“WILL you allow me to see Daniel H —?” was asked of the lodge keeper of an hospital near London, not long since.
“Have you come from some mission?”
“No, I have not, I have come to speak to him of Christ.”
“Yes, you may see him; please give me your name.” My name was accordingly given, and I with a friend passed into the building.
It was not a regular visiting day, but as this man was placed upon the “danger list,” that is to say, was one whose stay in this world was likely to be of short duration, whose days were numbered, visitors were allowed in on any day. After ascending the stairs, and approaching a door that stood open, we found ourselves in a long ward; a row of beds stood on either side, and all, I think, were occupied. A nurse now appearing, we were soon conducted to the last man on the left side of that long line of beds. His was a hopeless case, given up by the doctors, but just the one whom the blessed Lord was waiting to welcome; but man’s heart is naturally hardened against God, and although he does not mean to be lost, alas! it is often put off till too late.
He was an aged man, and he looked wonderingly at us as we drew near. Oh! will he come? Will this man who is on the verge of eternity close with God’s offer of free salvation? “The gift of God” which is “eternal life.”
This man was not aware he was on the danger list, but it did not alter the fact. Reader, you whose eyes are resting on these lines, are you on the “danger list”? If you are not under the shelter of the blood, you are as surely on it as he was; you may not know it, but that does not make your danger less. Oh! stay for one moment, and think; you know not what a day may bring forth, do not wait, time is passing.
“Passing onward, quickly passing;
Yes, but whither? whither bound?
Is it to the many mansions
Where eternal rest is found?
Passing onward —
Yes, but whither? whither bound?”
We spoke to him of his body, and then of his soul; he knew he was very ill, but hoped to get better. Words were read to him from God’s book, “There is none righteous, no, not one;” “There is none that doeth good, no, not one;” “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3). Unsaved reader, do you know what this means? You have not come up to God’s standard of holiness, and “without holiness, no man shall see the Lord.” You may be moral and religious, but of what use will it be to you, if you have come short of His glory? it will shut you out of heaven.
Of what avail would it be to throw a rope to a drowning man if it did not reach him? None, it would be too short. Belshazzar was weighed in God’s scales, and found wanting. Will that be your case? Are you trying to save yourself by good works? Thousands have tried it, but all have failed. All have come short of His glory; do you think He will make up what you have come short of? No, God must have all the glory; how then are you to be saved? Let His own Word speak to your heart, reader: “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (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)). Does God despise good works then? By no means, you can work from salvation, but not for salvation; you must be saved first by His grace, before you can work for Him. God is a giving God; when you have taken what He has to give, even His own beloved Son, then He will accept from you.
When asked if he was a sinner, he replied, “Yes, I am a sinner, and a big one too. I don’t believe in some who say they have never done anything wrong, they have only got to look back.” Surely, I thought, this one is ready to believe the message. The tears ran down his face, when speaking of the long nights of suffering with no one to speak a kind word to him.
We told him of the love of the Lord, and of the sweet companionship he would hold with Him, if only he would believe on Him now; He would never “leave him, nor forsake him.” We read from Romans 8 to show there was “no condemnation” for those who were “in Christ Jesus,” and that nothing could separate us from God’s love; but he still clung to the hope of recovery. He had been in that hospital twice before, and he did not think he was any worse than he had been at those times. We pleaded with him not to put it off, but to take God’s free gift of salvation, for then he would have Christ to live by, and Christ all along the way. He seemed much affected, and we felt hopeful, and left a little book with him, telling him we were only visiting in that part, and might never see him on earth again, but if he would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, he would be washed from all his sins, and we should meet him in heaven. His answer was, “Thank you for coming, I hope I shall meet you again.”
A Christian called another day, and found him less ready to listen, because he felt somewhat better. Again a Christian visited him, who found him with no desire for the Word; he was “confident” he should recover, Then we heard he was dead. Alas! for man’s confidence; it was but the flickering spark of life before it went out, and the enemy of souls ever on the watch to draw sinners down to the pit of destruction, had blinded his mind, “lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ... should shine unto” him (2 Cor. 4:44In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:4)).
Dear reader, that man never intended to be lost, nor do you; take warning then: “God speaks once, yea, twice, yet man perceiveth it not” (Job 33:1414For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. (Job 33:14)). If you are Traveling on the broad road, and continue to the end, you will find no escape, no turning, no thoroughfare, you will have to spend an eternity “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”
There are only two roads, one that leads to eternal life, and one that leads to eternal death, — death to all your hope of heaven, death to all your good resolutions, or turning over of new leaves; it will be all too late. “Too late,” will cost you an eternity of woe, and you will blame no one but yourself. But while the day of grace is lengthened out, I can tell you upon the authority of God’s word, you may enter now but—
“Ere night that gate may close, and seal thy doom,
Then the last low, long cry, No room, no room,
No room, no room!
Oh, woeful cry, No room!”
Instead of a robe of your own weaving, which will not bear the gaze of a holy God, you may now be covered with one of His own providing, without scar or seam, woven from the top throughout, all of God.
“Redeemed by the blood of the slain Lamb of God,
With righteousness covered, I cannot be found;
I can boast of His beauty, His glory, His grace,
And sealed by the Spirit, I’m fit for the place.”
“Let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev.22:17).
S. R. F.