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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34877	A supplement to Knowledge and practice wherein the main things necessary to be known and believed in order to salvation are more fully explained, and several new directions given for the promoting of real holiness both of heart and life : to which is added a serious disswasive from some of the reigning and customary sins of the times, viz. swearing, lying, pride, gluttony, drunkenness, uncleanness, discontent, covetousness and earthly-mindedness, anger and malice, idleness / by Samuel Cradock ... useful for the instruction of private families.	Cradock, Samuel, 1621?-1706.	1679 (1679)	Wing C6756; ESTC R15332	329,893	408

Nahor the God of their Father judge betwixt us And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac 2. Vnder the Law See instances hereof in the people of Israel Joshua 9.19 But all the Princes said unto all the Congregation we have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel c. In David Psal 119. verse 106. I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgments 1 Sam. 24.21 22. Swear now unto me by the Lord that thou wilt not cut off my Seed after me and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my Fathers house And David sware unto Saul and Saul went home c. 1 Kings 1. ver 13 28 29. 30. Go and get thee in unto David and say unto him didst not thou my Lord O King swear unto thine handmaid saying assuredly Solomon thy Son shall reign after me and he shall sit upon my throne c. In Elijah 1 Kings 17. verse 1 And Elijah the Tishbite said unto Ahab as the Lord God of Israel liveth before whom I stand there shall not be rain c. In Micaiah 1 Kings 22.14 And Micaiah said as the Lord liveth what the Lord said unto me that will I speak 3. Under the Gospel See instances hereof in the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 1.18 But as God is true our word towards you was not yea and nay verse 23. I call God for a record upon my Soul c. 2 Cor. 12.19 We speak before God in Christ c. Gal. 1.20 Now these things which I write unto you behold before God I lye not In the Angel Rev. 10.5.6 And the Angel which I saw stand upon the Sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to Heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever c. 4. That which is the most effectual way to end controversies between man and man in doubtful cases and is of so great use and benefit to humane society is not to be laid aside But such is an Oath Ergò The minor the Apostle confirmeth Heb. 6.16 For men verily swear by the greater and an Oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife * 'T is true there is great d fference in the Oaths of men As is the person that sweare●h so is the Oath more or less credible The better and the more conscientious the man the more credible is his Oath There is no other way to end some controversies but by an appeal to God as a Judge and Avenger In the Old Testament in any doubtful case which could not otherwise be determined they were to accept the Oath of the Lord Exodus 22. verse 11 12. Seeing therefore by a lawful Oath God is glorified being appealed unto as the Supreme Judg of Heaven and Earth the Patron of truth and avenger of falshood seeing his Omniscience omnipresence truth justice and power is thereby acknowledged seeing it is the ordinance of God and a part of his worship by himself commanded and lastly seeing it is the most effectual way to end Controversies between man and man they that would have appealing to God in serious matters laid aside are injurious both to the honour of God and the good of man 3. I come now to answer the objections usually framed from Matth. 5.33 c. and James 5.12 against the lawfulness of any swearing at all The words of those two Texts are these Matth. 5. verse 33. Again ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oaths verse 34. but I say unto you swear not all neither by Heaven for it is Gods throne verse 35. nor by the Earth for it is his footstool neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the great King verse 36. neither shalt thou swear by thy head because thou canst not make one hair white or black verse 37. but let your communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil James 5.12 But above all things my brethren swear not neither by Heaven neither by the earth neither by any other oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest ye fall into condemnation Now for the clearer understanding of these two Scriptures these two things must be premised 1. We must take notice of that rule which is to be observed in the sound interpretation of any Text that is difficult viz. that no one Scripture ought to have any other sense put upon it than what will fairly agree with other Scriptures and firmly stand with the Analogy of faith 2. We must have a special regard to the condition and manners of the Jews at this time when these precepts were given The Nation of the Jews as it seems were now commonly guilty of these three things 1. Of frequent familiar and customary swearing in their ordinary communication which they made light of provided they did not swear falsly or forswear themselves 2. They used much to swear by the creatures 3. They made a great difference of Oaths made by the creatures esteeming some of them to be binding and others not Now the words of our Saviour and the Apostle James must be supposed to be directed against these enormities Which things being premised I come to consider the words themselves Matth. 5. verse 33. Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oaths Our Saviour having before shewed the corrupt glosses and interpretations which the Pharisees made on the sixth and seventh Commandments he comes here to shew how they did the like on the third also The Pharisees it seems taught that if men did not forswear themselves they did fulfill the third Commandment though they did swear familiarly by God in their ordinary communicatication and sometimes by the Creatures Both these our Saviour condemns verse 34. But I say unto you swear not at all that is in your ordinary communication as is plain from verse 37. no not by God which upon solemn occasions is lawful as we have shewed before much less by the Creatures which is alwayes unlawful So that these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (a) Non juretis omninò scil temerè l●v●●er Praeceptum enim de juramento sic intelligebant Pharisaei quod perjurium duntaxat in eo prohibeatur interim temeraria juramenta in vita communi permitte bant _____ Glassius _____ Particula omninò cum restrictione est accipienda nimirum de juramento temerario quomodo Exod. 20.10 dicitur nulla opera Sabbaro facienda esse i. e. profana Freid lib. 3. pag. 12. not at all must be understood with some limitation and restriction As when God forbids doing any work on the Sabbath day it is to be understood only of the servile works of our callings and not of works of necessity or mercy So the prohibition of Christ

Caesar or no. Then he answers the question of the Sadduces concerning a Woman that had seven Husbands and proves to them the Resurrection of the Dead He answers a Doctor of the Law demanding of him which is the great Commandment and tells him he is not far from the Kingdom of God He then propounds a question to the Pharisees how the Messiah could be Davids Son whom David himself calls Lord but they could not answer him Mat. 22. from 15. to the end Mark 12. from 13. to 28. Luke 20. from 20. to 45. 71. He now begins a severe commination against the Scribes and Pharisees exhorting his hearers to follow what they should rightly teach them out of Moses and the Prophets but not their example and works He describes their Hypocrisie and Ambition in making broad their Phylacteries and fringes of their Garments in loving salutations in publick places and to be called Rabbi He admonishes his hearers to take heed thereof and to study Humility He denounceth eight woes against the Scribes and Pharisees 1. Because they shut Heaven against men 2. Devoured Widows houses 3. Made bad Proselytes 4. Taught perversely to swear by the Temple Altar and Heaven 5. Tythed small matters and neglected the weightier matters of the Law 6. Made clean the out-side but not the heart 7. Were like whited Sepulchres 8. Repaired the Sepulchres of the old Prophets and sought to kill the new Then complaining of the stiff-neckedness of the City of Jerusalem He foretells her destruction Mat. 23. whole Chapter Mark 12. from 38. to 41. Luke 20. from 45. to 48. 72. He commendeth the poor Widows gift of two mites which she cast into the Treasury of the Temple Mark 12. from 41. to the end Luke 21. from 1. to 5. 73. Going now out of the Temple into which he never entred again he foretells the destruction thereof Being come to Mount Olivet he foretells the grievous calamities that should befall the Jews before the Temple and Cities destruction and gives them Signs that should sometime before precede it as the arising of false Christs Wars and rumors of Wars Famines and Pestilence and Earthquakes and fearful sights and signs from Heaven Great persecutions against those that professed him The arising of many false Prophets and Heretical teachers The spreading of the Gospel among all the chief and principal Nations in those parts of the World Then he gives them signs that should immediately precede it Namely the begirting the City by the Roman Army at which time the Prophecy of Daniel should be fulfilled The arising of false Christs and false Prophets that should be so cunning that they should deceive if it were possible the very Elect. He now comes to describe the destruction it self which he sets forth as the destruction of the whole World of which it was to be a Type For the precise time when this destruction should be he tells them they must not expect to have it revealed to them it being hid from men and Angels yea and from himself also as man Yet two things he acquaints them with 1. That this Judgment would come suddenly and unexpectedly on the Jews as destruction did on the old World 2. See §. 47. of this part That the Providence of God would much appear in the rescuing of some out of that calamity in which others will fall He exhorts them to watch and pray that they may be accounted worthy to escape those calamities by the Parable of good servants expecting the coming of their Master and because the time of his coming is uncertain he presseth them again to a diligent watchfulness by the Parable of an Housholder watching against the coming of a Thief Mat. 24. whole Chapter Mark 13. whole Chapter Luke 21. from 5. to 37. 