Sailors have very practical ways of expressing themselves, whether they speak of sin or salvation. A case in point was recently mentioned by Archibald G. Brown when speaking at one of the meetings of the Seamen’s Christian Friend Society. He said: There came to me here one day a grand looking fellow. I had not to ask whether he did business on the water, for the sea breeze had kissed his brow so often that it had left its mark there. I said, “Where did you find the Lord?” In a moment he answered, “Latitude 25, Longitude 54.” I confess that rather puzzled me.
I said, “Latitude 25, Longitude 54! What do you mean?” He replied, “I was sitting on the deck, and out of a bundle of papers before me I pulled one of Spurgeon’s sermons. I began to read it. As I read it I saw the truth, and I received the Lord Jesus as my Saviour. I jumped up off the coil of ropes saved. I thought if I were on shore I would know where I was saved, and why should I not know on the sea? And so I took my latitude and longitude. That’s where I found the Lord — latitude 25, longitude 54.”
The sailor knew that he needed a change. In his anxiety he picked up one of Spurgeon’s sermons, so clear as to man’s utter ruin by the fall and God’s glorious remedy through the shed blood of His Son. The gospel, which declares that “Christ died for our sins, was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:1-5), was there and then believed, and there, and then he was “saved.”
The Saviour had died, the sailor had believed, the Scriptures gave the assurance of a present and perpetual salvation (John 5:24). Sailor like, he took his bearings and found the SPOT of his salvation — latitude 25, longitude 54.
Ask yourself: If I am saved, when was I saved? Where was I saved? How did I get saved?
Hy. P.