'T is now an accepted time a day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6. 2. A time to accept or a time to be accepted a golden and glorious time indeed Behold now there is a broad and clear way to the Mercy seat the flaming sword is gone the partition wall is down all Bars and Gates are removed an Act of indempnity is proclaim'd and there is a free admission for all to come and be saved pardons are ready Isa 55. 6 7. Isa 45. Sinners your dear Lord Jesus the great Peace-maker is now an impotant Suitor unto your perishing souls namely an inviting knocking waiting promising Christ Prov. 22. 9. 4. Isa 65. 2. Math. 11. 28. Rev. 3. 20. Cant. 5. 2. John 6. 36. The treasures of grace are opened and offered to sale upon easie terms without money and without price Isa 55. 1. Rev. 3. 17. O make speed and come make the purchase buy the pearl of price that 's better then Rubies and you shall have a treasure in heaven The favour of Gods precious blood white raiment tryed gold and the eternal life of your never dying souls is worth the having Consider also that now the Holy Ghost calls and offers his assistance to close the bargain to tye the marriage knot between Christ and Souls Heb. 3. If you lose this opportunity you may never have the like The Spirit and the Bride say come Rev. last 17. 5. The time of the Sabbath or Lords day must be redeemed we must have a specially care of sanctifying that day it being the Sabbath of the Lord our God This golden day from morning to night must be spent in the service and worship of our Lord either in publick private or secret duties and no part of it must be lost Take no liberty upon that day for frothy vain and unprofitable discourse or recreations or to ride buy sell or work This dreadful God provoking sin of Sabbath-breaking is a sin in fashion hundreds in this Nation serve the Devil more upon the Lords day then on other dayes Then men are at leisure to serve the Devil and satisfie their lusts to go to the Ale-house or to exercise themselves in sports and pastimes O that Magistrates Ministers Masters of Families and Parents would look to it Neh. 13. 17. The Lord of the Sabbath commandeth thee that thou and thy Son thy Daughter thy man servant and all within thy gate keep that day holy The Sabbath is called a holy convocation Lev. 23. 2. and the Lord of the day is an infinitely holy just and jealous God The Sabbath heretofore was called Regina dierum the Queen of days in the New Testament it is called the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. a day in which we commemorate the greatest mercy viz. the glorious Resurrection of our crucified Lord and that which the purest Christians in the purest times did carefully observe In the Primitive times a serious and strict observation of the Lords day was a trial or badge of Christianity When the question was propounded Servasti Dominicum hast thou kept the Lords day the answer was turn'd Christianus sum intermittare non possum I am a Christian and cannot intermit it It was a saying of an eminent Divine that he would judge of a mans Religion according to the reverence and care he had of keeping the Sabbath Christians you are to keep your Lords rest and perform the holy duties of his worship chearfully reverently spiritually Joh. 4. 24. If ever you think to celebrate an eternal Sabbath with God in glory be careful of this duty To enforce it consider 1. How strictly the holy God imposeth it and to what end it is Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy Exod. 20. 8. This blessed day for communion with God is to be premeditated upon before it cometh therefore in the evening before the Sabbath let all your necessary occasions be done up that you may have nothing but what becometh the work of that day Be like David's good man Ps 112. 5. ordering your affairs with discretion especially your Spiritual affairs If you expected the company of some worthy friend would you be found in a sluttish posture or sweeping and cleansing your houses on that day and all out of order On the Lords day you should vehemently expect the approach and presence of the King of glory therefore make all ready to entertain him 2. Remember the excellent Epithetes and Titles of this blessed day it is called a High day a Holy day the holy of the Lord honourable Isa 58. 13. Therefore let it be redeemed lose no more Sabbaths 3. Consider the blessings and soul benefits of that day if it be rightly observed It is your Lords Market day in the which you have the precious Oyl the Golden Mines and treasures of grace opened that day There are spiritual dainties for your hungry souls to which you are by Christ invited that day Isa 54. 1. The Holy Ghost doth breath and blow that day by the secret and sweet gales whereof Saints mount up toward Heaven The great God comes down and gracious souls ascend that day Rev. 1. 