BRIGHT and clear was April 15th of 1881, when the Alabama left Glasgow for New York with many bright faces. A few were weeping because of the dear friends that were left behind, and handkerchiefs were kept waving as long as the crowd of friends on shore could be seen. After stopping at another port, then out to the open sea, —still calm and beautiful. All seemed to enjoy the voyage for two days, but the wind began to blow, the sea grew rough and many enjoyed the difficulty of walking, while the vessel rolled from side to side and plunged between the waves, — like hills all around, —then again lifted to the top of a wave, where the wild and raging sea could be seen. The sight was grand, but the anxious look on the captain’s face, told there was danger ahead. Yet music and dancing were carried on by the passengers. No thought or fear of God, no thought of their own eternal welfare, or how soon they had to face death. Merriment, laughter and what they called a good time, were all they thought of. Soon the good time was changed to trouble, the laughter to tears, and the merriment to (not only sorrow but) terrible grief. What caused such a change? Had they become more wicked, or had they less thought of God and their eternal welfare? No, they only then began to think with seriousness where they would spend eternity and cried to God for help. The storm had become more severe, the immense waves were breaking over the vessel, every hatchway and all port-holes had been made secure, but the waves broke through, filling the berths, drenching the passengers, and causing many articles to float around in the cabin. But the fear that filled the hearts, on that dark and stormy night, of those once merry people, seems as fresh in my mind today, as if it were yesterday. Those cries, “O, we are going down, we are going down and we have no priest!” still keep ringing in my ears. Why had they so much fear? Let me tell you, dear children. The reason is, they did not know the Lord Jesus as their own Saviour. They did not know what it was to have their sins washed away in the precious blood of Christ, or have Him as the One who bore the judgment on the cross which they deserved for their sins. They might have known that verse, “As it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment;” and therefore feared to die knowing they were sinners, but had they believed the next verse, “So 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,” (Heb. 9:27-2827And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28So 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 9:27‑28)), they would not have been afraid to die, but would have rejoiced, seeing there was no judgment for them, as Christ had borne it all when offered for sins upon that cross.
Dear children, you need not be afraid of death either. The thing for you to do is to be ready, and the way to be ready, is to believe that Jesus died for you, and therefore you will not have to bear the wrath from God due to you for your sins.
Carpenters soon repaired the vessel so all were brought through safely, and the next day many of those who had been frightened were laughing about it. Yet they were one day nearer eternity then, than the night before.
ML 06/04/1899