33 o Of the !'Vork affign'd to every Man, Vol. I. fuafion, and I know not what fecret Charm and Attraction to draw and allure others to the Imitation of it. III. And in order to both thefe, the faving of our felves and others, this Work, which God hath given us to do in the World, confifts in the careful Ufe and good Husbandry of our Time; for without this, neither of the other can be promoted and carried on to any purpofe. Time is the feafon and oppor- tunity of carrying onof any Work, and for that reafon is one of the molt valu- able things and yet nothing is more wailfully fpent, and more prodigally fquandred away by a great part of Mankind than this, which next to our Immor- tal Souls is of all other things moft precious becaufe upon the right ufe or abufe of our Time, our Eternal Happinefs or Mifery does depend. Men have gene- rally fame guard upon themfelves, as to their Money and Eftates, and wilt -'t with Eyes open fuller others to rob and deprive them of it : But we will let . r Body almoft rob us of our Time, and are contented to expofe this precious Trea- fure to every Body's Rapine and Extortion, and can quietly look on vhilft Men thrult in their Hands, and take it out by whole handfuls, as if it were of Lo greater value than Silver was in Solomon's Days, nomore than the clones in the greet. And yet when it is gone, all the Silver and Gold in the World cannot purchafe and fetch back the leaf} moment of it, when perhaps we would give all the World for a very (mall part of that time, which we parted with upon fuch cheap and eafy Terms. Good God ! what a ftupid and fenfelefs Prodigality is this ! do we confider what we do, when we give away fuch large Portions of our Time to our Eafe and Pleafure, to Diverfion and Idlenefs, to Trifling and Unprofitable Converfa- tion, to the making and receiving of impertinent Vifits, and the uftial and al- molt infeparable Attendants thereof, fpiteful Obfervations upon them that are prefent, and flandering and backbiting thofe that are abfent (For the great De- fign of molt People in Vifits, is not to better one another, but to fpy and make Faults, and not to mend them; to get time off their hands, to thew their fine Cloaths, and to recommend themfelves to the mutual Contempt of one another, by a plentiful Impertinence;) when we part with it by wholefale in Sleep and Dreffings, and can fpend more Mornings between the Comb and the Glafs, and the Afternoon at Plays, and whole Nights in Gaming, or in Riot, and Lewdnefs, and Intemperance; in all which People commonly wafte their Money and their Time together! Nay how do even the belt ofus mifplace this precious Treafure ; and tho' we donot employ it to wicked Purpofes, and in Works of Iniquity, yet we do not apply it to the bell and nobleft ufe, to the Glory of God, and the Good and Sal- vation of Men ! By thus laying out this Treafure, we might lay upfor ourfelves 'Ireafares in Heaven, and help others on in the Way thither. Thus our Blefted Saviour employed his precious Time, in going about doing good, in all kinds, and upon all Occafions, healing the Bodies, and enlightning the Minds, and faving the Souls of Men : This was his Bufinefs, and this was his Delight; it was his meat and drink, and hisvery Life, he fpent himfelf in it, and facrificed his Eafe, and his Safety, and his Life to thefe great Ends, for whichhe came into the World; he confidered the Goodnefs and the Greatnefs of this Work, and the little time he had to do it in, whichmade him inceffantly indu- ftrious in it, and to run the Race which was fet-before him with great (peed, and to work while it is day, becaufe he knew the night would come when no Man can wort. And this brings me to the Second Thing I obferved from the Text, namely, that there is a certain and limited Time for every Man to do this Work in ; while it is day. Imug mark the work of him that fent me, whit it is day. And this day comprehends all the Opportunities of our Life, which will foon be over, and therefore had need to be well fpent. A great part of our Life is pall before the Seafon of Working be- gins ; it is a great while before the ufe of our Reafon begins, and we come to have our Senfes exercifed to difcern between Good and Evil ; before our Under- ftandings are ripe for the ferious Confideration ofGod and Religion, and for the
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