Around the Bay of Fundy there are many villages occupied by fishermen. They are usually a hardy class of men, and among them are many bright and earnest Christians whose lives testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
“Jamie T.," as he was familiarly called among the fisher folk, was not worse than his fellows. However, most of the fishermen had a religion of some sort of which they were somewhat proud. Jamie had none, nor did he make any profession of Christianity. A careless, godless, yet kind-hearted fellow, he was ever ready to give a helping hand on land or sea in the hour of need. He was admired for his thorough honesty by all the fisher folk. But Jamie was "without Christ" and without peace with God.
Before the boats were to sail for the season's fishing it was customary among the Christian fishermen to have a united meeting for prayer in one of their houses. There they would commend themselves to the God who rules on sea and land, and in whose hand is the "deep sea." Then they would entrust their loved ones to His tender care during their absence.
On the day before the fleet was to sail an aged fisherman met Jamie early in the evening and said to him: "Will you not come to the prayer meeting, Jamie? You should let folks know that you are not an atheist, but believe there is a God.”
The young fisherman hung his head in silence; but, not to be discourteous to his old friend, he said as he turned to go home: "Maybe I will, Sandy.”
That was all. Jamie kept his word and was there, greatly to the astonishment of everybody. And God spoke to his soul in the fisherman's cottage that night.
“What if I never come back?" he thought. "What will it be for me? Where will I be then?" And the thought of meeting God unsaved, unpardoned and unprepared, gripped him as a vise.
While earnest prayer was ascending to God in heaven—and when these fishermen are right with God they can and do pray fervently—the young fisherman was seized with conviction of sin before God, and in such a measure that he could not restrain his cry. So he called out loud: "Pray for me! I am a lost sinner and need a Savior.”
No sound is more welcome to a true Christian than such a cry. So the fishermen knelt in a circle on the clay floor, and in agonizing prayer called on God for Jamie's conversion. A verse of Scripture quoted by one in his prayer pierced the young fisherman's soul. It was to him the word of deliverance.
Jamie gripped it like a sinking man grabbing a rope and made it his own. "Sinners! It was them He died for?”
“Yes," said a chorus of voices.
“Then that's me! He died for ME." And then and there he rested his soul on Christ and was born of God as 1 John 5: 1 assured him. When the boats sailed the next day Jamie's song was heard above all the others across the waters:
“We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll;
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love.”