APRIL 15, 1881 dawned bright and clear in Glasgow, Scotland. On that day the steamship “Alabama” set sail for New York, far across the Atlantic. Soon she was in the open ocean. The sea was calm and the weather beautiful.
After two days of quiet sailing hover, the wind began to blow and waves which at first were little whitecaps increased in size. People on the deck seemed to enjoy the difficulty of walking while the vessel rolled from side to side. She would plunge beneath a wave and then be lifted to the top of another. There the wild and raging sea could be seen in its wide expanse. It was a grand sight.
The captain of the ship was an old “Sea dog.” He had been through many a storm and he knew that his ship was strong and safe. Nevertheless an anxious look came over his face. It told of danger that he knew lay ahead.
The storm became more intense, the waves larger than ever, some even going over the ship itself. Now the passengers who had been laughing, singing and dancing were filled with fear. Away out in the middle of the Atlantic they realized that their ship might sink in the terrible storm. Perhaps for the first time they began to think seriously about where they would spend eternity.
Mr. J. T. Armet was one of the passengers on that ship. He was a Christian, and we can well suppose that he was in his cabin quietly prang that God would help the captain and crew and bring them all safely through the storm. Later on, in telling the story of that voyage, he said: “People were crying to God for help. Some said, ‘We are going down, we are going down, and we have no one to prepare us for heaven.’ Why had they so much fear? The reason was, they did not know the Lord Jesus as their own Saviour. They did not know what it was to have their sins washed away in the precious blood of Christ, or have Him as the One who bore the judgment of God which they deserved for their sins.
“They might have known that verse from the Bible, ‘As it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment,’ and therefore feared to die knowing they were sinners. But had they believed the next verse, ‘So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the send time without sin unto salvation,’ (Heb. 9:27-2827And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:27‑28)), they would not have been afraid to die. They would have rejoiced, seeing there was no judgment for them, as Christ had borne it all when offered for sins upon the cross.”
God says, “It is appointed unto men once to die.” You may not die on the ocean, but still you must consider that death is before each one of us. The thing to do is to be ready, and the way to be ready is to believe that Jesus died for you. God also says whosoever believes in His Son, the Lord Jesus, shall 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).)
After the storm was over there was rejoicing on board. Mr. Armet again prayed to God, thanking Him for keeping them safely. However, sad to say, others returned to their pleasures and quickly forgot their terror and fear of death.
Dear reader, if you had been on board the Alabama, what would your feelings have been during that storm? Would you have been afraid to die? Why not settle the matter right now? Be ready, accept Christ as your Saviour now. “Believe and be saved.” Luke 8:1212Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. (Luke 8:12).
ML-04/21/1963