AFTER Sir Colin Campbell’s silent retreat from Lucknow, in the last Indian war, there was one man left behind, says Mr. Eres, in his personal narrative of the siege. “Captain Waterman, having gone to his bed in a retired corner of the brigade mess-room, overslept himself, and was forgotten. At two o’clock in the morning he got up, and found to his horror that we had already left. He hoped against hope as he visited every outpost; all was deserted and silent. To be the only man in an open intrenchment, and thousands of furious barbarians outside, was horrible indeed to contemplate; his situation alarmed him, and he took to his heels and ran―ran till he could scarcely breathe―and at length came up with the retiring rear-guard, mad with excitement, and breathless with fatigue.” He was saved, but surely the agonizing moment and merciful deliverance he will never forget.
Reader, there is a moment fast approaching when everyone who has not Christ, the Son of God, as his own personal Saviour, will be found in a far more awful position than Captain Waterman was that morning. At the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God, all those who are Christ’s, the dead ones raised, the living changed, shall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:16, 1716For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16‑17)). What a moment will that be for every soul “LEFT BEHIND”; every true believer in the Lord Jesus, indwelt by the Holy Ghost, by whatever name called by man, gone to be with Jesus forever, and all who are not His LEFT BEHIND. In which company will you then be found? It will be too late to flee there will be no escape, for God has said “they shall not escape” (1 Thess. 5:33For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:3)); “The hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding places.” LEFT BEHIND, not for the passions of cruel barbarians, but for the awful power of that “wicked one,” for the “strong delusion” (2 Thess. 2:88And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: (2 Thessalonians 2:8)), for the fearful woes of the “great tribulation” (Rev. 6), for the ETERNAL horrors of the second death, “the lake of fire” (Rev. 20).
Ah, reader! these are no cunningly devised fable; they are coming realities. Captain Waterman’s was a temporal salvation―the gospel of God proclaims an eternal one, through “the precious blood of Christ.” “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 3:1616For 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)).
The way of escape is still open; the door of mercy not yet closed―the exalted Saviour is still seated on high, able and willing to save, waiting to be gracious. When He rises up to take His own people from earth to heaven, the door will be shut―shut by the hand of God, therefore, without a moment’s delay, have to do with Hat who in wondrous love gave JESUS to die, whose “PRECIOUS BLOOD” is of such infinite value in God’s sight that He can now be “JUST and the JUSTIFIER of him that believeth in JESUS” (Rom. 3)
Reader, the Saviour God addresses you in His Word, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” “Now is the accepted time, NOW is the day of salvation,” Tomorrow may be too late. If Jesus comes today you will be LFFT BEHIND.
ANON.