Who muji: eJPecially rJ\.edeem Time. you. The narure of trueRepentance rcquircth it; unlefs you will know none but the Repentance of the damned; and begin to 1\.epent themifptnding of your Time, when its gone, and a\I is too late. 9· 65. Sort 4· It is fpecially their duty to Redeem the Time, who are Jcanted of time through po~ Sort+· verty,fervice or rejlr.1int. If poor people that muH labour all the day, will not Redeem rhe Lords day, and thofe few hours which they have, they will then have no time at all for things fpiritual, fervanrs that be not M1fiers of their time, and are held clofe to their work, had IlCed w be very diligent in Redeeming rhofe few hours which are allowed them for higher things. Sort 5~ 9· 66. Sort 5• 1hofo tint tnjoy a1ry fptcial ht!pi eirber publici<_ or private mnfi be fpecially carefull to improve them and Redeem the Time. Do you live under a convincing powerful Minifiry: 0 im.. prove it, and Redeem £he Time; for you know not how foon they may be taken from you, or you trom them. Do you live with Godly Relations, Parents, Husband, Wife, Mafiers in a Godly Family, or with godly fellow~fctvants, friends or Neighbours ? Redeem the time : get fomewhat by therrt every day : you know not how !hort this feafon will be. D0you live where you have Books and Iei– fure? Redeem the time : This alfo may not be long. Had not Jofhua been horribly·unexcufable if he would have loitered when God made the Sun fiand ilitl, while he purfited his enemies? 0 loiter not you, while the Sun of rnercy, patience, means and helps do all attend you. 9· 67. Sort 6. Thofe mull efpecially Rcdwrttbe 'time, who arc ignorant, or gracelefs, or weaJt in Sort o. grace, and have flrong corruptions, and little or no affurar.ce of f1lvation, and are unready to dye, and have yet all or the moll of their work to do: If thefe loiter, they are doubly to blame: fiue the Eph& z.. z, Time pafi of your lives may fuffice to have loitered and done evil, I Pet. 4· 3· Hath not the Devil had roo much already ? Will ye lland aU the day idle l Mat. 20. 6. Look home and fee what you have yet to do; How much you want to a fafe and comfortable death? Hof. 10. 12• Sow to your fclvu in righttou{mfl : rup in mercy : breaft up yourfaUowground; fur it Htime to feelt the Lord, tiD he come andrain rigbteoufntfl up:m you. 1 §· ~8. Sort 7• lr much concerneth them to Redum tbe 'time, who art in any office, or have any Sort 7 • opfOTtuJtity of doing any fptci"l or pHbliclzzood: efpecially Magij!ram and Mi>~ijrm of Chrill. Your hte will not be long: your office will nor be long: 0 beftir you again(\ fin and Satan,and for Chrill and holincfs while you may : God will try you but a time. Let Obadiah hide and fted the Prophets when he is called to it, and while he may, that God may hide b;m, and not think to (hift off duty, and fave himfelf to a better time: faith Mordecbai to Efthtr, Ellh.9. 13, 14• Think.. not with thy filf tha# thou Jhalt e[cape ill the KingJ houfi more than aU the JeroJ: For if thou altogether bolddl thy ptact a# thH time, then fhall there enlargemtnl and deliverance ttrife from anothA place, but tbou and thy Fa.. thers botefi jhttU be deftroyed: and who Jtnoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdom for fucb a time ar tbH.? Are you Minifiers ?0 preach the Gofpel while you may: Redeem the time: All times are your feafon: fo great a work and the worth of fouls, commandeth you to do it in feafon and out offea[on, 2 Tim. 4• 2· A man that is to lave many others from dro~ning, or to quench a tire in the City 1 is un– excufable above all men, if he Redermnot time, by his greatdl diligence and fpeed. 9· 69. Sort 8. Lafily, it isfpecially incumbent on them to Redeem the time, who being rtcovered Sort. g. from ficltntJi, or faved from any danger, are under the obligation both of fpecial mercy and fpccial ·· promifes of their own : who have promifed God in the time of ficknefs or difirefs, that if he would but fpare them and try them ~:mce again, they would amend their lives, and live more holily, and fpend their tirrie more carefully and diligently for their fouls, and lliew all about them the truth of their Re– peQ.tance, by the greatncfs of their change, and an exemplary life. 0 it is a mofi dangerous terrible: thing to return to ifcurity floth and fin, and break fuch promifes to God! fuch are often given over to woful hard-heartednefs or derpair: for God will not be mocked withdelufory words. 9· 70· Thus I have opened this great duty of Redeeming Time the more largely, becaufe it is of un– fpeakable importance 1 and my foul is fr<qucntly amazed with admiration, that the lluggilh world can fo infenfibly and impenitently go 0? in wafting precious time, fo near Eternity, and in fo needy and dangerous a cafe. Though I blels my God, that I have not wholly loft myTime, but have long hved m a fenfe of the od1cufnefs of that fin, yet I wonder at my fclf that fuch over-powring motives compell menot to make continual hafie,and tobe fiill at work with all my might, in a cafe of ever• !ailing confequen,e.
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