It is safer far to speak of the results of a brief gospel mission a year after than just at the time. So much interest is awakened, it may be in a quiet country town, by such occasional visits that nearly the whole place is aroused. Like the bursting forth of spring after a long, hard winter, all seem to have new life. But how much of the bloom will form and ripen into fruit is quite another question. Nothing could be more disappointing than to count the blossoms. A sanguine temperament, if also inexperienced, is prone to do so.
Many are greatly moved by. the scenes and atmosphere of a meeting where the Holy Spirit is working, without any divine work in their own souls; and these, for the moment, have the most hopeful appearance, there is no sense of guilt to discourage; no sense of danger to alarm; and little hesitancy in saying that they do believe. Neither are such dishonest or deceiving; they feel all they say at the time. But there is a missing link. Sin has not been felt; Christ-has not been seen; the heart has not been turned to Himself under a sense of helpless ruin. They are attracted, interested, and it may be, delighted, but when the extra meetings are over, and things return to what is called “dull and dry,” those who have been carried along by the general current soon cool down and return to their former habits. Who has found Christ—who is now looking to Him is the one grand question. Christ Himself before the soul is its only power against adverse currents, against the attractions of the world and the assaults of the enemy. His presence is what keeps us holding fast “the beginning of our confidence—steadfast unto the end.” “Two lads who professed to be converted last year, have gone back to the world,” said one who had watched over them; “the others have gone on well; some are at the table, and one young man is now preaching the gospel.” A round year is a fair test as to the varied results of the work.
Take another example. From one family, under the same roof, four of the household professed to be converted. A son and daughter are selected to illustrate our subject. All seemed equally happy, all confessing faith in Christ, all rejoicing in their new light and heavenly hope. The parents being Christians, there were great rejoicings in the family. For a short time, the four seemed to go on as they had commenced; but by-and-by, in rather less than a week, the impressions began to fade away from the mind of the son, and he soon slipped back into his former habits. When reminded of what he had so recently professed, and asked why he had so soon given it up, he could not tell; the feeling, he said, had gone quite away, and he had nothing before his mind neither himself as a sinner, nor Christ as a Savior. The name of Jesus was mentioned to him, and the blessedness of trusting in Him was earnestly pressed upon him, but there seemed. no vital link between them. There was no proper sense of sin, no exercise about it, no appreciation of the Person and work of Christ. Being naturally amiable, there was no opposition, but like the morning cloud and the early dew, that which at first teemed a happy conversion, passed away. But its lessons remain; it teaches the need of dealing with the conscience, watching the direction of the eye, and ascertaining if some portion of the word of God is ruling in the heart. We see the happy contrast and the divine reality in the daughter.
About the same time that the son fell away, the daughter was allowed to be severely tested by Satan; but he found in her more than mere natural feeling, or the outward effects of the Spirit’s work in others. In the middle of the night when all around was perfectly still and dark, she awoke. A strange feeling came over her as if some evil spirit were in her room; then the attack, as if a voice had distinctly said, “It’s all a delusion.” The preaching, the word of the Lord, the blood of Christ, her assurance of His love, the pardon of her sins, and such-like thoughts, rushed through her mind. “No,” she was enabled. to say to herself, “it’s no delusion.” And though no doubt greatly agitated. by the presence of evil, she was strengthened. by the presence of her Lord to meet and vanquish the enemy; not by reasoning, not by attempting to prove that she was really converted at such a time and by such a preaching, but by the word of God. Had she attempted to reason with the enemy, she would have lost the victory. Midnight though it was—Satan’s favorite hour—and terrible as the atmosphere must have been, she arose;—what holy courage!—struck a light, opened her New Testament, and her eye caught and rested on these words, “Ye are complete in hint” (Col. 2:1010And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: (Colossians 2:10)); her soul was revived, she felt perfectly calm: God says I am complete in Him; COMPLETE, God says it! Her mind was composed; the atmosphere was cleared, and Satan vanquished by the word of God and faith. She extinguished the light, and retired to rest. More than one year has passed away since these events occurred, but time has only proved their reality.
“Could I be sure,” said a troubled soul to the preacher one evening, “of the very time, circumstances, and means of my conversion, I should be quite happy.” Happiness resting on such a foundation, she was told, would not last long. Satan would soon beat her in argument and plunge her soul in deeper troubles than ever. Then how can I be sure, many will be ready to inquire, that I am converted? If you are now really caring to be assured that you are converted, most likely you are. Both the desire and that which satisfies it must come from God. But the word of God alone can give assurance. “Look unto me and be ye saved,” are the Lord’s own words. From the first moment that the eye looks to Christ as the Savior, the soul is beyond all question saved. It may not believe it; it may be judging of its state by its feelings; it may be miserable, even on the brink of despair; but the word of God is true notwithstanding. Our unbelief cannot make the word. of God untrue, but it hinders our enjoyment of Christ and salvation.
