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A Voice from Heaven:
Electronic Edition.
Anonymous.
Funding from the Institute of
Museum and Library
Services
supported the electronic publication of this
title.
Text scanned (OCR) by
Laura Button
Text encoded by
Patricia L. Walker and Natalia Smith
First edition, 1999
ca. 30K
Academic Affairs Library, UNC-CH
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
1999.
Call number Vcp970.79 V889h 1861 (North Carolina Collection, UNC-CH)
The electronic edition
is a part of the UNC-CH
digitization project, Documenting the American
South.
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Library of Congress Subject Headings, 21st edition, 1998
LC Subject Headings:
- Tracts.
- Salvation.
- Redemption.
- Soldiers -- Religious life -- Confederate States of America.
- Confederate States of America -- Religion.
- North Carolina -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Religious aspects.
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Religious aspects.
- 1999-06-25,
Celine Noel and Wanda Gunther
revised TEIHeader and created catalog record for the electronic edition.
-
1999-06-14,
Natalia Smith, project manager,
finished TEI-conformant encoding and final proofing.
-
1999-06-09,
Patricia L. Walker
finished TEI/SGML encoding
- 1999-06-04,
Laura Button
finished scanning (OCR) and proofing.
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[SELECTED FOR THE SOLDIERS.] No. 243.
A VOICE FROM HEAVEN.
WERE the Lord to address you from Heaven in a plain, audible voice, would you not listen to him ? But he has spoken to you, and he continues to speak in his blessed word. Listen, then, to his voice. Consider him as speaking to you from heaven, and speaking with authority. Hark! what do I hear? Something declaring that I, that you, that all men are by nature guilty, depraved, polluted sinners. He says,
"There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God: they are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." "That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." Rom. 3: 10 -12, 19.
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Verse 23.
"But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin." Gal. 3: 22.
"Dead in trespasses and sins." Ephes. 2: 1. "Without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise; having no hope, and without God in the world." Verse 12.
"Alienated, and enemies in mind by wicked works." Col. 1: 21.
"That which is born of the flesh, is flesh," John 3: 6; and "they that are in the flesh cannot please God." Rom. 8: 8.
"The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Rom. 8: 7.
"Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." Psalm 51: 5.
Such is the character of all men by nature. But listen a little longer to the voice from heaven. You will hear that men are not only sinners, but condemned sinners, and under an awful curse.
"The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezek. 18: 4.
"By the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight." Romans 3: 20. "Death passed upon
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all men, for that all have sinned." Romans 5: 12. "For the judgment was by one," Adam, "to condemnation." Verse 16. "By the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation." Verse 18.
"The wages of sin is death." Romans 6:23. "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them." Gal. 3: 10. "By nature the children of wrath." Ephes. 2: 3.
And if such, O man, is your condition, ought you not to tremble? But there is hope. Listen once more. What sweet intelligence is brought to your ears--a Saviour, a glorious Saviour has been provided.
"Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2: 10, 11.
"Behold the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1: 29.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3: 16.
"Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins." Acts 13: 38.
"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Romans 10: 4.
But remember, there is no other Saviour.
"Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4: 12.
"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." I Cor. 3: 11.
"For there is one God, and ONE Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." 1 Tim. 2: 5.
"I am the way and the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14: 6.
"And may I come to this glorious Saviour for life, pardon, and salvation?" Yes, you are welcome, you are invited to come, you have every possible encouragement to come. Listen again to the voice from heaven.
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:
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though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isa. 1: 18.
"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." Isa. 55: 1.
"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matt. 11: 28 - 30.
"Come, for all things are now ready." Luke 14: 17. "Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out." John 6: 37.
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." John 3: 36.
"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come; and let him that heareth say, Come; and let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Rev. 22: 17.
And after all these precious invitations and encouragements, will you refuse to come to Christ? Listen once more, I beseech you, to the voice from heaven, and learn the awful doom of those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ, and persevere in the ways of sin and rebellion.
"The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Mat. 13: 41, 42.
"Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Matt. 25: 41. "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment." Verse 46.
"He that believeth not, shall be damned." Matt. 16: 16. "He that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3: 36.
"But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me." Luke 19: 27.
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"Whosoever shall fall on that stone," Christ, "shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder," Luke 20: 18. "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maran-atha," or cursed with a curse. 1 Cor. 16: 22
"When the Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance upon them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." 2 Thess. 1: 7 - 9.
"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Rev. 20: 15.
"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death." Rev. 21: 8.
Such are the awful curses denounced against all the finally impenitent. How dare you live any longer in sin; how dare you neglect the great salvation, and despise the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ? "Repent ye, and believe the gospel. Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."