A WARNING TO THE UNCONVERTED

It is no time to dally and trifle, and speak softly when precious souls lie at stake, and their eternal condition is so nearly concerned. Cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. knowing the terrors of the Lord, we persuade men. The blood of your souls would lie at our door, if we should not give you warning. what shall I say to startle you? I shall tell you:—

1. That God with whom we have to do is a holy, righteous, all-seeing God. That which makes sinners secure is their mistake concerning this. They think of the Almighty as if He were easily imposed upon, altogether such a one as themselves. Thus, they
cheat themselves. But be not deceived. Know that God’s eye is always upon you. He is acquainted with your secret sins. He hates every sin; and to all who are impenitent, He ‘is a consuming fire’. He is too wise to be deceived. He is true to His threatenings.

2. That you have precious immortal souls within you, which must shortly appear before God in judgment to be sentenced to an unchangeable condition. You have a jewel in your hands of inestimable value. It is your soul man, your precious soul, that is concerned. It is not a trifle, or a thing of nought, but your own soul, which should be dear to you. You have but one, and once lost, it is irrecoverably lost. The gain of all the world cannot compensate it. This soul, at the best, is in a very hazardous state. It lies at stake. It is in great danger. You are on trial for your life.

3. That if you live and die in a graceless, unsanctified state, as sure as God is in heaven, you will be to all eternity in the lowest hell. Though you make never so great a profession, though you attain never so high a reputation among men; though you prophesy in Christ’s name; though you excel in gifts; though you abound in usefulness; yet all this, without a living principle of grace in your hearts, will never bring you to heaven. And believe it Sirs, grace and holiness are quite other things than what the world takes them to be. Religion consists in humility and self-denial, and the reigning love of God and contempt of the world. He is the Christian who is one inwardly.

4. That there are thousands in hell who, when alive in the world, thought themselves as safe, and in as good a condition as you do. Multitudes have been deceived with counters for gold – have thought they were rich when they were not so. There is a generation of such. We have reason, then, to be jealous of a cheat in that in which so many have been cheated before us. This should startle us. Take heed lest while you sleep as others did, you perish as they did. How secure was the rich man in the midst of his prosperity. But God called him a fool.

5. That an unsanctified heart may have a great deal of peace, while yet it is the devil’s palace; and while he, as a strong man armed, keeps it. It would startle you to think of belonging to the devil, of being under his power, of being led captive by him, of being set on by him, of having him to work in you. You would be startled if the devil were to appear to you. Why, he is as really working in the children of disobedience as if he appeared to them. When you are going on in a sinful way and yet say you shall have peace, it is the devil that tells you so; you are in the midst of enemies.

6. That while you are asleep in carnal security your damnation slumbers not. The Judge stands before the door. Death is at hand, perhaps within a few days, a few hours of you. You have no lease of your lives. You startle at it, though you put far off the evil day. I cannot assure you that you will live but one year; and will it not awaken you, that I cannot assure you, nor can you assure yourselves, that you shall live a single day? The veil of flesh is easily and quickly rent and then appears the awful scene of ETERNITY:
ETERNITY. Do you not see many around you, as likely to live as
yourselves, snatched away? How startling was the declaration “THIS NIGHT thy soul shall be required of thee”! A criminal who is condemned to die to-morrow, cannot forget it. It fills him, eating, drinking, sleeping. And can we forget the amazing doom, the amazing sight, the amazing gulf that we are just upon the brink of, just ready to step into?

7. That as the tree falls so it lies, and so it is like to lie to eternity. As death leaves us, judgment finds us. The doom is irreversible, the sentence irrevocable, the condition on the other side of death unchangeable. A gulf will be fixed. It is too late to repent in the grave. Up and bestir yourselves, for you have only a little inch of time in which to be doing.

But let me direct you. When a man asleep is roused a little he is, in some measure, capable of advice. Know then, generally, what you must do. Sleep no longer. Be secure no longer.

1. Suspect yourselves as to your spiritual state, self-suspicion is the first step towards awakening. What If, after all, my faith should be but fancy, my hope but presumption? What reason have I to be so very confident? May I not be deceived? Many who eat bread with Christ yet lift up the heel against Him. The disciples, when our Lord intimated that one of them should betray Him, began to say unto Him, one by one. “Is it I?” Do not, in a matter of such great importance, always take things upon trust.

2. See, and be convinced of the miserable state you are in while out of Christ. You are not the more safe for being secure. Look about you. Sirs, consider, as men do who are newly awakened, where are you. See yourselves wretched and miserable, children of wrath. Be sensible of the guilt of sin that lies upon you, of the power of sin that rules you. You are under the power of satan. You are exposed to the curse of God. There is but one life between thee and hell. And is this a condition fit for a man to SLEEP in?

3. Stir up yourselves to a due concern about your souls, and your eternal welfare. ‘If you will enquire, enquire ye’. Enquire as they did when awake, who are mentioned by the prophet Micah, – Wherewith shall I come before the Lord?’ Enquire as those new converts, in the Acts of the Apostles, – ‘Men and brethren what shall we do?’ Enquire as the jailer did, – ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ There begins to be some hope of people when they look about them as men concerned. Here I am now, but where must I be to ETERNITY? If I should die to-night, and go to judgment, what must become of my precious soul? That is the holy fear which is the beginning of wisdom.

4. Seek unto Jesus Christ for life and light. Christ shall give you light. We must go to Him by an active faith. Consent to the Gospel proposal of salvation by Him. Say, – Whither shall I go but to Christ? Sense of danger should drive us to Him with all speed. We are never truly awake and up, till, by faith, we ‘put on the Lord Jesus Christ.’

5. Set yourselves with all diligence to do the work that you were sent into world to do. Awake to righteousness. Up and be doing. Your work is great, your journey long; your enemies many; oppositions powerful; strength small; time short and uncertain. Son, go work today in the vineyard. Dost thou not see how it is grown over with thorns?

6. Strike while the iron is hot. Take heed of delays. Those have ruined thousands. ‘Yet a little sleep,” said the ancient slumberers. Men are roused and disturbed a little, but only turn and go to sleep again, and so become conviction proof; can sleep in the midst of a thousand CALLS. Take heed of putting by conviction. Let not THIS call be lost after all the rest. What effect it will have I know not, but I have delivered my soul.

Matthew Henry (1662-1714).