AN unconverted youth once had his conscience so aroused to his state as a guilty sinner, and to the fact that at any moment the Lord might come, that he awoke his parents during the night by his cries. They found him in a corner of the room, trembling from head to foot with terror and dread lest before morning Christ would return, and, finding him unconverted, leave him for judgment, at the same moment severing his Christian parents from him by taking them to be forever with Himself.
Such was wholesome fear, and but for man's callous heart of unbelief many more would be trembling at the prospect of "the terror of the Lord," whose swift return would seal their eternal doom. The faithful and true witness says, “Behold! I come quickly” and the apostle declares, "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha.”
Oh! careless and unsaved reader, let me speak a word of loving warning in thine ear, for the time is short—the coming of the Lord draweth nigh—the Judge standeth at the door. Too well thou knowest that thou lovest not the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: the mention of His worthy name awakes no response in thine heart, is no melody in thine ear, and there is no beauty in Him that thou shouldest desire Him. A stranger to grace, thy life has been one long course of selfwill and indifference to His rightful claims. Love for Him and His exists not in thine heart, but rather aversion and contempt for His blessed Word. Hearken then to the solemn sentence, "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha." This is a judgment which may overwhelm thy guilty soul in the twinkling of an eye, plunging thee into unfathomable depths of despair; for "in such an hour as ye think not" the Lord will come. Not yet "revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance," but He returns to take away His own, to raise the dead in Christ, and change those who are alive, then, taking them up in the cloud into glory with Himself, all the unbelievers will be left behind to be destroyed by the "strong delusion," and that "without remedy"(1 Thess. 4:13-1713But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For 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. (1 Thessalonians 4:13‑17); 2 Thess. 1:7-107And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. (2 Thessalonians 1:7‑10).)
Arouse thee, guilty Christ rejecter, or too late thou mayest bemoan thy hapless fate, and curse thy folly forever, remembering that when He would have saved thee thou wouldst not. "Ah," these men say, "Christ will not come in my day; many have expected Him and been disappointed; there will yet be time enough to repent." Away vain thought. He has written, "When they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape" (Thes. 5:3). The poet said truth-fully—
"There are no pardons in the tomb,
And brief is mercy's day.”
But it can be also said—Nor will there be mercy for those despisers of present grace through Jesus Christ who will be alive at His return. Thousands trifle with convictions, in hope of time for a death-bed repentance, which will never be given; for He calls again, "Surely I come quickly." Then woe to thee, unsaved sinner.
Perhaps though thou knowest not Him thou hast wrapped close round thee a garment of religious profession. Alas! His eye will detect thy counterfeit, and His awful sentence be—"Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Ponder again these awful words, "Anathema Maranatha." Oh! dear sinner, wilt thou brook His fierce anger and bear His withering frown, before which earth and heaven shall flee away? Rush not against the thick bosses of the Almighty—mighty to curse then, yet mighty to save now—wanting to save—for with Him is plenteous redemption that He may be feared. Humble thyself in faith now before Him, who in lowly grace came to seek and save that which was lost—yea! died for the ungodly. Thy sins are many, thy guilt untold, but His abundant mercy towers far above all, and still He says, "Him that cometh unto me I will in nowise cast out." Come, oh! come, by faith to the Savior now, before He comes as judge of quick and dead. "Kiss ye the Son lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him." "Behold! he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.
Even so. Amen!" T. R. D.