The following story was often used by Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman, illustrating the thought of a person being almost to the point of salvation and then lost:
The “Royal Charter” had been around the world and was at last homeward bound. She had reached Queenstown, and then sailed for Liverpool; the message was telegraphed to Liverpool that she was almost home. Dr. William M. Taylor, a great New York preacher, was then in Liverpool as pastor, and the wife of the first mate of the “Royal Charter” was a member of his church. You may remember that the “Royal Charter” never came into Liverpool. An officer of my church told me that he waited on the dock all night, straining his eyes to catch a first glimpse of the vessel. The Lord Mayor of Liverpool was there. Bands of musicians and thousands of people waited to give her a welcome home. But the “Royal Charter” never came in. She went down in the night with almost all on board. They came to Dr. Taylor, and said, “Will you go and tell the wife of the first mate?” So he started off to tell her. As he laid his hand upon the doorbell the door flew open, and a little girl sprang out, crying” Oh, Dr. Taylor, I thought it was my papa. He is coming home today.” The preacher said he felt like an executioner as he walked into the house. He found the table laid for breakfast, and the wife of the first mate stepped forward, her face shining, as she said,” Dr. Taylor, this is indeed a privilege, and if you will wait a little while, perhaps you will sit at our table with us, for my husband was on the ‘Royal Charter,’ and he is coming home.”
Dr. Taylor says he looked at her a moment, while he steadied himself and held on to a near-by chair and then said, “Poor woman, your husband will never come home. The ‘Royal Charter’ went down last night, and your husband is lost.” He says that she threw her hands to her head, staggered, for a moment, and then fell, and as she fell she cried, “Oh, my God, so near home and lost.” Yes, and some of you are as near home as that. Near by a mother is pleading; near by the minister’s preaching. You are almost in. God will keep you from rejecting Him. How far one may go towards home and still fall away! Some who harden their hearts are suddenly cut off.