Time Waits for None by Roswell F. Cottrell

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 2, 1866

Time Waits for None.

By Roswell F. Cottrell

How much depends upon the few remaining hours of probation! And whether improved, unimproved, or misimproved, time glides on and waits for none. Oh, my soul! hasten to do thy work, ere the night cometh wherein no man can work. Vastly great and momentous consequences hang upon the improvement of the present hour. If this hour passes without improvement, what cause is there to hope that the next, or any following, will be employed in the great work of preparation for the coming King. A man may be forever resolving for the future, and never accomplish anything for the present. We can do nothing for the future, nor for the past. Present duty must be done, or there is no hope for the future. Now is the time; if it is postponed, nothing is gained, no advancement made, but much is lost.

“In a little while the Coming One will say to the faithful, Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Will he say this to me? He cannot lie. I must do well, or he will not say it to me. Oh, then, let me now be engaged in well-doing.”

But what can I do? What can one so weak accomplish? By prayer, by consecration, and by labor, each one can, by the help of promised grace, do the very work assigned by the Master. The strongest can do no more. Give God our hearts, our time, our strength, our wealth, our all, and no more is required. It is a good, a reasonable, a benevolent master that says to us, “Son, go labor today in my vineyard.” Whatever is right, he will give. How unreasonable to say, I go sir, and go not.

Now is the accepted time, to-day is the day of salvation. Let me engage at once. If I can see nothing to do to help others, my heart is not right, and I must prepare my own heart. If this work is still neglected, my time will all be wasted, and I shall be left without hope.

Then here is my heart, O Lord! what wilt thou have me to do? I will not lose time which should be used in laboring for others, waiting to get my heart right. I will engage at once to labor both for myself and others. O Lord, aid and bless. Then let time speed on and bring the glorious advent. The work which is assigned me shall be accomplished, and I shall hear him say, “Well done!”

R. F. COTTRELL.