How often the callousness of the natural heart is betrayed, to whom God in grace so often speaks, telling of His love, yet warning of the result of rejecting that love.
It was my purpose, dear reader, to tell you how God solemnly spoke to one young man some years ago, who happily heeded His voice, which to him meant untold blessing. He was an ungodly young man (though the son of Christian parents), and indifferent to his eternal interests.
Lodging away from home, he shared his bed with a young fellow who could peacefully lay down his head at night, assured that, if the Lord came before morning, he would go to be with Him; for he had proved the efficacy and cleansing power of the blood of Jesus, which had cleansed him from all his sins, and he lived in the enjoyment of that blessed truth (blessed only to the believer) that the Lord shall gather His saints, both sleeping and living, to be forever with Himself.
One night they retired to rest, both apparently in the best of health; but in the morning our young friend found his Christian companion lifeless and cold. The Lord had taken him away during the night. Oh, dear reader, rejoice with me that he was ready. He is now with the Lord who loved him and gave Himself for him, and is waiting for that bright and happy resurrection morning, so soon to come.
But his friend trembled. "Oh! thought he," had it been I, I should have gone to hell." He knew he was not ready to die. For a whole fortnight he shrank from going to sleep for fear of awaking in hell; and night after night the bed shook with his trembling. God had spoken to him, and death was now a reality. He meditated upon the goodness of God, in not having taken him away instead of the other, and he had no rest till he, like his companion, was assured that he was ready. The cry came from his heart, like the poor publican, who went up into the temple, "God be merciful to me a sinner." God heard his cry, and though he was such a godless sinner, opened His gracious arms to receive him. He believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and was saved, for he confessed Him as his Lord, and with his heart believed that God had raised him from the dead. "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Dear unsaved reader, I am assured that God has spoken to you. Perhaps you have had a serious illness, and more than once been brought down to the point of death; or God may have taken away some cherished object;—a loved companion, a fond wife, a devoted husband, or perhaps your dear little child. If so, it was but to turn your heart to Himself. You may have sorrowed and brooded over it, yet thought not of Him, who gives and takes away too. The writer knows what it means to have loved ones wrenched from one's heart, but through grace this has given him to value more and more the one Friend, dearest of all, who comfortingly says to His own, "Lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end.”
I can sympathise with you, dear reader, if any of these have been your experiences, but the purpose that God has had is to turn you as a lost sinner to Himself, lest you go on in your sins, and eternally perish. Perhaps you have said to your soul, "Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry," and God has broken up that false peace, thus calling your attention to eternal realities. Careless sinners in this world have been likened to a company of blind men dancing around a pit. One by one they fall in, no effect being produced thereby upon those still remaining. But why? Oh, they were blind! And the last one, when left alone, still dances as lightly as the others had done, till he falls in.
This reminds one of those solemn words, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."
Reader, I plead with you to heed God's warnings, for mark, He warns you in grace. He warns you of the danger you are in, while telling you of the refuge there is in Jesus, His own beloved Son. For He (blessed be His name) has taken the sinner's place, when He was made sin upon Calvary's cross, suffering the awful judgment of sin, as the ancient prophet says, "We did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed... the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." God can now say of the repentant sinner," Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom." Jesus has died to deliver from death all who believe in Him, and bring them to God on the ground of perfect righteousness, yet perfect love. And though God has appointed a day in which He will righteously judge the world, yet there is a refuge for every poor sinner in Christ, the Lamb of God. Judgment can never touch any who are sheltered by His precious blood. O my careless friend, be careless no longer, for there is no escape for those who neglect so great salvation. W. G.