of the diligent maketh rich Prov. 10. 4. I heard of one who being a prisoner in a dark dungeon when the light was brought to him for a little time to eat his diet would pull out his Bible and read a Chapter saying he could find his mouth in the dark but no read in the dark An Argument that he made conscience of redeeming his time Sirs to be watchful diligent laborious in the faithful improvement of all your time talents gifts graces is the thing here intended The precept is for labour Luke 13. 24. 2. Pet. 1. 10. And the diligent in duty hath the promise of the Glory Heb. 11. 9. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life Rom. 2. 7. 2. What time must be redeemed Answ All time Time is so precious that not any of it must be lost The whole time of our life must be imployed either about our souls in the service of God or in the works of our callings or in order thereunto Particularly 1. The time of youth 2. The time of health and strength 3. The time of affliction 4. The time of Gospel 5. The time of the Sabbath or the Lords day in special must be redeemed 1. First The time of youth must be redeemed The great God stands much upon priority to have the first and best The first ripe fruits the first that openeth the womb O then offer the Isaac of thy youth the spring and flower of thy age to God and stay not until the evil day Begin first with him from whom thou hast thy being go about the grand affair and work of thy dear and never dying soul before thou dost ingulf thy self in the cares of this world Resolve to present the first ripe fruits to that good and gracious God who desireth the first ripe fruits In the bright morning of thy life match thy soul to the King of glory and become his Bride before thou art defloured and defiled by sin and the World If the Celestial seeds of grace be sown in the morning the pleasant and sweet flowers springing out of these seeds will invite the Lord Jesus to come and walk in his Garden Cant. 5. 1. If thou would be the Temple of the Holy Ghost let him that made the house be the first and chief Inhabitant and suffer not thy heart to be a habitation for Dragons and Devils which will be thine undoing to all eternity You young-men and young-women know that the infinitely gracious God holds out the Golden Scepter and inviteth you to come unto him The ruddy David the Child Samuel the young Timothy God calls 1 Samuel 1. 11 12. 1 Sam. 3. 10. 1 Tim. 4. 12. and the sooner you come the better it will be Say then this instant behold we come thine we are thine we will be come now and take thine own God will accept you and take it kindly his arms and bosom are open to you Jer. 2. 2 3. I remember the kindness of thy youth the love of thine Espousals when the first fruits was Holiness to the Lord. If you would have the respect and kindness of a God offer unto him the finstlings of the flock Gen. 4. 4. viz. thy youthful days If a company of aged feeble persons or cripples were tendered to the King for service he would not accept them 1 Sam. 14. 52. Mal. 1. 8 13 14. David from his youth and Josiah while he was young began to seek the Lord Psal 71. 17. 2 Chron. 34. 3. Young men if you receive the seed of Grace in the morning of your age it will take the deeper root and impression upon your hearts and cause you to bring forth fruit in old age Cloth will keep color best that 's dyed in the Wool and the Vessel will scent longest of that liquor with which it is first seasoned O then Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth Eccl. 12. 2. 2. The time of health and strength is to be improved You that are now strong and lively must not expect to be so always You as well as others must count upon diseases sickness weakness which will confine you to your Houses Chambers and Bed Now then while your strength and health of body and natural vigour is continued be mindful of your work and time The great duties and difficulties in Heavens way are set forth by striving Wrestling fighting running which requires the best of our time and most of our strength Can a sick and weak man run so as to obtain or so strive and conflict as to overcome judge ye King Saul chose the strong and valiant for his service 'T is the strong must run the race Psal 19. 4. and the young must overcome the evil one 1 John 2. 14. If a man had a business of great concernment or a matter of life and death that requireth time strength and diligence for the doing of it and should omit it until he were stricken in years or until sickness and weakness invade him every one would be ready to charge him with folly If a Carrier amongst many stout strong Horses hand one poor lame sick Horse and should lay the burden of the greatest weight and worth upon that poor weak jade we should conclude that either he was cruel or that he wanted the understanding of a man This is our case the great affair of Immortal souls requireth time strength diligence and all little enough And shall we charge the whole stress of our everlasting state upon a few days sickness and weakness before our death God forbid Eccles 12. 3 4. 3. The time of affliction must be redeemed Christians in the day of adversity we must consider Eccles 7. 14. it was the time of Jacob's trouble when the Apostle exhorted believers to redeem the time God speaks by his rod as well as by his Word to both which we must have an ear God sometimes teacheth his as Gideon the men of Succoth Judg. 8. 16. with Thorns and Bryars of the wilderness Let the affliction be of what kind or degree soever either upon our Persons Names Estates Families Church or Kingdom yea and of long continuance we are to look upon it as from God and for our good For every affliction speaks to us in the Language of Ehud to Eglon I have a message unto thee from God And God will reckon with us for the rods he lays upon us I shall speak more to this in another place 4. The time of the Gospel must be redeemed Gospel time is our spiritual harvest and it is notorious folly to sleep or loiter in Harvest The time of the Gospel is a time indeed viz. a time of light a time of love a time of life a time of liberty Now the trumpet of Jubilee soundeth and all debts and morgages may be taken up and released Here 's liberty for the poor Captives and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound
timerous fearful cowardly Apostate and back-slider in heart who for fear of a little outward hardship declin'd his professed principles and turn'd his bach on Christ and his persecuted little Flock may be heard to wish that either he had never known the way of righteousnees or that he had been faithful unto the death Secure and sadly deluded souls consider you are not far from this direful gulf where multitudes of souls lament and weep day and night and certainly if the horrible and amazing cries and yellings of those infernal spirits were sounding in your ears you would not rest quiet in your Beds or Houses There were sad and astonishing out-cries when the world was drown'd when Sodom was burn'd to see the Clouds suddenly drop fire on their heads and houses and men women and children burning together but this was but a flea-bite to that place where is weeping and gnashing of teeth to all Eternity Remember all you that forget God the day of your calamity is at hand and the things that shall come upon you make haste Deut. 32. 35. But if you are the servants of the Lord and real Saints Mourners in Sion lift up your heads and hearts for you belong to another place and better Country viz. to mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an inumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first born which are written in heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect And to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel Heb. 12. 22 23 24. And know that you are almost come within the hearing of those heavenly Songs eternal triumphs and Hallelujahs of Saints and glorious Angels in your Fathers house Where you will have fulness of joy and pleasure for evermore Ps 16. 11. 7. Consider How sudden violent or unexpected your end may be Therefore let none think or say they shall dye in their nest or promise your selves a time of preparation by a long life or a lingring sickness Consumption or such like Fearless careless sinners you don't know what a night or what an hour may bring forth the rich man in the Gospel while he dream'd of many dayes was arrested by a killing and dreadful message Thou fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee Luke 12. 20. He lives not that knoweth where when or how he shall dye some have gone to bed well and dyed the same night others have dropt dead from their Horses some have died at their Tables whilst the meat hath been in their mouthes others have died in their full strength being wholly at ease and quiet with breasts full of milk and bones moistned with marrow others die in the bitterness of their soul and never eat with pleasure They shall lye down a like in the dust and the worms shall cover them when they are brought to the grave and to remain in the tomb Sirs There are many dreadful instances in the word of God of the sad and sudden approach of this merciless messenger death which stand as so many Sea-marks to give you warning least death should come in an hour you look not for it and find you unprepared The King of the Chaldeans in his greatest jollity and having not a thought of death saw a hand-writing on the wall which was very terrible and the same night was slain While he was feasting and drinking wine and praising the Gods of Gold and Silver in the same hour came forth fingers of a mans hand and wrote over against the Candlestick upon the Plaister of the wall of the Kings Pallace and the King saw the part of the hand that wrote Then the Kings countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the joynts of his loynes were loosed and his knees smote one against another Dan. 5. 3 4 5 6. and 30. Death is the King of terrours and terrour of Kings Good Hezekiah received a sudden summons for death Isa 38. 1. which made him turn his face to the wall pray and weep sore and to chatter like a Crane and mourn like a Dove in the bitterness of his soul because he was to go to the gates of the grave and to the pit where there is no hope The first born in Egypt were slain at midnight which made a great cry Exod. 29. 30. Korah and his wicked company were swallowed up in the midst of their Rebellion Numb 16. 30 31. They went down quickly into the pit and all Israel fled at the cry of them There dyed suddenly of the men of Bethshemesh fifty thousand and threescore and ten because they looked into the Ark 1 Sam. 6. 19. And God many times taketh away the desire of our eyes with a stroak as he did Ezekiels Wife Ezek. 24. 16. Job's children died at their banquet Ishbosheth was smitten and died in his sleep Ananias and Saphira being Husband and Wife died within three or four hours one of the other with a lie in their mouths Act. 5. 5 10. The righteous Judge many times shoots an arrow suddenly at wicked men who dye in the act of sin Ps 64. 7. When they are about to fill their bellies the Lord doth cast the fury of his wrath upon them as he did upon the chosen men of Israel Ps 78. 30 31. Many times God to execute his fierce wrath sends out his destroying Angels who will make dreadful work in a little time for in one night in the Camp of the Assirians the angel of the Lord smote a hundred and fourscore and five thousand that in the morning were all dead Corpses Isa 37. 36. How short and uncertain is our life subject every moment to the stroak of death which the least crumb or flye may put an end unto as it hath to many And as our end may be sudden so also it may be violent a mortal disease may invade both Heart and head and poor dying creatures many times are so distressed and distracted that they cannot think of any thing but their tormenting pain being uncapable to say any thing to God or men about their souls O how stupid and unsensible do many souls make their passage into the other world like Nabal or like a man in a lethargy or as so many stocks or stones and not awake till they awake in the flames of hell The rich man dyed and in hell he lift up his eyes his first and second death was very unexpected All you obdurate sinners stand here and wonder at the matchless mercy and infinite patience of the great God in delaying the King of terrors so long God hath not dealt so kindly with thousands of sinners that are gon before unto judgement and who went down to the pit in a moment witness the late dreadful Plague by the means of which a hundred thousand souls were sent into
