THE following inscription I copied some time since from a tombstone in the graveyard of a small town in the south of England:— “Lord in mercy remember this Thy servant in the Day of Judgment.”
Who the person was whose dust lies beneath that stone I know not. Whether or not he had been washed in the blood of Jesus, and is now “present with the Lord,” is more than I can say, but what struck me in reading the inscription was that mercy was expected at the Day of Judgment. Now when that day comes the door of mercy will be forever closed. Yet those who inscribed the prayer on that stone are not the only ones who cherish the same delusive hope. Thousands are thus deceived.
Listen to God’s description of that solemn day. “And I saw a great white throne and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven flew away; and there was found no place for them.” (Rev. 20:1111And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. (Revelation 20:11).)
Where, poor sinner, will you be found then? How will you bear that terrible sight if still in your sins? Let us read further.
“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” None but the dead! All will stand before that throne who, during this world’s history have died in their sins; but no saved soul will be found in that sad company.
“And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works.”
Ah, we well know what the result must be for every one thus judged. The word of truth declares that “there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Rom. 3:1212They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Romans 3:12).) When on earth they despised God’s mercy, can they hope for mercy now? Nay, mercy is a thing of the past; they slighted it, and it is gone forever.
“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Oh, unutterable woe! unspeakable anguish! Who shall speak of the second death, the lake of fire, the eternal gnawings of the worm that never dies, unending remorse at the remembrance of rejected mercy slighted love, despised warnings? In life pardon, peace, and eternal life were offered to them, but when the glad sounds of the gospel fell upon their ears, they heeded them not, My reader, let not the enemy of soul; deceive you. He is seeking your perdition and to accomplish this purpose he cares not what lie he whispers into your ear. He may tell you of mercy in the Day of Judgment, but there will be none, there can be none in that final day. If you want salvation, you must seek it now; “Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
Tomorrow, next week, another time, these are lies of the devil. God promises no salvation then. In this day of His grace He is sending out to all the offer of salvation. His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, has accomplished a work on the ground of which He can righteously save every sinner who believes. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” and “by Him all that believe are justified from all things” (Acts 13:3939And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:39)), but if He be rejected, there is, there can be no other Saviour. G. J. H.