It was a good situation for that church.
Homeward-bound sailors caught sight of the tower of St Nicholas, the first land object of all.

They who went forth upon the great deep might carry solemn thoughts with them of the words they had heard there; not conscious thoughts, perhaps--rather a distinct if dim conviction that buying and selling, eating and marrying, even life and death, were not all the realities in existence.

Nor were the words that came up to their remembrance words of sermons preached there, however impressive.

The sailors mostly slept through the sermons; unless, indeed, there were incidents such as were involved in what were called 'funeral discourses' to be narrated.

They did not recognize their daily faults or temptations under the grand aliases befitting their appearance from a preacher's mouth.