NEARLY nineteen centuries ago, God put the question to men, "What think ye of Christ?” by the presence of His Son in their midst. A felon's death, a thorny crown, the pierced side, a grave, was the world's awful reply. But how different the thoughts of God to the thoughts of men! God raised Him from the dead, and gave Him glory at His own right hand. The Nazarene, the Crucified, now sits exalted on God's throne (Heb. 1:33Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3)).
And now, too, all Heaven awaits the wondrous moment, known alone to God, when that same Jesus, the Lord Himself, shall descend into the air, to accomplish the counsels of His everlasting grace.
In patience there He sits, whilst moment by moment long-suffering mercy and grace linger over a world that has cast the law of God behind its back, refused His servants, murdered His Son, and resisted the Holy Ghost. Judgment slumbereth not, for He is ready to judge (1 Peter 4:55Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. (1 Peter 4:5)); but it is His strange work, and mercy rejoiceth against it.
Long, long ago, sinner, the world's cup of iniquity was full, but grace holds back the avenging arm, of the great and terrible God. Still His rich grace flows out full and free to the guilty and lost. Still the voice of mercy pleads with thee to return from thy wanderings in sin. Still the voice of warning tells of wrath revealed, about to fall, yet still withheld. And still the voice of wisdom, with loving entreaty, cries, to use the words of the hymn, —
“Come, ye sinners, poor and wretched,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love, and power.”
Oh, sinner, come. Come now, whilst it is salvation's day, to Him who is mighty to save. Soon, very soon, grace will cease to flow. A moment more, and He who saith, "Surely I come quickly: Amen" (Rev. 22:2020He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)), may descend from on high, and the door of mercy be forever closed upon the vast mass of Christless professors of His name (Matt. 25:1-131Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. (Matthew 25:1‑13)). Iniquity abounds, and the love of many waxes cold. Pleasure seekers, with the form of godliness, multiply; foundation truths are denied on all hands, the name of Christ is dishonored, and despite done to the Spirit of grace. The power of Satan and the will of man pave the way for open apostasy and Antichrist (2 Thess. 2).
But, ere the harvest of wickedness is fully ripe, and judgment falls, Jesus, the Lord Himself, shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God (1 Thess. 4:15-1815For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:15‑18)). In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the Christ of God will claim His blood-bought saints (1 Cor. 15:5252In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:52)). In righteousness His friends shall enter glory. In righteousness His foes shall be shut out. The door of heaven, that opens wide for the entrance of the saved, shall close forever upon all who scorned His love. Not one of His redeemed, but shall hear His well-known welcome voice at that wondrous moment.
Tens of thousands, of whom the world was not worthy, who loved and feared the Lord, and suffered for His sake, and who have passed from time into eternity, trusting in His name, shall hear the sudden and glorious summons. “All that are in the graves shall hear his voice" (John 5:2828Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, (John 5:28)). And tens of thousands, too, on earth, who have never known the unclothed state (2 Cor. 5:44For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. (2 Corinthians 5:4)), shall be caught up, together with them, by the mighty power of God, to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:1717Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:17)). The whole of the redeemed respond to His assembling shout. The sleepers shall be raised, the living changed. Betwixt the heaven and the earth Christ and His loved ones meet, and so shall they be for ever with their Lord.
Oh, sinner, knowing the certainty of these things, which must shortly come to pass, by the mercies of God, I plead with you now, "Be ye reconciled" to Him (2 Cor. 5:2020Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20)). It is only those who are ready that shall enter in with Christ (Matt. 25:1010And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. (Matthew 25:10)). You may be outwardly all that men around you desire; you may be a model of propriety, morality, and religiousness in the world's eye; but God looketh upon the heart. You may have eased a bad conscience, and deceived your own heart, by years of observance of all the externals of one of Christendom's many religions, —but, are your sins forgiven? Are you saved? Have you peace with God? Have you the Holy Ghost?
Such only will hear the voice of the coming Saviour. Those alone in whom the Spirit dwelleth shall have their bodies quickened at that wondrous moment. If the rapidly approaching hour of His return should be the one to which we have arrived as you read these lines, Are you ready? If not, deceive yourself no longer, and let not Satan deceive you. Take your place now before God, guilty and lost, and close this moment with the rich offers of His boundless grace. Believe now in the Son of God, and salvation—full, free, and everlasting— is yours.
But should you still His call refuse, pass on heedless of His gracious entreaties, and be found in your sins at that solemn moment, think, oh think, of what you must come into! Judgment upon judgment will fall upon the nations of this habitable earth. God shall send strong delusion, and you will believe a lie (2 Thess. 2:1111And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (2 Thessalonians 2:11)). Satan, being cast out to this earth, will fill the scene with apostasy, confusion, wickedness, and misery unparalleled and unexampled in the history of man (Matt. 24:2121For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:21); Rev. 3:1010Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. (Revelation 3:10)). And finally, the age shall close by the public and glorious manifestation of the Son of Man, when He Himself shall tread the wine-press of the fierceness of Almighty God, avenging Himself upon His foes (Rev. 19:11-1611And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:11‑16)), and taking the kingdoms of this world as His own.
It is then that “The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth..... And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth," &c. (Jer. 25:80-33). And again we read— “My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger," &c. (Zeph. 3:88Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. (Zephaniah 3:8)).
Beloved reader, if you hear not the shout that shall gather His ransomed ones home, and are not found amongst the myriads of His redeemed at that glorious moment, you must be left behind. Again, therefore, I entreat you to consider, ere it be too late, what your awful position must be. The saved shall hear His shout of victory, but sinners will hear His shout of judgment. In a moment, the blessed hope of the children of God by faith shall be realized, and their joy consummated in the company and glory of Christ. In a moment, the awful doom of the ungodly will be sealed, judgment overtaking them in their sins, whose end shall be the blackness of darkness for eternity (Jude 1313Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. (Jude 13)).
Nothing can deliver you from the latter, but the pardon of your sins through faith in Jesus' blood. Nothing can fit you for the former, but the possession of eternal life in Christ, and the Holy Ghost. Believe God now, and all this rich blessing is yours. Plead guilty at His bar, and He will put your sins away forever for His own glory, and eternally enrich you with these His priceless gifts.
E. H. E.