You are hewing out for yourselves cisterns, broken cisterns,
which can hold no water. You are spending your time, and
strength, and affections on that which will give you no return
for your labor–”spending your money on that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy” (Isaiah 55:2).
You are building up Babels of your own contriving, and ignorant
that God will pour contempt on your schemes for procuring
happiness, because you attempt to be happy without Him.
Awake from your dreams, I beg you, and show yourselves men.
Think of the uselessness of living a life which you will be
ashamed of when you die, and of having a religion, in name only,
which will just fail you when it is most wanted.
Open your eyes and look around the world. Tell me who was ever
really happy without God and Christ and the Holy Spirit. Look at
the road in which you are traveling. Mark the footsteps of those
who have gone before you: see how many have turned away from it,
and confessed that they were wrong. I warn you plainly, that if
you are not a true Christian you will miss happiness in the world
that now is, as well as in the world to come. Oh, believe me,
the way of happiness, and the way of salvation are one and the
same! He that will have his own way, and refuses to serve
Christ, will never be really happy. But he that serves Christ
has the promise of both lives. He is happy on earth, and will be
happier still in heaven.
If you are neither happy in this world nor the next, it will be
all your own fault. Oh, think of this! Do not be guilty of such
enormous folly. Who does not mourn over the folly of the
drunkard, the drug addict, and the person who commits suicide?
But there is no folly like that of the unrepentant child of the
world.
(3) In the next place, “let me entreat all readers of this book,
who are not yet happy, to seek happiness where alone it can be
found.”
The keys of the way to happiness are in the hands of the Lord
Jesus Christ. He is sealed and appointed by God the Father, to
give the bread of life to them that hunger, and to give the water
of life to them that thirst. The door which riches and position
and learning have so often tried to open, and tried in vain, is
now ready to open to every humble, praying believer. Oh, if you
want to be happy, come to Christ!
Come to Him, confessing that you are weary of your own ways, and
want rest–that you find you have no power and might to make
yourself holy or happy or fit for heaven, and have no hope but in
Him. [Believe and Trust in Christ, Repent of your sins, and
Submit to His Lordship] Tell Him this unreservedly. This is
coming to Christ.
Come to Him, imploring Him to show you His mercy, and grant you
His salvation–to wash you in His own blood, and take your sins
away–to speak peace to your conscience, and heal your troubled
soul. Tell Him all this unreservedly. This is coming to Christ.
You have everything to encourage you. The Lord Jesus Himself
invites you. He proclaims to you as well as to others, “Come to
Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my
yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Wait
for nothing. You may feel unworthy. You may feel as if you did
not repent enough. But wait no longer. Come to Christ.
You have everything to encourage you. Thousands have walked in
the way you are invited to enter, and have found it good. Once,
like yourself, they served the world, and plunged deeply into
folly and sin. Once, like yourself, they became weary of their
wickedness, and longed for deliverance and rest. They heard of
Christ, and His willingness to help and save: they came to Him by
faith and prayer, after many a doubt and hesitation; they found
Him a thousand times more gracious than they had expected. They
rested on Him and were happy: they carried His cross and tasted
peace. Oh, walk in their steps!
I implore you, by the mercies of God, to come to Christ. If you
ever hope to be happy, I entreat you to come to Christ. Do not
delay. Awake from your sleep: arise and be free! This day come
to Christ.
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
