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Prepare the Sails

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 12, 1914

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 91, No. 11.

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Prepare the Sails

HUDSON TAYLOR was a man of great faith in God, as well as a great missionary. When he first went to China, it was in a sailing vessel. Very close to the shores of a cannibal island the ship was becalmed, and it was slowly drifting shoreward, unable to go about, and the savages were eagerly anticipating a feast. The captain came to Mr. Taylor and besought him to pray to God for help.
“I will,” said Taylor, “provided you set your sails to catch the breeze.”
The captain declined to make himself a laughingstock by unfurling sails in a dead calm.
Taylor said, “I will not undertake to pray for the vessel unless you will prepare the sails.”
And it was done. While Taylor was engaged in prayer, there was a knock at his stateroom door. “Who is there?”
The captain's voice responded, “Are you still praying for wind?”
“Yes.”
“Well,” said the captain, “you'd better stop praying, for we have more wind than we can well manage.”
And, sure enough, when but a hundred yards from shore, a strong wind had struck the sails of the boat so that the cannibals were cheated out of their human prey.—Selected.