10. And the Eunuchs that keep Gods Sabbaths have the promise of a name in his house for ever Isa 56. 4 5. I might add the severe threatnings and Gods signal judgements upon the prophaners of the Sabbath or Lords day The man that was found gathering sticks upon the Sabbath by an immediate command from God was stoned to death Numb 15. 32 34 35 36. How time must be redeemed 1. By taking and improving all opportunities for the glorifying of God 2. By laying hold on the present time and now a day of grace for settling and securing your everlasting state 3. By improving the present means of grace for your speedy growth in grace 4. By doing all the good you can to others while you may 5. By labouring to keep up constant communion with God in holy duties 6. By improving every providence and outward cross for inward and spiritual advantages 7. By casting up your accounts every day that you may make even with God 8. By labouring to order every days work in reference to your last day that having finished you work you may be fit to leave this World 1. By taking and improving all occasions for the glorifying of God Dear Christians this is your Fathers business and the great Errand for which you had your being You were born and new born to serve the interest of the holy and blessed God in the World this is that glorious end for which you should spend your strength and time and lay out your selves to the very utmost That which is the chief end of your life viz. to display and propagate Gods glory in the World must not be neglected other things are infinitely inferiour and must be subordinated unto this For the thoughts and designs of serving the Interest of your Lord is that which you must be always driving on in this evil
if Parents and Children Masters and Servants were resolved to serve the Devil and go to Hell John 8. 44. The neglect of Family-duties is a dreadful and provoking sin and that as a Godly Minister said which will untile the house and causeth God to rain curses upon the Table Read and tremble at the Prophets imprecation Jerem. 10. 25. Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that know the not and upon the Families that call not on thy Name How many Prayerless husbands do give occasion to their Wives to say to them as Zipporah to her husband Exod. 4. 25. A bloody Husband art thou to me Your Wives Children and Servants will sadly bewail it and cry out living or dying O that ever we were married to such husbands born of such Parents bound to such Masters that had no regard to serve God or care of souls If you are Christians indeed let a constant course of reading in the Word Catechising and Prayer be kept up in your houses for when death hath separated you and your relations it will grieve you to the heart that you did no more to further the good of their precious Souls Acts 13. 2 30. 2. By taking all occasions where-ever you are or come to further the conversion of perishing sinners If you have tasted that the Lord is gracious and are taken out of the Iron Furnace as fire brands out of the burning where is your pity and bowels to souls in perils Can you be contented to be happy Jud. 22. and to go to Heaven alone to endeavour by your prayers counsels and examples to perswade and draw others into Heavens way Wicked men are active for the Devil who like Snails leave their slime behind them where ever they come and are emptying the poyson of sin one into the other and so furthering their damnation What multitudes do you see weltring in their blood and making post-hast to Hell whose desperate and deplorable case should excite your compassion and cause you to speak a word in season for their salvation Your Dear Lord whom you should imitate Went about doing good Act. 10. 38. He improved his opportunity John 4. to convert a notorious sinner though weary and thirsty was not careful of hastning the meat because he preferred the opportunity to bring her soul out of Satans snare and so save her When at your Tables or buying or selling or travelling opportunity may be taken to speak of God and the things of God and to leave some conviction upon the company Thus Philip falling in with the Eunuch whilst he was riding on his way homewards from Jerusalem closed with him and was an instrument to save the soul of him he never saw before Act. 8. And by the heavenly discourse that dropped from the mouth of Mr. Carter Pastour of Brainford in Suffolk a Gentlewoman was converted while she was waiting on him in his Chamber warming his Bed A Word spoken in season through Gods blessing may save a soul and it is our duty to endeavour it Mr. Ignatius Jordan of Exeter was exceeding instrumental this way who would go from house to house to put his neighbours in mind of their Soul-concerns Holy David was not afraid or ashamed to speak of God hefore Kings and to tell what God had done for his soul and said he I will teach transgressors thy ways and sinners shall be converted unto thee Psal 5. 