It is difficult to speak or write without deep feeling when dwelling on that awful word, and with so many on every side who are utterly careless as to its dread reality. “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha”—accursed of the Lord at His coming. But is this, some may ask, its plain and true meaning? Most assuredly it is. Nothing could be plainer, more definite or absolute. The curse of God is the eternal doom of all who love not the Savior of mankind—His well-beloved Son. “If any man,” is surely most comprehensive; any man, no matter who he is, what he is, where he is, how he reasons, what excuses he may offer: the word of God is positive, it has gone forth from His throne, it is unalterable, it is fixed as the foundation of that throne, changeless as His own being— “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha”—Anathematized when the Lord shall come.
Do you think, dear reader, this judgment severe? It may appear so at first sight, or to a thoughtless reader; but a moment’s reflection will convince you that it is not only just, but necessary in the righteous government of God. He loves His Son, knows what He has done and suffered for mankind, and fairly estimates His claims on their grateful love. All this He has revealed to us; we know His mind. And how sweetly He has pressed His love upon us, with every blessing that love can give, and the bearer to us of all these blessings is the Son of His own bosom whom He spared not, “but delivered him up for us all.” But, surely, if we are careless about all these things, and despise the bearer of heaven’s richest favors, what will the throne of judgment say? Is there no crime in despising both the love and the authority of God; in disregarding His demands for the honor of His Son? Are His rights not to be vindicated, or the claims of His Son maintained Rest assured my fellow sinner, that so just, so holy, so righteous, will the judgment of God be, that the vast universe will resound with a solemn Amen, as the curse of God is pronounced on those who have hated in place of loved the Lord Jesus. Heaven will willingly own it; the faithful on earth will re-echo heaven’s universal Amen; the condemned must own it, and hell too must groan out reluctantly its Amen, and acknowledge that God is holy and just and good, and that the man who is accursed has only lost what he despised, and is now in the place which he chose for himself.
But, pray, my dear reader, ere it be too late, and ere this year also close upon thy unsaved soul, come a little nearer, and let us examine more closely, the claims of Him whom God would have thee love. Is He fairly entitled to the homage of thy heart and the willing, happy obedience of thy life! Surely, oh, most surely He is, and He only to love the Lord is to believe in Him; and the more we meditate on His love to us, and what He has gone through for us, the more will our faith expand, and rise into the most admiring, adoring, grateful love. But we must know Him to believe in Him, and know Him in the fullest expression of His love to as. Blessed Lord! He invites us to come to Him, to be drawn to Him by the attractions of His cross, and the glory of His Person. “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.” (John 12:32, 33.) Never was God’s love to thee a sinner, and God’s hatred of thy sin, so fully manifested as in the cross of His dear Son; and never did His love to the lost and helpless soul shine so brightly. Here thou wilt do well to pause for a moment and dwell on this wondrous sight, this twofold aspect of the cross. When, or how could God’s hatred of sin be so manifested as when He punished it in the Person of His own beloved Son? The thought is overwhelming! But it must forever justify God in punishing sin in the person of the impenitent sinner himself. The cross will stand forever as the declaration of God’s righteousness in the judgment of sin, and in pardoning the chief of sinners, who believe in Jesus. But also, look at the greatness of God’s love to the sinner in the sufferings and death of Jesus. Every drop of that precious blood which was shed on Calvary, proclaims to heaven, earth and hell, God’s love to the lost and ruined sinner.
But sin must be put away according to the claims of God’s glory, that His love may flow forth freely, and the full blessing come to us. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission. Jesus, in the greatness of His love, bore the punishment in our stead. He was nailed to the accursed tree, that the Anathemas of God might never fall on us and sink our souls in hell forever. In love, He endured the cross, and there was nothing that His love did not willingly endure that God might be glorified and the sinner saved. But who can speak of the judgment of God against sin! That which man is disposed to make light of; that which thou hast made light of these many years. The waves and billows of divine wrath rolled over His sinless, spotless soul; His brow was wreathed with a crown of thorns, emblem of the curse of sin; He was forsaken of God; He tasted the bitterness of death. God hid His face from Him, when bearing our sin; but at length the cup was drained, and the shout of victory was heard, “it is finished.” All was now done; every claim of heaven, and every need of the sinner fully met; sin and guilt were put away; the word of God maintained inviolate, and His name glorified. But again we say; again we press upon thy attention the awful thought—the judgment due to sin. And as the Lord Himself says, “If they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?”
But tell me, O my friend, tell me, before I close, Hast thou been in any measure drawn to Jesus by His wondrous love in dying on the cross, in dying for thee? — In dying that thou mightest be drawn to Him in faith and love, and delivered from the awful judgment due to thy sins? But is His love less today than it was the day on which He died? Surely not! His love is the same; the same yesterday, today, and forever. He waits to be gracious now, He loves to bless now, He delights to save now, He rejoices over every returning sinner now, He is ready to receive every repenting, returning prodigal now. Flee then, my friend, oh, flee to His open, His outstretched arms. No Anathemas are there. All is love; and such love! The folded arms, the fond embrace, the robe, the ring, the fatted calf, the joyous welcome of heaven’s myriad hosts.; all await thy coming. Thou knowest the invitation and the promise, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.... Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” Believe His word—His loving word to worn and weary hearts— Come! Believe His promise true, Come! The love that suffered for sinners ready to perish, bids thee, Come!
What so fitted to melt thy heart, to win thy confidence, as a Savior’s love! Despise not this love, I entreat thee, or, what must the end be? Thou wilt surely find that thou hast not been frightened with vain fears; the Anathemas of indignant justice will far exceed in their terrible thunders the most vivid descriptions of either preacher or writer. And thou shalt also find in that awful day of retribution, that this sore judgment is not for thy common sins merely, but for the great—the aggravated sin, of rejecting a Savior’s love. “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha,” are the just and unalterable words of heaven.
Once more, my friend, for I tremble to leave thee, lest thou art still preferring the favor of the world to the love of Christ. Pharaoh hardened his heart against the judgment of God, but what must be the guilt of him who hardens his heart against the love of Jesus! Bow, then, O lost one, bow, bow at Jesus’ feet. Salvation, full, free, and everlasting is there; peace with God is there, the eternal glories of heaven are there: delay not then, I beseech thee; years roll on; the end draws near; divine love has sent forth another and another messenger of peace to thee; but the last will soon be here; the dreadful day of recompense lingers not; the gathering storm of divine wrath can only be averted by the sheltering blood of the slain Lamb. Flee then, to that refuge, flee; it is thy only covert from the storm, thy only hiding place from the sweeping tempest of coming wrath. But flee now—just now—lest thou shouldst be overtaken suddenly and swept into the lake of fire. Before turning thy thoughts to anything else, turn to the Lord; speak to Him; confess thy sins to Him; have faith in His love, and in His precious blood which cleanseth from all sin. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.
May the Lord give to thee, my dear reader, and to every unsaved reader of “Things New and Old,” thus to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ before this year closes; and we can promise you a truly, a divinely, happy New Year, should we still be here in the longsuffering of our blessed Lord.