CanTherebeUnity (continued)
grace and both are a gift from Him who never gives in vain. Do not fear and do not be discouraged. Do not doubt, neither despair. Jesus will never "break a bruised reed, nor snuff out a smoldering wick." (Isaiah 42:3) The infants in a family are as much loved and thought of as the elder brothers and sisters. The tender seedlings in a garden are as diligently looked after as the old trees. The lambs in the flock are as carefully tended by the good shepherd as the old sheep. Oh, rest assured it is just the same in Christ's family, in Christ's garden, in Christ's flock! All are loved. All are tenderly thought of. All are cared for. And in the end all will be found in His barn. 4. Let me show in the last place, the portion that remains for all who are not Christ's people. The text at the beginning of this paper describes this in words, which should make our ears tingle: Christ will "burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." When the Lord Jesus Christ comes to clear His floor He will punish all who are not His disciples with a fearful punishment. All who are found to be unrepentant and unbelieving—all who have suppressed the truth by their wickedness—all who have clung to sin, loved the world, and set their affections on things below—all who are without Christ— all of them will come to an awful end. Christ will "burn up the chaff." Their punishment will be most severe. There is no pain like that of burning. If you doubt this, then put your finger in the flame of a candle for a moment. Fire is the most destructive and devouring of all elements. Look into the mouth of a blast furnace and think what it would be like to be in there. Of all elements, fire is the most opposed to life. Creatures can live in air, and earth, and water; but nothing can live in fire; yet fire is the doom to which the Christless and the unbelieving will come to. Christ will "burn up the chaff with fire." Their punishment will be eternal. Millions of ages will pass away and the fire into which the chaff is thrown will still burn on. That fire will never burn low and become dim. The fuel of that fire will never be consumed. It is "unquenchable fire." These are sad and painful things to speak of! I have no pleasure in dwelling on them. I would rather say, with the Apostle Paul, as I write, "I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart." (Romans 9:2) But they are things written for our learning and it is good to consider them. They are a part of that Scripture which is "profitable," and they ought to be heard. Painful as the subject of hell is, it is one about which I dare not, cannot, and must not be silent. Who would desire to speak of the fires of hell if God had not spoken of it? When God has spoken so plainly about it, then who can safely keep from speaking of it? I dare not shut my eyes to the fact that a deep-rooted indifference lurks in men's minds on the subject of hell. I see it oozing out in the utter apathy of some: they eat, and drink, and sleep, as if there was no wrath to come. I see it creeping forth in the coldness of others about their neighbors' souls: they show little anxiety to snatch the burning sticks from the fire. I denounce such indifference with all my might; believing that there are "terrors of the Lord," as well as the "giving of rewards," I call on all who profess to believe the Bible to be on their guard. (a) I know that some do not believe that hell exists. They think it impossible there can be such a place. They call it inconsistent with the mercy of God. They say it is too awful an idea to be really true. The devil, of course, rejoices in the views of such people. They help his kingdom mightily. They are preaching his own favorite doctrine: "You will not surely die." (Genesis 3:4) (b) Furthermore, I know that some do not believe that hell is eternal.