13. for he that converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death Jam. 5. 20. When at any time your neighbous are sick and under the hand of God take that opportunity to visit them to put them in mind of Death and judgment and to make them sensible of the necessity of Faith and repentance without which there can be no hope of Heaven Our Proverb is To strike while the Iron is hot Upon a bed of languishing when death looks men in the face they seem serious and fit to receive the impression of faithful counsel for their souls To which joyn serious prayer for The prayer of faith saith the Apostle shall save the sick and it may save the soul 3. By provoking and encouraging our fellow-Brethren in the way to heaven West must exhort one another daily while it is called to day Heb. 3. 13. And provoke one another unto love and to good works and so much the more as we see the day approaching Heb. 10. 24 25. Wicked men and the Children of the Devil have their go with us and do stir up one another in the way to Hell and shall not Saints edifie and build up one another in the most holy Faith Rom. 14. 19. 15. 2. 1 John 5. 11. Eph. 4. 26. 1 Cor. 14. 26. Jude 20. They that feared the Lord speak often one to another Mal. 3. 16. Christians ought and should spend that time in serious and profitable discourse which others spend and wast in idle and vain discourse Say with the man after Gods own heart Come all that fear God and I will tell you what he hath done for my Soul That which you have seen and heard you must declare to one another 1 John 3. 3. Hereby be helping forwards towards Heaven and comforting one another by the comforts wherewith our selves are comforted of God 2 Cor. 1. 4. When thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren Luke 22. 32. 4. We must do good to others by distributing to their outward wants and necessities and hereby lay up a treasure in Heaven before our treasure in Earth fail and we lose both Mat. 19. 21. This is to honour the Lord with your substance Prov. 3. 9. This is to make friends with the unrighteous Mammon and to provide your selves bags which wax not old a treasure in the Heaven that faileth not Luke 12. 33. This duty must not be forgotten Heb. 13. 16. because 't is a sowing of seed 2 Cor. 9. 6. and it will spring and bring forth a crop or harvest in this or the other world Eccl. 11. 1 6. God will not forget it Heb. 6. 10. The Lord Jesus will certainly reward it Mat. 25. 40. A well done from Christ hereafter will compensate all the service of well doers here Mat. 25. 31. 5. By labouring to keep up constant communiou with God in all holy duties Christians you may lose time in the very service of God if you are not careful therein to converse with him Take heed of a slight spirit in serious performances God looks upon the heart and most there Some serious preparation is necessary before you approach the presence of the high and holy God Joseph shav'd himself before he would come into Pharaohs presence Let your heaven-born souls in every duty with the love-sick Spouse go out to meet your Lord and taken up with nothing else 'T is not the picture of the husband but the presence of the husband that can satiate the truely loving longing spouse It is a blessed sight to see souls working towards
TIME AND THE End of Time OR Two Discourses The first about Redemption of Time the second about Consideration of our latter end By John Fox Psal 90. 12. So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom â—am 1. 9. Her filthiness is in her skirts she â—â—membreth not her last end therefore she 〈◊〉 down wonderfully â—…pudet te reliquias vitae tibi reservare id solum tempus bonae menti destinare 〈◊〉 in nullam rem conferri possit Quam serum est tunc vivere incipere cum desinendum est Sen. de brev vit London Printed for George Calvert and Sam. Sprint at the Sign of the Ball in Duck-lane 1670. Ephes 5. 16. Redeeming the time because the days are evil IN the beginning of this Chapter the Apostle exhorts Christians to holiness in general by setting before them a perfect pattern Be ye followers of God as dear Children and walk in love The favourites of Heaven must imitate their Father and like Gideons brethren resemble the Children of a King The precept is Be ye holy be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect Then he goes on to press this great duty more particularly upon all their several relations which he urgeth by many Arguments And in the Text he seemeth to point out the opportunity to put those and other Christian duties into practise See that you walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time Explication of the Words Time is taken under a double notion there is the space of time and there is the opportunity of time Tempus longum and tempus commodum time and opportunity differ time is the duration or succession of so many minutes hours days or years one after the other from the beginning of a mans life to the end thereof Job 7. 