William Hardy, who had been brought up under the sound of the gospel in a godly Christian home, while still a lad left his home and shipped on board a vessel bound for a distant port. But the good seed, like that by the wayside, had as yet fallen on unprofitable ground.
As years passed, he changed from ship to ship, went voyage after voyage, encountered storm and danger and shipwreck; but still he held upon that headlong, reckless course, forgetful of God and thoughtless of eternity! Once, during those years, it happened that he was engaged on board a sailing vessel bound for a town which stood some miles up one of our great rivers. The wind was light, so a tug-boat was engaged to tow her and another ship to their destination. Bill had been sent aloft to bear a hand in, unfurling one of the sails. He missed his hold, Sand fell from a height of several feet into the water. A sailor from the steamer, seeing the accident, leaped overboard, reached the place with some difficulty, and succeeded in grasping the sinking man. A boat was lowered, by which both were picked up and brought to the steamer. A little while after, Bill was sent back to his own ship. He had been but a short time on deck, when a report; like the discharge of a whole battery of artillery together, almost took away his hearing. The steamer which he had just quitted had blown up! A cloud of steam and smoke, with showers of broken spars and rigging, made the air dark. When it cleared again, he could see the lifeless bodies, mangled and disfigured, floating in the river. Among them w a s that of the sailor who had rescued him from the river not half an hour before! It was a scene and a time that might have touched any heart less hardened than his; but the warning was unheeded. That wonderful escape from a twofold death was to him but 'a lucky escape,' `a cheating the other world,' to be boasted about among his wild companions. His career remained unchecked—his life unchanged.
Some time after this he joined a vessel trading in the Atlantic. They had not been long at sea when, the weather grew thick, and the captain kept all hands sharply up to work. One morning Bill was sent to the maintop. He got through his work safely; but, turning to descend, he again missed hold and fell. Had he come down upon the deck from that height he must have been smashed to atoms, but his foot caught in a rope when he was about halfway, and held him suspended in mid-air. His comrades rushed to his assistance, and he was quickly released.
Foremost among those who helped to bring him safely to the ship's deck was an old sailor. He had once cared as little about eternal things as any of them; but, in a late voyage, he had been led to the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ through the teaching of a missionary, then on his way to China. What better time than this to speak a word of warning, he thought. So, when the young man was once more steadily on his feet, he said quietly, "Messmate, you had a narrow escape just now. WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD HAVE GONE HAD YOU COME SMASH AGAINST THE TIMBERS?" With some careless reply, he turned off to the forecastle.
It is easy to carry a bold face to brazen out our evil doings before our fellow-men, but when God sends an arrow into the conscience we cannot put it from us. That word, "Where would you have gone?" kept ringing within him. Try as he might, he could not still that voice. On watch by night, or at work by day, aloft or below, waking or sleeping, it was like a two-edged sword, piercing his very soul. Then texts of Scripture, which he had learned long ago, came to his recollection, "The soul that sinneth it shall die.”
"Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”
"This night thy soul shall be required of thee.”
"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
At length, unable to endure the torture of his mind, he sought out the comrade who had put the question.
"I believe you are right after all, mess-mate," he said. "I have been a bad fellow all along, though I got teaching enough when young. Now tell me what I can do?”
The old sailor was not a man for long sermons, but he had an eloquent teacher at hand one that he knew would be far more powerful to touch the heart of any sinner than any word of his. He took out his Bible, and gave it to his friend, charging him to `read it, to pray over it, and never give up till he got the blessing which he wanted.'
That advice was followed. Every spare moment in the intervals of work, every opportunity in which he could steal away alone and unseen to some quiet corner, found Bill poring over those sacred pages. At first it all was dark and hopeless. He read of "righteousness and temperance and judgment to come,' and, like Felix of old, he trembled at the words. He tried to free himself from the shackles of sin which bound him; but he had long been sin's slave, and was powerless to shake off its heavy yoke.
But God revealed Himself in mercy. He struck the chains from the sin-bound soul. It was God's work, and by grace he was saved. He had had his 'conversation in times past in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind;' he was by nature a child of wrath; but God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He had loved him, even when he was dead in sins, had quickened him together with Christ. By grace he was saved (Eph. 2:4, 54But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (Ephesians 2:4‑5)).
Was it not all too wonderful to be true? Was it not beyond the possibility of belief that a holy God, in whose sight the very heavens are not clean, and who charged His angels with folly, could look with pity on him, could love him, could give His only begotten Son to die for him the reprobate, the scoffer at Divine things? Ay, but it was true, and God's Spirit was whispering into his heart that it was true, and there was joy in the presence of the angels of God over one more sinner that had repented.
And now, dear reader, how about you, have you settled the question of the destiny of your never-dying soul? This very moment you can be saved by a look of faith at Jesus, who died for you on Calvary's cross.