THESE words were spoken to myself and others as I was leaving the city one day coming home for dinner. The train had just started, and, as is often the case, some were coming up late—some, alas too late—only just in time to see themselves left behind. Two women, a young lad, and myself were the sole occupants of the compartment.
The whistle was blown, the train was on the move, when a young man rushed up in breathless haste, only, however, to be caught in the firm grasp of two strong and resolute railway officials. One of my fellow-passengers exclaimed, “That’s how many a one loses Christ;" and looking around the compartment, the speaker (one of the women) examined the faces of each of us, evidently expecting a response of some kind. She sat next to me, and I replied, 'Yes, that's just how many a one loses his precious soul, which is the result of losing Christ." The others said never a word, but we understood each other in far less time than it has taken me to write these few sentences, and soon found there was an indissoluble link which bound us together as one.
Do you, my reader, know anything of this link which binds saints of God to one another?
I said to my railway companion, “Then you, I suppose, are one of those strange ' peculiar people' who say they are saved?”
“Yes, sir, I thank God I am one of those. I am saved, and I know it." “Praise God," said I," and I'm one of them too," and we both there and then rejoiced together. By this time we had reached another station, and received another passenger, a gentleman. Our fellow-travelers were eyeing us, and no doubt thought us a most eccentric pair, but we halted not in our conversation as the subject was so interesting.
“Well, tell me all about it," I continued. And she began thus, “You see, sir, Sam my husband was converted about four years ago. He was a very wild and wicked man—cursing, swearing, and drinking, and everything bad—and I often wondered what all this would end in. Our children were now growing up, and witnessing all this, which was leaving a very bad impression upon them. I myself went to the church every Sunday that I could get out, but Sam went nowhere. He would assemble with other miners, when the decent people went to church, and there they would play at cards and drafts and other games of amusement. But to shorten my story, Sam S— got converted, through some evangelist coming to the place, and he there and then began to work for Christ among his fellow-workmen. People young and old used to come and look in at the door to see what like our Sam was, now that he had got converted. But Sam went on as happy as the day was long. I thought this is all very fine if it only lasts, but to my great astonishment it did last. Soon he began to lecture me. I considered that he was a proper subject for conversion, but I who was a regular church-goer, and said my prayers often, had no need of such a change.
“Three and a half years passed away, when one day Old Ann, a dish-hawker, came to the door, and said to me, as she laid down her basket, Well, Mrs. S— are you no saved yet? ' I retorted, 'Ann, you surely think I'm awfu’ bad when you speak that way to me you needed to be converted,—every one that knew you knows that,-and our Sam needed it just as much as you, Ann, but I have lived a different life from either of you, and you both know it.'
“Yes, but,' said Ann, Mrs. S—, both you, and Sam, and me were a' lost to begin wi'; we were bad through an' through, so bad that there was nae mending o' us;' and so she talked to me, till I felt in my soul that Ann had the best of it.
I asked her in, and in a very short time Sam came in from his work. I said, Sam, Ann says I'm lost, and I believe she's correct.' Sam he looked at both of us, and cried out, Praise God, there's joy in heaven now.' I asked them both into the room, and we all three knelt down, and there I gave myself to Christ. Sam prayed, and Ann prayed, and I prayed, and such a happy meeting we had there never was another like it in all the country round.”
By this time I had reached my destination, and, after giving Mrs. S— some little books, we parted, perhaps never to see each other again till the Lord comes to receive us all to be with Himself. Mrs. S— was just like thousands of others all over the land. She was rocked to sleep in one of the devil's cradles, and had thought herself all safe, till the Spirit of God came and rapped at the door of her heart, and woke her up to the consciousness of her lost condition by nature, and showed her her need of a Savior. Doubtless you also, my friend—if still unsaved—have been brought face to face with this question as to your soul's salvation at some time or other in your life's history. How have you, and how are you still at this moment treating the subject? You will require to have it out with God either here or hereafter. Many things, by your clever maneuvering, you may manage to clear yourself of, but this you never can. If you refuse and reject Christ as your Savior, you must meet Him as your judge. If you now despise His mercy and spurn His grace, you will meet with inflexible justice, unmixed with either the one or the other, in the coming judgment, that will seal your doom and consign your never-dying soul to the lake of fire.
No mercy then, no grace then; the gospel sound will be no more heard; the undying worm of memory will carry you back to the day of grace, when the offers of salvation were slighted by you, and the loving invitations of Christ were set at naught by you. But a gracious Savior lingers still. He waits to save. He has met all the necessities of your case. He, and He alone, can and will deliver you from a burning hell, if you but trust Him. He has met every claim that God had against the sinner, which the sinner never could meet. He has entered the devil's palace, overthrown the strong man, and spoiled his goods.
Dear soul, be decided for Christ this very moment; let not Satan cheat you out of blessing to your precious soul any longer. Tomorrow may be a day too late. The young man missed the train by being just half a minute too late; he might as well have been half an hour as half a minute, the door was shut, and he was left behind. Just take your place now, make up your mind now; be decided now, and be saved now. “Now is the accepted time behold, now is the day of salvation “(2 Cor. 11:22For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:2))