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.”
And is not God willing to do this? Surely he is. For God loveth thee. He gave his only Son, that thou mightest not perish, but have everlasting life. Christ died for thee. And he that believeth on him hath everlasting life. Mark that word: he hath it. He hath it now. He hath the beginning of heaven even upon earth: for his soul is filled with the love of God: and the love of God is heaven. He that truly believes on Jesus Christ, hath a peace which earth cannot give: his mind is always calm; he hath learned in every state therewith to be content: he is always easy, quiet, well pleased; always happy, in life and in death. For a believer is not afraid to die; he desires to be dissolved and to be with Christ: he desires to quit this house of clay, and to be carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom: to hear the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God, and to see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven: to stand at his right-hand, and hear that word (which I earnestly beg of God you and I may hear:) “Come ye blessed, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world!”
A WORD to a
DRUNKARD.
1.ARE you a man? God made you a man. But you make yourself a beast. Wherein does a man differ from a beast? Is it not chiefly in reason and understanding? But you throw away what reason you have. You strip yourself of your understanding. You do all you can to make yourself a mere beast: not a fool, not a madman only; but a swine, a poor filthy swine. Go and wallow with them in the mire! Go, drink on, till thy nakedness be uncovered, and shameful spewing be on thy glory!
2. O how honourable is a beast of God’s making, compared to one who makes himself a beast! But that is not all. You make yourself a devil. You stir up all the devilish tempers that are in you, and gain others, which perhaps were not in you: at least you heighten and increase them. You cause the fire of anger, or malice, or lust, to burn seven times hotter than before. At the same time you grieve the Spirit of God, till you drive him quite away from you. And, whatever spark of good remained in your soul, you drown and quench at once.
3. So you are now just fit for every work of the devil, having cast off all that is good or virtuous, and filled your heart with every thing that is bad, that is earthly, sensual, devilish. You have forced the Spirit of God to depart from you; for you would take none of his reproof: and you have given yourself up into the hands of the devil, to be led blindfold by him at his will.