l\eneeming tbc ttmc. --------~~------------ menfilm of his time con{idercd abfolutcly , or in it fclf! Beh•ld thou b,{f m'•d~·m-:;;;, l'fal: 39• ~· a1 an h•nd-br!ath; yctb~ .coul.d find O~f ne> dimenloon ·!itrk enough tor h?; ri~t compared With God, M.zne age''"' "'' h"'f!<. befo re thee. '(;n~'s be i n~ conlilts·;ri one Et<~nal n~w; but mans t<me ISd1vl?cd mto part,prefe,nt, and to come ;three nothing<, whtch be~ng a3ded togcth~r •moUnt.m the total to tn•s,Sum; MiH< •i!.e i 1 "' IMbi;r• before thte. Oh that we would ~onfidn. of .this language of the Holy Ghott! wer~ it not enough, thmk you, to put uson t.hts Du·ty ofimproving and tndii 1 gour llmc wpile the (ime is ours, and whtlc this lhort time lafkth? . 4 • Though time be_ fwift and lhort, and as nothing in comparifon,' yet is it a com• niodity more prectous than the Gold of Ophir.' If herein we migh•t hear loft Souls to utter themfelves, <?h what wool<! they (ay ? or ,w~at would they give for aiJit!e· of that httlc t1me they had on _carth ?lfthe Lord by~}I Hae andExtraordmuy difpcnf4lio!'l would bur grant them o,ne months time to come hidJCr again, and to make a nevi trial, do you thmk they would not pri1nhis g·ranr ? '*ould they not dicem th>t little chort Golden fc~fon of grace a! an high and mighty rate i W•>uld rhey not make ufcofevery opportumty ro l·ay hold of Heaven, and to efcape thofe tires whtttin 11ow they .are burning, frying, and llam!ng? 0 yes! if you would then ttmFt them , faymg, Come, {pcndtbu hour mrrrdy ; would they nor anfwcr ;-ala I n-e b,.,e ~ut, one»~o11tb1 time to.live here i11 tbis 1Vortd, aud thw rre "'ufr tith<r to H.ti' .agaiu, or :1 '!'""'prove Ollf ttme rre:l. "'e "'"if 10 Heavll!; and rrbat? jhall wetrijle aw.ry thut1meojtnalaud of gractmotfendmg God? Jhab we cafe array our Souls a~ain t• gralljie you, or tople.jeour own flifh,f•r[• littlea time as we bJve HOn> tolive' Oh God f orbid ! avoid Satall! avoid aY Temptations! welcome.now aU thofe mtj]enf!,trS ofHea– vin th•t wiU bring Ul the glad tidings, the tenders, the offers of Cbri{t a11d of Salva– tion! lrt "ot onrfand in the hour-gla{1 rttn, but/et us he doing fume good;' let tbiJ.hou'" 1>e fpelll in J>r.yer, and tbe next in meditation, and tiJt ntxt i>t hearing uf Gad'! W.r&$, andrhentxt i11 the exercife ofthis a~d that grace,•ndfo e11; btH 11ot 01ltba~tr infiH, Why furcly thus wouldlthey prize and improve tht timt, that know by woful experience wha_t it is to lofe the time.And by this we may guefs the worth oftime 1 oh it is prcticus to !'netious that if all the Earth were turned into Gold,it could not purchafc one tlli• tiutc ofir. Me thinks this motive lhould work, anJ now thal we .have a Iiule time; it fhould prevail with us to redeem thetime. , S· Our time hath been a very linful time. Ah my brethren, think over your Jg:i· 110rance, unbelief, worldlinefs, covetoufncfs, pride, malice, Iufts, Iukewarmnef'r, impatience, difcontentednefs, vain-glory, felf love, wandring and wicked imagim· tions: in a word, all your pollutions, dillempcrs, dlrangcdncfs from God in tht time of your unregcncracy; oh were not thole lioful, abominable, and rebellious iimcs: or be it fo that your gracious God hath fince thofe times wrought in you ef– fectually his faving grace, have you not fince then loll your lirll love, or at -lea!\ grown remifs, and cold, and lukewarm in it ? Say then, fpeak out your hcaru and tell me, is it not time flOW to r<member from whence you arc fallen, and to r<penr, and to do your lirtl works? Bldfed Mr. Bolton hath a faying, that if it were po.flibl• that any nncomfortable pajJioH"'"' iltcidott to • glorified Saint in Heavm, he would be {orry, and tran[ported wtth extrtam anger ond indign•tio11 againfl /;imfeifthat he w.ss itot a meer greedy ingroJJer ( tH it w<re) and improv<r of timt fur doi11g r.-.;ctUe~tt!y 11pon Earth and that tv<ry hour, t/peciaL'y after hif Conver(1on, wa1 "" Crowned withfomr rare a~d mort remar~ble txploit, with fome mort [pe<ial a11d noble f ervice f or tbe glori– fying of that mojf bountiful and tver-hlej[ed G,d, who INttb '"."' h~11ored him rr>ith'[~«b oinfpra~bleglory in the Kingd•m of H"'"'"· Bur ifno fuch pallton IS m_glonlicd Saints, I am fure we have all ~aufecnough to loath our ftlv" in our own llght for our ini– quities, and for our abominations. 0 come, lee this be a m< live to fpur ~son,-and to quicken UJ in this duty of Redeeming the time, becaufc ottr d~y<I were evtl. . 6. The Scriptures fpeakof a remarkable f~t tJmc.of guce, a """of Vl{ltatwn,.Lukc 19. H · a timeof Salvation, 2Cor, 6• :1,. a trme w~•lefr Go_d "'·'Y bt found, Pf~l. p ·. &. a timewhen heh6/ds out the Goldtn Se~pttr·, Either 5, 2 . a tlmo whrre1n the f ountam r unneth, and the fpirit proclamcth > Ho, every 011 that th·i,fltth ~omeye totheWater/! I fa. S5· 1 • Thus /eru{alrm had her time; and all the f<veral Churches 111 .A(ra had thcirtime ; and now Iing/prd, Scotland, and Ireland have thetr tlmc;~and tf we miC-improve this time, and walk unworthy of tlus grace and Gofpel of l>htJft,, rh18 time vvill have an end, th:s·Sun wit! go down at Noon, and fet upoti·our heads.:r;" . 0)
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