DID you ever sit down quietly, and, in the solemn stillness of your own soul, think over the two words at the head of this paper? All men have an everlasting existence, and are therefore very different from an animal, which dies, and there is an end of it.
Man is a responsible being, and not “like the beasts that perish "; he dies, but does not cease to exist; he will be raised again for judgment.
"Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: BUT know thou, that for all these things GOD WILL BRING THEE INTO JUDGMENT "(Eccl. 11:99Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. (Ecclesiastes 11:9)). ECC 11:99Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. (Ecclesiastes 11:9)"It is appointed unto men once to die, BUT AFTER THIS THE JUDGMENT" (Heb. 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)). HEB 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)Death therefore is not ceasing to be, for if it were there would be nothing left to judge; whereas God says, "Die, but after this the judgment.”
So we see clearly from the Scriptures that there are three things staring every unsaved man in the face, and those three things are, 46 DEATH," "JUDGMENT, "and" THE LAKE OF FIRE "!
Unsaved reader, you are living, eating, drinking, and walking, as it were, upon a trap-door; and at any moment death may draw the bolt, and you would be in a moment launched into ETERNITY, there to endure the "eternal judgment" of God!
Take a slate and sit down and try to calculate ETERNITY; begin with multiplying a unit, and when you have filled one side of the slate, turn it over and begin the other side, and when you have reached the bottom of it, your figures will show many millions. But what is that in comparison with ETERNITY? Suppose it were possible to count every blade of grass, millions of years must roll away before the task could be accomplished; and having counted all the blades of grass, begin to number the drops of the ocean; and the ocean counted, count the grains of sand that girt it; that done, count all the specks of air that by thousands of tons float in space; that done, begin upon the stars that stud the heavens. Oh, how many millions of years must pass away before the task could be performed! and when all the blades of grass, drops of ocean, grains of sand, atoms of air, and stars of the heavens have been numbered, eternity will still be in its infancy; it will still be only just begun, and you will have been all that time enduring the " eternal judgment " of God, and you will be no nearer the end of it than eternity is near its end!
The conscious happiness of the saved and punishment of the damned run parallel with the existence of God Himself, and the same word is used to express the three things (Matt. 25:4646And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:46); MAT 25:4646And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:46) John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16); JOH 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) Rom. 16:2626But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: (Romans 16:26) ROM 16:2626But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: (Romans 16:26)).
A friend of mine once told me a very remarkable dream that he had. He dreamed that he was transported to heaven, and there he saw a magnificent gold clock, constructed upon the principle of perpetual motion, but it had no dial plate to it. He saw a group of bright, beautiful, and happy beings gazing upon it, of whom he asked the question, “What is the time?" when immediately they joyfully answered him, " There is no time here; do you not hear what the pendulum of the clock says as it swings to and fro? Salvation EVER, damnation NEVER! " He was then transported to hell, where he saw another large clock, constructed upon the same principle as the first one, upon which he saw unhappy beings looking, to whom he put the question, "What time is it?" Sadly they looked at him, and shrieked back the answer, “There is no time here; do you not hear what the pendulum of our clock says? Damnation EVER, salvation NEVER!”
God used this solemn and awful, but too true, dream to my friend's conversion, and he has now for many years been working for the living and everlasting Lover of his immortal soul.
“Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink” (John 7:3737In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. (John 7:37)). JOH 7:3737In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. (John 7:37)
But I am a great sinner, sayest thou.
I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT, SAYS CHRIST.
But I am an old sinner, sayest thou.
I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT, SAYS CHRIST.
But I am a hard-hearted sinner, sayest thou.
I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT, SAYS CHRIST.
I have served Satan all my days, sayest thou.
I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT, SAYS CHRIST.
But I have sinned against light, sayest thou.
I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT, SAYS CHRIST.
But I have sinned against mercy, sayest thou.
I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT, SAYS CHRIST.
I have no good thing to bring, sayest thou.
I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT, SAYS CHRIST.
(Luke 7:36-50; 23:39-4336And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. 37And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. 40And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. (Luke 7:36‑50)
39And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:39‑43); LUK 7:36-50;23:39-436And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. 37And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. 40And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. (Luke 7:36‑50)3 John 44I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. (3 John 4); 6:37 JOH 4;6:37).
JOHN BUNYAN.