Learn your folly in having lost the past

Learn your folly in having lost the past. Although life is very short — it should all be used beneficially. This is the reason for which God has given it to us. The patience of God is intended for our salvation. God gives men time to hear the Gospel — to pray — to get saving conversion. But unconverted souls have wasted all the past! Think how much time you have lost in idleness. How many golden opportunities for prayer, and hearing the Word, and meditation, have you lost! How much time have you spent uselessly in amusements, or in idle talk, or in loitering about your doors! If you saw how short your time is, and how death and Hell are pursuing you — you would have fled to Christ; but you have not. Think how much time you have spent in sin, at the tavern, or in vain company, or in dances, or in vanities, or in sins of which it is a shame even to speak. God gave you time for saving your soul — and you have spent it in ruining your soul. God gave you time to flee to Christ — and you have spent it in fleeing toward Hell!

Think how much time you have spent in business, without one thought for eternity. Think how you have lost your best time. Youth is your best time of being saved. Many of you have lost it! "The harvest is past, the summer is ended — and we are not saved!"

2. Consider what value they put on time who are now in Hell. Once, brethren, they cared as little for it as you. Once, they could see their years pass away without caring. Once, they could let their Sundays slip away — but now they see their folly. What would they now give, brethren, for such an opportunity as you have this day? What would they give for another year of grace — for another week — for another day? It is probable that some of your friends or companions, now in Hell — are wishing they could come back to tell you how precious is an inch of saving time!

Oh! brethren, be wise. "Why do you stand idle all the day?" It has come to the eleventh hour with some! Your unconverted head is grey — your feet are tottering. If you saw a man condemned to die, lying in chains, who had but three hours to live — if you saw that man playing at dice, or singing wanton songs, would you not be shocked? You would say he was a hardened wretch.

Ah! are there none among you the same? You are condemned already — your days are numbered — you are hanging by a thread over the mouth of Hell! And yet you are cutting and slashing at the hand that holds you! In a little moment, it will be all over. Throughout the never-ending ages of eternity, you will remember the few days we spent together. Ah! the remembrance will add fuel to the flame, and be a never-dying worm in your poor soul!