2. This is the time of our exercise and trial. As death leaves us, so judgment finds us ; our everlasting woe or weal hangs uj)on the present moment. Hereafter is not the time of labour, but of rewards and punishment. Then there will be no more room for repentance, though we should seek the blessing with tears, Heb. xii. 17 ; therefore here is, the time of our exercise and of our work ; we are now put to our choice. There is no triumph without warfare — ' They are not crowned except they strive lawfully,' saith the apostle ; that is, according to the laws of the race, 2 Tim. ii. 5 ; so we cannot expect our crown till we have been exercised in the duties of holiness. They that live in the Lord die in the Lord, and they shall hereafter reign with the Lord. It is said of ungodly men, ' their iniquities shall find them out,' Num. xxxii. 23 ; and of the godly ' their works follow them,' Eev. xiv. 13: they reap the fruit of their works in the other world. We may observe, many live as if they never thought to die ; therefore when they come to die they die as if they never thought to live. Oh consider, your works do not die when you die ; they are kept in a safe register, and they will find you out : Eccles. xi. 3, ' If the tree fall toward the south or toward the north, in the place where the tree flilleth there it shall lie.' As we live, so we die, and so we shall arise and come to judgment. Here is the time of our trial and exercise. Look, as the Jews upon the sixth day were to provide for the sabbath, and there- fore they were to gather two omers of manna then : the present life is our sixth day, here we are to make provision ; they that did not pro- vide on the sixth day had nothing on the sabbath ; so we shall have nothing to do with the everlasting sabbath unless we make provision in the present life. Here we are in via, then in termino. Death will at length cut us down and deprive us of further opportunity : Eccles. ix. 10, ' Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it. with thy might ; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest.' When this life is ended, all opportunity of doing good ends with it. The next life is not sccculum operis, but mercedis. Therefore now we must be making out our qualification : Gal. vi. 10, ' As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men.' Opportunities are passing, and being passed will not return ; they are confined within the narrow precincts of the present life. Afterwards, the time of our trial and exercise is past : John ix. 4, ' I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day : the night cometh, when no man can work.'
3. The sooner we begin the better.
[1.] Because you make a necessary work sure, and put it out of
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QQ SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XXIII.
doubt and hazard. The time of this life is uncertain : James iv. 14, ' Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow ; for what is your life ? it is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.' And a work of necessity should not be left on per- adventures; therefore we must bestir ourselves without delay. We know not how soon opportunity will be over ; it cannot be done too soon, it may be too late, and therefore it is good to be of the surer side. Ludovicus Capellus telleth us, out of Rabbi Jonah's book of the mystery of repentance, that when a disciple came to his teacher to know what was the fittest time to repent in, he answered, ' One day before death,' meaning presently ; for we have not assurance of another day : Prov. xxvii. 1, ' Thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.' Our greatest works, and of most absolute necessity should be done first, and have the quickest despatch, lest it be too late before we go about them. Oh, woe to us, if God should call us off before we have minded coming to him, and walking with him !
[2.] In point of obedience, God presseth to ' now.' God doth not only command us to please him, but to do it presently : Heb. iii. 7, 8, ' To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.' God standeth on his authority, and will have a present answer. If he say, ' To-day,' it is flat disobedience for you to say, ' To-morrow : ' 2 Cor. vi. 2, ' Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.' At this instant you are charged in his name, as you will answer the contrary. _ You say, no; 'I will please the flesh a little longer. It were just with God, if you refuse him, never to call you more.
[3.] In point of ingenuity. We receive a plenteous recompense for a small service. When a man thinketh what God hath provided for them that love him and serve him, he should be ashamed that he should receive so much and do so little ; and therefore he should redeem all the time that he can, that he may answer his expectations from God. Shall we adjourn and put off God to our decrepit time, when he hath pi'ovided for us eternal happiness ? Can a man, which hath any ingenuity in his breast, be content to dishonour God longer, and grieve his Spirit longer, provided that at length he may be saved ?_ Those that have any due sense of God's kindness, or their own duty, will think God hath been too long kept out of his right, and that all the time that remaineth is too little to express our love and thankfulness to him : 1 Peter iv. 3, ' For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the gentiles.' Men that delay, do in effect say, Let me despise thy commands and abuse thy mercies a little longer ; but then, when my lusts are satisfied and youthful heats are spent, I will see what I can do to be saved. What baseness of spirit is this !