"ONLY one step and He would have been safe." Such were the words which fell on my ear as my fellow-travelers pressed forward to the open window of the railway-carriage to inquire the cause of the delay. We were on the line between Limerick and Waterford. The train had been moving on as usual—its occupants quite unconscious that the same engine which was conveying them so safely and swiftly along was crushing out the life of a fellow-creature—till suddenly the train stopped, then slowly backed some distance. A man had been run over. It was strange—when first the guard perceived him he was standing on the rail in such a position that it would only have needed him to take a single step and he would have been out of the reach of danger. The driver naturally thought he would do so on the approach of the train, and when he perceived that the man remained motionless it was too late to stop the engine; the buffers of the engine knocked the unfortunate man under the wheels, where he was crushed to death. I saw him carried past the window a mangled bleeding corpse.
Various were the suppositions of my fellow travellers relative to the man's not stepping aside out of the way of danger-some thought he must have been blind, some concluded he was either deaf, or had become paralyzed with fear on seeing the approach of the train. But all agreed that if that one step had been taken his life would have been saved.
One step; think of it, dear reader. Has this true incident no voice for you? God’s train of judgments are coming down upon this guilty earth. Are you off the track? Are you still in the place where the judgment will fall? Think of this in the light of eternity, sinful, careless ones. Now the God of all grace is ready to receive and pardon such as you. Take heed how you hear His message. He has said, "The soul that sinneth it shall die" (Ezek. 18:2020The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. (Ezekiel 18:20)). You have sinned, though, perhaps, the number of your sins is small in comparison with that of others. But a tree is known by its fruits, and one fruit on a tree is enough to determine its nature. So one sin alone marks you as a sinner, "And the wages of sin is death." Look back on the past years of your life—years of carelessness and disobedience, and, still worse, forgetfulness of God, and thank Him for the grace which still offers you salvation.
Now I want to ask you a simple question. Do you believe yourself to be what God says you are—a sinner under condemnation? If so, Jesus is the sinner's Savior. Come to Him as you are, now—"This man receiveth sinners" (Luke 15:22And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. (Luke 15:2)). But perhaps you think, I must fit myself to come to Him, turn over a new leaf, and get my heart in a right state. Did you ever hear of a patient trying to make himself better before meeting the doctor? Oh, no. One goes to the doctor to get cured, and before he can prescribe the remedy he must be fully aware of the nature and progress of the disease; and when we poor sinners come to the Great Physician, to get cured of our sin-sickness, we must come as we are—sinners, lost and condemned, and accept Him (Jesus) as a whole Savior.
But you say, Must I not repent? Oh, yes, indeed you must. Repentance means a change of mind—a change of mind towards God; and what a change it is when a sinner who has been thinking all his life long that God is his enemy—the One who wishes to send him to hell—finds out his mistake, learns that that One of whom he thought such hard bitter thoughts is the gracious loving God who gave his well-beloved Son to die for sinners, and is beseeching them to be reconciled (2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)). Repentance is necessary as an evidence, but useless as a plea for salvation. Now just think! How is it with you? Do you belong to Christ or to the Devil? These are solemn days we are living in; there is a great deal of profession but very little reality. This world is under condemnation—God's train of judgments is coming down upon this guilty earth. Are you off the track?
You say, "Time enough yet, I'll wait till I get older. I will have my fling now." Take care, God is not mocked; in the church-yard lie the bodies of young men and women, as well as of children, middle-aged, and old people. I ask you solemnly to think what are you selling your soul for? What shall it profit if you gain the whole world and lose your soul? Remember, you have but one soul to lose! Perhaps you will say—What must I do to be saved? The answer is the same for you as it was for the Philippian jailor, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)). The law says, "The soul that sinneth it shall die." God says, speaking through His servant Paul, "All have sinned and COME SHORT" (Rom. 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)). "But God commendeth His love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (Rom. 5:8-98But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:8‑9)). Do you see it now? That precious blood blots out all your sins. You become a believer by accepting Jesus as your Savior; the Lord Jesus says, "He that believeth on me hath everlasting life" (John 6:4747Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (John 6:47)). "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:14-1514And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:14‑15)). Oh, think what it must have cost the Lord Jesus to die on Calvary; think of His love, and thank Him for the great salvation which He has purchased for poor sinners with His precious blood.
Before I leave off writing I would relate to to you a little anecdote. It was in the vast prairies of America, through which a party were passing. Day after day they had pursued their journey quietly, little dreaming that e'er long terror would blanch the face and make every heart in the company beat quick. One day one of the travelers pointed out to the guide a small lurid cloud which he had just perceived on the horizon. Well the Indian knows it—the prairies are on fire! What is to be done? Some think of taking refuge in flight, but a moment’s consideration tells them that the flames would outstrip the swiftest Arab horse. But what is the Indian doing? Already he has struck a match and set fire to the long grasses before him. With the rapidity of lightning the wind sweeps the flames onward, leaving behind the charred blackened ground where a few moments before the graceful prairie-grass swayed in the breeze. On this ground the party quickly take their stand. On comes the fire from behind, on to the edge of the blackened ground, and there it stops—Why? The fire has been there before and done its work, and the travelers stand secure, while on every side the fire rages. Sinner, there is a place of security for you—eighteen hundred years ago "the Lord laid on Him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all" (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)). All the billows of God's wrath swept over the head of His holy spotless Son as He hung on Calvary's cross in the place of the guilty. Now do you see why I told you the anecdote of the prairie-fire? There was safety for the travelers in the spot where fire had been; and, dear fellow sinner, there is a place of safety for us at the feet of Jesus. Oh, will you not take your place there? Can you turn away from the loving Lord? Think of it: a little restless pleasure now—then Hell for eternity! Look at the other side—peace, rest for the present, a loving Father's hand guiding, and Heaven for eternity. Which will you choose? May the Lord break down your proud heart and lead you to Himself. S. E. C.