"I had no idea that night, when God awakened me that I was listening to a sermon, preached purposely, against the evangelistic meetings being held in the town, or I would not have gone to the one at which I found peace the night following.”
The foregoing is in substance the comment G—made to some Christians on learning, shortly after he was saved, that his minister's sermon the previous Lord's Day night had been preached in opposition to the blessed work of God then going on in the town, and at which he had found the assurance of salvation; though the fact could not be denied that God, who is "sovereign," really used part of his minister's ill-designed sermon to awaken him to the need of getting "ready to meet God." But for that awakening, he would not have gone to the meeting where he found peace, as he had no desire for anything religious beyond the mere form of attending the church of his forefathers on Sundays, and paying that respect to his minister that he judged due to one occupying so sacred a position.
The "work of God" referred to had been going on for a few weeks in a small town. Gospel addresses had been given nightly by an earnest evangelist with great power, and souls were being saved at every meeting.
The following were the remarks made by the minister referred to.
"How impossible it is for anyone to be positive he has become a 'subject of grace.' In fact it is questionable if any since apostolic times could make themselves certain of that matter in this world. True, as we read of a few in the Bible, such as Paul, who had that certainty at times, but these were exceptions.
"Now what are we to think of the audacity of many in these days, who, we are told, go into a meeting utterly godless, and come out at the finish able to say they are saved. No, brethren, depend upon it, we need to be 'up and doing', if we want to be true Christians. A man's life at the longest is but short to prepare him for the 'life to come.'
"If any of you feel you have not lived in the past as you should have done, there is all the more need to give yourself to it now in real earnest, for again I say, 'there is no time to lose, if we want to escape hell and gain heaven.
"'wail yourselves of every means of grace.' If we go on living in carelessness, in the hope that we can become full-grown Christians within an hour, and thus be fit to meet God, we make a great mistake.”
Now, what was the effect of this remarkable sermon on the heart and conscience of G—? He was completely arrested by the latter part of it. The former part—text as well—like all the sermons he had ever heard, went over his head as if it had never been uttered. But when the minister said,
"There is no time to waste if we want to escape hell, and gain heaven," he was divinely arrested, and was held spell-bound to the finish, feeling most keenly what a dreadful failure his whole past life had been; how it had been wasted in sin and folly; and instead of attending to all the "means of grace" within his reach, he had attended to none, save going to church on Sundays. He went home with a very sad heart, almost despairing of ever being able to make up for lost time.
He lay in bed that night thinking over his minister's words, "There is no time to waste if want to escape hell and gain heaven," and "life at the longest is but short to prepare for the life to come.”
"Will it be worthwhile," he said to himself, "to attempt being a Christian now? Yes, I must try it, for I cannot make up my mind to be lost forever, The minister said, `if we had not lived a right life in the past, we might by greater earnestness become true Christians yet!' So, by God's help, I will now attend to 'every means of grace,' and thus do my best to escape the hell that I fear I should be sent to, if I was called to meet God in my present state.”
As he had fortunately missed the evil design of the sermon, and learned the day following there was to be a gospel preaching that night in the hall where the evangelistic meetings were held, he was fully determined he would not miss it, nor any such meetings, remembering well the exhortation of his minister to "avail ourselves of every means of grace.”
At eight o'clock that night he was found for the first time in a meeting of the kind, eager to hear all the preacher had to say, who took for his text, "Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2).
The preacher went into his subject with an earnestness that at once arrested the attention of his already anxious hearer. If ever two sermons, both in their object and substance, were diametrically opposed to each other, they were those G—listened to on these two successive nights.
The preacher drew special attention to the word "now," twice repeated in his text, showing that the poor sinner who believed in the Lord Jesus was a possessor of salvation "now." He further showed there was no other way of getting saved than through Christ, for there was "no other name given among men whereby we must be saved," but the name of Jesus (Acts 4:1212Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)). And to despise or neglect this salvation, which is now offered to all by free grace, would land all who did so in the "lake of fire" forever (Heb. 2:33How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:3); Acts 13:4141Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you. (Acts 13:41)).
"Those who were trying," he further said, "like the Jews, to work out a 'righteousness of their own,' in the hope that God could accept them on that ground, were making a fatal mistake. Nothing that we could do could ever satisfy God for the sins we had committed. So all who are saved, or ever will be, must be saved by the work of God's own Son, which He accomplished to the eternal satisfaction and glory of God when He died for our sins on the cross. His own words, as He bowed His head in death, 'It is finished,' conclusively prove that there is nothing left for the poor sinner to do. How could the work of atonement be finished, if it required the very smallest thing of ours added to it to complete it?
"Then if we want a proof that God is satisfied with the work of His Son, we get it in the fact that He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in heavenly glory as Man. This a righteous and holy God could not have done with the one who took the responsibility of all our sins and guilt upon Him, if those sins had not been fully atoned for, and put away forever from before His eyes.
"Further, it is from the glory where He now is, that the gospel comes, proclaiming in the ears of lost, hell-deserving, and hell-bound sinners a full, free, present and eternal salvation, to be received 'now,' where you sit yes!, where you are, and as you are!”
The preacher afterward referred to many Scripture proofs of what "God's salvation had done for the worst of sinners.
How the Philippian jailer got saved by it, when so miraculously wakened out of his sleep in the dead hour of the night; and all kinds of sinners since—the speaker among the rest. The proof is not wanting either that it is as effectual today as ever it was; for look how God has been saving souls here every night of late—many of whom are sitting before me now with the very joy of salvation' expressed in their faces.
"Now, should there be one here who is yet without this 'assurance' and joy of salvation,' but is anxious to have it,—thank God! he can have it 'now,' for 'now'— not tomorrow—'is the accepted time,' as our text shows. Tomorrow might find those who put it off till then, in the torments of hell.”
This, then, was in substance the gospel G—heard that memorable Monday night. For a time he felt more bewildered than anything else. It was so contrary to all he had listened to the previous night. But there was such power and point about it that he had the distinct conviction that he was listening to a God-given message for his own soul.
As the preacher proceeded, backing up the assertions he made by quotations from the Word of God, G—became more and more enrapt, listening as for life, till he was convinced that this "salvation" was the very thing he, a poor sinner, needed, and now wanted; and finally, as the speaker assured the anxious soul that it was offered to him "now" and only now he gladly closed with the blessed offer, and got on the spot what he thought when he came into the meeting it would take a lifetime to secure—the salvation of his precious immortal soul. Blessed salvation! that can thus meet the guiltiest of Adam's fallen race, bringing with it to the heart that receives it such a conscious knowledge of God's wondrous love, which drives from the heart all that tormenting fear which lodges in the heart of every one in their natural state (1 John 4:18,1918There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:18‑19)).
Now, blessed and happy as G—was that night with the perfect assurance that he was saved for time and eternity through believing in Christ (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31); Eph. 2:8, 98For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8‑9)), and even fit, through the blood of the Lamb, to go to heaven, should the Lord have called him thence that same night.
It is the portion of the youngest believers in Christ to know that their sins are forgiven (1 John 2:1212I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. (1 John 2:12); Eph. 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7); Heb. 10:17, 1817And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. (Hebrews 10:17‑18); Rev. 1:55And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5)). In fact, no one has a tight to call himself a Christian who does not know that his sins are forgiven. It is not till this fact is known that we really start on our Christian course. From that point we are to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”