THIS Book of Prayers is a token of the interest which the Church of Scotland takes in the seafaring community. Remembering that some of the dearest friends of our Lord Jesus Christ when He was upon the earth were fishermen, and knowing the Christian worth of many of our toilers on the sea, and the hardships and perils of their lot in life; and believing that the spirit of devotion to God which is manifested in worship and in prayer is of great importance to all men, and specially to those whose calling is arduous, perilous, and full of temptation, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has directed its Committee on Aids to Devotion to issue this Prayer-book for Sailors and Fisher-folk.
Rev. Dr. John Gibson Paton (24 May 1824 - 28 January 1907), born in Scotland, was a Protestant missionary to the New Hebrides Islands of the South Pacific. Paton undertook a tremendous work which would yield little fruit for decades, convinced of the absolute sovereignty of God to build his church. Constantly under threat of death, Paton preached faithfully to the islands of the New Hebrides, raising a family there. As well as his missionary journeys, Paton raised great support for world missions at home in Scotland and inspired hundreds of missionaries to also take up the Great Commission and make disciples of all nations.
