A soldier gave me the following history of his conversion,
"My comrade and I were nearly the worst men in the regiment. He became converted, and I tried by every means to get him back to his old ways, but he was hard and fast in his faith, which distressed me. I had lost my chance.
"I was well read in the Scriptures, had received a good education, and had been brought up in a good position in society, but it profited me nothing. I enlisted, and went on from bad to worse.
"One day a missionary came into the barrack-room. He seemed a nice man, and I thought, 'Well, I will soon start you.' I had always done so before, and had no doubt but that I should do so now. He listened to me, and when I had done, said,
" 'My friend, you need Christ!' He fixed his eye upon me and said again, You need Christ.'
"Instantly I looked for the 'pontoons' for a way of escape, and soon went and lay upon my bed, sick and weary at heart. But he followed me there, saying,
" 'Friend, you need Christ, you need Christ, which distressed me much. He would not leave me till he had extracted a promise from me to go to a preaching he was to hold that night. I promised, and went, in spite of every effort of Satan and man to prevent; and God sent me home saved.
"It was through His own words, 'God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).
" 'Verily verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.' John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24). God saved me and keeps me. I said when I came to Christ,
" 'Blessed Lord, Thou knowest what I am! If Thou savest, Thou must keep me; and so He has in the past, and I trust Him to keep me in the future. Every morning I just tell Him that He knows what I am, and that I cannot keep myself; and every night I just thank Him that He has kept me. I have nothing to boast in but Himself."
Perhaps the reader's case finds no parallel in that of this poor soldier, inasmuch as you are not openly profane or irreligious; but if you have not Christ, you are as far from happiness and heaven as he was before he found Him.
Are you rich in this world? Alas, how poor, if you have not Christ! Are you learned? In Him only are found all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Are you toiling to add house to house and field to field? "Thou fool" (it may be), "this night thy soul shall be required of thee; then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?"
Are you seeking to drown the thought of a judgment to come in the giddy maze of pleasure, or in the wearisome round of fashionable frivolity? You cannot do it. Beneath a gay exterior you carry a burdened heart! You are an immortal being! You have cravings that none but Christ can satisfy! I say to you, my unsaved reader, You need Christ! You are beguiled by Satan into believing a lie. Come to Him who is the Truth. You are wandering far from God. Come to Christ; He is "the way" to God. You are dead in trespasses and sins. Come to Him, and He will give you life, for He is "the Way, and the Truth, and the Life."
Are you prepared to face these stern realities? Not if your soul is unsaved, your sins unforgiven. In Christ you may have salvation and pardon, but without Him you must perish everlastingly,
Reader, accept this blessed gift of God, His only begotten Son! Flee to this haven of rest; for He said,
Lay hold on this eternal life, anchor your tempest-tossed soul on this Rock of Ages,