DURING the autumn of last year, I visited the popular Lancashire sea-side town of B―, to which thousands upon thousands of rich and poor alike annually resort. The greater number, alas! it is but too evident, go not only to derive benefit from the bracing sea air, but to find something that may for the time being help to gratify their poor unsatisfied hearts.
One day passing the Winter Gardens, one of the many places of amusement to be found in B —, I was much struck by seeing a large signboard exhibited with this announcement, “Entertainments all day, not a dull moment.”
I thought, “How like the devil that sounds, ‘Not a dull moment.’”
Pleasure seeker, be warned! The god of this world, i.e., the devil, is endeavoring to sink your poor deluded soul into hell, by trying to fill you with the fleeting pleasures of this poor doomed world, and he therefore uses every imaginable means to effect this. The gaily-decked ball-room is one of the many, the concert another, a nigger entertainment a third, ―anything and everything he would occupy you with, and not a dull moment will he let you have if he can possibly help it, se that your eternal future may be hid from view.
Perhaps you say, “Is it not true that the Bible says, ‘Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes?’”
Yes, that is so far correct, but I ask you to turn to Ecclesiastes 11:99Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. (Ecclesiastes 11:9), and read the whole of the verse, the latter part is very solemn indeed: “But know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.”
Ah! yes, my friend, God’s judgment will come at the end of all your pleasure-seeking here, and will seal your doom. Not glory with Christ, but damnation with the devil; not heaven, but hell―eternal hell, “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:4646Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. (Mark 9:46)). Surely such a destiny is terrible! Maybe you never thought it possible to be led on and on to such an end as this; but if your eyes are opened to see the danger to which you are exposed, and you are willing to escape such an awful eternity, thank God there is hope for you.
Hearken to, and believe these loving and blessed words, “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live” (Ezek. 33:1111Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 33:11)); also Jesus says, “Come unto me all le that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)). Therefore confess Tour sin and guilt to God; take your place before Him as a guilty, ruined, helpless soul, and say in the words of the poor publican, “God be merciful to me (the) sinner.” Turn then at once to Christ, He ‘is the only ransom whom God has provided to deliver you from going down to the pit, and “To him give all the prophets witness, that, through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:4343To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43); see also 13:38, 39). Thus trusting in Christ, you will be everlastingly secure. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1, 29-391There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)
29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:29‑39)).
Blessed, precious security, for nothing can separate you from His love.
Dear reader, I earnestly and solemnly beseech you to consider well what your eternal future will be. Remember! All the glories and joys of heaven may be thine forever, if thou wilt but come as a poor guilty sinner to God, and really believe in Jesus; on the other hand, if thou dost refuse to do this, and art content to have “the pleasures of sin,” which are only for a season, all the burnings of a quenchless fire in hell will be thy portion for all eternity.
“O Christ, what burdens bowed Thy head,
Our load was laid on Thee;
Thou stoodest in the sinner’s stead,
Didst bear all ill for me:
A Victim led, Thy blood was shed;
Now there’s no load for me.”
P. H. S.