There are thousands of persons, I fear, who answer this description. (continued)
they can never find time for reading it, Newspapers, reviews, novels, romances, they can read, but not the Bible. And "is this making every effort?" to enter in? I speak to men of common sense. Let them judge what I say. 4. What will I say of those who never pray? There are multitudes, I firmly believe, in this condition. Without God they rise in the morning, and without God they lie down at night. They ask for nothing; they confess nothing; they return thanks for nothing, they seek nothing. They are all dying creatures, and yet they are not even on speaking terms with their Maker and their Judge! And "is this making every effort?" I speak to men of common sense. Let them judge what I say It is a solemn thing to be a minister of the Gospel. It is a painful thing to look on, and notice the ways of mankind in spiritual matters. We hold in our hands that great law Book of God, which declares that without repentance, and conversion, and faith in Christ, and holiness, no man living can be saved. In discharge of our office we urge men to repent, believe, and be saved; but, to our grief, how frequently we have to lament that our labor seems all in vain. Men attend our churches, and listen, and approve, but do not "make every effort" to be saved. We show the sinfulness of sin; we unfold the loveliness of Christ; we expose the vanity of the world; we set forth the happiness of Christ's service; we offer the living water to the wearied and heavy laden sons of toil: but, to our dismay, how often we seem to speak to the winds. Our words are patiently heard on Sundays; our arguments are not refuted: but we see plainly in the week that men are not "making every effort" to be saved. There comes the devil on Monday morning, and offers his countless snares; there comes the world, and holds out its illusive prizes: our hearers follow them greedily. They work hard for this world's goods; they toil at Satan's bidding: but the one thing they need to do they won't— they will not "make every effort" at all.
I am not writing from hear-say. I speak what I have seen. I write down the result of thirty-seven years' experience in the ministry. I have learned lessons about human nature during that period which I never knew before. I have seen how true are our Lord's words about the narrow road. I have discovered how few there are that "make every effort" to be saved. Seriousness about fleeting matters is common enough. Striving to be rich and prosperous in this world is not rare at all. Pains about money, and business, and politics—pains about trade, and science, and fine arts, and amusements—pains about rent, and wages, and labor, and land—pains about such matters I see in abundance both in the city and the country. But I see few who take pains about their souls. I see few anywhere who "make every effort" to enter in through the narrow door. I am not surprised at all this. I read in the Bible that it is only what I am to expect. The parable of the great supper is an exact picture of things that I have seen with my own eyes ever since I became a minister (Luke 14:16). I find, as my Lord and Saviour tells me, that "men make excuse." One has his piece of land to see; another has his oxen to prove; a third has his family hindrances. But all this does not prevent my feeling deeply grieved for the souls of men. I grieve to think that they should have eternal life so close to them, and yet be lost because they will not "make every effort" to enter in and be saved. I do not know in what state of soul many readers of this paper may be. But I warn you to take heed that you do not perish forever because you did not "make every effort." Do not suppose that it needs some great scarlet sin to bring you to the pit of destruction. You have only to sit still and do nothing, and you will find yourself eventually in the pit of Hell. Yes! Satan does not ask you to walk in the steps of Cain, and Pharaoh, and Ahab, and Belshazzar, and Judas Iscariot. There is another road to Hell that is guaranteed to get you there—the road of spiritual sluggishness, spiritual laziness, and