Capsized on Life's Sea by Daniel Nettleton

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Dec 19, 1916

FromSigns of the Times, December 19, 1916

Capsized on Life's Sea

By Daniel Nettleton

A Pleasure-Loving Age Overtaken as by a Snare

By DANIEL NETTLETON

"In such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing." Matt. 24: 44-46.

As I was on my way by ship to Seattle, Washington, an incident occurred which helped me to understand better, and made more impressive, the words of our Master at the head of this article.

It was a beautiful spring day, with no clouds, no wind. A calm was on the sea. The golden sunlight was flooding mountain and vale; and the green forests of fir, refreshed by the late rains, were smiling their thankfulness. Beautiful Puget Sound never appeared more lovely.

As our good ship Kulshan was plowing through the placid waters of the sound, we passed a small rowboat, in which a man and a woman seemingly were having a very happy time, fishing, talking, and laughing, all unmindful of the waves started by our ship. They were not watching, and were unprepared for the shock of the waves that struck with force and capsized their small craft. They were thrown into the water, but fortunately were rescued. Had they been watching, and ready to meet the waves in a proper way, they could have avoided a plunge into the cold sea, and danger of death by drowning. Likewise many of God's professed people go along their way carelessly, neglecting to watch and pray; and when some great wave of temptation strikes them, they are unprepared, and so go down. And this time, no one is able to save.

Lost While Asleep

If David had watched and prayed, and been seeking to save some one, instead of indolently sleeping in that pleasant evening-tide, he would not have been overcome by temptation, and that dark blot on his otherwise illustrious life would not have been made.

If Samson had watched and prayed, and kept the covenant of his God, instead of sleeping in the lap of Delilah, he would not have been defeated, and, with the loss of his eyes, made to grind in the prison house of his enemies. The battle was lost while he was sleeping.

O brother, watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. You can be made strong, you can be "strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power," if you will pray, if you will seek the Lord with all your heart. But if you fail to do this, like Samson, you will awake some sad day to find that the Lord has departed from you.

If the disciples had watched and prayed with their Master in the garden, they would not all have forsaken Him when the mob came to take Him. If Peter had been less trustful of himself, and had sought the Lord earnestly in prayer, he would have been saved from his sad fall, and later his bitter tears of regret and shame.

The Lord lays special emphasis on the necessity for His church to watch and pray as the time of His second coming draws near. He says, "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." The "time of the end" to the world is a prayerless, gay, "merry-go-round," pleasure-loving time.

Through Enchanted Ground

John Bunyan, in his book "Pilgrim's Progress," represents Christian and Hopeful, just before they enter the Celestial City, as passing through the Enchanted Ground. The effect of the air and influence of the Enchanted Ground was to make them very drowsy. Indeed, they observed many fellow pilgrims who had come from the city of Destruction, and had passed all the dangers of the way, sleeping here, overcome by this miasma, the love of this world, all unmindful of the "eternal weight of glory" and joy of their Lord, that awaited them at the end of their way, and was so near.

It was only by earnest and persevering efforts, and helping each other by saying, "Let us not sleep, as do others," that they were successful in passing through this, the devil's last snare for Christians. Our Lord's words of warning to His remnant people are: "Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth."

Preferred Suffering

In Paul's photograph of the last days, which days, he says, are "perilous," he pictures the people as "lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God." And these sinful pleasure lovers he says would have "a form of godliness," but would deny "the power thereof"; and from these the faithful, earnest pilgrims must turn away, and run with patience the race set before them, looking unto Jesus, "who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Moses esteemed "the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt." He chose "rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season."

O brother, watch and pray, "lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping." If you would be among that glad company who shall lift up their heads when He shall appear in all His glory, and say, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us," and if you would be presented without fault before the presence of His glory, you must remember the words of Christ in Rev. 16: 15: "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame."

"Watch and pray, nor leave our post of duty, Till we hear the Bridegroom's voice. Then, with Him the marriage feast partaking, We shall evermore rejoice. "Watch and pray, the Lord commandeth. Watch and pray, 'twill not be long. Soon He'll gather home His loved ones To that happy vale of song."