Direct. III. Let the great motives of holy zeal and diligence be set home and printed on your hearts:[599] and often read them over in some quickening books, that you may remember them, and be affected with them. I have given you so many of these moving, exciting considerations, in the third part of my "Saints' Rest," and my "Saint or Brute," and "Now or Never," and in my sermon against "Making Light of Christ," that I shall be but very brief in them at present.
Motives of zeal.
1. When you grow cold and slothful, remember how great a Master you serve: should any thing be done negligently for God? And remember how good a Master you serve; for whom you are certain that you can never do too much; nor so much as he deserveth of you; nor will he ever suffer you to be losers by him.
2. Remember that he is always present; in your converse with others, in your prayers, your reading, and all your duties: and will you loiter in his sight? when a very eye-servant will work while his master standeth by.
3. One serious thought of the end and consequence of all thy work, one would think, should put life into the dullest soul! Say to thy sleepy, frozen heart, Is it not heaven that I am seeking? Is it not hell that I am avoiding? And can I be cold and slothful about heaven and hell? Must it not go with me for ever according as I now behave myself? And is this the best that I can do for my salvation? Is it not God that I have to please and honour? and shall I do it slothfully?
4. One thought of the exceeding greatness of our work, one would think, should make us be zealous and diligent! To think what abundance of knowledge we have to get! and how much of every grace we want! and how much means we have to use! and how much opposition and many temptations to overcome! The humble sense of the weakness of our souls, and the greatness of our sins, should make us say, that whatever the rich in grace may do, it is labour that becomes the poor.
5. To remember how short our time of working is, and also how uncertain! How fast it flieth away! how soon it will be at an end! And that all the time that ever we shall have to prepare for eternity is now! and that shortly there will be no praying, no hearing, no working any more on earth![600] To look into the grave, to go to the house of mourning! to consider that this heart hath but a little more time to think, and this tongue but a little more time to speak, and all will end in the endless recompence; methinks this should quicken the coldest heart!
6. To remember how many millions are undone already by their sloth and negligence! how many are in hell lamenting their slothfulness on earth, while I am hearing, or reading, or praying to prevent it, one would think should waken me from my sloth: what if I saw them, and heard their cries? would it not make me serious? What if one of them had time and leave and hope again as I have? would he be cold and careless?
7. To think how many millions are now in heaven, that all came thither by holy zeal and diligence, and are now enjoying the fruit of all their labour and sufferings! to think of the blessed end of all their pains and patience, and how far they are now from repenting of it! methinks should stir us up to zeal and diligence.
8. To foresee what thoughts all the world will have of holy diligence at last! how the best will wish they had been better, and had done much more for God and their salvation! and how the worst will wish, when it is too late, that they had been as zealous and diligent as the best! How earnestly they will then knock and cry, "Lord, open to us," when it is all in vain! and say to the watchful, diligent souls, "Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out," Matt. xxv. To think how glad the most ungodly would then be, if they might but have "died the death of the righteous, and their latter end might be as his!" Numb. xxiii. 10. And what heart-tearing grief will seize upon them for ever, to think how madly they lost their souls, and sluggishly went to hell to spare their pains of that sweet and holy work that should have prevented it! Will not such forethoughts awaken the most sluggish, stupid souls, that will but follow them till they can do their work?