The natllral Evils of Fomicatio11 mzd Adultery. Dire{i. 3• §. 13• Dire(}. 3· Sre that tbott have a Calling whicb will find thu impkj•mtnt for aD thy time which GodJ immediate fervice fparetb. Yea, which fornewhat ur.~ttb thee to diligence: 01hcrwife thou wilt 1}'c in bed, and fay, thou hall: time to fpare, or nothing wdo: You can rife when you h<~vc a journey to be gone, or a bufincfs of prdling ncceffity to be done: Keep your [elves under fom~ conflant nccdliry, or urgency of bufinefs at the leafi. Dire/1. 4• 9· '4· Direct. 4• 'ta~e pleaft~re in)'"' CaDingi, and in tbe [<rvice of God. Sluggards rhemfelvrs can rife to that which they take much p~eafurc ~n: As to go to .a Mer~iment, or 1.-'ca(}, or Play, ot Game, or to a good bargam, or any rhmg whiCh they dclight m. H thou hadH a Delight in rhy Calling, and in r~ading theScripture, and praying) and doing good, thou couldn not lye conrenredly i bed, but wouldfllong to be up and doing, as Children to their play : The wicked <an tiji ea'!J t~ p ov. 4 16 _ do wickednefs, becaufe their hearts arc {(r upon it: They can be dr,u,tk,_, or jle.;/, or n·hore or plot 1 rThefls.6> 7 · their ambitious and covc 1 tous ddigns, when they (hould jleep: And if thy heart were fer as ~llch on good, as theirs is on evil, wouldlt not thou be as wakeful and as readily up ? Dirtll. 5· 9· '5· Direct. 5• Remember the grand importance of the bufinefr of your foul! which aiwaye 1 fyeth on v1ur h11nd!, that the greatneji ofyour work,. may rowze you up. What, lye flugging in bed, when you are fo far behind hand in knowledge, and grace, and atfurance ot falvation ; and have fo much oftheScripture and other Books to read and underfland ? Hafl thou not grace to beg for a needy foul ! Is nor Prayer better work than excefi of fleeping. Great bujinefr in the world <an make you rife and why not Greater l · , Dire/1. 6. 9· 16. Dire6t. 6. Remember that thou mujl anfwer in judgement for thy timt: And what comfort wilt thou have, to fay I Jlug'd away [o many hours in a morning? And what comfort at death when time is gone, to review fo much cafi away in fleep? Dirdi. 7· 9· '7· Direct. 7· Reme,.ber that God beholdeth thu, and il calling thu up to JPork., If thou underfloodfi his Word and Providence, thou wouldfi hear him as it were, laying as the Marrinersro Jonab ]onah r. 6. What meamjl thou, 0 fl«per l Ari[<, eaU upon thy God. Wilt thou lye f/ttping inordinately when God fiands over rhec, and calls thee up? If the King, or any great perCon, or friend, did but knock at thy door, thou wouldfl rife prcfcntly to wait uponthem. Why God would fp~ak with thee by his Word, or hear thee fpeak ro him by prayer; and w1lt thou lye fl>ll and defp,[c hiS Call ? Direft, S. 9· 1S. Direct. 8. Remember how many are attending thee while. thou fle'f'eft. Ifit be Summer, the Sun is up_beforc thee that harh gone fo many thou[and miles wh>le thouwafl afleep '. It harh given a dayes hght to the other half of the world fince thou la>fl down, and >S come agam to light rhee to thy work, and wilt thou let it Chine in vain? All the creatures are ready in their places. to ailili thee, and art thou aflecp ? pirfl1, $• 9· 19. Direct. 9• Confider whether thou wilt aliOJP thy [<MJanl! to d. the li/;! : They mufl be up and at work, or you will be offended , and tell them that they are no fervants for you, and rhat you hire them not ro fleep. And do you not owe God more fervice ~han they owe yo~? Dorh God hire you to flecp ? Is it any ·la.wfullcr for you than them to fleep one mmute more than is needful to your health? No, not a minute: If you are ficklier than they, thats another matter; (But fee that fulnefs and idlentfl caufe it not ). But otherwife your Riches are no excufe to you : Will you loyter more than they, becaufe you receive mort? and do lefs fcrvice, becaufe you have more pay? Or is it your priviledge to be fo miferable) as to lofe that time which poor men favt l Vire/1. 10. 9· zo. Direct. ro. Remtmber that your morning_ hourt are the choicejl part of aU tht day .for any holy cxercifl or fpec;at employment of tht mi1td. The mmd JS frdh and ~!ear, and there 1.s lefs Jnrerruption by worldly bufinefs ; whereas when others are up and about thCl[ bufinefs you will have inrerpella– tions. Thofe that have tryed it can fay by experience , that the morning hours are the flower of their time, for prayer or iludies: and that earry rifing is a great part of the art of Re– deeming Time. Virt/1. II• 9· 21· Direct. ll• Remember bOR> many are condemning yo11 bytheir diligence, _while you are flttg• gi 11 g away your tim~ ; How many holy perfo~s a~e t~cn ~t prayer m fecret, wrefilmg fer~ently with God for their [alvauon: or readmg and med>tarmg m hiS word? What do they get while you are lleeping ! The blcffed man doth delight in the Law of the Lord, and meditate in it day and night: and you love your eafe, and are Jleeping day and night: Will not all thefe be wirneffes againfl you? So will the diligent in their Callings; andfo will the worldlings and wicked that ~i[e early to their fin! How many thoufand are hatd at work while you are Jleeping l Have you nor work to do as well as they? . • . Dirt/1. 12. · ~· 22· Direct. 12· Remember that fenfHality or Jltfh-pleafing >S the great condemnmg fin that turns the heart from God : And if it be odious in a drunkard or fornicator, why is it not fo in you ? Mottifie the fle!h , and learn to deny it its inordinate defires , and your fin is almoft cured. pirta. , 3 , 9· 23· Direct. 13· For then the txtculiv; part is eajie whe~ you are willutg: lt is but agreeing with Come one to awaken you, and a bttle cold water w1ll wa!h away your drowlinefs 1f you 'onfent.
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