COME, OR YOU MUST PERISH.

 
AUGUST 31

COME, OR YOU MUST PERISH.

"Neither is there salvation in any other; 

  for there is none other name under Heaven 

   given among men, whereby we must be saved." 

                                      Acts 4:12.

No one can meet your case but Jesus. 

He who made must save, and 

  as all things were made by him, 

  so all who are saved must be saved by him.

The watchmaker must repair the watch.

The sculptor must repair the statue.

The painter must restore the picture.

So Jesus must save the soul.

This is "the work "the Father has given him 

  to do — to "bind up the brokenhearted, 

  to proclaim liberty to the captives, and

 the opening of the prison to those who are bound."

His blood alone can cleanse.

His righteousness alone can justify.

His Spirit alone can sanctify.

His Word alone can direct.

Jesus can save anyone;

  but out of Jesus, 

  there is salvation for no one. 

Reject his atonement, and there 

  remains no more sacrifice for sin. 

Resist his Spirit, and there is 

  no purification for your depraved nature. 

You are shut up to Jesus alone. 

He can save, and he alone.

Out of Christ, all is danger.

He is the one ark amidst the deluge.

He is the only city of refuge 

   where the man-slayer is safe.

He is the only house where 

  the weary soul will find rest.

All out of the ark of Noah perished 

  in the waters of the flood; 

  so all out of Christ, 

  will be punished with everlasting 

  destruction from the presence of the Lord, 

  and from the glory of his power. 

Come,   O   come   then,   to   Jesus! 

He will receive and shelter you. 

He will protect and preserve you. 

He "will save and lift you up for ever."

Receive Christ, and you are made for ever. 

Reject Christ, and you are ruined to all eternity!

"He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life, 

  he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life;

  BUT THE WRATH OF GOD ABIDETH ON HIM."

THE WRATH OF GOD! 

THE WRATH OF GOD ABIDING ON THE SOUL!

What, O what can that be?

"he that believeth not is condemned already, 

  because he hath not believed in the name 

  of the only begotten Son of God. 

                                  John 3:18

 James Smith 1855

COME, FOR ETERNITY URGES YOU.

 
AUGUST 30

COME, FOR ETERNITY URGES YOU.
 
"The things that are not seen are eternal."

                       2 Corinthians 4:8.
 
There is an eternal Hell.

A place of never ending punishment. 

There the light of God's countenance never shines;
  The voice of mercy is never heard;
  The throbbings of hope are never felt;
  All is darkness, despair, and death!
 
The horrors of that place can never be described. 

The agonies of the lost are unutterable -- inconceivable;

   especially of those who reject the gospel 

     and perish in the light of truth.

"He that believeth not shall be damned." 

He is condemned already, 

  because he has not believed. 

There is no escaping Hell, but by coming to Jesus. 

He is the only refuge from the wrath to come.

There is an eternal Heaven.

A place of everlasting happiness and joy. 

There God dwells in glory. 

  There Jesus reigns in love. 

  The joys of Heaven are unspeakable. 

  The glory of Heaven is inconceivable. 

There the saints are at home with God. 

There every believer will be forever holy and happy. 

"He that believeth shall be saved." 

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and THOU shall be saved."

 
Reader!
  by the agonies of Hell,
  by the terrors, torments,
  and despair of the damned,
  let me urge you to come to Jesus!
 
You must come to Jesus, or 

  be lost forever; 

    there is no alternative. 

You need not perish; 

   but you must come to Jesus,

     if you would escape it.
 
By the glories of Heaven, 

  by the happiness of the saved,

  let me exhort you to come to Jesus. 

You may be eternally happy, 

  but you must come to Jesus if you would;

  for there is no admission to Heaven but through him.
 
Eternity! 

Eternity, 

   with all its joys and with all its terrors,

   urges you to flee to Jesus! 

He is able, he is willing, 

  to save you from an eternal Hell! 

He is able, he is willing, 

  to raise and introduce you 

    to a glorious Heaven!
 
If thou canst believe, all things are 

   possible to him that believeth. 
                             Mark 9:23

 James Smith 1855

COME, FOR HE WARNS YOU.

 

AUGUST 29

COME, FOR JESUS WARNS YOU.
 
"But I say to you that it shall be

  more tolerable for the land of Sodom 

  in the day of judgment than for you!" 

                                   Matthew 11:24
 
Ponder on these solemn words. 

There is a day of judgment; 

  for God has appointed a day in which

   he will judge the world in righteousness, 

   by that man which he has ordained. 

That man is Jesus; Jesus who so lovingly invites

   you to come to him, that you may have life. 

You must face Jesus. 

He will be on the throne of judgment, and 

  you must stand immediately before him. 

Your eye must meet his eye. 

 You must give an account of yourself to him. 