They tell us it is incredible that a compassionate God will punish men forever; He will surely open the prison doors someday. This also is a great assistance to the devil's cause. "Take it easy," he whispers to sinners: "if you do make a mistake, never mind, it is not forever." A wicked woman was overheard in the streets of London, saying to an evil companion, "Come along: do not be afraid. In fact, some preachers say there is no hell." (c) I also know that some do believe there is a hell, but do not believe that anybody is going there. They believe that everyone, along with them, are declared and made "good" as soon as they die, because all were sincere, all meant well, and all, they hope, made it to heaven. Oh, what a common delusion this is! I can clearly understand the feeling of the little girl who asked her mother where all the wicked people were buried, "because all the gravestones in the cemetery say that these were good people." (d) And I know very well that some believe there is a hell but never like it to be spoken of. In their opinion, it is a subject that should always be avoided. They see no profit in bringing it up and are rather shocked when it is mentioned. This also is an immense aid to the devil. "Quiet, quiet!" says Satan, "say nothing about hell." The hunter does not want to make any noise when he sets his traps. The wolf would like the shepherd to stay asleep while he prowls around the fold. The devil rejoices when Christians are silent about hell. All these notions are the opinions of man. But what does it matter to you and me what man thinks about religion? Man will not judge us at the last day. Man's thoughts and traditions are not to be our guide in this life. There is only one point to be settled: "What does the Word of God say?" (a) Do you believe the Bible? Then depend upon it, hell is real and true. It is as true as heaven—as true as justification by faith—as true as the fact that Christ died on the cross—as true as the Dead Sea. If you doubt hell, then there is no fact or doctrine in the Bible that you cannot also doubt. Disbelieve hell and you unscrew and unsettle everything in Scripture. You may as well throw your Bible away, for there are only a few steps from "no hell" to "no God." (b) Do you believe the Bible? Then depend upon it, hell will have inhabitants. The wicked will certainly be sent to hell, and all the people that forget God. "They will go away to eternal punishment." (Matthew 25:46) The same blessed Saviour who now sits on a throne of grace, will one day sit on a throne of judgment, and men will see that there is such a thing as "the wrath of the Lamb." (Revelation 6:16) The same lips which now say, "Come: come to Me!" will one day say, "Depart from me, you who are cursed!" How awful the thought of being condemned by Christ Himself, judged by the Saviour, and sentenced to misery by the Lamb! (c) Do you believe the Bible? Then depend upon it, hell will be an intense and unutterable misery. It is vain to talk of all the expressions of hell, as only being figures of speech. The pit, the prison, the maggot, the fire, the thirst, the blackness, the darkness, the weeping, the gnashing of teeth, the second death—all these may be figures of speech if you please. But beyond all doubt, figures of speech, in the Bible, mean something, and here they mean something which man's mind can never fully conceive. The anguish of mind and conscience are far worse than those of the body. The whole extent of hell—the present suffering, the bitter recollection of the past, the hopeless prospect of the future— will never be thoroughly known except by those who go there.
(d) Do you believe the Bible? Then depend upon it, hell is eternal. It must be eternal or words have no meaning at all. Forever and ever —everlasting—unquenchable—eternal—all these are expressions used about hell and expressions that cannot be explained away. It must be eternal or the very foundations of heaven are destroyed. If hell has an end, heaven has an end too. They both stand or fall together. It must be eternal or else every doctrine of the Gospel is undermined. If a man without faith in Christ or without the sanctification of the Spirit can escape hell, then sin is no longer an infinite evil and there was no great need for Christ making an atonement. And where in the Bible is there warrant for saying that hell can ever change a heart or make it fit for heaven? It must be eternal or hell would cease to be hell altogether. Give a man hope, and be will bear anything. Grant a hope of deliverance, however distant, and hell is but a drop of water. Oh, these are solemn things! It has been well said, that, " FOREVER is the most solemn saying in the Bible." For a day in hell will have no tomorrow. It will be a place when men will seek death and not find it, and will desire to die, but death will flee from them! "Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?" (Revelation 9:6; Isaiah 33:14) (e) Do you believe the Bible? Then depend upon it, hell is a subject that ought not to be kept back. It is obvious to note the many texts about hell in the Scriptures. It is interesting to observe that no one said so much about hell as did our Lord Jesus Christ, that gracious and merciful Saviour, and the apostle John, whose heart seems full of love. Truly, it is doubtful whether we ministers speak of it as much as we ought. I cannot forget the words of a dying person to his minister, "Sir, you often told me of Christ and salvation, but why didn't you often remind me of hell and danger?"
Let others hold their peace about hell if they will—I dare not do so. I see it plainly in Scripture and I must speak of it. I fear that thousands are on that broad road that leads to it, and I would willingly arouse them to a sense of the peril before them. What would you say of the man who saw his neighbor's house on fire and never raised his voice and cried out, "Fire!"? What would be said about us as ministers, if we call ourselves watchmen of souls, who see the fires of hell raging in the distance, and never give the alarm? Call it bad taste, if you like, to speak of hell. Call it love to speak about pleasant things, and speak smoothly, and soothe men with a constant lullaby of peace. May I always be delivered from such notions of taste and love! My notion of love is to warn men plainly of danger. My notion of taste in the ministerial office is to declare the whole counsel of God. If I never spoke of hell, I would be holding something back that was profitable, and would look on myself as an accomplice of the devil. I implore everyone that reads this paper, with all tender affection, to beware of false views of the subject on which I have been dwelling. Beware of new and strange doctrines about hell and eternal punishment. Beware of manufacturing a God of your own—a God who is all mercy, but not just—a God who is all love, but not holy—a God who has a heaven for everybody, but a hell for none—a God who can allow good and bad to exist side by side on earth, and will make no distinction between good and bad in eternity. Such a God is an idol of your own creation as real as Jupiter or Moloch—as true an idol as any snake or crocodile in an Egyptian temple—as true an idol as ever was molded out of brass or clay. The hands of your own notions and emotions have made him. He is not the God of the Bible; and aside from the God of the Bible there is no God at all. Your heaven would be no heaven at all. A heaven containing all sorts of indiscriminate characters would surely be a place of miserable discord. Oh, what a miserable eternity such a heaven would be— there would be little difference between it and hell! There is a hell! There is a fire for the chaff! Be careful that you do not find it out too late—to your own loss.
