HE HAD PLENTY OF TIME," was the brief but ominous statement of a Christian man at the funeral of one who had died suddenly.
He had reached all but the extreme limit, and therefore he had many an opportunity for the settlement of the most momentous question in life. He had plenty of time to eat and drink, plenty of time to buy and sell, plenty of time to make merry and live gaily— all that, and much more— plenty of time, too, to look into the future and to ask himself how things stood with him in reference to it—plenty of time to repent, to believe, to be forgiven, to become a child of God, and to live to His glory. But were these last done?
Now, my reader, I feel sure that you too have had plenty of time for this. Have you not? I can't tell your age, but it is not necessary to become old and grayheaded in order to have salvation.
No; this is a question that should be settled at once! Every moment makes it more serious. Oh! look into your future. Is it all dark and full of uncertainty? You feel that you have sinned, and the dread of meeting God is at times intolerable.
Many a young person makes this plan in his soul, that a short time before death he will devote all his attention to the matter of salvation, will acknowledge his guilt, and throw himself on the mercy of God. True, he is not certain that mercy will be shown him, yet he hopes so; and thus Satan lulls his conscience to sleep. He persuades himself that there is salvation at the eleventh hour; and, if he should spend the ten to himself, the few last moments will suffice.
But, unfortunately, there are two very forcible reasons against this common mode of procrastinating. The first is, that Scripture never speaks of an eleventh hour salvation. It loudly heralds a present salvation, and implies on every page that it may be now or never, and, just as “the Scripture cannot be broken," neither can it contradict itself. The passage that mentions an eleventh hour is dealing; with workmen in a vineyard, and not with sinners in their sins. It is a householder in quest of laborers, and not a Saviour in quest of sinners (Matt. 20); and a man who is a sinner cannot, as such, be a servant of God. The difference is most important.
And, second, if it did mean salvation, who can say that this is not the eleventh hour of his life?
The fact is, that no man had hired these laborers! They had stood all the day idle, and they accepted, notice, the very first offer. They did not once refuse. Who can say that he has not refused times without number? Have not you, my reader? Hence I return to my point, that God calls upon souls to come to an immediate decision, and gives abundant warning as to the consequences of delay. “Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things ... but now thou art tormented.”
Ah! reader, these "good things!" I pray you not to despise them these invitations, warnings, mercies, corrections, all designed to lead you to repentance. Shall it be said to your soul by-and-by, and soon, for ought that you can tell, "Remember," where memory—instead of being able to recall the moment when grace sought you, found you, cleansed you in the precious blood of Christ, made you a child of God, sustained you in your path of faith, and eventually placed you in glory— can only remind you of refusal after refusal— cold, heartless, deliberate refusal of every mercy God could show! What a retrospect, and what remorse will wring the soul that must endure such memories!
“I had plenty of time"— yes, plenty! Make use then of the present moment! The next may be too late! Are you a sinner? Come to Christ I Are you a great sinner? Come to Christi Have you sins of scarlet dye? Come to Christ His sufficiency is infinite. But come now—yes, COME NOW. J. W. S.
PROCRASTINATION is the devil's most potent soul drug. Its effects are most certain and lethal. Know therefore, O halting sinner, that it has been well called "the thief of time,"—"the thief of souls,"— “the recruiting officer of hell." Avoid it as you would the lake of fire! W. T. P. W.