deliuereth thē all things they aske and demaund of such a one wee may truly say that himselfe ransomed his owne life So after the same maner thou my Brother enioyest a large faire house greate store of wealth iewels pearles and precious stones thou possessest a Soule which is the liuely Temple of the liuing God yea his owne house and dwelling place thou art endued with faith hope and charitie besides other vertues and gifts from his hands and bountifull liberality Giue and bestowe all that shall be demaunded of thee and loose the remainder when it shall be expedient and needfull in exchange least thou loose the life of thy Soule and so thou mayest ransome redeeme Time which in case thou dost not thy enemies will leade thee away captiue Againe Sinners may redeeme and ransome the time they with-held captiuated if they will embrace and follow the Counsell of the Prophet Baruch where he sayeth Baruch 4 28. Sicut fuit sensus vester c. Conuert and turne you to God and after your conuersion to him by repentance you shall serue and obey him tenne times more carefull with more ardent heate feruour and diligence then before when you departed from him and misimployed your time They will likewise rescue and repurchase the same againe if they wil performe the admonition which the Apostle S. Paul giueth declaring vpon the consequence of these words Sicut exhibuistis membra vestra Rom. 6.19 c. Euen as hitherto you haue imployed yeelded your bodies senses and members in the seruice of vncleannesse and iniquity to sin now wheele about and looke back turne ouer the leafe and imploy all things to serue equity vertue and holinesse of life The Apostle hauing spoken before Rom. 6.19 Humanum dico propter infirmitatē vestram c. I speake as a man for your infirmities sake and because you are weake hartily beseeching you that you wholy imploy and busie your selues in the seruice of God by keeping his cōmaundements and redeeming the Time of which holy exercise the fruite is your sanctification for by such workes man doth sanctifie and dedicate himselfe wholy to God that you perform this with as great affection and alacritie as euer hereto fore you deuoted your selues to impiety yeelding your members as bondslaues to sinne whose fruite is nothing else but iniquity and wherof a Sinner can make no other profit but that hee remaine a Sinner a miserable wretched man and be so accounted And notwithstanding it be true that Sanctification doth far exceed iniquitie yet rest I well satisfied with such vnfained endeuor and resolution of doing good workes which some haue performed after their conuersion with such earnestnesse as before they were set and bent to sin by displeasing and offending of God We see how violent and couragious many are to sinne and after they haue glutted their appetites how slothful and luke-warme howe slacke and faint they are to repent to exercise themselues in actions of vertue The sinner rusheth through thick and thin to accomplish his desire and to satisfie his lustfull appetite and as it were to run away with that he longed for nothing seemeth difficult or hard vnto him and if thou aske him how canst thou suffer this or that though he be neuer so graue and ancient to all things he will frame an answer and say yes Time seemeth most short to sinners for inioying of their lusts and pleasures but to occupie themselues in good workes it seemes most large and wearisome The Seruice long the Sermon large his prayers meditations paines and fasting laborious and tedious Cold weather makes them heartlesse and cowards heate slacketh and releaseth them and all things seemes painefull and heauie So as to conclude that is a most singular remedie and helpe for to redeeme Time to imploy it well and to vse it with such alacritie heedfulnesse earnestnesse and liuelinesse to deuotion as he hath done when he was altogether bent and resolued to loose and captiuate to same CHAP. 10. How it is to be vnderstood that the dayes are euill and howe that therefore TIME is to be redeemed AL things that God hath created are good being considered in themselues and according to their owne nature and kind because that from his most blessed hands there could proceed no worke or thing which were not good And so himselfe after the worke of Creation sayd that all were good and perfect Gen. 1.31 that he had made and created And to speake to our purpose the dayes and yeares considered in themselues cannot be euill neither can there be any morall malice found in them which iustly may be tearmed a fault because they are not capable thereof nor yet any feeling of punishment for they cannot apprehend it nor any other miserie which men suffer for their sinnes But the dayes are sayd to be euill in respect of men who liue in them by occasion of their transgressions and sins they commit or by reason of those punishments they suffer caused by the former according to S. Chrysostome and S. Ieromes exposition Chrys Hier. sup Psal 27. And so are persons that be weake sicke sad sorowfull or afflicted wont to say O what an euill day this hath beene vnto me oh how terrible and how bitter Two things there are saith that excellent S. Augustine that make the daies to be euill Aug. ser 24. de verbis Apost are the cause wherefore they are termed euill being indeed in thēselues good namely the Malice and the