business of your lives to make sure of those things which will go with
warnings of conscience—lest a warning conscience prove a gnawing conscience, a tormenting conscience. The blind man in the Gospel,
Mark 8, newly recovering his sight, imagined trees to be men; and the Burgundians expecting a battle, supposed long thistles to be lances. Thus men under guilt are apt to conceit every thistle a tree, and every tree a man, and every man a devil. Take heed of tonguetied consciences; for when God shall untie these strings, and unmuzzle your consciences, conscience will then be heard, and ten concerts of music shall not drown her clamorous cries.
Hearken to the voice of conscience, obey the voice of conscience, and when conscience shall whisper you in the ear, and tell you there is this and that amiss in the house, in the habit, in the heart, in the life, in the closet; don't say to conscience, "Conscience be quiet, be still, make no noise now, I will hear you in a more convenient season,"
Acts 24:24-25. The heathen orator could say, "A man may not depart a hair's-breadth all his life long from the dictates of a good conscience." Will not this heathen one day rise in judgment against those who daily crucify the light of their own consciences? But,
6. The sixth word of advice and counsel is this—Make it the great business of your lives to make sure of those things which will go with you beyond the grave. Riches and honors and titles, and all worldly grandeur—won't go with us beyond the grave. Saladin, a Turkish emperor, lying at the point of death, after many glorious victories, commanded that a white sheet should be borne before him to his grave, upon the point of a spear, with this proclamation: "These are the rich spoils which Saladin carries away with him, of all his triumphs and victories, of all his riches and realms that he had; now nothing at all is left for him to carry with him but this sheet." It is with us in this world as it was in the Jewish fields and vineyards— they might pluck and eat what they would while they were there—but they might not pocket nor put up anything to carry with them, Deut.
23:24-25. Death, as a porter, stands at the gate, and strips men of all their worldly wealth and glory!
Athenseus speaks of one who, at the hour of death, devoured many pieces of gold, and sewed the rest in his coat, commanding that they should be buried with him. Hermocrates, being loath that any man should enjoy his goods after him—in his will, made himself the heir of his own goods. These muck-worms would fain live still on this side
Jordan; having made their gold their God, they cannot think of parting with it. They would, if possible, carry the world out of the world. But what says the apostle? "We brought nothing with us into this world, and it is certain"—see how he assures it, as if some rich wretches made question of it—"we can carry nothing out," nothing but a winding-sheet, 1 Tim. 6:7. Oh, how should this alarm us to make sure our calling and election, [2 Pet. 1:10; 2 Cor. 5:17; 2 Sam.
23:5; 1 Thes. 5:23; 2 Cor. 1:12.] to make sure our interest in Christ, to make sure our covenant-relation, to make sure a work of grace in power upon our souls, to make sure the testimony of a good conscience, Gal. 4:5-7, to make sure our sonship, our saintship, our heirship, etc., Romans 8:15-16; for these are the only things that will go with us into another world.