| Marriott, John^ Rev.
A Sermon, preached in the parish church of St. Raul's,
I London, 1818.

M*_*£S

YALE
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

The Shortness of Time.

SERMOHJft

PREACHED IN THE

TARISH CHURCH OF ST. PAUL'S,
ON SUNDA Y, MA Y 31, 1818.

BY THE REV.

JOHN MARRIOTT, A.M.
CURATE OF THE SAID PARISH, RECTOR OF CHURCH LAWSOW, IN THE
COUNTY OF WARWICK ; AND DOMESTIC CHAPLAIN TO HIS GRACE
THE DUKE OF BUCCLEUGH AND QUEENSBERRY.

EXETER:
PRINTED BY J. MOON, STATIONERS' ARMS,
FOR C. UPHAM;
F,, C, AND J., RIVINGTON, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD ; AND J. HATCHARB
PICCADILLY, LONDON.
1818.

TO THE PARISHIONERS OF
ST. PAULS,
IN THE CITY OF EXETER,
AT WHOSE REQUEST AND EXPENCE IT IS PUBLISHED,
Wig &£f mon
IS
WITH GRATEFUL RESPECT,
AND AN EARNEST WISH FOR THE PROMOTION OF
THEIR HIGHEST INTERESTS,
INSCRIBED BY THEIR FAITHFUL SERVANT,
THE AUTHOR.

PREFACE.

Should any one question the propriety
or usefulness of giving further publicity to a
discourse upon a topic so frequently discussed,
the Author might simply reply, that he has
consented to its publication in grateful deference
to the opinion of his Parishioners, unanimously
expressed, and conveyed to him officially.
But he would so far enter into the merits of the
case, as to ask, whether the prevailing neglect
of plain yet important truths does not still, as
in the days of Isaiah, call for " line upon line,
and precept upon precept ". He would also beg
any person making such an objection to consi
der, whether the shortness of life, often as it
may have been brought to his mind, has made
a due and adequate impression on his judge
ment, and a proportionate improvement in his

VI
character. If not, instead of complaining that
the lesson, which, by his own confession, he
has never properly learned, is again offered to
his notice, let him give to it the serious con
sideration, which it deserves.
" If ye know these things, happy are ye if
ye do them."

SERMON.

1 Cor. vii. 29.
But this I say, brethrehj the time is short*

OF all the privileges afforded to his unworthy
servants by a gracious and merciful God, none
are more frequently and more culpably abused
than warnings ; warnings sent for our eternal
good, but either unnoticed by too many amongst
us, or only made the subject of a passing ex
clamation, speedily to be forgotten. Yet this
is equally ungrateful, and unwise ; — ungrateful,
because they are sent in mercy, and meant to
remind us of truths essential to our happiness;
— unwise, because we forfeit, by this neglect, the
most important benefits; and, it may be, for
ever ; since it is always uncertain whether any
more warnings may be vouchsafed to us, though
it is awfully certain that we shall be called to

• 2
a strict account for every one that we have re
ceived. No warnings are more frequent than those,
which serve to mark the insecure tenure, by
which we hold our frail existence; and none
are more lamentably disregarded. Often, as
in a very recent instance, does the voice of a
brother, snatched away " in his full strength ",
cry to uis from the dust, " be ye ready also,
" for in an hour when ye know not your Lord
" cometh ". Often does it tell us, with a plain
ness which has more convincing force than the
ablest reasonings and the most powerful elo
quence, not only how short, but how uncertain
our time is.
Remember that such warnings must have
a decided effect, either in promoting your sal
vation, or increasing the burden of your respon
sibility. If ybu defer religious consideration
to what you think a more convenient season,
and continue in sin, as though you had " made
a covenant with death ", in spite of repeated
proofs that you are liable to be summoned by
him to your account at a minute's warning,
such wilful rashness must add to the wrath of
God, and to the weight of your condemnation.
You will assuredly have to answer for every
striking event, which reminds, or ought to re-

3
mind you of the shortness of life, as an admo
nition to prepare for eternity. If you neglect
these warnings, how will the recollection of
such obstinate deafness to the voice of mercy
aggravate the horrors, with which you will hear
that of offended justice ! How will it increase
the agonies of a dying hour, to think that you
had timely notice of your danger, but would
not regard it; had seen the cloud gathering,
but neglected to seek the shelter, to which you
were graciously invited I
Perhaps a striking lesson of this kind has
spoken in vain to your hearts, and proclaimed
aloud, that f' the time is short ' . Perhaps, in
stead of being intent on redeeming your time,
and turning it, in future, to the best account,
you are occupied in various schemes for its
waste or its misapplication. If so, however
trite, and however common this truth may be,
to you it is as a hidden mystery. However
useful and important, to you it is as gold still in
the ore, and buried in the bowels of the earth :
you own its existence, biit can derive no advan^
tage from it, till you bring it into current use,
and apply it to the great purposes of life,
The too prevailing inattention of the world
to this important subject must strike the com
monest observer. Every one is ready to mora-