TIME AND THE End of Time OR Two Discourses The first about Redemption of Time the second about Consideration of our latter end By John Fox Psal 90. 12. So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom â—am 1. 9. Her filthiness is in her skirts she â—â—membreth not her last end therefore she 〈◊〉 down wonderfully â—…pudet te reliquias vitae tibi reservare id solum tempus bonae menti destinare 〈◊〉 in nullam rem conferri possit Quam serum est tunc vivere incipere cum desinendum est Sen. de brev vit London Printed for George Calvert and Sam. Sprint at the Sign of the Ball in Duck-lane 1670. Ephes 5. 16. Redeeming the time because the days are evil IN the beginning of this Chapter the Apostle exhorts Christians to holiness in general by setting before them a perfect pattern Be ye followers of God as dear Children and walk in love The favourites of Heaven must imitate their Father and like Gideons brethren resemble the Children of a King The precept is Be ye holy be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect Then he goes on to press this great duty more particularly upon all their several relations which he urgeth by many Arguments And in the Text he seemeth to point out the opportunity to put those and other Christian duties into practise See that you walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time Explication of the Words Time is taken under a double notion there is the space of time and there is the opportunity of time Tempus longum and tempus commodum time and opportunity differ time is the duration or succession of so many minutes hours days or years one after the other from the beginning of a mans life to the end thereof Job 7. 1. 14 14. Is there not an appointed time for man upon Earth Opportunity is the time apted and fitted in order to this or that work or business viz. a meeting of time and means together to effect the end This is called the season or tempestivity of time when time tide and wind meet and clasp together Eccle. 3. 1. To every thing there is a season or opportunity of doing time may be continued when the season of time is ended the sails of time may be a lost when the gale of opportunity is lost Every time is not a spring-time a seed-time a gaining time Manna was not to be had but in the morning The beauty of time is the opportunity of time Eccles 3. 11. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time this part of time we are to redeem Redeeming denotes the excellent worth and preciousness of time a commodity to be valued above the Gold of Ophir Solomon bids us buy the truth Prov. 23. 23. Our dear Lord counselled a miserable Church to buy Gold and white rayment Rev. 3. 18. And Paul exhorts us to buy the time a Jewel of that price which must be redeemed at any rate Base or vile things are not wont to be redeemed but things of worth namely mens Liberties Estates Lives c. So our precious time Redeeming the time because the days are evil The words contain two general parts 1. An Exhortation to a duty Redeemeth time 2. The reason of it because the days are evil From the words we may observe this Doctrine which shall be the subject of my ensuing discourse Doct. The best of Saints or the redeemed of God have need to redeem the time This Epistle was written to a very famous flourishing Church in the purest times of the Gospel amongst whom they were called Saints and faithful in Christ Jesus Chap. 1. 1. and chosen of God in Christ before the foundation of the world Vers 4. and really converted and brought into a state of life Moreover they had learned the duty of Mortification one of the hardest lessons in Christianity Chap. 4. 22. And were also sealed unto the day of Redemption Chap. 1. 13. 4 30. and had the earnest of their Heavenly Inheritance And yet they whose attainments were so high must redeem the time The same thing is prest in different terms Eccles 9. 10 It 's called a working while it is day Jo. 9. 4 In the handling of this position I shall shew you 1. First When time may be said to be redeemed 2. What time must be redeemed 3. How time must be redeemed 4. Why time must be redeemed 5. Motives and Directions to help you First When is time redeemed Answ When time and duty like those two twins Jacob and Esau take hold one of another or as two loving yoak-fellows go hand in hand when duty attends time as the shadow the body or as the Maiden her Mistress This is to fill up time with duty and to take opportunity by the fore-lock or in Scripture phrase to do the work of the day in the day And to this end opportunities or seasons are to be desired as they offer an occasion of service and of doing our duty This we may see in holy David Psal 122. 1. I was glad when they said unto me come let us go up to the house of the Lord. When there was a way open to Worship God in the beauty of Holiness David rejoyced to see the true Worshippers improve their opportunity to go to that City the name of which was Jehovah Shammah the Lord is there Eze. 48. 38. And the Prophet Zechariah brings in the Saints of God rejoycing in the same things Zech. 8. 20 21 22. Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord and seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem I will go also The Saints of old were wont to rejoyce when the Sabbath came because of the holy and heavenly duties of that day Opportunities and duty are always to be joyned Gal. 6. 10. This is to live according to the wil of God 1 Pet. 4. 2. and to walk cirspectly redeeming the time Eph. 5. 15 17. 2. When we are truly careful to make up former negligence with double diligence redeeming the time we recover our loss Time according to this phrase seemeth to be taken captive and we must redeem it Redemptions are made by purchase to redeem a thing is to buy it for a price the price we redeemed it with is labour travel faithful and serious diligence and greater activity and vigour in the prosecution of our duty When what of time or seriousness hath been wanting in one day or duty is made up and supplied in the next this is the way to repair our sad soul-damages For the time past of our lives may suffice us to have wrought the will of the will of the Gentils 1 Pet. 4. 3. Christians our sins have been many and mighty but our services few and mean therefore put the best leg before Be not as the sluggard like the door upon the hinges but as the Sun in the heavens that rejoyceth to run his race The hand
'T is now an accepted time a day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6. 2. A time to accept or a time to be accepted a golden and glorious time indeed Behold now there is a broad and clear way to the Mercy seat the flaming sword is gone the partition wall is down all Bars and Gates are removed an Act of indempnity is proclaim'd and there is a free admission for all to come and be saved pardons are ready Isa 55. 6 7. Isa 45. Sinners your dear Lord Jesus the great Peace-maker is now an impotant Suitor unto your perishing souls namely an inviting knocking waiting promising Christ Prov. 22. 9. 4. Isa 65. 2. Math. 11. 28. Rev. 3. 20. Cant. 5. 2. John 6. 36. The treasures of grace are opened and offered to sale upon easie terms without money and without price Isa 55. 1. Rev. 3. 17. O make speed and come make the purchase buy the pearl of price that 's better then Rubies and you shall have a treasure in heaven The favour of Gods precious blood white raiment tryed gold and the eternal life of your never dying souls is worth the having Consider also that now the Holy Ghost calls and offers his assistance to close the bargain to tye the marriage knot between Christ and Souls Heb. 3. If you lose this opportunity you may never have the like The Spirit and the Bride say come Rev. last 17. 5. The time of the Sabbath or Lords day must be redeemed we must have a specially care of sanctifying that day it being the Sabbath of the Lord our God This golden day from morning to night must be spent in the service and worship of our Lord either in publick private or secret duties and no part of it must be lost Take no liberty upon that day for frothy vain and unprofitable discourse or recreations or to ride buy sell or work This dreadful God provoking sin of Sabbath-breaking is a sin in fashion hundreds in this Nation serve the Devil more upon the Lords day then on other dayes Then men are at leisure to serve the Devil and satisfie their lusts to go to the Ale-house or to exercise themselves in sports and pastimes O that Magistrates Ministers Masters of Families and Parents would look to it Neh. 13. 17. The Lord of the Sabbath commandeth thee that thou and thy Son thy Daughter thy man servant and all within thy gate keep that day holy The Sabbath is called a holy convocation Lev. 23. 2. and the Lord of the day is an infinitely holy just and jealous God The Sabbath heretofore was called Regina dierum the Queen of days in the New Testament it is called the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. a day in which we commemorate the greatest mercy viz. the glorious Resurrection of our crucified Lord and that which the purest Christians in the purest times did carefully observe In the Primitive times a serious and strict observation of the Lords day was a trial or badge of Christianity When the question was propounded Servasti Dominicum hast thou kept the Lords day the answer was turn'd Christianus sum intermittare non possum I am a Christian and cannot intermit it It was a saying of an eminent Divine that he would judge of a mans Religion according to the reverence and care he had of keeping the Sabbath Christians you are to keep your Lords rest and perform the holy duties of his worship chearfully reverently spiritually Joh. 4. 24. If ever you think to celebrate an eternal Sabbath with God in glory be careful of this duty To enforce it consider 1. How strictly the holy God imposeth it and to what end it is Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy Exod. 20. 8. This blessed day for communion with God is to be premeditated upon before it cometh therefore in the evening before the Sabbath let all your necessary occasions be done up that you may have nothing but what becometh the work of that day Be like David's good man Ps 112. 5. ordering your affairs with discretion especially your Spiritual affairs If you expected the company of some worthy friend would you be found in a sluttish posture or sweeping and cleansing your houses on that day and all out of order On the Lords day you should vehemently expect the approach and presence of the King of glory therefore make all ready to entertain him 2. Remember the excellent Epithetes and Titles of this blessed day it is called a High day a Holy day the holy of the Lord honourable Isa 58. 13. Therefore let it be redeemed lose no more Sabbaths 3. Consider the blessings and soul benefits of that day if it be rightly observed It is your Lords Market day in the which you have the precious Oyl the Golden Mines and treasures of grace opened that day There are spiritual dainties for your hungry souls to which you are by Christ invited that day Isa 54. 1. The Holy Ghost doth breath and blow that day by the secret and sweet gales whereof Saints mount up toward Heaven The great God comes down and gracious souls ascend that day Rev. 1. 10. And the Eunuchs that keep Gods Sabbaths have the promise of a name in his house for ever Isa 56. 4 5. I might add the severe threatnings and Gods signal judgements upon the prophaners of the Sabbath or Lords day The man that was found gathering sticks upon the Sabbath by an immediate command from God was stoned to death Numb 15. 32 34 35 36. How time must be redeemed 1. By taking and improving all opportunities for the glorifying of God 2. By laying hold on the present time and now a day of grace for settling and securing your everlasting state 3. By improving the present means of grace for your speedy growth in grace 4. By doing all the good you can to others while you may 5. By labouring to keep up constant communion with God in holy duties 6. By improving every providence and outward cross for inward and spiritual advantages 7. By casting up your accounts every day that you may make even with God 8. By labouring to order every days work in reference to your last day that having finished you work you may be fit to leave this World 1. By taking and improving all occasions for the glorifying of God Dear Christians this is your Fathers business and the great Errand for which you had your being You were born and new born to serve the interest of the holy and blessed God in the World this is that glorious end for which you should spend your strength and time and lay out your selves to the very utmost That which is the chief end of your life viz. to display and propagate Gods glory in the World must not be neglected other things are infinitely inferiour and must be subordinated unto this For the thoughts and designs of serving the Interest of your Lord is that which you must be always driving on in this evil
