IT had been a time of real blessing to many souls at B—, the good news had been simply and faithfully preached, and many had received it.
One evening in (articular, while the preacher dwelt much on the solemn words of poor Felix to Paul, in Acts 24, “Go thy way for this time, when I have a convenient season I will call for thee,” many felt the power of the truth, and confessed it to have been a season of unusual solemnity. Shortly afterward, after the preaching one Lord’s day evening, a sister in the Lord asked me to accompany her to the house of her sister who was dying, and whom she feared was not a believer. When we reached the sick chamber, where the poor emaciated sufferer lay, the husband, who with five or six of their children surrounded the bed weeping, said to me, “Will you pray, sir?”
Before speaking to him, I addressed myself to the dying wife, whose moans and expressions of anguish were most painful to witness, and soon found that all reason had fled, and that she was far beyond hearing or understanding anything, in fact, death had already laid his cold hand upon her, and she had but a very brief span of suffering here, but what about the eternal future?
I turned to the poor weeping husband, and said, “My dear man, what can I pray for now for her? Tell me, what about her soul; has she received the truth of God about His Son? when did she speak last, and what did she say?” Her sister, who had asked me to see her, said, “At four o’clock she spoke last to me, I asked her, Are you trusting in Jesus, dear sister; is your soul saved?” and she replied, “Don’t trouble me now, I have enough to do to bear my pain.”
These were apparently the last words she had spoken. I found on further inquiry, that she had been one of the hearers at the gospel preaching the evening alluded to, when the last words of Felix to Paul had rung with solemn import in many ears and hearts, that she had been apparently much impressed, and that she was then laid aside, and had not been out since.
I turned again to the husband and said, “You ask me to pray; my earnest prayer to God is, that neither you nor one of your children may ever be found in the state of your poor wife here.” To Him who reads the secrets of every heart we left it, but with the solemn conviction that she had said to Him, “Go thy way,” “Depart from me, I desire not the knowledge of thy ways” (Job 21:1414Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. (Job 21:14)).
Soon after our visit she died; another among the many solemn instances of hearing the word, trembling at it, and nevertheless saying, “Don’t trouble me now,” “Go thy way for this time.” Her convenient season never came. Reader, has your convenient season come? Are you rejoicing in the last words of the dying Saviour— “It is finished,” and knowing that His finished work has made you meet for heaven? Or are you still where Felix was, and his last words yours still?
“Go thy way for this time.” Take heed in time, trifle not longer with your immortal soul, the language of the trifler will get its answer. “Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways,” is the sinner’s words to Christ now, but His words in “that day” will be to such— “Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity, I know you not” (Luke 13:2727But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. (Luke 13:27); Matt. 25:1212But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. (Matthew 25:12)).
Now, is your convenient season; it may be your last; your tomorrow may be the lake of fire!
W. R. H.