THE PROBLEM OF SIN AND THE RACE 20$ 



of Mexico. (Lord, lay not that sin to his charge 

 alone.) But a strange thing followed. 



"Being in command of men of a sort that re- 

 quired to be kept at the austerest distance, he 

 now found himself separated from the human 

 world, and thrown into solemn companionship 

 with the sea, with the air, with the storm, with 

 the calm, the heavens by day, the heavens by 

 night. My friends, that was the first time in his 

 life he ever found himself in really good company. 

 . , . That man, looking out night after night upon 

 the grand and holy spectacle of the starry deep 

 above and the watery deep below, was sure to find 

 himself sooner or later mastered by the convic- 

 tion that the great Author of this majestic crea- 

 tion keeps account of it ; and one night there 

 came to him, like a spirit walking on the sea, the 

 awful silent question : My account with God, how 

 does it stand .-• Ah, friends, this is a question 

 which the book of nature does not answer. Did 

 I say the book of nature is a catechism ? Yes. 

 But after it answers the first question with God, 

 nothing but questions follow. And so one day 

 this man gave a ship full of merchandise for one 

 little book which answered these questions. God 

 help him to understand it ! And God help you. 

 Monsieur, and you, Madame, sitting here in your 