1. 14 14. Is there not an appointed time for man upon Earth Opportunity is the time apted and fitted in order to this or that work or business viz. a meeting of time and means together to effect the end This is called the season or tempestivity of time when time tide and wind meet and clasp together Eccle. 3. 1. To every thing there is a season or opportunity of doing time may be continued when the season of time is ended the sails of time may be a lost when the gale of opportunity is lost Every time is not a spring-time a seed-time a gaining time Manna was not to be had but in the morning The beauty of time is the opportunity of time Eccles 3. 11. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time this part of time we are to redeem Redeeming denotes the excellent worth and preciousness of time a commodity to be valued above the Gold of Ophir Solomon bids us buy the truth Prov. 23. 23. Our dear Lord counselled a miserable Church to buy Gold and white rayment Rev. 3. 18. And Paul exhorts us to buy the time a Jewel of that price which must be redeemed at any rate Base or vile things are not wont to be redeemed but things of worth namely mens Liberties Estates Lives c. So our precious time Redeeming the time because the days are evil The words contain two general parts 1. An Exhortation to a duty Redeemeth time 2. The reason of it because the days are evil From the words we may observe this Doctrine which shall be the subject of my ensuing discourse Doct. The best of Saints or the redeemed of God have need to redeem the time This Epistle was written to a very famous flourishing Church in the purest times of the Gospel amongst whom they were called Saints and faithful in Christ Jesus Chap. 1. 1. and chosen of God in Christ before the foundation of the world Vers 4. and really converted and brought into a state of life Moreover they had learned the duty of Mortification one of the hardest lessons in Christianity Chap. 4. 22. And were also sealed unto the day of Redemption Chap. 1. 13. 4 30. and had the earnest of their Heavenly Inheritance And yet they whose attainments were so high must redeem the time The same thing is prest in different terms Eccles 9. 10 It 's called a working while it is day Jo. 9. 4 In the handling of this position I shall shew you 1. First When time may be said to be redeemed 2. What time must be redeemed 3. How time must be redeemed 4. Why time must be redeemed 5. Motives and Directions to help you First When is time redeemed Answ When time and duty like those two twins Jacob and Esau take hold one of another or as two loving yoak-fellows go hand in hand when duty attends time as the shadow the body or as the Maiden her Mistress This is to fill up time with duty and to take opportunity by the fore-lock or in Scripture phrase to do the work of the day in the day And to this end opportunities or seasons are to be desired as they offer an occasion of service and of doing our duty This we may see in holy David Psal 122. 1. I was glad when they said unto me come let us go up to the house of the Lord. When there was a way open to Worship God in the beauty of Holiness David rejoyced to see the true Worshippers improve their opportunity to go to that City the name of which was Jehovah Shammah the Lord is there Eze. 48. 38. And the Prophet Zechariah brings in the Saints of God rejoycing in the same things Zech. 8. 20 21 22. Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord and seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem I will go also The Saints of old were wont to rejoyce when the Sabbath came because of the holy and heavenly duties of that day Opportunities and duty are always to be joyned Gal. 6. 10. This is to live according to the wil of God 1 Pet. 4. 2. and to walk cirspectly redeeming the time Eph. 5. 15 17. 2. When we are truly careful to make up former negligence with double diligence redeeming the time we recover our loss Time according to this phrase seemeth to be taken captive and we must redeem it Redemptions are made by purchase to redeem a thing is to buy it for a price the price we redeemed it with is labour travel faithful and serious diligence and greater activity and vigour in the prosecution of our duty When what of time or seriousness hath been wanting in one day or duty is made up and supplied in the next this is the way to repair our sad soul-damages For the time past of our lives may suffice us to have wrought the will of the will of the Gentils 1 Pet. 4. 3. Christians our sins have been many and mighty but our services few and mean therefore put the best leg before Be not as the sluggard like the door upon the hinges but as the Sun in the heavens that rejoyceth to run his race The hand
