r.i\!4etlfs tbe Time. I tnuch different from mine 1 lt is the daily v.Suble and burden of my mind, .to 'ree . how 'Jiowiy 'my :work goes on, and how bajlily l11Y V.mf r 'and howmuch l am like w leave undone, w~ic~ 1 ~ould fain difpatch l How great and importar_1t bufinefft:s are to be don_e, and how {Jlort tha~ l~fe 1_s l1ke to bt, in which they mufi be done, if ever. Mcthinks if every day w~rc as long a~ ten, It were ,not tbo 1oflg for the work which is t.very day before me, th~ugh nor· incumbent on m~ as_ my prefent duty ( tOr God rcquireth not impoffibiliries ),_ ye~ exceedmg de~rabl~ to be don~.. lt }S the JK,arl{ that makes rhe Time a mere)' : The "'i11tt is for the Work : If my wor7t we're done, W~Jch the good of the Church and ~y foul requireth, what cauf< had I to be gl•d of th< eidin~ of m'y Ti,me, a ne\ to fay with Simtun, Lord, now fettt{t tbou thy [trvant depart in pta~e. 'Remem~cr then that ,God ne\l"et gave thee one minute to fpend in vain; but thy '/ery eafe, and rett, and .rrpeatio,ns .mull: be but fuc~ :md fo much as tit rhec fnr thy work ; and as helps it on, and do r'lot hinde~ it : He r~deemcd and prdCrveth us, that we n1igbt ferve him in holincji 4nd rjghteoUfnefs Utfor't h'im all tht dayts Of 'oUr liru, Lukt:: I• 74,75• . . . ,. . : .. , . h - 1..;.. ~· 21· Direct. 14· Rcmembtr jliU that the 'time of tbu jhort uncertain life u all _that. tver you jhaD Dirtll· l.J.• I;Jvt, f" Y""r preparation for your tndlrfs. life. When th1s IS fpent, whether well or_111, you. ~al) ., have no. more. God will 11ot try thofe With another hfe on earr~, that have c~{\ aw~y a~d m~fp~n~ See myBcolc this. Thereis no returning hither from the dead,co mend rhatwhlch here you dtd amJfs. What good calltd N•w or. you wi11 do, mull Now be done; And what Grace Y.ou Would get 1 mu~ NoTP b~ got• . An~. whit Ntt:tr, preparation for Eternity you will ever make, m.ufi NoR' b~ made ! 2 Cor. 6. 2· Btho/d now is tht a~- ctpted rime! Bthold no,. i1 the day of falvation ! Heb. 3· 7, 13· Whertf"'• aJ rhe .Holy Gkofl f~itb, To d,1y ifyou rriU he~r his t1oice, h:zrdtn not your hearts---Bttl txh~rt ont. a!Jothcr dptly whtle it i1 coiled to day, lejl any of you be hardned by the d<Ceitfulnefs of 'fin. H1ve you but one life here to live, and will you lofe that one, or any part of it ? Your Ti,me is alr~ady meafure~ out: The glaf~ is turned upon you: Rev. ro. 5, 6. Andtht Angel---lifted up his hand to Heaven, and [ware by him tbJt livtth for evtr and evtr,---tb.Jtt Time jho,./d bt no lo'nger. Therefore whatever tl)y hapd fi.ndeth !O do, do it with t~y might : for there ir no ~or~, nordtvi[t, Hor ~nowl~dgi, ~or ~ij{Jom .itt the gravt ~hitiJtr thou gotft· Ecclef. 9• JO. What then temaineth, but that tht Ttme bemg]hort, '!".4 ~~~ f ,jhion of theft thingJ paffing away, you ufcihe world as if you ufed \t not, and redeem this Time for your eternal happindS, 1 Cor. 7· 19· ~ . . , ' . . ,. ; . •. 