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XL. 1. A Christian indeed is one that highly valueth time; he abhorreth idleness, and all diversions which would rob him of his time, and hinder him from his work. He knoweth how much work he hath to do, and of what unspeakable consequence to his soul, (if not also to others). He knoweth that he hath a soul to save or lose; a heaven to win; a hell to escape; a death and judgment to prepare for ; many a sin to mortify, and many graces to get, and exercise, and increase; and many enemies and temptations to overcome; and that he shall never have more time of trial; but what is now undone, must be undone for ever. knoweth how short, and hasty time is, and also how uncertain; and how short many hundred years is to prepare for an everlasting state, if all were spent in greatest diligence: and therefore he wondereth at those miserable souls, that have time to spare, and waste in those fooleries which they call pastimes, even in stage-plays, cards, and dice, and long and tedious feastings, delights, compliments, idleness, and overlong or needless visits or recreations. He marvelleth at the distraction or sottishness of those persons, that can play, and prate, and loiter, and feast away precious hours, as if their poor, unprepared souls had nothing to do, while they stand at the very brink of a dreadful eternity; and are so fearfully unready as they are. He taketh that person who would cheat him of his time, by any of these forenamed baits, to be worse to him than a thief that would take his purse from him by the highway. O precious time! how highly doth he value it, when he thinks of his everlasting state, and thinks what haste his death is making, and what reckoning he must make for every moment; what abundance of work hath he for every hour, which he is grieved that he cannot do! He hath a calling to follow, and he hath a heart to search, and watch, and study; and a God to seek and faithfully serve; and many to do good to; and abundance of particular duties to perform in order to every one of these. But, alas! time doth make such haste away, that many things are left undone, and he is afraid lest death will find him very much behindhand: and therefore he is up and doing, as one that hath use for every minute; and worketh while it is day, because he knoweth that the night is coming when none can work; John ix. 4. Redeeming time is much of his wisdom and his work; Eph. v. 16. Col. iv. 5.

He had rather labour in the house of correction, than live the swinish life of idle and voluptuous gentlemen, or beggars, that live to no higher end, than to live, or to please their flesh; or to live as worldlings, that lose all their lives in the service of a perishing world. He knoweth how precious time will be ere long, in the eyes of those that now make light of it, and trifle it away as a contemned thing, as if they had too much.

2. The weak Christian is of the same mind in the main : But when it cometh to particular practice, he is like a weak or weary traveller, that goeth but slowly, and maketh many a stop. Though his face is still heavenwards, he goeth but a little way in a day: he is too easily tempted to idle, or talk, or feast, or play away an hour unlawfully, so it be not his ordinary course, and he do it but seldom. He taketh not the loss of an hour for so great a loss as the confirmed Christian doth: he could sooner be persuaded to live (though not an idle and unprofitable, yet) an easier, less profitable life. The world and the flesh have far more of his hours, than they ought to have; though his weakness tell him that he hath most need of diligence.

3. But the time of a seeming Christian is most at the service of his fleshly interest; and for that it is principally employed. And for that he can redeem it, and grudge if it be lost. But as he liveth not to God, so he cannot redeem his time for God. He loseth it even when he seemeth to employ it best; when he is praying, or otherwise worshipping God, and doing that good which feedeth his false hopes, he is not redeeming his time in all this. While he is sleeping in security, and deluding his soul with a few formal words, and an image of religion, and his time passeth on, and he is hurried away to the dreadful day, and his damnation slumbereth not; 2 Pet. ii. 3. Prov. xx. 4. Matt. xxv. 6-8.

XLI. 1. A Christian indeed is one whose very heart is set upon doing good: as one that is made to be profitable to others, according to his ability and place; even as the sun is made to shine upon the world; he could not be content to live idly, or to labour unprofitably, or to get never so much to himself, unless he some way contributed to the good of others. Not that he grudgeth at the smallness of his talents, and lowness or obscurity of his place, for he knoweth that God may dispose his creatures and talents as

he please; and that where much is given, much is required: Matt. xxv. Luke xii. 48. xix. 23. But what his Lord hath trusted him with, he is loath to hide, and willing to improve to his Master's use. He is so far from thinking that God is beholden to him for his good works, that he taketh it for one of his greatest mercies in the world, that God will use him in doing any good; and he would take it for a very great suffering to be deprived of such opportunities, or turned out of service, or called to less of that kind of duty. If he were a physician, and denied liberty to practise, or a minister, and denied liberty to preach, it would far more trouble him that he is hindered from doing good, than that he is depriv-. ed of any profits, or honours to himself. He doth not only comfort himself with foresight of the reward, but in the very doing of good he findeth so much pleasure, as maketh him think it the most delightful life in the world: and he looketh for most of his receivings from God, in a way of duty; John v.29. Gal. vi. 10. Heb. xiii. 16. 1 Pet. iii. 11.

