Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

A Deal Lifeboat Incident

Is it possible that the great God above can care for one soul amongst all the millions of the earth? It is, for the One who came to tell us all we know of the heart of God said “Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.” (Luke 15:10.)

God desires that all shall be saved; but He and all His angels rejoice over one. Have they rejoiced over you yet?

The lifeboat men will save the whole of the shipwrecked crew if they can; if not, they will rejoice to be able to bring even one safe to land. An instance of this is to be found in the records of the Deal lifeboat.

Looking out through his glass late one spring evening Richard Roberts, the brave captain of the boat, descried a new wreck upon the Goodwin Sands, and close to it a solitary man. He was running wildly about, afraid of standing still lest the treacherous sands should suck him in.

Only one man! was it worth while launching the lifeboat for his sake? The lifeboat men had no question at all about that, for as soon as the tide would permit there was a rush for the belts, and over the wild waves the boat leaped to the rescue. But to save that one man was no light matter. The night was inky black, and their eyes could see nothing. The waves roared over the boat, and, though they shouted and strained their ears for an answer, no voice could be heard above the noise of the sea.

They cast anchor and waited through the long night for the dawn. With the first grey light they caught sight of the object of their search. He was not more than four hundred yards away staggering towards the boat that had come to save him.

It was but the work of a few moments to get him off those deadly sands into the safety of the boat.

He was captain of a Norwegian brig which had run on the sands the morning before, and he had seen the six men that formed his crew drowned before his eyes. He had lashed himself to the windlass, and thus escaped the fate of the rest. When the tide fell and the wreck stood out of the water, he unlashed himself, and had for hours run up and down the sands, returning to the wreck again when the tide rose and night came on.

He received a British welcome when he reached the town of Deal, and, depend upon it, not one of the gallant lifeboat men grudged the labour and the hardships they had undergone because there was only one to save. Oh! the value of one soul none can estimate; the world is naught in comparison to it. For one soul, as well as for millions, Jesus died. For one soul He seeks to-day, and that one soul is yours.

Welcome Him, welcome Him now. Then over your one soul there will be joy in the presence of the angels of God.