IN his thrilling Life-Boat Book, General Seeley has a chapter called “The men who never turn back.” He tells how, after a disaster at Caister, in Norfolk, had involved the loss of nearly the whole of the life-boat crew, the question was raised at the inquest as to the maneuvers of the life-boat before she was capsized. Had she been thinking of returning to her station, owing to the exceptional violence of wind and sea? “No, sir,” said old James Haylett, ex-second-coxswain of the Caister life-boat and father of the coxswain who was drowned, “that is quite impossible. Caister men never turn back.”
The two Caister life-boats had indeed a grand record during the preceding 13 years; between them, they had saved 1,381 lives from shipwreck; and this particular boat, 8 ½ years, had been launched on 81 occasions and saved 146 lives. Eighty-one times launched! — on almost every occasion in a storm in which no other boat could live―never once turning back! James Haylett had himself been badly battered trying to rescue the crew of the capsized boat. Eight weeks later, King Edward VII, at Sandringham, presented him with the gold medal conferred on him by the Life-boat Institution, in consideration of his “great gallantry.” Replying to the simple eloquent words in which the King thanked him for his long and valiant service, and especially his great courage on the occasion of the recent disaster, Haylett said: “I thank your Majesty. I only did my duty, and if I may be permitted I hope your Majesty will live to be a hundred years old, and then die and go to heaven. “Tell me,” said the King, “in these great storms on this east coast, does your heart never fail you?” Haylett replied: “Well, sir, it’s like this. One thing always gives me courage when I see poor fellows in the rigging of a wreck. I always puts myself among them and says: ‘What would I give if a life-boat came to save me!’”
But the chapter ends on a sadder note. An old member of the Brighstone life-boat had been recounting to the author his share in a rescue. They sat talking of other things for a moment or two. Then he said: “It’s a strange thing, sir, to look back on, but in all those sixty years hardly once did a man fail.” I wondered what was coming. Then he went on: “I ought not to say that no man ever failed, because once a man did. It was that time we went to the American barque; the heaviest sea breaking on the beach any of us had ever seen. We were all in the boat, with our oars out, waiting for the word, when just before we launched a man said: ‘It is madness,’ and jumped out of the boat. In a moment three of the helpers rushed into the sea shouting: ‘Take me!’ We took the first one that came wading to us into the sea, and, as you know, reached the vessel and saved the crew.” There was a long pause. Then I said: “What became of the man?” He replied: “He did not stay with me much longer, you see, his heart ailed him! Anyway, he is long since dead.”
His heart failed him! True, another stepped into his place and the crew was saved, but in the joy of that achievement he had no part. No kingly recognition or golden honor might come to him, and soon from that roll of the valiant his name was missing. Dear readers, will you trace out with me the spiritual counterpart of this earthly story?
Jesus said “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God:” “Now the just shall live by faith: But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” “Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is come be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.” (Remember the weak Christians whom your failure may stumble.)
True, our defaulting will not stop God’s work — even as Mordecai said to Queen Esther: “If thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time (from pleading the cause of the doomed Jews with the King at the risk of her own life), then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shalt be destroyed....” And Esther said: “fast ye for me.... I and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the King, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish!” But she overcame.
“They overcame him” (Satan — “that old serpent which deceiveth the whole world”) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” We are saved for Christ’s sake alone — because of His righteousness, His merit, His blood — but those who look back lose the reward of the Kingdom which is promised only to the steadfast. To the servant who has dealt faithfully with his Lord’s property is promised the unimaginable joy of His “well done” when He cometh and reckoneth with His servants (Matt. 25:2121His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. (Matthew 25:21); Luke 19:1717And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. (Luke 19:17)). But — what of those who have refused to be His servants? Awfully solemn are the King’s words; concerning them: “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.” H. R.