The Ufe of Tim~. 177 idlenefs, were""a niccjfo~ry wbttting or refrdlunent of t~y Body to fit it for that work which thou waH born and liveH for; or whether they were the Pafiimes of a voluptuous fldhly bruit, that Jived in rhefe pleafures for the love of pleafure. Verily if llookt but on this one unreafonable fin of "fime-w.ifling, it would help me to underHand the meaning of Luk. 1 5· 17· 'E1; flluTOv £A.3-.lw, that the Prodigal is fa id to' Cnme trJ bimftif; and that conver/i.o1t is rhc bringing a man to his wits. 9· 9 • Dir.cCt. 2. Be not ajfra~ge~ to_ tbeconditiun nf thyow11 fo~tl, but looJt home tiU tbou art acquainted Direll. 2• 'tYhat Jfatt it ir in, and ~hat tt r: zn danger of, an~ wl~a: Jt wanw~, and bow f11r thou art behind ~ band in thy provifiom for ~mmortaltty : and then be an tdfe Ttme-~vajlcr if tbou cauft. Could I but go down with thee into that dungeon Heart of thine, and fhew chee by the light of uuth what is rhere I could I but lc:t in one convinci11g beam fromHeaven, which mighr fully f11ew thee what a condi~ rhou art in, and what thou .hafi to do with thy remaining Time, I fhduld have no nc:ed to difpute thee out of rhy childi(h fooleries, nor to bid thee, be up and doing for thy foul, rro more than to bid thee fiir if a Bear were at thy back, or the houfe in a flameabuur thy tars. A!Js, our ordinary Timewailers arc fuch, as are yet unconvertcd cunal wretches, and a.re all the while in the power of the Devil who is thechief mafter of the fporr, and the grearclt gamer. They arc fi.tch as are uw:r than~ gers t~ the regenerating fanctiff!ng work ?f the ~o~y Ghoft; and ar~ yet unjufi:iticd, and under the guilt of all their lins, and ccrtam 10 be ~ah.Devtl5m ~dl.for ever, 1f they d1e thus before they are converted! (This is true, jinner., and t~ou wtlr fho~tly fin~ lt fo, by !?rac~ or vcng.eance, though thy blind and hardened heart now nfe agamfi the mc.noon of lt) ! And IS th1s a cafe tor a man to fit at cards and dice in, or ro fport and [wagger in?. The Lord have ~ercy on thee, and open thy eyes before it is roo hte, or effe thy Confcience will tell thee for ever in another manner than I am telling thee now, that thou hadft need to have better improved thy Time, an~ hadH greater things to have fpent it in. \Vhat, for a mat: in tby ~afe ! i~ an unr~newtd, unfa~difie~, u?pardoned fiate, to be rhus eafling away that littlt 1um, whiCh all h1s hopu he on ? and m wh1ch, If ever, he muft be recoverM, and Caved! 0 Lord, have mercy on fuch fenflcfs fouls, and bring them ro thcmfdves be fo.re it be too late ! I tell thee-man, an enlightened perfon that underltandeth whJ,t it is, and hath efcaped it, would nor for all the Kingdoms of the world, be a week or. a da'Y in -t:hy condirion, tor fen Jefi death cut off hishopes and fhuc him up in Hell that very day: He durfl: not Ilt'c-p qu1etly in thy condition anight, lefi death fuould fnarch him away to Htll , and cmlt thou fporr and play in it, and live fecurdy in a {cnflul courft: ? 0 Wh'ilt a thing it is to be hoodwinkt in mifery, and ro be )ed afleep to Hell.? who could perfwade men to live thus awake, and go dancing w Hdl w1th their eyes open! 0 if we Chould but irnagin~ ~ Pct_~r or a Paul or any of the bleffed, to be again brought into fuch a cafe as one of thefe unfanCbtted 1mners, and y~t to know what now they know ! what would they do? would they feafi', and game, and play and trifle away rheir time in it ? 