A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…

1. It is a day, and it is but a day; and that is but a short time. It is not called a Year, a Month. It doth not last long. It is but for a while. Had Jonah prophesied to the Ninevites, that within forty years Nineveh should be destroyed; if the Ninevites had not derided him, yet 'tis very probable, they would have delayed their repentance: but when he told them yet 40 days, and Nineveh shall be destroyed, this startled and quickened them unto a present repentance. Our season is here expressed by the term of a day, one day: Yea, our day is but a short one. We have indeed a summer's day for clearness; but it is a winter's day for shortness. While it is called to day, saith the Apostle, Heb. 3.13. exhort one another. We have not so much time that you should be prodigal of it. He that is profuse of a minute in this day (poor prodigal!) spendeth above his estate. Time in the whole compass of it is but short, 1 Cor. 7.29. The time of particular persons is shorter, and the time of season and present opportunity is the shortest of all. Our present season, our day it is but like the few sands in the little middle hole of the hour-glass. The sand in the upper glass is uncertain whether ever to run one sand more, or no, that's the time to come: That in the lower glass is as the time spent and past: but the few sands in the narrow middle hole are as the present season, and only ours. Non tam liberale nobis dedit tempus Natura, ut aliquid ex eo liceat perdere, saith Seneca: Nature hath not dealt so liberally with us, as that it doth allow us to misspend any of the little time it hath given us. We are prodigal of time, though covetous of a penny. We are more profuse of our time, cujus unius honesta est avaritia, of which alone there is an honest covetousness. You may have many pieces of gold together in your hand, but you can have but one day of Grace at once, 'tis but one day.

1. It is a day, and it is but a day; and that is but a short time. It is not call'd a Year, a Month. It doth not last long. It is but for a while. Had Jonah prophecied to the Ninevite•, that within forty years Nineveh should be destroyed; if the Ninevites had not derided him, yet 'tis very probable, they would have delayed their repentance: but when he told them yet 40 days, and Nineveh shall be destroyed, this startled and quickned them unto a present repentance. Our season is here expressed by the term of a day, one day: Yea, our day is but a short one. We have indeed a smmer's day for clearness; but it is a winter's day for shortness. While it is called to day, saith the Apostle,