The fatalist, and those who conceive every human volition and action to be the effect of divine agency, have no rational motive, to do, or suffer for religion. "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."
However we may amuse ourselves with idle speculations, this life is approbation season.—Our use or abuse of the talents we possess will determine us to happiness, or misery, honor or infamy.
"All have sinned, and are guilty before God—In his sight shall no man living be justified"—our sole desert is punishment. But God hath had mercy on us—provided a Savior, and offers us salvation. The offer is universal—"Whosoever will let him come."
That there is no respect of persons with God, is alike the dictate of reason and revelation, We have only to act with integrity before God, relying, on his grace in Christ, and his grace will be sufficient for us.
The man who had the one talent, neglected it, under pretence that he served a hard master, who required things unreasonable and impossible —he was condemned; but only for neglecting the talent which he possessed.
It is required of a man according to that which he hath—this he can render—the neglect will be fatal. We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that we may receive the deeds done in the body, according to that which we have done, whether good or bad. For God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil.
An unseen hand is constantly writing down our volitions and actions, to be reserved to judgment. Ere long the books will be opened, which will open every heart, and life. Not a circumstance which goes to constitute a state of trial, will be omitted—all will be brought into the reckoning, and serve to determine our eternal state.
That state will be determined by the use which we shall have made of life, and the advantages which we enjoyed in it. The divine impartiality will then appear—"The ungodly will be convinced of their ungodly deeds—and of their hard speeches, which they have spoken against God." None will complain of injustice—none of the condemned pretend that they receive aught, which others circumstanced as they were, and acting as they acted, would not have received from the hand that made them. "Every mouth will be stopped."
This, fellow mortals is our seed time for eternity. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also of the Lord, whether he be bond or free—every man shall receive his own reward, according to his own labor."
Not only the state into which we are to enter at death, but the rank we are to hold in it depend on present improvement. All the sanctified will be saved; all who die unrenewed will be damned. But there will be different grades, both in the upper and lower worlds. Of the saints, some "will be scarcely saved." To others "will be ministered an abundant entrance into the kingdom of Christ." There are also greatest and least in the kingdom of heaven. And among those exiled the world of light, differences will be made, suited to the different degrees of criminality. Capernaum will receive a more intolerable doom than Sodom. [18]