The Alarm and Inquiry! # 1

The Alarm and Inquiry # 1

"The sinners of Zion are terrified! Trembling grips the godless! Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burnings?" (Isaiah 33:14).

These "sinners in Zion" represent the Church of God. The inhabitants of Zion were professors of religion. Likewise, many profess the Christian religion - who are not really Christians. They are strangers to the new birth. They have never passed from death unto life. Their opinions perhaps are changed - but their hearts remain just as they were. Their lives may be moral - but their hearts are not spiritual. They are enemies to God - though they profess to be His friends. They are rebels against the government of Jesus - while they profess to be His loyal subjects.

They are sinners in the most solemn place - and under peculiarly aggravating circumstances! Surrounded with gospel light - they go on in darkness. Commending the Saviour with their lips - they withhold from Him the heart. By professing Christ - they cry, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" But by living in sin - they cry, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" They are not struggling with sin - but sternly attached to sin! It is not weakness which is the cause of their conduct - but wickedness. They are hypocrites - that is, they wear a mask. They pretend to be what they well know they are not. With their mouths they show much love to Christ - but their hearts go after their lusts!

Reader, it is a dreadful thing to be a hypocrite; to be found among the Lord's people, while not really of them; to profess Christ, and not to possess Christ!

You may deceive men - but you cannot deceive God. A mere profession may do when in health and strength - but it will not do for sickness and death. You may be bold and fearless now - but when God shall unmask you, and expose the nakedness of your soul - then you will be afraid, fearfulness and trembling will seize upon you suddenly. If you are indulging in any known sin, under a profession of religion - you are a "sinner in Zion" - and your state is most dangerous!

The time is coming, when the "sinners in Zion" shall be afraid. God has threatened them. He has threatened them with His sorest judgments. He is true and faithful to His Word. His nature is unchangeable. You may change - but He cannot. His wrath is eternal - for it is His just displeasure against sin, it is His righteous opposition to the sinner. He hates all sin. But He especially hates deception. Hypocrisy is Odious in His sight. He has pronounced the most dreadful woes against all such. They will not find any mercy at His hands - if they persevere in their hypocrisy.

They are generally afraid of trials - but how will they meet death? And if they are afraid of death, how will they stand in the judgment? How will they be able to lift up their faces before Him, whose eyes are as a flame of fire, who has been witness to all their hypocrisy, and who hates all the workers of iniquity!

Hypocrites are generally bold, conceited, confident, and daring - while things go smooth with them; but fearfulness will surprise them - when death seizes upon them, or God calls them to appear before Him in judgment. The Lord Jesus is coming. He is coming in power and great glory. He is coming to judge the world in righteousness. He is coming to render to every man according to his works. In the prospect of that day he proposes the most solemn QUESTIONS:

"Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?" The element of fire is opposed to our nature It inflicts the most dreadful pains. It is used by the Lord to represent the punishment that is to be inflicted upon all ungodly people. It is not merely fire - but consuming fire. Fire in its strength. Fire raging as it does when well fed with fuel! O how dreadful to be tormented in that flame! To be surrounded by that fierce, scorching, destructive element! Sinner! think of devouring fire, a lake of devouring fire - it is the due desert of your sins! 

"Who of us can dwell with everlasting burnings?" Then, there are everlasting burnings! There is a fire that never shall be quenched! There are torments that shall never, never, never end! Yes, while God lives to punish, while the cause of punishment remains - the sinner must be punished! The torments of hell will not purify. The lost are never sanctified by their sufferings in hell. They will sin yet more and more - and justice requires that punishment should continue to be inflicted.

Impenitent sinners are to dwell with everlasting burnings. Hell is to be their unchangeable residence, their eternal portion. O what a dwelling! What a doom! What a destiny! And yet it is just - strictly just!

Let us them press home the question upon our consciences: "Who can dwell with everlasting burnings?" Can a question be more solemn? Is it not necessary? Ought it not to alarm us? Can we be justified in postponing the consideration of it, even for one hour? For one moment?

~James Smith~

(continued with # 2)