God gasping and panting after the Lord Jesus Christ Psal 42. 1 2. O labour for such a frame of heart and bewail a narrow and contracted spirit Do not perform duties for duties sake so as to make duties the end of duties but as the medium by which thy soul may draw nigh to God and meet with him The countenance and presence of God in a duty is the very Suburbs of glory yea the very gate of Heaven Gen. 2â— 17. Let this be in thy thoughts and the very purpose of thy heart and expect it vehemently in every access to God Let thy soul follow hard after God and say One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life Psal 27. 4. Psal 84. 2. Duties are only the outward Court but the form shell and carkass of Religion as Pipes without Water Breasts without Milk as Sails without Wind or as a Body without a Soul that hath no life The encrease of your grace and holiness depends upon your acquaintance and communion with the God of grace It was Mose his being in the Mount that made his face to shine and the Kings being at his Table that caused the Churches Spikenard to send forth the swell thereof Cant. 1. 12. The presence of the glorious God on a Sabbath the presence of God in prayer or at a Sacrament will be unto thy soul as marrow and fatness and that which will make thy hands to drop with Myrrh and thy fingers with sweet-smelling Myrrh Thus it was with the Spouse when her Beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door Cant. 5. 4 5. 6 By improving every Providence every Comfort every Cross for Gods glory and our own spiritual advantage God doth nothing in vain for he hath a peculiar respect unto the good of his people in all his dispensations he doth time measure and order every dark and afflicting providence for his Churches advantage Jer. 24. 5. Rom. 8. 24. Heb. 12. 10 11. God's chastning and teaching commonly go together therefore it is we must hear the Rod and who hath appointed it Mic. 6. 9. The Rod hath a Voice Beasts may feel the rod but the believer hearts the rod. God's rod should make us like Aaron's rod bud blossom and to bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness Heb. 12. 11. Now if you would be bettered by affliction endeavour to do three things 1. To understand the meaning or mind of God in them for what sins committed or duties neglected they are sent Afflictions are Gods Messengers and we should never be quiet till we know their Errands Job 10. 2. 2. See the hand of God in all those afflictions So did David Psal 39. 10. and holy Job 1. 11. Hos 6. 1. 3. Labour to answer the end of God in your straits and troubles that you might be made more humble more holy more heavenly before that we may say and find that it hath beed good for us to be afflicted We have as much reason to seek unto God for a blessing upon our daily Rod as upon our daily Bread 7. Time must be redeemed by casting up your accounts every day and so to make even with God and not get further into his debt This will be the way to get an acquittance to procure a pardon before you are called and forced to an account Secret duties if well done are the sweetest duties and yet sadly neglected by Saints themselves You should retire every night and spend a little time in self-examination and when you sit alone commune with your hearts and call over the passages and actions of the day past We read Gen. 24. 63. That Isaac went out in the evening tide to meditate a precious duty but rarely practised Christians should spend void spaces of time in ejaculatory Prayer and holy Meditation And O how hard it is to ascend this Mount of heavenly Meditation 'T is very easie and delightsom to think of the World the pleasures of Sin Friends Riches Worldly business but to Meditate on God Heaven Eternity the insufficiency and vanity of the creature the bitterness of sin the certainty of death and judgement the very inwards of Religion is very difficult Before you lye down upon your beds at night call your selves to an account by such questions as these 1. I have lived many years in the world What have I been doing all my days have I answered the end of my being 2. Have I had a holy awe of God in the midst of my Worldly business this day What thoughts of death and Judgement have I had Where hath my heart been 3. How have I performed duties this day What hath been the sins of this day the mercies of this day that I may beg the pardon of the one and bless God for the other 4. What assistance and communion with God have I had this day in the duties of his worship have not God and my soul been strangers this day and many days together 5. What have I done or spoken for God and his Glory this day in my Family or else-where have I demean'd my