HE had, from his conversation, been no credit to his friends at home. For some reason he had taken his departure from them, and as it was not by their invitation that he was now returning, he was by no means at ease about doing so; indeed, so engrossed was he with the thought of how he would be received, that, notwithstanding his fellow-passenger being a total stranger, he freely opened his mind to him on the subject. Pointing from the railway carriage window in the direction of his father’s house, he said, apparently with no small amount of grave misgiving, “In a few hours I shall either he shut out or shut in.”
We know not, dear reader, how it fared with him in the end; but this we know, that as surely as you are reading this sentence you will one day be as near as he was to being “shut out” or “shut in”; yea, shut out or shut in Forever.
Nor need you, like this young man, have any uncertain speculations about it. If you are brought to God in the “day of His salvation” (and you are most tenderly invited to come), all will be put right, and your soul set at rest before Him. Christ has suffered to secure all this for those who come to God by Him.
On the other hand, if you linger in guilty indifference till your day of golden opportunity is wasted, then, instead of eternal salvation, it will be certain damnation.
Be not deceived on this point, for the final issue is beyond all question.
Take advice. God’s advice must surely he good advice. Here it is: “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Hint while He is near” (Isa. 55:66Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: (Isaiah 55:6)). With it hear His gracious assurance, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” Prove His lovingkindness NOW.
The Lord’s second coming is at hand, and if you are not, at that tremendous moment, found among those who are “caught up” to meet Him, you will assuredly be left to discover your final doom in the company of those who will be banished forever from Him. Ponder well those solemn words in Luke 13:2828There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. (Luke 13:28)―
“YOU YOURSELVES THRUST OUT.”
“They that were ready went in... and
THE DOOR WAS SHUT.”