He Will Also Have Regular Religious Services; And,
In Fact, By The Power Of His Example, And, Where It Can Judiciously
Be Done, By The Exercise Of His Authority, Will Give A Character
To The Ship And All On Board.
In foreign ports, a ship is known
by her captain; for, there being no general rules in the merchant
service, each master may adopt a plan of his own.
It is to be
remembered, too, that there are, in most ships, boys of a tender
age, whose characters for life are forming, as well as old men,
whose lives must be drawing toward a close. The greater part of
sailors die at sea; and when they find their end approaching,
if it does not, as is often the case, come without warning,
they cannot, as on shore, send for a clergyman, or some religious
friend, to speak to them of that hope in a Saviour, which they
have neglected, if not despised, through life; but if the little
hull does not contain such an one within its compass, they must
be left without human aid in their great extremity. When such
commanders and such ships, as I have just described, shall become
more numerous, the hope of the friends of seamen will be greatly
strengthened; and it is encouraging to remember that the efforts
among common sailors will soon raise up such a class; for those of
them who are brought under these influences will inevitably be the
ones to succeed to the places of trust and authority. If there is
on earth an instance where a little leaven may leaven the whole
lump, it is that of the religious shipmaster.
It is to the progress of this work among seamen that we must look
with the greatest confidence for the remedying of those numerous
minor evils and abuses that we so often hear of. It will raise
the character of sailors, both as individuals and as a class.
It will give weight to their testimony in courts of justice,
secure better usage to them on board ship, and add comforts to
their lives on shore and at sea. There are some laws that can
be passed to remove temptation from their way and to help them
in their progress; and some changes in the jurisdiction of the
lower courts, to prevent delays, may, and probably will, be made.
But, generally speaking, more especially in things which concern
the discipline of ships, we had better labor in this great work,
and view with caution the proposal of new laws and arbitrary
regulations, remembering that most of those concerned in the
making of them must necessarily be little qualified to judge
of their operation.
Without any formal dedication of my narrative to that body of men,
of whose common life it is intended to be a picture, I have yet
borne them constantly in mind during its preparation. I cannot
but trust that those of them, into whose hands it may chance to
fall, will find in it that which shall render any professions of
sympathy and good wishes on my part unnecessary.
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