Eternity

THIS question must be considered, “How can you face an eternity that contains your unpardoned sins?” Can you die in peace when your sins are waiting to accuse you before the bar of God, and the myriad voices of your uncounted iniquities will shout for your damnation there? Sinner, you are not safe one moment in your sins. You may say, as the business man did, “Do not bother me about eternity”―shortly after he died of paralysis of the brain, and went into eternity. You may die soon—today, perhaps. You, cannot hide from death. I saw a man who was dying get under his bed to hide from death. I heard of a man who said, “I hope I shall die drunk, then I shall know nothing about death.” But after death! What then? The judgment. The awful judgment of a holy God against unforgiven sin. And your sins must be pardoned and forgiven before you can enter heaven. Nothing that defiles can enter there. They tell our soldiers that if they die in battle they will be sure of heaven.
Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, in his book, “Death on the Battlefield: Is it Salvation?” says: ―
“During some operations on one of the Indian frontiers, a young officer lay dying at a frontier post. He was dying of sickness contracted during the operations, but dying for his country as truly as if he had been struck down by one of the tribesmen’s bullets. Another officer, himself an ungodly man, said it was dreadful to hear him cursing his servant right up to the time of his death.”
Can a man go cursing through the pearly gates into heaven? Can a drunkard reel along the golden streets to the throne of God? How can a man who denies his God on earth face Him in eternity?
Many men face to face with death will read these lines. Soldiers it is because we love you that we tell you the truth. A blasphemer can be saved, a drunkard can be saved, an infidel can be saved—but only faith in Christ can save them. Nothing that you can do will give you a right to heaven. Only the precious blood of Christ can cleanse the sinner from his sins. The Rev. J Oliver Hornabrook tells us the following incident, which will illustrate what God can do to change a man’s life and make him fit for heaven.
“I’VE DONE IT, SORR”
He says: ― I was sitting in my hut on a brilliant morning about three weeks ago, and a rough-looking fellow came rather sheepishly to the opening of the hut. I hailed him, and chatted about anything to put him at his ease. He was an Irishman from Cork, with a decided Irish accent. He had served thirteen years in the Army, and had been through Mons and the Marne and endless fights since. After talking about his experiences, he suddenly said, ‘Do you think it is possible, sorr, for me to be a better man?’ I said, ‘I am sure of it, but what sort of a man have you been? He told me he had been a terrible drunkard and swearer, and everything that was bad. ‘I’d do anything for rum―kill a man to get it―drunk from Monday, to Monday―lost my sergeant’s stripes several times through rum, I tried three times to come to your tent, sorr, and got to it and then went away again because I’ve been so bad, I thought you’d kick me out!’ I talked to him for a long time, and pointed out his only hope, and eventually he went away. Next morning he came again, his face beaming, and said, ‘I’ve done it, sorr! I’ve given myself to God.’ He told me that last night he had gone on the hills and prayed and ‘ wept like a sheep,’ and God had there forgiven him. I gave him a New Testament-the first he had ever had in his hands. Since then he has been to me several times. He has read through the New Testament twice. One thing which seems to have greatly struck him was that I did not rebuff him when he first came to my tent. ‘Ay, sorr the fourth time I came,’ he said ‘it was worse than taking a trench; I thought you’d bombard me.’ He is going on fine, and will make an excellent Christian. His face has completely changed in a fortnight.”