Baptists -- Sermons; Sermons, English -- 19th century
We see here, next, _the little value of natural good intentions_; for
this man, who left his field and vineyard to be overgrown, always meant
to work hard one of these fine days. To do him justice, we must admit
that he did not mean to sleep much longer, for he said--"Yet a little
sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep." Only a
little doze, and then he would tuck up his sleeves and show his muscle.
Probably the worst people in the world are those who have the best
intentions, but never carry them out. In that way Satan lulls many to
sleep. They hear an earnest sermon; but they do not arise and go to
their Father; they only get as far as saying, "Yes, yes, the far country
is not a fit place for me; I will not stay here long. I mean to go home
by-and-by." They said that forty years ago, but nothing came of it. When
they were quite youths they had serious impressions, they were almost
persuaded to be Christians, and yet they are not Christians even now.
They have been slumbering forty years! Surely that is a liberal share of
sleep! They never intended to dream so long, and now they do not mean to
lie in bed much longer. They will not turn to Christ at once, but they
are resolved to do so one day. When are you going to do it, friend?
"Before I die." Going to put it off to the last hour or two, are you?
And so, when unconscious, and drugged to relieve pain, you will begin
to think of your soul? Is this wise? Surely you are void of
understanding. Perhaps you will die in an hour. Did you not hear the
other day of the alderman who died in his carriage? Little must he have
dreamed of that. How would it have fared with you had you also been
smitten while riding at your ease? Have you not heard of persons who
fall dead at their work? What is to hinder your dying with a spade in
your hand? I am often startled when I am told in the week that one whom
I saw on Sunday is dead--gone from the shop to the judgment-seat. It is
not a very long time ago since one went out at the doorway of the
Tabernacle, and fell dead on the threshold. We have had deaths in the
house of God, unexpected deaths; and sometimes people are hurried away
unprepared who never meant to have died unconverted, who always had from
their youth up some kind of desire to be ready, only still they wanted a
little more sleep. Oh, my hearers, take heed of little delays, and short
puttings-off. You have wasted time enough already, come to the point at
once before the clock strikes again. May God the Holy Spirit bring you
to decision.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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