Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

or, Perrault’s Generosity

Our “Tales of the Sea” are written more especially for those who are unconverted, that they might be led to see their danger and turn to Jesus the Saviour, for all that they need. But we must have a few pages also for those who have believed in the precious Name of the Lord. It may be that some who were unconverted when they commenced to read these tales have ere this turned their hearts to Heaven, and said, “Christ for me.” How happy if this is so! One thing is certain — if this is your case you will never regret having made such a decision.

Now it is the privilege of every Christian, whether young or old, to show forth in this world the character of their Lord and Saviour. In fact if we are not doing this, we are certainly coming short of God’s design in leaving us here. But if we are to be like Christ, and thus be true and practical Christians, we must understand first what He was and what He has done. Before we turn to the story of Perrault’s noble generosity, I will give you an incident which happened at the burning of the troopship “Birkenhead” in 1852, which shall feebly illustrate what the Lord has done and given for us.

Upon the ship there was a young officer — a mere youth, fresh from school. He helped to row one of the boats between the doomed ship and the shore with boatload after boatload of women and children. As the boat was making its last trip to the shore, the big ship made its last plunge, carrying 438 souls into the blue depths of the sea. Two men, who managed to escape the wreckage, reached the boat, and were taken in, in consequence of which it was laden to the water’s edge. A third swam up, and catching the side of the boat, begged to be taken out of the shark-infested waters; but it would have meant the sinking of the boat if his pleadings had been listened to, and he was refused. His agony and dread moved the heart of the young officer. He rose deliberately from his place in the stern of the boat and plunged into the sea, giving up his place to the drowning sailor. He struck out for the shore, but was never seen again.

It was a brave deed, the sacrifice of a noble heart; but our thoughts turn from it to the sacrifice of Christ. He took our place in the waters of judgment; He gave Himself for us. “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” He died that we might live, and that He might reveal to us the true character of God; and we understand now, as we look at the Cross of Christ, that God is love, He is the giving God — the God of matchless grace.

Now we who belong to Jesus are born of God, and we have received His Spirit that we might not live after the flesh, which is always selfish, but that we might be like Christ — always ready to serve others, not thinking of our likes and dislikes, but seeking the blessing and good of those around us.

Perrault was a Canadian, one of the party which the famous Sir John Franklin led on an expedition to the Polar Seas in the year 1819. Their sufferings during the whole of the expedition were very great; but in the early winter of 1820 they found themselves ice-bound in those cheerless regions with but a very small supply of food. This was carefully distributed day by day, but at length it was exhausted.

They were a band of brave and heroic men, but when they saw the last of the food handed out a great despondency settled upon them.

At this very distressing time, when they were all feeling keenly the fierce pangs of hunger, their hearts were greatly touched by a wonderfully act of unselfishness on the part of Perrault.

Day by day, as he had received his allowance of meat, he had put a portion by, of which none but himself knew, and now, when his companions had nothing, and starvation stared them in the face, he brought out the whole of his supply and divided it amongst them.

 Standing round the fire, their feelings were too deep for words. They wept their thanks as they silently partook of that which his unselfish generosity had supplied them.

A lump came into my throat when I first read that story, and I have very little doubt that Perrault was a Christian. Certainly it was a Christian act, and I do not wonder that the hearts of his comrades were deeply touched.

We read, “The Lord loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7), “Do good to all men” (Galatians 6:10), “To do good and communicate forget not” (Hebrews 13:16), and many other exhortations; and it is by finding our joy in acting according to these exhortations that the character of God shines out through us, and the folk with whom we come into contact learn that our God is a giving God. But a good many people whom we know have no need of temporal help. We can still show forth Christ in our dealings towards them in self-forgetting service and love. In this way we shall be following the Lord, who came not to be ministered to, but to minister.

But more important than all is to be able to distribute to them the Living Bread. Rich and poor, old and young, alike need Christ as Saviour — aye, they are starving without Him. If we know Him let us not weary in telling others of Him, and thus we shall be able to share what we have with them.

The blessed thing about so doing will be that our own supply will not be the less.

What Perrault gave away he lost, in a sense; but the more we speak of Jesus, and share what we know of Him with others, the greater our joy in Him becomes. As we scatter the blessing, we receive abundant measure ourselves — then
“Hide not the precious light,
 But keep it burning bright
 Until we hear His sweet
   Well done.’”