A half-century ago, on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean was the city of St. Pierre, with about forty thousand inhabitants. It was one of the most godless cities in the world, almost without any representatives of religion living there.

A small band of the Salvation Army came and began to preach Jesus and His death on the Cross for sin. After some weeks, at one of their meetings a storm of persecution arose. Amidst roars of derisive laughter, the mob proceeded to show what they thought of the Cross by crucifying a pig in the marketplace. Then the governing body of the city ordered the Salvationists to leave the city at once, and in a day or two they were on a steamer returning to their home country.

Close to the city towered Mount Pelee, an inactive volcano. While at times there had been smoke and some mild shaking of the earth, it had been quiescent for a century or more. But no sooner had these Salvationists gotten out in the bay away from the city than God uncapped that volcano and in a few moments the city was destroyed, with ashes falling hundreds of miles away. Only eight persons were found alive when searchers returned.

 

From: CHOICE ILLUSTRATIONS By Earl C. Wolf, Selected From The Compilations Of W. W. Clay, Beacon Hill Press, Kansas City, Mo. First Printing, 1965

 

 

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