235 lines
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235 lines
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<title>Blue Letter Bible: Text Commentaries</title>
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<h4 style="text-align: center">
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The Infidel's Sermon to the Pirates.<br>
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EDITED BY THE REV. C. H. SPURGEON.
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</h4>
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<p>
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Printed and Sold by the Publishers, ALABASTER & PASSMORE,
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No. 34, Wilson Street, Finsbury Square; to be had also of J.
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Paul, Chapter-house Court, Paternoster Row; G. J. Stevenson,
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54, Paternoster Row; and of all Booksellers.<br>
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</p>
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<h2>
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The Infidel's Sermon to the Pirates
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</h2>
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<p class="indent">
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A native of Sweden who had imbibed infidel views, had occasion
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to go from one port to another in the Baltic Sea. When he came
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to the place whence he expected to sail, the vessel was gone.
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On inquiring, he found a fishing boat going the same way, in
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which he embarked. After being for some time out to sea, the
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men observing that he had several trunks and chests on board,
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concluded he must be very rich, and therefore agreed among
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themselves to throw him overboard. This he heard them express,
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which gave him great uneasiness. However, he took occasion to
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open one of his trunks, which contained some books. Observing
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this, they remarked among themselves that it was not worth
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while to throw him into the sea, as they did not want any
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books, which they supposed were all the trunks contained. They
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asked him if he were a priest. Hardly knowing what reply to
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make them, he told them he was; and at this they seemed much
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pleased, and said they would have a sermon on the next day, as
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it was the Sabbath. This increased the anxiety and distress of
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his mind, for he knew himself to be as incapable of such an
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undertaking as it was possible for any one to be, as he knew
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very little of the Scriptures; neither did he believe in the
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inspiration of the Bible.
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</p>
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<p class="indent">
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At great length they came to a small rocky island, perhaps a
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quarter of a mile in circumference, where was a company of
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pirates, who had chosen this little sequestered spot to deposit
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their treasures. He was taken to a cave, and introduced to an
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old woman, to whom they remarked that they were to have a
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sermon preached the next day. She said she was very glad of it,
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for she had not heard the Word of God for a great while. His
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was a trying case, for preach he must; still he knew nothing
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about preaching. If he refused, or undertook to preach and did
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not please, he expected it would be his death. With these
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thoughts he passed a sleepless night; and in the morning his
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mind was not settled upon anything. To call upon God, whom he
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believed to be inaccessible, was altogether vain. He could
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devise no way whereby he might be saved. He walked to and fro,
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still shut up in darkness striving to collect something to say
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to them, but could not think of even a single sentence.
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</p>
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<p class="indent">
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When the appointed time for the service arrived, he entered the
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cave, where he found the men assembled. There was a seat
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prepared for him, and a table with a Bible on it. They sat for
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the space of half an hour in profound silence; and even then
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the anguish of his soul was as great as human nature was
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capable of enduring. At length these words came to his mind:
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"Verily, there is a reward for the righteous: verily, there is
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a God that judgeth in the earth." He arose and delivered them;
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then others words presented themselves, and so on, till his
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understanding became opened, and his heart enlarged in a manner
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astonishing to himself. He spoke upon subject suited to their
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condition; the reward of the righteous, the judgments of the
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wicked, the necessity of repentance, and the importance of a
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change of life. The matchless love of God to the children of
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men had such a powerful effect upon the minds of these wretched
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beings, that they were melted into tears. Nor was he less
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astonished at the unbounded goodness of Almighty God, in thus
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interposing to save his spiritual as well as his natural life;
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and well might he exclaim, "This is the Lord's doing and
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marvellous in our eyes." Under a deep sense of God's goodness,
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his heart became filled with thankfulness, which it was out of
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his power to express. What a marvellous change was thus
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suddenly brought about by Divine interposition! He who a little
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while before disbelieved in communion with God and the soul,
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became as humble as a little child; and they who were so lately
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meditating on his death, now were filled with love and goodwill
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towards each other, particularly towards him; manifesting
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affectionate kindness, and willing to render him all the
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assistance in their power.
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</p>
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<p class="indent">
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The next morning they fitted out one of their vessels, and
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conveyed him whither he desired. From that time he became a
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changed man; from being a slave to the influence of infidelity,
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he was brought to be a sincere believer in the power and
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efficacy of the truth as it is in Jesus.
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</p>
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<p class="indent">
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[How marvellous the providence of God, and the sovereignty of
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his grace! Who is he that has stepped beyond the range of
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Almighty love? or has sinned too much to be forgiven? Reader!
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are you an infidel? What would you do in a similar situation?
