The Heavenly Footman; Or, A Description of the Man That Gets to Heaven: With Directions How to Run So as to ObtainBunyan, John
ReligionComparative
The Heavenly Footman; Or, A Description of the Man That Gets to Heaven: With Directions How to Run So as to Obtain
Bunyan, John
Christian life
If you would know a sluggard in the things of heaven, compare him with
one that is slothful in the things of this world. As 1. He that is
slothful is loath to set about the work he should follow; so is he
that is slothful for heaven. 2. He that is slothful, is one that is
willing to make delays: so is he that is slothful for heaven. 3. He
that is a sluggard, any small matter that cometh in between, he will
make it a sufficient excuse to keep him off from plying his work; so
it is also with him that is slothful for heaven. 4. He that is
slothful doeth his work by the halves: and so it is with him that is
slothful for heaven. He may almost, but he shall never altogether,
obtain perfection of deliverance from hell; he may almost, but he
shall never (without he mend) be altogether a saint. 5. They that are
slothful do usually lose the season in which things are to be done:
and thus it is also with them that are slothful for heaven; they miss
the seasons of grace. And therefore, 6. They that are slothful have
seldom, or never, good fruit; so also it will be with the
soul-sluggard. 7. They that are slothful, are chid for the same: so
also 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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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