The boundary line of repentance. Life is the boundary line of repentance. What the Scriptures call “time,” contains the whole period during which man can turn to God. “To-day if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the bitter provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness.” If we are ever molded into the image of Christ, made conformable to his death, and prepared for the society of the blessed, it must be while we are in time. To show that we are inside of the clear revelations of God, we shall make two or three references to the New Testament. One man, more curious to know the fate of the masses, than his own duty to God and man, in our Lord’s lifetime asked him: “Lord are there few that be saved?” To this the Lord responded: “Strive to enter in at the straight gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” Luke xiii. 23, 24. He then proceeds to the time when this shall be, as follows: “When once the Master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and He shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence you are.” In reply, they make an appeal to the fact that the Lord had been accustomed to eat and drink in their streets. He replies, “I know you not whence you are; depart from me all ye workers of iniquity.” This must be after death, for He refers to the future, “When ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out,” or thrust away. It is after death, because the Master of the house has never risen up and shut to the door of the kingdom, in this life. As we sing sometimes, “The doors of gospel grace stand open night and day.” None, in this life, stand and knock at the door, crying, Lord, Lord, open to us, whom the Master refuses to receive. His language now is, “Whoever will, let him come and take of the water of life freely.” “He who cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.” “He who seeks shall find; to him who knocks, it shall be opened,” and “whoever calls upon the Lord shall be saved.” But the time will come, when the Lord shall have arisen and shut the door, and men shall stand without, knocking and crying, Lord, open to us; but He refuses them admittance and thrusts them away, declaring that He never approved them.—Nothing like this can be found in this life. It refers to the time when the fear of the wicked cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish shall overtake them; then shall they call upon the Lord, but He will not answer them. See Prov. i. 26, 27.