61 AN HUMBLE ATTEMPT, &C. Christ the Mediator? Have I attained greater freedom at the throne of grace, and treasured up richer experiences about the dutyand the grace of prayer, the pleasure and the success of it ? Have I learned more of the temper of my own heart when I have had such conveniences for retirement and for self-exami- nation, such opportunities to converse with Godand my own soul, and to transact the important affairs of eternity ? Which of us in this assembly who have enjoyed this advantage have not reason to smite upon our breast, to acknowledge our guilt, and to mourn before the Lord VI: You who are not so overburdened with the businesses and cares of Iife but you can find frequent seasons of leisure, which may be employed in the concerns of your eternal interests, what do you more than others ? Methinks when I observe some persons, and even whole families under such degrees of poverty, that they are forced as it were to plow and thresh for their bread from morning to night through the whole week, who are as it were chained to the labouring oar, and must sweat and toil early and late, and break in upon the hours of natural sleep and re- pose in order to support. this mortal life, and to furnish them- selves or their householdwith food and raiment ; when I observe how very little time or leisure they can employ to the purposes of religion for their own, profit, or for the spiritual benefit of their offspring, I cannot but pity them at my heart : and if at any time they have had any breathings of soul after God or godli- . Mess, the perpetual cries of nature in their poor starving families have almost drowned the voice of awakened conscience, and made them neglect the one thing needful: they have been so constantly engaged in labouring for the meat that perishes, that they have little time to seek that which endures to eternal life. Surely upon a review some of us should be awakened to reflect upon many wasted hours of leisure that we have spent in vanity, and whole days that have been squandered away in foolish trifling or vain amusement: Oh how ranch better might many of these happy seasons have been improved in closets and retiring reoms, in readingor prayer, to carry on the designs of religion.and our everlasting happiness ! How valuable a thing is time, thotgh it flies away in silence and so much unnotièed and unregarded ! Time for rebels to seek their peace with God ! Time for guilty creatures to implore a pardon ! Time for those whose hearts are by nature corrupt and sinful, to labour with their hard and sinful hearts by applying the promises, the precepts and the threatenings of the word, in order to soften, to purify and refine them ! Time to wrestle with God in prayer for the assistances of his Spirit ! Time for mise- rable creatures to pursue happiness ! Time for mortal creatures to prepare for death, and for their immortal spirits to get ready
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=