ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

SERMON I.

THE GAIN OF THE WHOLE WORLD,

NO

COMPENSATION FOR THE LOSS OF THE SOUL.

Mark viii. 36, 37.

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

IF any consideration can overcome that profane and careless indifference, with which many are now accustomed to hear shall I say—or to seem to hear the great doctrines of the Scriptures; it is that view of their infinite importance, which the sentence of the text exhibits. We are alive after trifles "light as air," which however important they may now seem to us, will presently leave us naked and destitute, and in a few years, at most, will be of no use or consequence to us; and oh! how do we slight the consideration of eternity, though all our bliss depends upon it!

This proneness to slight eternity, this excessive attachment to the things of time, is a certain proof, that man is in a fallen state by nature. In arithmetic we know, full well, the difference between seventy and millions, and though no man has an adequate idea of eternity, yet the negative idea itself,

[blocks in formation]

that it never, never shall have an end-this of itself causes us clearly to understand, that there is no sort of comparison to be made between the largest number, that ever was actually reckoned, and eternity: imagination is lost in conceiving of its extent; and all time, and all the events of time, appear as nothing in comparison. How is it, then, that men can spend weeks, and months, and years, with the main stream of their thoughts running after this world, and hardly allow themselves in any serious thought after the eternal state!

In worldly things, we think it wise to spend time beforehand, in preparing for any new scenes we may have to enter on. A seven years apprenticeship is not thought too long to prepare a youth for a trade, which he may never live to enter on, and in which, perhaps, he may never have any profit or success. Oh! surely, all is wrong with us by nature; the most holy of God's people must be sensible of it, if they carefully look into themselves. It is so far from being natural to us to weigh eternity in any practical sense, that it is very difficult to be brought to any deep and serious thought of it at all. Set apart some time for the business-how slowly move our thoughts! how like a fable or a dream appears the revelation of Scripture! Confirmed, though it be, with miracles and prophecies, and every internal mark of truth, yet how little is it believed to be true! How little are we affected with ideas of the fulness of joy and pleasures at God's right hand for evermore! and the lake of hell, that burneth with fire and brimstone for ever- how little does it move us!

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »