WHEN engaging a servant the other day, one of the conditions put before her was, “that she might be surprised some morning to wake up and find herself quite alone in the house, on account of the Lord Jesus Christ, having, during the night, taken the inmates (who were all saved souls) to be forever with Himself.” “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then WE WHICH ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN SHALL BE CAUGHT UP together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16, 1716For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16‑17)).
At first the young woman hesitated a little, probably because she was not herself one of the Lord’s people, and had not father, mother, brother, sister, or any near akin to take her in if such a thing happened, ―but finally she agreed to the terms. Not being able to read even the A.B.C.s, she did not possess a Bible; and one was presented to her one morning after the family reading. On handing the book to her, I said, “Jane, before giving you this book, which is God’s Word, I wish to read you one verse out of it, and it is this ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life’” (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)).
This verse I read to her twice, with one or two others, which she soon committed to memory, and which the Holy Spirit, I believe, used, in blessing, to the salvation of her soul; for she soon afterward became anxious about her sins, owned her true place of needing a Saviour, trusted the blood of Christ, and has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and is saved and knows it. “The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:8, 9, 108But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:8‑10)). So that this girl has not now the fear of being left behind, but is ready and waiting, with joy, for her Saviour and Lord to come and take her, with all His own, to Himself, who has “loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” Moreover, she bears a bright testimony to her old companions, who have turned their backs upon her; but, in exchange, she has become possessed of numbers of brothers and sisters beyond all expectation. She is learning to read, and her soul drinks in the Word of God whenever she hears it read. Truly is it written: ― “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple” (Psa. 119:130130The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. (Psalm 119:130)). “FAITH COMETH BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD” (Rom. 10:1717So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)).
But I ask, Has that Word yet entered the ears of your soul? and have you been turned from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God, received forgiveness of sins and inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? “He that receiveth into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty” (Matt. 13:2323But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (Matthew 13:23)).
You may have read your Bible through scores of times, and know every word of it by memory, and be yet in your sins, ―spiritually stone-blind, deaf as a post, a heart as hard as adamant, and as near the eternal lake of fire as ever you were.
Wake up, then, I pray you. “HEAR, and your soul shall LIVE” (Isa. 4:33And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: (Isaiah 4:3)). Better far go to glory unable to read your A.B.C.s, than to be eternally lost with your head cram-full of the mere letter of the Scripture, that will at last sink you, if possible, more deeply in perdition! “The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:12, 1312For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:12‑13)). We earnestly appeal to you, dear reader, to listen to God’s Word, which also says, “He that believeth, on the Son hath, everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; BUT THE WRATH OF GOD ABIDETH ON HIM” (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)).
By this you plainly see, you have either eternal life, or are under God’s wrath, that may burst upon you at any moment! You are either exposed to being left behind for judgment, or are ready for the Lord to come and take you home to glory. If not the latter, may God in mercy meet you!
J. N.