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What other doctrine than that of Scripture would benefit
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pirates? Certainly not your own. What would you like to teach
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your own children? Certainly not your own sentiments. You feel
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that you would not wish to hear your own offspring blaspheming
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God. Moreover, forgive us, if we declare our opinion that thou
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knowest that there is a God, though with thy lips thou deniest
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him. Think, we beseech thee, of thy Maker, and of his Son, the
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Saviour; and may Eternal love bring even thee to the
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Redeemer.<2E>C. H. S.]
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</p>
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<h2>
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No. 3<>The Actress.
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</h2>
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<p class="indent">
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An actress in one of the English provincial or country
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theatres, was, one day, passing through the streets of the town
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in which she then resided, when her attention was attracted by
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the sound of voices, which she heard in a poor cottage before
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her. Curiosity prompted her to look in at an open door, when
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she saw a few poor people sitting together, one of whom, at the
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moment of her observation, was giving out the following hymn,
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which the others joined in singing:<3A>
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</p>
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<p style="text-align: center">
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"Depth of mercy! can there be<br>
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Mercy still reserved for me?"
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</p>
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<p>
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The tune was sweet and simple, but she heeded it not. The words
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had riveted her attention, and she stood motionless, until she
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was invited to enter by the woman of the house, who had
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observed her standing at the door. She complied, and remained
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during a prayer which was offered up by one of the little
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company; and uncouth as the expressions might seem in her ears,
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they carried with them a conviction of sincerity on the part of
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the person then employed. She quitted the cottage, but the
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words of the hymn followed her; she could not banish them from
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her mind, and at last she resolved to procure the book which
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contained the hymn. The more she read it, the more decided her
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serious impressions became. She attended the ministry of the
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Gospel, read her hitherto neglected and despised Bible, and
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bowed herself in humility and contrition of heart before him
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whose mercy she felt she needed, whose sacrifices are those of
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a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and who has declared that
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therewith he is well pleased.
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</p>
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<p class="indent">
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Her profession she determined at once, and for ever, to
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renounce; and for some little time excused herself from
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appearing on the stage, without, however, disclosing her change
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of sentiments, or making known her resolution finally to leave
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it.
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</p>
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<p class="indent">
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The manager of the theatre called upon her one morning, and
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requested her to sustain the principal character in a new play
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which was to be performed the next week for his benefit. She
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had frequently performed this character to general admiration;
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but she now, however, told him her resolution never to appear
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as an actress again, at the same time giving her reasons. At
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first he attempted to overcome her scruples by ridicule, but
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this was unavailing; he then represented the loss he should
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incur by her refusal, and concluded his arguments by promising,
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that if to oblige him she would act on this occasion, it should
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be the last request of the kind he would ever make. Unable to
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resist his solicitations, she promised to appear, and on the
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appointed evening went to the theatre. The character she
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assumed required her, on her first entrance, to sing a song;
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and when the curtain was drawn up, the orchestra immediately
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began the accompaniment; but she stood as if lost in thought
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and as one forgetting all around her, and her own situation.
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The music ceased, but she did not sing; and supposing her to be
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overcome by embarrassment, the band again commenced. A second
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time they paused for her to begin, and still she did not open
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her lips. A third time the air was played, and then, with
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clasped hands, and eyes suffused with tears, she sang, not the
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words of the song, but<75>
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</p>
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<p style="text-align: center">
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"Depth of mercy! can there be<br>
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Mercy still reserved for me!"
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</p>
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<p>
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It is almost needless to add, that the performance was suddenly
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ended; many ridiculed, though, some were induced from that
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memorable night to "consider their ways," and to reflect on the
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wonderful power of that religion which could so influence the
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heart and change the life of one hitherto so vain, and so
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evidently pursuing the road which leadeth to destruction.
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</p>
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<p class="indent">
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It would be satisfactory to the reader to know, that the change
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in Miss _________ was as permanent as it was singular; she
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walked consistently with her profession of religion for many
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years, and at length became the wife of a minister of the
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Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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</p>
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<p class="indent">
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[Perhaps, dear reader, you are a great transgressor, then you
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fear there is no forgiveness for you; let this remove your
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fears. You may be the vilest creature out of hell, and yet
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grace can make you as pure as the angels in heaven. God would
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be just should he damn you, but he can be just and yet save
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you. Do you feel that the Lord has a right over you to do as he
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pleases? Do you feel that you have no claim upon him? Then,
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rejoice, for Jesus Christ has borne <i>your</i> guilt, and
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carried <i>your</i> sorrows, and you shall assuredly be saved.
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You are a <i>sinner</i> in the true sense of that word, then
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remember Jesus came to save sinners, and you among the rest, if
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you know yourself to be a sinner.<2E>C. H. S.]
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</p>
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<p style="text-align: center">
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"Lo, th' incarnate God ascended,<br>
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Pleads the merit of his blood:<br>
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Venture on him, venture wholly,<br>
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Let no other trust intrude;<br>
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None but Jesus<br>
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Can do helpless sinners good."
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</p>
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