Oh! what will their judgment be of this cheating world, and of all its short-lived fooleries and vanities, when after having passed millions of years in hell, looking back they shall scarce be able to discover, in that immense duration of ages, the small point of their mortal life:—they shall with most bitter regret be continually comparing time with eternity, past enjoyments with present punishments, virtue with vice, and heaven with hell.
Richard Challoner, Considerations Upon Christian Truths and Christian Duties: Digested Into Meditations for Every Day in the Year, August 2
Hello Readers, hope all’s well. Time for another #shorts post.
And today’s post will really live up to that “#shorts” keyword. Today I just have a simple quote from Richard Challoner’s Meditations, a famous book made up of daily entries discussing all kinds of topics in Christianity. It was written in the 18th century though, so the writing and even the perspective are a bit foreign at times.
Today I’m quoting from the entry for August 2. If you’re a regular reader on this blog you may know that I write these posts weeks in advance. That’s why you’re reading about the entry for August 2 today.
Damned for Nothing(s)
The Meditations entry for August 2 is fairly straightforward. It’s part of a series of daily entries on the topic of hell and the nature of the torments there. The gist of this mini-series is so obvious it hurts: “Hell is bad, you don’t want to go there.”
But in this entry Challoner makes a good point about what people suffering in hell must be thinking. Especially the people who love this world. Those of us on the Christian path understand that this world is short-lived and temporary, and any treasures and prizes and wealth we can gain here won’t last. Nothing down here in this temporary world lasts.
If we turn our backs on God and live a sinful life so we can get more riches, wealth, fame, honor, women, and whatever else, when we go to hell we’ll be eternally reminded that we missed the point of life in this temporary world. We pursued the wrong things; instead of living a Spiritual life and seeking Spiritual treasures (God), we instead pursued things that will soon crumble to dust. Soon become nothing.
Knowing that we turned away from God—who wanted to give us true treasure in paradise for all eternity—so we could pursue the short-lived and ultimately worthless prizes of this temporary world will add another bitter layer to the torments of hell. A bitter and ironic layer.
So let’s hear what Challoner has to say about it:
Consider 3dly, what a racking torture it shall be to the damned, to be ruminating to all eternity, without ceasing, on their past folly, stupidity, and madness, in forfeiting the eternal joys of heaven, which they might have obtained at so cheap a rate; and selling both God and their souls, for an empty toy, or filthy satisfaction, that lasted but a moment and left nothing behind but guilt and remorse; or for some punctilio of honor, or petty interest, whereby they lost their true treasure, and were robbed of their true honor; and for which they are now reduced to the extremity of every kind of misery. Oh! what will their judgment be of this cheating world, and of all its short-lived fooleries and vanities, when after having passed millions of years in hell, looking back they shall scarce be able to discover, in that immense duration of ages, the small point of their mortal life:—they shall with most bitter regret be continually comparing time with eternity, past enjoyments with present punishments, virtue with vice, and heaven with hell.
Richard Challoner, Considerations Upon Christian Truths and Christian Duties: Digested Into Meditations for Every Day in the Year, August 2
Don’t be too impressed by any of the meaningless prizes this world coerces us to value and pursue. Never forget that true treasure is only found with God in eternity. Never forget that a Spiritual life focused on the things of Heaven is better than any material life focused on this falling and temporary world.
That’s it for #shorts #6. Stay tuned for more #shorts all this month.
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Until next time, be strong and do good!
Your new best friend in Christ,
99:9
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99:9 Exalt El Shaddai 