C h a l k A r t
Peace In My Storm
An rough and ungodly sea captain lay in his cabin in mid-ocean, death staring him in the face. He shrank from the presence of the "King of Terrors" and the fear of eternity weighed heavily upon him. Captain John Coutts sent for his first mate.
"Williams, get down on your knees and pray for me. I have been very wicked, as you know, and I expect I shall die soon!"
"You know I am not a praying man, Captain! I can't pray! I would if I could!"
"Well then bring a Bible and read me a bit of it, for my rope is about run out!"
"I have no Bible, Captain; you know I am not a religious man."
"Then send for Thomas, the second mate, perhaps he can pray a bit."
The second mate was soon in the presence of his captain.
"Thomas, I am afraid that I am bound for eternity this trip. Kneel down and pray for me. Ask God to have mercy upon my poor soul!"
"I'd gladly do it to oblige you, captain, if I could; but I have not prayed since I was a lad!"
"Have you a Bible, then, to read to me?"
"No, Captain, I have no Bible!"
How awful the condition of a dying sinner on the brink of eternity without Christ! They searched the ship from stem to stern for a man who could pray, but they searched in vain; and for a Bible, but none could be found, until one of the sailors told the captain he had seen a book that looked like a Bible in the hands of the cook's boy, a little fellow named Willie Platt.
"Send at once," said the captain, "and see if the boy has a Bible."
The sailor hurried off and found the boy.
"Here, Lad, have you got a Bible?"
"Yes, sir, but I only read it in my own time."
"Oh, that is all right, my Lad,; take the Bible to the captain's cabin. He is very ill, and wants a Bible. He thinks he is going to die."
Away went Willie Platt with his Bible to the captain's cabin.
"Have you a Bible, Lad?"
"Yes, Captain!"
"Then sit down and find something in it that will help me, for I am afraid I am going to die. Find something about God having mercy on a sinner like me and read it to me!"
Poor Willie! He did not know where to read, but he remembered that his mother had him read the 53rd chapter of Isaiah just before he had left home. Willie turned to that blessed chapter that so fully tells of the love and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ in dying for poor sinners such as John Coutts, and began to read. When Willie got to the fifth verse the captain, who was listening for his very life, realized that this was surely his last chance to be saved.
"Stop, my Lad! That sounds like it! Read it again!"
Once more the boy read over the blessed words - "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed."
"Aye, my Lad, that's good--that's it for sure! Read it again!"
The captain's words encouraged Willie.
"Captain, when I was reading that verse at home, my mother made me put my name in it. May I put it there now just where my mother told me?"
"Certainly, lad, put your name in just where your mother told you and read it again."
Reverently and slowly the boy read the verse:
"He was wounded for Willie Platt's transgressions, He was bruised for Willie Platt's iniquities, the chastisement of Willie Platt's peace was upon Him; and with His stripes Willie Platt is healed."
When Willie had finished, the captain was halfway over the side of his bed, reaching toward the lad.
"My boy, put your captain's name in the verse and read it again! --John Coutts, John Coutts."
The lad slowly read the verse again: "He was wounded for John Coutts' transgressions, He was bruised for John Coutts' iniquities: the chastisement of John Coutts' peace was upon Him; and with His stripes John Coutts is healed."
"That will do, lad! That will do! You may go now!"
The captain lay back upon his pillow and repeated over and over again the precious words of Isaiah 53:5, putting in his own name each time as Willie had done. And as he did so, trusting the eternal Word of God and the precious Son of God the joy of heaven filled his soul. Was he saved? Yes, praise the Lord, he was saved! Another poor sinner for whom Christ died had received Him, had left the stormy sea of sin and had entered the peaceful haven of rest.
Before John Coutts fell asleep in Jesus he had witnessed to everyone in his vessel that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Man of Calvary, had been wounded for HIS transgressions, bruised for HIS iniquities, that the punishment that HE rightly deserved had fallen on his blessed Substitute, and with His stripes, the stripes that fell on Jesus, HE had been healed!
They buried the captain's body in the silent depths of the sea, but his soul had already found rest and peace in the presence of the Savior!
