!Jt!deeminz Time. Tic. 2. 'J)ireElions Contemplatiw for ~deeming Opportunity. Se~ the ~:my aggrava:tons of finful Dtf,. 28. oPportunity or Seafon. is ~h~Jlowet-ofTime! All <fime is precious; but the .foafon is m~ft ~;rei~i:; for precious; Thepre{ent Timt is the fiafon to works ofpre[rnf necrffiry: ~nd fo! others,_ they round Coo~ . have aJl thLir -p,;rticu/ar fiafonJ, whifh ml)ft llQ~be, lf:t tlip. - ,. •~'\ r T ' ' Vt"''.fial1. Direct._ 1. Remember that it is the great difference 'buween the happy Sain~ 11n~ th~ unhappy _worltl, DircU. I. that one u wife itt time, and the other i1 wife too latt. The godly Jtn(lw whtlc Knowledge wtll •do good : The wick.fd l<t.JOW when knowledge wi)l but torment them. Ailhhd(C th•~1ou fee now fo.e>lceedingly contrar~ in their judg,ment to the godly, ,will be of the <very fame opi?ip& fhonly, ·When 'it will' do rhem no good. Bear with their ditf~n::nce and conuadi.Ction; for it1 -"<WiH ~e but a ver.._y little while. Thrre is not one man that now is the furious cnemrof holinef~,, buru Will confefs ~re long rhat Holinefs was befl: Do they now, defpi£< it as tedious fant,fllcal hypQ<rifi~ >TMy will fhortly know, that i~ was but the cure-of a dirtrad-ed mind, and thtt\ necdfary datyt tO God, Wh1ch ~digion and right .reafon do command: Do \hey now fay of fm, What harmtis id\ i,t? They will tnortly know thal Jt is the poyfon _of the foul, and ~or[e than any mJG!ty or deatH. They w11l t~ink more high(y of the worth of Chrifl, of rhe necdlity of all poffible diligence for our fouls, of the precioufnefs of Time, of the wifdom of the Godly, of the exCellencies ot Heavch, and of the Word of God and all holy Means, rhan any of thofe do that are now reproached by them, for being Of this mind. But what the better will they be for this? No IDijl'e than Adam.for knowing good and evil. No more than ic wi.ll profit a man when he is dead, to know of what dlfeafe he dyed. N6 more than it will profit a man to know what is poyfon, when Jle hath taken it and is patt remedy. The Thiefwill be wife at the Gallows; and the Spendthrift-prodigal when all is gone. But they that will be f,fe and happy, mull be wife in Time. The godly kriow the worth o( Heaven before it is lofi: and the mifcry of damnadon, before the:y feel it ; and the neceffity of a Saviour while he is willing to be a Saviour to them ; and the .evil of fin before it bath undone them ; and the preci~ oufnds of Time before it is gone ; and the worth of mcrc·y while mercy may be h3.d ; and the need. of praying, while praying may prevail: They flerp not till the doQr is _lhut, and then knock and. cry, Lo~d open. tu zu, as the fooli01 Ones, Matth. 2 5· They are not like themiferable world, that Will not belteve, till they come where Devils believe and tremble ; nor Repent tlll tOrment force them to reptnt. ~sever you would efcape the dear-bought experience of fools, be .wift in time ; and leave not Confc1ence to anfwer all yonr cryes, and moans and fruitlefs willies, with this doleful peal, To11 late ! Too late ! Do but know now by an effectual faith, what wicked men will-know by feeling and experience when ic is too late, and you £hall not perifh. Do but live now as thofe enemies of Holine£5 will wi{h. they had lived when it is·too late, and you will be happy. Now God may be found: See~{_ tbt Lord w!Jile be inay be found; and eaU ~pon him while he is uear :- Let the wiekedfvrfal{t his "'a!, and theu1zrighteous man his tho~tghu, and let him retunt unlo the Lord; and he will have merry npon l~m:, ~ndto o!'rGod, for he zviU abundamly pardon, Ifa. 55· 6, 7· Read butthe dolefullamtntation·of Chult over Jeruf..~lem, Luke 19. 41, 42. and rhen bethink you, what it is to neglect the fta-- fon of mercy ~nd iahwtion: ·He beheld the City and wept over it, faying, If thou hadjl k_nown, evm th~tt, at lcjt m this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace ! But now they are hidden from 1hme tyes! ~ .. §. 29· Direct, 2. Remember that the mgle/Jing of the [ea[on if the frujlrating and dejlroying. of the DireGI. 2 , w~ri{: ~hen. the [ea[on IS pafl:, the work carmot be done. If you row not m the time of fowmg, it WJ!l be Jfi vam at another time : If you reap not, and gather not in harveft, it will be too late in Wmte~ to hope ~or fruit. . If you flay till the Tide is gone, or take not the Wind that fits your turn, It n~ay be m vain to attempt your Voyage. All works cannot be done at all times: Chrifi hirnfelf (aah, I muft walk._ while it is day : the night cometh when n~ne can work, Johl'l 9· 4• S.1.y not then, The next dar- may ferve the turn: The next .day is for another work : and you mull: do both. ~· 30.' Dire.Cl:•. 3· Confidertb~lif the "'or/zfhould not be impoffible, yet it wiU be difficult o~t ofDire/1. 3 , [eaJon,. Jl!btn m z~s [tajowzt rmght be donewttheafe. How eajily may you fw trn With the T1de? and fa1l wirh the Wind ? and form the Iron if you ha~rner it, while it is hot? How eafily may many a difeafe be cured, if it be taken in Time, which 3.fterwai:ds is uncuraMe ? How cafily may you bend a tender Twig, and pluck up a Plant, which will ntither be pluckt up nor bended when ic is grown up t~ be aTree? When you complain of difficulties in Religion, bethinkyou whether your lofs of the tittefi feafon, and acquainting your felves no fooner with God~e not the cau.(e? ~: 31. DireCl:4· _Cr.Ajider.that. yo~r work._ out of fea[on i1 1zot fo go~d or a~cept'lble, i] yo~P could Dire{l. 4 • do Jt. '!-ver~ thmg_ Jl beautiful zn zJs feafon, Ecdcf. 3· 11· To !peak a !"ord zn fo40n tQ the n>tary Numb. 9 . .:, is the skill of the fa1chful melft11gers of peace: Ifa. 50. 4· When out of (eafon good may be turned in- ~, 7, '3· to evil. Who will thank youfor giving Phyfick, or food, or clothing to the dead? Or pitying the Exod. tJ. 10. poor when ic is too hre? In 1imc all this may be accepted. . §. 32· Direct. 5· Remember .that if th~u omit the fcajim, thou .~rt left to uncertai.ntier bo~h for time, Dirca. 5'-- antl meant, andgr tee. L()t.; thtf T1me, and for ought thou kuowdl, thou llofeft all. Or if thou have • "time, it may~ curfi wid1 b.arrenncfs, and never truit may more grow. on it : Preachers may be tak::n •
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