GEORGE and Tom were two brothers; young men growing: up into manhood. Their parents were God-fearing people, and many were the prayers that had been offered up to God on their behalf.
They both attended a Bible class for young men; but Tom, younger of the two, was the more lively, and it was with great difficulty that the teacher of the class could get any attention from him. Often had the boys been spoken to, and begged to make the decision for Christ. One particular Sunday afternoon, his last on this earth, Tom was very inattentive and annoying. At the end of the hour the teacher, a very gentle and godly man, put his arm around Tom and spoke gently to him about the seriousness of trifling with eternal things, but Tom was annoyed and dragged himself away and went off home.
He was very quiet and had tea and went off to bed early. On Monday morning as usual Tom and his brother yoked up the horse to the cart and went off to the railway station coal depot for a load of coal. George took the horse and cart to the coal shoot, whilst Tom went up on to elevated rails to wait for the arrival of some coal wagons.
Whilst waiting there above Tom was talking down through the hole to his brother, but silently some detached wagons loaded with coal were coming to the place where Tom was waiting. Tom was leaning on the buffers of an empty coal wagon, when those loaded wagons came along and crushed him between the buffers. It was all over in a moment. Tom was dead, gone into eternity!
What a word of warning to all to be ready, how many there are who think that there is plenty of time, that someday they will decide for Christ and think about their eternal future.
Who knows what a day may bring forth? How often death takes away in a moment of time the very healthiest. We cannot take up a daily paper without reading of some cases of sudden death. The coroner’s verdict of accidental death, or whatever it may be, does not alter the solemn fact that such a one has gone into eternity. Gone to meet a holy God with his sins upon him, or to be with Christ, which is the assured portion of everyone who has accepted Christ as their own personal Saviour; those who can say, “He loved me and gave Himself for me.” Can you say, dear reader, “He bore my sins in His own body on the tree.” If not, why not? God gave His own beloved Son to die in your stead, that you might go free. If you do not accept God’s offer of salvation, then there is no escape for you. You will have to meet God with your sins upon you, and you will then hear the awful word “Depart”; God is saying “Come,”
Christ is saying “Come,” the Holy Spirit is saying “Come,” the Scriptures are saying “Come,” the preachers of the Gospel are saying “Come,” and this little paper says “Come.”
The door of mercy is open, waiting for you, but soon that door will be closed forever, and then you will hear the awful cry, “No Room! No Room.”
There is time this moment for you to make your decision, but you may never have another opportunity.
“GOOD TIDINGS.”