Peace In My Storm
An rough and ungodly sea captain lay in his cabin in mid-ocean, death staring him in the face. He shrank from the presence of the "King of Terrors" and the fear of eternity weighed heavily upon him. Captain John Coutts sent for his first mate.
"Williams, get down on your knees and pray for me. I have been very wicked, as you know, and I expect I shall die soon!"
"You know I am not a praying man, Captain! I can't pray! I would if I could!"
"Well then bring a Bible and read me a bit of it, for my rope is about run out!"
"I have no Bible, Captain; you know I am not a religious man."
"Then send for Thomas, the second mate, perhaps he can pray a bit."
The second mate was soon in the presence of his captain.
"Thomas, I am afraid that I am bound for eternity this trip. Kneel down and pray for me. Ask God to have mercy upon my poor soul!"
"I'd gladly do it to oblige you, captain, if I could; but I have not prayed since I was a lad!"
"Have you a Bible, then, to read to me?"
"No, Captain, I have no Bible!"
How awful the condition of a dying sinner on the brink of eternity without Christ! They searched the ship from stem to stern for a man who could pray, but they searched in vain; and for a Bible, but none could be found, until one of the sailors told the captain he had seen a book that looked like a Bible in the hands of the cook's boy, a little fellow named Willie Platt.
"Send at once," said the captain, "and see if the boy has a Bible."
The sailor hurried off and found the boy.
"Here, Lad, have you got a Bible?"
"Yes, sir, but I only read it in my own time."
"Oh, that is all right, my Lad,; take the Bible to the captain's cabin. He is very ill, and wants a Bible. He thinks he is going to die."
Away went Willie Platt with his Bible to the captain's cabin.
"Have you a Bible, Lad?"
"Yes, Captain!"
"Then sit down and find something in it that will help me, for I am afraid I am going to die. Find something about God having mercy on a sinner like me and read it to me!"
Poor Willie! He did not know where to read, but he remembered that his mother had him read the 53rd chapter of Isaiah just before he had left home. Willie turned to that blessed chapter that so fully tells of the love and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ in dying for poor sinners such as John Coutts, and began to read. When Willie got to the fifth verse the captain, who was listening for his very life, realized that this was surely his last chance to be saved.
"Stop, my Lad! That sounds like it! Read it again!"
Once more the boy read over the blessed words - "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed."
"Aye, my Lad, that's good--that's it for sure! Read it again!"
The captain's words encouraged Willie.
"Captain, when I was reading that verse at home, my mother made me put my name in it. May I put it there now just where my mother told me?"
"Certainly, lad, put your name in just where your mother told you and read it again."
Reverently and slowly the boy read the verse:
"He was wounded for Willie Platt's transgressions, He was bruised for Willie Platt's iniquities, the chastisement of Willie Platt's peace was upon Him; and with His stripes Willie Platt is healed."
When Willie had finished, the captain was halfway over the side of his bed, reaching toward the lad.
"My boy, put your captain's name in the verse and read it again! --John Coutts, John Coutts."
The lad slowly read the verse again: "He was wounded for John Coutts' transgressions, He was bruised for John Coutts' iniquities: the chastisement of John Coutts' peace was upon Him; and with His stripes John Coutts is healed."
"That will do, lad! That will do! You may go now!"
The captain lay back upon his pillow and repeated over and over again the precious words of Isaiah 53:5, putting in his own name each time as Willie had done. And as he did so, trusting the eternal Word of God and the precious Son of God the joy of heaven filled his soul. Was he saved? Yes, praise the Lord, he was saved! Another poor sinner for whom Christ died had received Him, had left the stormy sea of sin and had entered the peaceful haven of rest.
Before John Coutts fell asleep in Jesus he had witnessed to everyone in his vessel that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Man of Calvary, had been wounded for HIS transgressions, bruised for HIS iniquities, that the punishment that HE rightly deserved had fallen on his blessed Substitute, and with His stripes, the stripes that fell on Jesus, HE had been healed!
They buried the captain's body in the silent depths of the sea, but his soul had already found rest and peace in the presence of the Savior!