World God expects it Thou shalt have no other God before me Exod. 20. 3. God will be exalted in the heart and in our life too I will be glorified saith the Lord before all the people Lev. 10. 3. One way or other the great Creatour will have glory by all his creatures God made all things for himself the world to be a visible and wonderful declaration of excellent glory so that it is due debt Psal 29. 1 2. Psal 96. 8. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name To walk with God in our whole course to design his glory is the prime mark of our Saint-ship and sincerity This is the white in the mark we should aim at the thing we should pursue resolutely vigorously with all our might Whether we Pray or Preach or read or hear or celebrate Sabbaths or converse exhort or reprove or indeed buy sell plow sow eat drink let it not be done for the World or the interest of the flesh We should have such a high esteem of God and such strong desires and strong affections to him that the pleasing praising and magnifying of of God in all our ways might be our main endeavour Christians you are chosen out of the World to be Gods witnesses if you do not appear for God his honour and interest none will All saith the holy Apostle seek their own Phil. 2. 21. but you are to deny and keep under self which is directly opposite to the honour of your God Wicked men are bold and resolute in a way of sin to bear up the interest of the Prince of darkness and will not you be as active for the interest of your Lord The Martyrs would rather dye then dishonour God who burning with zeal to Gods glory would glorifie him in the very fire God hath made you honourable Isa 43. 4. being Kings and Priests and inrolled you amongst the first born that are written in Heaven You have a place in his heart and a name in his house you are vessels of honour and shall be honoured that we might be to the glory of his grace Your everlasting Father hath mark'd you and set his stamp and seal upon you and put a principle of life within you that we might love him and live unto him The man that refus'd to bear up his deceased brothers name Deut. 25. 9. was to have his face spit on in the face of the Congregation But shame and everlasting contempt will be upon their faces that will not stand up for the honour of the holy God Dan. 12. 2. Christians 't is the sin that reflects dishonour on Gods name therefore allow it not in your selves and prevent it what you can in others Redeem your time and redeem Gods glory your days are evil and you have but a few days for this work do it and God will own you and advance you to a Kingdom Beloved in the Lord though you differ in other things agree in this to glorifie God on Earth that you may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God Rom. 15. 5. Every one that 's godly crying out with holy David Psal 34. 3. O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his Name together 1 Cor. 10. 32. John 14. Ephes 1. 6. As many as are perfect will be thus minded Psal 3. 2. By laying hold upon the present time or now-day of grace for the setling and securing your everlasting state or blessed Eternity Your souls concerns are the greatest yea of infinite moment and the things of Eternity claim a superiority If you purpose to do your souls good you must first seek the Kingdom of God Matth. 6. 33. and take the Kingdom of heaven with violence Matth. 11. 12. Let me dye the death of the righteous or a Lord have mercy on me when you come to dye will not do Numb 23. 10. Mat 25. 11. And know sinner it must be done in this thy day now or never Luke 16. 49. While the door of grace is open before the Bridge be drawn and Mercy gone Isa 55. 6. This must be done 1. By complying with the present call of the Gospel in closing immediately with Jesus Christ and in giving and resigning your selves wholly unto him This is that one thing necessary that must be done speedily to secure your souls to provide for their everlasting welfare Therefore do not procrastinate or delay it for a World 'T is thy grand affair that must make thee or marr thee to Eternity He that believes shall be saved he that believes not is condemned already John 3. 36. John 8. 24. John 1. 12. If you do not now embrace the Lord Jesus upon the great and glorious terms of the Gospel you will as certainly be damn'd as if you were in Hell amongst Devils already 2 Thes 1. 8 9. Heb. 2. 3. and 3. 18. You that want Christ will you welcome Christ saying with thy soul Come in thou blessed of the Lord enter thou King of Glory Psal 24. 7. Thine is the Kingdom take the Throne sit upon the chiefest Chariot take up thy lodging in my heart for ever and suffer not the dead Child to lye in the place of the living Child a dead World and damnable lusts where my Lord should lodge O blessed day and happy hour in which the Heir of Heaven and perishing Sinners meet and are married Here 's a match for you Will you renounce all others Sin the devil and carnal Companions and joyn your self to the Prince of Life Speak the word and the work is done open the door and he will certainly come in and take up his abode for ever All that the Father hath given him shall come to him and him that cometh he will in no wise cast out John 6. 37. Rev. 3. 23. Isa 26. 13. Isa 44. 5. 2 Cor. 8. 5. Acts 16. 30. 2. By repenting without delay This is the second great work in which you must make speed for untill this be done you are in danger every moment of dropping down to Hell Remember the sad story of the woman who when her house was on fire had her Child burned while she was saving some of her goods Sinners your danger is great your opportunities are flying fly you as fast Let me say to thee as the Angel to Lot Gen. 19. 16 17. when in danger of being burned Escape for thy life stay not lest thou be consumed The life and salvation of thy soul cannot be secured without this Acts 11. 18. 2 Cor. 7. 10. Luke 13. 3. Therefore labour to know the plague of thy heart 1 Kings 8. 38. and plow up the fallow ground sow in tears and set about it this instant before this day be ended this Sermon ended lest it should be said of thee as of that woman Jezabel Rev. 2. 21. I gave her space to repent and she repented not and so Gods fury fury come forth like fire and burn and none can quench it Jer. 4. 3 4. 3. By making
it your great business to secure an interest in Christ getting your evidences for heaven bright and clear Christians till you have gotten the pledges and tokens of Gods love to your souls till you are assured of the truth of your faith and the sincerity of your repentance and hereby of the pardon of sin and of your interst in the Lord Jesus you can have little comfort in your souls or boldness towards God Therefore with might and main work out your salvation Phil. 2. 12. Make your calling and election sure that upon certain grounds you may say as the Church Lam. 3. 24. The Lord is my portion faith my soul Doubtless thou art our Father Isa 63. 16. Or as holy Job in his deep affliction Job 19. 25. I know my Redeemor liveth I am thine save me Psal 19. 91. Truely I am thy Servant I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine Cant. 2. 16. Christians this assuring-Faith is attainable pray for it and vigorously press after it that you may be sealed up unto the day of redemption that so an entrance may be ministred unto you into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. And O how well have they redeem'd their precious time that have secured their never-dying Souls Know this that assurance requires both diligence and perseverance therefore you must be constant in the use of means and lay hold on every opportunity of enjoying the Gospel This your Lord commendeth in Mary calling her attendance on the Word preached a chusing the good part Luke 10. 42. There you will taste the Chrystal streams and view the golden Mines of sound Doctrine and Wells of Salvation This is the place of spiritual wonders where the Dead are raised the Lepers cleansed the eyes of the Blind opened and the Devils ejected Gospel Ordinances are the Golden galleries where the King of glory Walketh The Bed where immortal souls are begotton unto God and in which the broken hearts do travel till Christ be formed in them Through these Golden Pipes the Water of Life is poured out upon thirsty panting souls for the chearing of their spirits Here is the Doctrine preach'd and words whereby thou must be saved Acts 10. Here Christs Mother found him it being the place where the Bridegoom and the Bride meet and solace themselves together Do not forsake the solemn Assemblies remember what Thomas lost by being absent when Christ came O come to the Posts of Wisdom's doors and with empty Pitchers set your selves under the Spouts of the Sanctuary 'T is upon these waters the Angel moves and souls are healed This is the School where all Gods children are taught of God and instructed unto the Kingdom of heaven 3. By improving the present means of Grace for your speedy growth in Grace that so the grain of Mustard-seed might become a great Tree Math. 13. 52. The Christian course is compared to a Race a walk to the morning light 1 Cor. 9. 24. Rom. 8. 1. and therefore you must go on and be progressive whilst you live Believers should be as greedy of grace as the men of the World are of gain because one grain of Grace is more worth then a house full of Gold yea better then Rubies You are compared to Stars to fruitful Trees planted by the Rivers of Water and you should glister and shine in this dark night of hellish profaneness and live down and convince this accusing debauched generation The Trees of the Lord should be full of sap Psal 104. 16. being grafted in the true Olive and under the sweet dews of Heaven you should flourish in the Courts of the Lord and bring forth fruit in old age Psal 92. 12 13 14. Christians keep your Lamps burning and hold on your way that the David of grace may wax stronger and stronger Make no stop but strain to get and keep before that you may win the prize Growth of Grace is required of the highest Gyants as well as the lowest Dwarf in Grace They say of the Crocodile he groweth as long as he liveth and when he ceaseth to grow he ceaseth to live How many poor creeping Christians are there who can hardly keep life and soul together being like the door upon the hinges Prov. 26. 14. and why but because they are come to a pitch and past growth as soon as sprung up above ground If there be the truth of grace there will be an endeavour after the strength of grace where is life there is growth 2 Pet. 2. 2. The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day Prov. 4. 18. Sirs up and be doing press toward the mark add to your faith vertue to vertue knowledge to knowledge temperance to tempirance patience to patience Godliness that ye be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Be ye therefore stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord. And if you do these things you shall never fall 1 Cor. 15. vers last 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7 1. 4. By doing all the good we can to others while we have opportunity As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men Hereby we imitate that character of divine goodness Ps 116. 88. Thou art good and dost good Let every one please his neighbour for his good to edification Rom. 15. 2. These four ways ye must do good to others 1. First This must be done especially in your Familiesâ— to them that are more immediately under your charge and for whom you must shortly give an account to the dreadful Judge of quick and dead If Christ be come to thy heart Let Religion be set up in thy house without delay If thou art really gracious be relatively good seeking the profit of many that they may be saved 1 Cor. 13. 33 Sirs if you would not be guilty of soul-blood soul-murther resolve to set up the worship of God in your Families and let Family-work stoop to Family-worship Endeavour to teach thy children and servants to know obey and serve the Lord who is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him If you are the Children of saithful Abraham do as he did and walk in his path John 8. 39. The holy heart-searching God witnesseth of Abraham Gen. 18. 19. I know him that he will command his Children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord. 'T is a great trust to have the care and charge of souls therefore let not your Children and Servants live as they list but command them out of the way of sin which will certainly bring them to Hell O that Parents and Masters of Families would take up holy Joshua's resolution Josh 24. 14. As for me and my House we will serve the Lord. But on the contrary many seem as it were to have banish'd God and the practice of Piety out of their houses as
