Wesley Corpus

Your profession may excuse you from many other things; but there is no excusing yourself from death. Are you less sure of this than other men are ? No; there is one lot for all. Are you farther from it than they? Nay, rather nearer; you live in the very jaws of death. Why, then, a soldier (if there be any difference) has more to do with death than other men. It is not far from every one of us; but to him it is just at the door. 7. Or, do you fancy a soldier has nothing to do with judgment? Will you say, then, (as poor Captain Uratz did, when he was asked, a few minutes before his death, if he had made his peace with God,) “I hope God will deal with me like a gentleman?” But God said unto him, “Thou fool! I will deal with thee as with all mankind. There is no respect of persons with me. I reward every man according to his works.” Thou also shalt receive of the righteous Judge according to the things which thou hast done in the body. Death levels all; it mingles in one dust the gentle man, soldier, clown, and beggar; it makes all these distinc tions void. When life ends, so do they. Holy or unholy, is the one question then. Lo! the books are opened, that all the dead may be judged according to the things that are written therein. O may thy name be found written in the book of life 8. For, have soldiers nothing to do with hell? Why, then, is it so often in thy mouth ? Dost thou think God does not hear the prayer? And how often hast thou prayed him to damn thy soul? Is his ear waxed heavy, that it cannot hear? I fear thou wilt find it otherwise. Was not he a soldier, too, (and a terrible one,) to whom God said of old, “Hell from beneath is moved for thee, to meet thee at thy coming?” And what marvel? For sin is the high road to hell. And have soldiers nothing to do with sin? Alas ! how many of you wallow therein, yea, and glory in your shame ! How do you labour to work out your own damnation | O, poor work, for poor wages !