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 justice and  His  mercy  both  demand  that  He  abandon you at  death's  door  as  you  in  life  abandoned  Him. The salvation  of  the  entire  human  race  is  God's  first great concern;  individual  interests  are  secondary. Would it  then  be  just  or  merciful  to  equalize  at  death the saint  and  sinner,  to  disgust  the  good  with  a  system of  salvation  that  allows  the  sinner's  darkened  lifeday  to  close  with  a  sunburst  of  glory;  to  encourage the wicked  to  continue  in  their  sin  confident  of  God's favor  at  the  last? Why, Christ  Himself  has  sworn He will  deny  before  His  Father  in  heaven  all  such  as have  habitually  denied  Him  before  men  on  earth. Hence the  saying  that  as  a  man  lives  so  he  dies. " They,"  says  Scripture,  "  they  that  are  converted  in the  evening  shall  suffer  hunger  like  dogs." You treat God like  a  dog,  for  to  turn  to  Him  only  in  the  evening of  your  existence  is  like  feeding  a  dog  with  the refuse of  a  feast. What wonder  then  if  at  your  death God fail  to  grant  you  a  morsel  of  repentance,  however much  you  hunger  for  it  and  entreat. But a humble  and  a  contrite  heart,  you  say,  the  merciful Lord will  never  despise. True, but  the  measure  of grace  He  will  accord  you,  though  enough  to  sanctify the average  man,  will  not  suffice  to  save  a  soul  with such a  past  as  yours. Your ruling  passion,  be  it drink,  or  lust,  or  hate,  or  what  not,  will  be  strong  in death,  because  death  being  the  crisis  in  the  battle between the  powers  of  light  and  darkness,  the  devil, like a  skilful  general,  will  marshal  all  his  forces  for  the final struggle. That is  what  Christ  means  when,  addressing such  as  you,  He  says:  "  Unless  you  do  pen-