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 shore of a cannibal island the ship was becalmed, and it was slowly drifting shoreward, unable to go about, and the inhabitants of the island were eagerly anticipating a feast. The captain came to Mr. Taylor and besought him to pray for the help of God.

“I will,” said Taylor, “provided you set your sail to catch the breeze.”

The captain declined to make himself a laughing stock 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. The missionary retired to his stateroom to pray. While engaged in prayer, there was a knock at his 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 struck the sails of the boat, so that the inhabitants of the island were cheated out of their human prey.

Source: Signs of the Times, Copyright (c) September 19, 1900, Pacific Press. With permission from Dale Galusha dalgal@pacificpress.com