124 Cnat9TIAN DILIGENCE. patterty, and a prating fool shall fall; Prov. xiv. 28. and x. S. And toomany there are who pretend tochristianity, but they are only talking christians instead of being active in the duties of theirappointed station, and their zealfor religion appears nowhere but in their tongues. Others also shall bepronounced idle, and triflers at the bar of God, who lay out all their spirits in littlecon- troversy, perhaps about mint, anise, and cummin, or in vindica- tion of rites, and forms, and ceremonies which God never ap- pointed, while they neglect the weighty matters of the lawand the gospel, justice and koodness, repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus. thecorrection oftheir tempers, and the amend-. mendment of their lives. Again, 3. " Mistiming the various actions of life is another abuse of time, and contrary to true diligence." There is a time, saith the wise man, for every purpose under heaven, and every thing is beautiful in its season ; Ec. iii. 1, 11. If we should be dancing at midnight and sleepingat church or seeking our diversions in a hour of business ; if we should work with our hands, when the season calls us to our closets, or spend that time in reading and prayer, which is appointed for the labours andcares of the family ; these are all failures in our duty, and contrary to the true dili- gence which the word of God requires. That is but trifling or impertinence inone season,which is anecessary duty at another; nor will anyworks out of season prosper or succeed well, or be approved of God : And yet there are some persons so habitually guilty of this folly, that whensoever the certain season ofany duty returns, they are ever beginning to do something else first, which .perhaps they did not think of before, which would be much bet- ter left till ; Prov. vi. 6-8. Go to the ant, thou slug- gard, who seizes the days of summer and fair weather, togather her food, and hides herself at winter, and lives upon her former provisions. The second thing implied in true diligence,is " earliness in Opposition to delay." If we consider ourselves as men ; the earlyman shews that his heart is in his work ; but he that from hour to hour, or from day to day, delays the practice of any duty or service, gives sufficient notice that he doth not like it, and would never perform it at all, if he could safely avoid it. If we begin betimes the service of the day, we happily provide against hinderances, and we are not in danger of being thrown into a hurry by accidental avocations : We have hours before us to do our work well, to review and correct it : We keep our temper, and are composed amidst our cares and labours and finish our designs with honour. But ifwe sufferour work to lie neglected, till the latter end of the appointed time, we are ever in a hurry, in perpetual confusion, our temper is rufiled with every incident
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