A SHORT time ago an accident occurred by the collision of a motor cycle and motor car. A young man, the owner of the motor cycle, had both his legs broken. A friend and I, who happened to see the accident, took him to the hospital of the town in which it occurred. After suffering for five weeks, and having all that money and skill could provide, he died.
How sad that the work of a few moments should have such terrible results. Let me tell you a little of his history, as I afterward learned it from his own brother.
His father died when he was seventeen years old; he then became the main support of the home. Being very shrewd, he soon made his way in the world, and became a very successful man, and at the time of the accident his prospects seemed very bright. This summer was to have been the best he had ever had. He had made plans to have a long holiday on the Continent; but, alas! he reckoned without God, and I am very much afraid he died without hope and without God.
Oh! how many there are who leave God out of the question. They make their plans for time, and forget the long eternity which lies just ahead of them. Are you guilty of such folly, dear reader? If so, I ask you with all seriousness, as the above incident is still fresh in my memory, to consider
“Where will you spend eternity?
This question comes to you and me.
Tell me, what shall your answer be?
Where will you spend eternity?”
This is a question of the greatest importance, and it concerns you, my reader. If I were to ask you about your earthly prospects, no doubt you would be quite ready to tell me.._ What about your prospects for eternity? Oh! be wise and look this matter straight in the face. Your earthly career will soon have an end. Then you will launch out into a long eternity. If you have taken the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour it will be an eternity of bliss; if not, an eternity of woe.
Oh, the joy of knowing Christ as one’s Saviour! Then, whether our time here be long or short, when the call comes, to go to be with Him is our happy prospect.
You know not how soon you will have to go. Great is the folly of putting off this great question of salvation. You need this Saviour, for the Word of God declares that “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)), and your own conscience bears witness to this fact. Yes, you need a Saviour, who alone can cleanse away every sin.
“God could not pass the sinner by,
His sin demands that he must die;
But in the Cross of Christ we see
How God can save, yet righteous be.”
In order to be your Saviour the Lord Jesus came down and bore the judgment due to your sins on Calvary’s Cross. “When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)).
It is a grand thing to be resting upon a foundation like this. God is satisfied with Jesus’ work; the proof is that He has raised Him from among the dead and seated Him at His own right hand, a victorious living Saviour. Now the message goes out to all that are in their sins, “To Him give all the prophets witness that, through His name, whosoever believeth on Him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:4343To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43)). Do not, I pray you, put off any longer, but take Christ as your Saviour now, and salvation is yours for time and eternity. God grant that you may. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2)).
A. H. P.