His wondrous love had ordered it, so that at length it became the mark of identity.
The parents, however, soon discovered that their long lost son had returned to them, not only lost to all sense of his soul’s eternal interest, but even to any care for the morality common among men. Deeply grieved and yearning over him with a parents’ love, they sought by words of tender remonstrance and entreaty to win him to some consideration of these things, but all in vain; and his parents’ society soon became uncongenial and irksome to the sailor. Two of his brothers had heard of his return, and came from a short distance to spend the day with him, and, as they said, “to have a jolly spree.”
It was so ordered in the providence of God, that the gospel of His grace should be preached that night in that place by a stranger; the father having heard of it, entreated his son to accompany him to the preaching, but he declined, preferring the company of his brothers, who like himself were “without God and without hope in the world,” and “cared for none of these things.” So the three brothers started for the tavern to seek congenial company. Finding him immoveable, the father said to his son, “Well, Samuel, if you will not go with me, I will go with you!” and there in that evil place sat the swearing, drinking sons, and the praying father.
After a short time, one of the brothers said, “Come, Sam, let us go to another place.” They went a little way, the father following with a yearning heart. Presently Samuel said to his brothers, “Let’s go back, there’s no fun in having father about after our heels,” and back they went to the father’s house. When there, in reply to further entreaty, Sam said, “Well, I suppose there’ll be nothing but sulks in the house, now I’m come home if I don’t go to hear the preaching to night, so I’ll go.”
The preacher not knowing of his presence had read the fifteenth chapter of Luke, and chosen for his subject the lost son, or the father’s love to the prodigal. During the evening his attention was arrested, for God had evidently spoken to him in the secret of his heart, convincing him of his state as a “sinner!” and his guilty soul trembled at the thought of God’s judgments for sin. He returned to his father’s house in this agitated and alarmed state, and someone asked the preacher to call and see him, which he did, and found a fine looking man seated and evidently under much emotion, his chest moving heavily.
“I daresay it’s all true enough what you say,” he replied, “but Christ will have nothing to do with me; I’m too bad a fellow for Him.” The preacher added, “Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to seek and to save that which was lost, even ‘the chief of sinners.’ He died for sinners. Such was His grace, that in order to save them from the curse of the law which they had broken, He bore the curse in His own blessed person. God will now receive you, if you accept Jesus, and trust in Him as your Saviour.”
“Yes, but you don’t know,” said he, “how bad a fellow I am. For twenty years I have not entered a church, or read a word of the Bible, or any good book; and in the worst crew of wicked sailors that I ever shipped with, I was so much worse than the rest that they named me ‘the ship’s devil.’ Why, sir, in the midst of a storm, when every plank seemed to tremble as the thunder broke and the lightning played around us, I have stood on the deck and madly cursed Him who sent the storm. No, no! He’ll not save me.”
The preacher only added, “Jesus came to save real sinners, even the chief; His blood can wash the foulest clean;” and then said good night. He did not tell him to pray for mercy, but rather to believe in a mercy already provided in the Lord Jesus Christ. The fountain was there, and he was to be shown its waters rather than be told to ask.
The next evening there was preaching again, and he was present, and heard the same gospel as the night before, of present, perfect, and eternal salvation, through simply trusting in the person and precious blood of Christ. The following morning while the preacher was at breakfast with his host, just before leaving the town, the door-bell rang, and the servant, who was a believer, came in and said, ―
“Samuel Miller is at the door, sir; and he told me to say, that he loves the preacher better than the preacher loves him.” The message was easily interpreted, and he was shown in. “Oh, my dear sir!” said he, “I’m not the sailor you saw on Tuesday night, I’m another man―a new man. I heard the good news again last night, and my heart was opened to receive it, but the peace and joy didn’t come just then. After we went home, one deeply interested for me, said, ‘Let us pray together;’ and so he prayed, and then I prayed; and as we rose from our knees, I found myself filled with peace and joy. And when I went to bed―no! bed indeed! ―I didn’t go to bed—who’d think of going to bed on such a night as this? But I went up to my room, and there I rejoiced and gave thanks to the Lord for my salvation. But all at once I thought― ‘Ah! but is it possible―all those dreadful sins of so many years gone―and in a moment?’ And I turned round and said, Ah, Satan, that’s you is it? Come, come, you’ve had your way long enough. Yes! they are all forgiven; for ‘the blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son cleanseth from all sin.’ So the old enemy had heard enough, and he fled. My dear sir, I feel as light as a cork; why I could clear that table at a spring with only one hand upon it. Why, there are two of us here now! striking himself on the breast― “Yes, two of us, one holding with the Lord, and the other still holding with the devil. Even this morning, that one that holds with the devil said, ‘Come, Sam, let’s put on our hat, and take a stroll;’ but the other said, directly, ‘No, no, Samuel, we’ll go and see the servant of Christ, and tell him what the Lord has done for us.’ So here I came. Oh! how I should like to be able to go and tell my old shipmates that Christ has sought me and found me; and tell them about Him. But there! I suppose I must stay, and have my own faith and hope strengthened, and know more about the Lord, before I try my hand at that; but I can pray for them.”
