It was a pleasure to board HMS Warrior down in Portsmouth last month. She is a preserved, 40-gun steam-powered armoured frigate, and was built for the Royal Navy in 1859–1861. Then, Great Britain was conducting an arms race with the French, and Warrior was Briannia’s signal to Emperor Louis-Napoléon that it was she who ruled the waves.
I own a dozen square-cut, Vietnamese rubies. Sadly, they are tiny, barely a millimetre in size, and their value is commensurately small; had they been combined into one, they might have been worth admiring. Proverbs 20:15 states:
I boarded HMS Victory last month, which is officially the world's oldest naval vessel still in commission, with 248 years of service as of 2026. She was gainfully employed in thrashing Bonaparte at Trafalgar in 1805 under the command of Admiral Lord Nelson.
This Hesperis was growing in our chapel border. The word means ‘of the evening’ and likely refers to the strong fragrance of the flowers as the day draws to a close.
Western culture idolises youth, but our latter days are often better than the former, for then we have wisdom and greater opportunity to serve the Lord and to bless His people.
01282 540 562
pastor @ martintop. org .uk
Salem Chapel, Martin Top
near Rimington, Clitheroe, Lancashire BB7 4EG
Salem Congregational Chapel is a registered charity No. 252401 (England & Wales)
Sunday Worship 10.45am & 6.00pm