V E R.16. Ephefialns,Chap. 5. ( 62 of hafting to meate, bccaufe he preferred the opportunitie of bringing home a loft fheepe,and made it as meate anddrink to him : fohe chofe rather coleave his friends unfatisfied, then to leave his opportunitie: fo Saint Paul was ready to lay down his life then, whenoccafion fhould be offered, notto beare a teflimonie toChrift. But it.will be faid,How can we fpend all our time, in feeking toglo- objet!; rifie God, andworke out ourSalvations,when we have many outward bufineffes We muff wifelyfeeke to remove thofe things which doe difabie 1141, us, that we cannot take opportunities offered,nor redeemeall our dales and hourcs, to the glorifying ofGod. Now thefe are, r. Ignorance, many thinke they are not in fo (trait manner to be countable for time. Again, we want heavenly wifedome to difcerne opportunities to this and that particular dutie whereas in all occurrences God doth offer usoccafion of faith, love, fobrietie,righteoufneffe, patience, hope, thankfulneffe, &c. 2. Sloth- fulneffe, which maketh us not care for doing any thing. 3. Love of flefhly libertie. 4. Want of tafte in heavenly things, for becaufe we finde them not fwcete, that doth make us we cannot hold out in them. Asone mufflabour againft thefe things, fo one muff taske them- (elves daily with fome good duties; as prayer, meditating, reading, exhorting one another. Seeing our callings, andmany otheroccafionsare to be ferved, we 3: muff redeeme the time, while we are in thefe, by doing them inobe- dience of faith, by making them inffruments whereby to (hew our love, righteoufneffe, fobrietie, &c. Wemuff ufe diaries, daily takea note howour time flippeth, that ,t; whenwe confider how unfruitefull we are, asof ten, notto tytheone houreto Godout ofthe whole day, that it may make us afhamed, and to grow more fruitfull, as Revel. a. Confidering fromwhence we are fallen, is a meane ofrepenting. Now this truth that we are bound to gaine our whole time tothe glorifying of God, and to take all oppor- tunities, It doth firft rebuke us that doe not once confider of the gracious ife as feafons Godgiveth us, that Godmay complaine as he did in leremie, The Starke and the Swallow know their feafons, but my people know not the jet.8.7; judgementof the Lord:and Chrift might fay tous as he fpeaketh,o by. pocritescanyou di f erne theface oftheskies ? So many wholly mifpend their time, like thofein loba i. 13. They /fendtheir dayes in mirth :Ma- ny that are fo farre from buying it out at any price, that they knownot how they may fhaketheir handsof it, as if itwere a mofI refufecom- moditic, they know not(as many complaine) how theymay paffe it. Many againe who delay and upon never fo little matter let goc the oc- cafion, and all of us who inour meetings, vifiting one another are fo ill husbandsof good homes, fo prodigall of nothing as ofthis which is moll precious. It S
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