Miserie of men The miserie or wretchednesse is common but the malice ought not so to be From the time that Adam sinned and was banished out of Paradise the dayes haue euer continued euill and the crying of infants at the time of their birth is a presage of their miserie and troubles and a sure signe and infallible token that vpon that day they enter into this vale of teares and that at the least though they be so happie as to become good they shall not faile but bee encombred with sundry dangerous temptations and tryals albeit the cause thereof cannot be expresly declared Euthymius expounding Euthym. in Psal 34. those wordes of the Psalmist Who is that man that wisheth life and desireth to see good dayes saith that those good dayes are they of the other life for that those of this are euill according to that which Iacob spake to Pharao Gen. 47.8.9 and the Apostle S. Paul also when he wrote to them of Ephesus Redeeme the time Ephes 5.15 because the dayes are euill And S. Basil faith the same The whole time of my Pisgrimage saith Iacob answering Pharao Basil ibid. who had asked him Gen. 47.9 how old he was is an hundred and thirty yeares fewe and euill haue the dayes of my life beene The king demanded him how many are the yeares of thy life and he answered The dayes of my pilgrimage c. and though it seemes that
one may fall with great facility into Idlenesse and vice and so flie from labour wherupon it falleth out that the inward man commeth to be disordered and for ordinarie businesses and requisite occupations to remaine a person most slothfull idle and lazie most slacke and loose and least apt and disposed to doe good For which cause the Philosophers and the ciuill Lawes haue ordeined some documents and set downe limitations Albeit the recreations of a Christian by all good reason ought to be much more moderat more honest and more lawfull then those which the Philosophers Or the ciuill Lawes do permit or grant The Lacedaemonians tooke a most heedfull strait reckning Aolian de varia hist lib. 2. that no person should loose and Time nor liue idely nor enter into any matter of iest or scoffe saue onely in laudable workes honest labours and vertuous exercises whereas vpon a day it came to the notice and knowledge of the cōmon Magistrates that the Inhabitants of Decelia were gone foorth to walke at noone time they sent after them a letter to this effect Walke ye not abroade so much for mirth and recreation sake as for the exercising of your bodies because it is very firting behoouefull for the Lacedaemonians to seeke out help remedy for the preseruation of their healths not by walking and loytering but with bodily exercises about things lawfull and profitable Some sports there bee which are good lawfull and occasion may be offered opportunitie serue wherein pastime may be a vertue as then chiefely when it is necessarie for man for the administration and performance of his office and function S. Tho. 22. Qu. 168. specially being vertuous and about the seruice of our Lord for the obtaining of greater ability strength for fulfilling thereof That therby he may make due satisfaction for the same least otherwise he shold faile or be dismayed in the high cōmon pathway as the Spanish Prouerb saith Porno dar con lacarga en el suelo A Spanish Prouerb least our burthen charge fall in the mire and so wee might loose our labour Which by litle and litle with great moderation and sobriety are to be vsed and with such discretion and heedfulnes as concerning the end and intention they were first inuented specially after their greedie appetites for lucre profit haue crossed them in some playes which I holde more then hurtfull and damnable which not onelie are no helpe or ayde for the furthering of our offices and speciall duties which on Gods behalfe our owne consciences we are bound to effect but rather and impediment let yea an occasion whereby we cōmit therein no small defects but oftentimes many offēces against God as lying swearing false oathes frettings contentions standing most stifly stoutly in bad quarels out-facing and earnest labouring in strifes which are wont to cause dislikings euill words enmities and rancour wherefore I holde and am of opinion that the Time which is spēt in such playes sports for ill imployed and lost for captiuated impr soned Time It is very necessarie that persons go visite and communicate with Charitie which is a recreation most lawfull for the continuation preseruation of amitie and friendship Conformable to which a certain Philosopher said That Taciturnitie or Silence hath vndone manie friendships or broken manie a louing knot But the imparting to their friends of their contentments in their actions labours and chaunces for the greater ioy of the one the hartease and comfort of the other is a thing most lawfull and laudable the Time needful expedient about the same is well imployed Howbeit many of the visirings gossippings which now adayes are vsed are either so prolix tedious so without fruite or profit Or so hurtfull and preiudiciall to themselues and to their Neighbours or all that they treate of it but vanitie and sauoureth of the world and her fashion so as I hold such for perillous and dangerous and the time therein spent for ill imployed captiuated And I beleeue it is the Tongue which consumeth vnthriftily spendeth the