A young man at a beach resort was determined to go out in a little boat, though the sea was much too rough. The boatman strongly urged him not to attempt it, but the young man would not be persuaded and offered to pay double the usual price if he would go.
This tempted the boatman to consent against his better judgment, and they both put out to sea. They had only reached a point just beyond the pier, when their boat was capsized by a violent wave, and both of them were drowned.
Poor man! He thought to get two fares instead of one, but he lost them both and his life too. Do beware of “trying to make the best of both worlds,” lest you lose them both.
Once there was another man that had a friend who was very kind to him. His name was Judas, and he was the “familiar friend” of Jesus the Saviour. Others hated Jesus and wanted to kill Him, and they wanted Judas to sell Him to them for money. He bargained with them to sell Him for thirty pieces of silver—the price of a slave.
Judas thought to get the money and perhaps thought that Jesus would deliver Himself. He got the money, but Jesus did not save Himself. When Judas saw it, he was stricken with remorse and brought back the silver, threw it down in the temple and went and hanged himself. He also had thought to make a good bargain, but he lost the Saviour and the silver and his soul too.
Do you think to have the world now, with all its sin, and then accept the Saviour when you can have no more of it? Be warned against the experiment. The “double fare” may cost you your life and your soul.
You may come to a moment, before you leave the world, when you will feel that all the things for which you bartered your soul are no longer yours to enjoy. You will have done with the world; it will have done with you—and what about the other world? Be wise in time; eternity is near.
“Seek ye the Lord while He
may be found, call ye upon Him
while He is near.”