Or, “Escape for Thy Life.”
THE passengers on board the steamship Iona had gone to bed one Sunday night, thinking they were quite safe, and that the next day they would see their friends in London. But after they had been sleeping a few hours, the captain and the second mate, who were standing on what is called the “bridge,” saw smoke and flames coming up from the cabins below. A part of their ship was on fire! Then the captain sent a messenger down to the men’s cabin, and another to the women’s, to tell all the passengers to make haste and come on deck, or they would everyone be lost. And God now sends a message for you, dear children. It is, “Flee from the wrath to come.” How will you treat this message from God?
When the passengers on that burning ship were told of the danger they were in, many of them rushed out of the cabins, and on to the deck, without waiting a minute. But others thought there was plenty of time. And then, too, they did not like to go on deck just as they were; so they stayed to dress themselves. And, sad to say, when they would afterwards have gone on deck, they could not; it was too late; the fire had got more fierce; and six ladies and one little girl were burnt to death! Was it not a great pity they did not escape at once, as they might have done, when they were warned? Have you fled for refuge, for safety; to Jesus, the only Saviour? “There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Do you want to know when God tells us that we should come to the Lord Jesus Christ? Does He say there is plenty of time; it will do when you get older? No! He says, “Now is the accepted time.” The message is something like the one which was taken down into that burning cabin: Make haste! But Satan whispers in your ear, “There is plenty of time; you need not hurry.” Beware! he only wants to keep you away from Jesus until it is too late! If those poor ladies and that dear little girl had taken heed to the warning directly they heard it, and had come away from the cabin without delay, they would have been saved. And if you take heed to this warning that God now gives you, and come at once to Jesus for salvation, you will be saved. To believe in Jesus is to come to Him.
Do you want to know how you are to come to Jesus? Why, you must come just as you are! God knows all about you, He knows every evil thought you have had, and every naughty thing you have done; and He knows that you are a sinner. His Word says, “All have sinned.” That means everybody; you as much as anybody else. But do not think you must try to become good before you come to Jesus! You never can make yourself any better than you are now; as the little hymn says:
“If you tarry till you’re better,
You, will never come at all.”
If those poor passengers had come out of the cabin, and gone on deck, just as they were, without staying to dress themselves, they would have been saved. And if you come to Jesus just as you are, He will receive you, and wash you from all your sins in His precious blood. Has He not said, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out?” So you need not think you are too small, or too young, for the Lord Jesus to take any notice of you. But, remember, the Bible gives us this solemn warning: Everyone who hears the gospel and will not believe in Jesus, the Son of God, who died to save sinners, and to bear the punishment of their sins, all such men and women, boys and girls, will have to suffer for their sins forever in that awful place which Scripture calls “the lake of fire.”
“Come to the Saviour; make no delay!
Heed now His blest commands and obey;
Hear now His accents tenderly say,
‘Let little children come.’”
ML 01/14/1906