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Father—My dear children, we are living in perilous times. Our present age and generations are so much like the old world before the flood. The religious, or professing people, those who profess any religion at all, have become (that is the majority) more ungodly than the profane world. In the preceding number was observed how the sons of God indulged in wickedness with the sons of men. And to such an extent that even professors of religion did not believe the preaching of Noah. They would not even be moved, to consider their deplorable condition, by the positive evidences which God sent unto them by the hands of Noah. While Noah was preaching to them by word and deed, in the building of an ark, for the approaching flood which would destroy all flesh, man never once hesitated to consider the fearful ruin to which they were doomed. They believed not; but just went on eating and drinking and making merry. Feast upon feast they celebrated; yes! the professors of religion, church members and ministers, as well as the profane wicked world. One and all mocked God with word and deed, and despised His servant Noah whom He sent to them. They rejected the ark of salvation which God had provided, till at last when it was completed and Noah entered into it with his family all of a sudden, forth from the clear skies, comes the torrents of waters upon the merry makers, and their feasting and drinking ended in their destruction by the raging flood waters. Lost! lost! eternally lost!

Jesus says, “so shall also the coming of the Son of man be;” meaning, that as the old world was in the days of Noah, so shall the world again be destroyed most unexepectedly; while they are in the midst of merry making, feasting and drinking, Jesus shall come again to judge the quick and the dead. Must we not admit that it is even so now? Yes! Do not the signs of the times evidence outspoken ungodliness amongst the professors of religion, church members and ministers? Yes they do! And, “except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.” Isa. 1:9.

Martha—Yes father, I have been pondering over those things too. Such people are to be pitied. They are being deceived daily by such blind leaders. Leaders who deny, if not in word, then in deed, the trinity of God; and who hold out Christ upon their hands, so to speak, and offer Him to them for acceptance. Horrible delusion for so many poor people who are living, as they think, happy in their Lord and ready for heaven any time He may call them. A girl friend was telling me the other day that she believed in Jesus and firmly expected to go to heaven. I asked her for her reasons of such an assurance, (because I dare not call such expectations a hope!) as the apostle teaches. “Well,” said she, “I have accepted Christ for my saviour, and made confession of faith; was baptized and now partake of the Lord’s Supper. I pray and read His word, attend services once or twice a Sunday — that’s enough—what more can I do? I am living the best I know how and am not afraid to die. I am waiting for my saviour to take me to heaven.”

James—But, sister, that can’t be true, can it? Why she was talking with another girl about the circus she had attended and all the fun they had there. And she attends card parties, goes walking on Sunday afternoons and evenings. She takes part in plays at church entertainments. I thought, true christians had to forsake all such things of a worldly nature?

Martha — They must and will forsake such things, James, if the Lord has given himself for them and accepted them as sinners.

Joan—There it comes again; this is sin, that is sin, don’t do that, and you are not allowed to go there; where may I go? and what may I do?

Martha—My dear sister, if you care to know, then it is hot so much those things you mentioned, but rather, “Lord! I am a sinner.” O that you might yet look at that side of the picture once. And if you are granted just one glimpse of that dark side of mans ruined state, then you will but faintly see what sin is and to whom you must go. Where is the best and only place for sinners to go? To Jesus only, for mercy; for forgiveness, pardon and peace, through the blood of the Lamb of God. If you only realized that, then, your heart would not give utterance to such vain jangling.

Joan—Why must a person leave all such things? What is so awfully wrong about them and the persons walking after them?

Martha—The wrong is in the very foundation of all such vain creatures. They are only man made christians. If the foundation is not firm and sure the building will eventually crumble and give way. Have you not observed the sandy foundation whereupon my girl friend is building her eternal home? The reasons she offered are a free-will religion. Meaning, that her salvation depends upon her own doings. She accepted Christ, this is sandy: the sure foundation here, is, has Christ shed His blood to redeem her? Does God the Father accept her in and through Christ? If so, then she would have a good hope (not an assurance before such a hope) which is, as an anchor, cast within the veil, which is Christ Jesus, the appointed and annointed Saviour, steadfast and sure, immovable. What does she know about such a foundation? If she is wrong here she is wrong entirely. As for her confession, membership and prayer. This is not to be slighted in the least; and ought to be adhered to by everyone. But, it is not to be used for a foundation for our eternal life. Then we could earn salvation by our works. O no! We owe all that to God as our solemn duty, and when we have done all, we have no claim upon Him for a reward. Therein we are duty bound to God. So nothing is left for us to serve as a solid foundation for our soul. And merely because one is baptized and a communicant member, they have yet no solid foundation. Judas is an example of such hypocrites and self-deceivers. The natural water applied has no cleansing power and all who build upon that mere outward sign will be cast out from God as the bondwoman was. The sure foundation is, the blood of Christ, which when applied to the soul by the Holy Spirit, it is then washed and cleansed from its sins, the pollution and guilt of sin, and made pure in the sight of God. Likewise, it is not because a man eats and drinks of the natural bread and wine, which are but the outward signs and seals unto confirmation, that he is building firmly for eternity. O no! That too is but sandy and will totter and fall when Christ makes up His jewels. Although they sat at the tables in their various places of worship, yet, when Christ comes to dine with His own forever, He will say of such that have no wedding garment on, “bind him and cast him into the lake to perish eternally.” The sure foundation is Christ the bread of life and the fountain of living waters. That is the food and drink which nourishes the soul unto life eternal. And there is no other food allotted for all the true Israelites than this Manna from heaven which cometh down daily all the years of the pilgrims journey through this wilderness life until the blissful shores of the promised land are reached. Then the soul that has received of this Bread of Life here shall sit down with King Jesus in all His glory forevermore. Finally, if God is pleased to open the doors of His sanctuary three times a day and we are well able to attend but can’t be bothered, or we are too tired; or it is too warm or too stormy; or for that man I don’t care, can’t hear him, etc., what a sandy reason for absenting ones self from the means of grace. Shall any such souls be able to enjoy heaven hereafter? If any cherish an assurance of reaching heaven, but find it too wearisome for them to listen to God’s voice through an instrument; how shall they ever be able to hear it direct, nay, to even dwell in His very presence eternally? Impossible! they will never be able to enjoy heaven. O friends, is your foundation for the life to come, layed? Have you a Chief corner-stone bearing your name upon it? Without Him there is not the least hope for your soul. He is Jesus Christ the Righteous! the precious stone! the tried stone and the only sure foundation whereupon to build for time and eternity.

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