124 / 652
1
11.4
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CRRISTIAN.
DrLr
ENCE
t
[SE
/2M
VIIT.
tcrsa,gues.:
k)thers
also
shall
be
pronounced
idle; and
triflers
at
the
bar of
Go.d,::who
Clay
orit
all their:
spirits
in
llttie
contr:over"sy,perha.ps:about mint,
anise
andcummin,:
or.
in
vindication
of
rites;:
and::
forms,
and
ceremonies
which:
God lieverrappointed, while.they:neglectthe
weigh
-
ty
Matters
of
the
law
and the
gospel,
justice
and
good
-:
Hess;.
repentance towards ,God,.aird
faith
in
our
.Lord
.Jesus.,
the
correction
of their
tempers,
and
the
.arrretrd-
i#
Bt,
of
their
lives. Again,.
"
Mis- timing the various actions of
life
is,
another
abuse
of
tirne;
and
contrary to,true
diligence.
¶'
There
is,a tirne,
saith the
wise
man,
for every purpose
under
Leaven,
and
every
thing is.heautiful
in
its
season;
"'Ec.
11.
If
we
should-.
be:
dancing
at
midnight;:
and
$leeping
at,
church, or seeking
Our
diversions in an
hour
©f
business;
if
we
should.work
with
-our
.hands, when
the
season
calls
us
to
our
closets, or
spend that
time
in
rending
and
praying,
;which. is
!appointed
for
the
labours
6:nd
cares
of
the family
;
these
are
all
failures
iu
our
duty;.
and contrary
to
the
true
diligence which the word
of.God,
requires.:
ghat
is
but
trifling
or
impertinence in.one
sea
-
spn, which is
ä.
necessary duty
at-another
nor
will
any
<qr
ks
out:gf:season
prosper or
succeed
well,
or
be
.ap-
prOved
of God
:
And
yet,_there
are
some
persons
so
ha.
ritually guilty
of
this
folly,
that
whensoever,
the certain
feásou,
of
any
duty returns;
they
are.
ever beginning to
do-
sortrethitrg else first, which,
perhaps
they did
not
think
of
b.efore,:
which would
be
much
better
left
till
:afterward;
:Prov.
vi.
6
-8.
"
Go
to
the ant, thou sluggard,"
who
seizes the
days..of
summer and
fair,
weather, to gather
.
her
food,
and
hides
herself
at
winter, and
lives
upon her
lormer
provisions.
The
second thing implied-in
truediligence,
is
"ear
-
liness
in
opposition
to
delay."
If
we
consider
ourselves
as.
rner;
the early man
spews
that
his
heart
is
in
his work
;
kit,
he.
that
frorn
hour
to
hour;
or
from day
to
day,
de-
,lays.the practice
of
any
duty
or
service, gives sufficient
{notice
that
he
doth:not
like
it,
and
wouldnever
perform
it
at
all,,
if
he
could
safely avoid
it.
-
if
we
begin
betimes
.-the
service
of
the,
day,
we
happily provide against
hin-
:derances,
and
we
are
not
in
danger
of
being thrown. into
a hurry
by
accidental
avocations.: We have
hours
before
1,11S
:to
do our
work
well,
to
revieFV
and correct
it:
We