338 OBJECTIONS TO EARLY and foolish, that you would not, for the same, deny your perishing body even the food of a single day. Without inquiring into the secret things of God, remember these are his decrees, "He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." "He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Obj. 18. I do not see that early religion comes to much many that once professed it have forsaken it, and become worse than ever. Ans. You must be sadly blinded by ignorance, prejudice, and sin, if you do not perceive that it is early piety which is commonly the most eminent, even in the present world. Some instances of this were mentioned in chapter 9, and ma. ny might be added; for most who adorn religion are converted young. It is true, a young hypocrite may prove an old apostate. If men in youth wear religion as a form or mask, they will probably cast it aside; and then be more profligate than ever. One devil might appear to have left them, but seven to have taken possession of them: but not thus is it with the possessors of real, youthful piety. Their path is that of the just, shining more and more unto the perfect day. Obj. 19. But I do not believe that God will be so strict as he is represented. Nor do I believe that he will be offended with me for following my pleasures, and gratifying the inclinations of the nature he has given me. Mark, xvi. 10. PIETY ANSWERED. 339. Ans. So then your objections come to infidelity at last. You do not believe what God declares; for he in his own word represents himself thus righteously strict; he there assures you that the end of a life of vanity is eternal death. You do not believe God, but listen to the tempter in preference to him. Thus was the world at first ruined. The tempter said to our parent, "Ye shall not surely die." The lie was believed, and they were undone. As for following the inclinations of your nature, you might safely do so, if your nature were what it was, when man came from his Creator's hands: then were his dispositions holy; but now your nature is corrupt and fallen; its dispositions earthly, sensual, and devilish. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, as is shown Chap. 2. § 4. It would be as safe for a man, in a fit of raging madness, to follow the suggestions of his disordered mind, as for you, in your fallen state, to follow those of corrupt nature. Obj. 20. After all that can be urged, I am determined not to relinquish my pleasures, and become a poor melancholy creature. I will venture eternity. I will have my own way. Ans. Alas! if these are your feelings, it is your own way, and the downward road; it is not God's, nor will it lead you to him. But if you have your way, depend upon it, by and by he will have his. You have your day of sin, and your Judge will have his day of retribution. And what will you do in that day of visitation! CHAPTER XXII. THE YOUNG READER FURTHER URGED TO MAKE NO DELAY IN GIVING HIMSELF UP TO GOD. : 66 - §. 1. It is related, that a pious minister of the 17th century, having finished prayer, observed a young gentleman just shut into one of the pews, who discovered much uneasiness, and seemed to wish to get out again. The minister felt a peculiar desire to detain him, and turning towards one of the members of his church, who sat in the gallery, he asked him aloud Brother, do you repent of your coming to Christ ?" No, Sir," he replied: "I never was happy till then I only repent that I did not come to him sooner." The minister turned towards the opposite gallery, and addressed himself to an aged member. Brother, do you repent that you came to Christ ?" "No, Sir," said he: "I have known the Lord from my youth up." He then looked down upon the young man, whose attention was fully engaged, and, fixing his eyes upon him, said, Yo Young man, are you willing to come to Christ?" This unexpected address from the pulpit, exciting the observation of all, so affected him, that he sat down and hid his face. The person who sat next him encouraged him to rise, and answer the question. The minister repeated it "Young man, are you willing to come to Christ ?" With a tremulous voice he replied, "Yes, Sir." "But when, Sir ?" added the minister, in a solemn and loud tone. He mildly answered, "Now, Sir." "Then stay," 66 INTERESTING ANECDOTE. 341 said he, "and hear the word of God, which you will find in 2 Cor. vi. 2: Behold, Now is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation." By this sermon he was greatly affected: he went into the vestry, after service, dissolved in tears. That unwillingness to stay, which he had discovered, was occasioned by the injunction of his father, who threatened, that, if ever he went to hear the fanatics, he would turn him out of doors. Having now heard, and being unable to conceal the feelings of his mind, he was afraid to meet his father. The minister sat down and wrote an affectionate letter to him, which had so good an effect, that both father and mother came to hear for themselves. They were both brought to the knowledge of the truth; and father, mother, and son, were together received with universal joy into the church. Does this young man now repent that he listened immediately to the message of God? Far from it. God rewarded his immediate compliance, by bringing his parents also to the knowledge of the truth. § 2. Already have you been entreated to make the same choice; and have you done so? or are you still for putting it off a little longer? O! if you are, be assured that delay is one of the most successful of Satan's infernal stratagems for ruining immortal souls; hell, it is to be feared, is filled with delayers. Multitudes that did not intend to live and die neglecting Christ, yet have been persuaded to delay a little longer, and still a little longer, till death overtook them unprepared. Not merely then do I beseech you to give your youth to God, but to do so without delay: consider the dreadful evils of delaying. 10**** 342 EVILS OF DELAYING While you delay, your life is going; every sabbath leaves you one season of mercy less. Your heart is hardening; and every day there is less hope of your conversion than there was the day before. While you delay, you are grieving the Spirit of God, and tempting him to leave you for ever; and, if he should, you will be undone for ever. The oftener he has called, the seldomer he will call. The oftener you have slighted, or quenched, the impressions he has made on your heart, the less probability there is of your ever partaking of the grace of God. While you delay, you continue in your lost and wretched state; all your sins are upon you. You linger on the brink of hell. You put off seeking mercy, but cannot put off the approach of judgment. Alas! your judgment lingereth not, and your damnation slumbereth not. You lie down at night with no security that you shall not awake in hell before the morning dawns. You rise in the morning to pursue your business, or your amusements, with no certainty of being out of endless misery when the evening comes What would you think of a man playing with a weed while drowning, instead of accepting the help that should snatch him from destruction? Alas! how ruinous would be his folly! but, O! how much more ruinous is yours, while you put off attending to those things which belong to your everlasting peace! An hour improved or lost may be to you more than a thousand worlds. While you delay, you let Satan have his ends ; it is enough for him, if you will but put off turning to Christ; for he knows full well, though you forget it, that death will soon put this off for ev er. While you delay, you live without one real |