The Danger Of Falling Into The Hands Of The Living God by Matthew Mead
I have been reading the works of the Puritans since the late 1980s. My initial introduction to their writings was from quotes by C.H. Surgeon and A.W. Pink. My only familiarity with Matthew Mead was when Soli Deo Gloria reprinted "The Almost Christian Discovered" in the early 1990's. Since then, Soli Deo Gloria and Puritan Publications have brought back into print several other works by Matthew Mead. I guess one could say that as in most things, there are levels of impact. In my judgment, Matthew Mead is in the front rank of Puritan Experimental Preachers. I wholeheartedly agree with this thought of C. Matthew McMahon from the introduction, "It is one of the best all-around Puritan treatments of the fear of God and the judgment of God that we have printed in our day." The title of this book immediately brings to mind Hebrews 10:31, pretty much quoting it verbatim with one slight change (the word fearful is substituted with danger). Both words apply to standing before Almighty God in judgment (not clothed with the righteousness of Christ). It is both a fearful and a dangerous state!
One of the most terrifying aspects of being under the wrath and judgment of God is that He is The Living God. As long as God lives, "you must be the eternal prisoner of his wrath." God will never cease to live, therefore His wrath will abide upon those judged guilty by Him for all eternity.
Conscience is a part of our being; it is "that within man that judges our thoughts, words, and deeds according to the best standard we have." I've seen many definitions of what the conscience is, but I think the following definition gets to the heart of it: "Conscience is an inseparable companion." We were created by God with a conscience and our conscience will abide with us as long as we exist (that is to say, forever). Yes, our conscience will be a part of us for all eternity. Pastor Mead asserts, "Conscience is the seat and center of the wrath of God in all the damned."
The Puritans excelled at applying "The Truth Of God" to their hearers with precise and powerful exhortations. Matthew Mead sets forth in this powerful and convicting treatise many reasons why it is such a fearful thing to fall into the hands of The Living God. His counsel to those in the hearing of these warnings is . . . "Labor to get an afflicting sense of this awful truth, that every unconverted sinner must fall into the hands of the Living God." I find this exhortation towards the end of his last sermon to be especially poignant, "O! Did we believe this truth, what manner of persons should we be!"
Would to God that this powerful treatise would get a wide hearing in our day—to the praise and glory of our Great and Mighty Lord.