time of danger,
gives a sense of security to all the passengers. If it were not there
you would constantly fear, lest the storms or fog might come when your
ship was near land or dangerous rocks or shoals, and then your ship
might be lost with its many hundreds of lives on board, simply because
it had no anchor.

Every man and woman, and every boy and girl, needs to have hope as an
anchor to his soul. We should have faith in God, and then at times when
all is well, when we are prosperous and blest, and everything goes along
like the ship in pleasant weather, we will constantly have peace and
rest in our minds and hearts, because we know that our hope is staid on
God, and that though the world be removed, yet God will not disappoint
us.

Some people seem to think that religion is a good thing to have when
they get sick, or when adversity or sorrow or great affliction comes.
But the fact is that religion is a necessary thing at all times. We need
it when we are well and strong, as well as when we are sick and weak. We
need religion in this world to live by, as well as to die by, as well as
for our salvation in the world to come.

The anchor is very serviceable indeed in time of storm. Often it has to
be used in order to secure the ship and save the lives of all who are on
board. If it were not for the anchor the ship might be thrust upon the
rocks, or it might be dashed to pieces by the waves that break upon the
coast. The anchor is oftentimes very serviceable. So it is with the
religion of the Lord Jesus Christ. When trials and perplexities and
adversities come, as they do in every life, then it is that this anchor
is a source of very great blessing, because it saves from shipwreck,
occasioned by unbelief and the perplexities into which those are cast
who have no hope, or trust in God.

[Illustration: Anchor Laying Hold of the Rocks.]

To be serviceable the anchor must take hold of something. If it simply
drags along it will not hold the ship; but the ship may go to pieces on
the rocks, even though it has an anchor, which has already been cast
over. Now in time of sorrow and perplexity or distress every one throws
out an anchor. That is, he tries to take hold of something which will
sustain him and keep him, just the same as a boy who falls into the
water would grab after a board. They say that a drowning man will even
grasp after a straw in order to help to support his body, so that he may
save his life. So every