WE read in the Bible of eight men, who lived, married, and had families. They lived to a very great age, and then of each one it is recorded, “And he died” (Gen. 5:3-313And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: 4And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters: 5And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died. 6And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos: 7And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters: 8And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died. 9And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan: 10And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters: 11And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died. 12And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel: 13And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters: 14And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died. 15And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared: 16And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters: 17And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died. 18And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch: 19And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 20And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died. 21And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: 22And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 23And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: 24And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. 25And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech: 26And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters: 27And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died. 28And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: 29And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed. 30And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters: 31And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died. (Genesis 5:3‑31)).
Reader, in the natural course of things, one day these three words must be true of you. You may have a lingering illness, your friends may watch around your bed as your life ebbs out. Or death may come suddenly without any warning. In a moment your soul may be required of you, and then? “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)).
Have you ever given this subject your serious attention? You may perhaps have insured your life, and, before doing this, may have spent hours consulting various insurance companies, and the different advantages they each offer, and at last you decided where to insure that those you may leave behind should be provided for at your decease. But have you ever given five minutes’ serious thought as to where you will be when that policy becomes payable?
Can it be possible that you have made arrangements for your wife and children, and none for your own future? We are living in a day when mockers and scoffers at God’s Word abound, but all their mocking and scoffing does not affect it. Heaven and hell are still realities, and each day as it glides by brings you nearer to the one or the other.
A Christian was once asked by a skeptic, “Tell me where hell is, and I will believe in it.” The answer came quickly, “Hell is at the end of every Christless life.”
Reader, are you without Christ? Have you lived all these years with your soul in danger of eternal ruin? Wake up now. The three words at the head of this appeal may be true of you this very day, and what an awful thing it would be to wake up when too late. Then you would be lost forever-evermore beyond the reach of grace in hell.
Listen to the sweet story of God’s love. He saw a world of sinners, lost, ruined, and undone; sinners going their own downward path, blinded by Satan and unconscious of their danger, and “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)). The Lord Jesus came, as sent by God, and on the cross “put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Heb. 9:2626For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:26)). He took the sinner’s place, suffered for sin, and bore the judgment that was due to sin. “Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)). “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)). How this describes our condition!
Why not then believe the good news of God’s love, and of God’s salvation, as told out in the gospel? The believer can say of the Saviour, He “was delivered for OUR offenses, and was raised again for OUR justification. Therefore being justified by faith, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 4:2525Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:25); vs. 1). He has made peace through the blood of His cross, and when we believe on Him, His precious blood cleanseth us from all sin (see 1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)).
Not only can the believer enter into peace with God, but, more than that, he can rejoice in hope of the glory, that is, he can look forward with joy to the time when he shall see the One, who has saved him, face to face in the glory (see Rom. 5:22By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:2)). No wonder the rich farmer we read of in Luke 12:16-21,16And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. (Luke 12:16‑21) who neglected these eternal truths, and lived only for time, is called by God, “Thou fool.”
In closing I once again beseech you, for your own soul’s sake, as well as for Christ’s glory, wake up, and settle this matter before you are five minutes older. Again I repeat that perhaps, even today, it may be said of you, “And he died.”
A. B.