Beware of thinking yourself wiser that that which is written in God's Word. Beware of forming fanciful theories of your own, and then trying to make the Bible agree with them. Beware of taking selections from your Bible to suit your taste—refusing, like a spoiled child, whatever you think might taste bitter—grabbing, like a spoiled child, whatever you think might be sweet. What is all of this but the same as taking Jehoiakim's penknife and cutting out portions of Scripture and throwing them into the fire? (Jeremiah 36:23) What does it amount to but telling God that you, a poor short-lived worm, know what is good for you better than He. It will not do: it will not do. You must take the Bible as it is. You must read it all and believe it all. You must read it with the spirit of a little child. Do not dare to say, "I believe this verse, because I like it. I reject that one, because I don't like it. I accept this verse, for I can understand it. I refuse that one, for I cannot reconcile it with my views." May this never be! "Who are you, O man, to talk back to God?" (Romans 9:20) By what right do you talk in this way? Surely it would be better to say over every chapter in the Word, "Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening." If men would do this, then they would never deny hell, the chaff, and the fire. And now, let me say four things in conclusion, and then I will be done. I have shown the two great classes of mankind, the wheat and the chaff. I have shown the separation that will one day take place. I have shown the safety of the Lord's people. I have shown the fearful fate of the unbelievers—those without Christ. In the sight of God, I urge these things to the conscience of every reader of this paper. (1) First of all, settle it in your mind that the things of which I have been speaking are real and true. I do believe that many never see the great truths of religion in this light. I firmly believe that many never listen to the things they hear from ministers as realities. They regard it all as nothing but "names and words," and nothing more; a huge shadow—a formal acting part —an immense sham. The latest novel, the most recent news from
France, India, Australia, Turkey, or New York—all these are things they comprehend: they feel interested and excited about them. But as to the Bible, and heaven, and the kingdom of Christ, and the judgment day—these are subjects that do not affect their hearts: they do not really believe them. If an archeologist had dug up anything at the excavation of Nineveh that would damage the truth and authority of the Old Testament Scriptures, it would not have interfered with their peace for one moment. If this is your frame of mind, then I ask you to cast it off forever. Awaken to a thorough conviction that the things I have brought before you in this paper are real and true. The wheat, the chaff, the separation, the barn, the fire—all these are great realities—as real as the sun in heaven, as real as the paper which your eyes see. For me, I believe in heaven, and I believe in hell. I believe in a coming judgment. I believe in a day of sifting. I am not ashamed to say so. I believe them all, and therefore write as I do. Oh, take a friend's advice—live as if these things were true. (2) In the second place, settle it in your own mind, that the things which I write about concerns you personally. They are your business, your affair, and your concern Many, I believe, never look on religion as a matter that concerns them. They are careful to attend to its outward form in a decent and proper fashion. They listen to sermons. They read religious books. They have their children christened. But all the while they never ask themselves, "What does all of this really mean to me?" They sit in our churches like spectators in a theatre or a court of law. They read our writings as if they were reading a report of an interesting trial, or of some event far away. But they never say to themselves, "I am the man." If you have this kind of feeling, then you can depend on it, that it will never do. All of this thinking must come to an end if you are ever to be saved. I write to the one that reads this paper—you are that person. I do not write especially to the rich. I do not write especially to the poor. I write to everybody who will read, whatever his rank may be. It is because of your very soul that I am pleading and not another's. You are the one spoken of in the verse that begins this paper. You are this very day either among the "wheat" or among the "chaff." Your destiny will one day either be the barn or the fire. Oh, that men were wise, and would take these things to heart! Oh, that they would not trifle, dally, linger, or live on as false Christians, meaning well, but never acting boldly and finally, realizing in the end that it is too late! (3) In the