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{Since the Heavenly Trade Is the Best Trade…
Exhortation and Counsel to Strangers to the Heavenly Trade
How to Get the Heavenly Trade
Make Haste to Do It Now}
Last, whatever you do, do not procrastinate. Time will not stand still for you. There are just twelve [(on average) daylight] hours in a day, and how many of them have you slept and sinned away? You do not know how much time you have left. What if your sun should set at noon or a summons meet you in the midst of your work? You will have to give an account of your stewardship (Luke 16:2).527 Therefore, what will you do? Some of you are in the latter part of your lives and is it not about time you set forth on such a long journey as the way to Heaven? And will you, yet again, by your delay give this time also for the devil, the world, and the flesh? Others of you are yet young; this is the best time to set forth on your travels toward glory. Oh! Do not lose your opportunity for eternity. “Make good use of time,” said Aquinas, “especially in the weighty matter of salvation. Oh! How much would those who now lie frying in Hell rejoice if they might have the least minute of time wherein they might obtain God’s favor. The young man has death at his back and the old man has death before his eyes. It is a more dangerous enemy that pursues you than the one that marches up to your face.” Christ’s work must not be delayed. His commands must not be put off until tomorrow. “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness’” (Hebrews 3:7–8 NKJV). “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12–13 NKJV). “Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6 NASB). Rutherford said, “Haste, haste, the tide will not abide.” It is now or never, while the light shines, the Lord knocks (Revelation 3:20),528 the Angel moves on the waters (John 5:4),529 and while the Lord delays His coming (Matthew 24:48–51).530 Salvation work is immediate work. God’s racers must run, His doves must fly, and His servants must be diligent that they may be found by Him in peace (1 Corinthians 9:26; Isaiah 60:8; 2 Peter 3:14).531 You who, before now, have been standing idle in the marketplace all day, hasten into the Lord’s vineyard (Matthew 20:6).532 Mr. Rutherford said, “Love is sick to hear tell of tomorrow.” What Jonathan said to his lad when David’s life was in danger, let me advise you: “Make haste, hurry, do not delay!” (1 Samuel 20:38).533 “I regret nothing,” said precious Mr. Welch when on his sickbed, “but that I was so long in beginning [the Christian life].” David said, “I said, ‘Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Behold, I would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah. I would hasten to my place of refuge From the stormy wind and tempest’” (Psalm 55:6–8 NASB). Sinners, you are in danger of stormy tempests while in your unsaved state. “Return to the stronghold, O prisoners who have the hope; This very day I am declaring that I will restore double to you” (Zechariah 9:12 NASB). When Brentius was in danger of being given up to the enemy, someone gave him a note telling him, “Fly Brentius quickly, more quickly, most speedily.”534 Souls, it is for your lives, make all possible haste concerning the work of your salvation. And you who are already in this heavenly trade, double your diligence that you may finish your course before God finishes your time. I think that today the Word of God, His providence, and all else seems to thrust you forward and say to you as Pharaoh’s taskmasters said to Israel: fulfill your work (Exodus 5:13).535
[Dear reader, you have had much encouragement to commit your life to Christ and through Him, obtain eternal life instead of eternal hellfire. If you are now ready to close with Christ, but are uncertain how to proceed, please avail yourself of Appendix A, then come back here for counsel concerning your new and glorious life in Christ. Ed.]
527“So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward’” (Luke 16:2 NKJV).
528“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20 NASB).
529“For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had” (John 5:4 NKJV).
530“But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:48–51 NASB).
531“So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air” (1 Corinthians 9:26 ESV). “Who are these who fly like a cloud, And like doves to their roosts?” (Isaiah 60:8 NKJV). “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless” (2 Peter 3:14 NKJV).
532“And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’” (Matthew 20:6 ESV).
533“And Jonathan cried out after the lad, ‘Make haste, hurry, do not delay!’ So Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows and came back to his master” (1 Samuel 20:38 NKJV).
534Johann Brentius (also Brenz), (1499–1570), was a German reformer. Emperor Charles V threatened to destroy the city he was in if it did not give him up, but he escaped to safety.
535“The taskmasters were urgent, saying, ‘Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw’” (Exodus 5:13 ESV).
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