2 Corinthians 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); Proverbs 27:11Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. (Proverbs 27:1); 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); Hebrews 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)
In 1871 I preached a series of sermons on the life of Christ in old Farwell Hall, Chicago, for five nights. I took Him from the cradle and followed Him up to the judgment hall, and on that occasion I consider I made as great a blunder as ever I made in my life. It was upon that memorable night in October, and the courthouse bell was sounding an alarm of fire, but I paid no attention to it. You know we were accustomed to hear the fire-bell often, and it didn’t disturb us much when it sounded. I finished the sermon upon “What Shall I Do with Jesus?” and said to the audience;
“Now, I want you to take the question with you and think it over, and next Sunday I want you to come back and tell me what you are going to do with Him.”
What a mistake! It seems now as if Satan was in my mind when I said this. Since then I never have dared give an audience a week to think of their salvation. If they were lost, they might rise up in judgment against me. “Now is the accepted time.”
I remember Mr. Sankey singing, and how his voice rang when he came to that pleading verse:
“Today the Savior calls,
For refuge fly!
The storm of Justice falls,
And death is nigh!”
After the meeting we went home. I remember going down La Salle Street with a young man, and saw the glare of flames. I said to the young man:
“This means ruin to Chicago.”
About one o’clock Farwell Hall was burned; soon the church in which I had preached went down, and everything was scattered. I never saw that audience again.
My friends, we don’t know what may happen tomorrow, but there is one thing I do know, and that is, if you take the gift of God you are saved. If you have eternal life you need not fear fire, death, or sickness. Let disease or death come, you can shout triumphantly over the grave if you have Christ. My friends, what are you going to do with Him? Will you not decide now?