THERE will be no appearance of this case, Sir, for the accused was found dead this morning. "The words were addressed to a magistrate on the Bench of a Police Court; and, of course, the case was not heard. The" utmost penalty” of the law had been paid, and there was no more to be said about it.
"Found dead"—yes. The miserable woman had hanged herself, "I would rather die than appear in the police court," she wrote; and she had her preference. There was no appearance in the court; her offense was not made public there; she escaped the shame of exposure before her neighbors. Ah! for time! but what about eternity? "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)). Cited to appear before an earthly magistrate, she escaped by taking her own life; but the soul that is cited to appear before God as Judge of all will find death to have been no escape, the grave no hiding-place; for death and hell shall deliver up the dead which are in them, and they shall be judged every one according to their works. "I saw the dead great and small stand before the throne, and the books were opened, and another book was opened which is the book of life, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works" (Rev. 20:1212And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (Revelation 20:12)).
There, inscribed by the pen of God, stands the offense against Him and against "the powers that be" which He has ordained—the offense she tried to cover up by taking her own life. But, before an assembled universe, in that dread day, when heaven and earth shall have vanished, the poor guilty soul shall find, alas! itself exposed; exposed to the full light of the judgment of God, compelled to appear, and to give full account not only of such deeds, but of all deeds done in the body! A few shillings fine, a few days' imprisonment, may be averted; eternity in the lake of fire, with the devil and his angels, the righteous wrath of a sin-hating God forever and ever, cannot thus be escaped.
“Oh, harsh! unkind! cruel!" I fancy I hear some reader say; "Don't speak so of the dead.”
My friend, it is not I, but the word of God that so speaks; and it speaks of the dead in order to warn you, who are living. Be not deceived. "After death the judgment"—and that judgment is eternal, everlasting. "The Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins" (Mark 2:1010But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) (Mark 2:10)), but there is no forgiveness for the sinner who refuses it here. It is here, and here only, that God offers forgiveness. "Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave?" is an unanswered question. "There is hope of a tree if it be cut down that it will sprout again, etc., but man dieth, and wasteth away.... man lieth down till the heavens be no more." Then will the guilty be raised for judgment and be consigned eternally to the lake of fire.
There is no salvation beyond the grave; no "larger hope." Here on earth is salvation offered to you, today, plenteous, full, eternal and free as the air you breathe. Here there is hope—a hope too that maketh not ashamed, large enough to embrace any and every guilty sinner who will "flee for refuge" to it. There is forgiveness of sins, there is plenteous redemption, there is the freest, fullest mercy—offered gratis, this moment, to you.
On what terms? Simply that now you plead "guilty." “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them SHALL have mercy "(Prov. 28:1313He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. (Proverbs 28:13)). Confess them—to whom? to man? to a priest? Nay," I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions UNTO THE LORD, and THOU forgavest the iniquity of my sin "(Ps. 32:5). It is with God you have to do; with God alone. Against Him it is you have sinned; from Him, Him only, can you receive the pardon of all your sins. Tell Him your guilt, your sin, your misery; confess it all; you need not fear. He knows it already. And knowing it all—the blackness of your sins, the enormity of your guilt, it is God who says," Come now, and let us reason together.... though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isai. 1:18).
God has already taken up the question of sin and sins. Alone, with His beloved Son, in the darkness of Calvary, He went fully into it, and settled it when He made "His soul an offering for sin," "Him who knew no sin He made sin for us." And that Holy One, the Lord Jesus Christ, has died for the putting away of sin by the sacrifice of Himself. "The wages of sin is death," and God brought Him into the dust of death, but He has also raised Him from the dead; and God declares to you this day, " Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by him all who believe ARE JUSTIFIED from all things " (Acts 13:38, 3938Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38‑39)).
Hide your sins, and you perish, to be confronted by them in the day of doom, when there is no escape confess your sins now, and own them frankly, and you shall hear Him say, "I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins" Isa. 43:2525I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. (Isaiah 43:25)).
T.