lives and most prodigious sins makes the days still evil What execrable abominations are there committed upon the Stage of this evil World Iniquity abounds wickedness is in credit and Religion under disgrace Many hate the power of Godliness but are not asham'd to wear the Devil's Livery May we not complain with the Prophet and say as Hosea 4. 12. There is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land By Swearing and Lying and Killing and Stealing and committing Adultery they break out and blood toucheth blood therefore shall the Land mourn And as Isa 12. 15. For our transgressions are multiplyed before thee and our sins testifie against us and truth faileth and he that departeth from Iniquity maketh himself a pray And Amos 5. 10 12 15. They hate him that rebuketh in the gate it is an evil time 3 Many are back slidden and apostatised How are the mighty fallen the falling sickness hath been an Epidemical disease Matth. 24. 12. Because iniquity shall abound and the love of many shall wax cold Jer. 2. 2. 2 Tim. 1. 15. Rev. 2. 4. 4. Doth not God frown and threaten to remove the Candle-stick and leave us in darkness Rev 2. 5. Amos 8. 9 11. 5. How is the Family of God and friends of Christ devided and subdivided one from another Moab and Ammon Herod and Pilate can unite against Christ and his Interest when Christ's little Flock are at a distance one unto the other 1 Cor. 3. 3 4. And when it thus comes to pass the days are evil and our time had need be redeem'd Reas 2. Redeeming the time will render us truly wise See that you walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time Eph. 5. 15. Eccles 6. 5. The wise mans heart saith Solomon discerneth both Time and Judgement To work while it is day and to do a great deal of work in a little time commendeth the wisdom of the Agent Whatever Learning Parts Endowments men have they are not wise unless they redeem the time The men of Issachar were of great account with David because they had understanding of Times to know what Israel ought to do 1 Chron. 12. 32. The wise God in whose hands is our time taxes the Jews for fools not observing the Times Jer. 8. 7 8. and so doth our Lord Jesus the Pharisees Mat. 16. 2 3. Therefore redeeming the Time is called a walking in wisdom as the Apostle expresseth it Col. 4. 5. The APPLICATION Vse 1. FIrst If Time will be redeemed we may infer that sure then there is an Eternity Let all the wasters of time count upon it It is as certain as any thing in this world that there is another World You may venture your Lives your Souls and all upon the truth of it Why should the blessed Astle Paul press Believers so strictly to redeem time but in order to their everlasting welfare Assure thy self of it and believe it as firmly as if both eternities did now present themselves to thy bodily eyes and thou didst see the Devils and reprobates in their chains of darkness and hear them cry and roar in those eternal flames and also see Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Saints departed upon the Throne singing the Song of Moses and the Lamb. This is that which is either beleiv'd or fear'd by the best and worst of men O that it might have a deep and lasting impression upon all your hearts 2. The opportunity of time is a very precious privileage To have a gale of opportunity to convey us to glory or the white flag upon the wall inviting us unto our work to sue out our pardon before it is to late Time is a rich invaluable Treasure and yet a transient treasure Time Gods Post runs apace yea flyes as it were upon Eagles Wings and will be gone Time is compared to Golden Sands running between two Eternities and 't is an infinite mercy they are yet running that you have a day to work out your salvation to agree with the Adversary while he is in the way viz. to make up the breach between God and your souls Rev. 2. 21. The continuance of Time is very uncertain The time is short 1 Cor. 7. 29. The whole is but a span a very little space 'T is but a few days more and then thy last day a few hours more and then they departing hour a few breathings more and then thy last breath 3. Time as precious as it is and which should be redeem'd at any rate is often let slip What shall we do to pass away the time is common in some mens mouths it 's a commodity that lies upon their hands they know not what to do with it How profuse and prodigal are most of this great treasure who make no improvement of it How often hath opportunity come to us and waited on us but very few are found to lay hold upon it To how many time-wasters may that killing Text Luke 19. 41 42. be applyed And when he came near he beheld the City and wept he could not speak it without tears saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hidden from thine eyes 4. Spiritual Sloth whereby we lose so much of our precious time is a sore evil and very dangerous Slothfulness Solomon faith casteth into a deep sleep Prov. 19. 15. The slothful man is like the door on the hinges Prov 26. 14. The slothful is brother to the great waster Prov. 18. 9. Therefore be not slothful Rom. 12. 11. Heb. 6. 12. We read that Joshua said to the Sun Stand still but God never said to the soul Stand still Religion requires action labour diligence for it doth not consist in airy empty notions and speculations of the head but in the exercise of the mind and heart Habits must be exerted Grace improved Heaven that is all up-hill must be strived for and gotten as it were by force and victory 'T is a shameful and deformed sight to see a man professing Godliness in a Lethergy and not prose-Cast off thy lazy and dull spirit temper lest thou be found like that wicked slothful and unprofitable servant who must be cast into utter darkness Mat. 25. 26. 30. Let me say to you as the Danites to their brethren having spy'd out a good Land Judg. 18. 9. Are ye still arise and be not slothful to go and to possess the Land The Heavenly Countrey is before you arise and work and lose it not for want of labour Let not spiritual sloth by eating out your time hinder your work and rob you of your wages Rev 3. 11. 5. If the best of Saints should redeem their time what have sinners need to do You that have been slumbring and sleeping all your time and not gone one step in the way to Heaven but many in the way to Hell had need up and be doing or else
World and your Hellish lusts have had half your time O let the time past suffice Know your times are in Gods hands Psal 31. 15. So that you are not certain of a day to come therefore begin and make speed in you work And for the gray-headed against whom death hath raised his batteries you can have but a few sands in your glass your departing hour cannot be far your Candle is within the socket and it may be is come to a stinking snuff Do you not see the Keepers of the old rotten house begin to tremble and the strong men bow themselves Expect the next blast the house to fall If you that are leaning on your staves and looking through your spectacles being ready to enter upon Eternity don't mind your work immediately Wo wo be unto you for ever If God should work a spiritual Miracle in converting and pardoning an old grey-headed Sinner that hath been idle till the leventh hour Mat. 20. 6. would it not be matter of amazement and wonder to Men and Angels For the Devil to be cast out of possession after he hath an Inhabitant threescore years and more for such an one to be born again would be strange indeed I have heard of an old man who being really converted not long before his death caused this to be written on his Tomb Here lyeth a very aged man of Three Years Old He reckoned all his time and life before as lost and worth nothing Now that you that have put off God and hazarded your souls so long already might lose no more time consider these motives 1. The present time is Gods time and must be yours 2. God the Righteous Judge will reckon with you for your time 3. You have solemnly promised to redeem it 4. Men take and improve opportunity for other things 5. Satan your deadly enemy is always busie and will lose no time 6. Saving-grace is an active and springing principle 7. Time once had and lost cannot be recalled 8. Cons How they prize time that have lost it 9. God hath joyned Time and Duty together 10. On this moment of Time Eternity depends Motive 1. Consider The present time is Gods and it must be yours Don't you hear the Holy Ghost say It is now high time to seek the Lord and calling to you Come away make speed Hos 10. 12. Delayes and Laziness are the two great Gulphs in which multitudes of souls are drowned and perish How many are now in Hell that purposed and promised to turn to God as you do hereafter O fear and tremble lest it should be your case To enforce this take these few hints 1. The present time hath most Precepts and Gods Commands like warrants in the Kings name must be obeyed on sight thereof We say Must is for the King If thou art young read Eccles 12. 1. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts Psal 95. 6. First seek the Kingdom of God Mat. 6. 33. You must not stay long Hos 13. 13. Bless God and wonder the golden thread of precious time is spin'd out so long 2. It hath most promises and they are great and precious I will receive you saith the Lord. They that seek me early shall find me The present time is an accepted time in which God may be found Psal 32. 6. Now God calls Heb. 3 7. and you may come and welcome John 6. 37. And it will be matter of unspeakable comfort to a man dying looking into Eternity to know he hath done the work for which he had his life and time 3. You have the hest examples And 't is our duty to imitate and follow them who are gone to Heaven before Your dead Lord would lose no time I must do the work of him that sent me while it is day When faithful Abraham was to offer his Son Isaac he made hast Gen. 22. 31. He rose up early in the morning Mary Magdalan came early in the morning to enquire after and to see the Lord Jesus whom her soul loved Mark 16. 2. Motive 2. God the righteous Judge will reckon with you for your time Not onely for your health wealth strength parts graces memories but for every minute of your time If at the day of judgement we must give an account for every idle word much more for so great a Talent so rich a Treasure as Time A Heathen could say that every wise man must tam otii quam negottii rationem reddere give an account of his business and of his idleness You may like fools waste your time neglect your duty and stand out against the call of God but it will cost your dear Eccl. 11. 9. Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thine heart chear thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou for all these things God will bring thee unto judgement The great Landlord of your time is at great expence to continue it Those Luminaries of Heaven over your heads and principally the Prince of all the lights of Heaven the Sun that glorious and mighty Gyant the Prince and Crown of all corporal Creatures do tire and waste as it were their Celestial vigour to beget and give Time Time is so rich a Jewel that God would have one man value it to another If one man had hurt another he was to pay both for his cure and loss of time Exod 21. 18 19. So must you at the great day of account for all your time for every Sermon you have heard for every Sabbath and Sacrament you have had all your days Motive 3. You have all promised to redeem your time The Vows of Jehovah are upon you Say with David I will pay my Vows If the Godly man will perform his promise to his hurt Psal 15. 4. Much more should you for your profit Take the Counsel of the Wise Man Eccles 5. 4 5. When thou vowest a vow unto God defer not to pay it pay that which thou hast vowed better it is that thou should not vow then to vow and not pay How often you have engaged your selves to leave your known sins and to live soberly and righteously and Godly in this present World let Conscience witness If you that have resolved to read pray sanctifie the Sabbath c. should still waste and trifle away the time it will not only be a breach of promise but a sin against light for which thy heart will reproach thee and if thine heart condemn thee God is greater then thine heart and knoweth all things 1. John 3. 20. Remember the promises thou didst make at such a Sacrament or when struck at the heart by such and such a Sermon or when death was at thy Family or thy self near unto it and defer not to perform thy Covenant God who is a God of truth will not be mocked and
