Reader! Meditate much on the strictness and suddenness of that judgment-day, through which you must pass, into your everlasting state; wherein God, the impartial judge, will require an exact account at your hands of all your talents and blessings.
You must then account for time; how you have spent that; for estate; how you have employed that; for strength; how you have laid out that; for afflictions and mercies; how they have been improved; for the duties; how they have been discharged; and for means of grace; how they have been improved.
Look! how we have sowed here on earth; we shall reap for eternity!
Reader, these are things which above all others, deserve most of, and call loudest for our utmost care and endeavors; though they are least minded, by most people.
Consider what a spirit of atheism (if we may judge the tree by the fruits and the principle by the practice) the hearts of most men are filled with, who live, as if God were not to be served, nor Christ to be sought, nor lust to be mortified, nor self to be denied, nor the Scripture to be believed, nor the judgment-day to be minded, nor hell to be feared, nor heaven to be desired, nor the soul to be valued;but give up themselves to a worse than brutish sensuality, "Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more!" (Ephesians 4:19). This is a reflection fit enough to break our hearts!
Look! how we have sowed here on earth; we shall reap for eternity!
Reader, these are things which above all others, deserve most of, and call loudest for our utmost care and endeavors; though they are least minded, by most people.
Consider what a spirit of atheism (if we may judge the tree by the fruits and the principle by the practice) the hearts of most men are filled with, who live, as if God were not to be served, nor Christ to be sought, nor lust to be mortified, nor self to be denied, nor the Scripture to be believed, nor the judgment-day to be minded, nor hell to be feared, nor heaven to be desired, nor the soul to be valued;but give up themselves to a worse than brutish sensuality, "Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more!" (Ephesians 4:19). This is a reflection fit enough to break our hearts!
[Matthew Mead]
Acts 17:31 ... Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Ecclesiastes 11:9 ... 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.
Romans 14:10 ... But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Galatians 6:7 ... Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.❤
