130 NECESSITY OF DILIGENTLY may be your last, and are sure your last is near. If you had seen the general dissolution of the world, and all the pomp and glory of it consumed to ashes ; what would such a sight persuade thee to? Such a sight you shall certainly see. If you had seen the judg. ment -seat, and the books opened, and the wicked stand trembling on the left hand of the judge, and the godly rejoicing on the right hand, and their dif- ferent sentences pronounced ; what persons would you have been after such a sight ? This sight you shall one day surely see. If you had seen hell open, and all the damned there in their easeless torments; also heaven opened,, as Stephen did, and all the saints there triumphing in glory ; what a life would you lead after such sights ! These you will see before it be long. If you had laid in hell but one year, or one day, or hour, and there felt the torments you now hear of; how seriously would you then speak of hell, and pray against it' And will you not take God's word for the truth of this, except you feel it? Or if you had possessed the glory of heaven but one year ; what pains would you take, rather than be deprived of such incomparable glory ? Thus I have said enough, if not to stir up the sinner to a serious work- ing out his salvation, yet at least to silence him, and leave him inexcusable at the judgment of God : only as we do by our friends when they are dead, and our words and actions can do them no good, yet to testify our affection for them we weep and mourn ; so will I also do for those unhappy souls. It makes my heart tremble, to think how they will stand before the Lord, confounded and speechless ! when he shall say, « Was the world, or Satan, a better friend to you than I ? or had they done for you more than I had done? Try now whether they will save you, or recompense you for the loss of heaven, or be as good to you as I would have been." What will the wretched sinner answer to any of this ? But though man will not hear, we may hope in speaking to God. O thou that didst weep and groan in spirit over a dead Lazarus, pity these dead and senseless souls, till
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