THE world is under sentence of judgment. It only awaits the executioner. Speaking morally, it lieth in the wicked one, and by its wisdom knows not God. Satan is its prince. But soon all will be changed; the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven, in flaming fire taking vengeance, &c. This, however, is the world that many are so eager to possess, and to find in it a position of honor and distinction. Man labors and strives for happiness in it. This is worldly merriment. Yet, like the crackling of thorns under a pot, though it make a great noise and glare, it soon goes out; but men are kept moving on by a constant succession of changes. Though it refused, and hated, and put to death the holy Son of God, it tries to ignore the fact, and to go on in willing ignorance or forgetfulness of it. But the word of the Lord is unchanged, “Now is the judgment of this world.” Sin reigns, and death is constantly at work. The earth abounds with violence and corruption, and men have “no hope, and are without God in the world.” Sometimes, when God is outwardly acknowledged, it is a God of their own imagination, not “a just God and a Saviour,” not “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Superstition, idolatry, priestcraft, and men-exalting doctrines, it is to be feared, go far to make up the religiousness of many; so that sincere souls longing for salvation are often hindered and entangled by the doctrines and traditions of men, which feed the pride of self-righteousness, and foster confidence in the fancied powers of human intellect. Many, too, are so deceived, by the name of Jesus being tacked on to endorse and accredit what is false, that, like Zaccheus, they exalt themselves to a position of eminence, if perchance they might catch a passing glance of the Saviour, instead of coming down to the place only of receivers, and finding present and lasting blessing, like him who afterwards heard the word of Jesus, and “made haste, came down, and received Him joyfully.” But what of God in all that is going on in this day of bustle and activity? God calls. He hath spoken to us in these last days by His Son, and He still speaks concerning His Son in the gospel of His grace. God speaks of His love, His love to man as a sinner and a rebel against Him; “for God COMMENDETH HIS LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8).) God speaks, then, to man of His love; He tells us of His own Son pouring out His soul unto death upon the cross to purge sins and save sinners, and says that He “so loved the world, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Thus God speaks, and points to Christ who died for the ungodly, to assure us of His love, and to attract our hearts to full confidence in Himself. Thus God gives remission of sins and eternal life to all who believe on the name of His only begotten Son.
God calls; but who hears? The ears of many are dull of hearing. “God hath spoken once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.” But man is active in opposition to God, his “mind is enmity against God,” so that he closes his ears, and refuses to listen to God’s voice, and he will not have the gift of God, which is eternal life. God calls, and man refuses. How distressing this is! Man would not have Christ to reign over him, and he will not now obey God’s voice in the gospel, which is declared for the obedience of faith among all nations. Is it possible that thoughtful, calculating, intelligent men really choose the pleasures of sin and trifles of a moment, and refuse eternal realities and everlasting happiness? Is it so?
The infidel refuses the authority of God’s word, and the value of Christ’s work, because his proud heart will acknowledge no higher order of thought than human intellect, and totally disclaims the idea of his being so morally bad as to need such a sacrifice for sin.
The rationalist refuses the glad tidings, because he will believe nothing that he cannot understand. He flatters himself that he is capable of judging God’s ways, and also of judging God’s word, instead of being judged by it; and despises the thought of having a mind so corrupt and alienated from God as Scripture declares. He entirely reverses the divine order. Scripture says, “By faith we understand. The rationalist says, “I must understand first, and then I will believe.”
The ritualist refuses God’s call to receive present remission of sins, present peace with God, the present possession of everlasting life through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, because he has abandoned Christianity, except in name, and embraced principles of Judaism. He has gone back to a position of distance from God, outside the vail, to an earthly order of priesthood, and a worldly sanctuary; thus refusing God’s blessed truth of being “perfected forever by one sacrifice,” of belonging to the heavenly priesthood, and of present liberty of access inside the vail where Jesus is.
Careless souls refuse God’s salvation by Christ, because they prefer to gratify the lusts of the flesh. Like profane Esau, they sell their birthright for a mess of pottage.
Dear reader, “see that ye refuse not Him that speaketh.” Will you, can you, any longer turn from God’s matchless love in Christ? “Because there is wrath, beware lest He take thee away with His stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.” (Job 36:1818Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee. (Job 36:18).)