IT is sad, very sad, to think how little people think about their soul, which tells the tale of how small a figure it is valued at by them.
Some, alas, say that man has no soul—that he dies just like the horse or cow, and then ceases to exist. With such deluded ones it is useless to reason, therefore, with feelings of pity and sorrow, I must leave them with God, bringing one verse to bear on their conscience, trusting in His abundant mercy, that ere it be too late, they may be led to acknowledge the truth, and repent. Hearken! “Fear not them which kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell.” (Matt. 10:2828And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28).)
Others again, who do not wish to make God a liar by denying His record, yet, by their ways evidently show that they have never been roused up to the inestimable value of the ever-existing soul. Oh, what an overwhelming fact for reflection. My reader must exist as long as the eternal God does, either in heavenly glory with Christ, or in the “blackness of darkness” with the devil. (See Matt. 25:4646And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:46).) Is the former to be your happy portion? Then it comforts and cheers your heart to be reminded of it. But if unsaved, no wonder, as you read these lines, a sadness comes over you; or it may be, you are already beginning to get impatient, and want to dismiss the thought of the soul, and eternal things, and are about to lay aside this paper; but friend, GOD SEES YOU, and may say, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.” (Luke 12:2020But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? (Luke 12:20).) What then?
“Oh then—the judgment throne
Oh then—the last hope gone!
Then all the woes that dwell
In an eternal HELL.”
Do, then, I pray you be wise, and let the Saviour’s words bring you to present concern. “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36, 3736For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mark 8:36‑37).) Just consider—your soul of more worth than the whole world. Jesus Christ, the faithful and true witness, affirms it. That, by itself ought to throw a man into serious and solemn thought, though it seems to me people never value the immortal soul aright till they learn that nothing less than the awful suffering, death and blood-shedding of the Son of the living God, were necessary to redeem it, “For it is the BLOOD that maketh an atonement for the SOUL,” (Lev. 17:22Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them; This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, saying, (Leviticus 17:2),) and “without shedding of BLOOD, is no remission.” (Heb. 9:2222And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. (Hebrews 9:22).)
It may be, by the blessing of God that these lines or something else, have brought you to be in soul-trouble; if so, whatever you do, do not delay its salvation. “Now is the accepted time!” Evidently “the coming of the Lord draweth nigh,” or the “angel of death” may be hovering round; therefore, let nothing great or small, lead you to put it off. “REMEMBER LOT’S WIFE;” she was no better off than those in Sodom upon whom the lurid flames of fire and brimstone fell. I entreat you, unsaved one do not lay your head upon your pillow, till you have made “your calling and election SURE.” Let there be no risk or hoping about that. God, says what He means, and means what He says, so mark that word “SURE,” and send the verse (2 Peter 1:1010Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: (2 Peter 1:10)) to anyone who says it is presumptuous to be sure, in order that they may not be left in uncertainty and danger, but get the “KNOWLEDGE of salvation.” (See Luke 1:7777To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, (Luke 1:77).)
Do you say in deep distress, How can I get this assurance? I reply, by putting this question, What gave the Israelite who, in obedience to the word of Jehovah, went to the flock, killed a firstling, and applied its blood to the lintel and two side-posts of his door, to be assured that the destroying angel would not come in, and smite his firstborn? Because God had said “When I see the BLOOD, I will pass over, and the plague shall not be upon you.” (Ex. 12:1313And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:13).) The BLOOD was outside for the EYE OF GOD, and secure enough was every Israelite wherever the mysterious token was seen; for again I repeat, God had said, “When I see the BLOOD I will pass over.” So now sinners who as guilty and helpless ones, have really trusted in the “precious BLOOD OF CHRIST” may be perfectly certain, without a shadow of a doubt, inasmuch as the Scriptures cannot be broken, that “they HAVE redemption through His BLOOD, the forgiveness of sins.” (Col. 1:1414In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:14).) And further, of such God says, “Your sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” (Heb. 10:1717And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 10:17).) Hence they can sing
“I do believe it, I do believe it,
I am saved thro’ the blood of the Lamb
My happy soul is free,
For my God has pardoned me
Hallelujah to Jesus’ name.”
The believer’s soul is saved now. (See Peter 1:9.) True, he waits for “the redemption of the body,” but every moment brings that nearer, as it is written, “Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed,” this refers to the full salvation of soul and body; the former we have, the latter we wait for, and at any moment the Saviour may come, and “change our vile body, and fashion it like unto His glorious body” so shall we be “forever with the Lord.”
And now, dear reader, should your soul be still unsaved, may God grant that you be led to deep concern as to its eternal destiny, and the immense importance of getting it saved now. Do not be like one of old, “almost persuaded.”
“Almost” cannot avail;
“Almost” is but to fail;
Sad, sad, that bitter wail
“Almost” —but lost!
Think of the unalloyed blessedness which is offered you in the gospel; think too, of the dread alternative— “body and soul in hell.” By the joys of heaven, by the torments of hell, I entreat you, seeing this may be your last appeal, go down upon your knees, and call upon the Lord, “Who is rich unto all who call upon Him, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
And let those of us who have been redeemed to God by the blood of the Lamb, be very careful to walk consistently, “letting our light shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father.” Let us not get weary in well doing, but go on in a straight undeviating path of faithfulness to God, and devotedness to Christ, till face to face we see our Saviour, and are like Him, and with Him, forever, and forever. The Lord grant this and save the unsaved reader.
H. T.