self like a child of God this day this is to make Religion our business or to walk in the fear of the Lord all the day 8. Improve your time by endeavouring to order every days work with reference to your last day The end of every duty and the great reason of redeeming time lies here namely that we may be fit to dye and stand before God Therefore must we glorifie the infinitely holy God and make him our friend Hence it is that we must secure our souls and speedily get into Jesus Christ and grow in grace do good to others call our selves to an account and clear our title unto heaven that all our work may be done up while it is day and none left to do let death call when it will The reasons why our precious time must be redeemed are 1. Because the days are evil 2. Because 't is a considerable part of our Christian wisdom Reas 1. Because the days are evil This is the Apostles own argument to enforce the duty Precious time and evil days run parallel therefore no part of a little time must be lost I shall instance in a few particulars to make it appear 1. The Tares of false Doctrine or Diabolical Blasphemous Damnable Opinions do abound How do the Devils Agents endeavour to raise and undermine the very foundations and principles of the Christian faith Those old and damnable heresies that have been condemned and expunged out of the Church of God are greedily embraced and swallowed down by more then a few 2 Tim. 3. 1. and 4. 3. 2 Pet. 1. 12. Ye therefore Beloved seeing ye knew these things before beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness 2 Pet. 3. 17. 2 Tim. 1. 13. 2. Mens flagitious
is but a step between thee and an endless state and wilt thou not be more industrious for thy Soul and Heaven If a man were to run or wrestle for his Life or for a Crown or Kingdom how would he strain and strive and that with all his might If a man were to go over Sea for his life and had but one gale of wind in his Life-time would he come to the water-side and lose it If a Malefactor had but a day appointed him to sue out his pardon would he not improve it This is all our cases God hath given us but a day to work when the day is ended it will be night for ever Luk. 19. 19 42. John 9. 4. Now it may be Christ is at the door offering thee help open to him lest he withdraw and come no more It s probable the spirit of Life and Power striveth to turn thee to God O refuse not to comply with it lest the Spirit serve thee as Samuel did Saul that came no more to him 1 Sam. 15. 35. I shall conclude the Motives with the words of the Psalmist to day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts left God swear in his wrath that you shall not enter into his rest Psal 91. 7. 11. Now if thou art resolved to put this duty into practice through the help of Heaven speedily and diligently observe these Directions Directions for the redeeming of Time 1. Take heed and beware of those things which rob you of your time 2. Labour to convince your selves of the worth of time and value it accordingly 3. Set apart a considerable portion of time for the most secret duties 4. Cast and compute your time 5. Maintain a holy fear upon thy heart of coming to the end of time before thy work be done Direct 1. First Take heed of those things which rob you of your time Now the thieves that will rob you of this exceeding rich Jewel are these six against which watch as for thy life 1. Vain Thoughts 2. Worldly Cares 3. Vnnecessary Visits 4. Vnprofitable Discourse 5. Excessive indulging of the outward man 6. Vnlawful or immoderate recreations 1. Vain Thoughts These are secret and subtile Thieves that insensibly rob us of our time every day and in every duty vain impertinent and wicked thoughts like Pharaoh's Frogs creep and crowd in upon us and thrust out good thoughts so that we cannot keep our mind steddy and compos'd Solomon saith Prov. 17. 24. The eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth so are our thoughts gadding wandring up and down here and there and every where These evil thoughts spring and rise from within us as naturally as sparks from the fire Gen. 6. 5. Matth. 15. 19. Out of the heart proceedeth evil thoughts And they follow us continually into every place and in every service as the Birds on Abraham's Sacrifices which Abraham did drive away They must not Lodge Jerem. 4. 14. Though we cannot hinder the Fowls from flying in the Air or over our heads we may hinder them from pitching on our heads Holy David had vain thoughts but he hated them Psal 119. 113. There is not a minute but many thoughts pass from us as in a minute sands do in an Hour-glass Psal 94. 19. Christians consider how much of that time is lost which you spend in holy duties by vain thoughts when we should draw nigh to God our hearts by our thoughts steal away And there are but a few awakened tender spirits truly sensible of this intrinsical secret evil though much of a Christian's duty and the very inwards of Religion lies in observing the thoughts and in watching the heart Therefore above all keeping keep thy heart Prov. 4. 