THE FAMILY ALTAR
November 15.
"Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me
be a Christian." Acts 26:28.
Almost saved is altogether lost. This King Agrippa was a Jew,
a son of Abraham, well versed in Moses and the Prophets, and knew
of the Hope of Israel, of the promised Messiah. Yet when Paul
preaches to him with convincing power the Hope of Israel, the
crucified and risen Savior, he refuses to give himself to Christ,
refuses to become a Christian, and so loses in the end not only
his earthly crown, but also the crown of everlasting life. Agrippa
has many followers among the nominal Christians who are brought
up in God's Word, have a good intellectual knowledge of the way
of salvation, but — never go that way. They cannot break the last
chain that binds them to the world, its pleasures, its society, or
whatever the hindrance may be that prevents them from becoming
sincere and whole-hearted Christians. And so they are entirely
lost; for our Savior says : "He that is not with Me is against Me;
and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad." (Matt.
12,30.) "Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall.
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of
My Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 7,21.) Oh, the sad, sad
fate that awaits so many who sit at the King's table spread before
them, but who never taste of its heavenly bliss, because they refuse
to repent and believe ! Let us take warning and permit nothing
to stand between us and our Savior.
"Almost persuaded" now to believe;
"Almost persuaded" Christ to receive;
Seems now some soul to say,
"Go, Spirit, go Thy way;
Some more convenient day
On Thee I'll call."
"Almost persuaded," come, come to-day;
"Almost persuaded," turn not away;
Jesus invites you here,
Angels are lingering near,
Prayers rise from hearts so dear:
O wanderer, come!
"Almost persuaded," harvest is past!
"Almost persuaded," doom comes at last!
"Almost" cannot avail;
"Almost" is but to fail!
Sad, sad the bitter wail —
"Almost — BUT — LOST ! "
