Corollary III.
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Mather, Cotton and Mather, Increase
What a Reasonable Thing then is it, that they whose Time is but short, should make as great Use of their Time, as ever they can! pray, let us learn some good, even from the wicked One himself. It has been advised, Be wise as Serpents: why, there is a piece of Wisdom, whereto that old Serpent, the Devil himself, may be our Moniter. When the Devil perceives his Time is but short, it puts him upon Great Wrath. But how should it be with us, when we perceive that our Time is but short? why, it should put us upon Great Work. The motive which makes the Devil to be more full of wrath; should make us more full of warmth, more full of watch, and more full of All Diligence to make our Vocation, and Election sure. Our Pace in our Journey Heaven-ward, must be Quickened, if our space for that Journey be shortned, even as Israel went further the two last years of their Journey Canaan-ward, than they did in 38 years before. The Apostle brings this, as a spur to the Devotions of Christians, in 1 Cor. 7.29. This I say, Brethren, the time is short. Even so, I say this; some things I lay before you, which I do only think, or guess, but here is a thing which I venture to say with all the freedom imaginable. You have now a Time to Get good, even a Time to make sure of Grace and Glory, and every good thing, by true Repentance: But, This I say, the time is but short. You have now Time to Do good, even to serve out your generation, as by the Will, so for the Praise of God; but, This I say, the time is but short. And what I say thus to All People, I say to Old People, with a peculiar Vehemency:
Sirs, It cannot be long before your Time is out; there are but a few sands left in the glass of your Time: And it is of all things the saddest, for a man to say, My Time is done, but my work undone! O then, To work as fast as you can; and of Soul-work, and Church-work, dispatch as much as ever you can. Say to all Hindrances, as the gracious Jeremiah Burrows would sometimes to Visitants: You'll excuse me if I ask you to be short with me, for my work is great, and my time is but short. Methinks every time we hear a Clock, or see a Watch, we have an admonition given us, that our Time is upon the wing, and it will all be gone within a little while. I remember I have read of a famous man, who having a Clock-watch long lying by him, out of Kilture in his Trunk, it unaccountably struck Eleven just before he died. Why, there are many of you, for whom I am to do that office this day: I am to tell you You are come to your Eleventh hour; there is no more than a twelfth part at most, of your life yet behind. But if we neglect our business, till our short Time shall be reduced into none, then, woe to us, for the great wrath of God will send us down from whence there is no Redemption.