-- Tit. 2. Directions Contemplative for taking the due season
their lives, and wasted the only time that was given them to prepare for their salvation? Do those in hell now think them wise, that are idling or playing away their time on earth? O no! Their feeling and experience sufficiently confuteth all that time-wasters now plead for their sottish prodigality. I do not believe that thou canst at once believe the Word of God, concerning the state of damned souls, and yet believe that thy idle and vain expence of time, would not vex thy conscience, and make thee even rage against thyself, if ever sin should bring thee thither! O then thou wouldst see, that thou hadst greater matters to have spent thy time in, and that it deserved a higher estimation and improvement. O man! beseech the Lord to prevent such a conviction, and give thee a heart to prize thy time before it is gone; and to know the worth of it, before thou know the want of it.
Tit. 2. Directions Contemplative for Redeeming Opportunity Opportunity or season is the flower of time. All time is precious; but the season is most precious. The present time is the season to works of present necessity: and for others, they have all their particular seasons, which must not be let slip.
Direct. I. 'Remember that is the great difference between the happy saint and the unhappy world, that one is wise in time, and the other is wise too late.' The godly know when knowledge will do good: the wicked know when knowledge will but torment them. All those that you see now so exceedingly contrary in their judgment to the godly, will be of the very same opinion shortly, when it will do them no good. Bear with their difference and contradiction, for it will be but a very little while. There is not one man that now is the furious enemy of holiness, but will confess ere long that holiness was best. Do they
now despise it as tedious, fantastical hypocrisy? They will shortly know that it was but the cure of a distracted mind, and the necessary duty to God, which religion and right reason do command. Do they now say of sin, What harm is in it? They will shortly know that it is the poison of the soul, and worse than any misery or death. They will think more highly of the worth of Christ, of the necessity of all possible diligence for our souls, of the preciousness of time, of the wisdom of the godly, of the excellencies of heaven, and of the Word of God and all holy means, than any of those do that are now reproached by them, for being of this mind. But what the better will they be for this? No more than Adam for knowing good and evil. No more than it will profit a man when he is dead, to know of what disease he died. No more than it will profit a man to know what is poison, when he hath taken it, and is past remedy. The thief will be wise at the gallows; and the spendthrift prodigal when all is gone.
But they that will be safe and happy, must be wise in time. The godly know the worth of heaven, before it is lost; and the misery of damnation, before they feel it; and the necessity of a Saviour, while he is willing to be a Saviour to them; and the evil of sin, before it hath undone them; and the preciousness of time, before it is gone; and the worth of mercy, while mercy may be had; and the need of praying, while praying may prevail. They sleep not till the door is shut, and then knock and cry, 'Lord open to us,' as the foolish ones, Matt. 25.
They are not like the miserable world, that will not believe, till they come where devils believe and tremble; nor repent, till torment force them to repent. As ever you would escape the dearbought experience of fools, be wise in time; and leave not conscience to answer all your cries, and moans, and fruitless wishes, with this doleful peal, 'Too late! too late!' Do but know now by an effectual faith, what wicked men will know by feeling and experience, when it is too late, and you shall not perish. Do but live now as those enemies of holiness will wish they had lived when it is too late, and you will be happy. Now
God may be found: "Seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Read but the doleful lamentation of Christ over Jerusalem,
Luke 19:41, 42. and then bethink you, what it is to neglect the season of mercy and salvation: "He beheld the city and wept over it, 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!"
Direct. II. 'Remember that the neglecting of the season is the frustrating and destroying of the work.' When the season is past, the work cannot be done. If you sow not in the time of sowing, it will be in vain at another time. If you reap not, and gather not in harvest, it will be too late in winter to hope for fruit. If you stay till the tide is gone, or take not the wind that fits your turn, it may be in vain to attempt your voyage. All works cannot be done at all times: Christ himself saith, "I must work while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work." Say not then, 'The next day may serve the turn:' the next day is for another work: and you must do both.
Direct. III. 'Consider that if the work should not be impossible, yet it will be difficult out of season; when in its season it might be done with ease.' How easily may you swim with the tide? and sail with the wind? and form the iron if you hammer it while it is hot? How easily may many a disease be cured, if taken in time, which is afterwards incurable? How easily may you bend a tender twig, and pluck up a plant, which will neither be plucked up nor bended when it is grown up to be a tree? When you complain of difficulties in religion, bethink you whether your loss of the fittest season, and acquainting yourselves no sooner with God, be not the cause?
Direct. IV. 'Consider that your work out of season is not so good or acceptable, if you could do it.' "Every thing is beautiful in its season."
To speak a "word in season to the weary," is the skill of the faithful messengers of peaceo. When out of season good may be turned into evil. Who will thank you for giving physic, or food, or clothing to the dead? Or pitying the poor when it is too late? In time all this may be accepted.
Direct. V. 'Remember that if thou omit the season, thou art left to uncertainties both for time, and means, and grace.' Lose this time, and for aught thou knowest, thou losest all. Or if thou have time, it may be curst with barrenness, and never more may fruit grow on it.
Preachers may be taken from thee: and gracious company may be taken from thee: helps and means may be turned into hindrances, and opposition, and strong temptations: and then you will find what it was to neglect the season! Or if you have the continuance of all helps and means, how know you that God will set in by his grace, and bless them to you, and move your hearts? He may resolve that if you resist him now, his Spirit shall strive with you no more. If while it is called to day, you will harden your hearts, he may resolve to leave you to the hardness of Pharaoh, and to get himself a name upon you, and use you as vessels of wrath, prepared by your neglect and obstinacy for destruction.
Direct. VI. 'Bethink you how all the creatures keep their proper seasons, in the service which God hath appointed them for you.' The sun riseth and setteth in its season, and keepeth its diary, and annual course, and misseth not a minute. So do the other celestial motions.
You have day and night, and seedtime, and harvest, summer and winter, spring and fall, and all exactly in their seasons. "Yea, the stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed time, and the turtle, and the crane, and the swallow observe the time of their coming: but my
people know not the judgment of the Lord." Shall only man neglect his season?
Direct. VII. 'Consider how you know and observe the leason for your wordly labours, and should you not much more do so in greater things?' You will not plough when you should reap; nor do the work of the summer in the winter. You will not lie in bed all day, and go about your business in the night. You will be inquisitive, that you may be skilful in the seasons, for your benefit or safety in the world: and should you not much more be so for a better world? O ye hypocrites! ye can discern the face of the sky! but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" An at harvest you look for the fruit of year land, so doth God in season expect fruit from your. The "godly" are
"like a tree that is planted by the river's side, which bringeth forth its fruit in season." Shall worldlings knew their season, and shall not we?
Direct. VIII. 'Consider how vigilant the wicked are to know and take their season to do evil.' And how much more should we be so in doing good! Seducers will take the opportunity to deceive. The thief and the adulterer will take the season of secresy and darkness. The ambitious and covetous will take the season for profit and preferment. The malicious watch their seasons of revenge. And have we not more need and more encouragement than they? ls it time for them to be building their houses, and growing great by covetousness and oppression, and is it not time for you to be honouring God, and providing for year endless life? They "cannot sleep unless they do evil," and can you sleep securely while your time passeth away, and your work is undone?
Direct. IX. 'Remember that the devil watcheth the season of temptation to destroy you.' He prevaileth much by taking the time: