BermLVII. and the Sexfon for doing it. the due Careof our Souls, and of the Eternal Concernment of another World ; fo that this firft part of our Life is in a great Meafure ufelefs and unprofitable to us, is regard to our great Defign. For Infancy and Childhood are but the Dawnings of this Day, and no fit time to work in ; and Youth, which is as the Morning of this Day, tho' it the Flower of our Time and the molt proper Seaton of all other, for the Remembrance of God, and the Impreffions of Reli- gion ; yet it is ufually poffeft by Vanity and Vice ; the common Cuftom and Pra&ice of the World, hash devoted this belt part of our Age to the worft Em- ployments, to the Service of Sin and of our Lofts. Howvery few are there that lay hold of thisOpportunity, and employ it to the beft Purpofes ? And yet the following Courfe of our Lives, doth in a great meafure depend upon it for moft.Perfons do continue and hold on in the Way in which they let out at firft, whether it be good or bad. Andthofe who neglect to improve this firft Op- porrtunity of their Lives, do feldom recover themfelves afterwards. God's Grace may feize upon Men in any part of their Lives; but according to the molt ordii nary Methods of it, the. Foundations and Principles of Religion and Virtue are molt commonly laid in a.pious and virtuous Education. This is the great Op- portunity of our Lives, which fetleth and fixeth moft Men, either in a good or bad Courfe, and the Fortune of their whole Lives does ufually follow it, and depend upon it. Tis.true indeed our Day continues many times a great while longer, and we are to,work while it continues ; and'tis never too late to begin to do well, and to enter upon a good Courfe : But there is no fuch proper and advantagious Seafoii for thebeginningof this work, as in our Youth and tender, years. This is the ac- cepted time, this k the day of Salvation. God's Grace is then moft forward and ready to afiìtt us; and we are then leaft of all indifpos'd for the receiving of the Impreffions ofit ; and the Imprefíions ofit do then go deepen into our Minds, and are molt Lifting and durable. But if we negle& this Opportunity, we provoke God by Degrees to withdraw his Grace, and to take away his Holy Spirit from us, and by degrees we fettle in vicious Habits, and are every day more and more hardned through the deceitfulnefr offin. It is never too late to work while the day laft.'; but the fooner we begin this work, and fet about it in 'good earneft, the eater we (hall find it; if we defer it late, every Step will be up the Hill, and againft the Grain. Thirdly, After this Seafon is expired, there will be no further Opportunity of working ; when this day is once at an end, then coneeth the Night when no me.,, can work. The Night is a time unfit for work, when we canhardly doany thing, if we had never fo great a mind to it; and there is buch a Night coming upon every one of us, and Wo be to us if we have our Work to do when the Night over- takes us. There is ufually anEvening before this Night, when it will be very difficultfor us, and next to irnpoffible, to do this Work ; and this is the timeof Sicknefs and Old-age, in which Men are commonly unfit for any work; but moft of all that which requires thewhole force and vigour of our Minds, the bufinefsof Religion. If we attempt this work then, we (hall go very heartlefly about it, and do it very imperfe&ly, and be forc'd to ilubber it over, and to huddle it ùp in great hafte and confufion, and fo as we can hardly hope that God will accept it. For howun- fit are Men to do any thing, when they, are full of the Senfe of their own Infir- mities, and Life it felf is become fo great a Burthen to them, that they are hardly fit to {land under it ! How uncapable (hall we then be ofdoing the greateft and molt momentous Workof our Lives, when our Faculties are almoft quitefpent and worn out, and'all the.Powers of Life aredecayed in us; when our Underftandings aredark and dull, our Memories frail and treacherous, and our Hearts hard and deceitful above all things! When Sicknefs and Old-age overtake us, we (hall then find to our Sorrow thatfeefficient for that day is theevil thèreof5 we (hall have need thenof nothingelk to do, but to bear our Infirmitieswith Patience and Decency; and it is well if wecan rally together of thebroken Forcesof our Reafon, fo much as may be a fufficient Guard tous againft Peevi(hnefs and Difcontent ; we had need thenhave nothing elfe to do, but to be oldand weak, to be fick and die. Uu a Betides, 8
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=