WHEN the Lord Jesus appeared to Saul of Tarsus, and arrested him in his-persecuting course by a glorious manifestation of Himself, it at once brought him prostrate on the earth. He says, “Suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me; and I fell unto the ground." But though blinded with the glorious light, humbled at the feet of Jesus, and crying out to Him whom he had so blasphemed, and whose members he had so persecuted, "What shall I do, Lord?” nevertheless, he found the feet of Jesus the place of rich and abundant blessing even for the chief of sinners. The Lord said unto, him, " Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do." Oh, that the Spirit of God might now show sinners that the feet of Jesus is the place of blessing!
Every one of us must have to do with the Lord Jesus. Each person will yet come before Him. Nothing can possibly hinder this. The joyful expectation of the Christian is, that he will see his Saviour's face, and be like Him.
Those who are not born again (unbelievers), will assuredly see Jesus too, but not with joy: as a wicked man once said, “I shall see Him, but not now; I shall behold Him, but not nigh." Many persons NOW turn away from the Saviour's name; they like to banish His blessed gospel from their thoughts; but THEN, “at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." This is God's decree, and it must be accomplished.
“The counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations.”
There is, therefore, no possibility of escape from having to do with Jesus; and I doubt not that those who will go away into everlasting punishment will send up a cry continually from the lake of fire that Jesus Christ is Lord.
This is very solemn, and makes the gospel a matter of such individual application and importance. Scripture says, "every knee,” "every tongue," " every one of us shall give account of himself to God." “Behold He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him! “plainly showing that men must have to do personally with the Lord Jesus. Now He graciously pardons and saves; THEN He will righteously condemn, and punish with everlasting destruction. What folly, then, it is to neglect His great salvation!
H. H. S.