12 How Will it End?

How Will it End?

"For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will be theendfor those who do not obey the gospel of God?"1 Peter 4:17 The reception of the gospel involves a solemn responsibility. It is sent from God. It is intended not only to inform the judgment — but to demand the obedience of the heart. It requires not only attention — but submission. It commands all men, everywhere to repent.

It says: thinkagain — for you have been thinking wrong. Your thoughts of God, of sin, of salvation, and of yourself — have been wrong; and therefore your feelings and your conduct have been wrong.

Think seriously — until you mourn heartily. Mourn over your sins, until you hate them, and loathe yourself on account of them. Nourish hatred to sin, until you carefully watch against it, and practically turn from it. The gospel commands you to believe. This is God’s commandment, that you should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ. This is the Savior’s exhortation, "While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may be the children of light." John 12:36. This is the complaint of some ministers, "They have not obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report." So that to obey the gospel is to believe it. Not only to credit its statements — but to embrace its promises, accept its provision, and walk by its precepts. The gospel requires us to confess the Savior, as it is written, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead — you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:9-10. The gospel therefore requires every person who hears or reads it — to repent of sin, to believe in the Lord Jesus, and to profess his holy name. But how many there are who do not obey the gospel. They hear it. They profess to respect it. They tell you that they believe it. But they refuse to mourn for their sins. Indeed, they do not believe that they are in that fearful condition, in which it represents them. They have never spent one quarter of an hour in mourning because they have sinned against God. They do not love his law, and therefore they do not grieve that they have broken it. They do not regard his authority, and therefore they do not weep over their rebellion against it. They reject the Savior. At the least, they make light of his invitations, and go on just as if he had never sent them. They despise his threatenings, and act as if they had never heard of them. He is to them as a root out of a dry ground — in him they see no beauty to desire. They despise a profession of his name, and refuse to render obedience to his precepts.

Reader, has this been your case? Are you a penitent at the feet of Jesus? Do you embrace his promises, and place confidence in his finished work? Do you profess his name, and walk in his ways? Or, are you walking according to the course of this world? Are you satisfied with being as good as your neighbors? Are you at ease in a course of sin?

If so, seriously consider this solemn question, "What shall the end be? God will not have his gospel trifled with. The gospel is . . .
the offspring of his wisdom,
the proof of his grace, and
the kindest message he ever sent to his creatures!

If you slight the gospel — then you insult the author of it; and you cannot do this with impunity. Our God is a jealous God, and he will not hold you guiltless — if you trifle with his mercy. He may bear long with sinners — but he will not always bear with them. The day of vengeance is in his heart. The time will come, when judgment will begin. The end is coming. It is near. It may be very near to you.

"What shall your end be?" Ponder this question well. Dwell upon it. Prepare an answer to it.

What will death be to you? The end of all the means of grace. The end of all opportunity to escape. The end of all your false hopes. The end of all delusions. Oh! it is to many a fearful end.

What will the judgment be? The end of all vain excuses. The end of all false reasoning. Every covering will then be stripped off. Every excuse will then be exposed. Every soul will stand naked before God. What an end! What an awful end to many!

What will eternity be to such? Existence will never end. But hope will — comfort will — peace will — pleasure will.

Reader, if you die disobeying the gospel of Christ, you will eternally exist in a state of thought, without diversion. You will be full of gloomy, harassing, self-condemning, tormenting thoughts. Ever thinking — but not one pleasant thought will find a resting place in your bosom! Your thoughts will be occupied with the gospel you rejected, the mercy you slighted, the salvation you refused, the folly you displayed, and the Heaven you have lost.

It will be in a state of passion, without gratification. All your passions will be in full and powerful play. But they will be only like so many scorpions stinging you, or whips lashing you, or enemies tormenting you.

It will be a state of society, without friendship. Millions there — but all are enemies. Enemies to God and enemies to each other. Enemies maddened by despair. Enemies accusing, condemning, and eternally tormenting each other! No pity will ever be manifested. No sympathy will ever be displayed. O horrible company! The devil and his angels, with millions of lost souls suffering under the curse of God, and the weight of his just wrath!

It will be a state of enmity, without restraint. Enmity will . . .
be enthroned in every heart,
appear in every countenance,
speak with every tongue,
and break forth in every action! The sinner who has been his own enemy, and the enemy of God — will then be the enemy of all by whom he is surrounded!

It will be a state of accountableness without excuse. Each will feel that he was accountable — and is accountable. That God was infinitely merciful in time — and is only just now. That there is not the shadow of an excuse for the manner in which he . . .
treated the gospel,
squandered his time,
prostituted his talents,
defied his God, and
ruined his soul.

It will be a state of retribution, without mercy. The soul is only reaping in eternity — what it sowed in time. Every pang felt, every torture endured, and every despairing reflection indulged — has sin for its root! God is only rendering to man the due desert of his sins. Thus he must suffer — or God would not be just.

It will be a state of misery, without end. The worm that gnaws the vitals — never dies; the fire that consumes the comforts, is never quenched. The sinner is . . .
in a circle — around which he will ever travel;
in a prison — from which there is no redemption;
in a lake — which is without bottom or landing place;
in a state of existence — which will never terminate or change!

O dreadful! O alarming prospect!

Dear reader, contrast what has been so faintly set forth — with your present happy circumstances. Millions are now in that dreadful state. For them there is no hope. To them, no message of mercy is sent. All is darkness, death, and black despair! But you have the gospel still. To you, is the word of God’s salvation sent. Before you, the door of eternal life stands wide open. For you, the cleansing fountain is open, and the throne of grace is accessible.

Contrast the end of the lost — with the end of the Christian. "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace." In peace with God he lives. In peace with God and man he dies, and into peace he enters Heaven. He goes . . .
to the God he loves,
to the place he desires,
to the company he enjoys,
to the employment he approves, and
to the pleasures which fill him with perfect satisfaction! And now consider the question and make up your mind about the answer. What will your end be — if you obey not the gospel of Christ? Ah! if you had an angel’s powers — you could not describe it. It must be endured to be known; and it must be merited to be endured.

Flee from the wrath to come. Flee this moment. Flee from sin, from self, from Satan — and flee to Jesus, who says, "Him that comes unto me, I will never cast out." Now he will receive you graciously, pardon you freely, and save you for evermore; but by and by, he will say, "Depart from me into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels!" Do not dare his justice — nor trifle not with his wrath!