Causes of Alarm to Awakened Sinners

JVoto when tkay heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the apostles, men, and brethren, what shall we do? — Acts ii: 37.

What ailed these men? This was the language of distress.

After the resurrection of Christ, he continued forty days with his disciples, speaking to them of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Among other tln’ngs, he gave commission to his apostles to go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; at the same time enjoining them to begin at Jerusalem. Obedient to their Lord, they retired to an upper chamber, where abode the apostles, and held a meeting for prayer. ‘’ These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.” The number of the disciples was about one hundred and twenty. This prayer-meeting could not have been established more than about ten days; for Christ ascended on the fortieth day, and the day of Pentecost was on the fiftieth day after his crucifixion. The feast of Pentecost was appointed to celebrate the giving of the law on mount Sinai, and it is remarkable that it occurred on our present Sabbath morning.

“When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place” — with united hearts, praying for the descent of the Holy Spirit. ‘’ And suddenly, there was a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind” — This mighty agent is an emblem of the Spirit of God. Invisible to mortal eyes, we hear the sound as it sweeps over fields and forests, and lays all prostrate before it. Though we may not be under its influence, we can hear the sound, and witness the effects. And so it is when the Spirit of God is sent to subdue the hearts of rebels. The effects in the latter case, can no more be doubted, than in the former. ‘^ The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

‘’ And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them” — a parting flame in the shape of tongues — a fit emblem of that flaming zeal with which the gospel was to be preached in different lan-uaffes throuih the world. “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” It being the feast of Pentecost, Jerusalem was filled with people. There were dwelling there, devout men from every nation, speaking not less than seven or eight different languages, besides different dialects of the same language. Now when these strange appearances were noised abroad, a great multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

These strangers, not the apostles, proclaimed the miracle. ‘’They were all amazed, and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold arc not all these which speak, Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were bornl” “And they were all amazed and wereindouht, saying, what meaneth this?”

‘’ But others mocking, said, these men are full of new wine.”

At this interesting crisis, ‘’Peter standing up with eleven, lifted up his voice,” and preached the first gospel sermon under the new commission of our Saviour. He in the first place repelled the insinuation that they were drunken. In the next place he referred them to an ancient prediction of the very events which were transpiring before them. He then applied the subject. “Ye men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles, and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves know; him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and with wicked hands have crucified and slain; whom God hath raised up” &c.

In all which they did to the Saviour, they only fulfilled some ancient prediction, and did it with wicked hands. They did not strike a stroke which did not fulfill the determinate counsel of God.

“And while by Satan’s rage he fell.
He dashed the risini; hopes of hell.”

Peter in his sermon connects the counsel of God, and the free agency of man. And if his hearers could not understand that they might with wicked hands fulfill the counsel of God, (here was no way in which he could prove to them that Christ was the true Messiah.

To prove that God had raised Christ from the dead, he next quotes the 16th Psalm, and comments upon it, showing that it refers to the resurrection of Christ. He then presses home the argument. ‘’Therefore, let (he house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

At this point, the Spirit of God set home the word with power upon the consciences of the hearers, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter, and the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do?” They saw and felt their danger. The phraseology is peculiar — “They were pricked in their heart” — the effect corresponding with the instrument used. “The word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than a two edged sword.” This is the sword of the Spirit. A stab in the heart is fatal. “The letter killeth.”” When the commandment came, sin revived, and 1 died.’’

I would here remark, that in genuine conviction there is something peculiar. It is not simply alarm, or fear of hell. The word of God comes with power to the conscience, and shows sinners their true character and condition. It was so with Peter’s hearers. 1 his was what ailed them.

I propose to state some of the principal grounds of alarm to the awakened sinner.

1. He realizes that he is condeuincd by the divine law. He knows that lie has l)iokcn the law in times and ways to him innumerable; and that not a single sin is pardoned. He knows that he has no interest in the atonement of Christ, and that there is no other way of escape from the curse of the law. ‘’He that believeth not the Son is condemned already, and the wrath of God abidelh on him.”

Again — he realizes that the punishment to which he is exposed, is eternal. Not until the sinner sees himself condemned, does he realize how he shall feel at the hour of execution — Now he is convinced of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. Now he dwells wkh awful solemnity on the eternity of hell torments. The more he reflects, the more rational he becomes, and the more he is alarmed.

Again — he realizes the awful uncertainty of human life. He knows that he has no security of a single day. He is aware that the God in whose hand his breath is, he has not glorified, and that he has a right to cut him down at any moment. He perceives that his soul is in jeopardy every hour. When he lies down at night, he knows not but before morning he shall awake in hell, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quencld.

Again — he realizes that pardon is unceriain.

Again — he realizes that it is altogether uncertain how long the Spirit will strive. He knows that he has resisted his strivings, and that God may justly at any moment take his Spiiit from him. He may, perhaps, be conscious of having resisted the Spirit in former years. He knows that many have been given up of

God, and that some younger than himself, have been cut down in their sins, and called to their last account.

