莱尔主教holiness-第66章
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with Lot's wife。
Beware of a half…hearted religion。 Beware of following Christ from any
secondary motiveto please relations and friendsto keep in with the
custom of the place or family in which you resideto appear
respectable and have the reputation of being religious。 Follow Christ
for His own sake； if you follow Him at all。 Be thorough； be real； be
honest； be sound； be whole…hearted。 If you have any religion at all；
let your religion be real。 See that you do not sin the sin of Lot's
wife。
Beware of ever supposing that you may go too far in religion； and of
secretly trying to keep in with the world。 I want no reader of this
paper to bee a hermit； a monk； or a nun： I wish every one to do his
real duty in that state of life to which he is called。 But I do urge on
every professing Christian who wishes to be happy； the immense
importance of making no promise between God and the world。 Do not
try to drive a hard bargain； as if you wanted to give Christ as little
of your heart as possible； and to keep as much as possible of the
things of this life。 Beware lest you overreach yourself； and end by
losing all。 Love Christ with all your heart； and mind； and soul； and
strength。 Seek first the kingdom of God； and believe that then all
other things shall be added to you。 Take heed that you do not prove a
copy of the character John Bunyan drawsMr。 Facing…both…ways。 For your
happiness' sake； for your usefulness' sake； for your safety's sake； for
your soul's sake； beware of the sin of Lot's wife。 Oh； it is a solemn
saying of our Lord Jesus； 〃No man having put his hand to the plough and
looking back is fit for the kingdom of God。〃 （Luke ix。 62。）
III。 I will now speak； in the last place； of the punishment which God
inflicted on Lot's wife。
The Scripture describes her end in few and simple words。 It is written
that 〃she looked back and became a pillar of salt。〃 A miracle was
wrought to execute God's judgment on this guilty woman。 The same
Almighty hand which first gave her life； took that life away in the
twinkling of an eye。 From living flesh and blood she was turned into a
pillar of salt。
That was a fearful end for a soul to e to！ To die at any time is a
solemn thing。 To die amidst kind friends and relations； to die calmly
and quietly in one's bed； to die with the prayers of godly men still
sounding in your ears； to die with a good hope through grace in the
full assurance of salvation； leaning on the Lord Jesus； buoyed up by
Gospel promisesto die even so； I say； is a serious business。 But to
die suddenly and in a moment； in the very act of sin； to die in full
health and strength； to die by the direct interposition of an angry
Godthis is fearful indeed。 Yet this was the end of Lot's wife。 I
cannot blame the prayer…book Litany； as some do； for retaining this
petition； 〃From sudden death； good Lord； deliver us。〃
That was a hopeless end for a soul to e to！ There are cases where
one hopes； as it were； against hope； about the souls of those we see go
down to the grave。 We try to persuade ourselves that our poor departed
brother or sister may have repented unto salvation at the last moment；
and laid hold on the hem of Christ's garment at the eleventh hour。 We
call to mind God's mercies； we remember the Spirit's power； we think on
the case of the penitent thief； we whisper to ourselves； that saving
work may have gone on even on that dying bed which the dying person had
not strength to tell。 But there is an end of all such hopes when a
person is suddenly cut down in the very act of sin。 Charity itself can
say nothing when the soul has been summoned away in the very midst of
wickedness； without even a moment's time for thought or prayer。 Such
was the end of Lot's wife。 It was a hopeless end。 She went to hell。
But it is good for us all to mark these things。 It is good to be
reminded that God can punish sharply those who sin wilfully； and that
great privileges misused bring down great wrath on the soul。 Pharaoh
saw all the miracles which Moses workedKorah； Dathan； and Abiram had
heard God speaking from Mount SinaiHophni and Phinehas were sons of
God's High PriestSaul lived in the full light of Samuel's
ministryAhab was often warned by Elijah the prophetAbsalom enjoyed
the privilege of being one of David's childrenBelshazzar had Daniel
the prophet hard by his doorAnanias and Sapphira joined the Church in
the days when the apostles were working miraclesJudas Iscariot was a
chosen panion of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself。 But they all sinned
with a high hand against light and knowledge； and they were all
suddenly destroyed without remedy。 They had no time or space for
repentance。 As they lived； so they died： as they were； they hurried
away to meet God。 They went with all their sins upon them； unpardoned；
unrenewed； and utterly unfit for heaven。 And being dead they yet speak。
They tell us； like Lot's wife； that it is a perilous thing to sin
against light； that God hates sin； and that there is a hell。
I feel constrained to speak freely to my readers on the subject of
hell。 Suffer me to use the opportunity which the end of Lot's wife
affords。 I believe the time is e when it is a positive duty to speak
plainly about the reality and eternity of hell。 A flood of false
doctrine has lately broken in upon us。 Men are beginning to tell us
〃that God is too merciful to punish souls for everthat there is a
love of God lower even than helland that all mankind； however wicked
and ungodly some of them may be； will sooner or later be saved。〃 We are
invited to leave the old paths of apostolic Christianity。 We are told
that the views of our fathers about hell； and the devil； and
punishment； are obsolete and old…fashioned。 We are to embrace what is
called a 〃kinder theology；〃 and treat hell as a Pagan fable； or a
bugbear to frighten children and fools。 Against such false teaching I
desire； for one； to protest。 Painful； sorrowful； distressing as the
controversy may be； we must not blink it； or refuse to look the subject
in the face。 I； for one； am resolved to maintain the old position； and
to assert the reality and eternity of hell。
Believe me； this is no mere speculative question。 It is not to be
classed with disputes about liturgies and Church government。 It is not
to be ranked with mysterious problems； like the meaning of Ezekiel's
temple or the symbols of Revelation。 It is a question which lies at the
very foundation of the whole Gospel。 The moral attributes of God； His
justice； His holiness； His purity； are all involved in it。 The
necessity of personal faith in Christ； and the sanctification of the
Spirit； are all at stake。 Once let the old doctrine about hell be
overthrown； and the whole system of Christianity is unsettled；
unscrewed； unpinned； and thrown into disorder。
Believe me； the question is not one in which we are obliged to fall
back on the theories and inventions of man。 The Scripture has spoken
plainly and fully on the subject of hell。 I hold it to be impossible to
deal honestly with the Bible； and to avoid the conclusions to which it
will lead us on this point。 If words mean anything； there is such a
place as hell。 If texts are to be interpreted fairly； there are those
who will be cast into it。 If language has any sense belonging to it；
hell is for ever。 I believe that the man who finds arguments for
evading the evidence of the Bible on this question has arrived at a
state of mind in which reasoning is useless。 For my own part； it seems
just as easy to argue that we do not exist； as to argue that the Bible
does not teach the reality and eternity of hell。
（a） Settle it firmly in your mind； that the same Bible which teaches
that God in mercy and passion sent Christ to die for sinners； does
also teach that God hates sin； and must from His very nature punish all
who cleave to sin； or ref
