Eph. 5· 16. Redteming the Time. IIH E Apofile here gives many Ldfons; exhorting I· ~o l~ve, Walki11 love, M Ch•ift alfo bath loved"'· 2.. To fly formcatJon, v.t1, Butfornicatim, and all uncleAnt{I, or covetoufnefs, ltt it noi 11. 3• be oncenamttJ amongjfyou,aJbecometh SainiJ, 3· To avoid intimate, dear,or familiar converfe with gracelefs men, Be not; v.·f, B. ye therefore partak$r 1 with.them !forye were fometimet darkene{t 1 but now areyou light, walk., at Children of light. 4 · To walk ~ warily ,exaClly,circumfpel!tly,Seetb<H that ye w•llt,circumfpef11j, not asfeolt, but ar wifo. And this !all he amplities from an effect, which tellifics a circum(pect, exact, and acuratc walking, towit,R.edmning thuime, &c. . 1am only to learn you fome part ofthis lafi Leifon; whcrem you have 1. The infirutlion it felf, See thatyou walk.. circumjpe/Jly: 2. The amplification of this.in~ firutlion; and that is either from the reafon binding to it, pot asfoolt, but as wifot or from the e[ect tcllifying of it, Redeeming the time. 1 , For theinllrutlion it felf,See that ye walk.. circumfpelily,tl~pll:fJ<, e}ca{Jly, precifely; no word fits the Greek better than this; it comes of two words, 'I1IJf) "' i.'S,"', ~ n J3.UVov, which fignifie to go to the extremity ofa thing ~ we muft be willingto go t~ 'tbe Htmoft •f every Comm11nd, To which purpofe arc thofe precepts, to be bot on Religion, Rev. 3• 16. to be zealotlt ofgood work.f, Tit, .2. 14. tQ be fer~en~i'l. fPiritj Rev. :1· id• Rom. 11. 11, to ftriv• to enter in •t the ftrait G•te. Luk. 1;. 2+ "fith an holy vio- Tit. •·.•+ tll<eto lay bold upon the 'Kingdom of Heaven, Mitth. 11, rd, But this is not the point ~0k'·"·'" I fhall now infill on. · • · M~/,:1;:~· 2. For the rcafon binding to it, not at foolt, hHt at 'fife. It points tO. us, that ' ' •x•Clne[r, or preci.fine{t inbo!Jwal~ing if .s fruit of"'" Wifednm. Lutlm brings in the men of the World objectingagainllhim, Numtufolut [apit? NumfoluttU Deo plt~cet? What? arc you theoncly Wife man in the Wor.ld? do you onely pleafe God? The anfwer was eafie from this Text, that e:x:a{/ walk.,mg, or a jirif1 converfation; if , ,he fruit o[Wi.fidom. But neither is this the point that I lh•ll inlill on. 3. t'or the dfect tdlifying of it, R.eJtemingtbe timr. Ifl may of!en the words, 1. By time is meant oppertuhity; which either it taken for the whole courfe of our remaining lifr, or for fuch and fuch puticular occafions as God doih olfq to this or .that pnticular duty; and both thcfc may be und<rfiood here: 2, By R.eJeeming the time, is meant either the avoiding offome hinderances, which would take us offfrom the o pporrunity ; or tbe recompencing of fome former unfruitfulnefs , which hath been in. the former part of our life: or a gaining, llreching, improving of rime by embractng all the occafions of domg all the good we can do .: and we lh:illdifcover anom, that all thefe may be underllood her<, In the rpean time we lay down this Pofitton as a neceff..y,fundamental,E'vangelical truth,that time mu(i be R.eJeeme/J book to tt all ye that fear God; herein will your fpiritual Wifedom, and exact walking appear, even in Redeeming thetime, . • ~n the profecution of this point, I fhall 1. give you the ZTJ. 3, The . 3· The lim. And then come to Application. . I• Th,at time mull be redeemed, the very H~.athens confirm_it : 'Twastbefafing of one Pmacut, one of the feven Wrfc•men, l''"'ll!~v, k._now tzme; lofe not aminute. or ' '!heophral!us had anoth~r fayi~g neu to this, Sumptut pretiofi/JimHt tempu 1 : timt ".of pret,out cofi. 'Plmy fccmg but his Nephew at _l<t!ure, taking fomc 11•rnes in h1s walk, was fo vc!y finct, that he relis hrm, Non i2<et bat boras perdere, be fh•uld ~oti•Jefo ma>t)' preci•Ht hourt. When Tilus the Son gfVefp.•fian who revenged, A Orill~
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