t70 THE WORM:. TO COME, word.of God teaches us, that if we neglect our salvatión iii fhe present day of grace, the angel, in my text, is ready to swear, that time shall be no longer. Here permit me to put in a short word to those who have -lost much time already. O my friends ! begin now to do, what in you lies to regain it, by double diligence, in the matters of your salvation, lest the voice of the archangel should finish your time of trial, and call you to judgment before you are prepared. What time lies before you, for this double improvement, God only knows : The remnant of the measure of your days is with him, and every evening the number is diminished : Let not the rising sun upbraid you with continued negligence. Re- member your former abuses of hours, and months, and years, in folly and sin, or, at best, in vanity and trifling : Let these thoughts of your past conduct, lie with such an effectual weight on your hearts, as to keep you ever vigorous in present duty. Since you have been so lazy and loitering, in your christian race, in time past, take larger steps daily, and stretch all the powers of your souls to hasten towards the crown and the prize. Heark- en to the voice of God, in his word, with stronger attention and zeal to profit : Pray to a long- suffering God with double fer- vency ; cry aloud, and give him no rest, till your sinful soul is changed into penitence, and renewed to holiness, till you have some good evidences of your sincere love to God, and unfeign- ed faith in his Son Jesus. Never be satisfied till you are come to a well grounded hope through grace, that God is your friend, your reconciled Father, that, when days and Months are no more, you may enter into the region of everlasting light and peace. But I proceed to the last general remark. C° Learn the unspeakable happiness of those who have improved time well, and who wait for the end of time with christian hope» They are not afraid, or, at least, they need not be afraid of the sen- tence, nor the oath of this mighty angel, when he lifts up his hand to heaven, and swears with a loud voice, there shall be time no mere. O blessed creatures ! Who have so happily improved the time of lite and day of grace, as to obtain the restoration of the image of God, in some degree, on their souls, and to recover the favour of God through the gospel of Christ, for which end time was bestowed upon them : They have reviewed their follies with shame in the land of hope ; they have mourned and repent- ed of sin, ere the season of repentance was past, and are become new creatures, and their lips and their lives declare the divine change. They have made preparation for death, for which pur- pose life and time were given. Happy souls, indeed, who have
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