DEAR friend, I want as the Lord leads me to speak a few words to you who are in the world. When I say in the world I mean engaged in its pursuits, its ambitions, its amusements, its religion. Have you ever thought how all will end? for the fairest, brightest earthly dream, and hope must come to an end. Oh! bear with me, do not put this thought away from you—your eternal welfare is at stake, and, dear friend, the only object I have in thus writing to you is that the Lord may cause these feeble words to sink into your heart, and lead you to accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior—as the One who will deliver you from going down to the pit.
Perhaps you are young, gay, and thoughtless, surrounded by all that is thought to make life happy, and you think in common with many of the foolish world "Time Enough—time enough for these things when one grows old and the world has ceased to woo. Time enough when one comes to die." But do not people die young? Yes, and unconscious too. Oh, thoughtless one, are you going to come to Christ when all you have and are has been spent in the devil's service? When in life and health you laughed at the thought of eternity, and wished that those who spoke to you about such things would mind their own affairs. Beware! Beware! "God is not mocked." "Now is the accepted time: now is thee day of salvation." But let me ask you is the world worth what you are paying for it? does it give you real happiness, real peace, real rest? No! No! it does not even promise that. It gives so called pleasure, which when the excitement has passed away leaves an empty void. You will not always be young, and things will lose the bright look they wear to the eye of youth. Troubles will come, for God's Word says, "Man is born to trouble" (Job 5:77Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. (Job 5:7)). Come they will to all, and then you will find, if you have not before, the utter emptiness of this world's attractions.
God says "the world passeth away" (1 John 2:1717And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (1 John 2:17)). And you, dear reader, will pass away also. Whither? To Heaven, or to Hell for eternity. Are you asleep? has the devil lulled you so with his opiates? Oh awake! awake! oh that you could see your danger: moral, amiable, attending your place of worship on Sunday, and yet without Christ—a rejector. But you say, I have never rejected Christ. Let me ask you, have you accepted Him as your Savior? Has He saved you? (for the word savior means one who saves) if not you are still in your sins, still a rejector. God only recognizes the two classes—the acceptors or rejectors. Oh, have you heard Jesus say, Come, and like Levi of old left all and followed Him? If you have not He speaks now, He says Come; that is the word He always has for the poor lost sinner. He said to the woman of Samaria (John 4:1616Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. (John 4:16)), "Go call thy husband" (that was to show her her sin—her need of a Savior), "and come hither." Oh, dear one, would that you knew the love that is in the heart of Jesus for you. Do not any longer halt between two opinions. Remember you are living in a world that crucified God's Anointed, and still despises and rejects Him (Isa. 53:66All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)). One day God will judge this world for the murder of His Son, and if you persist in your present way you will stand there with the rest of the guilty world awaiting your just doom.
But perhaps in the foolishness of your heart you are too proud to stoop-to stoop to the feet of Jesus. You want to save yourself or to help to save. "The gift of God is eternal life;" you can do nothing to save yourself; all your good works, prayers, church or chapel-going will not save you; Christ alone can save. Proud ones, come down from your own good works and accept the finished work of Jesus; hear what God says of you, "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination unto the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished" (Prov. 16:55Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. (Proverbs 16:5)). Oh, but think of it, an abomination to the Lord! Proud one, humble yourself before it be too late; come as a lost sinner, for "He came to seek and save that which was lost.”
Here is good news, "This Man receiveth sinners." Come to Him now; you will have a welcome like that the prodigal son had; you will have the sweet knowledge of sin forgiven, and a Savior’s love. And you will when weary find Him "as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land;" and soon, very soon, He may come Himself or call you up thither where you will enter in at the pearly gates, walk the golden streets, wear the promised crown, and sing the song of the redeemed, "Unto Him that loveth us and washed us from our sins in His own blood" (Rev. 1:55And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5)), yea, best of all, see Jesus as He is. Now as God has enabled me I have put life and death before you; which are you going to accept? Do not say, I will think of these things—that is the devil’s whisper; do not listen to him; he is a liar; and well he has acted his character as such. Oh, now, before you lay down this paper, close with God's terms of salvation. Remember if you reject His mercy you have yourself to blame, your blood be upon your own head. I am free; you cannot say in Hell, I was never warned. "Beware, therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the Prophets Behold, ye despisers, and wonder and perish”