lize on the shortness of life, and the swift lapse
of time ; to own, that " our life is even a va-
" pour, that appeareth. for a little time, and then
" vanisheth away ". Yet the very same lips,
which have uttered these reflections, may be
heard frequently to complain that time hangs
heavily, and to cry out for. any employment,
however frivolous, which may speed the lagging
hours, that intervene between the periods mark"
ed by some particular objects of interest or gra
tification. The very same people who own the
certain brevity, and the uncertain duration of
life, employ the greater part of that life, as
though it were so Jong, that it is of no conser.
quence how .much of it is wasted; and as though
it were so fixed in its period, that they might
defer the most essential and important duties,
without any fear lest they should never be per
formed. And this absurd practice is so very com
mon, it is the practice of so large a portion of
the wprld, that, like the truth in my text, it
loses the effect which it ought to have upon our
minds, from its being brought so continually be*
fore them. Did most men act like rational
beings in this respect, ahd make the best use of
a treasure, the scarcity and uncertain tenure of
which they acknowledge, we should look upon

5
the few who frittered away their time in idle, or
mispent it in criminal pursuits, with the same
mixt sensations of wonder and pity, with which
we view those unfortunate beings, who wander
through life without the benefit of reason's guid
ing ray. But, in this instance, the general rule
is in favour of the practice most contrary to rea
son, and those, who make a wise use of their time,
form the exception, and excite the wonder and
misplaced compassion of the many, who throw
it away ; a number greater than may, at the
first thought, be supposed. For it must be re
membered, that no use, to which our time can be
applied, will make up for the want of its applica
tion to the " one thing needful ". We may gain
the credit of industry by an active and unremit
ting attention to our worldly concerns, and yet
be condemned at the day of judgment, as idle
and unprofitable servants, because we shall have
neglected the chief task imposed upon us by
our heavenly Master, the task of securing our
happiness in a future and eternal state of ex
istence, of " working out our salvation with fear
and trembling ". Think not that an admonition
on the waste of time can apply only tp those
who are devoted to listless indolence, or frivo
lous amusements. It may respect the most di
ligent and laborious of mankind, if they con-

6
fine their labours and their diligence to the con
cerns of this life. If we toil only for temporal
gains, temporal gains shall be our only reward.
If all our endeavours concentrate in the object
of gaining wealth, if all our activity be devoted
to that pursuit, we are worshippers of mammon,
and not of that God, whose faithful servants
are rich in heavenly treasures ; and, however
busily we may have been employed, our por
tion will be with the sons of idleness, and the
victims of voluptuous indulgence.
But having dwelt sufficiently on the exist
ence of this evil, which is, alas ! but too obvi
ous, we will now turn our attention to one of
the main sources whence it originates, as the
surest and most rational method of discovering
its remedy. To this end we must consider why
our time on earth may be called short. It is
not short, as affording too little opportunity for
pleasurable enjoyments. Ask the men of plea
sure themselves, and they, will confess to you,
that, in spite of their most ingenious inventions
and refined arts, they soon exhaust all the
stores of novelty, and are at a loss for resources
to fill up the vacuities of time, which are as gaps
in their existence. It is not short in respect to
the business of this world. Many a man, who
had fondly imagined, that idleness must be hap-

piness, has dragged through tedious and unpro
fitable years of retirement, after having attained
to the completion of all his worldly views. Ask
the children of affliction, and those whose por
tion is want and continual distress, whether life
has charms for them, which would justify a so
licitude to add to its length. No : — life is not
short in relation to its own concerns, but in res
pect to the concerns of eternity. Our " time
is short ", considering the difficult and impor
tant task of " working out our salvation ", to
which it should be devoted. This task em
braces an extensive scheme of action, every
part of which is essential to its due performance.
It comprehends the victory over self, which
enables us to embrace the hope of everlasting
life, which is in Christ Jesus ; the bringing back
our revolted nature to its allegiance ; the root
ing out vicious habits, and planting in their
room those of a directly opposite character ;
the watchful and courageous resistance to the
world, the flesh, and the devil ; the bringing
into captivity every thought to the obedience of
Christ ; and the complete aud unlimited devo
tion of our heart, our mind, our soul, and our
strength to the love of God.
It is to the want of a clear and comprehen
sive view of the necessity and the extent of this