most Time because that kinde of Tattle or prittle prattle will neuer cease haue end or be wearied tired and the fire thereof is it which most prolongeth and longest putteth off deferreth repentance and her spots blemishes are they that most spread abroad and furthest creepe she is that moath which deuoureth and destroyeth the most cloathes yea that which with her fine cunning and queint subtilty will neither remit nor forgoe The feasts and banquets which are made for conseruation of peace loue concord amitie and vnity or for any other iust causes are lawfull being vsed and obserued with that temperance and moderation as appertaineth with their due circumstances as becommeth Christians Neuerthelesse for the most part as they are nowe vsed with such disorders ryot excesse for so many houres and for so long time together I may not be bold nor dare presume to make them good and perfect nor to vndertake their iustification vpon my conscience because the most part of Time which therein they wast and consume I rather hold as ill imployed and imprisoned Concerning meriments leapings and dauncings I haue nothing to say sauing that I thinke many of them to be most lasciuious and wanton and that many times they wake and stirre vp them that sleepe and do change and alter the spirits and affections of chast soules and honest harts and do disquiet men raise an hurly burly cause and prouoke vnlawfull and vnmodest thoughts and disordered desires and lust wherefore I hold much of that time which therein also is consumed and spent for ill imployed and captiuated And whereby it may be seene with what moderation and stint men ought to vse their recreations and sports It will not be out of purpose or in vaine for the shortning and abridging of the superfluitie of worldly contentments to write that which diuine Chrysostom rehearseth in reproofe of those words which they call Donayres Chrysoft in expos Epist ad Ephes ser 17. c. Merrie iests wittie sayings gibings foolish tales or taunts to make people laugh counterfeiting of other mens gestures scoffings making of mowes dancing the Antique or any ridiculous toy to moue fond delight legerdemaine iuggling performing of apish complements to vse termes specially proceeding frō sharpe biting taunting toungs and which are mingled with malice for the inconueniences which thereupon doe insue sayth Bretheren this life and the time thereof is the Time of warre of watching and alwayes to go ready with armor on our shoulders our eyes staring against the plots and ambushments of the enemies and by good reason Time hath here no place of laughter which is carnall and of the Sonnes of the world who professe and obserue the lawes customes and abuses of the same Heare thou Christian our Sauiour Christ speaking to al His The
Present and the Time to be Could a man tell or were there mortall wight So farre aboue earth raised to that hight That heauens dimensions he could clearly see Better that man were to report from thee The Benefites mortallity might raise From thy iust labours then th' vncertaine praise Attending books which not their worth can free From the Taxation which foule Enuie laies On Vertues faire-selfe and with hellish spight Is euer blasting the deserued Bayes That should adorne her But receiue this right From TIME it selfe that must thy fortresse be Whose perfect vse is onely taught by thee M. Drayton The Authors besides sacred Scriptures who are cited in this present Treatise A Alphonsus de Castro S. Ambrose Andreas Bishop of Caesarea Aristotle S. Augustine B S. Basil Bede the venerable Bernardinus de Sena S. Bernard Bonauenture C Cassianus Cesarius Helisterbacchensis S. Chrysostome D Dion Cassius Dionysius Carthusianus E Elianus Euthymius G Gregory Nissen Gregory the Pope H Haymo Horace I S. Ierome Iohn Chrysostome Iohn Damascen Iohn Orozeus Iohn Stobeus L Laertius Laurence Iustinian Ludouicus Blosius M Maldonatus N Nicholas Diukespu O Origen Ouid. P Plutarch S Salmeron Seneca Simon de Cassia Suarez T Thaulerus Theodoret. Thomas Aquinas Thomas Kempis V Viegas Virgil. Z Zedrenus CHAP. I. What a precious Iewel TIME is IT is the maner and stile of the sacred Scripture that whē any notable cause of importancie is shewed and noted vnto vs some wonderfull vision or miraculous type euer goeth before which doth awake stirre vp our spirits and senses for attention leauing them in suspense and admiration as very ordinarily may bee seene in the booke of the Prophets and specially in the Reuelation of the blessed Euangelist Saint Iohn where amongst many other admirable visions strange figures chiefely that is to bee noted which hee hath vvritten in the tenth Chapter which together with those wordes of the Apostle in his Epistle to them of Ephesus Ephes 5 16. Redeeme the Time because the dayes are euill shall bee the very Theame or ground of this our Treatise and exhortation saying Reue. 10.1 that then hee sawe a mightie Angell come downe from heauen cloathed with a cloude and that hee wore vpon his heade in steede of a Dyademe the rainebow and his face shined as the Sunne in midday His feet were as pillers of fire And he had in his hande a little Booke open Ver. 2. and hee put his right foote vpon the Sea and his left vpon the earth 3. And cried with a loud voice after the maner of a Lyon when he roareth 5. and lifting vp