Are we willing to spend eternity in self-condemn- ing reflections ?
[They must follow us, if we die in our sins. God himself will remind us of the benefits which here we neglected to im- prove : " Son, remember, that thou in thy life-time hadst such and such advantages." What anguish of mind will be occasioned by such thoughts as these : ' I once had the same offers of sal- vation, as they had who are now before the throne of God : I enjoyed the same heavenly instruction as they; but I despised it, and would not hear the voice of the charmer, how wisely soever he endeavoured to charm me ! ' This will be the ground of our heavier " condemnation, that light came into the world, but that we loved darkness rather than light, because our deeds were evil :" and our reflections upon this will be " a never-dying worm," gnawing our conscience to all eternity. Whether our sins were more or less flagrant, this will be the source of our greatest torment, that we despised the instructions given us in the Gospel, and trampled under foot that very Son of God who came into the world to seek and save us.]
If we would not spend an eternity in these bitter
reflections, we must now attend to the things which are revealed to us in the Gospel —
[If our teachers speak out of their own minds, we may refuse to hearken to them : but, if they speak to us the very word of God, then it is at our peril to turn a deaf ear to their instructions. The word of God is sufficient to " make us wise unto salvation through faith in Christ." It bids us flee to Christ, as to a strong hold, where we shall be safe from the assaults of sin and Satan. It assures us, that " Christ is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him ;" that " his blood will cleanse us from all sin ;" that " his grace is sufficient for us ;" and that " he will cast out none who come unto him." Follow these directions, and you are safe : give yourselves up to him ; live altogether by faith upon him ; improve for his glory the grace which you receive out of his fulness ; and you have nothing to fear. Instead of remorse and sorrow, you shall be filled with peace and joy. In the midst of life it shall be a matter of " rejoicing to you, that you have the testimony of a good conscience ;" in a dying hour you shall look back with comfort in the thought of having " fought a good fight, and finished your course, and kept the faith ;" and to all eternity shall you glory in the mercies and privileges which you here enjoyed ^
Here then is your alternative : Despise this instruction, and you shall perish: Obey it, and you shall live for ever.]
Advice —
1. Endeavour to view every thing in the light of eternity —
[If you think of time only, the value of present enjoy- ments will be unduly magnified: but think of eternity, and nothing will be deemed important but the salvation of the soul ]
2. Endeavour so to spend each day, as you will wish you had spent it, when you shall be standing at the judgment-seat of Christ —
[We know what the wishes are of men who are con- demned to death for their violations of the law : and we may be sure that such will be our wishes when we are summoned to meet our Judge : ' O that I had lived a very diflTerent life !'
Now then cleave unto Christ with full purpose of
heart, and devote yourselves to him without reserve. So shall you behold his face in peace, and be partakers of his glory for evermore.]
*> Rev. i. 5.