that you shall know ere it be long Jeptha would perform his vow to God I have said he opened my mouth unto the Lord I cannot go back Judg. 11. 34 35. Herod for his Oath sake murdered John the Baptist Matth. 14. 9 10. How many times hast thou engagest to dedicate and devote thy self to God and his Service therefore say Lord for my promise sake I will sacrifice my self and become thine redeeming my time for thy glory and mine own Salvation Motive 4. Cons Men take and improve opportunities for other things The fittest and best time is taken for buying selling plowing sowing and gathering into Barns and especially in evil and hard times Men will rise early run ride and labour in the very fire as the Prophet speaketh Redeeming the time 't is a Metaphor taken from Merchants that will be early in the Market lest the opportunity of buying the best Commodities should be lost The Proverb is that Time and Tide stay for no man and that we must make Hay while the Sun shineth There 's none but the sluggard will sleep in Harvest the diligent Husband-man will not lose a day then Christians in this great affair of your precious immortal and never-dying souls do as men about other things Millers and Marriners observe and improve every gale of wind yea the Stork in the Heaven the Turtle the Crane and the Swallow know and observe the time of their coming Jer. 8. 7. They that say to day or to morrow we will go into such a City and buy and get gain Jam. 4. 2. will as we say turn every stone and lose no time to buy a good bargain to make a rich purchase and shall we redeem our time and make the best of our spiritual markets to make provision for our souls that are more worth then all the world Motive 5. Satan that Enemy and grand Soul-deluder is always busie He is an active Devil and he loveth to find us idle Christians this old Serpent is never more at work then when we are idle for idleness layeth a man open to all his Hellish Snares and temptations and then if temptations come you are out of Gods way and if Satan find you on his ground he will be too hard for you The Apostle tells us he goeth about and still offers temptations for the wasting of our time This roaring Lyon hath a large circuit for ever since he was cast out of Heaven he hath been going to and fro in the Earth and walking up and down in it John 1. 7. His grand design is to devour 1 Pet. 5. 8. This black Prince loves to prey upon precious souls the soul being that sweet morsel he is still gaping at This Adversary hath his several walks he is in the Shop in the Market in the Street in the Chamber in the Closet and every where where sin is and he is also in the Congregation among the Assemblies of the Saints when they are about spiritual service When Joshua the High-Priest stood before the Lord Satan was standing at his right hand to resist him Zech. 3. 1. This deadly enemy was with Christ and his Disciples at the Passover for there he entred into Judas John 13. 26 27. Therefore Christians we have need to work and watch too The devil that hates you and all mankind doth bestir himself he goeth forth into the broad way of prophaneness and there he tenders and tempts men with sensual objects and he entreth in the by-path of error appearing as an Angel of light and enticeth wanton wits to suck down the poyson of his damnable doctrine And when once he hath injected his poyson into the head how much time is spent in writing and disputing to defend his delusions We read that it was while men slept this enemy Satan came and sowed Tares among the Wheat Matth. 13. 25. 39. He is a working busie Devil never at leisure but is always spreading his Baits and casting his Snares and Nets to catch souls Therefore be ye sober vigilant and watch unto prayer and employ this talent of precious time well Idleness is Satans Shop and the Mother of Mischief David was at leisure and on the roof of his house when Satan prevailed by that sad temptation 2 Sam. 11. 3. Therefore set God alwayes before you keep in his way and be doing your duty that you may be kept from his fiery darts The flying Bird is seldom shot The cautious diligent active soul is most secure Motive 6. Time once gone cannot be recalled Time past is gone for ever Time present if we may so call it is going future Time is most uncertain neither Men or Angels can hinder or stop it turn or bring it back again If opportunities be not now taken they may never be had Be good husbands of your time and work now or you may never work Time's redemption may be your salvation therefore follow and improve the light before darkness overtake you You all know that yesterday or the last hour will never come again If thou hadst as much treasure in thy custody or power as the whole world is worth it cannot purchase one minute of time past You that are old may as easily call back your youth or become young again as recover any part of this precious time Luke 19. 42. Motive 7. The nature of saving-Grace is working and springing up which turneth all the powers and faculties of the Soul Heaven-ward Such is the activity and vigour of this gracious nature that it will bring a man to a What wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. 6. Ephes 2. 10. 'T is not a lazy and languid thing but full of life and power The state of sin in Scripture is described by death and darkness which are a cessation and privation of life and light and motion and the state of Grace is described by life Eph. 2. which is powerful and most vivacious like the Sword of the Lord and Gideon doing great things It is no wonder to see the men of the world that are born after the flesh to be dull sluggish and unactive But you that have a Divine Nature and a Spirit of life and power in your hearts should be diligent and laborious 2 Tim. 1. 6. Rom. 8. 2. This living principle of Grace made the holy Apostle who excited others to redeem their time so to employ his Talent the Grace of God in him made him labour more then they all 1 Cor. 15. 10. The streams of grace that flow into the Soul are called Rivers of Living Water John 7. 31. and a Well of water springing up unto eternal life John 4. 14. So that Christians have greater advantage of doing good and of living to Gods glory Therefore stir up the grace of God that is in you cast off slothfulness and put on diligence and laying aside every weight rejoyce as the Son to run the Race that is set before you Motive 8. Consider How highly they prize time that
have lost it and are come to the end of it and who with the loss of time have lost themselves We have many dreadful Examples that stand as so many Sea-marks to warn us to take heed The poor Jews were utterly undone by it The Lord only knowns how many of them are now in flames that suffer the vengeance of Eternal Fire for not improving the day of Grace Luke 19. 42. Matth. 23. 37. The foolish Virgins having lost the opportunity of buying Oyl came too late to the door And Esan staid too long to get the blessing Most do things when it is too late Men go to bed late rise late go to Market late come to Church late and make peace with God when it is too late The old Israelites marched towards Canaan when is was too late and so lost that good Land O how dreadful will mercy slighted and time lost be to the awakened soul when it comes to dye seeing it self in a Christless state It was a speech once of a woman in terror of Conscience when divers Ministers and others came to her in a way of comforting her she looks with a ghastly countenance upon them and gives them this answer Call back time again if you can call back time again then there may be hopes for me but time is gone Another great Lady upon her death-bed cryed out All too late all too late a World of Wealth for an inch of Time Another Gentlewoman of whom I have heard who was wont to employ this precious Talent of Time in playing at Cards and such like-Games coming from her sport late in the night finding her Waiting-maid that was religious reading in a good Book and casting her eyes in the Book over the Maids shoulder speaks these words or to this effect Thou poor melancholly soul whut always reading and spending thy time thus wilt thou take no comfort in thy life The Gentlewoman retiring to her Chamber went to bed The maid lodging in the same room perceived her Mistress under great dsquiet and perturbation of Spirit sighing and groaning bitterly The Servant hearing of it several times called to her to know the reason she could not sleep the Maid urging of her at last she cryed out said I read this word ETERNITY in thy Book which hath so pierced my heart that I believe I shall never sleep more till I have a better assurance of mine Eternity Another wanton Lady that hath wasted her time in sensuallity who dyed not many weeks past told her vicious Mother standing by her bed-side That it was too late to speak of God to her for you have undone me and I am going to Hell before and you will certainly come after It is common with men dying and going into the other World sadly to bewail the loss of time When they fear Mercy is going Patience expiring and the time respited for repentance over then they prize opportunities at another rate And O what would the damned in Hell give to be admitted into the World if they might but enjoy one day or hour to deliver themselves from that dreadful place of torment Luke 16. 27 28. Motive 9. Consider God hath joyned Time and Duty together that in two respects 1. In respect of Assistance 2. In respect of Acceptance 1. God hath joyn'd Time and Duty together in respect of Assistance and what Infinite Majesty hath joyned must not by any means be separated Work and Time Opportunity and Duty must go together Adam had his work in Paradice before the fall And second Adam was always in action to the end of his days His meat and drink was to do the will of his Father Nullus mihi per otium dies exit I have no day for idleness was the language of a Heathen Christians do your work in season and you shall have Assistance God's opportunity is as wind to the Sails or as Oyl to the Wheels which will make you glide through difficult duties with much facility If we work in God's time God will work with us and we shall be workers together with him Gospel-time is in order to Gospel-work spiritual Opportunities are appointed and continued for spiritual Duties The work of faith repentance mortification of sin the plucking out right eyes the chopping off right arms fighting and wrestling with the Powers and Prince of darkness are exceeding difficult but God whose arm is potent will give power and how easily will great work or service be done when there is great assistance in the doing of it A burden that is too heavy for one to lift by the help of another will come up easie This Paul witnesseth Phil. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ which strengthneth me The feeble Jews by the help of Jehovah raised the Walls of Jerusalem from its very rubbish and that in spight of all opposition Neh. 3. 2 3. and 6. 15. they plying the work the Lord was with them by his great power and strong hand they made their prayer unto God when strength was almost decayed and laboured in the work from the rising of the morning till the Stars appeared and so the Wall was finished Let time be redeemed and then a great deal of work may be done in a little time God's opportunity will make believing and repenting easie Luke 19. 6. Acts 2. 37. 41. Acts 16. 14. 34. O therefore while it is day work out your Salvation for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 12 13. 2. God hath joyned Time and Duty in respect of Acceptance Every time is not an accepted time 2 Cor. 6. 2. The Isruelites that refused to march up to Canaan at Gods command lost their opportunity and afterward he would neither assist them nor accept them If thou stayest till God's time be past and gone art thou sure God will accept thee hereafter There is a time when God will not be found will not be spoken withal Isa 55. 6. Esau sought the blessing with tears and it was denied him Heb. 12. 17. Prov. 1. 29. Do not say what need so much speed what need so much improving of time so much reading hearing praying preaching but resolve upon thy now or never Motive 10. Lastly Consider That on the present moment of time eternity depends This deep and heart-affecting Meditation should even swallow us up and cause us to hasten unto our work Let go Time's opportunity and you will certainly be ruin'd to all Eternity The Painter being asked why he was so exact in drawing his Lines answered I paint for Eternity Consider that thou must believe and repent for Eternity hear and pray for Eternity fear love obey for Eternity A work of infinite moment depends on a moment of Time This day thou mayest throw thy last Cast for Eternity This swift Post will not stop no not for a moment Secure soul dost thou see Eternity before thee even at thy door and that there
