The gas was fast escaping from all four burners on the kitchen stove as the policemen broke down the door and found the poor body huddled on the floor. When the husband of the dead woman was found, he added a tragic word: "You see, officers, my wife would never have noticed the escaping of the gas. She would never have known about it, for —for—she had no sense of smell whatsoever." How different it all might have been, had the poor woman the least possible sense of smell!
It is said, "Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: it might have been." If the poor woman could have smelled the escaping gas her life would have been saved.
And how many are there, forever lost in the gloom of a Christless eternity, who can only say, "If I had listened—if I had believed—I would not be here now. 'It might have been!' “In that life now past and gone there "might have been" the acceptance of the good news of the gospel, had the poor soul not been so "senseless" concerning the reality of eternity.
"Foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not." Jer. 5:2121Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: (Jeremiah 5:21). Why don't they see? They "have eyes, and see not," because "the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not." If they are blinded, they cannot see the "light of the glorious gospel of Christ."
Their eyes are wide open to all the things of this life, but willfully shut against "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." Sooner or later, the "escaping gas" they are insensitive to will have its full effect. In eternity, forever doomed and lost, they will see and hear, and understand, but it will be too late. Too late to look to the One who says, "Look unto Me, and be ye saved." Too late to "Hear, and your soul shall live." Too late to "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and... be saved." It "might have been," but it is forever too late.