Again — he is convinced that he sliaJl never do any thing to better his condition short of repentance. ‘I’he sinner partly awakened, often flatters himself that he shall do something to recommend him to God. But when his self-righteousness is demolished, he sees the sinfulness of all that he has done. He sees that the motive, the principle of action, is wrong; and he is persuaded that he never shall do any thing with his present feelings, acceptable to God.

Again — he realizes that he is altogether without excuse for not repenting and believing in Christ now. This is generally the last stage of conviction. When //e, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall convince the world of sin, because they believe not on me.

Finally — he is convinced that if he does not repent now, he never shall. Those who are not brought to this state of mind, will, in all probability drop the subject, and like Felix look for a more convenient season. But those who are under thorough conviction, do not expect to find a more convenient season. They conclude that this is their last call. And until the sinner is brought to this conviction, there is no hope of his conversion.

But, my hearers, it is one thing to hear the account of those who are pricked in the heart, and under conviction, and quite another thing to feel it.

“I saw the opening gates of hell.

With endless pains, and sorrows there,

Which none but they that feel can tell.
While I was hurried to despair.”

I do not pretend that every awakened sinner goes over precisely the same ground. But these are the common grounds of alarm to awakened sinners. Have you, my hearers, felt that out of Christ, you were justly condemned by the divine law? Have you felt that you were altogether without excuse for not repenting and believing in Christ immediately? — that there was no difficulty in your way, but a criminal difficulty? If you have not felt these things, you have not come to Christ.

xlnd now, I have no occasion to ask my hearers, how do you like this statement? For I have only been slating matters of fact. It is what hundreds and thousands have felt.

We see from this subject,

1. That it is no new thing for persons to be under conviction. It was so on the day of Pentecost, under the preaching of Peter. But some one will sa)^, we are not to expect such things now. The age of miracles is past. True, the age of miracles is past — but the age of preaching the gospel is not past. It was not the miracle, but the-preaching of Peter, which was the means of awakening his hearers. ^’ When they heard this, they were pricked in their heart.” And this is the genuine effect of a preached gospel. It must be the same in all ages; and the more nearly the effects resemble those on the day of Pentecost, the greater is the evidence that they are genuine.

2. It is no surprising thin that sinners should be under conviction. If what has been said is true, that the sinner is condemned to eternal death, and every moment in danger of being lost forever, it is not surprising that he should be alarmed. It is amazing that any sinners should remain stupid. And lie re permit me to ask, are there any who are listening to my voice, who begin to feel that they are condemned, and that not one of their sins is pardoned? If out of Christ, let me tell you, your fears are not without foundation. You are condemned, and O that you might realize it more and more.

Again — do any of you begin to fear that you are exposed to eternal punishment ‘? If out of Christ, your fears are not without foundation. It is even so; and 0 that you might realize it more and more.

Again — do any of you begin to realize the uncertainty of life? Do you tremble lest you should be suddenly cut down by the stroke of death, and hurried into a miserable eternity? If out of Christ, your fears are not without foundation. You are in just such danger. You know not what a day may bring forth. And 0 that you might realize it more and more.

Again — do any of you begin to fear that you never shall be pardoned. Let me tell you, your fears are not without foundation. It is yet an awful uncertainty whether your sins will ever be pardoned. And 0 that you might realize it more and more.

Again — do any of you fear that the Spirit of God may cease to strive with you? Your fears are not without foundation. There is great danger that the Spirit will cease to strive. Many who were as anxious as you are, have gone back to stupidity, and have lost their souls.

Do any of you begin to realize that you shall never do any thing to better your condition short of repentance? It is a correct conclusion. You never will. If you have any thing to do before you repent, I beg that you will make haste, and do it soon; for after all, you must repent or perish.

Do any of you begin to realize that you are altogether without excuse for not repenting now 1 It is even so. Hardness and impenitency of heart are awful sins in the sight of God.

Do any of you begin to feel that if you do not repent now, you never shall? This, in all probability, is a correct conclusion. If you now resist the Spirit, and turn back to stupidity, there is the greatest reason to fear that you will slumber on in impenitence, till you perish.

I perceive that all my hearers are going to be under conviction of sin. It may not be to-day — or to-morrow. Perhaps it will not be in this life. 0, that it might be. How much better to be awakened now, while pardon is offered, than when the day of grace is past.

But those who are not convinced of sin now, will be hereafter. They will be convinced of all their sins; and it will be conviction that will be succeeded by no conversion; but will last forever. “Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and of all the hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against them.”

“Sinners, awake betimes, ye fools, be wise,

Awake before this dreadful morning rise.

Change your vain thoughts, your crooked works amend.

Fly to the Saviour, make the judge your friend;

Lest like a lion, his last vengeance tear

Your trembling souls, anfl no deliverer near.”