Suddenly there came a shock! The vessel had struck and fastened itself on a sand bar. Amid the darkness and tempest, the anchors were hastily cast. The boats were lowered, but they were crushed to pieces by the violence of the waves the instant they came within their grasp. Now the last hope of being saved was gone, for the ship would soon be broken to pieces by the pitiless waves that pounded her decks.
Sick at heart, faint from exhaustion, and trembling with terror, William came dragging himself up from the pumps in the hold, hopeless and helpless; nothing was before him but a grave in the black icy waters of the deep. But fiercer than his bodily suffering was the anguish of his heart as he thought of his never dying soul, which would then be lost eternally. Suddenly, like a flash, above the roar of the elements, there sounded in his ears the voice of his God, reverberating down into the depths of his inmost being: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.” Crawling into the cabin, he fell on his face, crying to God in all his misery, weakness and fear, pleading to be “delivered” in his “day of trouble.” Even as he called, a great calm stole over his tempest-tossed heart, and simultaneously, a great calm settled over the raging waters of)he angry deep. It was almost a repetition of the scene of old, when the Master’s voice rang out over the storm-tossed sea: “Peace, be still, and there was a great calm.”
That long night of storm and suffering in the ship and on the sea was drawing to a close, and the day was beginning to dawn. One of the sailors, climbing a spar still standing, lighted his shirt dipped in the oil of the binnacle lamp and waved a final signal of distress to the distant shore. This was seen by the watchers, and soon the lifeboats were alongside to rescue the poor exhausted, half-frozen crew as they dropped one by one into the life boats. At last it was William’s turn, and though he had scarcely strength enough to move, he managed to climb out and drop to safety. Though his shivering body was full of pain and misery, yet his heart was filled with deep, sweet peace, joy and gratitude to his God, who had so graciously answered his “call” and “delivered” him from a watery grave. The strong arms and kind hearts of the rescuers soon bore them to a place of warmth and safety, and took care of their bodily needs.
Later William found a company of Christians from whom he heard the sweet story of the love of God and of His provision for the salvation of the souls of poor lost sinners, through simple faith in the atoning death and blood of His beloved Son. With the faith of a little child, he eagerly and joyfully accepted God’s priceless “gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Thus his soul, like his body, was saved from perishing, for “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 3:1616For 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).
William loved to tell to saint and sinner the thrilling story of the marvelous goodness of God in so miraculously saving him, body and soul, from the very jaws of death. He went home to be with the Lord at the age of eighty-seven years rejoicing in his Saviour.
If you, dear reader, have not yet heeded His call, let this story be a voice from God to you. For God hath spoken unto us by His Son, Christ Jesus. See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh.
“Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glory Me.” Ps. 50:15.
ML 10/11/1959