TheTrueAccountant. welive,even to improveour time to the beltadvantage forthe fairing of our Sonls; otherwife, we live likeBeafts; not like Men,not like .Chriftians:.Theft filly brutes live in time, but know not the rinse in which they live : fo carelefs Chriftîan;run out their time, but knownot how to make ufc of their time; they confume their time,but they do not increafc it : Like.Bankrnpts that waffle their Rock, but never leek to improve it. we make a deco Lion:óf aur time as water is boil'd away from a fourth part to a third, and from a third to half:. fo vve vvafteand confume our time, till vve haveno time left,even till vve come to the laftminute of life ; yvhy then vvhile vve have time, let us pray toGod to teach usto of it.aright, togive us grace to confider the time vve fpcnd, that vve may mike the belt improvementof it, and as Efate did Jacob, hold time by the heel, and not falter it to flip from us, vvithout giving a good account toGod, that vve have imployed that time and fpace of life, vvhich is allotted us here for the advancement of godsglory,and the purcha- ringofourovvtí Salvation. We proceed to the third particular, that vve go to God by prayer to teachus the right ufcof our time in a rioht.manner, So teachus; that is, Teachus fo effi- cacioufly, fo povverfully, fo confìantly, as that vve may attain to the true vvifdom and knovvledge offavingofour Souls. We muff pray to God to teach us effef ually Pfd l. 119. 33. Teach me, O Lord, the way ofthy fbatutes, and I (hall keep it unto the end. We can knovv nothing of heaven, unlefs the Spirit ofGod inftruc2 us. There is a great Light inus, the Light ofNature, and this light is enough to con- deinnus, iffvvevvalknot according to thisLight, this Lightof Kilovvledg imprin- tedby God in our hearts ; andby thisLightall Heathens are condemn'd : but this Light is not able tocarry ushalf vvay to heaven., The LightofNature cannot fave us,butthe light ofGracemuff bringus to the light ofglory.Efthervvás fain to ffand a looffoff in the Court, till theKing reach'd forth his Golden Scepter to inviteher nearer to him: Nature only leads usto the onwardCourt of Heaven, but Grace holds forth theScepter to bringus intoHeaven : Nature; like the faint heat of the Sun, dravvsup the vapoursbut a little vvay, it hathnot ftrength enough to matter ourCorruptions ; but the heat and povver ofGods grace is onlyably todifpel and vanquifh them. It is only the work of,Gods Spiritto thew us the right wayto Hea- ven, and toguideus in thatway. All lies in the Grace ofGod, and unlefs weare continua'ly affifted, and carried on by his gracious Spirit, we are never likely to come near the fight ofHeaven. We have indeed manyhelps and furtheratt¡es to carry us to heaven, by noneof theft will avail us without God. The vRard òf God is conflantly preach'd in our ears, the Minifters ofGod are daily preflïng us forward to heaven but what can the frail voice of man work upon the heart without the powerful influence ofGodsholyspirit. WeMinifters, without God, ate but as Gehazt's ftafflaid upon the deadChild ; we are no ways able to raite the Soul from the deathof fin to the lifeofrighteoufnefs,unlefs Godfirít breathupon it, and infule the lifeofGrace into the deadheart of the finner. Let this teachus not to reft in our felves, or any outward meansfor thepurcha- fingof the joys of heaven, but place our whole trult and confidence in the living God. What'sall the Light ofKeafon but darknefs itfelf,to bring us to theLight Everlafting ? All humane wifdom is but afalfe Light, whichwill leadusin the end to the pit of deftru&ion. It is a good caution the Apoflle givesus, Col, a. 8. Be- ware left any man foilyou through Philofophy and vain deceit. if we follow the falle Light ofR.eafon,it will deceiveus and mifguide us in ourway toHeaven. Na- tural Reafon haply may fee the heavenly Canaan afar off, and have tome ftragling thoughtsof the happinefs ofanotherworld,butit (hall never be able to geepofleffion Of heaven. The horns ofthis Altar (hall never fave any man that fliesunto them. As the light is hidunder a bufhel, fo nature is clouded anddarkned withmany mills of error, andcannot reach the fight ofheaven. In the fecond place, let us fly to God byprayer, that hewould teach us effeau- ally, and Phew us the rightway to heaven. Before we hear theWord ofGod, let us fall upon our knees,andbeg of God tomake it profitable and ufefulto ourSouls. What makes the wordofGod foineffeftual?how come we to gain fo little comfort Ddddz by 5 65 Okfern. fió Efth. r a, a k'ing:y:; t, vfeT.
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