Time•lVajling Jills to be a1>oided. fornc [(w fuch keep up the honour of your rar.ck, I will nor cell you how little in point of Murality it would ·be honound ! 7hicf 4 • §.53· 1b. 4· Ar:other T'ime-w:zPing 1hief is_ Vm1ec,ff.try rmp and curi4ity in rttimu, attend.mce Ni'l;l mil-:i bo~tft, furniture, provifion and cntert.1~flmentJ, _to.~ether nith cxcr[s of cvmplemem a;rd ceremony, and ~:-gis qu1m [uvitude to the bumozttJ and expctl~tt1J11I of T_mze-w.ljle;I· 1 crowd them a!l rogether, becaufc they po_mpa ,!Jfarc all but wheels of the famcEngme, toav01d prohx1ty. Here alfo I mull: prlV~nt rhecavils of r~;:l:r, \l.~i~, ~he guihy, by !cliing you thar 1reprove not a~l th-at• in the rich, which I would rcpr;)VC if it were mala & hu111 the poor: I mtend not to lcvtll rhcm, and jud5c them by the fame meafmr. The r1ch are not fo mi'i,~ti con- happy as, to be fo free as the poor, either from the temptation, or the fccming necdlity and obligati– tr~~~:\i~~~i~, on: Let others pity the po.or: l'lepity the Ric~, who.feern :o be ~inc~cd wirh harder Neceffitje 1 than k quieti ad- the poor ; even thts fecmmg Necdliry of wafimg thea prectoM 1m1e m complement, curiohty and ver!a efl. pomp ; which tJ1e happy Poor may fpcnd in the hone!t labours of their Callings; whe~ein rhcy m 1 y P~trarch. in at once be profitable to the Common·weal eh, and maintain thcmfelves, and meditate or confer oi .tt~Ua fuJ. hory things: Bur yet I mull fay, that the Rich Onll give an account of Time, and tl11ll pay dear for that which unnecdfary cxceffcs do devour: And that inflead of envying the fiate and curiofity of others, and feeking ro excell or equal them to avoid their obloquy, they 01ou\d contra(} and brino– down all cufioms of cxcefs, and fhew their high dl.eem of Time, and derefhtion of Time-watlin~ curiofity; and imitate the moll fobcr, grave and holy ; and be a pattern to orhers of employing Timt: in needful, great and manly things: I fay M.. mly; for fo childiili is this Vice, that men ofgravity--and bufimfs do abhor it: and u[itally men ofVanity that are · guilty of it, lay it all on rhe Womtn, as jf they wne ailiamed of it, or it were below them. What abundance of precious Time is fpent, in un– neceffary !late of aurnd.sncr, andprovifio;u? What abundance under pretence of cleanlioefs and neat .. nefs is [pent in necdlefs curiojity about roomJ, and furniture, and accommad.JtionJ, and mJtters of meer pride, v:zin-glory and ofttJtt.;tion covered wirh the honefi name of decency? What abundance is w:1l1ed in entertainments, and unmceffary vijitt, complement!, ceremmy, and ferpimde to the humoars of men of Vanity ? I fpeak not for naitinefs, and uncleannc:fs, and uncomelinefs : I fpeak not for a Cynic.1l mo· . . rofity or un[ociablenefs : When Confcienc~ is awakened, and you come to your fdves, and approJch· ~im1a omn~a ing death Chall better acquaint you wirh the worth ofTime, you will fee a meau between there two; ~~~rw: ~:r~- and yo~ will wiCh you had moft feared the Time·wafiing prodigal exrream. Methinks you {hou!d , um. g freely g1ve me leave to fay, that though Martha ha<\. a better excufe than you, and WJS cumbered about many things for rhe entertainment of fuch a guell as Chrill himfelf (with all his followers ) who lookt for no curioGty, yet Mary is more approved of by Chrifi, whq neglected all ~his, to Re· deem the Time for the good of her foul, by fitting at his· feet to hear his Word: lhe chafe the ber– ter part, which (haJ.l not be taken from her. Rer~1ember I pray you, tlut One tbhtg i.NzectjJ.try: [ hope I may have leave to te11 you, that if by you or your (frvants, God, and your fouls, and prayer, and reading the Scriptures, and the profitable labours of an tJoneftCalling, be all or any of tbem neg– leCled, while you or th(y are neatifying this room, or wa(hing out that 1itrle (pot, or feuing flrait t~~n;h;~~~ of the othrr wrinckle, or are taken up wi1h fcemininc ~rifling, proud curio{icics, this!sa preferring of 'Et hav: 3 ndull before Gold, of t~e leafi before the greatdl t_hu~&s; And to_fay, that dect;tcy 1s cJmmend.rble, is t ei_r con~ no excufe for negleCbng God_, your fouls, or ~amtl,es, or. leavmg undone any ouegreater Wi.lrk..~ v 1ences . which you or your fervanrs might have been domg thu while: I fay, any work that is greater all ~:ne :t!J .'bm thbt"J confidcrcd. 0 that you and your families would but live, as thofe that fee how fafi Death ~~~o~;[~~-,.nd corn~th! how f"fi Time goeth? and what you have to do~ and what your unready fouls yet want? take ttjl our This js all that I dthre ot you: And then l warrant you, H would favc ycu many a precious h()ur, time, anJ and cut thort your works of curiofity, and deliver you from your 1lavery to Pride, and the eHeem of fo wou~J fhut vain Time-watkrs. ' out greater thmg<, if they . , . be not ca!t afiJe then&!vo, :tnJ vvou!J brcome grelt li~1s by fuc.1 a confumppon of our Time. "Luke 10. 4t, Thief 5 • §. 5+· _1b. 5· Another Time· wafting fin, is needleji and tediouJ /eafli•gr, glutt01ry, a11d tipli11g: Cor11ivta.q:1~ which bemg of the fame !mer, I fer rogether. I fpeak not agamfi rnodnare, feafonable, and cha~ Jicunrur(c:,_m rit:1ble FeaHs: But alas, in this luxurious fenfual age, how commonly do men lie two hours at a ~~~~~m~~~~~: F:a!l, anJ fp~nd tw~ more in arrending .it before and afi:er, _and. n;>t improving the Tim.e in any fiix: & bJr.i: pious or prohrab!e dtfcourfe: yea, the Rich fpend an hour ordmart!y m acommon Meal, wh1leevery mor1hu~ ini· Meal j<; a Feafl indC'cd; and they fare as their predecdfor, Lttk$ z6. delicioujly or jiemptuoujly every m~c:c) _fr~?~r d:~y. Happy are the poor, that are free alfo from this ternpt.ltion: You fpend not fo much Time in mlht <hfp,l:t the daily addreffes of your fouls to God, and readin_g his Word, and taking an account of the af– ~~~~~f~~ & ~ fairs of confcience, and prep1ril)g for death • as you do in fluffing your guts, perhaps at one Meal. inu·i!e r:ttu> And in Taverns and Ale·l10ufes among their pots, how much Time is wafied by Rich and poor? voc_:ue & vc- 0 remember while you are c~ting 3nd drinking, what a corruptible piece of fldh you are feed· c-jr.:, &c. ing and ffrving ; and how quickly rhofc mouths will be tilled with dufi ? and that a foul 1 en. that is polling lO fail: unto eternity, lhould tind no Time to fpJie for Vlnity: And. that you have important work enough to do, which if performed, will afford you a fwcet~r and a longer Feall.! Thief 6. §. 55· Tb. 6. Another Time·wajling fin is idle 1alk..: what abundance of preciou; Time doth this confurne: Hearken to moll ·men·s difcomfe, when they are fitting together, or working toge– ther, or travelling rogethcr, and you null hear how little of it is any better than filence: (and if not better, it is worfe): So fuU are thofe perfons of Vai1ity who arc empty, even to fi~ence, of any · · thing l
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