_Direct._ XIII. Consider soberly of the ends for which thy life and time are given thee by God. God made not such a creature as man for nothing; he never gave thee an hour's time for nothing. The life and time of brutes and plants are given them to be serviceable to thee; but what is thine for? Dost thou think in thy conscience that any of thy time is given thee in vain? When thou art slugging, or idling, or playing it away, dost thou think in thy conscience that thou art wisely and honestly answering the ends of thy creation, and redemption, and hourly preservation? Dost thou think that God is so unwise, or disregardful of thy time and thee, as to give thee more than thou hast need of? Thou wilt blame thy tailor if he cut out more cloth than will make thy garments meet for thee, and agreeable to thy use: and thou wilt blame thy shoemaker, if he make thy shoes too big for thee: and dost thou think that God is so lavish of time, or so unskilful in his works of providence, as to cut thee out more time, than the work which he hath cut thee out requireth? He that will call thee to a reckoning for all, hath certainly given thee none in vain. If thou canst find an hour that thou hast nothing to do with, and must give no account for, let that be the hour of thy pastime. But if thou knewest thy need, thy danger, thy hopes, and thy work, thou wouldst never dream of having time to spare. For my own part, I must tell thee, if thou have time to spare, thy case is very much different from mine. It is the daily trouble and burden of my mind, to see how slowly my work goes on, and how hastily my time; and how much I am like to leave undone which I would fain despatch! How great and important businesses are to be done, and how short that life is like to be, in which they must be done, if ever! Methinks if every day were as long as ten, it were not too long for the work which is every day before me, though not incumbent on me as my present duty, (for God requireth not impossibilities,) yet exceeding desirable to be done. It is the work that makes the time a mercy; the time is for the work. If my work were done, which the good of the church and my soul requireth, what cause had I to be glad of the ending of my time, and to say with Simeon, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace." Remember then that God never gave thee one minute to spend in vain; but thy very ease, and rest, and recreations must be but such and so much as fit thee for thy work; and as help it on, and do not hinder it. He redeemed and preserveth us, that we "might serve him in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our lives," Luke i. 74, 75.
_Direct._ XIV. Remember still, that the time of this short, uncertain life is all that ever you shall have, for your preparation for your endless life. When this is spent, whether well or ill, you shall have no more. God will not try those with another life on earth, that have cast away and mispent this.[282] There is no returning hither from the dead, to mend that which here you did amiss. What good you will do, must now be done; and what grace you would get, must now be got; and what preparation for eternity you will ever make, must now be made! 2 Cor. vi. 2, "Behold, now is the accepted time! Behold, now is the day of salvation." Heb. iii. 7, 13, "Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith, To-day if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. But exhort one another daily, while it is called to-day, lest any of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." Have you but one life here to live, and will you lose that one, or any part of it? Your time is already measured out: the glass is turned upon you. Rev. x. 5, 6, "And the angel--lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, that time should be no longer." Therefore "whatever 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," Eccles. ix. 10. What then remaineth, but that "the time being short, and the fashion of these things passing away," you use the world as if you used it not, and redeem this time for your eternal happiness, 1 Cor. vii. 29.