Of !JVdeeming Time. an4 fo your admirers themfdlves begin to fet as light by you as by others, for that which is the elfed: of their own importunity. And as in our yearly expences of our money, there goerh near as mucf) in little matters, not to be nall)cd by themfelves, and incidental unexpected charges, of which no account can be given beforehand, as doth in food and rayment and the ordinary chugcs ,which we foreknow and reckon upon ; jufi fo it wiiJ he with your precious Time, if you be not very thrifty and refol~te, and look not well to it : you will have fuch abundance of litrlt matters, fcarce tit ro be named which will every one require a little, and one begin where the other endcth, that you will find in the review, when Time is gone, that Satan was too cunning for you~ and cheated you b}r drawing you into fceming ne<;ef1iries. This is.the gpnd Rc:i)fon why !Ylarriagt and, I~ufe-k,.eeping are fo greatly inconvenient to a Palter of the Church, that can avoid them, becaufc iheyb~ing upon him fuch abundance of thefe little diverfioni which cannot be forefccn. In this cafe a confcionable man (in what calling foever) mufl be lltfolute: And when he hath endeavoured with Reafon to fatisfie cxpeC.hnts, and put by diverfions, .if that will not fervc, he nJJtft neglect them~ and call: them ~oft~ and break away, though he lpfe by it i11 his efiate, or his r<pute,or his peace it felf, and though he b<; cenfured for it to be imprudent,uncivil, morofe,Qr nc:gled:ivc ofhis friends : God mufl be pleafed who ever be dirpleafed : we: mull fat isfie our minds with his alone approbation, in/lead of all : Time muft be fparc'd whatever be loft or wafted: and the Gi-ettt thingJ mull be: done wh:ttever become of the Iefs : Though where borh may be done, and the ldfer hind<r not the greater, and rob us not of Time from neceffary things, there we muJl have a care of both. _ f. 4 6. Direct. 8. .Labour to go aUwaieJ fu~nifh~d an_d rrtU provided for tht ptrform•nce of tvtry iluty Dire/l. s: rvhicb may 1ccur. As he that will not lofe h1s T1me mPreachmg, muft be well pr-ov1ded; fo he that will not lo(e his Time in folitarinf{s mull be a11waics furniChc:d with matter for profitable puditatUm z And he thar would Redeem his Time in company ,mufl be allwai<s furni!hed with matl<r for profitable difcourfe: He that is f•U, will be ready tO pour OHI to others; and not be lllent and lofe his Time for want of matter, or 11tjU, or zeal: for in all thcfc: three your provifion doth confill. An ignorant empty pc:rfon wants matter for his thoughts and wor.ds : An Imprudtnt perfon ~Wants skill, to ufe it. Acarelefsco\d indifferent perfon, wants life to fer his faculties on motion ; and oyl and paife to fet · the wheels of his foul and body a going: Bethink you in the morning what c0mpany you are like to meet, and what occafions of duty you are like to have; and provide your fc:lves accordingly be... fore: you go, with matter and re.folution, BeGdes the general preparative of habim&t K"notrledge, c:h.trity and zeal, which is the chief; you !h.ould alfo have your particHiar preparatiom for rhe dmies of each day : A workman that i1 firong and healthful, and hath all his tool• in readinefs and ~ll. ~- r· order, will do more in a day, than a fick man, or one that wanteth tools, or keeps them dull and 1:~~ 6'4 5 1 _ 1• unfit for ufe, will do in many. Pfalrn 37· 30, 31· Tht moutiJ of the Righttottl [pe.Jketh wifdom, and Ma1th, u.34~ ]JiJ to1rgue taiJtstb ofj~tdgement: ( And no wonder, when) The Law of kif God ii in hii Heart : nme of bii ftrps jhaU flide. Out rf the tJbund.Jnce ~f the heart the mouth {pt.sktth: A gMd man out nf the good 7rtafure of his ht.2rt, bringeth [OTtb good tbing1: Math. 12· 35• Every Scribe which iJ inftrulled tp the Kingrkm of Heavm, islik.$ a man thJt i1 tmhoujholdtr thtJt bringeth forth out of hi I trcafure things HeW and old. Matth. 13. 52· §· 47• Dircd. 8. Promife not long life to your {tlva, but live M thofi that are allwaia uncertain of Dire[l. s: another daJ', tmd c~rtain to be jhortly gone from hence. The: groundlefs expectation of long life, is a very great hindrance tO the Redeeming of our Time. Men will fpcnd prodis1lly out of a full purfc, who would be fparing if they knew they ·had but a little, or were like to come to want themfelves. Young people an4 hcalthful people are under the greatefl temptation to the lofs of Time. They are apt to think that they have..,;me enough befqre them, and that though its po!lible that they may die quickly, yet it is more likely that they !hall live long; and fo putting the day of death far from them, they want all thole a"(al<enings, which the face of death doth bring to tkem that fiill expc~ it : and therefore want the wifdo.m, zeal and diligence which is nccdfary to the Redemp~ion of their time. Pray therefore as ~falm. 90. 12. So :each Uf to number oNr daia, tbat we may apply our hearu to ,;plum. Dream not oi rtfl and plwty for many yearJ, w.hcn you have no prornifc to live till the 11exr morning. Luk,.c 12 .. 19, 20. When theY p:rceive dearh is at hand and time is near an end, allmofi all men k ern highly to dicem.of Time, and promife to fpend it b~trer if God would but try . them once again. Do you therefore cominuaHy perceive that death is <.ven at hand, and time near an end, and then it will m~c you continually more wife, then death m1keth the mofi; and to re~ deem your Time as others p~nfe to Redeem it when iris too late. 9· 48· D;rc<l. 9· .Sanllijie aU toGod that J'O" have anddo, And ltt Holin•fi to the Lord, b, rrritten Dirtll. 9• ujon all: whether you tat or drinl{_ let it be intended and ordered ultimately t!J IJii Glory: Make all 'Cor. 10.; 1~ your civil relations, poffcffions, and employments, thus Holy ; defigning them to the fervice and plea· Ze:h. 1 4·~0, tlng of God,, and to the .evcrlafi:ing good of your fcl~es or others, a.nd ~ixing ~oly me~itati?n Rom. 6 . 19 ,::: and prayer wuh them all m fcafon: And thus we are b1d, to pray contmtt:zLy, and m all tbzngs gwe Luk. I. 7f· tbanltJ. I Thef. 5· 17, 18. A~d in aU thing1 to mai?J ~nown our rtqutjftl to God, in pra)'Cr, [upplicaI T!m· S· $– tionand giving of thanltJ. Ph1l. 4· 6. And all thin;,s art fan[iiji.cd by the wo"fd and prayer: This tacrc·d '~~'"· 4 f., Alchymie, that tumeth all olfr converfation, and potfeffions and afrionf into Holy, is an excellent 2 1 Jm. :t. u. part of the ,art of Reduming 1imt. . . . . , §. 4.9· Direct. IO· Lafllj•, be acquainted with the f!,reat 1hievu that rob men of thtir Time, and with Djre&. 10. ihe Devils method! in entifing them to tojf it, and live in continual watcbfu1lntfi againft them. 1r is a more necefrary thriftioe[s to be [paring and {aving of your 1ime, than of your money. [c more con· Ccrhcth ) 10U to keep aContinual watch, againti the things which would rob )'O'-' of your Time, than · P !' again!\
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