The Chri1ians Journal ". bellied, is,a refolution when we hauefelt ourerrour, and found the right way and the truegate,all delayerlaid afide tomake aprefententry. Ifyouaske how Iproue this by my text, l thus makeitmanifeft. It is a rule in ciuill matters,that inbonds ofdebt betweenman and man, when there is nocertain day named, then thedebt is due prefently : fa here, the commandement andcharge being giuen indefinitely, without any expreffe limitationofany let time, it followeth that it is prcfently to be performed. OurSauiour faithnot, enter hereafter when thou artmore at Icafure ; or to theyoung man enter when thouatt old; or tothe old man, enterwhen thou art a dying ; orto thecouetous man, enter ;hen thou hall glutted thy defire with wealth ; orto the drunkard, enterwhen thouare vt_ rerlydifabled that thou cantbe drunk nolonger: but he faith to áll,atthe infant Enter ; doe it prefently,doe itftraitway,deferre not todoe it. And this is alfothe plaine doftrineof theScripture ; Imade hafte, faith Dauid,andI delayednet ro keep IPfat tg.to, thycommandement.' I. Itis commended in Peter and ,4ndrrw, that when Chilli mMar,aa.o. called them,they left their nettes firentway m, When Chrill calledZacherr, the nLuá,rg,6. Text faith,that heecame down haft;) ^. The reafon why there stuft bea refolu_ Lionofprcfent entrance, is, becaufe as therein a time ofgrace, in the whichthe gate ofMercy Randsopen, fo there is a time of iudgement, in which this. gate will be (hut vp,and all hope ofentry vtterly remooued.Dauid fpeakethofa time, oPfal,3a.d. in which God may befound°, which implyeth that there isa time, in whichGod willnot be found. The time when hee maybe found, what it is, Paul teacheth, where fpeakingof thepreaching ofthe Word, andofthe offers ofgrace,that are thereinmadedaily; hee faith, Behold, nowis the accepted time, now isthe day of p a Cor. 6.2. faluation r. The time prefent is theonely time, the time to come is no time, no more then thetime pall, it isa matter ofmeere vncertairty; To dayifyelrill Beare, q Pfal.gf,7. it is lad votovs continually". There is a timecomming, andwe knownot how neat it is, (though the generaliend may bee farther off; yet our particular ac. count cannot be farre ; wefee daily howTome dropaway ofall ages, and eftates;) I fay there isa time comming, in which (as Chriflfaith) many f call/eeke toenter club.53. 4.- in,and(halnotbeable Oh what wofull yelling,andpittifall crying,and enrmft CMauzs.r,, knocking there will bethen at the gAte, with Lord, Lord, open Into vs e; when sa. that firmly doome, Depart/ romneedknowyonnot ,fhallbe theirportion. Thisis the reafon why it is no fafe delaying. I wouldweewould learnwifedome from our outward bufineffe : what makeshusbandmenbreake their fleepe, and while air is thevin it is yet night, tobe travelling tothe Sea fide fortheir rand* ; meete them, aske ofthoWtft them thecattlewhy they are fo exceeding Toone ? The anfwer is ready, ?(you partsmete know it better thenmy Rife) the tyde requiresit, a peeceof an honre loft may the Sea, to breedmuchhinderance,the timeof the yeete hafteneth, and whenit is gone, it ma with cannot be recalled. Oh l can we not commandto flay vs, but mull wee rideand pro farad, pelt; and make fach.hafte topressent it; and ehiskewcro hauethe gateofmer- cy to fandopen at our pleafure ? Be not deceiued, Elan came tardy, andfought t Hee, to t theblefsing with teams, but could notobtain le'. The Thevfe is, to curethat euill ftckneffeof delaying, which is the very baneof fo many fouler. I remember the report oftheProphet Haggletnaketh niche people that neglefted there-edifying ofthe temple,Tbupeeple(faith he)fay,eho: else time allag.s a is notyet come,that the Lords houfe fbouldbebreaded fo, many thinke it isnotyet time forthem to Tooke to heauen-ward, youth muft hauehis cootie, the cone- tousbaggemot be filled, the pleafure ofthe fk lh muft be fully tailed, ambition muft come to his height, and then it will bee time to retire. Tetalittle morefleepe Pro.ó.ro. faiththeflaggard'r let Godbearewithvs a little, and intimewe will enter. This y is as the Scripture termeth it, thevery deepne fre ofSatan 1, thus tobeguilemen; and (no doubt) there are many in hell, which had ameaning in their lifetime to enter in, but God hash cutthem fort, and depriued them of that, which when they mighr,they refufed toaccept of. Well, ifwee haue feeneour naturaliwan- dering,
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