24 TheTraife ofMourning, or, Three things This is that we are to do,to account ofevery day, as that which maybe the day wherein there ofour change, and fo to carry our fclves inall our actions and occaftons, as ifwe is to be a pat. fhould have no more time to do our work. And this is efpecially tobe obferved cicala, appli. in three things. cation of Firft, in matter offinning, be carefulto amend finevery day, labour to mortifie death to a fin this day, as if thou thouldeft have no more dayes to mortifie it in , take heed man, r. In matter of finning now as ifthou fhouldcft die now. Some we fee have been taken away of finning. inthevery a&of fan: Ananias andSaphirah were taken away in the very ad offin- Pats S. ning,cwhen they were telling a lie to the Apoftle they died : Zimri and'Cosbie were Hain in the very a&ofuncleannefs : Corah and his company, theydied in theaft of murmuring, and refitting ofGod, and his ordinances, andminifters. Let a man now reafon with himfelf, thefewere taken away in their fins, it may be my cafe as well as theirs, if I be found in fin. That is thefitit. E. In redeem- Secondly , bring it home to this particular alto, in another cafe, and that is, ingofthetune in redeeming of the opportunities of the time of our life. Betides, the general oflife, timeof life,there be certain opportunities,certain advantages oftime,that theScrip- ture calleth feafons : be careful to redeem them : though you may enjoy your lives, yet youmay have none of thefe ; fuch as are feafons ofglorifying God, feafons of doing good, feafons ofgaining good to a mans fell, be carefultherefore (I fay) to manage thofe opportunities,and advantages of time, fo that you may glorifie God : I Cot. ro. 33.E whether you eat or drink, or whatfoever you do, do all to the gloryof God. Which foever you may moft advance Godsglory, and promote his worlhip, which way foever ye maypromote the cattle of God ; drawing men toGod, and incou- ragingthem in the wayes of God ; which way foever you may be ufeful, employ, your fell at that time, the prefent time, becaufe you muff die, and you may die now, youmay have no more opportunities to do it in. And fo likewife in all ad- Heb. ;. 13. vantages, wherein men may go good to men, Exhort one another while it is called to day, andwhile you have time do good unto all : Do all the fpirifual good, Gal. 6. so. and allthe outward good thatyou can,while you have feafons to do good. Happyis that fervant, that his mafter(hall find fo doing, when hecometh, leading a fruitful and profitable life. So, do good to your own fouls while youhave time: pray, while you have time to pray, hear the Wordwhile you have time to hear it: ex ereifc repentance,whileyou have time to repent:perfed the work ofmortification,!' while you have time to mortifie your corruptions : do your fouls all the good you can ,, by the advantages of all the ordinances of all the opportunities that God hatla given you. This is the andof all men ? it bath been the end of good and bad before ; and it flail be the end ofgood andbad now ; men muff die, their houles will be houfes of mourning, therefore manage the time in doing all the good you can, that Godmay be glorified, men may be benefitted, and your own fouls fur- thered; that is the fecond thing. Laftly, in the manner of your converfation, confider the time that you have to do every thing in. Will a man be found idlcing in the market-place, when he fhould be working in the Vineyard ? Would yoube feafling, when God would have you mourning ? you (ball fee fome that have been taken away, whenthey lit- tlethought of it : Belfhazzar, he was in his feafts,and then comeththe fentence of death againft him, and other the like examples you may fee in the Scripture. Con- fider therefore the particulara&ions that you do , whether they be fuch as hbld' agreement with theRate of a dying man. So for the manner of doing holy duties. Would you be found praying pefundorily , and carelefly ? Would yoube found coming to the Sacrament unprepared ? What though you do holy a&ions, thatare good forthe matter, would you be found doing of them, with unfit and unprepa- red hearts ? You fee what the Apoftle faith , r Car. aa. For this castle manyare fck, and weak, and many fie?: they flept, they weredead for this, even becaufe they came unworthily to receive the Sacrament of theLords Supper. Wouldyou thereforebe found doingof holy duties , and not in a right manner? The ferious confrderarion of this, that Death is the endofall men, with the particular application of it to a mans Pelf, that as it is the fiate of all men, fo it is mine in particular, I ;. In theman. tier of our converlation.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=