 You must tell him why you refused to accept 

  his invitation, why you treated him

  with such rudeness and contempt.

 
You must account for the deeds done in the body. 

What account will you give? 

What can you say? 

Can you say that you never heard of him?

That you never received his invitation? 

Will you tell him to his face that you 

  did not believe his word? 

Or, that you preferred this poor, 

  miserable world to him? 

Sodom and Gomorrah were never 

  invited to Jesus, you are. 

Your light is tenfold clearer than theirs. 

You have more difficulty in forcing your way

   to Hell than they had.
 
O think of "the lowest Hell!" 

"The greater damnation!" 

What do such words embody? 

What ideas are they intended to convey? 

More tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah, 

  than for you!

What can this mean?
 
Beloved reader, let me beseech you not

  to risk the possibility of knowing. 

If the cup of wrath is once put into thy hand, 

  it will never be taken out again.

If the sentence is once passed,

  it stands unrepealed for ever.

 
 Come, O come to Jesus,
so shall you be safe in 

  the day of God's fierce anger;
so shall you stand bold before 

  the throne of judgment;
so shall you shine forth as 

  the sun in glory for ever!
 
"How shall we escape, 

  if we neglect so great salvation?" 

                     Hebrews 2:3
 
James Smith 1855

WHOEVER WILL, COME.

 

AUGUST 28
 
 
WHOEVER WILL, COME.
 
"The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Revelation 22:17
 
Thus the Word of God closes. 

Reader, whoever you may be, 

whatever you may be, COME TO JESUS.
 
Are you young? 

Come to Jesus while the bloom of youth is on you. 

He loves to see young people come. 

Hear his own sweet words:

 "I love them that love me; and 

  they that seek me early shall find me."

Others may find him,

 for his grace is sovereign;

  they shall find him,

  for his word is pledged.

Come, then,
  before sin hardens you,
  before the world captivates you,
  before Satan deceives you.

Come, and let Jesus have the first 

   and best of your days!
 
Are you in life's meridian? 

Come to Jesus, delay not, 

 for a hardening process is going on. 

Your conscience will become seared. 

Your affections will be riveted to earth, 

  and custom will render it almost 

   impossible for you to come. 

Hence says the prophet, 

  "Let the Ethiopian change his skin or

  the leopard its spots, then may 

  they also do good who are

   accustomed to doing evil." 

                          Jeremiah 13:23
 
Are you aged? 

What, an old sinner! 

The head white with age,

  and the heart black with sin?

 Awful sight! 

Yet, as old as you are, 

  you may come to Jesus.

He has not excluded even those 

 who have given the devil and 

   the world the best of their days.
 
Aged sinner, do you hear, 

thou mayest come to Jesus. 

But you must come at once. 

Your sun is going down. 

Your opportunities are few. 

It is the eleventh hour, and 

 every minute counts now. 

The hand on the dial-plate will soon 

  move around to twelve, and 

  then all is over.

As death finds thee, it will leave thee; 

will it find thee unpardoned, unsanctified, unsaved!

Will it? 

O come, come to Jesus!
 
 Come this moment. 

Fall on your knees, 

  cry for mercy, 

  nor cease crying until Jesus saith to thee, 

"THY SINS ARE FORGIVEN THEE, GO IN PEACE."

"Haste thee, escape"       Genesis 19:22
 

"I mad haste, and delayed not"   Psalms 119:60

James Smith 1855

COME, FOR IT WILL SOON BE TOO LATE.

 
AUGUST 27

COME, FOR IT WILL SOON BE TOO LATE.
 
"Son, go, work today in my vineyard.
He answered and said: I will not:

but afterwards, repented, and went" 

                               Matthew 21:28-29
 
Many are in Hell while you read these lines, and

 many who were once invited to come to Jesus,

 but they would not. 

Whatever they may wish,

  it is too late for them now. 

The door of mercy is closed; 

  they are shut out, and 

  shut out forever. 

They now cry,

  "The harvest is past, 

      the summer is ended,

            and we are not saved!"
 
Soon, it may be very soon, 

  the door of hope will close on you.

Sickness may arrest you,

 and death will seize upon you!

You have the present moment,

  you are not sure of the next.

You may lose your reason.

Some accident may deprive 

  you of your senses.

The last knock will soon be given

   at the door of your heart.
The last warning will soon 

   be sounded in your ears.
The last invitation will soon 

   be presented to your eye.
 
God may soon say, "Let him alone." 

Justice may soon call,

  "Cut it down, why cumberth it the ground." 

Even Jesus may add, "They would none of me,

  so I gave them up"
 
O fearful case!
O desperate condition!
Too late!
Convinced of guilt, too late!
Alarmed at danger, too late!
Crying out for mercy, too late!
Regretting your procrastination, too late!
Ah, it will soon be too late!
 
