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the intentional goodness of God, is even infinitely greater; because, to fuch beings, GOD hath not only given nobler capacities of communicating and receiving a higher and more fublime happiness, but hath alfo given them an opportunity of enjoying this happiness, eternally! O, then, under what high obligations are men, are human creatures, to God, even for his creating goodnefs, who hath taught them more than the beafts of the field, made them wifer than the fowls of heaven, ftampt upon their nature the image of his own immortality, and made them capable of eternally enjoying the chief good? But, 2. We must confider that the only opportunity which we have of enfuring the eternal enjoyment of the chief good of our natures, is our present, scanty, uncertain span of time. When the curtain of time falls, all opportunity ceafes of either doing or receiving that good, which will be eternal in its fruits, confequences and rewards: For, when the night of death cometh, no man can work the rewardable works of GoD; there is no knowledge, device or repentance in the grave. The reafon is, because we are probationary creatures, and our prefent precarious exiftence, is the only time of our trial. Hence it appears, how all-important time is to us, as our eternal all depends on the manner in which we improve our fhort allotment

of it. It is our feed time for eternity. It is our working, laboring day, wherein we are to lay up in ftore a good foundation for the time to come. It is our only opportunity of providing for, and enfuring a bleffed immortality. 3. Hence it will follow, that as this is the talent which gives worth to all other talents, every day or hour of it abufed, or not ufed in fubferviency to our eternal interefts, though it may not totally deprive us of eternal happiness itself, yet it will certainly leffen the degree of that happiness. He who, with one pound gained ten, was made ruler over ten cities; and he who gained but two, was made ruler only over two cities. A plain proof, that a vigorous improvement of this, and every other talent, will be proportionably rewarded; and that the more flothful and idle fervant (though he may not be altogether unfaithful) will fall fhort of the reward which he might have obtained by diligence and circumfpection.

3. As to the beft methods of redeeming and improving time, the following may be worthy our attention: 1. An habitual daily confideration of, and attention to the great importance of it, as it ftands connected with our eternal interests.

2. Daily ferious reflection on its exceed ing shortness and uncertainty, and how quickly our day of probation may be at an

end. And this will naturally lead us,

3. To confider the greatnefs of the work we have to do in this our day, and how dreadful the confequences will be to us, if we fhould leave it unfinished.

4. Moft will find it worth their ferious enquiry, whether they have ever, to this day, confidered for what purpose they have had time, and been fent into this world; and whether they are not yet to learn the very meaning of the improvement of time.

5. Perfons who have a due fenfe of the importance and value of time, will employ as little of it as poffible in absolute idleness; or, which is the fame thing, in busying themselves in matters, which contribute nothing to their own advantage, or that of other perfons, much lefs in mischief.

6. Time employed in worldly business and cares, is not always mispent, or thrown away; for, while we have bodies, families, and the poor and needy to care for, lawful worldly induftry, will ever be an effential part of our chriftian duty. But that the time spent in worldly bufinefs be lawfully spent, it is neceffary that we thus spend it in fubferviency to a higher, nobler end; that we do it to the glory of GoD, and in obedience to his command, and that the world is kept down from the highest place in our affections.

7. All time spent in diversions and amufements is not loft or fquandered; for, it is needful, that the mind be unbent and the spirits refreshed, in order to fit both for more important duty. But diverfions fhould never exceed this meafure. A perfon who is running for a rich prize, fhould not ftop and turn aside to cath butterflies.

8. Where perfons are confcious, that they have trifled away the prime of life in idleness, dissipation, and pleasure, and in a wretched unconcern about their highest interefts, it becomes them to be more frugal and parfimonious of time than others; -first, becaufe much of it is already guiltily fquandered and loft, and in all probability little remains; and, secondly, because they have peculiar need to redeem their time by a double diligence in well doing, that, if poffible, they may make fome amends for former trifling.

9. A right contrivance and planning of bufinefs, would be an excellent expedient for the better improvement of time :-So much of every day to the duties of religion;

-to the improvement of the mind;—to worldly cares and labours ;---to company; ----diverfion, &c.

10. Diligence and dispatch in business, is abfolutely neceffary to make the best of time.

ESSAY XLIX.

The CONSIDERATION of ETERNITY.

1.ETERNITY, what a vast, amazing, unfathomable, incomprehensible fub

ject! It is the existence and duration of him, who is incomprehenfible to all but himfelf! As we quickly lofe all our ideas in confidering immensity, or infinite space; ---fo we are equally loft in confidering eternity, or infinite duration; and no wonder, fince they are in fome fort attributes of the incomprehenfible JEHOVAH, which none by fearching can find out unto perfection!

2. The word aion, which we English eternity, fignifies perpetual existence; and fince we are finite creatures, it is little wonder, that we should be incapable of forming any adequate conception of it: For, it is not to be fuppofed, that a being who has begun to exist, fhould be able to conceive the nature of a being, who is selfexistent, and never had a beginning of exiftence.

3. Eternity is generally diftinguished into two periods [if one may be allowed fo to exprefs it; the first, is the eternity of duration which is past, and which can be attributed only to GoD, who alone poffeffes it all: The second, is that eternity of dura

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