The Christian in Complete Armor - Choice Extracts!

“What kind of people ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God?" (2 Peter 3:11,
12). Live up to your hopes, Christian; let there be a decorum kept between
your principles and your practices — your hope of Heaven, and walk on
earth. The eye should direct the foot. You look for salvation — walk the same
way your eye looks. There is a decorum, which if a Christian does not observe
in his walking, he betrays his high calling and hopes unto scorn. To look
high, and live low — how ridiculous it appears!
Let your hope of Heaven moderate your affections to earth. "Be sober, and
hope," says the apostle (1 Peter 1:13). You that look for so much in another
world, may be very well content with a little in this poor world. Nothing is
more unfitting to a heavenly hope, than an earthly heart.
I doubt not but every gracious person finds the nearer to Heaven he gets in
his hopes — the farther he goes from earth in his desires. When he stands
upon these battlements of Heaven — he can look down upon this dung-hill
world as a little dust-heap, next to nothing.
Let your hope of Heaven, conquer your fear of death. Why should you be
afraid to die — who hope to live by dying? Is the apprentice afraid of the day
when his time will be out? Is he who runs a race — afraid of coming too soon
to his goal? Is the pilot troubled — when he sees his harbor? Death is all this
to you! Your indenture expires, and your Jubilee is come! Your race is run,
and the crown won, and is sure to drop on your head when your soul goes out
of your body. Your voyage, how troublesome soever it was in its sailing, is
now happily finished — and death does but land your soul on the shore of
eternity at your heavenly Father's door, never to be put to sea more.
The Turks say, they do not think we Christians believe Heaven to be such a
glorious place as we profess and talk of; for, if we did, we would not be so
afraid to go there! Christian, understand aright what message death brings
to you — and the fear of it will be over! Death snatches you, indeed, from
this world's enjoyments — but it leads you to the felicities of another,
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