Do not ask any more, “Where is the harm, if after church, I spend the remainder of the day in the fields, or in a public-house, or in taking a little diversion?” You know where is the harm. Your own heart tells you so plain, that _you_ can’t but hear. It is a base mispending your talent, and a bare-faced contempt of God and his authority. You have heard of God’s judgments even upon earth, against the prophaners of this day. And yet these are but as drops of that storm of _fiery indignation, which will at_ last _consume his adversaries_.
Glory be to God who hath now given _you_ a sense of this. You now know, this was always designed for a day of blessing. May _you_ never again by your _idleness_ or _prophaneness_, turn that blessing into a curse! What folly, what madness would that be? And in what sorrow and anguish would it end? For yet a little while, and death will close up the day of grace and mercy. And those who despise them now, will have no more _sabbaths_, or _sacraments_ or _prayers_ for ever. Then how will they wish to recover that, which they now so idly call away? But all in vain. For they will then _find no place for repentance_, tho’ they should seek it _carefully with tears_.
O my friend, know the privilege _you_ enjoy. Now _remember the sabbath-day to keep it holy_. Your day of life and of grace is far spent. The night of death is at hand. Make haste to use the time you have: improve the last hours of _your_ day. Now provide _the things which make for your peace_, that _you_ may stand before the face of God ♦for ever.
♦ duplicate word “for” removed
A WORD to a SWEARER.
_Swear not at all_,
SAITH the Lord God of heaven and earth. Art thou without God in the world? Hast thou no knowledge of God? No concern about him? Is not God in all thy thoughts?
Dost thou believe there is a God? Where? in heaven only? Nay, he filleth all in all? Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth?
Whither wilt thou go then from his spirit? Or whither wilt thou flee from his presence? If thou go up into heaven, God is there. If thou go down into hell, he is there also. If thou take the wings of the morning, and remain in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there his hand shall touch thee, and his right-hand shall hold thee.
God seeth thee now: his eyes are upon thee: he observes all thy thoughts: he compasseth thy path: he counteth all thy steps: he is acquainted with all thy ways: by him thy actions are weighed; nor is there a word in thy tongue but he knoweth it altogether.
And does not power belong unto God? yea, all power in heaven and in earth? Is he not able, even while thou readest or hearest these words, to crush thee into nothing? Can he not just now crumble thee into dust? Or bid the earth open and swallow thee up? O do not set him at nought! Do not provoke him thus. Do not fly in his face! Can he not, in a moment, cast forth his lightnings and tear thee? Shoot out his arrows and consume thee? What hinders him from cutting thee off this instant? Sending thee now, now, quick into hell?
Would God do thee any wrong therein? What! In giving thee the request of thy own lips? What words were those thou spakest but now? Did not God hear? Why, thou didst pray to God to send thee to hell. Thou didst ask him to damn thy soul. How, art thou in love with damnation? Art thou in haste to dwell with everlasting burnings? To be day and night tormented in that flame, without a drop of water to cool thy tongue?
Dost thou pray for this? I pray God, it may never be either my lot or thine! Alas, my brother! What if God take thee at thy word? What if he say, be it unto thee even as thou wilt? What if he give thee thy wish, and let thee drop into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels?
I had rather thou shouldst go to the paradise of God. Hadst not thou? Is not heaven better than hell? Art thou not convinced of this in thy own conscience? Why, then, amend thy prayer, cry to God, “Save my soul, for I have sinned against thee: save me from all my sins. Save me from all my evil words, and evil works, from my evil tempers, and evil desires! Make me holy as thou art holy! Let me know thee, and love thee, and serve thee, now and for ever.”