2. But the weak Christian, though he have the same disposition, is far less profitable to the world: he is more for himself, and less able to do good to others: he wanteth either parts, or prudence, or zeal, or strength. Yea, he is oft like the infants, and sick persons of a family, that are not helpful, but troublesome to the rest. stronger Christians to bear their them, and support and help them: comfort to the mother, through the even when she endureth the trouble of its crying and uncleanness; so weak Christians are a comfort to charitable ministers and people; we are glad that they are alive; but sadded often by their distempers; Rom. xiv. 1. xv. 12.

They find work for the infirmities, and watch Indeed, as an infant is a power of her own love,

3. The seeming Christian liveth to himself, and all his good works are done but for himself, to keep up his credit, or quiet his guilty conscience, and deceive himself with the false hopes of a reward, for that which his falsehoodness maketh to be his sin. If he be a man of learning and good parts, he may be very serviceable to the church; but the thanks of that is due to God, and little to him, who seeketh himself more than God, or the good of others, in all that he doth; Matt. xxv. 24-26.

XLII. 1. A Christian indeed, doth truly love his neighbour as himself: he is not all for his own commodity: his

neighbour's profit or good name, is as his own; he feeleth himself hurt when his neighbour is hurt: and if his neighbour prosper, he rejoiceth as if he prospered himself. Though his neighbour be not united to him, in the nearest bonds of Christianity or piety, yet he is not disregardful of the common unity of humanity. Love is the very soul of life; Lev. xix. 18. Matt. xix. 19. xxii. 39. Rom. xiii. 9 Gal. v. 14. James ii. 8. Mark x. 21. 1 John iv. 10.

2. But the love that is in weaker Christians, though it be sincere, is weak as they are; and mixed with too much selfishness, and with too much sourness and wrath. Little matters cause differences and fallings out. When it cometh to MINE and THINE, and their neighbours cross their interest or commodity, or stand in their way when they are seeking any preferment or profit to themselves; you shall see too easily by their sourness and contention, how weak their love is; Matt. xxiv. 12. 1 Tim. vi. 10. Luke xxii. 24. 3. But in the seeming Christian, selfishness is so predominant, that he loveth none but for himself, with any considerable love. All his kindness is from self-love, because men love him, or highly value him, or praise him, or have done him some good turn, or may do him good hereafter, or the like. If he hath any love to any for his own worth, yet self-love can turn all that to hatred, if they seem against him, or cross him in his way for no man that is a lover of the world and flesh, and carnal self, can ever be a true friend to any other. For he loveth them but for his own ends; and any cross interests will shew the falsehood of his love; 2 Tim. iii. 2-4. Matt. v. 46.

XLIII. 1. A Christian indeed hath a special love to all the godly; such as endeareth his heart unto them; and such as will enable him to visit them, and relieve them in their wants, to his own loss and hazard, according to his ability and opportunity. For the image of God is beautiful and honourable in his eyes: he loveth not them so much as God in them; Christ in them; the Holy Spirit in them. He foreseeth the day when he shall meet them in heaven, and there rejoice in God with them to eternity. He loveth their company and converse; and delighteth in their gracious words and lives. And the converse of ungodly and empty men is a weariness to him (unless in a way of duty, or when he can do them good). "In his eyes a vile person is con

temned, but he honoureth them that fear the Lord;" Psal. xv. 4. Other men grieve his soul with their iniquities, while he is delighted with the appearances of God in his holy ones, even the excellent ones on earth; Psal. xvi. 3. 2 Pet. ii. 7, 8. Yea, the infirmities of believers destroy not his love; for he hath learned of God himself to difference between their abhorred frailties and their predominant grace; and to love the very infants in the family of Christ. Yea, though they wrong him, or quarrel with him, or censure him in their weakness, he can honour their sincerity, and love them still. And if some of them prove scandalous, and some seeming Christians fall away, or fall into the most odious crimes, he loveth religion nevertheless; but continueth as high an esteem of piety, and of all that are upright, as he had before; 1 John iv. 7, 8. 10. 2 John xiii. 34, 35. 1 Thess. iv 9. 1 John iii. 11. 14. 23. Matt. xxv. 39, 40, &c.

2. The weak Christian sincerely loveth all that bear his father's image; but it is with a love so weak (even when it is most passionate) as will sooner be abated or interrupted by any tempting differences. He is usually quarrelsome and froward with his brethren, and apter to confine his love to those that are of his own opinion or party. And because God hath taught him to love all that are sincere, the devil tempteth him to censure them as not sincere, that so he may justify himself in the abatement of his love. And weak. Christians are usually the most censorious, because they have the smallest degree of love, which covereth faults, and thinketh no evil, and is not suspicious, but ever apt to judge the best, till the worst be evident; 1 Cor. xiii. 4, 5. "It beareth all things, believeth all things (that are credible), hopeth all things, endureth all things;" ver. 7. But it is no wonder to see children fall out, even about their childish toys and trifles; and what the dissentions of the children of the church have done against themselves in these kingdoms, I need not, I delight not, to record. See 1 Cor. iii. 1—4. “ And I, brethren, could not speak unto you, as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat; for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able: for ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you, envying, and strife, and divisions, are you not carnal, and walk as men ?"

3. The seeming Christian may have some love to real