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the Christian, and spend every year as my last, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord, laying hold on every opportunity to do good, observing the conduct of Providence towards me, and doubling my diligence in the duties of religion. And, as I am drawing nearer, the unseen world, so by thinking the oftener on it, I should prepare the better for it. And as noon is succeeded by night, so, with loins girt, and lamp burning, I should expect the evening of death, and the coming of my great Master, rather astonished that the shadows are not sooner stretched out, than surprised, as being unprepared, that they are stretched out so soon.

MEDITATION XCVI.

TIME PAST NEVER RETURNS.

Under sail, June 16, 1758.

FOOLISH man thinks he is born to live to himself, and that he is lord of his own time, to spend it as he pleases; but, alas! he is mistaken, for he should live to God, and spend his time to his glory. How watchful, then, on a double account, should I be over my time; first, because I cannot recal it when past; I cannot bring again my childish years, or fetch back my more advanced days. Now, on the sea, I cannot recal the time I spent on land; nor, when at land again, this time I spend at sea; yea, I cannot lengthen out the minute, or make the passing moment lie too, till I finish the sentence. I cannot say to time, as Joshua once did to the sun, "Stand thou still," for it is in continual progression. The sand-glass of my life pours down. night and day; and though the gradual waste seems trifling, yet how soon shall the last sand be run, and

show our gratitude to the Most High, by pampering perishing clay. God will not be praised over our cups; then his name is often blasphemed. Such a practice. is consistent in an idolatrous Belshazzar and his guests, towards gods who neither see nor hear, but he who is a Spirit will be spiritually honored.

A back-look on my life, may hinder carnal mirth on its commencement. Sin and vanity twisting with every day of my life, should make me consider on my birthday with more enlarged views than the sons of sense can take, how I have fallen from the noble end for which I was created, how I have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, I who have an immortal soul within me, that shall live to eternity.

One thing, however, I should consider, that since I came into this world, many thousands of my contemporaries have gone into the unseen world. The spreading forest of my acquaintance is fearfully thinned by the felling axe of death. It is a chilling thought, that so many of my companions, who lately made a figure in the gay world, are now wrapt up in an eternal gloom. Many of my school-fellows and comrades, of my friends and neighbors, are now no more; yea, into my father's family, since I made one of the number, death, though not a stranger before, has made five desolating visits, besides the redoubled blows, that made me fatherless and motherless; and though, in unbounded goodness, I survive, yet all these occurrences cry to me, that I also in a little must remove, and be no more.

In this contracted span, there are not many now who reach three-score years; yet, at such a calculation, my sun is at his height, my day arrived at noon; and shall I not yet put away the foilies of youth, when I know not but my sun may go down at noon, never more to rise? Then henceforth may I be the man, yea, more,

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VIII

O HARBOUR.

se, June 17, 1758.

of circumstances achich we cannot proerday that we should had not left our sta and damage. Even ve the sons of men rs, where the people ! So is his fate who for after a thousand >ty creature for satisnd vexation of spirit, iverse, and blows in ngs him back, with rst set out, to see his So must the Christian sses in his course, for at we must enter into of darkness and temthis progress heavenn the port of a natural

not a dust left! and then there is no turning of the -glass again.

;

Secondly, As time cannot be recalled, so the things done in time cannot be disannulled. I cannot undo my deeds, unspeak my words, and unthink my thoughts. It would be less galling, did time fly off in a blank but it is full of records, for as it is always on flight, so the soul is never idle, but is at work night and day, which we little think of. How would it mitigate our mournful reflections, if we could get our wicked deeds undone, and our bad actions annihilated! but still they are actions once done, and stand on record, to shew either the mercy of God when we are pardoned, or to condemn us when we are judged. I said, time past never returns, and so it never does, for us to mend what we have done amiss; but mispent time is present to torment the wicked through eternity.

How cautious should I be in spending time which is so precious, and on which so much depends! The past is entirely lost, the present is on the wing, and the future is uncertain. The past is mine no more, the future never may be mine, and the present is mine but for a moment. In the time past I can do nothing, as it is already fled; in the time present I can do little, as it is on the wing; and in the time to come, as it lies concealed, I know not what I may do. So then the present breathing, this very twinkling, the single moment, and naked now, is mine without the least appendix of time past or to come, but in reflection on the one, and expectation of the other. The present only is mine, which, while I use, wasteth, while I possess, passeth away. In a little the angel shall lift up his hand to heaven, and swear, by him that liveth for ever and ever, that time shall be no more. And as past time never returns, so the works I leave unfinished in time,

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