TWO years ago, a small Norwegian steamer anchored in the harbor in Jersey. Passing by in the late evening, I went aboard to speak to the men about my Saviour, but I found that everyone had gone ashore. That night, a fire broke out and the cry of “Fire! Fire!” rang through the ship. The Captain, whose cabin was near to where the fire broke out, seemed slow in heeding the warning. After a while, he looked out of his cabin and was surprised to find the fire had taken such hold of the ship. He dashed back for a few minutes to get his ship’s papers, and with difficulty hurried up the gangway, which had now become a flaming furnace. He was badly burned, and was taken at once to the hospital. I called to see him the next morning, but I was told that, “The captain died in great agony during the night.” Those few moments delay cost him his life. His chief engineer, who was also badly burned and in the hospital, told me this story, and said that he himself only escaped death by fleeing at once for salvation.
Dear reader, if you have any reward for your soul’s eternal welfare, let me entreat you at once to flee to Christ. “He came to seek and to save that which was lost.” “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” Hebrews 2:33How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:3).
ML-05/03/1964