Some years ago on the Gaspe coast, we saw a strange sight one evening. Four of us were paddling near the shore, enjoying the mirror like calmness of the sea, when we noticed a very long line of cork floats indicating the presence of nets, and at each end of the nets which extended from side to side across a bay, men were working, slowly drawing in the ends of the net, as they gradually drew it towards the sands at bay's end. Enclosed within the net were vast numbers of a small fish called "caplin", which the fishermen had enclosed outside with their net, and were now drawing ashore.
The closer the net was drawn, the more crowded became the narrowing space, till the pressure from outside was so great that thousands of the fish were forced ashore by their fellows, and lay gasping and struggling till gathered by the fishermen with scoops and shovels into baskets and containers, for their use.
Is not this a true picture of human life? Are we not enclosed inside the net of time with innumerable numbers of our fellows, all being drawn closer and closer, day by day, to an inescapable destination? True, we have a certain amount of freedom as we go about from place to place, but each day the freedom becomes more restricted, and we awaken to the fact, sooner or later, that there is a something, irresistible in its power, which is taking us along with it, which we cannot avoid, and as we see thousands of our fellows disappearing from among us, we realize that our turn must come in time, and we too will be called upon to leave our places here, and follow those who have gone before.
This is a true picture of life down here for all of us, but what about our destination? From earth's earliest history of human life, we read one ending, "And he died!" Gen. 5.
Yes, with two exceptions, that is the termination of man's career down here, until such time as the coming of Christ in the air for His Church.
Such being the case, where are we bound for? What is our portion after death? The only authoritive means by which we may know for a certainty, that which befalls the human race after death, is God's Word, —the Bible! In this we read that it is appointed unto men once to die and after this the judgment.
"The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." John 5:2222For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: (John 5:22). Now hear what this Judge Himself said, when He was here on earth, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My Word and believeth on Him that sent Me, Hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgment): but is past from death unto life." John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24).
Thus we have these authoritive assurances from God's own Word:
And on what ground should this great Judge promise this? Read the following: "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8).