THE fitful moonlight shone upon the waters at midnight, when a sailor, while carrying out his orders, fell overboard into the dark sea. His cries of agony rang bitterly in our ears as the ship shot past him, and all that we flung to him failed to reach him.
The mate instantly ordered the ship about, and crying, "Lower away the quarter boat,” leaped into her.
Alas! THE TACKLE WAS FOUL. Oh! the terrible delay: moments seemed like hours, A knife!” shouted the mate; and snatching one from a sailor, he cut through the ropes.
The command, "In, men, in," was instantly obeyed by four stout fellows, and at last down went the boat to seek the lost. The crew gathered upon the deck to watch the result; and, dark as it was, there was light enough to see that tears rolled down many a sailor's cheek, and some could be heard murmuring a prayer.
Soon the little boat was out of sight, and we could only hear the shouts as they sought to reach the ear of their drowning comrade.
Then all was still, save the wind howling through the cordage, and the heavy flapping of the sails as the ship lay to.
Suddenly a dark spot rose upon the wave, and we saw the moonbeams flashing across the dripping oars: the boat was returning.
“All well?" we eagerly cried.
A half-spoken "Too late!" murmured along the waves; and we knew, too well, what had become of the brave fellow.
Thus an eye-witness describes the loss of a fellow-man. Perhaps, as the hapless sailor sank, he thought of his childhood's home. It may be his mother's voice sounded in his ears, and her loved countenance filled his eye; but never, never would he see her by his side again upon earth. He was lost! And why?
Willing hearts and hands hastened to his rescue, but "the tackle was foul," and they arrived too late.
Reader, if still unsaved, as a perishing soul, as one who is sinking down into eternity, receive salvation through the blood of Jesus.
It is not a time for you to trifle with your soul.
The drowning man cries for life. Yet his grave is but the sea, his separation from those whom he loves but for time. Your grave is hell, your separation from the home of God, eternal.
Was there delay upon the Saviour's part?
Listen to His words, “Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God." And that will was the salvation of God's people. “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once" (Heb. 10:7-107Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:7‑10)). Did He falter in the great and painful work of saving sinners? “How am I straitened till it be accomplished I " He said (Luke 12:5050But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! (Luke 12:50)).
And now, to-day, He knows just where you are, your every sin, your every unbelieving thought. He knows too, to the hour, how long a time you shall have given you for repentance. Could the boat's crew have but heard their drowning comrade's answer to their shouts, they would have found him, and borne him safely to their ship. Alas! with you, dear reader, the deafness is willful: Jesus calls; will you not answer? That voice was uplifted, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:4646And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46)). But this suffering was passed through so that to-day He might, by His Spirit, declare to you full and everlasting salvation.
He stretches out His hand; will you not regard? That hand was nailed to the cross for the sake of those who slew Him.