Do it now!

Recollect that wherever there is present privilege there is also a present duty to be performed... Since “now is the accepted time” with sinners, now is the accepted time for thee to work, O Christian. I know what you intend to do; you have vast plans and machinery. My brother, I do not care what you mean to do tomorrow, but I do care about what you intend to do today.

Oh! those day-dreams of ours! We are always intending in a year or two’s time to be such valorous defenders of the faith, such good soldiers of Christ, such good winners of souls. My dear brother, what art thou doing now? There flies that moment; what does it bear upon its wings? Another drop of the stream of time is passed away: what action of thine is reflected on its crystal surface? Art thou doing anything now? “I do not know,” says one, “I do not know that I can do anything just now. When the service is broken up, I may get home, and then try to do something.” I would pray thee remember that “now is the accepted time,” and therefore now seek to get thy heart warm; and, when the service is over, think thou hearest the now, and begin to speak to those in the pew, or on the way home talk to any person you may meet with; and then, tomorrow, do not say, “Sunday is over, and I cannot do any good on the week-day,” but think you hear the clarion-sound of this word now. You have a sister unsaved, pray for her now; you have a brother unconverted, write to him if you cannot speak to him, and do it now. There is a court, a blind alley, which needs visiting; a dying man who needs instruction - do it now. Do you feel you have a talent? Use it now. You think you will have a better sphere in ten years’ time; I
pray thee get a sphere now, for now is the day of salvation.

I say again, I do not care what you do with your to-morrow. If you will but give God your now, your tomorrows will be all right. For duty, then, let the Christian prize the “now.”

From a sermon entitled "Now," delivered December 4, 1864. Image by atomicjeep under Creative Commons License.