“Almost persuaded,” now to believe;
“Almost persuaded,” Christ to receive,
Seems now some soul to say!
“Go Spirit, go Thy way,
Some more convenient day.
On Thee I’ll call.”
“ALMOST persuaded!” What solemn words for any man to utter; yet they were uttered once, and in principle they are being uttered day by day, by the hundreds who throng the churches and chapels of our land. My reader, “Are you a Christian? Have you got your sins forgiven? Have you got eternal life?” You say, “No.”
Then literally you are only “almost persuaded.”
You go to a meeting, you hear a solemn warning, or it may be a loving invitation given in God’s name; you realize for a few moments, the tremendous importance of having salvation—the urgent necessity of fleeing from the wrath to come. You are interested—aroused—convicted, but alas! not converted, though you leave the place with the full intention of having the matter settled between you and God. But Satan is ready to catch away the good seed which has been sown. You find an invitation on your return home, to a ball—a concert—theatricals—next week. You feel you must accept it—you cannot yet give up the “friendship of the world,” though you know that it is “enmity with God.” Oh! poor soul! poor soul! How all heaven mourns over your indecision! God warning; and you indifferent. Christ pleading; and you unaffected. The Holy Ghost striving; and you resisting. What will the end be? the end so near—so close at hand.
“Almost persuaded!” Harvest is past.
“Almost persuaded!” Doom comes at last.
“I have my business to attend to, my family to look after; I have no time to think of these things,” was the reply of a well-to-do tradesman, to whom I was saying a few words about Christ. Ah! he had time to settle his accounts—time to visit the public house—time to go to the theater; but, no time to think about Christ—no time to thank God for the gift of His Son—no time to look eternity in the face.
Is it so with you? Oh! beware. There was another man, of whom we are told, that as Paul reasoned before him of “righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come,” he was so deeply affected that “he trembled;” but what did he say: “Go thy way for this time, when I have a convenient season I will call for thee” (Acts 24:2525And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. (Acts 24:25)). And so Paul, the aged prisoner, was led. back to his dark damp dungeon; and Felix returned to his life of luxury and pleasure, and the “convenient season,” so far as we know, never arrived, And if you are only “almost persuaded” today, and death were to lay its relentless grasp upon you tonight; let me warn you, you would be altogether LOST. If you the only “almost” saved; it is to be altogether lost.
Lost for eternity.
Very urgent was Eliezer’s entreaty: “Send me away, that I may go unto my Master.” (Gen. 24:5656And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master. (Genesis 24:56)). His Master’s was a message which admitted of no delay—no indecision.
The answer must at once be given. And so the damsel was called, and the question was put: “Wilt thou go with this man?” And direct and definite came the ready response: “I will go.” There was no hesitation—no indecision—no demand for delay, from the one whose heart had been sought for Isaac. Her whole future was, as it were, staked upon the reply to that question. Hence it was one, she felt, not to be trifled with. All the joy of union with Isaac—all the glory and honor of connection with him, might be forfeited by an undecided reply. And so we find, that friends and relations, who would have hindered the ready (they may have thought rash) acceptance of the message, saying: “Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten,” are unheeded. And promptly and confidently she decides to go!
These are just two pages out of the life histories of two persons, written for our admonition by the Spirit of God. In the one case we see a man “almost,” in the other, a woman altogether “persuaded.” In the one we see a man unsatisfied, and yet undecided to become a Christian. In the other, a woman satisfied, and decided to go to Isaac (type of Christ in resurrection).
Only a page out of two life histories; short, but Oh! how solemn. Only a servant delivering a message; by two persons to be so differently received. Only a moment; when unknown to each, the turning point in life’s road is reached, and the goal is fixed for eternity!
And thus it is going on all wound us day by day. The many in the churches and chapels, “almost persuaded” —the few, fully decided for Christ. Which are you? Oh! if undecided up to this moment, we plead with you to be so no longer! How sad we think it, a noble vessel to be lost within sight of home. How solemn as well as sorrowful if you should be lost within sight of heaven! “Almost persuaded” to be a Christian— “almost persuaded” to be saved—
God places a period of time before you. He says, “Now is the accepted time;” nay more, He says, “Now is the day of salvation.” Beware of saying, “Tomorrow,” when God says, “Today.” Beware of saying, “By-and-by,” when He says, “Now.”
“Almost persuaded!” Come, come today;
“Almost persuaded!” Turn not away.
Jesus invites you here, angels are lingering near,
Prayers rise from heart’s so dear; Oh! wander come.
A. S. O.