IN the early summer the usually quiet little town of Stornoway, the capital of the Hebrides, is all astir. The season of the great Scotch herring industry begins there, and many hundreds of hardy fishermen come from all parts of the mainland to ply their busy calling. A lively scene presents itself to a stranger, when, after a successful night’s fishing, the boats come crowding into the bay, the men all eager to reach the quays and land their fish. Quickly the herrings are shoveled into baskets, and swung ashore, to be cleaned, cured, and packed, by immense numbers of men and women from all parts, engaged for that purpose. This done, they are then loaded on steamers, and other vessels, specially chartered to convey them to the home and foreign markets.
Amongst the boats which arrived this last June was the “Helen Ann,” from F―. The skipper, A. P —, with his two sons, and four other men, formed the crew. P―was an earnest Christian, who rejoiced to stand with others in the little town square, and tell out the glad tidings of God’s boundless grace. Large companies of fishermen and others attended, manifesting deep interest in the Word preached.
Presently the time came to turn the “Helen Ann’s” prow homewards again. The weather was beautifully fine, the sea calm, and a light wind sped them quietly along round Cape Wrath, and the north coasts of bonnie Scotland. All on board were looking joyfully for the moment of their safe return to their homes.
Entering the dangerous waters of the Pentland Firth, they sailed on without fear, for they were familiar with the coast, and their boat was new and strong. Passing, however, into the narrow channel between the Isle of Stroma and the mainland, they found themselves suddenly enveloped in a dense fog. All eyes kept a sharp look out, peering through as best they could, whilst P―had a firm hold of the helm. But, owing to the thick mist, and the strong current, which was running some nine or ten knots an hour, it was impossible to make out their exact position.
Suddenly, about nine o’clock at night an unwelcome sight ahead told them of danger. A cry was raised to alter the course, which was immediately done; but, despite every effort, the boat struck with a tremendous crash against the outer sunken rock of the “Men of May” at St John’s Point. Carried on by the current, P — hoped for the moment to be able to steer her into a neighboring inlet. But the keel was so injured, that the water rushed into her, and she began to sink.
It was an intensely anxious moment for all on board. A sudden and violent death stared them in the face. The floats used with the fishing nets were hastily seized, and fastened round their bodies. It was only just in time. The skipper’s younger son, Jamie, a lad of eighteen years of age, looked piteously into his father’s face, his countenance speaking more than words. P― could only say, “Jamie, look to the Lord, my boy, look to the Lord,” as hurriedly he fastened two floats around his shoulders, when down went the boat from beneath them in some sixteen fathoms of water, leaving them clinging for dear life, as best they could, to the buoys and loose spars.
There was no excitement. All were kept calm; and cries were raised for help, if perchance any other boat might be passing, and come to their rescue. P —, with heart uplifted to God, prayed earnestly and aloud that He would send help and deliverance in their deep distress. Happy in his own spirit, knowing Whom he had believed, his two boys weighed heavily upon his mind, although he trusted that they were under the shelter of the blood of Christ. The thought too that if all perished, what a blow it would be to the friends of the other men-three out of the four being brothers-was very distressing. As the tide rapidly carried him away from the rest, and the darkness obscured him from their view, he raised his voice in praise to God, singing that beautiful verse―
“Lord Jesus! to tell of Thy love,
Our souls shall forever delight,
And sing of Thy glory above,
In praises, by day and by night.
Wherever we follow Thee, Lord,
Admiring, adorning we see
That love which was stronger than death,
Flow out without limit, and free.”
His mates feared they would never see their skipper again, even if they themselves should be saved; and his two poor sons were filled with alarm as they lost sight of their beloved father. Both were clinging to a spar, one at each end, but Jamie, the younger, who had been acting as cook on board, and was therefore the more thinly clad, soon succumbed to the exposure, and quitting his hold, fell back exhausted into the sea and perished. One of the four men, who was a Christian, pointed the others to the Saviour, and told them, in his simple way, of the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that there was yet time to believe on Him and be saved.
Borne along by the tide, again and again they raised their voices, and shouted for aid. Not being far from shore, a gamekeeper heard their cries, but could see nothing on account of the fog. He spoke to others, who thought it was only the men on the Isle of Stroma opposite, shouting, as was their custom, to warn passing vessels. But not being satisfied, he continued to listen, and the cries being renewed, was convinced that some of his fellow-creatures were in distress; so he urged some men upon the seashore to put off with him to search for them. At that moment the fog lifted, and they could plainly see five poor fellows drifting along at no great distance off. It was but the work of a few moments to pull out and rescue them from their perilous position. Two of them were on the very eve of exhaustion, and Jamie had perished. Was there any possibility of finding P―, or had he also succumbed? The hope of saving him was faint; still they could but try. So on they rowed, till at last they had the joy of finding him some five miles from where the boat sank. A few more moments and it would have been too late.
