THE very terns “salvation" implies the needs be for a Savior.
Every professing Christian recognizes Christ as "the” Savior—most call Him “our” Savior—but, if we are saved, He is to us a personal Savior, and we love Him as our very own Savior. “That is the fire-escape station, and the man yonder sees to the escape in the event of fire," is a general description of a familiar sight in London. But how differently does the person speak who has been saved from fire through the escape and by the fire-escape man! “That man saved me," he says, and his heart beats with thankfulness as he recalls the danger in which he was, and the devotion of the brave fireman in saving him.
The need of salvation really felt.
A man at ease in his arm-chair does not feel the need of salvation from the flames, but let him know that his house is on fire, and at once he is full of concern. Many a sinner sits in the arm-chair of self-satisfaction, though he be in danger of hell fire, but when he knows this truth he longs to be safe. The man whose house is burning may be able to save himself; the sinner in danger of hell fire must be saved by a Savior, or be lost forever.
A tradesman in London went weary, to his rest one Saturday night. In his bedroom he had a little trap-door, which he could open, and so look into his shop below. About two o'clock in the morning he was awakened by a knocking at his front door. Ile opened the trap. Beneath him his shop was all ablaze! He was in terror; he wanted to be saved there and then; he did not lie in bed hoping to be saved some day! Five minutes before he was fast asleep; yet he was in greater danger then than when he saw the flames.
Up, sinner, from your ease—awake, awake; you are in danger of eternal fire; seek for salvation now, for if you delay and delay you will be lost forever.
Awake, awake, awake.
Oh! unsaved man, woman, or child, live no longer in a spiritual dreamland—hear no longer by habit—eternity is at hand. Hear by habit, did we say? Yes, for thus do men hear of salvation—they hear without listening to what they hear.
Upon a country road stood a turnpike, which the gatekeeper duly shut at night, and then took his sleep. One dark, wet midnight a friend of ours rode up to the door of the gate-house, and tapped with his whip-handle, crying,
“Gate! gate!"
“Coming!” replied the old gate-keeper's voice.
The horseman knocked again, and once more the voice cried “Coming!” Again and again the knocks were repeated, and the answer duly came—" Coming!"
All patience left the rider-he leapt off his horse, thrust open the door, demanding why the gate-man had kept him waiting so long saying, “Coming!"
The old man gaped, rubbed his eyes, and said, " What d'ye want?" then, arousing, "Bless ye, sir, and yer pardon, I was asleep; I gets so used to hearing 'em knock, that I answers in my sleep, and takes no more notice about it."
Oh, sinner, awake, answer no more in your sleep, for eternity is near. Hear no more by habit. Hear the preacher in the pulpit no more by habit. Say no more by habit, “We are miserable sinners." Answer no more with your voice only to God's calls of love and mercy, “Coming, coming," while really you are spiritually fast asleep.
Hoping to be saved some day.
"The way to hell is paved with good resolutions." Satan gently lowers lost sinners down into eternal doom by getting them into hoping to be saved some day. “Someday " never comes.” Now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. 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).)
What would you think of your neighbor who had started for his train telling you, in reply to the warning, " You will be late if you don't hurry up,:—" Oh! I hope I shall catch the train someday "? Fellow traveler to eternity, are you in less concern about your soul's salvation than about catching your train? Shall your zeal and haste not to be too late for your train, or for some of life's daily duties, rise up against you in the Day of Judgment and condemn you?
I want to be saved now.
A little boy was much concerned lest he should not reach heaven, and he came to a minister, and asked of him the way of salvation. The minister told the child that God was ready to receive the old and the young, and that His Son Jesus Christ had died for sinners to save them, and then he bade the boy run home, and kneel down and pray earnestly to be saved for Christ's sake.
The little fellow looked up into his face and mournfully replied, “Oh! sir, but suppose I should die before I reach home?"
The minister immediately knelt down with the child, as he told him how that God says to anxious sinners, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved "—and the child was brought to know that He was saved.