HEAVEN OR HELL?

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Apr 18, 1906

ONE night a young English sailor stepped into a mission in New York City. At the close of the meeting when he was leaving, some one put into his hand a little card, on which was printed the following: “If I should die to-night I would go to ——. Please fill out and sign.” The sailor put it in his pocket, went back to his steamer, and stuck it up in his bunk, without thinking much about the words. Crossing the Atlantic, he was thrown from the rigging in a storm, and, falling to the deck, broke an arm. He was carried to his bunk, and as he lay there alone his eye fell on the little card, and the message went home to his heart. He thought, “If I should fill that card out honestly now I should have to write in the word hell. But I’ll not fill it out in that way.” And lying there in his bunk he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour, and surrendered his whole being to Him. He filled in the card with the word heaven, and signed his name. Returning to England, he soon got another ship for New York, and on arriving there he walked to the mission and handed in his card. Suppose you had a card like that to sign to-day. Which would it be, heaven, or hell?—Selected.