Captain Ben Demeritt was in the fishing business off the coast of Key West, Florida. He was highly regarded in his trade by all around as one of the most able and reliable fishermen in the area.

In his early days, Ben had imbibed atheistic ideas and was zealous in circulating atheistic literature. On the docks and in the sponge sheds, when numbers were gathered together, he discussed these questions, asserting there is no God and we need no church nor Bible salvation. It was generally recognized in those discussions that he held up his side of the argument fairly well. He was a man with a tender heart and a genial disposition, and was generally loved by the people. Yet, underneath these atheistic theories Ben was not satisfied. He did not have peace of heart, conscience, nor mind.

One evening he heard a man preaching in the open air, and when he saw a company gathered around him, he joined them to hear also. This man preached the gospel, and Ben realized that he had never heard a man speak like this before. The preacher emphasized that all men were sinners by nature and practice. Then he made plain the fact that God was a just God, both in judgment and in mercy. This was all something new to Ben. In the closing part of his message, the preacher pressed the great fact that notwithstanding all his previous statements concerning man, yet God loved men, and that salvation was extended now to all men freely. He urged his hearers not to neglect this salvation. Then at the close of his message he announced another meeting in a small hall the next evening.

Ben returned home from this street meeting and recognized that this discourse gave him something different and more real than he had ever heard before. He attended the little meeting the next evening and sat in the back. The preacher again presented the gospel message and at the close pressed upon his hearers the great reality of God's love in the gift of His Son. He repeated again and again the well-known verse of Scripture, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Then, turning to this young man in the back seat, he said, "Young man, God loves you." This message went home as an arrow to his heart, directed by the Holy Spirit, and Ben entered a new world of thought and deep conviction.

That night was a dreadful one for Ben as he tossed upon his bed. Sleep fled from him. Hours passed as he contrasted the great difference between the sophistry of atheism, which he had imbibed and advocated, and what he had so recently heard in the gospel.

At four o'clock in the early morning after the terrible exercises of the past night when most people were still asleep, Ben fell upon his knees and sobbed out his confession of sin before God, imploring God for mercy and salvation. The Lord heard his prayer, and he arose from his knees a saved man. He had been born again, and John 3:16 was a great factor in his conversion.

After breakfast that morning, he started as usual for the docks to begin another day of fishing. On his way he met an old friend, Copeland Johnson. They exchanged greetings, and then Ben told Cope all that had taken place that night, and that John 3:16 was a great reality to him. This testimony that early morning was also an arrow straight to Cope's heart and conscience, and both men wept together and then parted for the day. Later they met again and when Ben unfolded to him more fully the salvation he now possessed, his friend was also brought into the light and present possession of eternal life.

Both of these men were close friends for many years. They read the Word of God together and prayed, and preached hundreds of times together on fishing docks and in the sponge sheds. Open air preaching was Ben's great delight. He took great joy in distributing gospel tracts and from his hands thousands upon thousands were given away as seed scattered for a golden harvest bye and bye. He was used of the Lord to influence many people in his work as fishing guide, some of them also being of great service to the Lord. Ben's last audible words, "Lord, take me!" were uttered on his death bed. Shortly after, he was present with the Lord.

—A.E.B.