ANOTHER year has passed, and gone forever! Another year begins, and where, dear reader, does it find you as to your precious, immortal soul? Does it find you rejoicing in the Lord Jesus, because He loved you, and washed you from your sins in His own blood? If so, it is well; but if the beginning of another year makes you manifest to the eye of God as yet in your sins, unbroken in heart, unrepentant, unforgiven, then it is not well — your case is sad indeed. And why is it, we would lovingly ask, that you are still indifferent to the sweet voice of Jesus, who calls from heaven, and bids you hear His word? Why is it that you are still wandering from Him? Why are you still refusing to bow the neck to His yoke? Why do you choose to walk on the broad road which leadeth to everlasting destruction? Why still prefer to follow the inclinations of your own will, and to form your own opinion, instead of hearkening to the gracious voice of the Son of God, and bowing to Him, thankfully receiving Him as your Saviour, and owning Him, with adoring gratitude and praise, as your Lord? (See John 1:12, 1312But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12‑13).)
Is it not well, dear reader, at once to consider how matters really stand between you and God? Has He, who alone can search the heart, not declared you to be hopelessly undone, and inevitably lost? Does He not say that “the heart of man is desperately wicked, and deceitful above all things;” and that “they that are in the flesh cannot please God”? (Jeremiah 17:99The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9); Romans 8:88So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:8).) How foolish and fatal, then, it is to flatter yourself in your own eyes! How hazardous the idea of postponing looking this matter gravely and solemnly in the face! What madness, in the light of such Scriptures, for you to suppose you can do anything in the least degree to save yourself! How busily, and craftily too, the great enemy of souls works to deceive, and, by any, and every artifice, seeks to keep you from receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as the alone Saviour of sinners! Do think of these things, and consider well Acts 13:37-4137But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. 38Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. 40Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; 41Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you. (Acts 13:37‑41).
Dear reader, there is no time to be lost. The end of all things is at hand. You have delayed long enough. Your danger is imminent. Further procrastination may be eternally fatal. Time rapidly flies. Eternity is near. The Lord Jesus is quickly coming from heaven. Your case is bad, hopelessly, incurably bad, and do what you will, go where you may, you cannot mend it. God alone can save you. He has loved the world. He has sent His Son into it to suffer for sins, to die for sinners, to save the ungodly. And now from heaven He calls and preaches the forgiveness of sins, and present and eternal peace with God to everyone that believeth. Not everyone that doeth, or feeleth, or hopeth, or trieth, oh, no! but to everyone that believeth. Dear soul, God calls by His gospel to you. He bids you hear His sentence, that by nature and by practice you are a sinner, that they that are in the flesh cannot please Him; but that in pity He will save you at once, in believing on His beloved Son. In deep, deep mercy He sent His own Son into the world to purge sins, put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, and thus forever save the sinner, to the praise and glory of His grace.
How solemn, eternally solemn, dear reader, this is! Give up at once then, this very moment, all idea of goodness in yourself, all vain hopes of getting better, all attempts to save yourself by your works, and now, just as you are, look to the Son of God now in the glory, who was on the cross, and bled, and suffered death there to save sinners. Dear soul! look to Him! Look clean out of yourself, your doings, and feelings. Look straight to the Lord Jesus, who “was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities,” and who there died that every one who believeth in Him might live forever. Look by faith to Him, and then the language of your heart, dear soul, will be―
“I can see Him even now,
With His pierced, thorn-clad brow,
Agonizing on the tree:
Oh, what love! and ALL FOR ME!”
Again, look to the Son of God, now at God’s right hand, who died on the cross to save sinners. Consider that love. Dwell on the fact that God, instead of justly condemning us for our sins, put the condemnation on His beloved Son. Look to Him, and may your heart be fixed on Him until you are melted before such deep, unutterable mercy, such divine love. Surely it was —
“For love of us He bled,
And all in torture died;
‘Twas love that bowed His willing head,
And op’d His gushing side.”
Do you not see, dear reader, that you need such a Saviour; that He delights to save the lost; that He bids you come to Him, and promises to give you rest? Thus may it be with you! May you know this personal intercourse with Christ Himself, until you see and know that you are “justified by His blood,” through faith; and, “being justified by faith, have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”