is but a step between thee and an endless state and wilt thou not be more industrious for thy Soul and Heaven If a man were to run or wrestle for his Life or for a Crown or Kingdom how would he strain and strive and that with all his might If a man were to go over Sea for his life and had but one gale of wind in his Life-time would he come to the water-side and lose it If a Malefactor had but a day appointed him to sue out his pardon would he not improve it This is all our cases God hath given us but a day to work when the day is ended it will be night for ever Luk. 19. 19 42. John 9. 4. Now it may be Christ is at the door offering thee help open to him lest he withdraw and come no more It s probable the spirit of Life and Power striveth to turn thee to God O refuse not to comply with it lest the Spirit serve thee as Samuel did Saul that came no more to him 1 Sam. 15. 35. I shall conclude the Motives with the words of the Psalmist to day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts left God swear in his wrath that you shall not enter into his rest Psal 91. 7. 11. Now if thou art resolved to put this duty into practice through the help of Heaven speedily and diligently observe these Directions Directions for the redeeming of Time 1. Take heed and beware of those things which rob you of your time 2. Labour to convince your selves of the worth of time and value it accordingly 3. Set apart a considerable portion of time for the most secret duties 4. Cast and compute your time 5. Maintain a holy fear upon thy heart of coming to the end of time before thy work be done Direct 1. First Take heed of those things which rob you of your time Now the thieves that will rob you of this exceeding rich Jewel are these six against which watch as for thy life 1. Vain Thoughts 2. Worldly Cares 3. Vnnecessary Visits 4. Vnprofitable Discourse 5. Excessive indulging of the outward man 6. Vnlawful or immoderate recreations 1. Vain Thoughts These are secret and subtile Thieves that insensibly rob us of our time every day and in every duty vain impertinent and wicked thoughts like Pharaoh's Frogs creep and crowd in upon us and thrust out good thoughts so that we cannot keep our mind steddy and compos'd Solomon saith Prov. 17. 24. The eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth so are our thoughts gadding wandring up and down here and there and every where These evil thoughts spring and rise from within us as naturally as sparks from the fire Gen. 6. 5. Matth. 15. 19. Out of the heart proceedeth evil thoughts And they follow us continually into every place and in every service as the Birds on Abraham's Sacrifices which Abraham did drive away They must not Lodge Jerem. 4. 14. Though we cannot hinder the Fowls from flying in the Air or over our heads we may hinder them from pitching on our heads Holy David had vain thoughts but he hated them Psal 119. 113. There is not a minute but many thoughts pass from us as in a minute sands do in an Hour-glass Psal 94. 19. Christians consider how much of that time is lost which you spend in holy duties by vain thoughts when we should draw nigh to God our hearts by our thoughts steal away And there are but a few awakened tender spirits truly sensible of this intrinsical secret evil though much of a Christian's duty and the very inwards of Religion lies in observing the thoughts and in watching the heart Therefore above all keeping keep thy heart Prov. 4. 23. and take heed to thy spirit Mal. 2. 15 16. 2. Worldly Cares are great wasters of our precious time The most do mind Earthly things Phil. 3. 19. Men heads hearts and thoughts are so intent about the things that perish that they do hardly entertain a serious thought of God and Eternity all the day God is not in all their thoughts They that are the flesh do mind the things of the flesh Rom. 8. 5. and not only the children of this World but Professors themselves are so eager and vehement in the pursuit of this poor Earth that almost all their time and strength is spent about it And while men are so careful and solicious about many things and in a very crowd and hurry of business it is impossible for them to redeem time for God and their souls As soon as their eyes are open and the things of the World stand as so many Suitors to invite and draw them Some have their hearts so over-charged and surfeited with the Cares and fears of this evil world that their abundance will not suffer them to sleep Luke 21. 4. Eccles 5. 12. Now when it is thus Opportunities are lost Souls are neglected Holy duties omitted or if used they are very unsuccessful Ezek. 33. 31. Math. 13. 22. Therefore take heed of the world so great a devourer of our time 3. Vnnecessary visits are great wasters of our time of which you must take heed it being no mark of Godliness but the contrary The wise man speaking of the vicious and vertous Woman giveth them this different Character viz. the one her feet abideth not in her House Eccl. 7. 11. the other looketh well to the wayes of her houshold and eateth not the bread of idleness Prov. 31. 27. And we read of some that wandred about from house to house being idle Tatlers and busie-bodies speaking things which they ought not 1 Tim. 5. 13. How many do trifile away the time in going from house to house to whom it may be said as Pharaoh to the oppressed Israelites Ye are idle ye are idle Let that time you have to spare from your Calling and Families be spent in Reading Prayer or other Religious exercises and in all your Visits intend and design the doing of good or the receiving of good and not the passing away of this precious time When your friends or neighbours are sick and under the hand of God go to them and give them counsel for their souls Rom. 15. 2. 4. Vnprofitable Discourse robbeth us of much time Some employ their Tongues in telling fabulous or filthy stories others in discoursing of Parties and Opinions and in talking of the Faults and Miscarriages of other men Some about the Times and enquiring after News Thus did the men of Athens who spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing Acts 17. 21. And the most when they come together pass away the time in discoursing of the World and the concerns of it But let Christians when they converse imitate their Lord the words that proceeded out of his mouth were gracious words Walk in wisdom toward them that art without redeeming the time Let your speech be always with Grace seasoned with Salt
that you know how you ought to answer every man Col. 4. 5 6. 5. Excessive indulging the outward man Much of our time is spent in making provision for the flesh Rom. 13. last Some hours are taken up every day in providing for the belly to please the Pallate and some at their Tables take up much time Others to gratifie a proud fancy much time is wasted in decking and trimming the body There are those that spend more time in looking into a glass then upon their knees in praying to God A godly Minister coming to a Gentlewomans house to Dinner where he waited from ten a clock till one all the while she was dressing burst out in weeping to think that she should spend so much time in Trimming and he so little in Praying Also excessive Sleep doth devour a great part of our short life and time When we should be on our knees in our Closet we are in our beds or on our Couches Others waste their precious time in Ale-houses and Tavers and Brothel-houses from day to day God's day being not exempted Against such there is a dreadful Wo Wo unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink that continue until night till Wine inflame them Isa 5. 11 12. 6. Vnlawful or immoderate Recreations are the occasions of great expence of time Recreation not to be used but as Physick in case of need is an ingrosser and wafter of our time that 's dear and precious Many are so excessive in it as if they were sent into the World to do nothing but sport What time is spent is Carding Dicing Dancing Interludes Stage-plays Bear and Bull-baitings Hunting Hawking and in reading Romantick Books which for Men and Women professing the Gospel are not of good report Phil. 4. 8. The turning of the Bible or of some good Book is more becoming a Christian then turning a pair of Cards a Game so much accustomed by the Prophane and an occasion of much sin These things will cause bitterness and horror at last they are Honey to the Fansie but a sting to the Conscience Consider which will afford most comfort dying Item so many days in recreation or so many days in humiliation so many hours in prayer or so many hours in playing at Cards so many hours in vain filthy discourse or so many hours in serious and Heavenly conference Item so many Sabbaths in reading hearing and singing of Psalms or so many Sabbaths spent in eating drinking walking or worse Holy Bradford counted that hour lost wherein he had not done some good Titus Vespasian was wont to say Diem perdidi I have lost a day Direct 2. Set a due estimate upon this precious Jewel of Time that your hearts may be so truly tender as to make conscience of wasting of it A Godly Minister was wont to say when he saw the morning clear and serene 'T is pity this day should be lost O value your time reckon more of one Sabbath then of the best Fair or Market that ever thou wasted in all thy life Set upon the now day of Grace the price of Eternity I have told you already the damned in Hell if it might be would give a World for one opportunity to make peace with God Direct 3. Set apart some considerable portion of time for the most secret duties 1. For ordinary secret prayer and meditation set some time apart in the morning and evening of every day and do not catch and snatch at praying-times Many serve the world and the flesh all day and put off God with a few words or sleepy prayers at night Prayer is the breath of the new Creature and the sign of spiritual life Act. 9. 6. Christians let your prayers be secret sincere fervent constant The way to Heaven said a good man is through the Closet and they that have been eminent in Piety have been excellent in Prayer Holy David would not let a morning pass without prayer Psal 5. 3. Yea three times a day he was at this blessed duty Psa 55. 17. It was his Element and constant employment Psal 109. 4. Your prayer must be fervent if it be effectual Prayer without fervency is as a Bullet without Powder or as a Bird without wings that cannot mount up into the Air. Holy fire must be put to the daily Sacrifice God answers by Fire He that looks upon the heart regards the manner of your Prayers more then the number of your prayers Cold slight mumbling over a few Petitions either out of custom or to stop the mouth of conscience will not prevail Ps 25. i. Isa 26. 9. Jam. 5. 15. Christians the time that you spend with God in secret is the sweetest time and best improved Therefore if thou lovest thy life be in love with prayer Resolve to spend some time with God in private every day 2. Extraordinary private Fastings is a duty very necessary and practised but by a few Soul-afflicting dayes between God and a man's self would though grace be much for spiritual advantage Husbands should mourn apart and their Wives apart Zech. 12. 12 13. Fasting-days will be Soul-fatting days Acts 10. 30. and Blessed are they that mourn Mat. 5. 4. 3. The third private duty is self-examination When thou art alone ask thy self these questions 1. Is it most certain that I am in a state of Grace 2. Is Grace thriving Doth my inward man prosper 3. Do I live in no known sin against Conscience Psal 19. 1. 28. and exercise my self unto Godliness 4. Do I make conscience of redeeming time so as to joyn time and duty togetogether A Precious Servant of the Lord was wont to say if a man could answer to these two Questions he need not to fear First Am I Gods child Secondly Am I in Gods way Psal 119. 94. Direct 4. If you would redeem your time compute your time Pray thou mayest do it Psal 90. 12. Psal 39. 4. Numbring the People was David's sin but numbring his days a duty 'T is common for men to number their Sheep their Cattel Houses Lands Wares Money but to number our days is a rare kind of numbring for the neglect of which what arears are we fallen into with the great Land-lord of our time Christians divide your time into parcels and consider how little God hath how much time was spent in thy Infancy and Child-hood before thou hadst the use of reason how much is spent in our Callings and Employments about the world how much in Eating and Drinking and unprofitable discourse besides all this half or more is spent in sleeping so that in the work of God and about our immortal souls we employ but a very little Therefore 't is more then time to redeem it Direct 5. Maintain always a holy fear upon thy heart of coming to the end of time before thy work be done Live continually in an expectation of your great changes Buy Sell Converse Read Pray Hear and do all as
