The crucifying of the world

8. What abundance of precious time and labour do you lose, which might and should be better spent? Doth not this world take up the most of your care, and strength, and time? You are about it early and late! It is first and last, and almost always in your thoughts. It findeth you so much to do, that you have scarce any time so much as to mind the God that made you, or to seek to escape the everlasting misery, which is near at hand. It hath taken up so much of your hearts, that when God should have them in any holy duty, or service for his Church, you are heartless. When you shall see your accounts cast up to your hands (as shortly you shall see it, though you will not now be persuaded to do it your selves) and when you shall there see, how many thoughts the world had in comparison of God; and how many hours were laid out upon the world, when Gods service was cast by for want of time; and how near the creature was to your heart, while God as a stranger stood at the door: And, in a word, how the world was your daily business, while the matters of God stepped in but now and then upon the by; you will then confess that you laboured in vain, and that your life and labour should have been better employed. Hath God given you but a short uncertain life, and laid your everlasting life upon it; and will you cast all away upon these transitory delights? How short a time have you for so great a work; and shall the world have all? Oh that you did but know to how much greater advantage you might have spent this time and labour in seeking God and an endless Glory! One thing is needful: make sure of that: and waste not the rest of your days in vanity! ⟨p. 113⟩What wise man would spend so precious a thing as Time is, upon that which he knows will leave him in Repentings that ever it was so spent? The world doth rob poor sinners of their time: but when they see it is gone, and they would fain have a little of that time again to make preparation for their everlasting state, it is not all the world then that can bring them back one hour of it again. Certainly such a loss of time and labour is no small aggravation of a worldlings sin.

8. What abundance of precious time and labour do you lose, which might and should be better spent? Doth not this world take up the most of your care, and strength, and time? You are about it early and late! It is first and last, and almost alwaies in your thoughts. It findeth you so much to do, that you have scarce any time so much as to mind the God that made you, or to seek to escape the everlasting misery, which is near at hand. It hath taken up so much of your hearts, that when God should have them in any holy duty, or service for his Church, you are heartless. When you shall see your accounts cast up to your hands (as shortly you shall see it, though you will not now be perswaded to do it your selves) and when you shall there see, how many thoughts the world had in comparison of God; and how many hours were laid out upon the world, when Gods service was cast by for want of time; and how near the creature was to your heart, while God as a stranger stood at the door: And, in a word, how the world was your daily business, while the matters of God stept in but now and then upon the by; you will then confess that you laboured in vain, and that your life and labour should have been better employed. Hath God given you but a short uncertain life, and laid your everlasting life upon it; and will you cast all away upon these transitory delights? How short a time have you for so great a work; and shall the world have all? Oh that you did but know to how much greater advantage you might have spent this time and labour in seeking God and an endless Glory! One thing is needful: make sure of that: and waste not the rest of your daies in vanity!