“AND will you never go to a dance again because you are a Christian?”
The words were spoken indignantly by the owner of a handsome face, whose large, dark eyes were flashing their ire upon her sister, some two years her junior, who had lately been brought to know the Saviour’s love, and was seeking to make it known. “Because,” the speaker continued, “I think it is utter nonsense. There is no reason why you should not come with me as before.”
K― and M― were in former times constantly together in all the gaieties which the village life afforded, but now a change had come over M—, for, since knowing Christ and His love, these things had no attraction for her, which was altogether unaccountable to her worldly sister, and hence the above conversation, to which M― gently, but firmly, replied―”No, dear, I cannot go with you any longer; I could not. To do so would be dishonoring to Christ. I have no pleasure in the things of the world, and dear though you are to me, Christ is more dear; and I long for you too, dear K―, to know the love of Christ―you would find the world’s pleasures to be, as they are now to me, a vain and empty show.”
Here M― paused, and her sister quickly replied, her eyes again flashing angrily― “I am sure I do not want to be a Christian, if to be so means giving up everything! There’s time enough when one is obliged, and if you cannot come with me I will go alone!”
Unsaved reader, there are many like poor deluded K—, and possibly you are one of the many, but if you are determined to have the world and its so-called pleasures, you, too, must “go alone.” How awful to be without Christ―oh, what utter loneliness without the knowledge of His love. What eternal loneliness when He rises and shuts to the door, and you, if unrepentant, will be outside, alone forever, as far as Christ is concerned. Nothing then will avail―the world you sought will have gone, and the pleasures you courted will all, all have ended, and given place to pain and endless remorse.
If death should knock at your door now―he is a constant visitor here―how terrible for you if still a neglecter and rejecter. You will then have no choice, alone you must go into eternity.
Stop and consider. Will you go alone, or like Rebekah of old, when asked, “Wilt thou go with this man?” say as she said (beautiful answer), “I will go!” (Gen. 24:5858And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. (Genesis 24:58)). I pray you decide for Christ just now.
E. A. M.