“GIVE us a boat with a lug-sail, Ben: we want to go out to the rocks," shouted the foremost of four school-boys to the old boatman who was standing on the shore, preparing his rods for the evening fishing. Ben looked up with a kindly smile, and shook his head, at the same time remarking, "The breeze is stiff at present, lads, better wait for an hour or two till we see how it turns." "No fears, Ben," said the eldest of the lads, who had considerable confidence in his own ability as a navigator, "we can easily manage a lug-sail for all the wind there is, we've done it with ten times as much as there is to-day." "Ah, maybe you have, lads; but it's dangerous for all that, and old Ben knows the sea too well to give you his boat in a day like this; be content and sit down here, maybe Ben has something to tell you that will be quite as good as a sail to the rocks." Ben and the lads were great friends. Many an hour they spent by his side on the beach, hearing the wonderful stories of shipwrecks and sea-battles that he had to tell. In his early days, Ben had been in the Navy, and had seen several "engagements." He had been a wild ungodly youth, and a sad grief to his parents. To escape restraint he ran off to sea, to find there, that if the loving rule of a godly home was ill to bear, the iron rod of authority on board a gun-boat was worse by far, but there was no escape from it. Seldom did Ben refer to his early life, except to warn the lads against such hardness of heart and Christ-rejection as his had been, and to magnify the grace of God that saved him in the midst of it. His stories always had a point in them, and he never failed to "apply" them to the listeners with a loving appeal to turn to the Lord in their early days, or a solemn word of warning to flee from coming wrath.
The lads sat down alongside of Ben, and heard from his lips the following story:―
“You know, lads, it's no easy thing to be a Christian, as folk would say, on board a gun-boat; there you must either be for Christ or for the devil, there must be no sneaking. We had a gunner on board whose name was Bill, a fine hearty young man he was, and a Christian that did not fear to let his light shine. Everybody knew that Bill the gunner was a soldier of the cross, not simply because he said it, but because he lived it. Morning and night Bill read his Bible, and knelt down to pray, no matter who was there. I am sorry, lads, to have to tell you that I often laughed at Bill although, in the depths of my heart I wished that I was like him. One morning, the tidings came that our gun-boat was ordered on active service, and was to be ready for action in a few hours. I shall never forger the night before the engagement lads, while memory lasts; it was the turning point in my life's history, the night in which, by grace, I was converted to God. Our decks were cleared, and everything ready for action; certain death was before some of us on the morrow. Bill sat down in his usual place and began to read, but I can tell you there was nobody laughed at him that night. An eager group of us stood around him, listening to the words he was reading from the Bible. ‘Comrades,' said Bill, after he had finished reading, ‘we may be in eternity by this time to-morrow; it would be well for us if we could all say we are ready. Here we are, all waiting for the Admiral's word tomorrow, and it would be well if we were all as ready for the call of God to enter eternity. By grace I can say, I am not afraid to die. If I die, I will go to be with Christ, not for anything good in me, but because I trust His precious blood that cleanseth from all sin. If you would be safe for to-morrow comrades, and in readiness for eternity, then trust yourselves to Christ to-night, then come life or death, all will be well.'
We all listened in solemn silence, standing under the beams of the pale moon, with not a sound to be heard save the rippling of the waves beneath. We felt that Ben's words were solemnly true. Some of us would almost certainly be in eternity at that time to-morrow, and we knew well we were not ready. Overcome by emotion, one stalwart gunner sank upon his knees, and said, "Jesus I will trust Thee:" another followed, then a third, and before ten minutes, a little circle of us knelt around Ben, and committed ourselves to Jesus Christ, the Savior of the lost. Some may have only been frightened for death, but I believe the greater part were truly broken down before God on account of their past sinful lives, and that hour they claimed His Son to be their Savior. In the calm still air, a dozen rough voices sang―
“O, happy day, that fixed my choice
On Thee, my Savior and my God."
Then we parted for the night. On the morrow, our ship was in the thickest of the conflict. Bullets and shells were flying all around, and the dead and dying strewed the decks. In the evening when all was over, I saw Bill take his usual seat, and the rest that sat with him the evening before quickly gathered around, no longer ashamed to own themselves the Lord's. Wonderful to tell it, the circle was unbroken: while others lay dead or wounded, God had preserved us, and I can tell you, lads, if ever a heart-felt song of praise went up to God from this poor heart of mine, it was that night.
Years have rolled on, and we are all parted from each other. Bill is in heaven, and no doubt, so are some of the rest. Others are yet here, like old Ben, the boatman, trying to live for the Lord who loves him, and to lead others to Him. My dear lads, if you would be happy in life and ready for death, trust yourselves to Jesus.”
The story had a deep impression on the four youths: the lug-sail boat was forgotten, and they sat long beside Ben that night, asking further questions about that night before the battle. They walked quickly home in silence, and within their souls there was a felt need that never was known before-they felt the need of Christ. How much easier for them and for you, dear reader, to trust the Lord Jesus in times of peace, and in the golden hours of youth. Say, have you trusted Him? Have you trusted Him, as that circle of awakened gunners did, on that memorable night before the battle; or will death find you (it may be soon) Unsaved, unprepared to meet God?