011- would they not ratherfuddenJ.y bctwail their former mifpent time, and all their tins, and cry d1y and night to God fopnercy, and fly ro Chrift, an4.fpend all their time in Holinefs and obedience ro God ! Alas poor tinner, do but loo~ into thy heart, and fee ther~ wh:n thou. halt yet to do (of gr~atet weight than trimming and playmg ) ; I a!moH tremble to thmk and wnte what a cafe thou arr m, and what thou hafi to do, while thou Jivelt as if thou hadft Time to fpare..J"lf thou !mow nor, I Will tdl rhee, /,ri' I 'nd the Lord make thee know it : Thou halt a hardened heart to be yet fofrened ; and an unbdiev- ' ing heart to be brought to a lively powerful Bditf of the wore\ of God and the unfeen world: Thou hal\ an unholy Heart and life to be made Holy, if ever thou wilt (ee tOe face of God, Heb. 12 • 14· MJtth. r8. 3· Job. 3· 3, 5,6•. Thou hall a H<art-full of fins to be mortified and fubdued: and an unreformed life to be reformed : (And wha~abundance of particul~rs do 1hcfe Generals con- . ·rain ! ) Thou haft a pardon to ·procure through ]o;.fus ChriH, for all the 1-ins that ever thou didft commit, and all rhe duties which ever thou did(\: omit : Thou hall an off~nded God to be recon– ciled to, and for thy efi:ranged foul to know as thy Father in J.... fus Chrifi! what abundance of Scri~ pturc: truths haft thou to karn whi~.:h thou a~t ignorant of? H. )W ~any holy duties, as Prayer, Me– ditation, holy conference, &c. to learn wh1ch thou art unsktlful m? aBd to perform when thou haft' )earned them? How many works of Juilice and Charity to mens fouls and bod1es hall thou to do? HOw many needy ones eo relieve as thou art able ? and the fick to vifit, and. the naked to doath and the fad to comfort, and the: ignorant to inilru6£, and 1hc ungodly to exhort? Heb. 3'· 13·. Heb: IO· 25· Ephtf: 4· 29· what ~.~undance of dury hJ.!t thou to perform in thy Relations ?' ro PJrents or Children, to Husband or Wne, as a M.1Her' or a Snvanf,' and the retl ? Tnou little knoweHwhat fuffcrings thou haft to prepare for! Thou haft Faith, and Love and. RLpentance and patience and all Gods gracc:s, to get and to exerdfe d'aily, and ro incrcafc ?. Thou haft thy accomits to prtpare, and . affurance of falvation to obtain, and D..:ath and Judgement to prepare for: what thinks thy heart of all thiswork! Put it off as lightly as thou Wilr, iris God himklf that harh hid it on thee, and it mujt bedone in time or thdu mun be undone for ever·! And yet it niuf\ nor be thy toyl, Out thy dt-– li~)Jt: This is appointed thrc for thy chiefefi recreation. Look into the Scripture and into- thy R'tart, and thou wilt find that all this is to be dOnt'. And doll thou think in thy Confcicnce that this is not greater bulinefs, than thy gawdydre!fings, thy idle vifits,,or thy needlcf!rfports? which is more ·worthy of thy 1'imd • §. '1'0· _Dirc:-fr. 3· R.ememh.er.hrwgail!{ttl ~he R_edeeming of Time it, an~ .hofl' exceeding_comfvrtablt DireiJ. 3o zn the rev,ew? InMerchandrze, or any tradmg; 10 husbandry Of' any gammg courfe~ we ufc to fay of a man that hath grown rich by it~ that he hath made u{e of his Time! But when Heavt.n, and communion with God in the way, and a lift of holy firength and comfort, and a death full of joy aRd hope is to be th~ gain, how cheerfully lhould Time be Redeemed for th<f<? lf it be pleafant fol 0
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