A CHRISTIAN once sat by the bedside of a dying man, whom he had been requested to visit, and spoke to him both faithfully and earnestly about the welfare of his precious soul. But alas! he seemed hardened and unconcerned. He then read to him from God’s Word the well-known narrative of the blind man, who sat by the wayside begging, and laid great stress upon the fact that he called upon the Lord while He was near, and that, consequently, he received the blessing for which he so earnestly sought, and further mentioned that had he not then seized the opportunity of calling upon Him, as Christ Jesus never passed that way again, he doubtless would never have had another; that he called, not only to the right person, but also at the right time. But the dying man seemed to have no ear for the truth, so his visitor left, praying that God would cause him to know his deep need.
A day or two later he again called upon him, only to find him as indifferent to eternal realities as before, and as he sought to arouse him to a sense of his lost condition, the dying man replied, “Don’t speak to me any more about it, for it makes me troubled.” To which the Christian responded, “My friend, it is far better to be troubled now than to be troubled throughout eternity;” but as he seemed opposed to further conversation, he again left. Shortly afterwards, he heard that he had departed this life, his words, as he passed from time into eternity being, “He’s passed me by, He’s passed me by.”
May the above serve as a warning to you, dear reader, not to trifle with eternal verities, which are more important than all the concerns of this life, for―
“To lose your wealth is much,
To lose your health is more,
To lose your soul is such a loss
That nothing can restore.”
Jesus Christ said, “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” God alone knows the inestimable value of your soul, and prizes its redemption so much that He gave His only-begotten Son, who stooped from the highest glory to taste the bitterness of death upon the cross, that sinners might not perish, but have everlasting life.
Hearken, again, to the cry of the dying man, “He’s passed me by,” and beware, lest you miss the passing by of Jesus Christ. He may have passed your way many times, so near that even your boon-companion may have called upon Him, and been delivered from the burden and guilt of his many sins. He will not always call, He will not always be passing, for the day of His grace will not last forever. Therefore avail yourself now of His mercy, for now may be your golden opportunity.
A. G.