He Wouldn't Move for Man or Mountain

Harry R. Truman had lived at Spirit Lake in the shadow of Mount St. Helens in the State of Washington for 50 years. In spite of repeated warnings of an impending volcanic eruption, Harry refused to budge for man or mountain, the Associated Press reported, and continued:—

His sister and a friend said that the gruff, stubborn 84 year old patriarch of Mount St. Helens is probably entombed in the lodge he refused to leave. "It all happened so fast. There was no chance at all" that Harry was able to scramble from his lodge to a secret mine shaft he talked about, said his sister, Geraldine Whiting.

Mrs. Whiting said she tried to persuade Harry to seek safe quarters miles from the volcano. But he was determined to "spit in the mountain's eye" rather than relocate. "It was useless," said Mrs. Whiting.

When Mount St. Helens blew, a sea of rock and hot mud covered Truman's lodge at Spirit Lake to a depth of 30 feet.

Rob Smith, who delivered mail and provisions to the lodge Saturday, the day before the eruption, said he also tried to persuade Truman to leave. "There is absolutely no chance Harry survived," said Smith.

Whether Truman made it to his secret mine shaft in time is doubtful. In any case, 30 feet of mud and rock cover his lodge and he is presumed dead.

The warnings given to him repeatedly advised and urged him to get away from the impending volcanic explosion. Just so in the message of the Gospel there is an urgent pleading to "Flee from the wrath to come." God has appointed the day in which He will judge this world in righteousness. Indications of this day are more numerous and clearer than ever before in the history of the world. The Gospel tells of Christ, the only Refuge for sinful man. He died for our sins, was buried and rose again, and He is the Deliverer from the coming wrath of all who put their trust in Him.

In the days of Lot, only those who fled, Lot and his family, escaped the fire and brimstone that destroyed the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

There are no secret hiding places of one's own making in which one can hide from the wrath of God. How solemn it is to realize that in the day to come those who refuse to flee from the wrath will call for the rocks and the mountains to fall upon them to hide them from the face of Him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb!

Christ Jesus is both Saviour and Judge. To heed the warning and flee to Him as Saviour now, by faith accepting Him as the Lamb of Sacrifice who died and rose again to shelter sinners, means eternal life and deliverance.

To despise the warning and refuse to come to Jesus will mean eternal death, as Jesus says, "Ye will not come unto Me that ye might have life" (John 5:40). The solemn truth of God's warning in Proverbs 29:1 will be tragically fulfilled, which says: "He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."

Harry Truman is dead so far as this life is concerned. If he died trusting Christ, he is sheltered in Him forever. If he never trusted the Saviour, "The wrath of God (far greater, heavier and unmoveable than the 30 feet of mud and rock) abideth on him" (John 3:36).

Oh, heed the warning! Flee! Believe and live forever!

—D.T.J.