The Titanic's Last Hero
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Preface
1912 Preface
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chatper 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
The Titanic’s Last Hero
A Startling True Story That Can Change Your Life Forever
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© 2012 by Ambassador International
All rights reserved
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Printed in the United States of America
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ISBN: 978-1-620200-05-6
eISBN: 978-1-620200-006-3
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Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version.
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Cover Design and Page Layout by David Siglin
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DEDICATED TO BILL GUTHRIE OF GLASGOW, SCOTLAND,
a concerned Christian who kept the story of John Harper alive. He collected materials, questioned acquaintances, and even attended the funeral of John Harper’s daughter. Without his research and work, this book would not have been possible. He has rendered a great service to the work of Jesus Christ.
PREFACE
JOHN HARPER HAD BEEN DEAD for eighty-five years when he changed my life dramatically. In 1997, I was in the Harper Memorial Baptist Church in Glasgow, which was renamed for their heroic first pastor, John Harper. There I met Bill Guthrie, a member of the church, who has a fantastic knowledge of Harper. Guthrie furnished me with a rare copy of the original book on Harper, church documents, and related accounts from people whose families had known this heroic Scotsman.
My personal experience with Harper’s story made me determined to pass it on to as many people as possible. This is done with the conviction that the life of John Harper is capable of leaving an indelible imprint upon all who become acquainted with his passionate passage through this world.
Harper stood as a giant of unselfishness in a world where most men are obsessed with looking out for “number one,” a giant of sacrifice in a world where most men are unwilling to deprive themselves, a giant of passion for souls in a world where few men possess a deep desire for the salvation of their fellow men.
The testimonies and tributes in this book were printed under the title John Harper: a Man of God. John Climie wrote the 1912 preface, the second chapter, and compiled the comments of acquaintances and converts who knew John Harper. Their writing was done at the request of Pastor George Harper, the brother of John Harper. These original accounts have been edited very little to preserve the 1912 Scottish style.
Joseph Addison, an English essayist, said, “Unbounded courage and compassion … make the hero and the man complete.” Harper embodied the courage and compassion that made the complete hero.
—Moody Adams
A PREFACE TO
John Harper: a Man of God
PUBLISHED IN 1912
THE EDITORSHIP OF THIS VOLUME has been undertaken at the request of Pastor George Harper, who has rendered most valuable assistance and whose tender and loving tribute to the memory of his brother will be read with special interest. As the biography is composed mainly of tributes by various writers, it has been impossible to avoid duplication. But it has been considered proper that the tributes should appear as written, since each contributor writes from his own standpoint.
The sinking of the
Titanic
with its living freight has created a wail of sorrow throughout the civilized world. The idea of 1,523 lives being lost through the sinking of one ship is perfectly appalling. Even after the great ship was at the bottom of the sea, the newspapers, not knowing what had taken place, were announcing that the
Titanic
was “absolutely unsinkable.” But the forces of nature were too much for the mammoth liner. The waters in the polar regions had, under the keen breath of the north wind, massed themselves together, and from that ice zone came floating silently along the huge berg that ripped the steamer’s bottom and sent it to its ocean bed. “By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened” (Job 37:10). The iceberg straitened the Atlantic tract, and the great ship was sent to the bottom of the sea. That Mr. Harper should have been taken away in his prime has perplexed many.
We had ventured frequently within the past few years to predict for him a great future of usefulness, but
“We know not what awaits us.
God kindly veils our eyes.”
We reverently bow our heads under the shadow of this great calamity that has bereaved us of one who lived not for himself but for the glory of Him who redeemed him with His own precious blood.
It is hoped that this small memento of a life lived for God and for the good of his fellow men will carry a blessing with it and be a stimulus to many. In this hope it is sent forth.
—
John Climie
197 St. Andrew’s Road, Glasgow
Photo of John Harper
CHAPTER 1
GOING OUT IN A
BLAZE OF GLORY
While the flames of other ambitions
flickered and died,
John Harper’s burned even brighter
as he sank into a watery grave.
When death forced others to face
the folly of their life’s pursuits,
John Harper’s goal of winning men to
Jesus Christ became more vital as he
breathed his final breaths.
AS THE DARK, FRIGID WATERS of the Atlantic crept slowly up the decks of the
Titanic
, John Harper shouted, “Let the women, children, and the unsaved into the lifeboats!” Harper gave his life jacket—his last hope of survival—to another man. After the ship had slipped beneath the silent water and left Harper floundering, he was heard urging those around him to put their faith in Jesus Christ.
It was the night of April 14, 1912, a night for heroes, and John Harper met the challenge. Though the waters swallowing him were bitterly cold and the sea about him was dark, John Harper left this world in a brilliant blaze of glory.
Harper’s heroics were spontaneous. He had no reason to expect the
Titanic
to sink nor time to write a script. A trade magazine,
The Shipbuilder
, labeled the
Titanic
as “practically unsinkable.” On May 31, 1911, an employee of the White Star Shipbuilding Company said, “Not even God Himself could sink this ship.” The
Titanic
reflected all the security, luxury, and confidence of the Victorian-Edwardian era. The Associated Press was sold on the ship, declaring that “all that wealth and modern workmanship could produce was embodied in the
Titanic
, the longest vessel ever built, over four city blocks in length with accommodations for a crew of 860 and a passenger capacity of 3,500, she was built with as much care as is put into the finest chronometers.”