Heaven upon earth, or, The best friend in the worst of times. Delivered in…

If you would be acquainted with God, look after it speedily, defer not a moment, your enemy is marching on apace, you may be surprised, your soul is hasting upon it's Eternal state, your glass is almost run, there are but a few sands behind; therefore seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near: Ere long it will be too late; wherefore what thou dost, do quickly. What is the voice both of Scripture and Providence? Doth not the Word of God say Now, and commend the present time above all. Acquaint now thy self with him; Remember now thy Creator; Turn now unto the Lord. Let a poor Heathen (Epict. En. c. 75.) shame you into greater speed in this necessary work. I shall translate his words into English: How long, saith he, will you defer the looking after the ⟨p. 346⟩best things? How long will you abuse your reason? Have you not heard such Precepts which you ought to agree to, and you seemed very well to like of? What kind of Teacher is it that you stay for? For whose coming do you defer before you will mend and turn? You are come now to years of discretion (if I should say you were not, you would be angry) if you will neglect and delay, and add one delay to another, if you will add one put off to another, and make one resolution and purpose after another, and set one day after another, in which you will think of these things; consider that all this will do you no good, for all your resolutions and promises, for all that I see, you are like to die a common man; therefore now live as a perfect growing man, and follow that which is most excellent unalterably. If any thing of difficulty intervene, remember that now is the time for you to show what respect you have for your God and your soul. Remember the goal is not far off, and that now you must not falter, and that as you demean your self now, it may be you may be happy or miserable while you have a Being. This is the Language of that excellent Moralist. I add, what is it, O sinner, that thou stayest for? Is it for the day of Judgment? would you be taught by flames, the worth of time? You may then indeed learn; but believe it, your knowledge and learning will do you little good; you may then learn what it is to be miserable. but you can't learn how to get out of it; you will know what you have lost, but then will never know how to repair your Losses.

If you would be acquainted with God, look after it speedily, defer not a moment, your enemy is marching on apace, you may be surprized, your soul is hasting upon it's Eternal state, your glass is almost run, there are but a few sands behind; therefore seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near: Ere long it will be too late; wherefore what thou dost, do quickly. What is the voyce both of Scripture and Providence? Doth not the Word of God say Now, and commend the present time above all. Acquaint now thy self with him; Remember now thy Creatour; Turn now unto the Lord. Let a poor Heathen (Epict. En. c. 75.) shame you into greater speed in this necessary work. I shall translate his words into English: How long, saith he, will you defer the looking after the