MANY years ago an English sailing vessel left London to go to India. When it arrived in the Bay of Biscay, fire broke out in the hold where a lantern had been carelessly dropped. For several hours the six hundred forty passengers faced death, either by fire or by drowning; the fire was spreading and at any moment it might reach the powder magazine.
One of the officers in command, a God-fearing man, had his wife and daughter on board with him. Foreseeing that all would likely perish, he wrote a few lines to his father in Edinburgh, and enclosed the note in a bottle, which he cast into the sea, hoping that the letter would be sent to its destination.
Suddenly a glad cry was heard, "A sail under wind." The ship had seen the "Kent," and was hastening to its aid. Eighty. people perished either in the flames or in the sea in their eagerness to leave the ship, but the rest were rescued and taken back to England.
Eighteen months later the bottle with the major's letter was found by a bather on the shore of the West Indies. The letter, although stained by sea water, can still be read as follows:
"The ship, Kent, Indianian, is on fire. Elizabeth, Joanna, and myself commit our spirits into the hands of our Blessed Redeemer. His grace enables us to be quite composed in the prospect of entering eternity.
D. W. McGregor,
Bay of Biscay."
Would this same confidence be yours in the presence of death?
What Jesus had to suffer to put away our sins is the proof of His great love. He died that He might have us with Him throughout eternity, and that we might enjoy His presence for evermore.
What Jesus had to suffer to put away our sins is the proof of His great love. He died that He might have us with Him throughout eternity, and that we might enjoy His presence for evermore.
Messages of God’s Love 1/21/1934