"Do You Know How the Time Is Going?"

 •  10 min. read  •  grade level: 9
 
Or, a Mariner’s Question for the Stranded Year.
DEAR reader, ere I unfold the little tale connected with this heading, I would affectionately ask you to pause for a moment and apply the question to your own soul, “Do you know how the time is going?”― then ask your heart does it not often feel an unsatisfied and restless longing for the accomplishment of some undefined period, when you pope things will be more satisfactory than they are now. I have never met with anyone in my journey through life who was quite content with the present; even in the most thoughtless, and so-called lighthearted, there was always a looking forward to something which they hoped or anticipated would yet come and make their happiness more complete, or if they had not already experienced earthly joy, something which would at last give it. And why is this? I think if you will read with me the seventh verse of the second chapter of Genesis it will explain: “And the LORD GOD formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” So you see by this portion of the word of God that the soul of man was and is the breath of God—consequently immortal, undying.
But Adam fell, and in chapter 3:19, we read, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it was thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
Now there are some in the present day who in blind willfulness close their eyes to the teaching of other portions of Scripture, and tell us this means annihilation of soul as well as body. To such we would say, turn to Rev. 20:12-1512And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:12‑15): “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God.... And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
In the early spring of this passing year, whose tides are so fast ebbing out, I became acquainted with a young seaman, Richard C—, serving on board one of the fine iron-clads of our British navy, an Admiralty warship. He had through the great mercy of God been led to see himself sinner needing a Saviour, and the love of that Savior had met his case, and given had joy and peace in believing. On one occasion I expressed a wish to know something of how he became converted, and turned from darkness to light, and from the things of time to those of eternity.
In humble hope that it might be blessed to some other poor sinner or brother seaman, he wrote me the following account.
“My conversion took place on ship-board. I was like most of the unconverted a pleasure-seeker, a lover of evil, delighting in mischief—and would endeavor to suppress every thought or sound of God. I had a companion like-minded although I had the vain opinion that I was a little better than he, for he was a great gambler. However, one quiet evening my friend (as I shall henceforth call him), was taking a walk on deck―I was below―and a Christian sailor was also walking the deck, and being desirous of knowing what o’clock it was, he asked my friend (using a sailor’s phrase), ‘Do you know how the time is going?’ ‘No!’ was my friend’s reply. The Christian in a soft tone uttered, ‘Dear me! there’s a man that don’t know how the time is going.’
“My friend overheard this, and asked the Christian what remark he made; upon which he was told that it was a very sad case indeed, if he did not know how the time was going with himself.
“My friend at once knew that his soul was alluded to; it made him think, and by God’s great grace he was converted the same evening―the Gospel’s great and good news having been conveyed to him by the Christian sailor. He at once sought me, and told me he had obtained everlasting life through Christ Jesus. 1 was greatly astonished, and told him I was very glad to hear it; but when he spoke to me about the Lord, I wanted to get away from him, and became more distant day by day. I was only too glad to hear of my late friend having to go away for a few weeks. About a week after he left I received a letter from him, full of the love of Christ, and entreaties to me to flee from the wrath to come. I glanced my eye over his letter, then put it away, thinking it was not for me. He begged me to answer it, and I did so, telling him that I hoped the Lord would be gracious to him, but not mentioning anything about myself. Soon after I had another letter from him, also full of entreaties, and that was treated in like manner. About six weeks passed, and my friend came back.
“When I met him, he asked me how I was getting on, and whether I had thought any more about my soul.
“‘Well,’ I replied, ‘I should like to, but can’t; it’s no use, I am too far gone; and I like the world too much to give it up just at present. I will think more of it by-and-by.’
“About this time another acquaintance of mine became converted, and he also entreated me greatly to look at the lost condition. I was in. Thanks be to our blessed Lord, HE made me look, and I saw my ruined state, but could get no further: I could not understand that Jesus died for me. The Holy Bible was put into my hands, and I was requested to read a little of the Gospel of John. Whilst reading the third chapter my thoughts were fixed―I might say rivetted―on the 14th verse, ‘And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.’ And so, I thought, ‘the Son of Man is lifted up.’
