A Word to Sinners and a Word to Saints, Part 1 · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. Sheweth the singular good things which the Regenerate ought to do aboue others.
I. TO make Conscience of their precious time, and to improve it to the best advantage. Carnal men make little or no conscience of spending their time to any good advantage. Oh the many golden hours, and dayes, and weeks, and years, that thousands of them spend, who yet cannot give the least account, wherein they have done any thing which tends to the glory of God, the good of others, or the farthering their own Salvation! Their minds are so much set upon their carnal lusts and pleasures, that their chief care is, not so much how to improve their time; as how they may pass it away in mirth and jollity. That which when it is once gone, all the World will not buy it back, what a cheap thing is it accounted? But oh how doth it concern such, whom God hath called, to prize the time which he is pleased to afford unto them! and to be carefull in improving the same to some good advantage! yea to gather up the fragments of time, every inch of it, that nothing may be lost. We cannot well spare one spare hour. O make the best of thy day. To this end,
1. Consider that thine everlasting state depends upon thy well, or ill spending of thy time. Many make light of their time, and thereupon play and sport it away. Yet there is no moment which thou dost mispend, but for ought thou knowest, it may be the very time, upon which thine eternal state doth depend. Oh what a madness must it needs be for an hour or dayes pleasure to hazard the loss of everlasting happiness, and to incurr the danger of eternal misery! And yet how few think of the passing away their time, or that any great matter depends thereupon!
2. Consider the preciousness of time, which is of more worth than all the riches and treasures in the World: for they cannot purchase one minute of time. Should the Lord be pleased to vouchsafe unto a damned soul in hell, but one weeks time to live again upon the earth, for tryal how he would improve the same to his souls advantage. Oh how highly would he prize it; how carefully would he improve every moment thereof! how serious would he be in every holy duty, and in all the concernments of his soul! how conscionable in spending of the Sabbath! how watchfull would he be on that day over his thoughts, words and actions! Should he hear Christ tendred in the Ministry of the Gospel as a Saviour to poor sinners, oh how readily would he close with the offer of Jesus Christ! how heartily would he embrace him! Should he be tempted by some carnal friends to spend one day with them in mirth and jollity, how would he answer them! Alas the time on which my everlasting condition doth depend is very short: and must it not be egregious folly in me to trifle away part thereof? Shall I implunge my soul into eternal flames for a little pleasure and short delight? Oh, God forbid. And hereby may you see how precious time is. Surely little reason have any to be so sparing of their wealth, and so prodigal of their time: when as all the wealth in the World (as before is said) cannot purchase one hours time.
3. Consider how much precious time you have already lost; how many hours and dayes, and weeks and years you have trifled away in vanity and pleasure, yea in sin and wickedness. Though in likelihood the greatest part of your time is past and gone, yet it is to be feared that little of your work is done. Is it not meet then now to begin to make Conscience of your precious time, and to improve it better? The time which you have already lost can never be recalled? O let no more of it run out in vain. Oh think it too much, that you have spent so much of it already to so little, or such evil purpose. And now at length resolve to be thrifty, to be more watchfull over your selves, and more provident for hereafter. You have but a little time to live, yet much may be done in that little. Throw not away that inch which remains after the many years that are gone, and can no more be recalled.
4. Consider the shortness of thy life: it is but a moment to eternity. And is it not pitty to lose any thing of that which is precious and short?
5. Consider as the shortness, So the uncertainty of thy life. You know what was said to him who promised life to himself for many years, Thou fool this night thy soul shall be taken from thee. And it may be thou maist this next night receive the like doom. And if thy time be ended, and thy work to be begun, oh how sad is thy case like to be!
6. Consider as the shortness and uncertainty of thy time, So the greatness of the work to be performed therein: thy Lusts must be mortified, thy graces strengthned, thine evidences for Heaven cleared up, &c. Here is a great deal of work to be done in a little time. Doth it not then concern thee speedily to bestir thy self, and not to lose a minute?
7. Consider the present time is only thine to improve. Behold now is the accepted time, 2 Cor. 6.2.now is the day of Salvation. Oh then, why wilt thou trifle away the time which is properly thine; and promise to thy self great things in a time which is none of thine? For even the next hour, yea the next minute thou maist be cut off by the stroak of death: and then all opportunities of doing and receiving good are taken away.
II. Another singular thing which the Regenerate ought to do above others, is, To embrace every opportunity of doing and receiving good. By doing good, I mean not only beneficence to the poor, but also a conscionable performance of all Christian duties: whether they concern the glory of God, the edification of our brethren, or the Salvation of our own souls.Eccl. 9.10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might, saith the Wise man, that is, whatsoever opportunity of doing good is afforded unto thee, do it vigorously and speedily, not deferring it till it be too late. Mark his reason in the next words, For there is no work in the grave, whither thou art going. As if he had said, In this life thou hast many opportunities of doing good, but in the grave, thou shalt have neither power, nor opportunities: When thy night cometh there is an end of working; therefore while it is day, and while thou hast an opportunity, up and be doing.
Doth the Lord afford unto thee any opportunity either of laying up for thine own soul, or of laying out for the good of thy brothers soul, be carefull to embrace the same, yea and to improve it to the best advantage. Having a price put into thy hands, oh let it not carelesly slip away, left thou full dearly repent thereof; saying, Oh what an opportunity have I lost of benefiting both my self and others! how might I have furthered both mine own, and others Salvation, by building up one another in the most holy faith! But fool that I was, I have carelesly neglected these precious opportunities, which will never never be regained. Oh how will the thought thereof one day or other gall thy Conscience!
That thou maist be the more stirred up to embrace and improve every oportunity God by his providence affordeth unto thee,
1. Consider how worldly men hugg their opportunities for the World; and wilt not thou embrace thy opportunities for Heaven? The tradesman neglects not his opportunity of buying and selling, but carefully attends the same. The Merchant will not lose his Exchange-time, nor the Marriner his Wind and Tyde; The Lawyer will not lose his Terms; Nor the Husband-man his Seed-time, or Harvest. If thou lose thy Seed-time of grace, thou thereby losest the Harvest of glory.
2. Consider how few thy remaining opportunities may be. For ought thou knowest, the time is near at hand, when thy praying opportunities, and hearing opportunities, and receiving opportunities, and relieving opportunities, with the like will be past and gone. How then doth it concern thee to improve them whilest thou hast them, and to use thy present as if it were the last season, and opportunity would be afforded unto thee?
If thou art in the company of a godly experienced Christian, thou hast then an opportunity of gaining much spiritual good and advantage to thine own soul; as by observing his graces, so by propounding thy doubts and scruples unto him. Oh let not such an opportunity pass away without some spiritual improvement.
If thou art called to visit a dying friend, or neighbour, oh what an opportunity hast thou put into thy hand to do his soul good! by advising him to think of death, and to prepare for it, to make his peace with God, to cast himself and the burthen of his sins upon Christ, to build the hope of his salvation only upon that rock the Lord Jesus Christ.
If in walking abroad or travelling on the road, thou fall into company, what good maist thou do by some savoury and spiritual discourse of God, or of mans miserable condition by nature, or of the state of redemption by Jesus Christ, or the like? oh how much might thy care this way abound to thy account? Remember the words of the Apostle, Exhort one another daily while it is called to day.
If the Lord hath given thee a Family, and furnished thee with abilities for their instruction and edification, let not the souls that are with thee be lost through thy neglect. Thou hast daily opportunities to be sowing thy seed in their souls, which may spring up to their eternal life. And for thy neighbours that live about thee, let them find thee a good neighbour to them; and that they will best do, if thou endeavour to help them to be good Christians.