Dire&. 4· Dirru. 5· Horv to (](edeem Time. for a man to find himfelf thrive and profper in any tifing or pleafing empioymenf, How pleafant mufl it be continually to us, to tind that 111 redeeming Time: the work of God and our fouls do pro(: per? Lovk back now On the T1mc that is pafi, and ttll me which pan is fweettft to thy thoughts! However. it be no.w, I can tell thee, at death, it will be an unfpeakable comfort, to look back on a wdl fpcnt life; and to be able to fay in humble fincr:rity, My time was not cafi away on worldlinefs, ambition, i9lemfs, or fldhly vanities or pleafures; but fpent in the fincQe and laborious fervi.ce of my God, and making my calling and election fure, and doing all the good to mens fouls and bodic::s that l could do in the world : It was tntircly devoted to God and his Church and the good ofothers and rny foul ! what a jo)' is it when going out of the world, we can in our place and meafure fay with our bldTed Lord and pattern, John '7· 4, 5· [I have Glorified thee on '""h: I havr jinijhed the"'"" :vhicb thou !!,ave;t me. to do: and now 0 Father, glorifie mt with tbyfelf] Or as Pa~tl, 1 Tirn. 4-· 6, 7, 8. [I am 110'W ready to be oJ[ered, and the time of my departure~ at hand: 1 have fought a goodfigbt: 1h.Jve fin~fbcd my courfe: I have Jtept thefaith: Henceforth there ii /~id up for me a Crown ofRighttoufneft, whicb tbc Lflrd, tl)eRigbteom J.~tige•fhalJ give---] And zCor. I· 12· [For our rrjo)·cing i.1 thi.r, tht tejtlmolfy of our CoJJ[cience, that in fimplicity and j!,odly fincerity, not witiJ Jltjhly wijdom, we huve bad our C(lnttrfation in the world]: Its a great comfort in fickndS to be able to fay with Ht2ZtkJ.;h, lfa:.38·3· Remember now 0 Lord I befeecb thee, how I have wallted before thee, in truth and with aperfe[i bt,41'1, and h11ve done that which is good iu thy fight: 0 Time wellfpenr is a precious cordial to d lOul ~h<it is going to its final fentence, and is makmg up its lafi and general accounts : Yea the reviews of ic will be )O} ful in Heavtn : which is givcn,•rhough moO freely by the Coven#nt antecedently, yet as aRt~ ward by our moll rizhteouf judge, when he comes to femencemen according to that Covenant. §. 11. DireCt. 4• Confider on the contrary how fad the revi£W of iU [pent time is, a11d how you will wi{h ycu .had JPem it wben it is gone. Ha£\ thou 11ow any comfort in looking back on thy dtfpifed hours? 1will not fo far wrong thy underfiandmg, as to quetlion whether thou know that thou mutt die~ But thy fin alloweth me to ask thee, Whether at thy dying hour ic will be any comfon to thee to remember thy pa{flmes l And whether it will then better plcafe thee, to find upon thy account, fo many hours (pent in doing good to mhers, and fo many in prayer, and fl:udying the Scnpturcs and thy Hc.art, and in preparing for death and the. life to come; fo many in thy C41ling obediently managed in order to eternity ; or ro hear, fo many hrn,l.ls fpent in idlenefs, and fo many in needletS fpons and plays, hciwking and huming, courting aud wanronnefs, and fa many in gathering and prov1dmg tor the fldh, and fo many in fatisfying its greedy luils. \Vhich reckoning doth thy Con~ fcience think would be moft comfortable to thl-C: at tht: laf\? 1put if to thy own Conkience, it thml were to die to morrow, how thQu wouldfl: fpend this prtfent day? Wouldfl: thou fpend it in idlenef.s and vain paflimes? Or if thou were to die this day, where wouldft thou be found, and about what . exexciics? Hadft thou. rather death found thee:: in a Play-houfe, a Garning-houfe, an AL E-houfc in thy rldhly jollity and plcafure' Or m a holy walking with thy God, and fcrious preparing for the life to come? Perhaps you'l fay, char, If you hul. bttt a d;,~y to live, you would l;,~y by the labours of your calling, and yet that dr1t!J 1tot prove them finful. Bur, I anf~er, There is a gr:ar diffe~ence betwceu an evil, and a !mall unfeafonablc Good : h death found thee m thy honefl: callmg, hohly managed,. Confcience would not rroublc thee for it as a fin: And if thou rather choofe to die inprayer,it is but to choofe a greater duty in its fcafon: But fure thou wouldfi be loth on another account to · be found in thy T1me-wa1ling pleafures! And Confcience, if thou ho.lve a Confcience, would make thee dread ir: as a fin: Thou wilt not wi(h at death that thou hadH never l11bourtd in thy lawful calling, though thou wouldJl be found in a more feafonable work: Bur rhou wilt w·i{h then, if thou underfiand thy felf, that thou hadH never lofl: one minu.res Time, and never known thofe finful vanities and temptati– ons which did occafion it. 0 fpend thy Time as thou wouldfi revitw lt! §· 12. Direct. 5· Go he~tr and m~tr/t how othlr mm at De.zth do {et by Time, and how thry wijh tbtn that they had !pent it. It is hardly poftible tor men in health, efpwally in profperity an<\ fecurity, ro Imagine how prctious Time appcarerh to an awakened dying man! Ask them then wheth-.r lite be too long, and men have any Time to fpare? Ask them then wheth(r flugging or worku,g, playing or praying be the better fpending of our T1me' Both Good and Bad., faints and fenfualills, do ule theri to be high efl:eemers of Time. 0 then what would an ungodly unprepared finner give, tOr fome of the Time, which he ufed before as nothing wonh: Then the moll Holy fcrvants of Chrifi are fenfible how they finned, in lofing any of"their Time! 0 then how earnefily do thty wi{h, that they had made much of every minute? And they that did inoll for God and their fouls, that they had done. much more ! Now if they were to pray over thtir prayers again, how earnefily would they beg ! And how much more good wculd they do, if Time and talents woe refiored. I knew famili~ :arly a moll holy, grave and RLvercnd Divmc, who was fu atfectcd .with the words of a GodJy woman, who at her death, did often and veh(mently cry out, 0 CalJTim'e' again! 0 CaU 1'ime again! that the fenCe of it feemcd to remain on his heart, ,and appear in his praying, preaching and converh– tion to his death. Now you have Time to call away upon Cve1y nothing: But thm you will fay with David, Pfalm89. 4i· Remember bow }hart my 'lime is I And as Hagar fine down and wept when her water war fpent, Gen. 21. 15, 16. So then you will lament w~en T1me is gone orjufi at an end, that you {et no £!lOre by it, while you had it? 0 fleepy finner! Thy heart cannot now conceive h0w thou wilt tet by 1ime, when thou hearefi the Phyficion fay, You are a dead· man! and the Divine, fay, you mufi prepare now for another woild ! When thy heart bith, All my daies are gone !. I mutt live on earth no more! all my preparing time is at end ! Now what is undone rnuH be undone for ever! 0 that thou hadll now but the cfteem of Time, which thou wilt have th<n, or immediately after! 0
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