23. and take heed to thy spirit Mal. 2. 15 16. 2. Worldly Cares are great wasters of our precious time The most do mind Earthly things Phil. 3. 19. Men heads hearts and thoughts are so intent about the things that perish that they do hardly entertain a serious thought of God and Eternity all the day God is not in all their thoughts They that are the flesh do mind the things of the flesh Rom. 8. 5. and not only the children of this World but Professors themselves are so eager and vehement in the pursuit of this poor Earth that almost all their time and strength is spent about it And while men are so careful and solicious about many things and in a very crowd and hurry of business it is impossible for them to redeem time for God and their souls As soon as their eyes are open and the things of the World stand as so many Suitors to invite and draw them Some have their hearts so over-charged and surfeited with the Cares and fears of this evil world that their abundance will not suffer them to sleep Luke 21. 4. Eccles 5. 12. Now when it is thus Opportunities are lost Souls are neglected Holy duties omitted or if used they are very unsuccessful Ezek. 33. 31. Math. 13. 22. Therefore take heed of the world so great a devourer of our time 3. Vnnecessary visits are great wasters of our time of which you must take heed it being no mark of Godliness but the contrary The wise man speaking of the vicious and vertous Woman giveth them this different Character viz. the one her feet abideth not in her House Eccl. 7. 11. the other looketh well to the wayes of her houshold and eateth not the bread of idleness Prov. 31. 27. And we read of some that wandred about from house to house being idle Tatlers and busie-bodies speaking things which they ought not 1 Tim. 5. 13. How many do trifile away the time in going from house to house to whom it may be said as Pharaoh to the oppressed Israelites Ye are idle ye are idle Let that time you have to spare from your Calling and Families be spent in Reading Prayer or other Religious exercises and in all your Visits intend and design the doing of good or the receiving of good and not the passing away of this precious time When your friends or neighbours are sick and under the hand of God go to them and give them counsel for their souls Rom. 15. 2. 4. Vnprofitable Discourse robbeth us of much time Some employ their Tongues in telling fabulous or filthy stories others in discoursing of Parties and Opinions and in talking of the Faults and Miscarriages of other men Some about the Times and enquiring after News Thus did the men of Athens who spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing Acts 17. 21. And the most when they come together pass away the time in discoursing of the World and the concerns of it But let Christians when they converse imitate their Lord the words that proceeded out of his mouth were gracious words Walk in wisdom toward them that art without redeeming the time Let your speech be always with Grace seasoned with Salt
that you know how you ought to answer every man Col. 4. 5 6. 5. Excessive indulging the outward man Much of our time is spent in making provision for the flesh Rom. 13. last Some hours are taken up every day in providing for the belly to please the Pallate and some at their Tables take up much time Others to gratifie a proud fancy much time is wasted in decking and trimming the body There are those that spend more time in looking into a glass then upon their knees in praying to God A godly Minister coming to a Gentlewomans house to Dinner where he waited from ten a clock till one all the while she was dressing burst out in weeping to think that she should spend so much time in Trimming and he so little in Praying Also excessive Sleep doth devour a great part of our short life and time When we should be on our knees in our Closet we are in our beds or on our Couches Others waste their precious time in Ale-houses and Tavers and Brothel-houses from day to day God's day being not exempted Against such there is a dreadful Wo Wo unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink that continue until night till Wine inflame them Isa 5. 11 12. 6. Vnlawful or immoderate Recreations are the occasions of great expence of time Recreation not to be used but as Physick in case of need is an ingrosser and wafter of our time that 's dear and precious Many are so excessive in it as if they were sent into the World to do nothing but sport What time is spent is Carding Dicing Dancing Interludes Stage-plays Bear and Bull-baitings Hunting Hawking and in reading Romantick Books which for Men and Women professing the Gospel are not of good report Phil. 4. 