5. Now is your time and season : Prov. x. 5, ' He that gathereth in summer is a wise son ; but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.' To lose time is sad, but to lose the season worst of all, and a season that bringeth profit as well as labour, as harvest doth. Usually the time of grace is between eighteen and eight-and-twenty ; this is matter of observation. We cannot exclude other seasons, for
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Christ may effectually call at the eleventh hour. We cannot say, The clay of grace is past ; but while you are fresh and in your flower, it is good to set your hearts to religion. Though the day of gospel grace hath no shorter end than the end of our life upon earth, God knoweth how long that life or the means of grace may be continued, either to a nation or person ; it is quicklier past to some than others. Besides, there are certain times when God actually moveth the hearts of the impenitent towards conversion more than formerly he did. In short, there is the Father's season, the day of his patience, and that is as long as life, while his long-suffering waiteth : 1 Peter iii. 20, ' When once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah.' And we are sure of no more ; the present time is the best and only certain time : Heb. iii. 7, ' To-day, if you will hear his voice.' And there is God the Son's time, while the offers of grace continue ; and we must not sin away and shorten this time : Luke xix. 42, ' If thou hadst known, even, thou, at least in this thy day, the things wliich belong unto thy peace ; but now they are hid from thine eyes ; ' 2 Cor. vi. 2, ' I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee. Behold, now is the accepted time ; behold, now is the day of salvation.' And there is God the Holy Spirit's time, when his motions are stronger and opportunities fairer for conversion than ever after- wards : Isa. Iv. 6, ' Seek ye the Lord while he may be found ; call ye upon him while he is near.' God may withhold the motions of his Spirit, and leave us to the hardness of our hearts; therefore we are to open when he knocketh, to put in for cure when he stirreth the waters, to let loose the sails when the wind bloweth.
6. Others care for their souls, and are hard at work for God ; their diligence should awaken us : Acts xxvi. 7, ' Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come ; for which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews ; ' Heb. xi. 7, ' By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house ; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.' As the lazy and drowsy are stirred up by the early rising and constant labour of their neighbours. Why should not our souls be as precious to us as theirs to them ? The same common necessity lieth upon us. Now shall not their zeal provoke us ? They are flesh and blood as we are, and have not divested themselves of the interest and affections of the animal life no more than we ; only they govern them, and overrule them to a better end. Now shall not their zeal provoke us ?
7. The devil is awake, and will you sleep ? 1 Peter v. 8, ' Be sober, be vigilant ; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.' He is rocking your cradles, stilling your consciences by diversions or vain delights, prejudicing us against a holy ministry that would do us good, instilling into us by his instruments false and base opinions against holiness and strictness of life, to lull us asleep in security. Now, should we that know our danger take up every false allegation against our duty ?
8. If nature were well awake, it would disprove your courses as much as religion. Now when duty is unquestionable, and nature doth even
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show to us that it is a shame to indulge such lusts and practices, that should much move us ; otherwise we neither behave ourselves as men or christians. The thing should be doubly dear to us ; that is, dear to us, ' both in the flesh and in the Lord,' Philem. 16. When nature and grace concur, either to commend or condemn a way, we sin greatly if we regard not these motions.
Secondly, ' Arise from the dead ; ' that is, be converted to God ; for the voice of Ciirist doth not only conduce to awaken us, but to raise us from the dead : John v. 25, ' The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God ; and they that hear shall live.' Look about you, then ; entertain serious thoughts of get- ting out of a state of sin into a state of grace.