The Last Convert - Story of a Baptist Hero

  

  There are many unsung heroes of the faith. Many who we will never hear their name, except when we get to Glory. If we look and listen though, God may reveal some of them to us, to show us the way, give us encouragement, and give us an example of what a true Christian should be. Recently, God has brought one such hero to my attention.

   On May 29, 1872, a boy was born Scotland. He was reared by Christian parents who were enthusiastic Baptists. His name was John Harper. When he was 14, he had a born again experience and never recovered from it. How I wish there were more Baptists who have never recovered from it! When he was 18, he began preaching in the streets to any who would listen. Another Baptist preacher, E. A. Carter was impressed by his "trench preaching" as if he were in battle. Carter placed John Harper in ministry in Govan Scotland and he became pastor of Paisley Street Baptist Church at 25 years old. The church grew from 25 members to over 500. The church was later renamed Harper Memorial Baptist Church in his memory.

   In 1903, John married Miss Annie Leckie Bell, and in 1906, they had their first and only child, Annie Jessie Harper. John's wife died a little later and left him a widower. He continued his ministry and was a much sought preacher, even coming to America to preach at the Moody Church in Chicago. Moody Church was so impressed with him, that they invited him back the following year. The year was 1912.

   Maybe you will recall a very famous event from 1912. It would be the year the famous Titanic would sink on her maiden voyage. Titanic would be the ship that John took to come to America, along with his 6 year old daughter and niece. John would never live to make his engagement at Moody Church. He evidently had another, more important engagement, that only God knew.

      On April 14, 1912, the Titanic hit an iceberg and began to sink. John quickly awakened his daughter and niece and put them in life jackets, and ran with them to the upper deck where the lifeboats were. He put the girls in a lifeboat, kissed them and said "I must stay behind, but remember I love you." As the people began to crowd the decks, John preached to them unceasingly, asking everyone "Have you been saved? Have you trusted in the Lord Jesus?" For two hours and forty minutes he preached. Maybe it was the longest sermon in history. He frantically went higher and higher on any place he could stand as the ship sank lower into the water. As the ship's band played "Nearer My God to Thee" John continued to preach, pleading with the people to trust in Jesus and be saved. He came to one man named Steve Crain, and asked him "Sir, are you saved?" The man said "No, I don't want to hear you sir, keep quiet." But John did not keep quiet, and later gave Steve his own life jacket, knowing it would likely cost him his own life. John told him "I won't need this, but you do since you're not ready to meet God. I am going up, not down." After the ship sank, John was clinging to a piece of wood, and the current brought Steve, who was also floating in the water with John's life jacket, around to John, and once again John asked "Sir are you saved yet?" Then Steve said, I am not but I want to be right with God." Then John led Steve to Jesus right before he sank into the cold, murky waters. This would be John's last convert.

    In New York, once they heard about the sinking, there was a large roster put up. As it was revealed who survived and who perished, they placed the names on a list divided into two categories, SAVED and LOST. The Titanic had 3 classes of passengers, First Class with all the benefits, luxury and special treatment, down to Third Class, with the rats and gruel for meals. However, when it came to who was "saved" and who was "lost" no class was listed, only names. Isn't that how it really is? No matter what "class" or privilege you have in life, all that matters in the end is whether you are saved, or lost.

   Steve Crain, along with John's daughter and niece, survived. Steve gave testimonies of how God saved him the rest of his life, and gave thanks to God always for John Harper. John's daughter married a Baptist preacher and missionary and had two children, serving her Lord all the days of her life. She lived until 1986. 

   Oh how I want to be like John Harper! Do I want to be on a doomed ship that is sinking? No, but I am. And so are you my friends. This ship isn't called Titanic, it is called Time, and it is sinking fast. I want to preach to all whether they are willing to listen or not and ask "Sir, are you saved yet? Madame are you saved yet?" I want to give them the life jacket Christ gave to me, and say as the Apostle Paul said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have I give to thee."

   I hope that although some may refuse to hear what I preach, that the waves of time will bring them back around to me, that I may ask, "Are you saved yet?"

                                                                                       Ken Mann