great work, that we may principally attribute
that lamentable indifference to the waste and
abuse of time, which has been mentioned. It
is a work entirely overlooked and neglected by
too many, and by others undertaken with such
imperfect and inadequate notions of its difl_>
culty and importance, that they do not reckon
it amongst the great, purposes of life. But, let
them think as they will, it is the great purpose
of life; and all who deny this show an entire
ignorance, not only of scriptural truth, but of
the nature of man, and of the true design of
his creation. Say, were such noble powers of
intellect bestowed on man, that they might be
devoted only to the trivial concerns of this tran
sitory life? Surely not. Surely those, who live
without any view to eternity, aim below the
lofty mark of the Christian's anibition, and
forfeit the real dignity of mart.
In this, as in many other things, the judg
ment of the world is grossly erroneous. It is
esteemed by many the mark of a weak and
little mind to live with that degree of cautiOn>
strictness, and holy watchfulness, which cha
racterize those, whose affections are " set oil
things above ", and who have felt " the powers
of the world to come ". As though strength and
greatness of mind consisted in contracting our

hopes and wishes within the narrow bounds of
this state of existence, in preferring present
sensual enjoyment to an eternity of the most
refined and perfect bliss; in yielding to the
temptation of the moment, in opposition to our
highest interests.
But perhaps the number of those, who en
tirely neglect the concerns of a future state, is
small, compared with that of the multitude,
who think that something should be done to-
<_5
wards securing their salvation, but are by no
means aware how much is required. Too many
imagine, thait, if they devote a portion of the
sabbath to this object, they have done quite
enough. If so, they must be saved under some
Gospel more accommodating than that, which
declares the gate of life to he " strait ", and the
way thereof " narrow ". Is it possible, I would
ask, that, when our Saviour used these words,
he could mean that thinking of religion once in
seven days would bring a man to heaven? Is it
possible that he could have used these words,
had they been untrue ? Is it likely that he would
have used them, had they been unnecessary?
No — his word is " a lamp unto our feet, and a
light unto our paths; " and, "though heaven
and earth shall pass away, that word shall not
pass away, till all of it be fulfilled ". On the
great day of account, he will be found true, how

10
many soever of the children of this world may
thereby be " found liars ". It will then be seen,
that the heirs of heavenly glory attain to their
inheritance through toils and difficulties, through
trials and struggles, through crosses and self-
denial, through watchings and fasting, through
mourning and prayer. Dreadful will it then be
to many, to discover how exactly true the word
of God is, and how vainly presumptuous they
themselves were, in hoping for salvation on easier
terms than those which God had appointed.
If we can be saved by devoting a very short
portion of our short time to religion and its
duties, what is the meaning of our Saviour's
plain and positive declaration, to which I have
already alluded, and many others of the same
character? Such, for instance, as, " except
your righteousness shall exceed the righteous
ness of the scribes and pharisees, ye shall in no
case enter into the kingdom of heaven." Why
does the apostle charge his disciples to " work
out their salvation with fear and trembling ", if
they could attain to it with so little trouble ?
Why is the christian life represented as a race,
and a warfare, if it demand neither labour,
watchfulness, nor temperance? Prevalent as
this error is, be assured that it is an error, and
a most dangerous one.
Comfort not yourselves with the reflection,

»
that you are doing more than some, and as
much as many of those around you. This is
catching at so weak a straw, that it affords in
itself a decisive symptom of your being in a
state of imminent danger. With this plea in
their mouths, many were swallowed up in the
water of the deluge. With this plea in their
mouths, many were consumed by fire from the
Lord, within the walls of Sodom and Gomor
rah. And with this plea in their mouths will
many descend to the lake of " everlasting burn
ings ", and the regions of unceasing woe.
Whatever the careless practice and current
maxims of the world may lead you to suppose,
be assured that he, who would save his soul
alive, who would finish his earthly course with
hope, and enter into the joy of his Lord, has
an arduous and laborious task to accomplish,
a task which requires unremitting vigilance,
unabated exertion, and, above all, fervent and
frequent prayer : a task, the importance of which
exceeds that of every other in an infinite degree,
and the difficulty of which might well daunt
the most courageous and enterprising, were we
not assured, that the strength of God is " made
perfect in our weakness ", and that he i§ the
" aid of all that need, the helper of all that
flee to him for succour ".

12
Would you know the nature of these toils
and difficulties, which attend" the Christian's
course ? Alas ! the question itself must betray an
ignorance, which should excite in you a lively
alarm concerning the state of your own souls.
If you know not what they are, you cannot
have lived as Christians ought to live. You
would have no doubt about the nature of these
toils, were you in the habit of enduring them.
You would be well acquainted with the nature
and reality of these difficulties, were you ac
customed to cope with them.
The heaven, to which we aspire, is no Ma
hometan paradise, no scene of sensual gratifi
cation ; otherwisethe lives of too many amongst
us would be a fit preparation for it. But it is
a high and holy place, and none shall enter
therein but those who are made holy. " There
shall in no wise enter into it any thing that de-
filetb, neither whatsoever worketh abomination,
or maketh a lie." Far as we are from pretend
ing to any claim of merit on the plea of holi
ness * ; and strictly as we confine the ground of
our hopes of heaven to the atoning sacrifice,
and the prevailing merits and mediation of
* "We acknowledge a dutiful necessity of doing well, but
the nieritorkms dignity of doing well we utterly renounce."
Hooker.