his finger towards heauen 6. sware by him that liueth for euermore which created heauen and the earth and the Sea all things in them conteined That from the daies of the seauenth Angell there should neuer be any more TIME And briefly to manifest the mysteries which here are comprised Refert illos Viegas in Apoc. cap. 10 Andreas Episc Cesareae in c. 5. Apoc. Act. 1.2 This Angell according to the exposition of many Authors is Christ our Lord the Angell of the great Councell or els is one of the blessed Angels which representeth his person and executeth the office of Legat-ship as his Imbassadour He came downe from Heauen because visibly he is to discend from thence in a cloude shining with great power and maiestie to iudge the whole world Howbeit his comming clothed with a cloud doth signifie the confusion and turmoile which shall happen as well in those last dayes as also in that space and time in which the persecution of Antichrist shall indure when specially they shall behold those hideous signes and terrible tokens which are to happen before the day of the vniuersall Iudgement are euery moment to expect that fearfull presence of the Iudge The Raine-bow signifies peace and the Fire wrath furiousnesse and punishment and in those two extremities of mans body which are the feet and the head both the end and beginning thereof viz. both top toe are pourtrayed both the commings of our Sauiour CHRIST into the world The first was of meere mercie to make peace and attonement betweene God and men and because of that for his Escutchion and speciall difference hee bare vpon his head the Raine-bow of heauen in token that the Deluge of his former anger displeasure and passed punishment were now ceased And in the latter comming hee shall come as Iudge and therefore hee shall carrie feete of fire which betokens inflexible rigour and terrible wrath Ignis ante ipsum praecedet Psal 50.3 saith Dauid There shall goe before him a consuming fire The Forme and shape of the Pillars signifies the mighty strength and force he shall haue for the execution of his final sentence and last Iudgement The Booke open in his hand in respect of his God-head representeth the eternal wisdom he hath for the which he appropriateth to himselfe the office of Iudge in respect of his Manhood it signifieth the absolute knowledge he apprehendeth to vnderstād the worth worthines of the causes processe and actions of all the sonnes of Adam and the scroll or proclamation of the diuine lawe wherevpō they are to be iudged The putting of one foote vpon the Sea the other vpon the Land is as much to say as that he imbraceth cōpasseth comprehendeth all things sea and land earth and water that nothing can escape his hands free it selfe frō his power Psal 139. ver 3. 8. nor be hid from his presence The roaring as of a Lyon signifieth the wrath and vengeance wherewith hee shall pronoūce sentence against the condemned ones And the solemne oath signifieth the infallible certaintie assurednesse he shall haue in the accomplishment and execution of those things before prophecied preached to the people which in the dayes of the seuenth Angell when they shall heare that fearefull Trumpet sounding and summoning all the sonnes of Adam to Iudgement shall ende and finish the Time for euer afterwardes and they who made no profit thereof when they had it but haue deferred their good works vntill the vttermost day last houre of their liues shall eternally remaine without it And that publike sounding and proclamation of the Angell with such and so many circumstances That on some day Time should ende and cease when that should be is to giue vs intelligence that wee may vnderstand of what price value and estimation and what a great benefite of God bestowed vpon vs it is that hee hath made vs Lords of the same all the dayes of our liues And on the contrary what a great crosse and punishment is it for othersome to bee absolutely bereaued therof and to haue it quite taken away from thē as a thing by them mispent and ill imployed To manifest what a pretious thing Time shall be it sufficeth onely to know that in one instance of time one may gaine infinite eternitie
small holes in the ground and had hid them all in safety And afterwards the wylie and cunning dam soared aloft and quite flew her wayes leauing the Fowler deceiued ashamed considering he could lay hold neither of her self nor vpon any of her young ones In the same maner goeth the Diuell about to delude and entrappe thee thou blinde and foolish Sinner and so detayneth entertaineth and draweth thee on with vaine pleasures and deceiueable delights frō one day to another and from one yeare to another yea many yeares together with one false hope that hereafter thou shalt haue Time sufficient to repent thee that if thou neglect it this day thou mayest performe it to morrow or some other day as though the dayes and times were in thine owne hands Act. 10. which the eternall Father hath reserued for himselfe whereby thus alwaies loosing Time and the occasion present thou mightest hereafter come to want lacke all good opportunitie or seasons then shalt thou haue cause to bewaile and mone for euer If it be good to conuert our selues to God almightie saith S. Augustine let vs do it quickly let it be done instantly Aug. ad fraet in Eremo wilt thou say I will conuert and