The finest lesson that the newly awakened, or the long troubled soul can learn, is to preface all it says on spiritual subjects by affirming that “God says it.” For example: God says, When we look to Jesus we are saved; God says, All that believe are justified from all things; God says, He that believeth hath everlasting life; God says, The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin; the word of God says to every penitent one at the feet of Jesus, Thy sins are forgiven, thy faith hath saved thee, go in peace. And Jesus Himself says, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” And “him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” See Isa. 45:2222Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. (Isaiah 45:22); Acts 13:38, 3938Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38‑39); John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24); 1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7); Luke 7:37-5037And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. 40And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. (Luke 7:37‑50); Matt. 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28); John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37).
By using such terms as, God says,’ the word of God says,’ Jesus says,’ an impassable barrier is placed between the soul and the enemy. Satan will tremble and flee from the weakest saint who thus uses the word of God. It is the soul’s impregnable fortress; no enemy can reach it there. But should the soul have recourse to such weapons as the supposed date and means of conversion; and condescend to reason with the enemy, it could only be vanquished for the time and sorely wounded. He who said, “It is written,” and again and again said, “It is written,” hath left us an example in this, as in all things, that we should walk in His steps.
But alas! there are many now-a-days, who seem to have no concern or trouble of any kind about their souls, and yet they are not unwilling to attend the preaching. But after listening to the most solemn warnings—the most affectionate entreaties, and the most earnest appeals, both as to the blessedness of heaven, and the awfulness of hell—they seem perfectly unmoved, as to their own interest in these things. So unaccountable, so heart-rending are such cases of cold. indifference, that the preacher is ready to believe that the strong delusion has already set in. The Spirit of God, we know, will not leave this world while the Church is here; but He may cease to work in certain places. The very thought of such a thing makes one tremble, and should lead to the most earnest prayer to God.
But what, oh what, is my reader? A careless, a troubled, or a happy soul? If happy, pray for others; if troubled, look to Jesus, He Himself is our peace; if careless, what then? How long? Time is short: the end is near; the coming of the Lord. draweth nigh; and the first thing He does when He rises up is to “shut to the door.” (Luke 13:2525When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: (Luke 13:25).) Solemn announcement that all is hopeless for those who have refused. to enter in while the door stood wide open. The agony of mind, even in this life, before they are cast into hell, will be great, at least for a time. They are represented as “standing without and knocking at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us. But he shall answer and say unto them, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me all ye workers of iniquity.” Figurative this language no doubt is; but it reveals the utter hopelessness of all who have rejected Christ and refused to enter in before the Church was caught up and the door shut. They are given up to strong delusion to believe a lie—they fall into the hands of Satan, and are hurried down the deep descent into the burning lake.
Oh, my dear reader! is there yet a corner of thy heart that may be impressed with these solemn realities? Lay not down this paper, I beseech thee, without serious thought as to the awful future. How canst thou bear the thought of hell now? How couldst thou bear its torments forever? Oh, that word forever! “ Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?” (Isa. 30:1414And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters' vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit. (Isaiah 30:14),) thou mayest well exclaim. But when the Judge of all pronounces the sentence “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,” obey it thou must. Flee from it thou canst not; struggle against it thou mayest, but in vain. A wild shriek of agony thou mayest utter, as the awful sentence “Depart from me,” falls upon thine ear; but it is too late. A sigh, a groan, a penitential tear, would have moved a Father’s heart, a Savior’s love, the Spirit’s power—all heaven—in thy favor, when thou wast in the body; but now thy most piercing cry finds no answer. The ear of mercy is closed, the door of heaven is shut, the arm of mercy is withdrawn; the command to “depart” has been given, the gates of hell open, and the mighty angels execute the awful sentence. And, oh, forget not, that the gloomy gates, once closed behind the lost soul, will never be opened for its escape.
Delay not then another moment, my yet unsaved reader. The door of heaven stands wide open for thee now, and whosoever will may enter in. Tomorrow may be too late. The greater the sinner, the clearer the title to the Savior; to the realms of glory; the home—the eternal happy home—of all who believe in Jesus. Once more; standing as thou still art on this earth, take another glance at the interior of hell; and another at the interior of heaven; and calmly ask thyself, Can I hesitate? No, no; Savior and Lord; I fall at thy feet, have mercy upon me the chief of sinners. The answer thou wilt find in the word: “Thy sins which are many are forgiven him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” See passages above; and may the Lord add His rich blessing, and to Him alone be all the praise and glory.
O Christ, what burdens bowed thy head!
Our load was laid on thee;
Thou stoodest in the sinner’s stead—
To bear all ill for me.
A victim led, thy blood was shed;
Now there’s no load for me.
For me, Lord Jesus, Thou hast died,
And I have died in Thee;
Thou’rt risen: my bands are all untied;
And now Thou livest in me.
The Father’s face of radiant grace
Shines now in light on me.
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