For two long hours P―had found himself carried farther and farther away, with nothing around him but sea and fog, and only two small buoys to keep him afloat. Eternity stared him in the face. There seemed no hope unless by the direct intervention of God. The past came crowding upon his mind, and then the future, the bright future of being forever with the Lord. No doubt or fear filled his breast, for P — had long known what it was to be a sinner saved by grace, washed in the precious blood of the Lamb. Yet it was a testing moment, but the grace of his Saviour-God sustained him, and the knowledge of His wondrous love kept him during that terrible ordeal.
At last, being nearly to the mouth in the water, surrounded by darkness, shivering with cold, strength gone, and senses failing, the thought pressed upon him to quit hold of the buoys, and end the struggle. But life is dear, and he felt afterward that it was the suggestion of Satan. Lifting up his heart again to God, he thought that if He meant to keep him here, He would find means even then to save him, and looking round, in a half-unconscious state, he saw a boat apparently about to run right over him. But all were keeping a sharp look-out, and through the Lord’s infinite mercy they had steered straight to him. In another second or two loving hands had laid hold of him, and he was hauled safely into the boat. He was rescued at the last moment from a watery grave, for he was on the eve of drifting into a part of the current where the waters ran with such violence than he must have succumbed from sheer exhaustion. The fishermen were soon all conveyed ashore, not far from John O’Great’s, and restored, with medical aid, from the effects of the long immersion.
The news of the wreck and the rescue spread far and wide, and the following Lord’s Day―it having been made known that P — would preach―a large concourse of people from many miles around assembled in the open air. Barely recovered from the effects of the recent ordeal through which he had passed, and sore at heart at the loss of his son, he scarcely knew how to speak. But seeking grace from God, the word went forth from his lips with power. It seemed like a voice from the dead. Many were deeply impressed, and tears freely flowed, as he sounded out the old, old story of God’s wondrous love, and pleaded with them about their precious souls.
Turning to the younger folk present, he said: “Dear young people, were you to die tonight, where would you go? Are you ready; are you prepared to meet God? Are you converted? Have you been born again? Have you been washed in the blood of Christ? If not, you are not ready. I do not ask, are you good? I do not bid you be good. And if any tell you to be good to get to heaven, whether father or mother, they are not your friends. No, no, you cannot be good, nor do good of yourselves, because your nature is bad, enmity with God, and a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit. It is Christ that you need.”
Then to the aged, he said: “You are on the threshold of eternity. Are you ready? I am not asking what your life has been, or what is your kirk or creed, but I do ask, have your sins been washed away in Christ’s precious blood? Have you owned the righteous judgment of a holy, holy, holy God? Have you bowed under it at the Saviour’s feet? Have you believed on Him?”
And to the anxious, he pointed out the way of salvation, illustrating it by his own condition in the sea when the boat came, how glad he was to let go the feeble support he had clung to, and to allow strong hands to save him.
Yes, dear reader, this is the simple way to be saved. Your case is hopeless; you cannot save yourself. The strong arm of the Lord alone can deliver you. Will you trust it? To remain as and where you are is to perish everlastingly, to die in your sins without hope. But, “when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)). Have you discovered that you are powerless to save yourself? If so, trust Him, trust Him now, and you shall be eternally saved. “I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no Saviour” (Isa. 43:1111I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour. (Isaiah 43:11)). “Whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)). He is the Lord, mighty O save.
At the close of the meeting a few young men lately converted were unwilling to go away, so a Bible reading was arranged in the schoolroom near, which was soon crowded to the door, deep interest again being manifested, as P —, in dependence upon the Lord, sought to instruct them in the Word.
The next day, a boat having come to take him home, P―parted from his new friends with tears. God alone knows the results of that day’s meetings. Doubtless it was a day never to be forgotten by many, and we know that God’s word shall not return unto Him void.
And now, beloved reader, ere we close, we would appeal to you, how is it with you? Are you ready? Are you still a poor ginner ready to perish, or have you believed on the Son of God? Have you been plucked from your perilous position, as a lost sinner, by the strong arm of the Lord? Have you been washed in His most precious blood? If not, once more you have the opportunity. Tomorrow may be too late. God’s time is now.
“Time is earnest, passing by;
Death is earnest, drawing nigh.
Sinner, wilt thou trifling be?
Time and death appeal to thee.
Oh, be earnest! death is near;
Thou wilt perish lingering here;
Sleep no longer, rise and flee;
Lo, thy Saviour waits for thee!”
E. H. C.