“FIRE! fire!” cry the passers-by. “Make way!” And in an incredibly short space of time the thronged road is cleared―omnibuses, wagons, cabs, pulling aside. The long shout of the firemen is heard in the distance; it grows louder. Down comes the fire-engine, steam up, at full gallop. It dashes by, with brass helmets, shining machinery, surging steam, and crimson wheels, and you follow the runners at top-speed. They are not a moment too soon. The urgent haste was needed; for from the upper windows the thick smoke rolls out in black volumes, while the roar of the flames and the crackling of the timbers of the lower part of the building make you shudder.
And now there is intense silence in the crowd, for the fire-escape man has fixed his ladder, and is mounting to the uppermost floor. He quickly enters the burning house, at the further end of that upper room lies a child asleep. It knew not its danger, but only dreamed of strange sounds; and before it is half awake, the strong man has borne it upon his shoulder to the window. He places his foot upon the ladder, and as he does so, a shout louder than the roar of the fire rises up from the crowd below, welcoming his return; and down he gently bears his burden clear out of the ruins to safety.
“Whenever I am fearful whether I can be saved, I take courage by the fire-escape; for it is made high enough.to reach the highest houses,” said one to us; “and Christ can reach me.” If the fire-escape could not reach the highest rooms, it would be a mockery and not a security. And, reader, Christ can save you where you are. Do you realize that like the child asleep, with only the thickness of the floor between it and the flames, you are separated from eternal fire by only this frail life? Oh! should the floor give way! ―oh! should life break! ―where would your soul go?
Christ takes us clear out of the place of ruin and judgment, and clean into a place of peace and security. Salvation is nothing less than complete deliverance. You are now, this moment, either with the wrath of God abiding on you, or you are “in Christ,” where there is “no condemnation.” Which is it?
Alas! too many remind us of a poor wretched man, who met his end as a “fool dieth.” The flames had laid hold of the house, or rather the block of houses, in which his rooms were. They poured forth in fierce streams, roaring as they swept on in their irresistible course. There were thousands of persons congregated in the vast square, witnessing the grand but fearful sight, when high up upon the roof they thought that they saw the figure of a man! Was it possible! Yes; and he was soon recognized, and people passed his name from one to the other. What was to be done to save him? They shouted in terror, but the man only waved his hat, crying, “Hurrah! hurrah!”
Again they shouted for him to come to a corner of the block of buildings where there seemed a slight hope of affording the man rescue; but he continued his mad hurrahs and waving of his hat, as if it were for him a day of feasting and delight instead of destruction! “He is drunk or mad!” said the people, while they trembled at his certain and horrible doom. Presently he gave another jovial shout, and then fell back into the surging flames and perished.
Like this madman are the men who delay accepting salvation―who run on in their course of riot and of folly. They die as “the fool dieth,” perish, falling into the lake of fire which burneth forever and ever. Oh, think what the horror of awakening from life’s folly and madness will be to the anguish of hell and the fire that burneth forever! We almost hear him say, “I am tormented in this flame: Oh! for a drop of water to cool my tongue.”
But why art thou in the place of torment? Hapless man, didst thou never hear of salvation? Ah! yes, it was brought to his very doors; the escape was put before him, but he would not be saved. He would go on the madman’s Way. He grasped after pleasures and folly, and now that the world is burned up and gone, he lives to die forever and yet never to die.