“WHEN the doctor shakes his head and says, ‘I can do no more’; when I am asked to arrange my affairs, and give my final directions; when the door-knocker is muffled, and friends move softly about the sick-room, and speak in low tones—then it will be time enough for me to seek mercy, I shall pray and get pardoned.” So said a procrastinator.
Will you say likewise? Listen! The hour was late when a messenger arrived with a note. Its contents were urgent: “Come at once, a soul passing into eternity, without God and without hope.”
I reached the address given, and found a woman dying. Loving hearts and willing hands surrounded her couch, ready to minister to every need, and anticipate every desire. Only yesterday in health and strength, today face to face with eternity! ETERNITY!
Death’s powerful grasp had laid her low, and go she must. It was in vain to plead that she did not invite, expect, or prepare for him. Remorseless and relentless, he would not unloose his hold upon his victim. As I gazed upon the dying woman, I recognized her as one whom I had passed in the street, only a few short hours before. I bent at her side and repeated scripture after scripture, speaking of God’s grace and Christ’s precious blood. No sign or sound indicated that even with the outward ear she heard the word of life. Silently and sadly her immortal spirit passed into the unseen world without even a prayer. She had put off the salvation of her soul until a dying hour. That terrible hour had come.
Are you sure your end will not be like hers? The Christian friend, who urged me to come and see her, knew her well, and, alas, knew that she was the deluded victim of procrastination.
What of yourself? Can anything be more sadly solemn than to leave a happy home, a circle of loving friends, to pass through the valley of death, with no Saviour’s arm to lean on, no Saviour’s precious blood to trust in, no Saviour’s love to cheer the soul with light, and peace, and joy.
Then think of your destination. We will not speak of the undying worm, and the unquenchable fire, true though they are; but you are going where neither love nor friendship exists. Going where all are hateful and hate each other. Going into the abode of demons. Going to spend eternity with the whoremonger, the murderer, the thief, the liar. Going into the society of companions you would shrink from associating with in this world. Worst of all, going by your own deliberate choice, into blackness of darkness forever! No ray of light, or love, will ever penetrate that dread abode. You will pray, but prayer will not save you then any more than now. Prayer is not God’s way of salvation. Many a man has prayed earnestly and fervently, without repentance toward God or faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, when brought face to face with death.
Let me narrate to you an incident just before war was declared between Spain and the United States. Captain S—was commissioned to take a vessel to New York which had been purchased by the American Government. On board were several American officers. A more godless set it would be hard to meet. Their profanity was a constant sorrow to the Christian captain. After the vessel had been at sea a few days, one of the sailors came to the captain with an alarmed expression on his face. The captain followed him below deck, and discovered the hold was on fire. The powder magazine at any moment might explode, carrying certain destruction to the vessel and all aboard.
Captain S—returned, told the officers what had happened, warned and them that in a few moments they might be in eternity!
With blanched faces and terror-stricken voices they said “Captain, what shall we do?”
“Cry to God for mercy,” said Captain S—; “for myself I have nothing to fear, I shall go straight to my Saviour in heavenly glory.”
Sincere prayers fell from those godless men’s lips, as they were thus suddenly at death’s door.
At this solemn moment the captain thought of a way to avert the danger; so he said, “There is only one possible way the ship can be saved from being blown to pieces, that is by flooding the hold with water.” They caught at the suggestion, the water was turned on, and now apparently all was right. No sooner was imminent death removed than they began to laugh at their fears. Their language and conduct were as godless as ever. They were in the midst of their mirth when a new danger threatened the ship. During the needful repairs to the vessel before leaving dock, alterations had been made, and the engineer could not discover where to insert the key to turn of the water, which was now rapidly filling, the ship. A watery grave now confronted these godless men. They had escaped from one death only to encounter another. Again blank despair and terror seized them. Again they were bidden to turn to God for mercy, as their only hope lay in Him. Again they prayed. All indeed seemed lost, but at the most critical moment, when hope was almost extinguished, the captain heard a click, as he inserted the key, and he felt sure God had seen fit to deliver them from this death also.
After having satisfied himself that immediate danger from this quarter was over, he told them that there was after all a possibility that the ship might reach her destination, crippled though she was from the fire, which had affected one of her propellers.
Surely after this double deliverance these men will be altered characters? Alas, no! The immediate prospect of death over, they lapsed into profanity again: careless and unsaved they reached New York. Instead of acknowledging the hand of God in their deliverance, they laughed, and jested boastingly to their companions, but said nothing about their shaking knees, blanched faces, and terror-stricken hearts, at the prospect of death.
Whilst Captain S—was telling me of these men, I thought, Here is another instance of the deceitful nature of death-bed repentance.
How many confound the prayer of an affrighted man with repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. If you want to be safe for eternity, and ready for death at any moment, get saved now. The captain had committed his all to a living Saviour who has abolished death. He knew that a glorious home with that Saviour in the Father’s house awaited him. He could calmly look through death’s dark portal to life, light, and love beyond.
Tell me honestly, can you do so? Do not say, “I shall pray and get pardoned when death comes.” Perhaps like that poor dying woman, death may come to you in a form that deprives you of power to speak, or think, ere you breathe your last, or, if you can pray, your prayer may be like those affrighted American officers, without a spark of real repentance toward God.
CHRIST, not prayer, is the alone way of salvation.
Repent and believe. This is God’s way of appropriating that salvation, but it must be today to be sure of it. Delay, and one day God may say to you—I have called. Ye refused. You shall call. I will not answer (Prov. 1:24-3124Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 25But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: 30They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. (Proverbs 1:24‑31)).
H. N.