5 6+ The True Jccountant. , :uglily prized and valued by W. Epìlletur the Philofopher was of that efiecmand ae. o.;x" 'fey°"'- count with all men, as that a Candle which he had made ofEarth only, was fold grave, for ;coo drachms. Whatfoever value or price men fet upon other things, fore I Lue. Did/. am there is nothingwe ought to prize at an higher rate, than our time. As we ufe adv' mdoc7. t" E to prize our Gold bygrains, fo ought we to value our time by minutes ; every mi- ante Enchirid. chiri nute of our time ought to be as recious in our account as every grain of Gold. g p , We will not lofe the leaft drachmof Gold, neither ought we to ravel out the leaf funding of time. Nay the very drops of our bloudought not to bemore precious un- to us than the lealh fcrupics and particles ofour time : Every minute ofour time well improved, is an helping us forward co Eternity, Therefore we ought co prize every moment of our time, becaufc Eternity hangs upon ic. The fecond Reque(l which Mofes makes co God, is this That he would vouch- fafe to teach him this one leflon, tonumber his dayes : An hard k(fon indeed, as soer. Hilt as Ta,nbos was, who was fifteen years a learning that own verfe of David, of Etchf:1.4 guiding his Tongue. ?fal. 39, t. lftid, I willtake heed to ,áy ways!, that ifin not with my tongae. Rut all the dayesof our lives will not be fuRìcient to learn this one .elf n of numbring our dayes aright therefore we mull; fly to God co teach us to hhow our time : It is fromGod that we learn how to compute our time a the wife ?Meting and managing of our time is taught us by CSxd. David defired co know Obferv.5 his of God, Pfal. ct9. 8¢. How many are the days of thyfervant? I. It it a piece of Art, which none can teachus but God. Aman mayknow how to number hisdayes; but not how to guide his dayes J A Fool knows . not how to; make lift of aClock , nor an ignorant Ghriflian how to fpend histime aright, unlefs God teach him. Every man can tell how to count an Army, and reckon what men there are in it, but few know how to guide it, andto rank the Souldery in right Fileand Order t So it is eafie for us to number our dayes, tocount how old we are, how many years are gone over our heads, but to order our daycs aright, to know how to improve them to Gods glory, andour own benefit, this isbeyond our Art and Skill, andGod only is able toinftru&us,and leadus in the right way, where- in we oughtto walk. 2, It is from God that we are taught how to fit our felves for death. We are unwilling to hear of the approach of Death, and it is God that prepares us for the f}roke of Death, and make us willing to die. It is very unwelcome news to moth of us, co-hear that we mull die, and bebrought before God to give an account ofour wayes and a&ions. When the Apoftle Patel reafoned with Felix of Death and judgement, he would fain have put off thatun- fleafingdifcourfe till tome other time, AÉI. 24. 25. Co rkyway far this time, when t have a canves,ient feafanr will call for thee. We count no difcourfe fo unfeafena_ bic and dithaftful to us, as for our Minifter to put us in mind of Death; there is time enough, we think, to confider of our latter end many years hence. It is a leffon foots learnt, andwhen weare fit for nothing elfe, then it isfoon enough to think of Death. ufe. As flight asothers make of thisduty,. let us pray to God to teach us the rightkn'ow- !edge ofour rime, that we may orderour flops aright, and fo lead our lives, as that we may providefor death, andbe ready to give up our account to God, when he is pleated to fummon us from hence. Irwas a good prayer of David, Pfal. 13e 3. Lightennoise eyes , left ifleep the (lop ofDeath. We have needof Gods dire &ion and guidancein all our wayes, that he would teach us how to live , and how to die: while we live let us delire of God fo to (leer our courfe, as that we may lead the lives of holy and devout Chrifians. We delire to live,, andhave we no defrrc to live well ? what's this life without godlinefs r what is it to live , and to have our luaus all the dayes of our lives void of grace and.piety a Life without grace, is like beauty in a woman without difcretion, Pro. rr. 22. Non eft vivere, fed valere vi: to : It is no life, but a living death alwayes tolive, and to want health and ftrength, which fwee:ens life , and makes it comfortable. So it is no life a Chrif ian leads, where there is a wane of piety in the heart. What is this to live , unlefs weknow how to livewell, and to make a right ufe of our tithe? We midi confider wherefore w
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=