Two Great Events!

Francis Bourdillon, 1873
 

On a certain day some years ago, a great event took place — You were born. Do not think I am jesting in calling this a great event. It was a great event — for, at that moment, one began to live, who is to live forever. Whatever your life has since been and whatever it now is, however humble your station, however poor your lot, however unknown your name — yet this great fact remains — that you have begun to live, and that you will live forever! Such is life, the life of man — and this life is yours — it began when you were born. Your birth was a great event.

A moment will come when another great event will take place; you will die. Your present life will be brought to an end; you will pass away and be in the world no more. That also will be a great event because of the greatness of the change that will then take place. Here again, it matters little that you are poor and humble, that few know your name, and that your death will seemingly make no difference to any but your own family. All this may be — still to yourself the change will be so great, the consequences so unspeakably important, that your death may well be called a great event.

But how are these two things to be reconciled? How is it that when you came into the world — you were born to live forever, and yet that you must one day die and leave the world? There is no contradiction — both are true.

The great change I have just spoken of is called death — but what is it? Not the end of you — but only the end of your life on earth. Strictly speaking, you will have no end. Not for one moment will you cease to be. With the last breath you draw, soul and body will indeed be parted; but it is only the body that will die — the soul will never die. At the moment of death the soul will go away, but it will not die. It will go into the unseen world. The body, then a lifeless corpse, will be laid in the grave — but the soul will be alive still. And one day, even the body will be raised from the grave and be joined again to the soul. After that you will be somewhere forever, and soul and body will never more be parted. Such is the great change that will take place when you die. Your death therefore will be a great event.

But what is there beyond the grave? Where does the soul go when it is parted from the body? And where will soul and body be when brought together again? Where will they be forever? This is the great question — and this is what chiefly makes death a great event. For if, at death, we should be merely removed from this world to another like it and then should go on much as before, in that case the change could hardly be called a great event. For then it would be but little more than the more important of those changes that we do actually pass through in this life, such as a change of house or a change of country.

But when we die — we do not go from this world to another like it. The change is far greater than this.

Where, then, do we go? What is there beyond the grave? Not one world only, as this present world; for this world, though there are in it so many different lots and such variety of happiness and misery — is nevertheless but one and the same world. Not one world only in which, as here, men will all live together. Not one world, one place, one state of life, only — but two, unspeakably different and completely separated.

The one world will be all joy — and the other world will be all woe; and with no possibility of going from the one to the other. The one is Heaven — the other is Hell. Both are beyond the grave, both are eternal. So that to the one or to the other, everyone must go after death, and there dwell to all eternity. Is not death then a great event?

You are now between these two great events. You have been born — and you are to die. You are on the journey between the two. Every moment makes your birth farther off — and brings your death nearer. You are not where you were yesterday; you are not exactly where you were even a few minutes ago, when you began to read this book. You are farther on in the road — you are nearer to the end.

The road, did I say? But there are two roads — as well as two ends. Which is yours, the broad road — or the narrow road? Which is it now, today? Which does He, who knows everything, know it and see it to be?

Oh, think how much is at stake! This journey from birth to death is one which can be made only once, and you are making it now. Eternal happiness or eternal misery depends on how you are making it. The broad road leads to Hell; the narrow road leads to Heaven. On one of those two roads, you are now walking; to one of those two ends, you are now going. Which is it?

Have you learned what you are in the sight of God? Have you come to know that you are a sinner? Have you seen the guilt and danger of sin? Have you heard the voice of God in the gospel, calling you to believe and be saved? Have you listened and obeyed? Have you fled to Jesus? Have you cast your soul upon Him? Have you washed your sins away in His blood? Have you been convinced, turned, and changed by the power of God's Holy Spirit? Do you know anything of all this? Have you felt it, passed through it?

There is no making this journey in safety without Christ. You cannot be in the right way — unless you are in Him. You cannot reach the happy end and find the happy home — unless He is your Savior. Better that you had never been born — than that you should live and die without Christ. But you need not do so. No, God be praised! You need not. For He who came from Heaven to save sinners — is both able and willing to save you. How often before have you heard this! But meanwhile time has been going on, and your gospel-hearing days have become fewer, and that great event that lies before you has been drawing nearer and nearer.

Oh, be no longer a hearer only! If this is true — and it is true — if you are indeed a sinner, guilty, ruined, helpless, and yet to live forever; if, just as you are, Jesus is even now able and willing to save you, to take away your sins, and to make you happy forever — then do not be content to hear this only — believe it; accept it; open your heart to let in this gracious Savior; up and flee for refuge to this hope that is set before you!

But do it at once. Don't wait for another call that may never come. Don't put it off to another day, which you may never see. One great event you have known already — your birth. Another great event you must know soon — your death. There is yet space for one more great and happy event between the two — you may be born again; you may become a child of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Oh, seek that that mighty change which His Spirit alone can work may be wrought in your heart! Seek that He who gave you your natural life — may now give you also spiritual life, and make you His forever! Then angels in Heaven will rejoice over one sinner that repents.