NOW OR NEVER. 189 those men's minds that speak against this, or what deadly damp hath seized on their hearts, that hath so benumbed and unmanned them. For my own part, though I have long lived in a sense of the preciousness of time, and have not been wholly idle in the world; yet, when I have the deepest thoughts of the great everlasting consequence of my work, and of the uncertainty and shortness of my time, I am even amazed to think that my heart can be so slow and senseless, as to do no more in such a case. The Lord knows, and my conscience knows, that my slothfulness is so much my shame and admiration, that I am astonished to think that my resolutions are no stronger, my affections no livelier, and my labour and diligence no greater, when God is the commander, and his love the encourager, and his wrath the spur, and heaven or hell must be the issue. 0, what lives should all of us live, that have things of such unspeakable consequence on our hands, if our hearts were not almost dead within us! Let who will speak against such a life, it shall be my daily grief and moan, that I am so dull, and do so little. I know that our works do not profit the Almighty, nor bear any proportion with his reward; nor can they stand in his sight, but as accepted in the Lord our righteousness,and perfumed by the odour of his merits. But I know they are necessary, and they are sweet, Without the holy employment of our faculiies, this life will be but a burden or a dream, and the next an inexpressible misery. 0, therefore, that I had ' more of the love of God, that my soul could get but nearer to him, and move more swiftly upward by faith and love! 0 that I had more of holy life, and active diligence, though I had with it the scorns of all about me, and though they made me, as they once did better men, "as the filth of the world, and the off-scouring of all things!" 0 that I had more of this derided diligence, and holy converse with the Lord, though " my name was cast out as an evil
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