It was then said to him, “Samuel, you are indeed saved by grace; and now the grace of God, that bringeth salvation, teacheth us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and―” “Oh, yes!” interrupted he, “Why the grace of God has been talking to me all this morning about that, just like a father would talk to his child. It said to me, ‘Samuel, my boy, we have no more now to do with the old ways. It is our business now to please Christ and to follow Him.’”
That night the profligate sailor, “the ship’s devil,” was enabled to believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God; and in believing he received the knowledge of salvation full and free. He was translated out of the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. Oh! glorious translation―wondrous change! A brand plucked out of the fire.”
After four days the gospel was again preached by the same individual at a neighboring village, about four miles distant, and Samuel was present, and he did indeed look like another man, not at all like the rough Sailor seen but a few days before. Some Christians gathered around him after the preaching, and asked him some questions, and he, in his quaint way, said, “I don’t know, I am sure; for I’m only four days old.”
Speaking after the manner of men he was now about 30 years of age, but he was reckoning from his second birth, which had only just transpired. From this time he lived in the power of the new life begotten in him; following faithfully the Lord who had redeemed him at such a cost.
The Christian servant who came to the door and conveyed the message to the preacher, as before stated, at length became his wife. After their marriage they resided at Bridgewater, he still pursuing a seafaring life. From being a common sailor he rose to be mate of a schooner in the coasting trade. One day the weather being calm and all right on deck, he and the captain were both below, he said to him, “Captain, shall we read a chapter, and have a little prayer?” “With all my heart, mate,” was the reply. So they read and prayed; and as they were seated Samuel looked across the table and said, “Captain, are you a son?” “Ah,” said he, as to that, I can’t say that I am a son.” “Then you are an enemy,” said Samuel. “No, mate,” said he, “I know that I am no longer an enemy.” “Then you’re a son,” was the reply. The captain soon learned that he was a son, and he and the mate often spent happy seasons together in speaking of the grace of the Lord Jesus and His precious blood, by which they were both saved.
As that in which he was employed was a coasting trade he was frequently in port, and had opportunities of spending some happy seasons by his own fireside, and in the midst of his family. He had two sons and two daughters, and was also kind to his aged parents, who were now greatly comforted by him, though at one time he had caused them so much sorrow and anguish. Instead of mate at length he became captain, and was commanding a vessel in which he was part owner, or had some share in it. On the 28th of December, 1859, while crossing from Newport, in Monmouthshire, to Pembroke, he encountered a heavy storm, was driven on the West Helwick Sands, near Port Madoc, and all hands on board were lost, in sight of a vessel called “Affiance,” belonging to Port Madoc. Thus ended the short but bright career of one who knew in his own case that where sin abounded grace did much more abound. His last passage for him was the best and quickest he had ever made, it was from earth to heaven-absent from the body, present with the Lord. He left a widow and four children, all of whom have been graciously cared for. On the 21St of January, 1867, it pleased the Lord to take to Himself the mother also, leaving the orphans here still, that they too may taste and see that the Lord is good.
Captain Samuel Miller was born on the 28th of January, 1824, at Capland, in the parish of Broadway, near Ilminster. The first 30 years of his life were spent in the service of Satan, and had he been cut off in the midst of his sin during that period, he would have been eternally lost; but God, in His infinite goodness and mercy, plucked him as a brand from the burning, and the residue of his life, about six years, was spent in His fear, until he entered into the rest that remaineth for the people of God at the close of the year 1859.
Reader, are you saved or unsaved? If still unsaved turn this very day to Jesus. Cast yourself into the arms of that loving Saviour. He will receive you, forgive you, bless you, and make you eternally happy. Don’t trifle with conviction. Be in earnest. If you despise this message of mercy, you know not but that you may be in hell before another sun goes down. God grant that this may not be your awful doom I Come, for all things are ready, and whosoever will may come. Jesus has purchased a full and eternal salvation for every one who will receive it. “Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2).) He is waiting that He may be gracious, and He declares, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37).)