p. 51 | WHERE ART THOU?

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 3, 1860

WHERE ART THOU?

“And the Lord called unto Adam and said unto him, Where art thou?”—Gen. iii, 9.

THIS is the first question that God ever put to man. Adam had yielded to temptation. He had broken God’s law. He was ashamed to look God in the face. When he heard his Maker approaching he fled. He vainly endeavored to hide himself from God’s omniscient eye. He foolishly thought to escape from God’s terrible justice. He fled! But where? He tried to hide himself! But what would conceal him? Nothing. He is summoned. He must appear. He is questioned. He must reply. But what can he say? He has sinned—sinned foolishly, sinned wickedly. He cannot with any show of reason or justice excuse himself. This is just the case of every one of Adam’s descendants. We have all sinned—sinned without any reason for doing so. We have broken a law which is holy, just and good. In addition to this we have rejected a gospel which is gracious, merciful and full of compassion. We have refused to accept a pardon,—a pardon procured at the expense of the sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son,—a pardon freely offered and urged upon us by everything kind and winning. We have refused to be reconciled to God, though he has sent his servants as his ambassadors to us, beseeching us to be so. We turned to him the back and not the face, we have wandered far from him; and now he comes near to us and asks, “Where art thou?” Where, Lord!—among thine enemies, afar from thee by wicked works, and fearing to see thy face. Where?—in sin under condemnation, and doomed to go down in woe.

“We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in the body.” 2 Cor. v. 10