Come, O come to Jesus now. 

  You have space to repent. 

  You have the opportunity of embracing 

   the Savior's loving invitation. 

Tomorrow may be too late!
 
What would some, 

  who once trifled as you do now, 

  give to be in your circumstances 

But . . .
the die is cast,
the gulf is fixed,
the sentence is passed
   and there is no hope!
 
What if you should go to Hell with 

  the invitation of Jesus in your hand! 

What if you should perish forever 

  because you will not come to Jesus 

  that you might have life! 

To prevent the possibility of this, 

  come to Jesus at once. 

This moment come,

  the next may be too late!
 
"Later the other virgins also came, saying: 

  Lord, lord, open up for us.
But he answered: Truly I say to you, 

  I do not know you!"      Matthew 25:11-12

 
James Smith 1855

COME NOW, IT IS THE DAY OF SALVATION

 
AUGUST 26

COME NOW, IT IS THE DAY OF SALVATION.
 
"Behold, now is the accepted time;
      behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2.
 
When anything of importance is confined to a day,
  it shows the necessity of paying immediate attention to it.
The day of salvation, with you, is the present day;
  tomorrow may be the day of condemnation.
 
Hence our Lord says, 

"Strive to enter in at the strait gate: 

  for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, 

  and shall not be able.   When once the master 

  of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, 

  and ye begin to stand without, and to knock 

  at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; 

  and he shall answer and say unto you, 

  I know you not whence ye are."

 
In another place we read, "And the door was shut!" 

In your case, my reader, the door is not shut yet,

  but you don't know how soon it may be.
 
Never was there such a convenient time as the present; 

  and wait as long as you will, there never will be. 

The door of salvation is now open.
 
There is no obstacle but 

  what is found in your own heart. 

There is nothing to discourage you, 

  but what is suggested by Satan, or your carnal nature.
 
Salvation is free, it is free for you. 

Jesus wrought it. 

Jesus gives it. 

Jesus offers it you. 

"Today, then, if you will hear his voice, 

   harden not your heart."
 
The Holy Spirit says, "Today;" 

     do not you say Tomorrow. 

Today you will be in time,

   tomorrow may be too late.
 
Today you have every facility; 

  it is emphatically "the day of salvation."
 
Thousands have received salvation, and are happy.

Thousands are now receiving salvation, 

  and will you loiter, and linger, 

  until the door is shut, and it is too late?
 
Come, come to Jesus today. 

Come and embrace his feet, and 

  he will lay you in his bosom. 

Come and cry at his footstool, and 

  he will raise you to praise him on his throne!
 
"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; 

  and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! 

  Come, buy wine and milk without money 

    and without cost!"            Isaiah 55:1
 

 James Smith 1855

COME BELIEVING

 
AUGUST 25

COME, BELIEVING.
 
"Be not be afraid  only believe." 

                          Mark 5:36.
 
Coming to Jesus is believing, 

  feeling our need of him, and 

  giving credit to his word,

  the heart moves toward him 

     in desire and prayer. 

We do not believe in Christ,

  if we do not come to him; and 

  we do not come to him,

   unless with the heart we believe on him.
 
But when we say, "COME BELIEVING," 

  we mean come crediting his word, 

   trusting his promise; 

   consequently expecting him to receive, 

    pardon, and save you. 

Or, come with confidence. 

Jesus has done everything to 

inspire you with confidence.
 
It was much for him to come into our world,

  but it was more to die for sinners on the cross. 

He has given you not only an invitation,

  but a promise; 

not only a promise, but his solemn oath; 

not only his solemn oath,

  but he has compassed you about 

  with a great cloud of witnesses. 

He has given you a selection 

  of examples in his blessed Word, 

  and there are instances all around you 

  of those whom he has received, and 

  accepted, and made happy in his love. 

Now, why was all this? 

  Just to inspire you with confidence.
 
Come then to Jesus, 

  believing that he is a loving, 

  faithful, willing Savior 

That according to the testimony of his own word, 

  "he will not break the bruised reed, 

           nor quench the smoking flax."

You cannot be justified in excluding yourself 

  from his invitation, or in supposing that 

   he will reject your prayer. 

The stronger your confidence in him,

   the more you honor him. 

The steadier you believe, the sooner will he fill 

  your heart with joy and peace. 

Unbelief gives the lie to his word,

    but faith says, "It is true."
 
Believe, and all is easy.

Believe, and you will soon be happy.

Believe, and grace shall be brought unto you.

Believe, and all your darkness, doubts, 

   and fears will depart.
 
"this is the will of him that sent me, 

  that every one which seeth the Son, 

   and believeth on him, 

    may have everlasting life:." John 6:40.
 
 James Smith 1855