“Thus saith the Lord... THIS YEAR thou shalt die.”
CERTAIN traveler, while passing through a vast forest, missed his track. Nightfall was coming on apace, and it became necessary that he should halt till morning
before proceeding. How he could best protect himself from the ferocious beasts that infested that wild forest, was the all-absorbing question. He knew they would be prowling abroad during the hours of darkness in search of their prey. He had heard that these night wanderers were afraid of the light, so he at once began to prepare for kindling a large fire. Dry leaves and dead branches were carefully collected, and now for a light. Alas! he found he had only three matches in his possession. The first which he struck proved to be a bad one, and failed to ignite. The second ignited, but a waft of wind soon blew it out. Now came his last match. Oh, how carefully he handled it! Kneeling down close to the dry leaves, he noted the direction of the wind, and jealously sheltered his match from it. How his heart beat with excitement! Would this fail? or would it succeed? Everything depended on it. Whether he should spend the lonely night in darkness, exposed to the ferocity of beasts of prey, or rest quietly in the light, protected from them, depended entirely on this his LAST MATCH! He struck it, the leaves ignited, the dry twigs caught the flame, and he spent the night in tolerable comfort.
Dear reader, solemnly consider. Thou wilt, to use our figure, come to thy “LAST MATCH.” There is a God whose claims thou hast shamefully neglected, whose love thou hast coldly spurned, and in the thoughts of that God there is a brief period of time known as “thy day.” The things which belong to thy peace must be attended to in this “thy day” or never; miss God’s present call and you may be left in the dark for eternity. We cannot with certainty say that “this year thou shalt die,” but we can say, “This day is ‘thy day.’” Oh, harden thy heart no longer! Trust in the risen Savior. Rest on God’s thoughts of His precious blood. Submit to His holy authority, and you will be able to go on your way rejoicing.