Tomorrow comes--and they are in hell!

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(Samuel Davies, "The Objects, Grounds, and Evidences of the HOPE of the Righteous")

"The wicked is driven away in his wickedness; but the righteous has hope in his death." Proverbs 14:32

"The wicked is driven away in his wickedness."

That is, the wicked man dies--just as he lived.

He lived in wickedness--and in wickedness he dies.

His wickedness sticks fast upon him--when his earthly enjoyments, his friends, and all created comforts leave him forever.

The guilt of his wickedness lies heavy upon him--like a mountain of lead, ready to sink him into the depths of eternal misery!

And the principles of wickedness, which he indulged all his life, still live within him, even after the agonies of death; nay, they now arrive at a dreadful immortality, and produce an eternal hell in his heart!

He leaves behind him not only all his earthly comforts--but all the little remains of goodness which he seemed to have, while under the restraints of divine grace: and he carries nothing but his wickedness along with him into eternity! With this dreadful attendant--his wickedness--he must stand before the tribunal of his holy Judge! To leave his earthly all behind him, and die in the agonies of dissolving nature--this is terrible. But to die in his wickedness--this is infinitely the most terrible of all!

He once flattered himself that though he lived in wickedness--that he would not die in it. He adopted many resolutions to amend, and forsake his wickedness toward the close of life, or upon a death-bed. But Oh! how sorely is he disappointed! After all his promising purposes and hopes--he died as he lived--in wickedness!

This is generally the fate of veterans in sin. They are resolving and re-resolving to reform all their lives; but after all--they die the same as they lived. They intend to prepare for death and eternity--but just not today. They have always something else to do today; and therefore they put off this work until tomorrow. Tomorrow comes, and instead of reforming, they die in their wickedness. Tomorrow comes--and they are in hell!

"The wicked is driven away in his wickedness." He is driven away--in spite of all his reluctance. Let him cling to life ever so strongly--yet he must go! All his struggles are vain, and cannot add one moment to his life.

Indeed, the wicked have so little taste for heaven, and are so much in love with this world--that if they leave it at all--they must be driven out of it--driven out of it, whether they want or not!

When they hope for heaven, they do in reality consider it but a shift, or a refuge, when they can no longer live in this, their favorite world. They do not at all desire heaven--in comparison with this world. They would live forever in this present world--if they could have their choice. But let them grasp ever so hard--they must let go their hold. They must be driven away, like chaff before a whirlwind--driven away into the regions of misery--into the regions of misery, I say; for certainly the happiness of heaven was never intended for such as are so averse to it; and who prefer this wretched world, with all its cares and sorrows--before heaven itself!

"But the wicked will lose hope. They have no escape. Their hope becomes despair." Job 11:20

"When the wicked die--their hopes all perish!" Proverbs 11:7

"The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath!" Proverbs 11:23

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