turne me to morrow yea too morrowe And wherefore not this day Considering the morrowe is neither sure nor certaine Happens there not oftentimes many suddaine deaths Die there not an innumerable multitude without acknowledging their sins and repentance Thē sayest thou God help me what harme haue I spoken by saying that to morrow I will conuert mee and begin a new reckoning when of necessitie it should be done this day Then God helpe mee likewise Brother mine answered S. Augustine what hurt haue I spoken by saying it should be done this day That being much more safe and better and so I speak better then thou doest considering thou hast not for thine owne but onely this day and yet not all this day saue onely the present moments or minutes How much better were it if it might be that all thy life were good for thou wishest and desirest that it were amended and reformed then that some part therof be good though as little as may be Thou wilt haue or at least indeuorest to obtaine thy meate thy wife thy house thy apparell thy hose and shoes all throughly neate and of the best Esteeme and respect therefore thy Soule in much more account then thy shoes Thus farre Saint Augustine The life saith Seneca is diuided into three seasons or times namely Seneca in that that is past present and to come and of them the Time present is the shortest and that to come is most doubtfull but Time past is most sure and certaine and thereof now Nature it selfe hath lost the dominion and Ruledome neither is it possible that it can be recalled by anie humane facultie Then if we suffer the Time present to ouerpasse we indanger our selues to be bereft for euermore without it but to cōtinue in eternall condemnation How much more thou sottish Sinner Open thine eares listen to mee I say how much more better were it that in all the Time of this life yea from the very first moment that thou hast the vse of Reason thou yeeld forth good fruite and prepare thy selfe and be in a readinesse against such Time as when the Maister Lord thereof doth come to demaund it for there is neither momēt nor houre wherein hee cannot come and call vs to particular Iudgement wherein he rewardeth the labourers and workemen of his vineyard according to euery ones labour and industrie All which out of S. Ierome In confirmation whereof that Parable of the Fig-tree commeth neere this purpose Mat. 21.19 which our Sauiour Christ had planted as our Lord drew neare the same being hungry and desirous to eate some figs and finding no figges theron did curse the same Mar. 13.28 And the holy Euangelist well noteth that as then it was no time of fruite bearing And therefore did not inflict that punishment properly vpon the Figge tree but vpon fruitlesse barren men voyde of good workes signified by the same tree Because that man at all times is bound to yeeld and render fruite for which cause our Lord when hee comes to seeke and findes none he will inflict vpon him the paine of his eternall malediction euerlasting curse All things saith Salomon haue their determined and precise times Eccles. 3.1 and after that sort and maner That all Time is neither opportune nor seasonable for all thinges for that which is peculiar and naturall for one thing is not fit for other businesse but verie preiudiciall and hurtfull As if one should sowe whē hee should reape fall and grub vp trees when time were to plant To speake when one should keepe silence To laugh when hee ought to weepe Furthermore for man to doe good works and to labour in the vineyard of our Lord there is no precise nor limitted Time it is alwayes fitte Time It will be euer seasonable in what houre so euer in what age so euer admitting that at no time it be lawfull to sinne and offend and that no Time was giuen bestowed on man to doe euill or to execute wickednesse According to those words of Ecclesiasticus Ecclus 15.20 God commaunded no man to doe vngodly neither hath hee giuen any man licence to sinne but rather aduiseth and admonisheth all men to preserue and keepe Time Ecclus 4.20 and that they depart from euill because it was lent and giuen them for no other end but to do good to imploy the same wel The being of a man idle and carelesse Matth. 20 7 as well the workeman as the hireling is reproued by the goodman of the family yet such an idle standing and carelesse liuing of him that is most in yeares and most aged deserueth and is worthy of most blame And so compareth that royall Prophet Dauid in the beginning of his Psalmes the Iust man Psal 1.3 with the Tree that was planted neer the running waters which yeelded fruite in due time By which he meant not to say that as the tree rendreth no fruite saue onely in one moneth or at one speciall time of the yeare not in others so the iust man is to yeeld his fruit vpon certain dayes or moneths or in some precise and determined yeares and not in others But rather saith thus euen as the tree yeelds his fruite in his due time season if it did not thē would the owner cut it downe to the very ground So man ought to render fruite according to his estate and profession in his time And his time is all the time of his life And he aduiseth and warneth him on Gods behalfe that it behoueth him alwayes to pray Luc. 18.1 and neuer to cease and to be alwayes watching as it were with a candle in his hand because he knoweth not at