“As the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away.”―Matt. 24:37-3937But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:37‑39).
THEY went on as usual until―until the man who had preached to them and warned them for 120 years went into the place of safety; they knew not the truth of his warning until the judgment proved it. Poor unbelieving men! They saw Noah go into the ark, “and the door was shut” upon them; they saw the heavens pour down their waters, and the fountains of the deep rise up― judgment above, judgment beneath―and then, when it was too late, they believed.
Infidels will believe some day in the words of God; but what will it avail them when they believe in a hell because they see it and feel it?
There was an illustration of the words of our Lord some time since in a destruction near Sheffield. Near that town was a huge mass of water pent up in a valley by a dam. Should the dam happen to break, all knew that the villages in the valleys below would be swept away; but as people were accustomed to the resistance offered by the dam, they never dreamed of its bursting; so they ate and drank, married and gave in marriage, just as if there were no flood of water above them. But while everybody said, Peace and safety, there was a slow, sure growing of the weight of waters behind the dam. One night, when the poor people in the villages below the pent-up water were in their beds, the dam burst, and in a moment the waters rushed down, swallowing up men, women, and children, with sudden destruction.
There were narrow escapes on that awful night. Two were sleeping in one bed; one was taken by the water, and the other left. A mother tried to save her babe as well as herself, and the poor child was swept out of her bosom and drowned. Two returned to seek their little property, their earthly all, and in their vain endeavor were both taken away in the flood with their property and lost.
When the tale of horror spread over England many a tear rolled down men’s cheeks, and some thought with weeping of that great and dreadful day of the Lord which is so near. Unseen by human eye, and only discernible to faith, the waters of coming judgment heap up; and it is only a question of time, and the barrier of longsuffering will give way, and then, when those who have preached and lived Christ are gone (entered the heavens), poor unsaved sinners will know that God’s word is true; but they will know it, alas! by being taken away in the flood of judgment.
There will be no judgment, no outburst of wrath, men say. We will keep it in; we will place some of the strong timbers, and lay in more of the stiff soil of good works, temperance, reform, education, and the like. Poor foolish men, to go on as usual in unbelief, and not to believe; they knew not until the flood came and took them all away.
But there are God’s messengers now crying to men, “Escape for your life,” just as there were warner’s that night before the dam burst, and the waters swallowed up the people of those Yorkshire villages. Such are regarded by most people as fools; and instead of men escaping for their lives when they receive warning, they do very much as did Lot’s sons-in-law when he came to them in the middle of the night, and bade them, “Up, for the Lord will destroy this city”―THEY WILL NOT BELIEVE. We know the consequence of these men’s disobedience, ―they were burned up in Sodom. We know too what befell those who did not escape when the dam burst; and, because God says it, we know that those who will not obey the gospel shall be punished with everlasting destruction.
Will you refuse to believe, dear reader, until the flood comes? Will you wait until it be too late? What! man of business, are you so busy, so anxious to take care of your goods, that you will lose your body and soul in the lake of fire? What! child of godly parents, do you think you are safe because you have a place in your mother’s bosom? Be assured that unless you know the love of Jesus, the flood will come and take you away. Neither let him whose companion is a faithful servant of Christ expect to be saved for the goodness of his friend; for brothers shall be separated from sisters, and sisters from brothers; some will go up to be “with the Lord,” and others the flood will take away. When? whispers the naughty heart of unbelief; when? “When they say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction shall come upon them... and they shall not escape.” In less than one hour, for aught we know, those who love Christ may enter the heavens, and then the judgment will follow upon those who would not obey the gospel; therefore, repent at once.
Perhaps some soul is saying meekly and humbly, Would that I were safe in Christ; for God’s word says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus.” Do you own that you deserve judgment, that your sins must be punished? Look, then, to the cross, and behold the sinless Saviour with the billows of God’s wrath rolling on Him, so that He cries out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” That agony was borne for us; that wrath was suffered for us; and the nails, the thirst, the stripes, were for us; the blood was shed for us; all, all was for us.
“For thee He shed His blood;
Weep, till His woes thine eyes bedim;
To that accursed wood
Thou halt nailed Him.”
Now look upwards to the glory; see at the right hand of the Father, sitting on the throne, the selfsame Jesus; yes, the very Man that was nailed a bleeding sacrifice to the accursed tree. He has risen out of the grave, He has borne the wrath, endured the judgment. He who died for our sins lives for us. Believe in Him, and you are justified; believe in Him, and you have everlasting life. Then you will be, as the Scripture says, IN Christ Jesus; accepted in Him; alive in Him; righteous in Him; complete in Him; in Him who is on the far side of the grave, who became dead, but is alive for evermore.
“Jesus lives! our hearts know well
Naught from us His love shall sever;
Life nor death, nor powers of hell,
Tear us from His keeping ever.”