third place, settle it in your mind, that if you are willing to be one of the wheat of the earth, then the Lord Jesus Christ is willing to receive you. Does anyone suppose that Jesus is not willing to see His barn filled? Do you think He does not desire to bring many to glory? Oh, if you can think such a thought then you know very little of the depth of His mercy and compassion! He wept over unbelieving Jerusalem. He mourns over the unrepentant and the indifferent in the present day. He sends you invitations by my mouth this very hour. He invites you to hear and live, to forsake the way of the foolish and go down the path of understanding. The sovereign Lord declares, "I take no pleasure in the death of anyone. Repent and live!" (Ezekiel 18:32) Oh, if you never came to Christ for life before, come to Him this very day! Come to Him with the repentant sinners' prayer for mercy and grace. Come to Him without delay. Come to Him while the subject of this paper is still fresh on your mind. Come to Him before another sun rises on the earth, and let the morning find you a new creature. If you are determined to have the world and the things of the world— its pleasures and its rewards—its follies and its sins; if you must have your own way, and cannot give up anything for Christ and your soul; if this is your case, there is but one end for you. I honestly warn you —I tell you plainly: you will sooner or later be thrown into the eternal fire. But if any man is willing to be saved, the Lord Jesus Christ stands ready to save him. "Come to Me," He says, "all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Oh, come guilty and sinful soul, and I will give you free pardon. Come, lost and ruined soul, and I will give you eternal life. (Matthew 11:28) Let that passage be a timely word to your soul. Wake up and call on the Lord. Let the angels of God rejoice over one more saved soul. Let the courts of heaven hear the good news that one more lost sheep is found. (4) Last of all, settle it in your mind, that if you have committed your soul to Christ, then Christ will never allow your soul to perish. The everlasting arms are around you. Lean back in them and know your safety. The same hand that was nailed to the cross is holding you. The same wisdom that created the heavens and the earth is engaged to maintain your cause. The same power that redeemed the twelve tribes from the house of bondage is on your side. The same love that sustained and carried Israel from Egypt to Canaan is pledged to keep you. Yes! Those whom Christ keeps are well kept! Our faith may rest calmly on such a bed as Christ's omnipotence. Take comfort, doubting believer. Why are you downcast? The love of Jesus is not shallow water: no man has ever yet seen its bottom. The compassion of Jesus is a fire that never yet burned low: the cold, grey ashes of that fire have never yet been seen. Take comfort. In your own heart you may find little cause for rejoicing, but you may always rejoice in the Lord. You say your faith is small. But where is it said that none will be saved except those whose faith is great? And after all, "Who gave you this faith?" The very fact that you have any faith at all is a sign of God's grace.
You say you have too many sins. But where is the sin or the heap of sins, that the blood of Jesus cannot wash away? After all, "Who told you that you had any sins?" That feeling never came from you. Greatly blessed is the person who really knows and feels that he is a sinner. I say once more, take comfort, if you have truly come to Christ. Take comfort, and know your privileges. Cast every care on Jesus. Tell your every want to Jesus. Roll every burden onto Jesus: sins— unbelief—doubts—fears—anxieties—lay them all on Christ. He loves to see you do so. He loves to be employed as your High Priest. He loves to be trusted. He loves to see His people ceasing from the vain effort to carry their burdens for themselves. I commend these things to the notice of everyone into whose hands this paper may fall. Be among Christ's "wheat" now, and then in the great day of separation, as sure as the Bible is true, you will be in Christ's "barn" forever
Eternity!
"What is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18)
A subject stands out on the face of this text which is one of the most solemn and heart searching in the Bible. That subject is eternity. The subject is one of which the wisest man can only take in a little at a time. We have no eyes to see it fully, and no mind to grasp it; and yet we must not refuse to consider it. There is a depth of stars in the heavens above us, which the most powerful telescope cannot pierce; yet it is well worth it to look into them and learn something, even if we cannot learn everything. There are heights and depths about the subject of eternity which mortal man can never comprehend; but