The Heavenly Footman | Page 2

will Christ deal with those that are not active for him. 'Thou wicked and
slothful servant! out of thine own mouth will I judge thee. Thou saidst I
was thus, and thus; wherefore then gavest thou not my money to the
bank? &c. Take the unprofitable servant, and cast him into utter
darkness, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
What shall I say? 1. Time runs; and will ye be slothful? 2. Much of
your lives are past; and will you be slothful? 3. Your souls are worth a
thousand worlds; and will ye be slothful? 4. The day of death and
judgment is at the door; and will ye be slothful? 5. The curse of God
hangs over your heads; and will you be slothful? 6. Besides, the devils
are earnest, laborious, and seek by all means every day, by every sin, to
keep you out of heaven, and hinder you of salvation; and will you be
slothful? 7. Also, your neighbors are diligent for things that will perish;
and will you be slothful for things that will endure for ever? 8. Would
you be willing to be damned for slothfulness? 9. Would you be willing
the angels of God should neglect to fetch your souls away to heaven,
when you lie a dying, and the devils stand by ready to scramble for
them? 10. Was Christ slothful in the work of your redemption? 11. Are
his ministers slothful in tendering this unto you? 12. And lastly, If all
this will not move, I tell you God will not be slothful or negligent to
damn you, (their damnation slumbereth not, 2 Pet. ii. 3;) nor will the
devils neglect to fetch thee, nor hell neglect to shut its mouth upon
thee.
Sluggard! art thou asleep still? Art thou resolved to sleep the sleep of
death? Will neither tidings from heaven nor hell awake thee? Wilt thou
say still, yet a little sleep, a little slumber, and a little folding of the
arms to sleep? Wilt thou yet turn thyself in thy sloth, as the door is
turned upon the hinges? O that I was one that was skilful in lamentation,
and had but a yearning heart towards thee, how would I pity thee! how
would I bemoan thee! O that I could with Jeremiah let my eyes run
down with rivers of water for thee! Poor soul, lost soul, dying soul,
what a hard heart have I that I cannot mourn for thee! If thou shouldst

lose but a limb, a child, or a friend, it would not be so much; but poor
man, it is THY SOUL! If it was to lie in hell but for a day, but for a
year, nay, ten thousand years, it would (in comparison) be nothing; but
O it is FOR EVER! What a soul-amazing word will that be, which saith,
"Depart from me, ye cursed, into EVERLASTING FIRE!" &c.
Objection. 'But if I should set in, and run as you would have me, then I
must run from all my friends; for none of them are running that way.'
Answer. And if thou dost, thou wilt run into the bosom of Christ, and of
God; and then what harm will that do thee?
Objection. 'But if I run this way, then I must run from all my sins.'
Answer. That is true indeed; yet if thou dost not, thou wilt run into hell
fire.
Objection. 'But if I run this way, then I shall be hated, and lose the love
of my friends and relations, and of those that I expect benefit from, or
have reliance on, and I shall be mocked of all my neighbors.'
Answer. And if thou dost not, thou art sure to lose the love and favor of
God and Christ, the benefits of heaven and glory, and be mocked of
God for thy folly. "I will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your
fear cometh." If thou wouldst not be hated and mocked then, take heed
thou by thy folly dost not procure the displeasure and mockings of the
great God; for his mocks and hatred will be terrible, because they will
fall upon thee in terrible times, even when tribulation and anguish take
hold on thee; which will be when death and judgment come, when all
the men in the earth, and all the angels in heaven cannot help thee.
Objection. 'But surely I may begin this time enough, a year or two
hence; may I not?'
Answer. First, Hast thou any lease of thy life? Did ever God tell thee
thou shalt live half a year, or two months longer? Nay, it may be, thou
mayst not live so long. And therefore, Secondly, Wilt thou be so sottish
and unwise, as