9· 22. Directo~s• Remember jliU tha! fin and.S.ran.wiU lofe •• time: andthtrtfore ir conctrntth Dirtll• '5· you to loft none: "!ht V evil your advtrfary gotlb about lik.! a roari.ng LJ•on, ftekJng whom he ~ay dev•ttr: 1 Pet. 5• 8. Bt fober therefore and vigilant to rcJiJI him , V. 7, ~· If he be b'u{ll, and yo~ be idlt; if Oe be·at work in fpreading his Ners, an4 laying his {na.res for you, a~d you f>c: a~ play and do not mind him, it is ealie to fore·tt:ll you what Will be 'the i1Tue. lf_ }'our Cf!ernies be fighting while you fit llill or fiecp, it is cafie ro prognofiicare who will have the Vict~ ry. The weeds of corruption are continually growing : tin like: a con~fiant fprin~ i.s filU run-:- • ning ; The world is ftill enticing ; and the flclh is tlill inClining to its prohibited deligh1s : None of thefe Enemies will make a Truce, or a Celf.1tion with you , ro fit flill aS lOng as you lit fiill ! So far are they from forbearing you , .while yeti arc idle, _or gratifying the I fleTh, that. even this is the fruit and evidence of their induHry and fucctfs. [ofe no Time the·n, and admit of Do interruptions of your work, till you Can j>ertwade yo\ii en'efnies tO dO the like. ·~. 23· Direct. t6."'Confider "'hat a ft~Jlt{s contrsJdillion. it Js of )ott; to oVtr-iove yo'ur Lives, aitd Dire/1. ro: yet to caJi away your 'time. What is your 1imt bur the duration of.your lives ? You ar.e loth tO dyC', and loth )'our '1imdhou1d be at an end: and.yet you can as prodigally cafi it awaY, as if You were weary of .ir, or longed to be rid of it. Is it only the lafi hourS~ that you ar~ Jorh .to Iofc? l\rc not the middle parts as prtcious, and to be fpared and improved ? Or iS it only to haveTime, ahd fiot to ufe it, that')'OU ddirc? No means is good for any thing, but fo further the atu.ifimenf or rht: tnd : It is not good to you, if it do yo• no good. To h11vt food or raymtftt . without any u[t of them, is as bad as not tO have them. If you faw a man tremble with tear lefi his purfe be taken from him, and yet take out his money himfelf, and cafi it away, or give it all for a llraw or feather, what would you think of that mans wit? And do not you. do the like and worfe, wheit you are afraid left Dwh lhould end your 'timt, and ytt you your felves, will idle it away, and play it away, and give it for a llttle worldly pell? But I know how it is with you ; lt is for the prefent pleafure of the ~<f)l, and for the fwe~tn;fs of life·it ftlf, that you value life, anq are fo loth to dye; and not for any h1gher ends : But th1s IS to be bruitijh) and to unman your felves, an( fimply to '"vilitic: your lives, while you idolize them : Such mad contradictions fin infeis. You make you;– Life your ultimate end, and dclire to Live but for Life it [elf, or the pleafurts of life; and fo . you make it inl\ead of God and Heaven, which lhould be intended IS your proper' end_.: And yet while you nfer it not to thefe higher ends, and u(c it but for the prefc:nt' p!eafUre; You vilirie youf felveS and it, as if man did differ from a Dog or other Brute, but in fome poor degree' of prefent pleafure. . . _ _ . ., , 9· 24. Direct. '7· Confider .thar in your l,fs of'timr, you Id< aD rhe mtrcits of tbar timt. ForD' 'a :·- 1ime is pr~gnant with great oovaluable mercies: It is the ~.a~in_et t~at containcth the Jtwllt : It zrt • 17 • you throw away the purle, you throw away the money that IS m 1t: 0 w)lat might you get in thote precious hours which y~u catt away? ~owmuch better a tr~afure than montymi~ht you win? How much fweeter a pleaflire than all your Games and Sports might you enjoy : You might be foliciting · · Oo• . God
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