How bright L— Bay looks this summer! The sun shining on the calm waters; motor boats laden with passengers plying to and fro from I— to and from L— to I—; bathers enjoying the sunlit waters; happy parties scattered up and down upon the rocky beach. It is a pleasant scene for the eye to rest upon. A continual coming and going, some on foot, some by buses, some by motor boats. L— is a beauty spot, a health and pleasure resort for health and pleasure seekers.
But very different sights have the inhabitants of L— witnessed, and far different sounds have they heard.
In L— Bay, in February, 1889, the whole crew of the “Lymington” were drowned one awful night, their cries for help being distinctly heard by those on land. All were willing to save, none were able. What a scene of death and desolation! The cruel rocky coast, the raging billows, the fierce storm, the piteous cries of the drowning men. Awful sight, awful sounds!
The coastguards and the rocket apparatus had been called out from I— to the distressed crew of the “Lymington”; but, in the agitation and excitement, a fatal mistake was made. The officer in command instructed his men to wait for him at the gates of I churchyard.
Sad to relate, he entirely forgot his own order, and hastened by himself to L— Bay, a distance of 21 miles willing to save the drowning crew, but absolutely powerless to reach them. Coastguards and horses and rocket apparatus waited in vain at the churchyard gates, till at length the owner of the horses refused to keep them standing in the bitter cold any longer. The coastguards were willing and anxious to save the drowning crew; but when they at last reached L— it was too late. The old fisherman of L—, George L—, a man of dauntless courage, declared he could have saved the drowning men with the rocket apparatus. He, too, was willing, but he was not able. NONE was able. ALL were willing to save. NONE was able.
In I— churchyard is a grave with this inscription, so faint in parts that it is difficult to read the whole: “Erected By Public Subscription
To the Memory of
Edward Miller,
Aged 22,
Whose Body Lies Below, And
To Seven Other Members
Of the Crew of the
S.S. “Lymington,”
Wrecked off L—,
Feb. —, 1889.”
And so the entire crew of the “Lymington” perished for lack of a saviour. Anxious, desperately anxious to be saved, as their bitter cries for help testified; but none appeared to be their saviour. There was none with power to save those drowning men from death in the raging waters. No saviour.
Dear reader, if you perish eternally, it will not be as with the crew of the “Lymington,” because there is none with power to save you. They had no saviour; there was not one able to save. Many saw the dire distress they were in; many heard their piteous cries for help; but not one had power to save. They could in no wise save themselves. And none saved them. But it will not be so with you. True, you cannot Save yourself. But the Lord Jesus Christ can save you, and He will save you if you will but put your trust in Him.
The leper in Mark 1:40-4240And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 41And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. 42And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed. (Mark 1:40‑42), doubted the Lord’s willingness to meet his need. “If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me whole.” “And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth His hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. And as soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.”
The father of the child possessed with a foul spirit, in Mark 9:17-2717And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; 18And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. 19He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. 20And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. 21And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. 22And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. 23Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. 25When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. 26And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. 27But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. (Mark 9:17‑27), doubted the Lord’s power to help. “If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”
The woman in Mark 5:24-3424And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him. 25And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, 26And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 27When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 30And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 31And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 32And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. 33But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 34And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. (Mark 5:24‑34), had an “If,” too, but it was the “If” of faith.
“If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole,” verse 28.
“HE IS ABLE,
“HE IS WILLING: doubt no more.”
“Whose fault will it be if you are lost?” asked a servant of Christ of some boys and girls at a meeting for children. “Our own,” answered a big girl. And, dear reader, if you are eternally lost, it will be your own fault, for “HE IS ABLE HE IS WILLING: doubt no more.”