Recently on leaving a street car a person, to whom I had handed a gospel magazine, handed me a paper in return. It was nicely got up in small newspaper form. On looking over it I round that, whilst it contained stories, anecdotes, &c., it had been issued by a leading life insurance company, and its real object was the advertising of the said company, and also trying to induce people to insure their lives; by sundry specious arguments with which most are pretty familiar, so I will not repeat them here. My thoughts, however, took a different channel from that contemplated by the person who had handed me the paper, or who had compiled it. I thought of how man can speak of the uncertainty of life, and how death may invade a family at any time, &c., and use these arguments to try and persuade people to insure their lives, and bring before them the merits of the company of which they are agents. But what is it all at best? Merely a question of this life, or, at farthest, death. But there they stop. But, dear reader, let us go a little further. WHAT, AFTER DEATH?
The word of God tells us that "it is appointed unto men once to' die, but after this THE JUDGMENT " (Heb. 9:27). It also tells us that there is a "second death" (Rev. 2:11; 20:6-14). The last verse quoted tells us that " the second death is the lake of fire." Now I will ask you, in true love for your soul, have you a policy of insurance that will be a positive guarantee against' those two, viz., " judgment "and the " second death "? If not, may God arouse you to a true sense of the danger that lies before y you. Do you say no man can know it-there is no such thing as being certain as to that? Stay, friend, God says in His word, " If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself; he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; (are you doing that?), because he believeth not the record (same word as witness' above) that God gave of His Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" (1 John 5:9-12). If you turn to the gospel by John, 5th chapter, you will see that the Lord there speaks of every soul having to take life or judgment from Him. In verse 24 he says, " 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," (or " judgment," the same word as in Heb. 9:27, above quoted.) But if you take your place (and it is your true place) before God as a poor lost sinner and believe in your heart what God says about the work of His Son, you will have the solid foundation of God's word to rest on. Heaven and earth may pass away but His word will never fail. Now what does God say about His Son?
He tells us that " God commendeth His love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us " (Rom. 5:8). That " the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit, offered Himself without spot to God, purges the conscience (of him who believes) from dead works to serve the living God " (Heb. 9:14). That “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin " (1 John 1:7). That Jesus " was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification; therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ " (Rom. 4:25; 5:1).
See to it, dear reader, see to it ere it be too late and the door be shut. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation " (2 Cor. 6:2).
If, in your heart, you are resting, and resting only, on the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary's cross for acceptance before God, when Jesus comes for His own, as He has said He will (John 14:3), then you will be one of those who meet Him in the air (see 1 Thess. 4:13-17), which is the first resurrection and you will be one of those of whom it is written, " Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power " (Rev. 20:6).
Dear reader, is not that a policy of insurance worth having, and how miserable are all human policies of insurance alongside of it?
Have you such a policy? If you have, remember what it cost that blessed One that you might have it, without money and without price. Its perfect certainty and security resting on Him. “Because I live, ye shall live also " (John 14:19).
Our sins were laid on His sacred head,
The curse by our Lord was borne;
For us a Victim our Savior bled,
And endured that death of scorn;
HIMSELF He gave our poor hearts to win-
(Was ever love, Lord, like Thine!)
From the paths of folly and shame and sin,
And fill them with joys divine.