Illustration:
J. H. Crowell went to work on a sailing vessel at the age of 16. He was the only Christian among a crew of 12. Before leaving home, he had promised his mother he would continue his devotions and pray three times a day. When the other sailors discovered his piety, they taunted him and poured buckets of water upon his head, but they could not put out the fire in his soul! As time passed the intensity of the persecution increased. One day they bound him to the mast and beat him with 39 stripes, but still he prayed. Finally they tied a rope around his waist and threw him overboard. Realizing he might drown, he asked God to forgive his tormentors, and pleaded with them to send his body home to
his mother. "Tell her I was faithful and died for Jesus!" he said. When they thought he was dead, they pulled him back on deck, but to their surprise he regained consciousness. Conviction from the Holy Spirit came upon some of the sailors, and two of them were gloriously saved. Later the captain and several others were also converted. This unusual experience highlights the wonderful power of faithfulness which characterizes the overcomers.