DURING the last summer Duchess X. gave a garden party at her beautiful and stately home not far from London. Detectives were employed to safeguard the house and the guests, many of the latter carrying valuable jewelry on their persons, whilst the former contained many things of costly worth. These detectives are men of good appearance, who would pass without remark among the guests, and who are trained to know by sight all the nobility and gentry likely to be the guests on such an occasion.
During the course of the afternoon they observed a guest quite unknown to them with a suspicious manner. They approached him, and asked politely to see his card of invitation. This not being forthcoming, they inquired if he knew the Duchess. He assured them he knew her very well.
“In that case," they replied, "if you know the Duchess quite well, she will surely know you. Come this way, and we will see.”
The unhappy man had to go, and soon found himself in the presence of the Duchess.
The detectives said, "Does Your Grace know this gentleman?”
She looked at him narrowly, and replied that she was not acquainted with him.
Then rough hands were laid on the unhappy man, and he was unceremoniously turned out.
FOUND OUT AND TURNED OUT.
Aye, and the day is fast coming when many an unconverted choir singer, an unsaved Sunday-school teacher, an unregenerate communicant, will be likewise found out and turned out.
“He knoweth them that trust in Him," wrote the prophet Nahum long years ago, and his testimony is true to-day. Do you know the Lord? Yes, replies many a mere professor. If that is true, then the Lord will know you, for "He knoweth them that trust in Him." The time will come when your profession will be thus put to the test.
We are exhorted to strive to enter in at the straight gate. There is no room for anything but reality there. Soon the Master of the house will rise up and shut to the door. How despairing will be the answer to those who will clamor for admittance, "I know you not whence ye are." Useless will be their reply, "We have eaten and drank in Thy presence, and Thou hast taught in our streets.”
But again the crushing answer shall come, "I know you not whence ye are; depart from Me all ye workers of iniquity." And away to the weeping and gnashing of teeth will they be forced to go.
Just think for a moment. "We have eaten and drank in Thy presence." Unconverted, unhappy communicant, ponder over that when next you think of taking the Lord's Supper.
“Thou hast taught in our streets." Yes, alas! that is only to their greater condemnation.
Professor, the gospel has been preached faithfully in your hearing; the good news of God's love and Christ's work has been again and again pressed upon your acceptance. Better, far better, be one of those countless tribes in Central Africa, who have never heard the gospel, never heard the sweet name of Jesus, the Savior of sinners, than to be like you with a false profession stumbling into hell over Bibles and preachers and opportunities.
May you find out your mistake before it is too late. Go to the Lord yourself. Without a card of invitation in your hand He will receive you, if you go in your true colors to Him now. He says, "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.”
But die with nothing more substantial than a false profession, you will find the detectives bringing you into the presence of the Savior and He will not know you, for you have never trusted in Him, and all that justice can do will be to describe you as FOUND OUT AND TURNED OUT.
May God save you from this awful doom that awaits each mere religionist dying in his sins, and give you to be a real believer on the Lord Jesus Christ and to really trust in Him, for "He knoweth them that trust in Him.” A. J. P.