“YOU had little idea how true were your words tonight? How suddenly that poor fellow was called away!”
It was the surgeon of a fine Australian liner who thus addressed me, his whole demeanor bearing witness to a mighty change having come over his feelings towards me, for hitherto he had avoided me, and used no effort to disguise that he treated me with profound contempt.
The fact of the matter was that for the two weeks we had been at sea several gospel services had been held on deck, much to the annoyance of some, though greatly appreciated by others. That the Word of God was being preached within ear-shot of these “lovers of pleasures” was too much even for their feelings of ordinary politeness, and many were their winks and nods and tittering’s as I used to pass them on deck.
How sad it is to see the rebellion of the human heart against God! The truth of those words in Romans 8:77Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (Romans 8:7) — “The carnal mind is enmity against God” — may be manifested any day, and every day. You have only to introduce the subject of Christ and His claims upon men to evoke their violent opposition and their virulent enmity. Does anyone doubt the truth of this? Then let them try, as I have hundreds of times, to preach Christ on board an ocean steamer!
Perhaps, under these circumstances, we see the world just as it is, without varnish or concealment. A service on Sunday mornings in the saloon is just tolerated for decency’s sake, but anything more than this — no! Down with it! Away with it! According to the same spirit that, when Christ was here, cried, “Away with Him! Crucify Him!”
It was a Sunday night in the Red Sea. The day had been somewhat oppressively hot, but the evening was pleasantly cool, and a large crowd of passengers were gathered on the foredeck. They were mostly steerage, for the poor have the gospel preached to them. The rich often treat these matters with greater indifference. Through the kindness of the captain we had the use of the electric light whenever these gospel services were held; and on this occasion several hundreds were sitting and standing around listening attentively to the Word of Life. It was an impressive sight to see those crowds of young men, many of them the picture of health and manly vigor, and to remember that each possessed an immortal soul, that each had a record of sin to account for to a holy God, that each would soon have to meet that God, and that a never-ending eternity lay before each. Were they ready?
While I was preaching, and these thoughts were passing through my mind, the surgeon of the ship walked right through the midst of the crowd. He had been to see a patient in the forecastle, and was obliged to go back that way. I saw him, and fancied I could detect the same haughty look of scorn as he passed me by. That he would stand and listen I did not for one moment expect. Besides the electric light was too strong! He would not have had the moral courage to stand up boldly and listen to the story of Calvary. Poor cowards we are!
He was soon out of my sight, but not out of God’s; and I learned afterward that he stood behind one of the masts for ten minutes listening where he could not himself be observed.
As the preaching proceeded, I had felt led of God to speak strongly upon the uncertainty of life and the certainty of having to meet God.
“Young men! you who are now listening to me in the full vigor of health, you may be nearer to eternity than you imagine. Just starting forth, full of hope, to commence life in a new land, filled with bright expectations of success for the future, you may never reach the shores of Australia. Are you ready to die? Dare you face a meeting with a holy and sin-hating God as you now stand? If not, why put off for another day the settlement of this momentous question? Come now to the Lord Jesus Christ. Own yourselves to be lost sinners, and trust in Jesus, the Saviour of the lost. Salvation is within your reach at this moment. Why not accept it now? You will never have a better opportunity — indeed, you may never have another.”
To these and such-like remarks the crowd around listened with deep attention, and God only knows how many in that company gave heed to the message.
At the close of the service I was asked by a Christian man in the second saloon if I would go and speak to a poor fellow who was dying of consumption in the hospital.
“Certainly,” I replied, “but as it is now rather late, perhaps I had better wait until the morning, as he may now be asleep, and it would be a pity to awake him.”
So saying, I walked up the deck. A group of passengers were standing together, and talking in a somewhat subdued manner. “It was very sudden!” I heard one of them remark. Asking what had happened, I was speedily informed that a young man had just died on deck in the after-part of the ship. At once I thought of the consumptive patient, and asked, “Was it the poor fellow in the hospital?”
“Oh, no,” was the reply;” it was a young fellow that scarcely seemed to have anything amiss with him. Indeed, he was on deck this afternoon, and was suddenly seized with pain, and almost immediately died. He was one of the strongest-looking young fellows that came on board at Plymouth. Every one remarked what a fine, powerful man he was.”
Never shall I forget the impressive scene that I witnessed early the next morning. The poor body had been wrapped and sewn up in canvas, and placed, heavily weighted, on a plank, with, the Union Jack spread over all. At six A.M. a signal was given from the bridge to stop the engines. The screw ceased to turn, and amidst the awful stillness that followed, a Romish priest uttered, or rather muttered, a few unintelligible words, when suddenly the plank was tipped, the body quickly glided off, a splash — and then, once more, the sound of the churning of the screw, and we sped on our way, leaving the body of one of our number miles behind, who but yesterday had been apparently the least likely of all on board to die.
Was he ready for the sudden call? Reader, would you be, if called away this very moment?
From that day and onward to the end of the journey, the preaching of the Word was treated with respect by all on board.
Death is real, and when coming so suddenly into the midst of a little community such as is found on board ship, must produce some serious impressions.
Reader, do not you treat these solemn matters lightly! “Remember NOW thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not” (Eccl. 12 I).
A. H. B.