Scripture Verse

Introduction

Anecdote

A Chris­tian cap­tain, who had a Chris­tian crew, was caught near a roc­ky shore in a driv­ing storm. They were be­ing driv­en rap­id­ly to­ward the rocks when he or­dered them to cast an­chor.

They did so, but it broke, He or­dered them to cast the se­cond. They did so, but it dragged. He then or­dered them to cast the third and last.

They cast it while the cap­tain went down to his room to pray. He fell on his knees and said, O Lord, this ves­sel is thine, these no­ble men on deck are thine. If it be more for thy glo­ry that our ves­sel be wrecked on the rocks and we go down in the sea, thy will be done. But if it be more for thy glo­ry that we live to work for thee, then hold the an­chor. Calm­ly he rose to re­turn to deck, and as he went, he heard a cho­rus of voic­es sing­ing:—

Lord, I am thine!

It seemed like an an­gel song. Reach­ing the deck, he found his brave men stand­ing with their hands on the ca­ble, that they might feel the first giv­ing of the an­chor, on which hung their lives, and look­ing calm­ly on the rag­ing of the el­e­ments, as they sung with spir­it and with the un­der­stand­ing al­so:—

Lord, I am thine!

The an­chor held till the storm was past, and they an­chored safe with­in the bay.

Long, p. 123