ON April 14, 1912, the Titanic, the new ocean liner of 46,000 tons, and pride of the Cunard fleet, was on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic when she collided with an iceberg. In the dark hours of the night the great ship went down beneath the cruel waves, with the frightful loss of 1513 souls.
The Titanic had been declared unsinkable. The accumulated experience of generations of shipbuilding, the greatest of human skills and the most modern devices of man’s inventive genius, had all been employed in her construction. But, to use the words of another writing at a later day. “Once again the cruel sea did its deadly work and made a mockery of the vanity of man.”
Four years after the Titanic went down, at a meeting in Hamilton, Canada, a young Scotchman rose to his feet and told this story.
Said he: “I am a survivor of the Titanic disaster. On that awful night I was drifting alone on a spar on the ocean, when the tide brought Mr. John Harper, of Glasgow, near me. He was also on a piece of the wreck. ‘Man,’ he called out, ‘Are you saved?’ ‘No,’ I replied. ‘I am not.’ Then he called back, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.’
“The waves bore him away, but, strange to say, they brought him back a little later, and he cried out again, ‘Are you saved now?’ No,’ I answered; ‘I cannot honestly say that I am.’ Then he called back, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.’ Shortly after, he went down.
“Drifting alone on the ocean that dark night, I asked. God to save me. I believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. I was the last person John Harper ever witnessed to.”
Dear friends, God does not promise us a tomorrow, His word is, “To-day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” Heb. 3:1313But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:13). Little boys and girls, as well as big folks, may be suddenly taken away, out of time into eternity. And who knows but that God may say to you, “This night thy soul shall be required of thee.” Luke 12:2020But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? (Luke 12:20). So in love He says again to you, “Behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation.” 2 Cor. 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2).
So be prepared, dear reader. Do like that young Scotchman did on that night on the ocean. Put your trust in the Lord Jesus, who loves you and gave Himself on the cross to put your sins away, and He will save your precious soul.
ML-09/18/1960