in your ears as thorns darts and swords in your flesh as poyson in your bowels as fire in your bones to compel and force you speedily tocurb and check the reins of your hellish lusts that you so might five from wrath to come Did you but view that dark and cold grave and hot hell that is so neer you would rather starve or dye then run to that excess of riot you could not sleep and snort dance and sport upon the pits brink under such a consideration But forget all this banish the thoughts of God death and hell and you will run and rush into sin as the horse into battel Luk. 12. 45 crying peace peace till danger death and destruction cometh 1 Thes 5. 3. This was that mighty sin that ripened Jerusalem for ruine and brought her down wonderfully her filthiness is in her skirts she remembreth not her last end The Lord complaineth by the Prophet Isaiab of the same thing Israil doth not know my people doth not consider but what follows ah sinful Nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evil doers they have forsaken the Lord they have provoked the holy one of Israel compare Lam. 1. 9. Isa 1. 3. 4 But he that doth that which is lawful and right shall save his soul alive who is that he that considereth and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed he shall save his soul whosoever doth perish that man shall never perish Ezek. 18. 14. 28. Reas 4. The consideration of your latter and will be a powerful incentive to make you exert and put forth the greatest industry in a way of duty yea it will certainly have an influence upon all our duties and upon all our graces for considering and doing are frequently joyn'd together Psal 41. 1. Prov. 31. 16. she considereth a field and buyeth it I thought on my wayes or considered my wayes and turned my feet unto thy testimonies Psal 119. 59. Lam. 3. 40. Heb. 10 This if any thing will make you serious diligent and constant in any duty and to work while it is day before the night cometh wherein no man can work The Apostle exhorts to consider one another to provoke to love and good works and so much the more as ye see the day approaching Heb. 10. 24 25. The remembrance of the day of our death and of our passing into eternity with a deep impression of it upon the heart will be as a voice of thunder speaking to the secure sensless sinner awake awake thou that sleepest open thine eys stand upon thy feet and behold and see what a sea of blood and wrath is here See and beleive beleive and consider consider and fear fear and fly and make hast in thy work Thy work is great and weighty diversions are many adversaries are strong thy strength is small thy time is short thy account is great death and judgement are at the door therefore up and be doing now or never You slow and slothful souls Let your apparent and inevitable danger suddenly provoke and spur you unto your duty to seek the Lord in a time accepted before the door of life beshut God with-drawn and mercy quite gone The prophanest Sea-man will sigh mourn pray promise vow if death and danger looks him in the face when the ship was like to be broken and death threatned immediately to surprize them the Marriners were sore afraid and cryed every one to his God And this the very light of nature dictated to the ship-master though a Heathen that then it was no season to sleep what meanest thou O sleeper arise and call upon thy God if so be that God will think upon us that we perish not Joneh 1. 6. and the most notorious thieves and murderers will pray in prison or when they come to the Gallows the place of execution When the most righteous Judge sent his destroying Angels to the City of London and other places in the year 65. for the dreadful fear of which many thousands did flye and many thousands did fall viz. the carkases of men like dung upon the ground and as handfuls after the Harvest man When death did knock at a thousand doors in one night Owhat confessing of sin fastings crying and importunate knocking was there at the throne of grace and it may be by many persons families that prayed but little before or since that God would pity pardon and remove that amazing sweeping judgement which is now almost forgotten Upon an unwakening apprehension of Ninevehs fatal ruine the King and his Nobles decreed and proclaimed a Fast and injoyned every one to cry mightily to God Jonah 3. 7. Sinners were you but truly sensible of your peril you would pray to purpose viz. more ardently more in wardly more deeply more affectionately then ever you have done It was a supposed danger and that of death that caused Jacob to weep and make supplication for Esau hated Jacob and said in his heart the dayes of mourning for my Father are at hand then will I stay my brother Jacob Gen. 27. 42. and Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed Gen. 31. 7. Which made him so importunate with God for deliverance and he prevailed Gen. 31. 11. Hos 12. 4. Poor sinners your case is dangerous I will not say desperate but you are ignorant of it you do not know that you are poor miserable blind and naked were you but sensible that you are liable to the wrath of God the stroke and sting of death every moment it would constrain you to cry mightily to God for pardon Holy Job when he considered of Death and Judgement set prayer to work and said Why dost thou not pardon my transgression and take away mine iniquity for now shall I sleep in the dust O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave that thou wouldest keep me secret until thy wrath be past that thou wouldest appoint me a set time and remember me Job 7 21. 14. 13. This also made those two gracious Kings Hezekiah and David to weep and pray in the bitterness of their souls In those dayes was Hezekiah sick unto death and Isaiah the Prophet came unto him and said thus saith the Lord set thine house in order for thou shalt dye and not live then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and wept sore and prayed to the Lord Isa 28. 1 2 3. David when the sorrows of death compassed him and paines of hell got hold of him then said he I called upon the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul Psal 116. 3 4. Jonah that could sleep in the ship prayed in the Whales belly Out of the belly of hell I cryed and thou heardest my voice Jonah 2. 2. The Apostle Peter and Christ himself presseth prayer from the consideration of the end of the world The end of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer 1 Pet. 4. 7. and pray saith Christ that you may escape
pretend to beleive these things we may see them as busie as a company of Ants in a sunny day and that the general course of men hath no tendency towards this end but indeed a sad and woeful incongruity 2. The second cause is want of spiritual and divine wisdom It was for want of that wisdom which is from above that the Israelites did not consider O that they were wise said God They are a Nation void of counsel neither is there any understanding in them Deut. 32. 28. If men were wise for their precious and eternal souls they would consider what is here to be done and what is like to be their condition in the other world The prudent man fore-seeth the evil or considereth the evil and hideth himself When God by the mouth of Moses threatned to plague the Egyptians by the Pestilence Haile and Fire he that beleived and feared the word of the Lord amongst the servants of Pharoah made his servants and cattel flee into the house and were preserved Exod. 9. 20. So the soul that is truly wise to consider of the danger of beingdestroyed by the grievous hail and fire of Gods wrath will flee into the hiding place viz. under the wing of the great and glorious Mediator where alone there is true succour But he that did not fear or consider of the danger left his servants and cattle in thâ— field and were destroyed Exod. 9. 21 25. 3. The third hindrance is sensuality worldly pleasures and cares these carry away the heart from the true consideration The Israelites confluence of creature-comforts caused them to forsake and to forget God Deut. 32. 14. 15 16 17 18. The old world was eating drinking marrying and giving in marriage not considering of their danger till the flood came and took them all away Matth. 24. 38 39. The men of the earth do so mind earthly things that their hearts are surfeited and drunken with the care of it Luke 21. 34. And while mens minds and thoughts are carri'd so vehemently after the world to make provision for their life they can think but little of their death Luk 12. 15 16 17 18. 4. The fourth obstruction is a plague upon the heart and desperate security proceeding from it No bonds next to death are so strong to keep men under as security and senslesness of Spirit So dead a sleep possesseth more of the ungodly world that they are past feeling and become so stark dead that the voice of God in the dreadful threatnings of his word and the alarum of his amazing tremendous judgement and desolating providences prevail not to awaken them The Lord hath poured out upon them the spirit of a deep sleep and hath in judgement closed their eyes that they can sin in the very face of the Judge at the very brink of hell at the very mouth and entrance into that great gulf of Eternity 5. A fifth hindrance to mens consideration of their latter end is a strong delusion of heart or satanical suggestions The old serpent and desperatively deluded hearts make them dream that God is all love that they shall have a long life that preparation for death and Eternity is a short work and that it may be done at any time namely when they have done with the world when they are old or lying on a sick bed They say in their hearts 't is but beleiving or repenting and saying Lord have mercy upon me let me die the death of the righteous Under this deadly delusion they dream of heaven and go laughing to hell 1 Thes 5. 3. And that which doth much encrease this stupidity may be the want of or neglect of a powerful and soul searching ministry whose office as watchmen is to foresee the danger and to warn and awaken secure sinners crying aloud to them in the name of the Lord Awake thou that sleepest arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Ephes 5. 14. But som cannot endure that Ministers should be so severe plain and peircing in their Doctrin so as to thunder and lighten in the eyes and ears of sleepy souls They are well contented to sit under those that daub with untempered mortar and who sow pillows for their arm holes under whose ministry they may take a nap and sleep it out But they hate him that reproveth in the Gate that galls cuts and wounds their Consciences just like the gall'd-backt horse that bites and kicks at him that would heal him A person of no mean quality speaking his opinion of several ministers said such a man I can hear and such a one I can hear very well but for the third he mentioned that was wont to lay the ax to the root of the Tree and grapple with the heart I cannot endure to hear him for he alwayes grates upon my conscience 6. Men do not consider their latter end because they are afraid to do it 1. First to wanton sinners the remembrance of death is a bitter Pill that will not suffer the pleasures of sin to go down so sweetly Therefore they say to the thoughts of Death as the Governour to Paul Go thy way for this time when I have a convenient season I will send for thee Serious thoughts of death and Judgement to come as the hand-writing on the wall will damp the spirits and mar the mirth of the greatest Prince or gallant in the world 2. They fear to think of death because they have made no preparation for it viz They have not believed repented liv'd a life of holiness so as to make God their friend A bankrupt that oweth many hundred pounds more then he is worth is afraid to cast up his Accompts so poor and impenitent sinners that are indebted to God that owe him ten thousand talents are unwilling to think of death because death will say unto them come give an account of your Stewardship for you must pay the utmost farthing 3. They are afraid to think of death by reason of the dreadful consequences of death as it relates to both worlds The change that death makes as to this present world is very amazing 1. It brings unavoidable dissolution or separation of soul and body these two dear companions that have lived and converst together and sin'd together for many years must then part and a living man will become a dead Carcase fit for nothing but a grave and the soul must have another habitation Job 17. 13 14. Job 19. 26. Well might Death be called the King of terrours 2. It is matter of fear to leave this world that hath been so pleasing and delightsom and for which we have toyl'd and labour'd so many years in one night to loose it all For when the departing hour cometh you may take a view of all your comforts which you have had under the Sun and helps for heaven viz. Husbands Wives Parents Children Kinsfolk Friends jolly Companions Gold Silver Houses Lands sweet and delicate Banquets pleasing Bargains
