On every hand they hear the plottings of treason and see the active working of rebellion ; and there is aroused within them an intense desire , an earnest yearning of soul , that this great apostasy may be terminated and the wickedness of the wicked may come to an end . But while they plead with God to stay the work of rebellion , it is with a keen sense of self-reproach that they themselves have no more power to resist and urge back the mighty tide of evil . They feel that had they always employed all their ability in the service of Christ , going forward from strength to strength , Satan ' s forces would have less power to prevail against them .
They afflict their souls before God , pointing to their past repentance of their many sins , and pleading the Saviour ' s promise : " Let him take hold of My strength , that he may make peace with Me ; and he shall make peace with Me ." Isaiah 27:5 . Their faith does not fail because their prayers are not immediately answered . Though suffering the keenest anxiety , terror , and distress , they do not cease their intercessions . They lay hold of the strength of God as Jacob laid hold of the Angel ; and the language of their souls is : " I will not let Thee go , except Thou bless me ."
Had not Jacob previously repented of his sin in obtaining the birthright by fraud , God would not have heard his prayer and mercifully preserved his life . So , in the time of trouble , if the people of God had unconfessed sins to appear before them while tortured with fear and anguish , they would be overwhelmed ; despair would cut off their faith , and they could not have confidence to plead with God for deliverance . But while they have a deep sense of their unworthiness , they have no concealed wrongs to reveal . Their sins have gone beforehand to judgment and have been blotted out , and they cannot bring them to remembrance .
Satan leads many to believe that God will overlook their unfaithfulness in the minor affairs of life ; but the Lord shows in His dealings with Jacob that He will in no wise sanction or tolerate evil . All who endeavour to excuse or conceal their sins , and permit them to remain upon the books of heaven , unconfessed and unforgiven , will be overcome by Satan . The more exalted their profession and the more honourable the position which they hold , the more grievous is their course in the sight of God and the more sure the triumph of their great adversary . Those who delay a preparation for the day of God cannot obtain it in the time of trouble or at any subsequent time . The case of all such is hopeless .
Those professed Christians who come up to that last fearful conflict unprepared will , in their despair , confess their sins in words of burning anguish , while the wicked exult over their distress . These confessions are of the same character as was that of Esau or of Judas . Those who make them , lament the result of transgression , but not its guilt . They feel no true contrition , no abhorrence of evil . They acknowledge their sin , through fear of punishment ; but , like Pharaoh of old , they would return to their defiance of Heaven should the judgments be removed .
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