The reasons are these —
[1.] They forget or consider not what God is, or how great and good a master they serve ; for if they did, they would earnestly address them- selves to serve and please him. How great is he ! Poor, sorry service is a contempt of his majesty : Mai, i, 14, ' Cursed be the deceiver that hath in his flock a male, and voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing ; for I am a great king, saith the Lord of hosts.' So also how good is he ! Who hath done so much for them : Col, i. 10,
* That ye walk worthy of the Lord, unto all pleasing ; ' 1 Thes, ii. 12,
* That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you to his kingdom and glory,' And he will do more : Heb. xi. 6, ' He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.' These are the considerations that may serve to cure our neglect, and show we can never do enough for God ; surely never too much for him,
[2.] They do not consider the end and consequence of their work. Eternity should quicken and put life into the dullest creatures. It is hell you are avoiding, heaven that you are seeking after : Prov. xv. 24,
* The way of life is above to the wise, that they may depart from hell beneath.' Now in the case of heaven and hell, flight and speed is always necessary, or the most serious and earnest diligence that we can use : Mat. iii. 7, ' Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come ? ' Heb. vi. 18, ' Who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before them.' Now it is not a wet winter that we provide against, but everlasting torments.
[3.] They do not count negligence and slothfulness so great and so dangerous an evil. If they do not oppose God, or break out into open sin, they think no great harm will come of it ; but, Heb. ii. 3, ' How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation.' Oh, there are millions in hell lamenting their carelessness ! And the great fault of the world is to make light of those things : Mat. xxii. 5, ' And they made light of it ; ' and Mat. xxv. 30, ' Cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness ; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' How many poor creatures knock and cry when it is in vain. They neglected their season, got not oil in their lamps while it may be had. When their lamps should have been burning, their oil was to buy ; and so they perish for ever.
[4.] They are diverted by worldly business, providing for the bodily life. They are too much like ants in one thing ; all their care is what they shall eat and drink, and how they may live in pomp, and ease, and honour ; and then by the cares of this world and voluptuous living,
* they bring forth no fruit to perfection,' Luke viii. 14. They have
SERMON UPON PROVERBS VI. 6-8, 11
some religion, but not such as is carried on in the way of sincere and serious diligence.
[5.] There is not a sound belief of the world to come. When the apostle presseth to diligence, 2 Peter i. 5, ' And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue,' &c. ; and ver, 10, ' Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure ; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall ; ' he urgeth this argument, ver. 16, ' For we have not followed cunningly-devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ ;' implying that men will see a reason for their diligence if they have a sound persuasion of the truth of religion ; and if we do not with zeal and constancy seek to add to faith virtue, and to make our calling and election sure, to enter abundantly into the kingdom of heaven, we dis- honour the gospel, as if it were but a fable. Sense teacheth the creatures to shun misery and seek their happiness, and reason doth much more teach man, who can foresee the good and evil to come ; but where the good lieth in the other world, there faith must interpose. Now if faith be either none or weak, so will our endeavours and pursuits be. Most men have but a weak persuasion of the world to come, and the truth of eternal life, and therefore their endeavours are so overly.
2. To seek for a remedy of this.
[1.] Live in the continual remembrance of God, who is our guide, overseer, and ruler. It is his work we do, as well as our own, for he hath appointed it, and he always looketh on to see how we do it. And will you loiter in his sight, when a very eye- servant will work while his master standeth by ? Besides, in the close of our life we must give up our account ; that should be oftener thought of : Job xxxi. 14, ' What then shall I do, when God riseth up ; and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him ? ' Such an eye should we always have to God's appro- bation and condemnation, and entertain frequent, serious thoughts of being called to an account by God, and the inquiry that shall be made, how we have spent our time, how we have improved our talents and interests, what our ways have been. This is as the cold water cast into the boiling pot, to stop the fervours of youthful lusts : Eccles. xi. 9, ' Rejoice, 0 young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes ; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee to judgment.' This bindeth the whole duty of man : Eccles. xii. 13, 14, ' Fear God, and keep his commandments ; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment,' &c. This maketh God's servants more careful to do their work in its season: 2 Cor. v. 10, 11, ' For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in the body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men,' &c.