Wesley Corpus

6. "And he cried, and said, Father Abraham, have mercy upon me!" I do not remember, in all the Bible, any prayer made to a saint, but this. And if we observe who made it, a man in hell, and with what success, we shall hardly wish to follow the precedent. O let us cry for mercy to God, not to man! And it is our wisdom to cry now, while we are in the land of mercy; otherwise it will be too late! "I am tormented in this flame!" Tormented, observe, not purified. Vain hope, that fire can purify a spirit! As well might you expect water to cleanse the soul, as fire. God forbid that you or I should make the trial! 7. And "Abraham said, Son, remember:" Mark, how Abraham accosts a damned spirit: And shall we behave with less tenderness to any of the children of God, "because they are not of our opinion" "Thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things." O, beware it be not your case! Are not the things of the world "thy good things" the chief objects of thy desire and pursuit Are they not thy chief joy If so, thou art in a very dangerous state; in the very condition which Dives was in upon earth! Do not then dream that all is well, because thou art "highly esteemed among men;" because thou doest no harm, or doest much good, or attendest all the ordinances of God. What is all this, if thy soul cleaves to the dust; if thy heart is in the world; if thou lovest the creature more than the Creator 8. How striking are the next words! "Beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed; so that they who would pass from us to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence." This was the text which occasioned the epitaph on a right honourable infidel and gamester: Here lies a dicer; long in doubt If death could kill the soul, or not: Here ends his doubtfulness; at last Convinced; but,ah! the die is cast!