ONE day sitting in a shop I heard a voice in the street outside; it was an old man's voice, reading aloud, and this is what he read, so clearly and with such deep feeling that I listened spell-bound:
There is a city bright,
Closed are its gates to sin,
Naught that defileth,
Naught that defileth
Can ever enter in.
Savior, I come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I pray,
Cleanse me and save me,
Cleanse me and save me,
Wash all my sins away.
Lord, make me from this hour
Thy loving child to be,
Kept by Thy power,
Kept by Thy power
From all that grieveth Thee.
Till in the snowy dress
Of Thy redeemed I stand,
Faultless and stainless,
Faultless and stainless,
Safe in that happy land.
And then, without a pause, the voice went on—
I did not see the old man, I only heard his voice; but the deep longing expressed in it told me that he was looking forward with eager hope to that moment when he should stand as one of Christ's redeemed, blood-bought saints, "faultless and stainless, safe in that happy land."
When God's children grow old and gray-headed, they can look backwards as well 48 forwards, and then they see how patiently and lovingly their heavenly Father has taught and trained them. He has given them joys, and He has sent sorrows, too, He has chastened them because they are His sons, and He wants His sons to be partakers—sharers—of His holiness, Heb. 12:1010For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. (Hebrews 12:10).
But you, dear boys and girls, are young, with the years stretching before you, and your heavenly Father would have you put your hand in His, and trust Him to lead you safely along life's untried pathway. Each day He would have you pray, "Thy name be hallowed," Thy name be kept holy; and for yourself and the rest of the family of God, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
But even though you are young, you may not be left down here, for the Lord Jesus is coming, we believe He is coming very soon, to take every one that belongs to Him out of this world that is so unholy, so defiled by sin. He will not take us one by one, but all together. "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." But there will be no need for even the youngest, weakest believer to be afraid. Not one will be forgotten or left behind; "The dead in Christ shall rise first; then 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 Thess. 4:16, 1716For 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. (1 Thessalonians 4:16‑17).
Think of what it will be to be forever with the Lord, children, for the Lord is JESUS.
E. E. S.