IN visiting lately in the town of C—, I knocked at the door of a Mrs. J—. A woman put her head out a few doors off and said, “Mrs. J—is away from home.” Going to her I said, “You told me that, eight months ago, when I called on Mrs. J— before, and I gave you a little book. Did you read it?”
“Yes.”
“And did you like it?”
“Yes.”
“Then you must be a believer?”
“Yes—and here are two more,” she said, pointing to a couple of women inside her cottage.
I walked in and sat down. As I did so, one of the two said, “We were just talking about our Saviour when you came in.”
“Oh,” I replied, “talking about your Saviour, were you? Then you were talking about my Saviour too. So there are four of us who can claim Him as ‘our Saviour,’ thank God.”
This led to a very happy little conversation about Him; and I spoke to them of His coming again to take His own to be forever with Him. (See 1 Thessalonians 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); John 14:1-31Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:1‑3). Note: “I will come again.”) While we were speaking another neighbor looked in at the door, and seeing my Bible open in my hand she hastily withdrew. “What made her go so quickly?” I said. “I expect it was the sight of this,” holding up my Bible.
“Yes,” said the woman of the house, “that did it.”
What made the difference? Here were four people happily occupied in speaking of Christ, and listening to what the Bible says as to His coming again. But a fifth withdrew the moment she saw how we were occupied.
What made the difference?
It was really “a division because of Him.”
Only to think that the One these women called “our Saviour!”—the One Whom God calls “My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased!”—the One before Whom heaven’s hosts adoring fall! —only to think that He should be the cause of such well-defined division! Yet so it is. “What think ye of Christ?” is the question which divides the whole of mankind into two distinct companies, two opposing hosts. Men either think well of Him as their Saviour, their Friend, their Lord, their All, or they think ill of Him. They either take sides with GOD about Him, or take sides with the devil against Him.
Which do you do, my reader? Upon the position you take up with regard to Christ hangs your eternal welfare, or otherwise—your happiness for time and eternity, or your misery for eternity.
When Jesus was on earth “there was a division among the people because of Him.”
Now He is in heaven, having accomplished the work of redemption, and been raised and seated by God at His right hand in token of His complete satisfaction in that work, and with Him Who carried it out for His glory and our eternal salvation, there is a division among the people because of Him.
But what about every unbeliever then living? Against all such the door will be shut. They will then earnestly seek admission when it is too late. Empty, Christless professors will plead their sacramental observances, and their outward association with Him. “But He shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from Me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Luke 13:25-2825When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 28There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. (Luke 13:25‑28)).
And what about all who have died unrepentant, unbelieving? They will be left in their graves until the thousand years of the glorious reign of Christ over the earth with His saints will be finished (see Revelation 5:10;2010And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:10)
10And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10). 4-6). Then they will be raised and brought before the great white throne, where He Who now pleads as Saviour will sit as Judge; and the wicked dead will be judged “according to their works.” “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:11-1511And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11‑15)).
“During midnight’s silent hour,
At your heart’s shut door,
Stands a Stranger knocking, waiting—
He has knocked before.
Have you heard that sound of knocking,
Felt the weight of sin?
Ah, it is your Saviour calling—
‘Open, let Me in!’
“Death’s cold hand may soon arrest you,
Claim you as its prey,
And with terror you must enter
An untrodden way.
Then with anguish you’ll remember
All His love and pain,
Who has stood, and knocked, and waited—
Waited, but in vain.
“Ah, no tears, no prayers can save you,
It is now too late;
And in vain you stand there knocking—
Knocking at the gate.
Calling at the gate of heaven—
‘Open, let me in!’
Proving now how death and torment
Wages are of sin.
“Yes, you’ll call, but what an answer
Strikes upon your ear:
‘Sinful soul, I never knew you,
You’ve no portion here.’
Come then NOW, poor trembling sinner,
Open now your heart,
Jesus Christ in grace will enter,
Never to depart!”—(S. H.)
W. G. B.
A Learner in God’s School,—“Wave after wave, trouble after trouble—no ceasing until we get into the haven. I do not wish you out of them, but to profit by them. You may depend upon this, that whatever it is which makes you pleased with yourself is not true grace, and whatever makes you displeased with yourself is not true grace unless it brings you humbly to Christ and makes you put more trust and confidence in Him. The good Lord teach you these things practically. I have learned them by long experience, though I know but little of them, yet I am getting on in the school of Christ, and hope soon to be on the lowest form, for there we learn most and fastest.” R.