8. The turning of the Bible or of some good Book is more becoming a Christian then turning a pair of Cards a Game so much accustomed by the Prophane and an occasion of much sin These things will cause bitterness and horror at last they are Honey to the Fansie but a sting to the Conscience Consider which will afford most comfort dying Item so many days in recreation or so many days in humiliation so many hours in prayer or so many hours in playing at Cards so many hours in vain filthy discourse or so many hours in serious and Heavenly conference Item so many Sabbaths in reading hearing and singing of Psalms or so many Sabbaths spent in eating drinking walking or worse Holy Bradford counted that hour lost wherein he had not done some good Titus Vespasian was wont to say Diem perdidi I have lost a day Direct 2. Set a due estimate upon this precious Jewel of Time that your hearts may be so truly tender as to make conscience of wasting of it A Godly Minister was wont to say when he saw the morning clear and serene 'T is pity this day should be lost O value your time reckon more of one Sabbath then of the best Fair or Market that ever thou wasted in all thy life Set upon the now day of Grace the price of Eternity I have told you already the damned in Hell if it might be would give a World for one opportunity to make peace with God Direct 3. Set apart some considerable portion of time for the most secret duties 1. For ordinary secret prayer and meditation set some time apart in the morning and evening of every day and do not catch and snatch at praying-times Many serve the world and the flesh all day and put off God with a few words or sleepy prayers at night Prayer is the breath of the new Creature and the sign of spiritual life Act. 9. 6. Christians let your prayers be secret sincere fervent constant The way to Heaven said a good man is through the Closet and they that have been eminent in Piety have been excellent in Prayer Holy David would not let a morning pass without prayer Psal 5. 3. Yea three times a day he was at this blessed duty Psa 55. 17. It was his Element and constant employment Psal 109. 4. Your prayer must be fervent if it be effectual Prayer without fervency is as a Bullet without Powder or as a Bird without wings that cannot mount up into the Air. Holy fire must be put to the daily Sacrifice God answers by Fire He that looks upon the heart regards the manner of your Prayers more then the number of your prayers Cold slight mumbling over a few Petitions either out of custom or to stop the mouth of conscience will not prevail Ps 25. i. Isa 26. 9. Jam. 5. 15. Christians the time that you spend with God in secret is the sweetest time and best improved Therefore if thou lovest thy life be in love with prayer Resolve to spend some time with God in private every day 2. Extraordinary private Fastings is a duty very necessary and practised but by a few Soul-afflicting dayes between God and a man's self would though grace be much for spiritual advantage Husbands should mourn apart and their Wives apart Zech. 12. 12 13. Fasting-days will be Soul-fatting days Acts 10. 30. and Blessed are they that mourn Mat. 5. 4. 3. The third private duty is self-examination When thou art alone ask thy self these questions 1. Is it most certain that I am in a state of Grace 2. Is Grace thriving Doth my inward man prosper 3. Do I live in no known sin against Conscience Psal 19. 1. 28. and exercise my self unto Godliness 4. Do I make conscience of redeeming time so as to joyn time and duty togetogether A Precious Servant of the Lord was wont to say if a man could answer to these two Questions he need not to fear First Am I Gods child Secondly Am I in Gods way Psal 119. 94. Direct 4. If you would redeem your time compute your time Pray thou mayest do it Psal 90. 12. Psal 39. 4. Numbring the People was David's sin but numbring his days a duty 'T is common for men to number their Sheep their Cattel Houses Lands Wares Money but to number our days is a rare kind of numbring for the neglect of which what arears are we fallen into with the great Land-lord of our time Christians divide your time into parcels and consider how little God hath how much time was spent in thy Infancy and Child-hood before thou hadst the use of reason how much is spent in our Callings and Employments about the world how much in Eating and Drinking and unprofitable discourse besides all this half or more is spent in sleeping so that in the work of God and about our immortal souls we employ but a very little Therefore 't is more then time to redeem it Direct 5. Maintain always a holy fear upon thy heart of coming to the end of time before thy work be done Live continually in an expectation of your great changes Buy Sell Converse Read Pray Hear and do all as