A SUNDAY EVENING AT THE SEA-SIDE.
On Sunday evening as they were taking a stroll, they observed a
little crowd of people collected on the green sward above the cliffs.
On drawing near they found that a young man was reading from the Word
of God. The little party of women and children seated themselves on
a grassy mound to listen, while Harry and Michael stood among the
people. With a clear distinct voice the preacher sounded forth the
words, "Seek ye the Lord while He may be found; call ye upon Him
while He is near!" (Isaiah lv. 6). "Behold, now is the accepted
time, behold now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. vi. 2).
Then closing the book he spoke to the young around him, those in
health and strength. He told them Christ was waiting to save them in
patient grace. He was offering them salvation without money and
without price, for He had paid the debt they owed to a holy God.
He told them they were sinners and not fit to stand before God
without being washed in the blood of Christ. "But," he added, "the
blood has been shed, and God offers you a free pardon to-day, if you
will put your trust in it."
After he had invited his hearers, lovingly and earnestly, to cast
themselves on Jesus just as they were, he began to show them what the
consequences would be if they refused. "The Lord Jesus will Himself
shut mercy's door one day," he said, "and then if you refused Him
while in life and health, it will be TOO LATE. You will have to
stand and knock at that closed door and cry, 'Oh, let me in; Lord,
Lord, open to me,' and He will answer, 'I never knew you, depart from
me.' There will be no hope for you then, though you cry ever so
loud, or ever so long, and nothing will be left for you but
ever-lasting woe. 'Behold! NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is
the day of salvation.'" Then he went on to say that once a vessel
was wrecked in a dreadful storm, and the captain and his wife were
cast upon a small rock not far from land. They knew that unless they
were soon rescued they must perish, for the waves were rising higher
and higher, and would soon sweep them from the rock. They were,
however, discovered, and strong men threw out a rope to help them,
which the captain tied round his wife's waist, and showed her at a
given signal she must leap upon the wave and it would bear her in to
shore--that the sailors would be able to draw her to land.
It was her only chance. But she did not embrace it. Her husband
urged her to leap, but she let the right moment go past, and leaped
upon the wave when past, being engulfed by the one following it, and
so was dashed upon the rock and killed.
Again the speaker urged his hearers to beware of letting the present
moment pass. "You may not see another, or Satan may pluck the good
seed out of your heart as you turn away from this spot. 'Seek ye the
Lord while He may be found; call ye upon Him while He is near.'"
Many who listened were deeply stirred. Some had never been so urged
before to come to Jesus, and little children (for little children are
always foremost in a crowd) turned up grave and eager faces to the
speaker. Then he said a word to them. He told them that the Saviour
loved the little ones, and had invited them to come to Him; that
Jesus had said "Suffer little children and forbid them not, to come
unto Me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. xix. 14).
The three little ones listened very attentively, and the elder folk
were much solemnized. Some that stood there had tasted a Saviour's
pardoning love, and to them the gospel words were sweet. Others had
never, till lately, thought seriously over these things, and now
conscience was speaking loudly, and the little word "now" rung in
their ears.
Along the cliffs and past the corn fields the Craigs and Grays wended
their way. The setting sun threw bright golden and crimson rays on
all around, while the ocean lay calm as a lake beneath them. Little
Ben and Kit had never seen such a lovely sight, and as they walked
along hand in hand they wondered "how heaven could be more beautiful
than this."
A day or two after the scene was completely changed, however.
Driving rain fell, a chill east wind blew, the sky was cloudy, and
the sea was rough. In heaven, however, chilly blasts and clouds will
never come, "for the former things are passed away" (Rev. xxi. 4);
there it will be an endless summer of love and joy.