IT was a crowded room, and as I gazed at all the hearers gathered to hear the preacher, I noticed some serious faces among the company. Several had been brought face to face with death some time before, and the stamp of eternal things had been left upon the soul. The preacher took for his text the two questions, “Where art thou?” (Gen. 3:99And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? (Genesis 3:9)), and “What hast thou done?” (Gen. 4:1010And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. (Genesis 4:10)), showing at first that by nature we were far away from God, and by practice, too, we were deserving of eternal damnation.
After the address was over, we had a few minutes’ prayer, and the speaker besought for his hearers immediate decision for Christ, asking the Lord that some might be led to say “Christ for me” tonight. We had a little homely appeal after this, the young people seeming loath to leave. The preacher then said that on coming through the continent of America, the railway guard was showing a lady a sight which, he said, she would probably never see again, and, pointing to a rock in the distance, he said: “That rock, madam, is called ‘The Great Divide.’ Two raindrops may fall from the same cloud, and one of them may fall on one side of the peak and roll away to the Pacific Ocean westward, while the other may fall on the east side and roll away down by the Mississippi out into the Atlantic Ocean.”
“Now,” said my friend the preacher, “make this evening ‘The Great Divide’ in your choice of this world or the next, the great turning-point in your life.”
There was hushed attention, and we felt that some hearts were musing what to do at this mighty crisis. As we separated, my friend spoke to one or two who had been listening very attentively to the address, and, much solemnized, were staying for a few moments. “Will you not say, Christ for me,’ tonight?” he added, to a young girl who was trembling with emotion. She hesitated. What did it involve, thought she. “Will you promise me?” he said. “There is only One who can save from sin and death!” Yes, she knew it well. But a short time before she had been called to feel the bitterness of the blank that death had made. She would “try.” But no, that was not what the evangelist wanted. Would she confess Christ, and take Christ for her Saviour and for her soul? With tears she promised to do so, and a few minutes after went quietly to the gentleman who had invited her to come, and said, “Sir, the speaker made me promise that I would say, Christ for me, tonight.” “Well,” said he, “what are you going to do?” “Why, sir,” she said, “I want Christ for me.’”
Then and there we poured out our hearts in thankfulness to the Lord for His gracious invitation, now accepted so simply by this lamb of His flock.
“Christ for me.” Only three words, but, my reader, do you know what they involve. Are you one who is “without Christ,” or will you be a sharer of His home and glory? Are you without Christ, and as such without hope, and waiting for the coming wrath? The Spirit of God has pleaded with you many a time, and you know your sins press heavily upon you. If you take Christ you will be safe. “He that hath the Son hath life,” saith the Scripture, but “he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:1212He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (1 John 5:12)), “but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)). Reader, pause and think; so terrible a possibility is to be averted if you
“Take, with rejoicing, from Jesus at once
The Life Everlasting He gives,
And know with assurance thou never canst die
Since Jesus thy righteousness lives.”
Take Christ, and you will be for Him here, and with Him in eternity. Can you truly sing―
“My heart is fixed, eternal God,
Fixed on Thee;
And my immortal choice is made,
Christ for me.
He is my Prophet, Priest, and King,
Who did for me salvation bring;
And while I live, I mean to sing
Christ for me.”
A. F. W.