“THERE’S time plenty,” was the answer I received the other night from a gay young woman of the world, when I spoke to her about her soul’s eternal weal. “Time plenty,” indeed, but for what? In hell there will be plenty of time for the rejecters of Christ, to remember that they trifled with God’s grace too long. There will be plenty of time for them to weep bitter tears of remorse over their folly, and to cry as one of old― “I have played the fool.” But, friend, if you want to be saved there’s no time to be lost. God says “Now.” This present moment is all that you can call your own. If you fool it away, you may lose your soul.
A story is told us of an Italian serpent charmer, who used to perform before large audiences with a great boa constrictor. One feat in the performance was that this tremendous snake should coil itself round and round the man’s body until nothing was seen of him but his head, then at a given signal the reptile would uncoil itself again, and quietly glide back to its den. Oftentimes had this feat been successfully performed.
But one night the company was gathered as usual. The actor appeared on the stage, and was applauded to the echo again and again, as the delighted people watched his clever feats. Then came the last act as usual, and the serpent began to slowly wrap itself about the body of the man. The people waited in breathless stillness to see the result. The signal was given for it to uncoil itself. But instead of doing so it was seen to draw itself together, and an awful shriek rent the theater as the life was crushed out of the poor fellow’s body.
Yes! he played with danger once too often. He might have said, There’s plenty of time to give it up, and to retire from this dangerous business; but he did it just once too often.
My reader, what are you going to do? Will you turn again from God’s offered mercy? Will you despise the Saviour? Will you turn to the fascinations and glitter of this poor world, and neglect God’s “great salvation”? To do so is to imperil your precious soul. God says Now. “Come NOW, let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isa. 1:1818Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)).
“Ah!” said a dear old Christian of eighty-seven years, as I read him those words, “fifty-two years ago I trusted them words, and they’re true today. But it’s only through the blood.” Yes, friend, that’s it, “only through the blood,” the precious blood of Jesus. Then if salvation has been purchased at such a cost, reject it not. Trifle no longer. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”
J. T. M.