Time past cannot be recalled, and time to come cannot be ascertained : 'To-day, if you hear his voice, harden not your hearts,' Heb. iii. 15 ; 'Behold, now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation,' 2 Cor. vi. 2. Some there be that trifle away their time, and fool away their souls and their salvation.1 To prevent this, the apostle beats upon the to vvv} the present opportunity, because if that be once past, there is no recovering of it. Therefore, as the mariner takes the first fair wind to sail, and as the merchant takes his first opportunity of buying and selling, and as the husbandman takes the first opportunity of sowing and reaping, so should young men take the present season, the present day, which is their day, to be good towards the Lord, to seek him and serve him, and not to post off the present season, for they know not what another day, another hour, another moment, may bring forth. That door of grace that is open to-day may be shut to-morrow ; that golden sceptre of mercy that is held forth in the gospel this day may be taken iu the next day : hat love that this hour is upon the bare knee entreating and beseeching young men to break off their sins, by repent- ance, ' to return to the Lord, to lay hold on his strength, and be at peace with him,' may the next hour be turned into wrath, Isa. xxvii. 4, 5.
Ah! the noble motions that have been lost, the good purposes that have withered, the immortal souls that have miscarried, by putting off the present season, the present day. Paul discoursing before Felix of righteousness and temperance and judgment to come, Acts xxiv. 25, and in this discourse striking at two special vices that Felix was particularly guilty of, he falls a-trembling, and being upon the rack to hear such doctrine, he bids Paul ' depart for that time, and he would call for him at a convenient season.' Here Felix neglects his present season, and we never read that ever after this he found a convenient time or season to hear Paul make an end of the subject he had begun. So Christ made a very fair offer to the young man in the Gospel, ' Go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven,' Mat. xix. 21-24. Here Christ offers heavenly treasures for earthly treasures, unmixed treasures for mixed treasures, perfect treasures for imperfect treasures, satisfying treasures for unsatisfying treasures, lasting treasures for fading treasures ; but the young man slips his opportunity, his season, and goes away sorrowful, and we never read more of him.
Ah ! young men, young men, do not put off the present season, do not neglect the present day. There is no time yours but the present time, no day yours but the present day ; and therefore do not please yourselves and feed yourselves with hopes of time to come, and that you will repent, but not yet, and lay hold on mercy, but not yet, and give up yourselves to the Lord next week, next month, or next year, for that God that hath promised you mercy and favour upon the day of your return, he hath not promised to prolong your lives till that day comes.2 When a soldier was brought before Lamacus,3 a commander, for a misbehaviour, and pleaded he would do so no more, Lamacus answered, Non licet in
1 The whole earth hangs on a point ; so doth heaven and eternity on an inch of oppor- tunity.
* Often consider what the damned would give, were it in their hands, for one sen son of grace, for one opportunity of mercy. 3 Lamachus. Plutarch. Pericles. — G.
210 APPLES OF GOLD. [1 KlNGS XIV. 13
belk) bis peccare, no man must offend twice in war ; so God, especially in ilit B6 gospel days, wherein the motions of divine justice are more smart and quick than in former days, happily will not suffer men twice to neglect the day of grace, and let slip the season of mercy, Heb. iii. 2.
Ah ! young men, young men, you say you will be good towards the Lord before you die, but if you are not good towards the Lord to-day, you may die to-morrow, nay, justice may leave him to be his own executioner to-morrow, who will not repent, nor seek the Lord to-day. I have read of a certain young man, who, being admonished of the evil of his way and course, and pressed to leave his wickedness by the con- sideration of death, judgment, and eternity that was a-coming, he answered, What do you tell mo of these things? I will do well enough; for when death comes, I will speak but three words, and will help all ; and so still he went on in his sinful ways, but in the end, coming to a bridge on horseback, to go over a deep water, the horse stumbling, and he labouring to recover his horse, but could not ; at last, he let go the bridle, and gave up himself and horse to the waters, and was heard to say these three words, Devil take all, Diabolus capiat omnia I Here was three dreadful words indeed, and an example, with a witness, for all young men to beware who think to repent with a three-word repent- ance at last.
Otho, the emperor, slew himself with his own hands, but slept so soundly the night before, that the grooms of his chamber heard him snort1 2
Young men, I will suppose you to be good accountants ; now if you please to count the number and mark the age of the sacrifices in the Old Testament, you shall find more kids and lambs offered than goats and old sheep. You have no lease of your lives, you are not sure that you shall live to Isaac's age, to live till your eyes wax dim, Gen. xxvii. 1 ; you are not sure that you shall live to Jacob's years, and die leaning upon the top of a staff, Heb. xi. 21. You read of them who 'die in their youth, and whose lives are among the unclean,' Job xxxvi. 14. Slip not the present season, neglect not this day of grace, let not Satan keep your souls and Christ any longer asunder, by telling of you that you are too young, that hereafter will be time enough.3 Austin tells us, that by this very temptation the devil kept him off from receiving of Christ, from closing with Christ seven years together ; he could no sooner think of inquiring after Christ, of getting an interest in Christ, of leaving off his sinful courses, &c, but Satan would be still a-suggest- ing, Thou art too young to leave thy drunkenness, thou art too young to leave thy Delilahs, to leave thy harlots ; till at last he cried out, How long shall I say it is too soon ? why may I not repent to-day ? and lay hold on Jesus Christ to-day? &c. Ah! young men, this is your day, this is your season ; if you will not now hearken and obey, you may perish for ever. Csesar had a letter given him by Artemidorus that morning he went to the senate, wherein notice was given him of all the con- spiracy of his murderers, so that with ease he might have prevented
1 Suetonius and Plutarch, Otho; Dion Cassius, lxiv. — G-