“It came to my soul in great clearness, for I could remember learning at school that the Israelites murmured against God and Moses in the wilderness, and fiery serpents were sent among them to punish them: therefore the people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee. Pray unto the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.’ And Moses prayed for the people. Then God commanded Moses to set up a brazen serpent as a remedy and safeguard against the deadly effect of the bite of these fiery serpents; so that those who looked at the serpent of brass in faith, were cured and safe (Num. 21:5-95And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. 6And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. (Numbers 21:5‑9)).
“Well, I thought, if it pleased God to save the Israelites by looking at the brazen serpent, how much more would it and does it please Him to save us by looking in faith to His own dear Son, whom He Himself set up (after undergoing all the agony of the cross) at His own right hand in heaven.
“I wanted no more; that was quite sufficient for me. ‘Thanks be to God!’ I exclaimed; ‘He has also given me everlasting life!’ I may add that now, when I receive a letter from my once worldly friend, I am addressed as ‘Dear brother in Christ Jesus.’ Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift!
R. A. C.”
Reader, whoever you may be, into whose hands this little paper falls, if you are still at a distance from God, I solemnly and earnestly repeat to you the same statement that was made to Richard C—’s friend by his Christian shipmate, “It is a very sad case indeed with you, if you do not know how the time is going!” and how the affairs of your soul are with regard to its state during an immeasurable and limitless eternity. If this little narrative should meet the eyes of any seaman, and for such, with affectionate desire on my heart, I have especially given it, oh! I beseech of you, dear mariner, buffeting the cold, dreary ocean of life, do not cast it heedlessly aside.
What would be the result of a cruise on the wide seas of earth without a compass? What the entering into a foreign and unknown port without a pilot? ―doubts, difficulties and disasters!
Or, if a great tempest broke over your shipping ropes, masts, and rigging to the winds and waves, how sad and appalling your lot without a lifeboat. Yet these dangers of earth are nothing to the hourly and daily jeopardy which your undying soul is in if a stranger to Christ. Oh, come to him, for He beseeches you, as He called Peter and James and John of old on the shores of Galileo when they least dreamed of the eternity of blessedness about to be offered them by the Son of the Most High God, so He now utters the same sweet invitation to you, “FOLLOW ME! COME! and I will make you FISHERS OF MEN”
Dear friend! do make Christ your pole-star, your lifeboat, your pilot? He is still the same loving friend, the same tender Saviour, who saw His poor, doubting, weak-hearted disciples of old toiling in rowing, with the wind contrary, deep troubled waters around, angry breezes overhead buffeting them back from the shore they sought to gain, and who came in the dark fourth watch of the night, walking on the stormy element, and bidding them be of good cheer and not afraid (Matt. 14:2424But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. (Matthew 14:24)). There as a day when John, the best loved was only a simple young fisherman mending his nets, but he obeyed that loving call, and what was the result? He could lay down his head on the holy bosom of Jesus, and pillow his troubles on the HEART of God manifest in the flesh; and from that heart of Divine compassion he personally learned the blessed message to our fallen race, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him not perish, but have EVERLASTING LIFE. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world THROUGH HIM MIGHT BE SAVED” (John 3:16:17).
Later on he tells us, “And this is the record, that God HATH GIVEN TO US ETERNAL LIFE, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son, hath life.―These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may KNOW THAT YE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE” (1 John 5:11:13).
Oh! be no longer content to float unconcernedly down the gulf of time, test the receding tides of another year, or at best a few brief years, drift you into the bottomless whirlpool of everlasting perdition. Be yours the happy choice, dear reader, to cast in your lot with those to whom the lips of Jesus accorded the sweet benediction, “BLESSED ARE THEY THAT HAVE NOT SEEN AND YET HAVE BELIEVED.”
K. B. K.