FEW residents on the east and south coasts of England will easily forget the night of 10th November, and morning of 11TH November 1891. One of the most terrific gales within the memory of man then swept around our coasts, attended with great loss of life at sea. The force of the wind was registered “12” or “hurricane” at, the Lowestoft observing station that morning―a most unusual occurrence―and many of the inhabitants of that town were awakened by the high wind, while some hearts turned to God “for those at sea.” Amongst others, the writer prayed from time to time for both the local and Scotch fishermen―numbers of whom he knew were out that night―and especially for certain brethren in the Lord with whom he was acquainted.
Three Scotch boats were out with such on board. November 10 had been a specially bright day, following a rough one, and with the exception of some long “mares’ tails” in the sky, there was no appearance of the coming storm. Allured by the lovely day, almost every herring boat put to sea, for rough weather that season had greatly interfered with the fishing. Amongst other Scotch and English boats, “The Star of the East,” hailing from Musselburgh, N.B., sailed forth with a crew of eight strong men, commanded by “auld Watty Brown,” who had fished at Lowestoft for thirty years.
Amongst other Christians on board this boat was one who, in a prayer-meeting the previous night, had given out the following hymn, reading only these lines: ―
“O Lord, how blest our journey,
Tho’ here on earth we roam,
Who find in Abba’s favor
Our spirit’s present home.
For where Thou now art sitting
By faith we’ve found repose;
Free to look up to heaven,
Since our blest Head arose.
“In spirit there already,
Soon we ourselves shall be!”
His speedy departure seeming to be before him, as the proverb says, “Coming events cast their shadows before.” However this may be, toward eight o’clock, on 10th November, the wind rose, and gained terrible force in a most rapid manner. The boats had shot their nets early, and by the time (about eleven P.M.) they deemed it necessary to haul them in, and run for safety, “The Star” had made a good catch. Although the wind was high, and it was felt that taking the harbor mouth would be exciting, no apprehension seems to have been entertained as to the result. So much so that when R — (who gave out the above hymn) proposed to cook some mackerel for breakfast, the skipper replied, “Never mind; we will soon have breakfast comfortably in the harbor!”
On nearing the harbor the waves were seen to be running high, dashing completely over the North Pier lighthouse, and rebounding seawards with terrific force, making the entry a very dangerous affair, as is usual when there is a strong wind from S. or S.W. at Lowestoft. Just as “The Star,” well to windward, was about to take the harbor mouth, a tremendous back wave was seen to be rushing on her bow. A cry came from forward, “Put the helm hard up,” which was promptly done by the skipper and R —; but in vain, she did not answer her helm, and in another moment was dashed with awful force against the North Pier Extension, broadside on. The hull cracked “like a nutshell,” and the foremast snapped off, probably damaging or killing some of the poor men in its fall. In less than five minutes all was over. The third wave completed the work of destruction. One only survivor was left to tell the tale, who, after being washed about in the entrance of the harbor for an hour on a piece of the wreck, was rescued. The rest of the devoted crew were drowned, or shared the fate of their vessel, not one body having been recovered, the old skipper’s “sou’-wester” being the only relic found.
One other living record of that awful night remains. Another Scotch boat, “The Jennies,” followed “The Star of the East,” and sailed safely into the harbor. In passing the mouth, her crew thought they heard cries from the direction of the North Pier, which they took to be cheers of ‘bravo!” at their success. But the more practiced ear of the skipper discerned that the cries were too low down; and he thought he saw through the thick darkness (the hour was about half-past four A.M.), and the heavy drifting rain, the form of a hull beneath the extension, and replied, “That’s no the cry of ‘bravo!’ that’s the cries of a crew suffering.”
And has this solemn disaster, which brought woe to many a fond heart and home, no voice for us? Most assuredly it has.
Does it not say to the Christian, “So live day by day that if you were suddenly called away, there would be no regrets that your work was unfinished?”
And does it not speak in loud tones of earnest and solemn warning to the unprepared, unsaved reader to “PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD”?
Does not our Lord Himself apply a disaster which happened in His day in this very way to unrepentant sinners? They would fain have looked upon its poor victims as great sinners, upon whom God’s signal and swift judgment had fallen, and thus have accredited themselves with superior virtue. But our Lord says to them― “Those eighteen upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but except YE REPENT, YE shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:4, 54Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. (Luke 13:4‑5)).
Nor let any reader think in a similar way about the men who lost their lives in “The Star of the East.” For the writer has grounds to believe they were all converted men. Two of them were known by him as such, and concerning the rest he has had the testimony of other Christians to that effect. So that he trusts they passed from that scene of desperate strife with the raging elements to be forever “with the Lord.”
Yes. God “now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” And He has a right to do so, for all are responsible to Him, and none so much as those in this land of Bibles, and free proclamation of the gospel of His grace. And God now commands repentance, “because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:30, 3130And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:30‑31)).
My reader, God has made this solemn appointment and a previous one―death (Heb. 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27))—with every unsaved person. These two are fixed for you, if you are unsaved, and God will keep them.
Just as “The Star of the East” had two fixed points before her that she reached that night―the Lowestoft South Pier light and the North Pier Extension wall, against which she was broken to pieces, just as she had those points before her throughout that voyage―yea, from the moment she left the builder’s stocks—so with yourself, my dear unconverted, unsaved, unblessed reader, DEATH and JUDGMENT are the FIXED goals towards which you are certainly being hurried forward. And you know not the moment you may reach the first. Then turn, without a moment’s further delay, in repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, who was “once offered to bear the sins of many,” and then when He “appears the second time without sin unto salvation” (Heb. 9:2828So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)), you will go to be forever with Him, and escape the two awful appointments which await the sinner, but which were borne by the Saviour for all who believe with the heart to salvation.
W. G. B.