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it consumed to ashes, what would such a sight persuade you to do? Such a<br />
sight you shall certainly see. If you had seen the judgment-seat, and the<br />
books opened, and the wicked stand trembling on the left hand of the Judge,<br />
and the godly rejoicing on the right hand, and their different sentences<br />
pronounced, what persons would you have been after such a sight! This sight<br />
you shall one day surely see. If you had seen hell open, and all the damned<br />
there in their endless torments; also heaven opened, as Stephen did, and all<br />
the saints there triumphing in glory; what a life would you lead after such<br />
sights! <strong>The</strong>se you will see before it be long. If you had lain in hell but one<br />
year, or one day, or hour, and there felt the torments you now hear of; how<br />
seriously would you then speak of hell, and pray against it! And will you not<br />
take God's word for the truth of this, except you feel it? Or, if you had<br />
possessed the glory of heaven but one year, what pains would you take rather<br />
than be deprived of such incomparable glory!<br />
Thus I have said enough, if not to stir up the sinner to a serious working<br />
out his salvation, yet at least to silence him, and leave him inexcusable at the<br />
judgment of God. Only as we do by our friends when they are dead, and our<br />
words and actions can do them no good, yet to testify our affection for them<br />
we weep and mourn, so will I also do for these unhappy souls. It makes my<br />
heart tremble to think how they will stand before the Lord, confounded and<br />
speechless! When he shall say, "Was the world, or Satan, a better friend to<br />
you than I? or had they done for you more than I had done? Try now whether<br />
they will save you, or recompense you for the loss of heaven, or be as good<br />
to you as I would have been "--what will the wretched sinner answer to any<br />
of this? But though man will not hear, we may hope in speaking to God:<br />
"O thou that didst weep and groan in spirit over a dead Lazarus, pity<br />
these dead and senseless souls, till they are able to weep and groan in pity to<br />
themselves! As thou hast bid thy servants speak, so speak now thyself. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
will hear thy voice speaking to their hearts, who will not hear mine speaking<br />
to their ears. Lord, thou hast long knocked at these hearts in vain; now break<br />
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