A25478:396
A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…
A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically resolved by sundry ministers
London: printed for Thomas Cockerill, 1676
Sermon 4: Now is the time. OR, Instructions for the present improving the season of Grace. Serm. IV.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
5. Opportunity must be presently improved; because we are deeply accountable for every opportunity: Not only for the actions we do are we countable, but for the time which he had to do them in. Jezebel was plagued for her neglecting the time of repenting, in Rev. 2.21. I gave her space of Repentance, and she repented not. For the neglecting youthful seasons the young man must be brought to judgment, Eccl. 11.9. If you must give an account for every idle word, surely for every idle Sermon, for every idle Sabbath, for every idle ordinance, I mean under which you have been idle. If for every idle word you speak, much more for every unprofitable Sermon you make the Minister preach.
5. Opportunity must be presently improved; because we are deeply accountable for every opportunity: Not only for the actions we do are we countable, but for the time which he had to do them in. Jezabel was plagued for her neglecting the time of repenting, in Rev. 2.21. I gave her space of Repentance, and she repented not. For the neglecting youthful seasons the young man must be brought to judgment, Eccl. 11.9. If you must give an account for every idle word, surely for every idle Sermon, for every idle Sabbath, for every idle ordinance, I mean under which you have been idle. If for every idle word you speak, much more for every unprofitable Sermon you make the Minister preach.
6. Opportunity must be presently improved; For the neglecting of opportunity destroys the most. All our Salvation dependeth upon Christ, as to the meriting of it; but it dependeth upon opportunity as to the obtaining of it. The neglecting of opportunity is the greatest destroyer in the world. It is not so much the being bad, as the delaying to be good, that undoeth the most. It was not riotousness, but sleepiness, that excluded the foolish Virgins. The misery of man is therefore great upon the earth; because he doth not understand judiciously his time required to every purpose.