VERY sudden death, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, very.”
“And somewhat remarkable that he should have fallen just at that particular time.”
“To what do you refer?”
“Why, did you not see the report? He was personating Mephistopheles, and was in the act of carrying Faust down to the pit when he staggered and seemed to want something to hold on by. So an eye-witness told a friend of mine. And next he fell on the floor of the trap, and died in a few minutes.”
“Yes, that certainly was an odd time in which to die. Some of these religious people talk about seeing the finger of God in it; they, of course, are sure to use a thing of this kind to illustrate their tenets.”
“Oh, yes! there are plenty who will want to point the moral; but no doubt the man had a weak heart or something of that sort, and the extra exertion just at that particular time was too much, and the weak part gave way. Of course, one would not choose to die while in the act of personating the devil―carrying down a man who had sold himself to him for so many years of pleasure to be gone through first―but it has to come some time, and this was that actor’s time no doubt.”
“Of course; but, by the way, did you hear about the scene at the grave?”
“I heard that there was something irregular, but didn’t happen to see the report.”
“Why, the clergyman fainted while reading the burial service, and they say that it was just at the time when he should have spoken that part about the committing to the grave in a sure and certain hope of a glorious resurrection; and a fellow-actor had to finish the reading. Of course my religious friends think this a kind of double argument.”
“Oh! of course they wouldn’t overlook that. A pure coincidence, or perhaps the parson had known the man, and was overcome at the suddenness of his death. Anyway, the play goes on as usual, and somebody else is now playing the same part, and he hasn’t died yet, so that will tone down your friends’ judgment’ views.”
Just so, my reader, but “be not deceived, God is not mocked.” We will not offer any opinion as to the point discussed above, but we do say, let it be a warning note to you. You, perhaps, are going on, thinking of nothing but pleasure and amusement. This man died in the act of affording amusement to a large audience. You know that your time to leave this scene must come. This man’s time came just at the moment when neither he himself nor anyone else expected it; yours may come similarly.
Are you prepared to face it? What are you sowing? What yield do you expect from the wild oats of amusement, and the tares of worldly pleasure?
Be not deceived. These are evil days―days in which the devil is busy deceiving; days in which men deceive and are deceived. What is before you? Do you say that the death at such a time of the man referred to above, and the incident at the grave, and so forth, were mere coincidences? We give you no opinion, but we do say that the time comes when God does show His hand, though He is wondrous in long-suffering.
Noah preached for over a hundred years, and there was no sign of coming judgment; but the set time having come, “all the high hills that were under the whole heaven were covered” (Gen. 7:1919And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. (Genesis 7:19)).
Nebuchadnezzar said, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?” (Dan. 4:3030The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty? (Daniel 4:30)). And the predicted “voice from heaven” said, “The kingdom is departed from thee.” Nebuchadnezzar fell.
Belshazzar went on and on, pleasing himself, and by-and-by had a feast if feasts, but in the very midst of it he has to hear the words of the prophet― “Thou hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wives and concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver,... AND THE GOD IN WHOSE HAND THY BREATH IS, AND WHOSE ARE ALL THY WAYS, HAST THOU NOT GLORIFIED”... “In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain” (Dan. 5:23, 3023But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: (Daniel 5:23)
30In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. (Daniel 5:30)).
Eighteen hundred years ago Peter wrote, as inspired by the Holy Ghost, “There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2 Peter 3:44And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. (2 Peter 3:4)). And we see in these last days plenty of these scoffers, as one of the evidences to us that the last days are here.
“BE NOT DECEIVED, GOD IS NOT MOCKED.” Men are deceived, they think that God is mocked. Be not deceived.
Let this striking incident which has just lately happened within a few minutes’ walk of where the writer now sits, whether a mere coincidence or not, speak to you. God has said that “there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:1212Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)), but the name of His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who died to save us from that doom, the realities of which men parody for amusement.
Do you believe in this name? Do you know this One? ARE YOU SAVED?
S.