A crown of everlasting glory is not surely such a trifle as to be thrown away on a careless creature, that will not in good earnest pursue it. GOD doth not ordinarily deal thus, even with the bounties of his common providence, which are comparatively of little value. As to these, the hand of the diligent generally makes rich, and he would be thought distracted, rather than prudent, who should expect to get an estate merely by wishing for it, or without some resolute and continued application to a proper course of action for that purpose. Now, that we may not foolishly dream of obtaining heaven, in the midst of a course of indolence and sloth, we are expresly told in the word of GOD, that “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force,” _Matthew_ xi. 12. and are therefore exhorted to “strive,” with the greatest intenseness, and eagerness of mind, as the word properly signifies, “to enter in at the strait gate,” for this great and important reason, “because many shall another day seek to enter in, and shall not be able,” _Luke_ xiii. 24. Nay, when our LORD makes the most gracious promises to the humble petitioner, he does it in such a manner as to exclude the hopes of those who are careless and indifferent. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you,” _Matthew_ vii. 7. If, therefore, you do not ask, seek, and knock, the door of mercy will not be opened, and eternal happiness will be lost. Not that heaven is to be obtained by our own good works: no, no; for having done all, we must account ourselves unprofitable servants.
And surely if I could say no more as to the fatal consequences of your neglect, than this, that eternal happiness will be lost, I should say enough to impress every mind, that considers what ETERNITY means. To fall into a state of everlasting forgetfulness, might indeed appear a refuge to a mind filled with the apprehension of future misery. But O how dreadful a refuge is it! Surely it is such a refuge, as a vast precipice, (from which a man falling would be dashed to pieces in a moment) might appear to a person, pursued by the officers of justice, that he might be brought out to a painful and lingering execution. If an extravagant youth would have reason to look round with anguish, on some fair and ample paternal inheritance, which he had sold or forfeited merely for the riot of a few days: how much more melancholy would it be for a rational mind to think that its eternal happiness is lost for any earthly consideration whatever? Tormenting thought! “Had I attended to that one thing which I have neglected, I might have been, through the grace of GOD in CHRIST JESUS, great and happy beyond expression, beyond conception: not merely for the little span of ten thousand thousand ages, but for ever. A line reaching even to the remotest star would not have been able to contain the number of ages, nor would millions of years have been sufficient to figure them down; this is eternity, but I have lost it, and am now on the verge of being. This lamp, which might have outlasted those of the firmament, will presently be extinguished; and I blotted out from amongst the works of GOD, and cut off from all the bounties of his hand.” Would not this be a very miserable case, if this were all? And would it not be sufficient to prove this to be the better part, which, as our LORD observes, can “never be taken away?” But GOD forbid that we should be so unfaithful to him, and to the souls of men, as to rest in such a representation alone. I therefore add once more,
3. The care of the soul is the one thing needful, because “without it, you cannot avoid a state of eternal misery, which will be aggravated, rather than alleviated by all your present enjoyments.”