134 TheImprovement o fTime, or experience, how !bath men are co entertain thoughts oftheir latter end: Go to one that lies lick ofa Çonfumption, and he wall tell you : The Doelds fay, that I may live,and I doubtnot but I (hall get upagain: Such a one bath been brought as low as I, andhe is recovered,and why may not I ?I once knew one,that whenthe Phyficians cameand told him,that hemuff die :Good Lord ( faithbe) what a deal of work have I to do : I have all my feed to tow; all my evidences to Peal, that my Soul (hould be faved,&c. Such thoughts fhouldenter into us now; pitch on them ferioully : buckle to them foundly. We may learn this point of wifdom of the Devil himfelf ; He, becaufehe know- ethhis time is Ihorr, he is fo much the fuller of rage andmalice; and plies his work with fomuch the more eagernefs. Woe be to the Inhabitants of the Earth, and the Sea, (Revelat. i a.ta.) for the Devil isganeout amongfl men, havinggreat mratb becaufe bekpoweth that he bath bare a fhort time: So thould we do. Think with thy fell: The feventb Angel will come ere long, andfreear by him that liveth for everand ever, that there (hall be no more time; but G OD will have an account for the time pall. What if the Angel thouldcome now and fwear (as ten co one but there is tome Men or Women in this Congregation, concerning whom GOD hàth determined, that they (hall have.ro more time beforea weekbe at an end Put the cafe it thould be any ones cafe,thine or mine,thatGod Ihould fay, Go fetch filch a man, I will give himnomore time; It is true, I give him fome, but now his Voyage is at an end, his fay!.is (}reek': And then we (hould have all to reek,. no Chri(+, no true Fsith,no evidence for Heaven; when we muft come and give an ac- count toGod. What have you done with all your time? WillGod fay ?Imuff have a reckoning of it. And then cometh in, Imprimis,fo much time in drinking, fo much in revelling, fo much in drefling my felfevery day. And then God (hall fay ; Were thefe the things f giveyou timefor ? Did I beftow time on you, for to be (pent about fuch things as there ?' No, it was for Heaven. Beloved, howcould we anfwer to there things It is good and profitable, ferioully to confider of this betimes: Say to chy fell, I have not long to live, after a white I muff go hence, and be nomore: [ mull give on account, and a reckoning unto God, of all that I have done, whether it begaod or evil. z The Exhor. Bat this is not theprincipal point I have to fpeakof, therefore I pals it briefly. I ration it felf come to the Exhortation it felt. It remaineth that both they that have wives, be as of they hadnone ; and they that weep, as if they wept not; andthey that rejeyce, ru though they rejoyted not ; and they that bout, at though they poffeffed net ; and they that safe theworld, as not abufngit, &c. The meaning In a word: I take the funs of the Exhortation, to be, as if the Apoftle S.Panl had ofthe words. what is meant by having wives and yet tobe as having none. laid thus ; Brethren you are are ready tocalf Anchor : Troublenot your[elves ; befled_ fait; gird up the /07123 of your minds: Let yourcare begreateji for Heaven ; as for theft things that are here below ifyou have wives,be as tfyouhad none; think, affoonar youare ,?lhare,youfbait have none: tfyou befink , or /under anycroft, or liion, be as thoughyou wept not : Sappofe you beas aFellow that is fain toplie the Pump alt the the day, affoon as bets afháar,he is free : rfyourejoyce, ifyou be inprofperity, ifyou beas theMafier ofthe Ship that . hath great preferment, be as ifyou relayednot : Why? youarealma'? come a/hoar ; therefore be, as if not inallthefe. i will briefly open the meaning of allthefe particulars, and then put all into one oohu of inffruetion, and fo come furtherto apply it unto you, as God (hall en- able mc. What thereforeis the meaning? firfi, Let themthat bays miver,beas though they had none. To that Ianfwer; A man that bath a Wife hath two thingsthat another hathnor, that hath no Wire. The firlt is, He hath a great deal of joy and comfort : He hath a feçondfelina loving
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