ONE Sunday afternoon I asked my friend, a godly fisherman, to tell my boys, after their Bible class, his wonderful escape from drowning, which happened on a dark January night when at sea in his fishing smack.
The boys were all attention as the good Christian sailor told them what he had felt when sudden death came so near to him in a moment.
“Boys,” he said, “when I found myself all in a moment fifteen feet under the water, I felt as comfortable in my mind as I do now while sitting talking to you. I knew it was all right with my soul, for had I sunk to the bottom, the next moment I should have been with my Saviour. Let me advise you, my boys, to seek the Lord now, and then if death should overtake you at any moment, you will have nothing to fear. A minute before our boat went down, I had no more thought of death being near than you may have this afternoon. My mate and I were out for the night fishing. It was a very dark night in January, 1883, but there was not any danger, though the sea was rough. Having taken a boat-load of sprats, we were returning to Margate heavily laden. It was about four o’clock in the morning, and very dark. When rounding the North Foreland we encountered some very heavy seas. Finding the little vessel stagger, being so heavily laden, as she met the seas, I said to my mate, ‘We must get her round, and put her head towards the land.’ I then put the helm down to stay the vessel, but neither of us anticipated any danger, when three tremendous seas came in succession and completely buried her. I was at the helm, and went down with her about fifteen feet, for she foundered helm first, the air in the forecastle keeping her bows up a few moments longer. When I came to the surface I found myself close to the bowsprit, and my mate by my side. There were about two feet of the mast out of water as the vessel went down stern foremost. I thought of my wife and family, but I had no fear of death, though it was very near then. I saw our little boat, it was about eight fathoms off from us, attached to the foundering vessel by a painter, which threatened to drag it after her beneath the surface of the water as she went down. Now, my boys, that boat I knew was my saviour from a watery grave if I could reach it. I had all my heavy clothing on, and my great fishing boots and oilskin, but I struck out for her, and I felt as though some one gave me a great shove, and in a few moments, by the help of God, I reached her, not a moment too soon. My first impulse was to detach her from the sinking vessel, which went down out of sight directly I got her loose. My mate was then swimming towards me, and calling out for me to save him, for in the darkness, while struggling in the water, he thought I had been drowned, and had given up all for lost, when seeing me in the boat he shouted to me that he was sinking. I sang out, Cheer up, Harry! I will be with you in a minute;’ and I rowed alongside of him, and helped him into the boat.
“We made for Kingsgate, but as we had shipped a lot of water we prepared for the worst, and got rid of our boots, in case we might have to swim for shore, and baled out the water with them, and by God’s mercy rowed safe to land. When we had beached the boat, the first thing we did was to have a prayer-meeting under the cliff, and in our humble way return thanks to our heavenly Father who had so miraculously delivered us from a watery grave.
“And now, my boys, it strikes me that my position when I rose to the surface of the water and saw the boat, which was my saviour from being drowned, is like yours as regards your souls. What would it have availed me if I had only wished I was in the boat? So for you to hear us praying for your salvation, and for you to wish that Jesus was your Saviour is not enough. I had to strike out for the boat, and God gave me strength to reach it. And so it must be with your souls. You must go by faith yourselves to Jesus, and He will give you salvation, and then you will have no need to fear death whenever God may call von hence.”