ON the north-east coast of England there lived an infidel, who was solemnly warned as to how his course would end if he continued on it. He tauntingly replied to the person who warned him that religion was only for weaklings and children; it was not for great minds like his, albeit, some of the greatest minds of the last century were deeply affected by it.
In the course of a year or so he became suddenly unwell, and the worst was feared. He began to feel that the chill power of death was on him. As he neared its cold waters he found, like many others, that infidelity could yield him no comfort; it all fled from him.
He sent for the person who had spoken so faithfully to him. When she came she found his tune was changed. He was solemnly and deeply in earnest. No scoffing escaped his lips now. He was the “weakling” in the presence of one stronger than himself—the king of terrors and the terror of kings.
He began to let out how he felt as he saw nothing but death and the judgment of God ahead of him. An old companion in infidelity who had come to see him die, began to upbraid him for showing the white feather at the last, to which he replied: “Ah! Jim, it’s hard for a fellow to hold on to naught. It’s hard for a fellow to hang on to naught!”
Infidelity may do for a, man who loves his sins and wants to satisfy his lusts; but, alas! it can give no antidote for the sting of conscience, nor take away the fear of death, nor rid you of the terror of God’s righteous judgment.
An innocent man never felt, nor could feel, the sharp pricking’s of conscience nor suffer from the lashings of remorse, nor could death possibly be a terror to him. Why are most men so terrified of hell if there be none? If there is nothing after death why need any man be alarmed on his death-bed? Beasts are not alarmed at death.
“If there is no hell, why bother yourself to prove there is none?” was the quick rejoinder given by a young man lately converted to one who was scoffing and raising infidel objections against what the Bible says about future judgment. It was a sound argent, a great home-thrust, and a complete silencer.
Yes, and let us repeat it in the face of the brazen-faced infidelity of the present century. Why seek to prove there is no hell if such a place does not exist?
After all that has been said to the contrary, both by religious and profane sceptics, it is really hard for men in their sober moments to believe there is no future punishment.
Could conscience, that impartial tribunal that exists in every man’s breast, be got rid of, the difficulty would not be so great. But “conscience makes cowards of us all.” As another has said—
“With whip of scorpions, over bed of spikes,
In pinch of midnight darkness it chases guilt.”
Why so? Because we have all sinned against the God that conscience makes us feel we are responsible to meet. Conscience if allowed to speak will prove all guilty. An honest man will own and bow to the truth that this is so. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
Reader, if you have imbibed or are in danger of imbibing infidel notions, and will not be warned otherwise, take warning from the unhappy end of like rejecters of the truth.
Let it be solemnly and plainly, yet most lovingly, told. There is a hell, and many a bold blasphemer has had it kindled in his breast (like the one mentioned) ere he has left this world, just as many a believer has tasted the joys of heaven before going there. Every sinner who dies in his sins, and thus unrepentant, will surely find himself there forever, “where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched.” “He that believeth not shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
What a contrast was this to the end of a young man in the prime of life who died in the city of L—. The doctor told him to prepare for death and make his peace with God when he saw the end approaching. This was just twenty-four hours before he died.
With all the strength at his command that young man, so far from being afraid, exclaimed, “Make my peace with God, doctor! Make my peace with God, doctor! If I had that to do now I never could do it. But, thank God, Jesus made my peace with God.”
The doctor, who was standing in the bedroom at the time, left the room saying, as the tears flowed down his face, “Oh! Bobbie, Bobbie, I wish I could say that.”
Not terror nor the dread of coming wrath filled his soul. Peace, perfect peace, was his portion. Not the false peace that comes from trusting something he had done, or something he had been that others were not, but peace flowing from the knowledge of what Jesus had done for him. This alone gives true peace.
The ENJOYMENT OF PEACE is the result of the victory of Christ on the cross. His victory was complete over sin, the power of death, and Satan. The peace of those that believe in Him is forever settled according to God, and is as firmly secured as His righteous throne. “It is finished.” What a word!
If it be a question of the believer’s sins, Jesus bore them and exhausted the judgment due to them. If he exhausted the judgment of God due to us, there cannot possibly be any judgment for us. We never can come into judgment.
God has no claim on the one whose sins Jesus bore. He can never impute sin to such. Nay, more, He does not impute sins to such. He justifies us from our sins. If He justifies us from our sins, then we are acquitted of them. If we are acquitted of them, then we have never to answer for the least of them. “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree.” “And by him all that believe are justified from all things.”
The resurrection of Christ from the dead proves and establishes one fact beyond any possibility of a doubt, namely, that God is the justifier of those that believe. “He was raised again, or our justification.” It was God who raised Him.
This is a wonderful fact, especially when we remember that on the cross God forsook Him, and thus seemed to be against Him. He was left in the darkness of death to grapple with Satan’s power alone, while the judgment of a holy God rested on Him. “He who knew no sin was made sin for us.” Wonder of wonders! Think of the blessed holy Son of God being made sin for us.
Thank God this is past forever for Him and for us. Now we have a change of place, and so has He. “We are made the righteousness of God in him.” What a contrast and what a blessed change! It is a change from the deepest misery to the deepest joy. From the blackest darkness into the brightest light, even the light and joy of God’s love. “As he is, so are we in this world.” Marvelous statement!
Well may the believer rejoice and be full of confidence. Death has no claim, and ought to have no terror for us. “To die is gain.” Death can only conduct us into the Lord’s blessed presence. That should be no terror but the deepest joy. “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.” “Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”
Moreover, the Lord may soon come for us. If He bore our sins He bore them in view of the fact that He will come again and receive us unto Himself. Hence the apostle says, “So, Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
We wait for the redemption of our bodies. We wait to be conformed to the image of God’s blessed Son. We wait to be taken in the joy of the Father’s house, where His love will be more fully known and enjoyed. We wait to be displayed in the same manifested glory as Christ. “When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall we also be manifested with him in glory.”
No wonder the apostle encourages the saints who had lost all or given up all for Christ in this world, by saying that “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us.” “If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him.”
What a bright future and glorious prospect is held out to the believer. What has an unbeliever but death before him? (and however he may dislike the thought of it) “after this the judgment.” Besides no unbeliever is happy in the present. We are, thank God. His love and the sense of His smile resting on us makes us so happy that we could say to a king surrounded by all the pomp and glory of this world, “I would to God you were as happy as I.”
The present is only a little foretaste of the future, when we shall be at home with Christ, out of all the trials and temptations of this poor world, where no cloud will ever rise to darken the horizon of that sky, and where no tempest will ever break to cause the least discomfort or sorrow.
Reader, we invite you to come to Christ now. He will meet the need of your guilty conscience and satisfy your restless heart, and pleasures for evermore shall be yours. Come as you are and where you are. Do not try to improve yourself. He wants YOU. He will save you now, and give you the deep joy of present salvation. COME!
P. W.