By: General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army

On one of my recent journeys, as I gazed from the coach window, I was led into a train of thought concerning the conditions of the multitudes around me. They were living carelessly in the most open and shameless rebellion against God, without a thought for their eternal welfare. While my mind was thus engaged, I had a vision.

I saw a dark and stormy ocean. Over it the black clouds hung heavily; through them every now and then vivid lightning flashed and foamed, towered and broke, only to rise and foam, tower and break again.

In that ocean, I thought I saw myriads of poor human beings plunging and floating, shouting and shrieking, struggling and drowning; and they rose and shrieked again, and then some sank to rise no more.

And I saw out of this dark, angry ocean, a mighty rock that rose up with its summit towering hight above the black clouds that overhung the stormy sea. And all around the base of this rock I saw a vast platform. Onto this platform, I saw with delight a number of the poor, struggling, drowning wretches continually climbing out of the angry ocean. And I saw that a few of those, who were already safe on the platform, were helping the poor creatures still in the angry waters to reach the place of safety.

As I looked on, I saw that the occupants of that platform were quite a mixed company. That is, they were divided into different classes, and they occupied themselves with different pleasures and employments. But only a very few of them seemed to make it their business to get the people out of the sea.

But what puzzled me most was the fact that though all of them had been rescued at one time or another from the ocean, nearly everyone seemed to have forgotten all about it. And what seemed equally strange and perplexing to me was that these people did not even seem to have any care - that is, any agonizing care - about the poor perishing ones who were their own husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, and even their own children.

And then I understood it all. It was plain enough. That sea was the ocean of life - the sea of real, actual human existence. That lightning was the piercing truth coming from Jehovah's throne. That thunder was the distant echoing of the wrath of God. Those multitudes of people shrieking, struggling, and agonizing in the stormy sea were the thousands and thousands of unbelievers and ungodly people of ever kindred, tongue, and nation. They were all so unalike in their outward circumstances and conditions yet all alike in one thing - all sinners before God.

That great sheltering rock represented Calvary, the place where Jesus had died for them. And the people on it were those who had been rescued. They used their energies, gifts, and time in various occupations and amusements, professing to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. The handful of fierce, determined ones who were risking their own lives saving the perishing were true soldiers of the cross of Jesus. That Mighty Being who was calling to them from the midst of the angry waters was the Son of God.

My friends in Christ, you are rescued from the waters. You are on the rock. He is in the dark sea calling on you to come to Him and help Him. Will you go? Look for yourselves. The surging sea of life crowded with perishing multitudes rolls up to the very spot on which you stand. Leaving the vision, I now come to speak of the fact - a fact that is as real as the Bible, as real as the Christ who hung upon the cross, as real as the judgment day will be, and as real as the heaven and hell that will follow it.

Don't be deceived by appearances. All who are not on the rock are in the sea! Look at them from the standpoint of the great white throne, and what a sight you have! He is calling on you to jump into the sea - to go right away to His side and help Him in the holy strife. Will you jump? That is, will yo go to His feet and place yourself absolutely at His disposal?

You must do it. With the light that is now broken in upon your mind, and the call that is now sounding in your ears, and the beckoning hands that are now before your eyes, you have no alternative. To go down among the perishing crowds is you duty. your happiness from now on will consist in sharing their misery, your ease in sharing their pain, your crown in helping them to bear their cross, and your heaven in going into the very jaws of hell to rescue them. Now, what will you do?