In i>
Jesus Christ; we know that his blood will jus
tify none who are not sanctified by his Spirit.
" Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord."
This is the reason why the Christian's life must
be a life of labour. It is a work of labour to
become holy. Man is so " far gone from ori
ginal righteousness ", and is " of his own nature
so inclined to evil ", that " the flesh lusteth
always contrary to the Spirit ". Hence arises
that, internal warfare, which troubles and ha
rasses the Christian in his militant state : and
in which he can only hope to prove triumphant
by putting on " the whole armour of God ",
and sheltering his own weakness under the pro
tecting strength of the Holy One. His being
graciously invited to do this is, in fact, the only
encouragement which could lead him to under
take this warfare with the animating prospect
of success. His trust is, in His power, " who
worketh in us both to will, and to do " ; and
he rejoices in the thought, that a simple de
pendence on his teaching, and an earnest desire
for his assistance, are the great requisites for
the due performance of the task, which lies
before him. But though he goes to meet. his
spiritual foes , " in the name of the Lord of
hosts ", and with those spiritual weapons
which are " mighty, through God,, to the pul-

14
ling down of strong holds "', he knows that his
own arm must wield them, and that the strength
which God graciously supplies, must be em
ployed in a serious and active conflict with the
enemies of his salvation, in the renunciation of
sin, in the acquisition of holiness. But so dif
ficult is the task of renouncing sin, and resist
ing temptation, that Christ himself has likened
it to the cutting off a right hand, and plucking
out a right eye. We may be certain, therefore,
that if we have not hitherto deemed this the
great object for which we want time, if we
have found no call for exertion towards its at
tainment, no difficulties to surmount, no dan
gers to avoid, in its pursuit ; if we have neither
climbed up steep places, nor toiled through
rugged paths, it is because we are walking in
the broad road of sin and unconcern, which
leadeth to destruction. And in this case, the
thought that our " time is short ", is an awful
one indeed.
Remember then, I beseech you, my breth
ren, the important work, which makes its
shortness and uncertainty of such consequence
to us : and bring all your energies to bear on the
necessary endeavour to redeem it. If you are
already earnestly engaged in that wise attempt,
" be not weary in well doing," but persevere

15
unto the end ; and that with increasing anima
tion, as you approach nearer to the goal. If
you have hitherto neglected it, think how short
your time is, begin it without delay ; pursue it
without intermission ; and then, should your
Lord come suddenly, you will share in that
blessing, which he himself has promised to all
those servants, whom he shall " find watching."
While you think of the shortness of time,
take into account the length of eternity. O !
the weighty importance of the words for ever I
Those are the words, which make our time
short. Time is short, because eternity hangs
upon it. How quickly is that which we can
call now gone from us, and reckoned amongst
the hours that cannot be recalled ! And to
how many is this noiv the time, which decides
whether they shall be happy or miserable for
ever. I beg of you to put this important
question each to his own heart : " had I been
called into another world suddenly, where
should I now be, in the paradise of God, or in
the company of condemned spirits?" If you
shrink from the question, if you dare not search
into the answer, for fear it should condemn you,
how will you bear the reality ? How will you
bear to hear the sentence pronounced, of which
you dare not even think now? Will turning

16
away your thoughts to other subjects ward off
that sentence, and its consequences? O! no.
Be not then so mad, as to fly to such a vain
resource. Think of this momentous question
till the thought brings you upon your knees to
the long-suffering God, who yet spares you, to
thank him for that undeserved mercy, and to
pray, that the little that remains of your " short
time " may be devoted to the securing a real
interest in that Saviour, through whom alone
you can have a hope for eternity. t
Let me conclude with impressing once more
upon your minds the Apostle's striking admo
nition, and begging you to consider wrell the
inference, which he draws from it. " But this
I say, brethren, the time is short. It remaineth
that both they that have wives be as though
they had none ; and they that weep, as though
they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though
they rejoiced not ; and they that buy, as though
they possessed not; and they that use this
world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this
tvorld passeth away."

Moon, rrinter, Stationers' Arms, Exeter.

Lately Published, by the same Author,

SERMONS. 8vo. 8s. 6d.
A SERMON preached in Trinity Church, Coventry, on
June 29, 1813 ; at the Archdeacon's Visitation. Second
Edition. Is. 6d.
HINTS to a TRAVELLER into Foreign Countries.
Second Edition. Is. 6d.

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