Harden Not Your Heart!
(Psalm 95:8)
Reba Crawford
“Mother, I will never be guilty of founding my hopes for the future upon such a compiled mess of trash as is contained in that book (the Bible). Talk of that being the production of an Infinite Mind: a boy of ten years of age, if he were half-witted, could have told a straighter story and made a better book. I believe it to be the greatest mess of lies ever imposed upon the public. I would rather go to hell (if there is such a place) than have the name of bowing to that imposter-Jesus Christand be dependent on His merits of salvation.”
“Beware! Beware! my son, for ‘God is not mocked,’ although He beareth with the wicked long, yet He will not keep His anger forever. And all manner of sin shall be forgiven men, except the sin against the Holy Ghost: which has no forgiveness. ‘And many are the examples, both in sacred and profane history, of men who have been smitten down in the midst of their sinning against that blessed Spirit.”
“Very well, father, I’ll risk all the cutting down that I shall get for cursing that book, and all the agonies connected therewith. Let it come, I’m not at all scared.”
“0 Father, lay not this sin to his charge, for he knows not what he does.”
“Yes. I do know what I am doing, and what I say-and I mean it.”
“Mother, if you do not want to hear me speak my sentiments, why do you always begin the subject? If you do not want to hear it don’t ever broach the subject again: for I shall never talk of that book in any other way.”
The above conversation took place between two fond parents and their only son who was at home
on a visit from college, and was about to return. The cause of this outburst was: the kind-hearted Christian parents had essayed to give him a few words of kind admonition, which, alas! proved to +; be the last. The above were his last words spoken as he left the house. flow anxiously those fond parents looked after him as though the Spirit told them that something dreadful was going to happen. What scalding tears were those that – coarsed their way down their furrowed cheeks! Oh! that they might have been put into the bottle of mercy! Poor, wretched young man! Little did he think that He who said, “Honor thy father and mother,” and “He, that being often reproved and hardeneth his neck. shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” (Proverbs 29:1) was so neon going to call him to give an account for those words, so heart-rending to his aged parents, and I so dreadful in the sight of a holy God. He had imbibed those dreadful principles from an infidel room-mate at college. Beware, young men, with whom you associate, lest you fall as did this unfortunate young man.
John left his home and hastened to the depot where he took the cars which were to hear him back to college, where he was in a few months to finish his studies. The whistle blew, and away swept the cars across the “trembling plain.” But, alas! they had gone but a few miles. when the cars, coming around a curve in a deep cut, came suddenly upon an obstruction on the track, which threw the engine and two of the cars at once from the rails. As fate would seem to have it, the wicked son was at that moment passing between them. He was thrown in an instant from the platform, his left arm broken, and his skull fractured, and in an instant one of the big wheels ran over both legs near the body, breaking and mangling them in the most dreadful manner. Strange as it may seem, no one else was injured.
The dreadful news soon reached his already grief-stricken parents: and ere long, that beloved, yet ungrateful son, was borne back to them; not as he left, but lying on a litter, a poor mangled, raving manic. Many skillful physicians were called, but the decree of the Almighty had gone forth, and man could not recall it. When the news reached the college his class-mates hastened to see him. When they came, nature was fast sinking, but the immortal part was becoming dreadfully alive. Oh! that heart-rending scene! His reason brought with it a dreadful sense of his situation. His first words and oh, may never mortal hear such cry as that again upon the shores of time:
“Mother! I’m lost! lost! lost! damned! damned! damned forever!” and as his classmates drew near the bed, among whom was the one who had poisoned his mind with infidelity, with a dreadful effort, he rose in bed and cried, as he fixed his glaring eyes upon him: “.Joe, you have brought me to this; you have damned my soul! May the curses of the Almighty and the Lamb rest upon your soul forever.” And like a hellish fiend, he gnashed his teeth and tried to get hold of him that he might tear him to pieces.
Then followed a scene from which the strongest fled with horror. But those poor parents had to hear and see it all. He would not suffer them to be away a moment. He fell back upon his bed exhausted, crying, “0 Mother! Mother, get some water to quench this fire that is burning me to death.” then he tore his hair and rent his breast; the fire had already begun to burn, the smoke of which shall ascend up forever and ever. Then again he cried. “0 Mother, take me in your arms, and don’t let them have me.” And as his mother drew near, he buried his face in that fond bosom which had nourished and cherished him, but, alas, could not now protect or shield from the storm of the Almighty’s wrath: for he turned from her, and with an unearthly voice he shrieked, “Father! Mother! Father save me; they come to drag my soul to hell.” And with his eyes staring from their sockets, he fell back a corpse. The spirit had fled-not like that of Lazarus, borne on the wings of a convoy angel, but dragged by fiends to meet a fearful doom_ May his dreadful fall prove a warning to those who would unwittingly walk in the same path.
-Earnest Christian
Surrender to Jesus my friend. Be not like this young man! Confess and forsake your sins; for Jesus is willing and able to CLEANSE you from ALL sin and to SANCTIFY you wholly (l Thessalonians 5:23).
Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:8).
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9).
Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate (Hebrews 13:12).
The above material was published by Pilgrim Trac Soc., Randleman, N.C. This material may be copyrighted and should be used for study and research purposes only.
