Dircft.t. The Ufe of Time. fhcw refped to neir,hbours and fuperiours, and to thofe a?~ut us, and to look to our amiI; affairs; but not when we fhould be atPr.ry•erro_Go~, or whc_na.Mmlller !hould be Prcad1ing> or at his ne~ cdfary fiudies; Private Pr<tyer and Medaat10n and vlfitmg rhe fick are duties : But GOt when. we fhould be at Church, or about any greater duty which they hinder. · The Dirtl1ion1 contemplative for Reduming Time. ~· 8. DireCl. r. StiU l(eep upon thy Heart by Faith a11d Confidewion, the lively [tn[t of the Greatnef/ and ab{olute 1ttctJ!ity of that worJt, whtch muft command thy Tmu ; remembrmg who {ettetb tlm: on wor~, and on :Pbat a WIJrk_. he Jets thee, a;zd on frhat terms, cmd what will be the end. le is Gvd rhat calleth thee to labour: And wilt thou fiand fiill or be doing other thinjls, when God expetteth dury from thee> Mojes mull go t0 Pharaoh when God btds htmgo: ] oiiM JllUil go to Nineve when God bids him go:· yea Abraham mull go to Sacrifice his Son when Goq bids him go. And may you go •bout your fl,fhly pleafures, when God commandeth you to his fervice > He hath appoin– ted you a work that is worth your Time and all your bbour ; to know him, and ferve him and obey him, and to feek everlafling life ! How diligently fl1ould fa. excellent a work be done? and fo hleffed and glorious a mafler be ferved ? efpecially confidqing the unutterable importance of our diligence ! we are in the race appointed us by our Maker, and are to Run for an immortal Crown: It's Heaven that rnufi be now w.on or loll; And have we Time to fpare in fuch a race? We are fighting againfl: the enemies of our falvation; The que£lion is now to be refol,.cd, wliether the FlefhJ the World and the Devil, or We,ihall win the day, and have the victory. And Heaven or Hell mufr be the iffnc of our warfare: And have we Time to fpare_ if¥ the mid![ of fuch a fight ? when our very lofl of 7'ime, is no fmall part of the enemies conqlltJt;l Our moll wife Omnipotent Creator hatb been pleafed to make this prefcnt life to be the trying preparation for anocher, re.. folving that it (hall ~o with us all for ever, according to our preparations here : And can we play and loyter away ou~ Time, that have fuch a work as this to do. 0 miferable fenOefs fouls! do you believe indeed tbe Life evirl.:~fting and that all your lives are given you now, to refolve the quefiion whether you mull be in Heaven or Hell for ever ? Do you believe this? Again I ask you, Do you be– lieve this? I befeech you ask your Confciences over and over, whether you do indeed believe it ? Can you believe it, aud yet have Time to fpare? what l find Time to play away, and game away, and idle: and prate away, and yet believe that this very Time is given you to prepare fOr life eternal? and that falvation or damnation Iyethon the race whichnow, even now, you have tor~? Is not fuch a man a Monfler of flupidity > If you were aflccp, or mad, it were the more exciltable to be fo fenflefs: But to do thus awake, and in your wits!- 0 where are the brains of thofe men and of what metal are their hardened hearts made, that can idle and play away that Time, tha; little Time, that only Time, which is given them for the everlafling faving of their fouls! Verily firs, if fin had not turned the ungodly part of the world imo a Bedlam, where it is no wonder to fee a roan out of his wits, people would run out with wonder into the Streets to fee fuch a monfier as this, as they do to fee mad men in the Country where they are rare ; and they would call to one another, Come and fee a man, that can trifle and fport away his Time, as he is going to Eternity, and is ready to enter into another world ! Come and fee a man that hath but a few dayes to win or lofe his foul for ever in, and is playing it away at Cards and Dice, or wafting it in doing nothing? Come and fee a man that bath hours to {pare, and caft away upon t~iAcs, with Heaven and Hell before his eyes. For thy fouls fake, confider and tell thy fclf, If thy eflate in the world did lye upon the fpend– ing of this day or w<ek, or if thy life lay on it, fo that thou mutlliveor dye; or be poor or rich, fick or well as thou fpendefl ir, wouldft thou then wafle it in dreffings, or complement, or play ! and wouldfl thou find any to fpare upon impertinent triflings ? Or rather wouldll thou not be up be– time, and about thy bufinefs, and turn by thy games, and thy diverting company, and difappoint thy idle vifiters, and let them find that thou art not to be fpoken with, nor at leifure to do nothing, but wilt rather feem uncivil and morofe, than be Hndone! And wouldfi thou do thus fOra tranfitory prolperity or life, and doth not life <ternal require much more ! will thy weighty bu~nefs in the world refolve thee, to put by thy friends, thy play-fellows and fports, and to fhakc off thy idlenefs ? and fhould not the bufinefs of thy falvation do it? I would defire no more to confute the diflraCled Time-wafters, when they arc difputing for their idle fports and vanities, and asking, what harm is in Cards and Dice, and Hage-plays, or tedious feafis or complementing, adorning idlenetS, than if I could help them to one tight of Heaven and Hell, and make them well know what greater bufinefs they have to do, which is !laying for them while they fleep or play. If I were jufl no\\' in difputing the cafe with an idle Lady, or a fenfi.1al belly-flave or gamefier, and he were ask1ug lme fcornfully, what hurt is in aU tbis l if one did but knock at his door and tell him, The ~ng is at the door and calls for you, it would make him cafl away his game and his difpute: Or if the houfe were on fire, or a Child fain into tire or water, or Thieves breaking in upon them, it would make the Ladies call by the other Lace or Ribband? Or if there were but a good bargain or a Lordlhip to be get, they could be up and going, though fports and game and gawdery wer• call off: And yet the: fordighr of Heaven and Hell, though one of them is even at the door, will not do as much with them : Becaufe H<aven is as nothing to an unbeliever, or an inconfiderate fenfle£5 wretch ; And as it is uotbiug to them when it (hould m~ve them, it {hall be nothing to them when they would enjoy ir. Say not, Recreation mufi be u[ed in its feafon: I know that neccf{,;ry whetting is no letting : But God and thy own Co1•fcieo<e Oull tell thee fl1ortly, whether thy Recreation, feal\ings, long. dreffings, aod idlenefs,
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