'Voices From The Past' Vol. 1 — March 8

Christ worked out our salvation that we might have peace, joy, heaven and glory forever. He was set forth sweating blood in agony and wrestling with the thoughts of death which he was to suffer for our sins. He cried, wept and mourned under the lashes of justice. He was nailed to the cross with his arms open wide to show the freeness his merit would be bestowed upon us if we come. O how heartily he will receive us into his arms! He offers all freely; yea, he comes in the word of the gospel with the blood running down his face, tears upon his cheeks, fresh wounds in his hands and feet, and blood still flowing from his side, to entreat you to accept his gracious offer of reconciliation. Will you love sin more than grace, and darkness more than light? Will you shut your eyes to him but open them wide for the pleasures of the flesh? Will you run the hazard of death in the day of judgment? Will you despise him and reject his grace? Will you abide in sin until the day of judgment? The loss of the soul is not a fable. Both body and soul must be destroyed in hell. The body is the instrument, and the soul is the actor, but O the soul is the sinner and as the principal part must be punished! The soul has the deepest hand in sin, and the soul is to bear the burden of punishment. The soul will be most tormented and bear its own punishment. Outside of Christ's grace the body and soul must be lost, cast away, and judged in hell for sin. What shall I say? How terrible to be an infinite distance from God! Who knows the power of God's wrath, the weight of sin, the torments that will swallow up the soul, and the length of eternity, when cast away from God? O what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Devotional Readings 'Voices From The Past Vol.1.'
John Bunyan, Works, I:131-136
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