IT was a lovely evening in the month of August, and the light breeze sported over the waves that rolled quickly on the stony beach. In shelter of the headland the sea was still enough for the enjoyment of an evening’s sail, but beyond it the white heads of the billows shewed to the experienced eye that there was a high wind outside. Not so thought three young men, as they gaily jumped into a small sailing craft which lay moored close by, and spreading her sail to the full, flew over the waters of that beautiful bay. For some time they contented themselves with sailing in the sunshine and shelter, but by-and-bye wearying of this, they made for the open sea. Had they been sailors, all might have been well, but they were landsmen, unaccustomed to the waves, and so, without reefing in the sail, they steered their tiny bark for the open waters.
Swiftly she flew over the billows, bending lower and lower over on her side as the land shelter gradually lessened, till suddenly, as the headland was being rounded, the fresh gale caught and filled her sail to the utmost; before it could be taken in, the sail was touching the water, and in a moment the boat was overbalanced and was keel up, amidst the billows.
But what of her living freight? you will say; of course they went down also! Not so, my friend, not so. Well it was for those three young men that a small fleet of fishing boats lay at anchor hard by. The hardy fishermen start in the evening hours for the deep-sea fishing. They toil all night, letting down their nets for a draft, and in the early morning anchor again in harbor till near sun setting. The day is their time for rest, and so their boats happened to be at hand.
Just as the heavy sail in the little craft overset her in the gale, just as she was turning upside down, from the nearest fishing boat a sailor shouted at the pitch of his voice, “Jump overboard; jump into the sea.” And without hesitating a second those three men sprang into the waters. They did not stop to question or to doubt; if they had they would have been lost.
In a few seconds’ time their kind deliverers were beside them in a small rowing boat, and before they could sink, by the very hair of the head they were pulled into it. They felt their need, heard the way of escape, believed, obeyed, and were SAVED.
Their only way of escape was by leaping into the waters, by giving up all effort to save themselves, and yielding themselves to what appeared to be death. And thus in their need and helplessness they were rescued from death. Their lives depended upon instant obedience; had they clung to their boat, they must have been lost. And it is in our helplessness that Jesus saves us; when we obey God’s word and take our true place as lost sinners without a hope in self, we know what salvation is.
Reader, a day is coming in which the sea will deliver up the dead which are in it. Long years they may have lain there, but all will rise again. Those who are Christ’s will rise before those who have died in their sins. First, there will be the resurrection unto life, and all who have life in Christ will then rise. His shout will wake them up. No unbeliever’s eye shall mark their rising from among the unbelieving dead; no unbelieving ear shall hear the Lord’s shout marshalling all into their places.
After that, the history of earth will roll on as before: the daily routine of life, summer and winter, day and night, cold and heat, will all go on. But the redeemed will have left the sea and the earth to be with the Lord.
Then will come the second resurrection—that of judgment—when the rest of the dead, even all who have not life in Christ, will be called forth by His voice. The Spirit of God writes by the Apostle John (Rev. 20), “And I saw the dead” (mark, still termed dead, though out of their graves), “small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened, and the dead” (no life in that resurrection) “were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and the grave delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were judged every man according to their works.”
Oh! how tremendous to stand unsaved before God! As a helpless, lost, dying sinner, receive Christ, so that even now you may pass from death unto life, and thus never come into judgment.
R. B.