(Continued from last week)
FOR MORE than two hours Bob read from the Bible and the captain listened to every word, as well he might with death seeming to be near at hand. Every word that Bob had read conveyed light to his mind and his astonished soul soon saw sin as never before. The justice of God in condemning lost sinners to hell struck the captain with amazing force. And although he heard of the Saviour God had provided, still he did not see how he could be saved.
That night the captain slept and wakened by turns. His mind was occupied with verses Bob had read and the thought of what he had heard terrified him. The next morning when Bob came in he exclaimed: “Bob, I shall never live to reach land. I’m dying and soon you will have to bury me here at sea. But this is nothing — my soul, my poor soul! Ah, Bob, dear lad, what will become of my soul? I shall be lost forever!”
“No, no, master, don’t be alarmed; I believe you will be saved yet,” Bob replied.
“Oh, Bob, pray for me; get down on your knees and cry for mercy! Kneel down and pray for your poor wicked captain.”
The boy hesitated and the captain groaned, “God be merciful to me a sinner.”
“Oh, Bob, kneel down and pray for me.” Overcome by the captain’s pleas and his own sympathy, the boy fell on his knees and with heavy sobs cried out: “O Lord, have mercy on my poor dying captain. O Lord, I’m a poor, ignorant, wicked sailor boy. Lord, I don’t know what to say. Lord, the captain says I must pray for him, but I don’t know how. I am but a child. I’m glad to get him tea or do anything I can for him, but, Lord, I don’t know how to pray for him. Lord, have mercy on him. He says he will be lost; Lord, save him! He says he will go to hell; Lord, take him to heaven. He says he will be with devils; oh, that he may be with angels. Don’t let him perish, Lord. Thou knowest I love him and I’m sorry he is so sick. The men won’t come to him. I will pray while I can for him as long as he lives, but I can’t save him. Lord, pity my poor captain; see how thin and weak he is! O, comfort his troubled mind. Lord, I never prayed like this before. O, help me, Lord, to pray for my master.”
Rising from his knees, he said, “There master, I have done the best I could for you. Now cheer up; I think you’ll go to heaven.”
Captain Johnson was too much affected to speak. The simplicity and humility of the lad’s prayer had so much impressed his mind, that he lay back quietly, groaning inwardly with spiritual anguish. Bob left the captain’s cabin and went on deck for he was himself quite overcome.
In the evening Bob again read the Bible aloud and his master took in every word. When he finished reading Bob said “goodnight” and went to his own quarters.
ML-01/20/1963