p. 155 | Shall I be There? by James White

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 17, 1857

Shall I be There?

By James White

WHEN the Lord says to his children, "Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," shall I be there? Shall I be one that shall be an heir to that kingdom; shall I be one of that company that shall come up through great tribulation, having their robes washed in the blood of the Lamb? It is my greatest desire that I might be, and if I would be, I have got something to do. I expect I must fight if I would reign in that blessed kingdom with the children of God. When the last trump shall sound, that shall awake the sleeping millions, and shall call his ransomed children home, shall I be one of that company that shall say, "Lo, this is our God: we have waited for him, and he will save us!" Shall I be there? Shall I be found at the right hand of God?

"When thou my Righteous Judge shalt come, To call thy ransomed people home, Shall I among them stand? Shall such a worthless worm as I, Who sometimes am afraid to die, Be found at thy right hand?"

I may be there, if I am now faithful to the Lord yet a little while. But I often think it would be more than I deserve. There will be a happy meeting for God's children, when they meet to part no more. God's people will then be separated from the scoffs and frowns of a wicked world; poor sinners then will not point the finger of scorn at them, they have caused them to weep and mourn many times in this life of conflicts; but they will have their time to mourn and lament over a life spent in sin and rebellion against God. But then it will be too late; they have turned a deaf ear to the still small voice; they have grieved the Holy Spirit once too much.

Poor wanderer from Christ, will you be there? Will you have it to say in that day, "The harvest is passed, the Summer is ended, and I am not saved?" Now the Spirit is saying to you, "Come, for why will you die?" Now Christ is waiting with outstretched arms to receive you. Although you have wandered so far from him, yet will he receive you; but beware lest you grieve that Spirit once too much.

Poor sinner will you be there? Will you have to hear that sentence, "I called, but you did refuse; I stretched out my arm to save, and you regarded it not?" Will that be your lot, poor sinner? God's word will tell you so. Go, read it for yourself. But Christ is now before the Mercy Seat; he is willing to receive all who come unto him. When God's trump shall sound to call the nations of the earth to their last account, when he will separate the sheep from the goats, where will you be found, where will you poor sinner seek refuge in the day of trouble? You then will feel the need of a Saviour: you will want a shelter in that awful storm that is coming upon an ungodly world. O that God's people would awake to this subject, and try to save souls from that awful ruin. Be up and doing, lest the blood of souls be found in the skirts of your garments. M. J. W.—Ad. Herald.