IT has been the aim of the adversary from the beginning to deny God’s righteousness and ignore His kindness, but by the coming of Jesus into manhood, both were perfectly set forth; and, ever since, his device has been to falsify God’s Gospel concerning Him, and to induce men to ignore Him. Take an example. The writer was recently speaking to a man of intelligence on the subject of the soul’s security. A recent illness had made him think of it. He said his idea had previously been that when a man comes to the end of his history in this world, God would take account of all that he had done, good and bad; that all the good deeds would be put on one side of the account, and all the bad on the other. If a balance could be proved on the side of the good, he would be taken to heaven, and the bad not reckoned against him.
But if this were true, reader, and only one sinful creature taken to heaven on that ground, there would, at least, be one witness in heaven for all eternity who could say that, as far as he was concerned, the gift of God the Father and the atoning sufferings of the Son were totally unnecessary! What marvelous audacity so to treat God’s marvelous kindness! Every angel in heaven would so regard it; for what could better suit the ends of the great adversary?
As it is to be feared, alas, that like thoughts are becoming sadly common, let us look at it a little more closely. By way of illustration, let us suppose that you are a man of business, and have a customer who has got heavily into your debt. In response to urgent demands for payment, he comes one day to see you. Looking very pleasant, he says he has come to tell you that he is now fully resolved to pay ready money for all he gets; for that he has been given to understand that when his future cash payments amount to more than his past debts, you will clear him of all he owes! Would you not count such a thing as absolute madness, and plainly tell him so? Especially would it be so if you knew that he had been told, more than once, of one who would be willing to take the whole responsibility of his debt, if he wished it; but that he had harbored a very bitter feeling against this man for years, and when the offer was made he had angrily refused it, and said he would certainly never be beholden to him for anything whatsoever! Now do you think he would go away from you looking as self-satisfied as he came? We leave you, reader, to apply the simple figure; earnestly beseeching you, as you value your precious soul, to beware of such deceptions. The reality of a guilty history, be assured, must be faced one day by every one of us. “It shall even be as when a hungry man dreameth, and behold he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty” (Isa. 29:88It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion. (Isaiah 29:8)). “Bread of deceit is sweet, to a man (said Solomon), but afterward his mouth shall be filled with gravel” (Prov. 20:1717Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. (Proverbs 20:17)). And what satisfaction can a hungry man, waking up, find in a mouthful of gravel stones? Remember, this striking figure is God’s; and such will surely be the waking up of every soul who allows himself to treat God’s Gospel with indifference; and to accept any deception that would make the exercise of God’s Marvelous kindness unnecessary, solemn beyond words to express! GEO. C.