10. Young men, take heed of Idleness. Do not loiter away your time, especially the time of your youth: Time is very precious, the time of your youth is most precious, the choicest and chiefest; it is your seed-time, your gathering-time; you are now more active and fit for employment; you may happily spare a month better if you should live beyond fifty years, than an hour now; your whole time is short, the time of your youth will be slipped ⟨p. 103⟩away quickly, manhood and old age will steal on you before you are aware; but you •ie whilst young: You can call no time yours […] the present: O how precious is the present hour I think if the damned had but one hour given them, how they would esteem and improve it. I have heard of a Lady at her death, who had mis-spent the •ime of her life, groaned out in her air breath this sad speech with bitterness and earnestness, […] thousand worlds for one quarter of an hour […] Take heed of lavishing away your time in sin and va•y; let not an hour pass without doing something, fill up your whole time with duty; you may can, and drink, and sleep, but let not the concernments of your body, devour too much of your precious time; let them not have more of your time than is necessary, more than is duty. Redeem your time, double your diligence, remember how much of your time is irrecoverably gone; how much of your work is still to do; remember how near you are to eternity when time shall be no more, therefore apply your hearts to wisdom, and whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might. Take heed of idleness in your particular callings; be diligent in your secular employments; the diligent hand maketh rich; but the slothful person is brother to him that is a great waster: Take heed of idleness, of spiritual sloth in your general Callings: Take heed of wholly neglecting the duties of Gods Worship, either public, or family, or closet; of neglecting to hear, or read, or pray; and take heed of negligence in these duties; there is a curse denounced against such as do the work of the ⟨p. 104⟩Lord negligently, Jer. 48. 10. You must not be slothful, if you would be followers of them who through faith and patience have inherited the Promises, Heb. 6. 12.
10. Young men, take heed of Idleness. Do not loiter away your time, especially the time of your youth: Time is very precious, the time of your youth is most precious, the choicest and chiesest; it is your seed-time, your gathering-time; you are now more active and fit for employment; you may happily spare a month better if you should live beyond fifty years, than an hour now; your whole time is short, the time of your youth will be slipt ⟨p. 103⟩away quickly, manhood and old age will steal on you before you are aware; but you •ie whilst young: You can call no time yours 〈…〉 the present: O how precious is the present hour I think if the damned had but one hour given them, how they would esteem and improve it. I have heard of a Lady at her death, who had mis-spent the •ime of her life, groaned out in her air breath this sad speech with bitterness and earnestness, 〈…〉 thousand worlds for one quarter of an hour 〈…〉 Take heed of lavishing away your time in sin and va•y; let not an hour pass without doing something, fill up your whole time with duty; you may can, and drink, and sleep, but let not the concernments of your body, devour too much of your precious time; let them not have more of your time than is necessary, more than is duty. Redeem your time, double your diligence, remember how much of your time is irrecoverably gone; how much of your work is still to do; remember how neer you are to eternity when time shall be no more, therefore apply your hearts to wisdom, and whatever your hands finde to do, do it with all your might. Take heed of idleness in your particular callings; be diligent in your secular imployments; the diligent hand maketh rich; but the slothful person is brother to him that is a great waster: Take heed of idleness, of spiritual sloth in your general Callings: Take heed of wholly neglecting the duties of Gods Worship, either publick, or family, or closet; of neglecting to hear, or read, or pray; and take heed of negligence in these duties; there is a curse denounced against such as do the work of the ⟨p. 104⟩Lord negligently, Jer. 48. 10. You must not be slothful, if you would be followers of them who through faith and patience have inherited the Promises, Heb. 6. 12.
