THE CHURCH MISSIONARY GLEANER. NEW YEAR'S THOUGHTS. We have reached the commencement of another year-a year which, like those gone by, will bring with it many changes. Childhood opens into youth; youth ripens into manhood; manhood declines into old age; and old age droops down into the grave. Man "never continueth in one stay." But amidst all this change and uncertainty, "the word of our God shall stand fast for ever." Blessed are they who have escaped from the wreck of nature, and gained the refuge which the word of God makes known to us; who have reached the Rock of ages, and, in Christ, stand on an immoveable foundation. Resting on that foundation, on Him in whom all the promises of God are Yea and Amen, they are safe. Let them be consciously so: then shall they be free to help others who are yet struggling with the waters. Amidst the fearful storms which have visited recently the shores of our island home, a vessel has been cast among the breakers. She has struck, and the waves are breaking over her. The imperilled position of the crew is seen from shore, and the lifeboat has put out to their assistance. After an arduous struggle the wreck is reached, and some of the shipwrecked men have been got off in safety. Of these there are two, who present a very different appearance. One is trustful and calm; the other fearful and full of anxiety. Yet are they both in the boat, and alike safe, although not alike comfortable. But this is not all; the calm and collected man is able to be of use, and, as the lifeboat nears some poor fellow, who, swept from off the wreck amongst the waves, is struggling for his life, he is able to lend a hand, and help to rescue him. But the other is taken up with himself. Both hands are engaged in clutching the gunwale of the boat, and, disabled by his fears, he can give no aid. What a wreck has taken place; what a universal wreck! the wreck of an entire race! What numbers are in danger, sinking amidst the waters. What help is needed! Let us see to it that we be in Christ; that we have entrusted ourselves to Him. Let that point first be settled. Then, dismissing distrust and fear, as unworthy of Him in whom we believe, and of the position which we occupy, let us put forth persevering efforts on behalf of the numbers who are still in the danger from which we have ourselves escaped.. 2 NEW YEAR'S THOUGHTS. It will be our object during the year to point out where help is needed, and where the efforts put forth have been crowned with success, and thus moving to sympathy the hearts of earnest Christians, induce more effort on behalf of those who are yet in their sins; for time is passing; souls are perishing. Our opportunity of doing good, theirs of receiving it, will soon have expired. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." Let us introduce an instance of ready, self-sacrificing help. Two lifeboats were for trial in the harbour of Valentia, on the southwest coast of Ireland. It is quite necessary that they who are employed in rescuing others should be well tried and tested themselves. Let not, then, ministers and earnest Christians be surprised, if they find themselves exposed to rough weather, and compelled to buffet with storms. At length a suitable day came. A very heavy gale set in from the W.N.W. A tremendous sea was running and breaking wildly over the headlands of Dingle Bay. "Within the harbour all was comparatively smooth, vessels riding easily at their anchors, but the gale was so strong that the boats made headway with great difficulty, the wind sometimes driving the oars out of the rowlocks up over the men's heads in spite of their utmost efforts to keep them down. Slow progress was thus made towards a passage leading out into a wild bay, called Lough Kay, which lies outside the harbour of Valentia to the north. Here the sea was running mountains high, and it became evident that no boat of any description could live long under it. The inspecting-officer of the coastguard, however, being still determined to try the boats even under these circumstances, made his final arrangements for a bold experiment. He directed one boat to lie in comparative shelter under Lamb Island (a small grassy island 78 feet high, over which the sea was making a full breach), so that she might watch the fate of her consort, and render assistance if possible. Then, with the other, manned by his own coastguard crew, he dashed out into the bay, watching each tremendous roller, and rounding the boat to meet it. About a quarter of an hour passed in this struggle, when a great tidal wave was observed by the spectators gathering itself about a mile to seaward. Distinguishable by lookers-on far inland, like a mighty Andes towering above the lesser mountains, this Atlantic giant swept in, extending right across the bay, and leaping far up the cliffs on either side. In the opinion of experienced seamen who observed it, this sea would have swept the decks of the Great Eastern like a raft. As it neared the devoted boat its appearance became more terrific. The water shoaled there from ten to seven fathoms, and, changing its shape with the conformation of the ground below, that which had been a rolling mountain rose into a rushing cliff of water. "Never were six men in more desperate circumstances; yet what men could do was done boldly and steadily. The rule laid down for meeting a desperate sea is to pull against it with the utmost speed; but for meeting such a sea as this no rule was ever made. Cheering his men forward, the steersman put his boat right at it, calculating nicely to meet NEW YEAR'S THOUGHTS. 3 the sea at a right angle. Steadily, as if spurting in a race, the men strained at their oars, and gliding, on even keel, like an arrow the boat entered the roaring avalanche, its crest towering 25 feet above her, and overhanging. "The inspecting-officer, who was steering, and the chief boatman, who was pulling stroke oar, were hurled headlong over the boat's stern by the falling sea. Had she not been of extraordinary strength, owing to her peculiar double-sided construction, she must have been shivered like a band-box. Crushing her bodily fathoms down, the sea bore her astern at lightning speed, tearing away her rudder-irons and steering crutch by the pressure. The steersman was caught head downwards as she passed, by some projecting hook or spur rowlock, and dragged thus for a few seconds; then found himself suddenly freed, and rising rapidly. On reaching the surface he met his chief boatman already afloat, but looking very much confused. The latter afterwards described himself as having been conscious of receiving some tremendous impetus, which caused him, as he imagined, to turn a series of somersaults under water. Though cased in heavy waterproof boots, thick pea-jackets, and oil-cloth overcoats, the lifebelts