work were done and finished 'T is the grand business of your life timely and truly to prepare for death and judgment It were better that all your concerns in the world were wholly neglected namely Husband wife Children buying selling seed-time harvest omitted let all run to ruine then to hazard lose and undo your souls for this will certainly ruine body and soul for ever O seriously mind how little you have done in the time of your life past and how uncapable you will be to do any thing at the end of time when you come to take up your lodging in a grave O remember the dayes of darkness they will be many Eccl. 1. 18. They that have been in the Grave a thousand years have done nothing neither can you when you come there Eccl. Now for you that have lived some twenty thirty forty fifty or threescore years and done nothing in order to a preparation for your everlasting state it is high time to begin the work The most of you are so sensless as not to consider or entertain a thought of death till you hear the Bell or see a Grave or Coffin or till death comes within your walls and knocks at your beds head when you see a Friend a Child a brother a Husband or Wife gasping and dying till you see him bedewed with his cold sweats and groaning with dying pangs till your eyes thus affect your hearts your hearts are seldom affected with the sence of your mortality Now sith it must be done and done suddenly resolve in spight of men and devils and all the world to set about the work Motive 2. Consid It may be done you are in a capacity to do it adored for ever be free grace 1. Time and opportunity is yet before you The Torch burns the Sun shines yet it is day though not morning some sands are behind though not a whole glass Some of you are old lame deaf but not dead others weak sick langishing but alive If the Sun were set the Candle out the Glass run farewell all hope of heaven or of altering your condition for ever They that are gone down to the dead and among the damned may and do reflect with torment upon the opportunitiesonce offered to make them happy but can call back none that 's impossible 2. God is willing to help if you go to him Thine is the power and he gives it to them that have no strength Isa 40. Duty is ours assistance and success is Gods That God who hath given you a considering season can also give a considering soul go to him upon thy knees and beg as for thy life his a speedy aid say as the woman to David Help O King or as the Father for the distressed Son Mark 9. 22. If thou cansts do any thing help us Christ did help 't is his promise seek and you shall find But it cannot be said so of separated souls because time and meanes from them is gone for ever Then in the name of the Lord quit your selves like men Wisemen that are endued with precious rational considering souls that difference you from bruits Let that noble faculty of reason be exerted in considering your latter end For consideration is a serious eager lively act or exercise of the understanding about things to be done or not to be done furthering or impeding the execution of them as it sees good It is the exercise of the mind and heart these are at work in this divine consideration Contemplatioâ— as one observes looks upon things as the eye upon the object Judicium discerneth things whether good or bad but meditation or consideration is a further inquisition into the truth Set consideration at work and not like bruits suffer your eyes ears lusts and senses to be your guides but commune with your heares consider your wayes reflect upon your actions look to your end which if you did you would not be so sensual so sinful as you have been and are Isa 1. 3. Motive 3. Consider the omitting or neglect of it will render you the worst of fools If the doing of it be your highest wisdom the not doing must needs be the greatest folly this will make you like Ephraim a silly Dove without an heart Do you know that you must die and die but once and will you not indeavour to do that well which cannot be done the second time As Luther said to his adversaries You can kill me but once ye are not able to raise me to life again and kill me the second time So say I to thee O thou seeuer sinner when thy breath is gone it will return no more O consider with a trembling heart how much depends upon this dying once namely the gaining or losing of thy dear precious soul the gainingor loosing of the favour of God the fruition of God the joyes of heaven or the torments of hell hangs upon it When death comes your eternity is cast the very next moment after you have shot the black a mazing gulf you shall see know what you shall be and where you shall be to all eternity And will you judg the men of the earth or worldly wise men the wisest men who take care for the body and neglect the soul that make provision for time but none for eternity O Sirs if you would but trace them to a sick bed a death-bed from thence into eternity and to Gods dreadful tribunal you might easily determine Ier. 17. 11 Luke 12. 19 20. Luke 16. 22 23. Rev. 6. 25. Mot. 4. In a every little time you present powerful and awakening helps and advantages to excite and put you in mind of the other world will be past and gone And these are cheifly three viz. 1. Awakening Ordinances 2. Awakening Providences 3. Awakening Convictions 1 Awakening Ordinances will have an end The faithful powerful Ministers of the Gospel that watch for your souls and whose office it is to fire the Beacons and give the alarum will we know not how soon finish their work These Boauergeses and Embassadours of the Lord that preach the dreadful and amazing Doctrine of death and judgement and that with loud and earnest cries tears and fervour of spirit to make you sensible of your sin and danger will shortly be called home Moses that great Prophet after he had compos'd this excellent Song of which my Text is a part was gathered to his Fathers Noah that Preacher of Righteousness after he had for many years together warned the old world was called into the Ark and they had never a Sermon more till the wrath of God came upon them and there was no remedy 2 Pet. 2. 5. Be not therefore as your Fathers unto whom the former Prophers have cryed saying Turn ye from your evil wayes for they have not long to cry The Prophets do not live for ever Zech. 1. 4 5. You cannot rationally expect alwayes to hear the pleasant noise of Aarons Bells or the sound of
the Silver Trumpet the Sun will go down over the Prophets Therefore while the watchmen are upon the walls take warning and finish your work while you have the light O Sirs improve for your eternal advantage those plain and powerful Sermons which you hear and read and let it not be accounted legal preaching Who were more severe in their preaching then our Lord and his fore-runner whom we ought to imitate otherwise we draw the horrible sin of bloud-guiltiness upon our souls Ezek. 3. 18 9. 'T is observ'd that there are more dreadful doctrines scatter'd up and down in the New Testament then in the Old the powerful application of which is very necessary both for secure sinners and drowsie Saints Holy David after his fall fell into a deep sleep and did not awake until Nathan came and told him plainly and particularlly of his sin And of the Virgins we read while the Bridegroom tarri'd they all slumbred and slept Mat. 25. O how many sleepy souls are there in the world and in many Cities Towns and Parishes in this Nation that will either living dying or after death sadly bewail the not improving the labours of their faithful Pastors 2. All your awakening Providences by which God warns and calls will have an end The great and glorious God for a long time together hath been speaking and calling to us by his Word and of late year she hath spoken by his dreadful Rod and that very terribly The Sword the Plague the Fire the decay of trade and other Judgements are the loud voice of an angry God Those afflictions on our Families Relations Estates Persons are in order to awakening us out of sleep and so for our profit When Manassch was among the thorns bound with fetters carried into Babylon he be sought the Lord and humbled himself greatly 2 Chron. 33. 11 12 13. After Ephraim was chastised he awaked turned and repented for the bonds and cords of affliction do open the car to instruction then he sheweth them their work and their transgression and commandeth that they turn from iniquity Jab 6. 9 10. Jer. 13 18 19. Now to have a deaf ear to the rod and word to be hardned and secure and go on in sin under awaking and amazing providences is a dreadful judgement that which ripens men for ruine 2 Chron. 28. 22. This is that King Ahaz who in the time of his distress did trespass yet more against the Lord Jer. 5. 3. 3. Your awakening Convictions will have an end too Those secret and powerful workings strivings and struglings of the Spirit of God under the rod and in the word will be suspended Christ will not always be at the door calling knocking and his Spirit that is so much greived and oppos'd will not alwayes strive and struggle with your hearts and conciences Gen. 6. 3. Now sinners if you have any love or regard to your immortal souls before all these helps be taken away be wise to consider and prepare for your end Lest God should speedily resolve and say to you as to the Jews Isa 1. 5. Why should ye be striken any more or as Hosea 4. 17. Ephraim is joyned to Idels let him alone They will have their lusts and they shall have them As I live saith saith the Lord this iniquity shall not be purged till youdie Sith nothing will prevail I am resolved saith God they shall never hear an awakening soul-Searching Sermon more never have a Correction or Conviction more till they go down to hell Motive 5. Consider that the earnest cries tear prayers of unbeleivers when they comes to die it will be in vain fruitless and unsuccesful though you speak in the anguish of your souls and complain in the bitterness of your spirits when your flesh upon you shall have pain and your souls within you shall mourn it will be to no purpose You that will not seek God betimes and make supplication to the Almighty that will not pray while you have time to pray helps to pray health to pray encouragements to pray Now God invites you may have audience and find acceptance your prayers in a dying hour will be but the expressions of your fears and terrors arising from the sence and nearness of your danger when there will be but a step between your departing souls and the state of Devils God seldom hears from some men unless trouble sickness fear distress and anguish cometh upon them then pain will make them pray and how upon their beds and 't is but howling not Praying Hos 7. 14. But will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him saith Job 27. 9. No saith the Lord I will not be enquired of by you Ezek. 20. 3. Because it cometh from an evil mind or stinking breath proceeding from a corrupt rotten cursed heart and then it must needs be abominable Prov. 21. 27 15. 8. I will saith David wash mine hands in innocency and then compass thine Altar for if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer Psal 66. 18. If God would not hear a Davids prayer a man after Gods own heart he will not hear a Devils prayer nor the prayer of a Swearer Sabbath-breaker Drunkard he heareth not sinners that like and love their lusts No saith the holy God though they seek me early they shall not find me Here note That there is a two fold early namely Gods early and mans early Gods early is in the morning of our life in the time of youth then God cals and invites to come Prov. 1. 24. Eccl. 12. 1. Mans early is in the evening or at the end of life or when man is high unto death when pain sorrow and anguish cometh upon him In their afflictions they will seek me early Hos 5. last When fear cometh as desolation and destruction cometh as a whirlwind then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but shal not find me Prov. 1. 27 28. God will say to all such sinners remember it as Isaac to Abimelech Gen. 26. 27. Wherefore come ye to me seeing you hate me and have sent me away from you Or he will say as once to the Children of Israel that cryed to him in their sore distress Go cry to the Gods which ye have chosen let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation as for me I will not deliver you Judg. 10. 14. You have served the Devil embrac'd the world satisfied your lusts joyn'd with mine enemies go to the Devil go to your lusts to your wicked company let them deliver you in your distress Now death and devilsare come for you I will not own you nor your prayers your soul abhorred me my soul abhors you and your prayers depart from me I know you not Motive 6. It s the great comfort of the godly mans life to hope and know that he is fit for death Whatever be their lot and Portion in this