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conscience, and suffer it to tell thee truly. Hast thou set thy eternal rest<br />
before thine eyes, as the great business thou hast to do in this world? Hast<br />
thou watched and labored with all thy might, "that no man take thy crown?"<br />
Hast thou made haste, lest thou shouldst come too late, and die before thy<br />
work be done? Hast thou pressed on, through crowds of opposition, "toward<br />
the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus," till<br />
"reaching forth unto those things which are before?" Can conscience witness<br />
your secret cries, and groans, and tears? Can your family witness that you<br />
taught them the fear of the Lord, and warned them not to "go to that place of<br />
torment?" Can your minister witness that he has heard you cry out, "What<br />
shall I do to be saved?" and that you have followed him with complaints<br />
against your corruptions, and with earnest inquiries after the Lord? Can your<br />
neighbors about you witness that you reprove the ungodly, and take pains to<br />
save the souls of your brethren? Let all these witnesses judge this day<br />
between God and you, whether you are in earnest about eternal rest. You can<br />
tell by his work whether your servant has loitered, though you did not see<br />
him; so you may, by looking at your own work. Are your love to Christ, your<br />
faith, your zeal, and other graces, strong or weak? What are your joys? What<br />
is your assurance? Is all in order with you? Are you ready to die, if this<br />
should be the day? Do the souls among whom you have conversed bless<br />
you? Judge by this, and it will quickly appear whether you have been<br />
laborers or loiterers.<br />
O blessed rest, how unworthily art thou neglected! O glorious kingdom,<br />
how art thou undervalued! Little know the careless sons of men what a state<br />
they so neglect. If they once knew it, they would surely be of another mind. I<br />
hope thou, reader, art sensible what a desperate thing it is to trifle about<br />
eternal rest, and how deeply thou hast been guilty of this thyself. And I hope,<br />
also, thou wilt not suffer this conviction to die. Should the physician tell<br />
thee, "If you will observe but one thing, I doubt not to cure your disease,"<br />
wouldst thou not observe it? So I tell thee, if thou wilt observe but this one<br />
thing for thy soul, I make no doubt of thy salvation; shake off thy sloth, and<br />
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