It is not a difficult matter to shun the preacher of the gospel and his warnings. It is easy, in the rush of business and the whirl of pleasure, to shut out all thought of God and eternity; but when death — the inexorable — puts in an appearance, brushing aside friends, pleasures, wealth, and earthly pursuits, then all is changed. When the soul is left alone in the presence of death and eternity, the solemn facts of God and forever — facts that will remain unchanged when the fallacies of time are exposed — these force themselves into view. GOD, SIN, and ETERNITY in the hour of death must become exceedingly real. Ah! it is well, in the full light of these solemn realities, to have solid comfort.
I was talking the other day to a dying man. There was no doubt as to his physical condition — a fell disease was upon him which baffled all human skill; nor had he himself any doubts upon that score — he knew full well that shortly he would pass from time into eternity.
He was alone in his room when I called, and it was not long before we were speaking together of the all-important question of his soul's salvation. He referred to the oft-told story of Luther's vision, in which he saw Satan appear with two large scrolls covered with a true record of his life's guilt. Having assured himself that the sins were really his, Luther said, "Take thy pen, O Satan, and write across the scrolls, 'The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses [ME] from all sin.'"
Said the dying man, "That was a dark picture indeed that Satan brought before Luther, but Luther had a bright answer." "Yes," I replied; "the blood cleanses from all sin; that was sufficient for Luther." "Yes," he said, "it was, and for me, too. There is great comfort in it, every dark shadow is wiped out."
Indeed, it is most blessed and comforting to have come to the knowledge of that which can clear the conscience of the sinner and make him perfectly happy even in the presence of God and eternity. It is the precious cleansing blood of God's dear Son. Have you got this comfort, my reader? Can you say, "Every dark shadow is wiped out"?
You have heard that the Son of God died for man; you have even been told that He died for sinners. Did it ever strike you that it was for you — for You? To you God offers not only relief of conscience through the blood of Christ, but joy of heart in the love of Christ. To you this blessing is sent. Will you spurn it, counting the trifles of this life as greater treasures? Beware, O despiser! Thou hast got to die, and judgment follows death. Sin is real, death is real, hell is real. Oh, beware, and escape thee to Christ the Saviour now.