supported them with perfect ease. "The sea which had hurled them out of the boat had beaten the rest of the crew down as they bent over their oars in a stooping posture, each man on the thwart before him. The bowman alone was stunned. The remaining three retained perfect consciousness: they had their eyes open, but all around was total darkness. They describe their sensation as like that of being whirled in an express train through a railway tunnel, but whether they were in the boat or in the sea they could not distinguish at the time. At length a faint dawn of light reached their eyes, increasing rapidly, and they were conscious of rising through the green water; and at last they emerged through the broken foam, sitting each man in his place. "The first object that met their eyes as the boat rose to the surface was the buoy of the Kay Rock close alongside of them. This buoy is by measurement over 400 yards from the place where the sea had struck their boat. She had been shot about a quarter of a mile under water, and had risen in the exact position in which she had entered the sea, at right angles to it. The oars had all been lost but one, and with this the men managed to keep her head to the seas, though she was drifting fast upon the rocks astern. "Now, then, the time had come when the fidelity of the consort boat was to be tested. Her crew had watched the whole occurrence; but so appalled were these hardy fishermen by the appearance of the sea, and by the sight they had witnessed, that they refused at first to pull out to the rescue in the face of what appeared to be certain death. The brave man who commanded her, however, Edward O'Neill, was determined to save his comrades, or share their fate. By dint of entreaty and command he got them to pull out into the bay. Skilfully watching his time, sometimes putting his boat away before the roaring breakers, sometimes riving her over them, shipping seas forward and on both sides, he succeeded in picking up the officer and chief boatman, after they had been near half an hour in the water. They then pulled away for the other boat, and reached her as she was fast drifting on the rocky shore, over which the sea was breaking furiously. A very few minutes later and boat and men would have been pounded to fragments on the sharp ledges that were rising black at intervals through the foaming water. They supplied the drifting boat with the oars which they had picked up from the water, and both crews worked their way back into harbour, without loss of life, or even the slightest injury. Here is a noble example of the way in which man should haste to the rescue of his fellow-man. Is a brother Christian in danger? Can we help him? Then let us do so. Does it involve cost and suffering on our part? Let not that prevent us. Is he an unbeliever? Then is he in the greatest of all dangers-in danger of an eternal shipwreck. Let us put forth efforts to save him. Let some give themselves up to the work of an evangelist, and, while they go forth to distant lands, let others at home back them up by prayer and effort. Shall all shrink back, deterred by the dangers, and difficulties, and sacrifices? What should we have said, if the crew of the consort boat had yielded to their fears, and left their comrades to perish in the waters? Nay, what likeness shall we then bear to Him, who gave Himself a ransom for all? HOME GLEANINGS. OUR occupation is an humble one: it is that of a gleaner. We do not touch the sheaves. These rich spoils we leave for others; but we go after the reapers among the sheaves, and gather what is left, a stray ear here and there. But we have many fields into which, as Ruth had leave of Boaz, we are privileged to enter. The Missions of the Church Missionary Society are all open to us, and, to some extent, the fields of other Missionary Societies also. If we came to appropriate sheaves, our right might be disputed; but no one minds the little gleaner, and this little Ruth may go where she will, and gather up the fragments. There is, as might be expected, a great variety in these gleanings. They are gathered from the action of Missionary work amidst various portions of our race: they are, indeed, as varied as the products of the countries where our Missionaries labour. Sometimes we turn our steps into the fields of West Africa, where the harvests are plenteous; sometimes to the beginnings of work in China, like the gardens terraced up on the hill-sides, where every spot of ground under culture is precious; sometimes to the cold regions of NorthWest America, where fruits are to be found precisely where we should least expect them, and look the more beautiful in contrast with the wilds around. But altogether, as with other gleaners, we find that a little here and a little there, when brought together, make up much; and that these fruits of our gathering are often the more interesting, because they are of various hues and forms. We cannot, indeed, like the "Church Missionary Record," present one large sheaf, all of one kind, as when it is filled with the details of the Sierra-Leone Mission. Our few pages are more like a flower-vase, in which are placed gatherings pro cured where we can; and at times, it must be confessed, we are somewhat in the position of one who would gather a bouquet when the garden has already felt the pinch of early winter. We have, however, our summer-seasons also, when there is abundance. There is one field, however, which hitherto has yielded us little; and yet it might contribute pleasingly and abundantly to diversify our pages -the home-field. There is much which might be gleaned from the history and working of our Associations at home; instances of zeal and love, like the first spring-flowers when they appear amidst the snow, breaking forth amidst narrow and disadvantageous circumstances. We might receive pleasing records of what is being done by village associations, by village collectors; instances of devotedness to the Lord; work on the part of those who are in the humbler paths of life, of whom few know any thing, but whom the Lord knows, and who bloom in secret to Him, and for Him reserve their fragrance. Is there no one who will help us in this matter, and send us gleanings from the home-field? They would blend so beautifully with those which have been gathered in foreign fields. We ask for Home Gleanings. HYMN. [The following lines were written by a clergyman who has now entered into his rest, as a kind of pendant, so to speak, to Sir Robert Grant's wellknown hymn, When gathering clouds around I view.] WHEN cloudless skies around I view, And all shines bright in summer's hue, So shall his love extract the guile, From mirthful word and careless smile. If tempted, Dives like, to rest When love its deepest joys has given, So may each joy Thou giv'st impart B 3 |