~demptio11 of Time. God for life eternal! You might be t~{ing and increafing grace ! You might be viewing by faith, the bldTed plate and company in which you may abide for ever. All this and more, ycu are lofing while you are lQfing time. Youchoofe as a plcafure that heavy curfe, Levir. 26. 20· Your ftrength jhaU be jpent in vain. Why do yQu not alfo take it for a pleafure, to cafi away your gold, or health? I tell you, a very little time, is wotth a grc~t deal of Gold and Silver. You caf\: away a rnore~pre~ cious commodity. •· . • §· 25· Direct. ,s. 1bink foriouflybow Chrijl and his Apoflles, -.d holiejl flrVants in a~. •ge! DJrc{l. J8. [pent their Time. T~ey fpcnt 1t in praying, and pr'daching, apd hOly conference, and in doing good, and in the works ol their outw~rd callings in fubfc!vicncy ro· th~fe : Bu,t not in Cards, or Dice, or Dancing) qr Sr~ge~playes, or pampering the flefb, nor in the Purfuit of the profits and honourS of the world.. I tcad ,yhe{eChrill was aU nigqt in praying, Luke 6. '12· but not whcr~ he fpent art hour in playmg. I know you wtll fay, that you expect not to ,each thetr degrte of hohntfs. But let me rem,mber yhu, that he is not finure that defirctb not to be ptrftti. And' that he is gracdefs, who wilfully keepetp any beloved fin, which he had not rather be.delivered from ; ·and that wilfully re· fufcthany duty, and had not tather perform it <J.~ he oughr. And that yoli ~re·rhc mare needy, though Chri£1 1 and his Apol\les, and Servants, were the more Ho!~ I And that 'the poor 'have in01e need tp beg, and 1 wgr}(,., and be [paring of what they have, thau the ricb: And.therefore' 1f Chri1t and his holieft Ce~Vants, were fparing of their time, ·and fp!nt .it in works of holil);fs and obedienc~, have not you greater. need to do fo than they? Have not you mOre need to pray and learn Gods ·word, and prepare for deadi, than Chrill and his Apofi!es 1 Are you not more beh!nd Mnd, as having loll much time ? L~t your wanes infiruC\: you. DireQ. 19• ~· 26. Dirc6t. I~· Forget not that a fpmding time may came, when you '!'iU tbink aiJ too liTtle, tlJt# now you can prpvide, by the mt~/l' diligent redteming of your time. 1f a Garrifon exp_eCl: a Siege, fc fharp and loog as will fpcnd up their provifious, they will prepare accordingly that they pe– riili not by famine. Tc.mptations may be (i.ronger, and then you will tind that yo\t !hould now 'h·a:ve gathered 1\rength to overcome them ; ,and have beftirred you i'n the getting day, that you rnigh~ be able to ftand in the <vil d•y, Ephef. 6. 13· It is thofe that now loyter and lbfe their time, and· gather not knowledge and 1\reng:n ofgrace 1 who fait in tryal; l"hen fuflerings for tighteoufnels fake, ihall be as a fiege to you, and when poverty, wrongs, provocations, fickndS and the face of death !hall be as a fi.tgc to you, tl)en you will .find all your faith, and hope-, and love and com"tOrt to be too little; a\ld then you will wifh ~hat you had now befiir'd you, and laid in b~tter provil~on, and laid up iS 11rJOd fqundation or tr:eafure i11 ftore for the time to come. 1 Tim. 6. r9. Dirello 20· 9·27· direct. 20· Laf\ly, Forget not INw Time if efteemed by the damned, whofe time and b.?pe ~ gone for ever ; ,mdhow tbuu wilt '<~alue it thy felf if tiJoHfin thy fou! i11to that woful jlat~· What ~~rsiisterri· thinkefi thou would thofe miferabk creatures nmy give (if they had it) but for one dayes time, b111~ ell, qu~~ upOn thofe terms of mercy which thou dolt now enjoy it? Would the:y flccp it away, or be at their :~:n~~J: ;~~ games and merriments, while God is offering them Chrill and Grace? Dofi thou think they fet not tinguumur. a higher price on Time and mercy, than !inners upon eanh? Doth it not te:lr their vCJy hearts for cicao.Par.d .r. ever, to think how madly they confumed ihcir lives.? and walled the only Time that was given them to prepare for their falvation? Do th?G.. in ~ell now thin~ them w.ife, that are idling or playing away their timt on eanh? 0 no ! their feehng and expenence fuffic1ently confuteeh all that Time.., wafters now plead for their fottifh prodigaliry. I do not believe that thou canft at once belic.ve the ·word of God, concerning the flare of. dam~ed fouls, and yet believe that thy idle and vain expence of Time, would not vex thy confc1ence, and make thee even rage again!\ thy {elf, if {ver fin fhould bring the~ thither! 0 then thou wouldfi: fee, !hat thou hadfi greater matters to have {(>mt thy time in, and that it de{Cived a higher efiimation and improvcmenr. 0 man! befccch the Lord to prevent fuch a comridion, and to give thee a heart to prize thy time befOre it is gone ~ and to know th~ wort/J of it, before thou know the want of it. Tic. 2. "·
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