On a Lord's day evening, after preaching the gospel in a public hall, I passed from the platform to the body of tine hall, to gather up the results of the gospel. The first anxious soul I observed, was a young man, whose looks told me that the Holy Ghost had planted in his heart, the incorruptible seed of the word of God. I spoke to him and soon discovered the state of his soul. God had met him, and taught him his lost state. Heaven and hell were before him; how he could escape the latter and gain the former, was his entire object. It is most precious' and delightful to get hold of down right, anxious, earnest souls. Now, my young friend was a down right earnest soul. He wanted salvation on the spot. He was lost, and nothing less than a present Savior could satisfy him. From the word of God, I showed him that Jesus is a present Savior, and that,. "he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36).
He was astonished to hear from the word of God that be could have everlasting life on the spot. Like the millions of this day, he thought he had to work himself- into a state that would induce God to save him. The love of God, in the gift of His Son, overturned his religious-fabric; and the beautiful story of the thief on the Cross, set aside all his notions of fitness being required, by the sinner before his coming to Christ. After promising to visit him at his address, I parted with him.
On the afternoon of the following Lord's day, I visited him at his address, and found him reading "Notes on Romans." I was rather surprised to find him reading the "Notes;" but, on looking into his face, I saw an expression which is always the result of having peace with God.
He had found the peace that Christ made "through the blood of His cross." He was "washed," "sanctified," "justified," and rejoicing in "hope of the glory of God."
Fresh joy seemed to flow into his soul as he looked up and said, "He could not bear sins in heaven." "Ah!" said he, "that beautiful fifty-fourth hymn, that was sung at the hall last Lord's day evening, had such power; they sung, it with such expression." For the sake of my readers, I will transcribe the first two verses of this beautiful hymn.
• "God in mercy sent His Son,
To a world by sin undone,
Jesus Christ was crucified'
Twas for sinners Jesus died.
"O the glory of the grace,
Shining in the Savior's face,
Telling sinners from above,
`God is light,' and 'God is love.'"
My reader, look away from yourself to Jesus, the Savior in the glory. He went down into death to accomplish redemption, and now lives, in the glory of God, mighty to save. He shed His precious blood, to purge every stain from your soul, and remove every trace of guilt from your conscience, and now lives and says':-"Peace to you."
On the following Tuesday I saw my young friend, on board the Mail Steamer, before he sailed for England. He was fresh and happy in the love of God, and spoke simply and sweetly of the coming of the Lord Jesus for " ills own." In a few days, the Spirit of God taught this new born babe in Christ, the "blessed hope" of the believer; and I was delighted to open the book, and show him that he was converted to God to wait for His Son from heaven. 1 Thess. 1:9,109For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 10And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:9‑10). Being anxious that he should rejoice in this "blessed hope," I said, " We are not converted to wait for death; it is neither our hope nor object; God's Son is. both. We are not ' sure of death,' as people say; for God says: 'Behold I show you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at, the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.' 1 Cor. 15:51,5251Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51‑52).
" Jesus, who loved you and gave Himself for you, may come for 'His own' and take you up before you cross the Atlantic. I know you will be glad to see Him as He is, and be like Him and with Him forever." With avidity, he drank in this precious truth and said, "It is no fable." "Oh!" said I, "would to God that this was the language of every child of God under the sun." I grasped the hand of my young friend as he said, "I will meet you there in white." I cannot forget the peaceful, heavenly smile that played on the face of this new born heir of eternal glory. He had found a new home for his heart, and the link with that home was the glorified Jesus, who loved him, and washed him from' his sins in His own blood. We parted for "a little while," until, " Himself, the Lord, shall come," and change these vile bodies and fashion them like unto His body of glory. 1 Thess. 4:16,1716For 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 4:16‑17). Phil. 3:2121Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:21).
A word, before I close, to the readers of this paper. It Will fall into the hands of two classes, viz,: the saved and the unsaved. To you who are saved, the coming of the Lord Jesus "is no fable," but a present reality. You were converted to wait for the Son of God from heaven. Death is not your hope; you were not converted to wait for it, but for the Lord Himself who is coming quickly for "His own." To you who are not saved, the corning of the Lord Jesus "is no fable," but an awful, present reality, the closing forever of the door of mercy for you and the fixing of your eternal destiny. If He should come whilst you read this paper, you will be shut out from His presence forever. Hear what He says. "Anh while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut." Matt. 25:1010And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. (Matthew 25:10). It will be utterly useless for you to stand outside and say, "Lord, Lord, open to us." He will say, "I know you not."
In the days of your pleasure hunting and enjoyment of your lusts, you did not know Him. He will not know you in that day when He bolts the eternal doors of heaven against you. You lived without Him in the ball room, in the theater, in the billard room, in the hurry and bustle of the business circle, in the domestic circle, in the religious circle, and on the race course, and you will live without Him during the rolling ages of eternity, in the lake of fire, if you are not ready to go in with Him when He comes for "His own." You have denied Him a place in your heart here; He will deny you a place in the Father's house. You have not known Him here in the time of your prosperity; He will not know you in the moment of your greatest extremity, when all hope is gone, and the lake of fire is ready to receive you. He will say, with a voice of thunder that will shake the heavens and earth, "I know you not." "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Matt. 25:4141Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (Matthew 25:41).
Dream not, my reader, of time for repentance-of "repentance at the eleventh hour." The Lord will come, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." Yes, " in the twinkling of an eye," all hope of escape from the wrath to come will be cut off, and all entrance to the many mansions of the Father's house closed. Flee! 0, flee to Jesus just now; your eternal doom, may be decided in " the twinkling of an eye." To you, then, the coming of the Lord Jesus "is no fable," but an awful reality which will fix your abode for eternity.
Perhaps my reader has always looked at death as that which would close the door of mercy, and cut off all hope of his being saved.. Death will assuredly do this if you die in your sins; but the Lord Jesus may come before you die, close the door of mercy, cause the gospel message to cease, and then you will have a lie to believe that you may be damned. 2 Thess. 2:10-1210And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:10‑12). Awake! awake! for " the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night." Say not, "peace and safety," for " sudden destruction" will come upon you, and you will not escape. 1 Thess. 5:2,32For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3For 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. (1 Thessalonians 5:2‑3); 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).
And observe, the Lord Jesus is not a mere spirit, hut the Son of God, the Son of man, who lived and died here, and who lives again, ordained of God the judge of the quick and dead; and God has appointed a day in which He will judge this world in- righteousness by Him. John 5:27-2927And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 28Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:27‑29). Acts 17:3131Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31). Neither is His coming "a spiritual coming." as people say, but a personal coming. This world saw Hint, as the Son of God, the Man of sorrows; it nailed Him to a tree, and had its last look at Him, in that (lay, on the gibbet. He is hidden from it for a little while. It will have its final look at Him when He comes in the clouds of heaven. " Behold He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him." Rev. 1:77Behold, 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. (Revelation 1:7).
This is not "a spiritual coming," but the Son of man coning to judge the world in righteousness.
This " is no fable" to this poor Christ rejecting world, that has not a moment to think of Him, nor a place for Him in its affections. It will have a moment to look at Him when Ile conies, and an eternity to live without Him, when He commits it to the lake of fire for its sins and rejection of His message of love in the gospel.
Beloved reader, knowing the terror of the Lord, we would persuade you to flee from the wrath to come. Flee with all your sins and guilt to Jesus. Go to Him just now as you are, he will not cast you out. He has pledged Himself to receive you. " Hint that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." You require no goodness or merit to draw out His love and induce Him to save you. He loves you, calls you, and invites you to find rest and a refuge in Himself " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." W. B.