74. By the Parable of five wise and five foolish Virgins he again exhorts them to watchfulness against his coming and by the Parable of Servants which had each of them received Talents from their Lord to trade withal he exhorteth to a faithful improvement of the gifts which God had given to every one Then he comes to describe his last coming to Judgment and how he will distinguish his ●heep from the Goats and give and execute Sentence upon them both Mat. 25. whole Chapter 75. Having thus Preached his Prophetick Sermon on Mount Olivet he comes to Bethany and suppeth there Rising from Supper he girded himself and washed his Disciples feet Peter at first refused to admit of it but afterward suffered it He teacheth them hereby his spiritual washing of them and exhorts them to imitate this example of his Humility and to be serviceable one to another He complains of and detects the Traytor Judas whom he discovereth to John by giving him a sop After which the Devil entred into him and he went forth Our Saviour comforts himself against his near approaching death with this consideration that God should be glorified thereby He exhorts his Disciples to mutual Love Peter promises he will lay down his life for him but Christ telleth him he will deny him thrice John 13. whole Chapter 76. Wednesday Wednesday On this day the Chief Priest and Elders met in Caiaphas's House and hold the second Council how they might take Jesus and put him to death Whilst they were thus consulting Judas comes to them and offers to betray him to them They bargain with him for thirty pieces of silver to do it which he having accepted returns to his Master at Bethany Mat. 26. from 1. to 6. and from 14. to 17. Mark 14.1 2. and 10 11. Luke 22. from 1. to 7. 77. Thursday Thursday Our Saviour now sendeth Peter and John to Jerusalem to prepare the Passeover for him and his Disciples and directs them by a special token to follow a man that would lead them to a great Chamber ready furnished which they accordingly do and having provided all things for the present Supper return to him again Matth. 26. from 17. to 20. Mark 14. from 12. to 17. Luke 22. from 7 to 14. 78. Being now ready to go with his Apostles to eat the Passeover which he was to eat that night he comforts them concerning his going away from them to the Father seeing he went to prepare Mansions for them at his Fathers house He declares to Thomas that he is the way the truth and the life and to Philip that he that seeth him seeth the Father He promiseth his Apostles that they should do great Miracles and obtain what they shall pray for in his name That they shall receive the Comforter the H●ly Ghost and not be left Orphans He exhorts them to love him and keep his Commandments promising his and his Fathers abode with them and that the Holy Ghost should bring all things necessary to their remembrance He leaveth his peace with them and declareth that they ought to rejoyce because he goeth to the Father He sheweth his willingness to obey his Father even in suffering

manner was by thanksgiving and pra●er to God Hence this Sacrament is called the Eucharist And this blessing and praying over the Bread and Wine is called the consecration of the Elements or setting them apart from a common to a holy use Yet this must be observed by the way that this Consecration changes not the Elements as to their substance * In caena Domini nu●la est transmutatio signorum in res signatas aut existentia rerum signatarum in signis sed signa vocantur res signatae Metaphoricè non propriè Pontificij panem tra●smutari in co●pus Lutherani cu●pus ess● in pane statuunt ut qui non exp●ndunt locu●ionem esse Sacramentalem qualem etiam habem●s Gen. 17. u●i circumcisio vocatur foedus In his verbis hoc est corpus meum tropus est in copula est quemadmodum in istis Septem vaccae sunt septem anni Item Semen est verbum Dei I●i enim copula est accipitur pro significare Consecration makes the Elements only representatively the body and blood of Christ but as to their use office and signification only This is my body are not the words of consecration For Christ bad them take and eat before he pronounced these words And the words of Consecration should in reason be spoken to God and not to the Disciples as these were 2. He brake the bread * The papists break not the bread but give it whole in wafer cakes And they take away the Cup from the Laity wh●reas our Saviour instituted it to be received in both kinds and to receive it otherwise is a palpable violation of his order Hence this Sacrament is called the breaking of Bread Acts 2.42 And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and in breaking bread and in prayers 3. He gave it to his Disciples saying take eat and so the Cup take and drink ye all of it So that the duty of a Minister who shall according to Christs institution administer this Ordinance is 1. To praise God for the elements of bread and wine and setting them apart according to Christs institution from a common to this religious use to pray to God that they may be effectual representations signs and seals of the spiritual blessings they are appointed to signifie to all those who shall receive them in a right manner And then to distribute the bread and wine so consecrated to the Communicants And the duty of the communicants is to take and eat of this bread and drink this wine in a right manner Of which more afterwards 2. We come now to consider the inward mysteries and spiritual blessings signified by these outward elements Here Christ is represented to us as Sacrificed for us and delivering himself to us with the fruits and benefits of his death for our eternal good I say sayes our Saviour This is my body which was broken * Though a bone of him was not broken yet the Apostle speaks of his body as broken in regard of those cruel wounds he received for you The body of Christ that was nailed to the Cross and his blood that was shed was a Sacrifice as offered up to God But it is meat and drink as offered to us He was given for us in the Sacrifice and is given to us in the Sacrament with the blessed fruits and benefits that flow from his death John 55. Christ sayes my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed And verse 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him that is He dwelleth in me by Faith and I dwell in him by the constant influence and quickning vertue of my holy Spirit Christ must be received by us and united to us by faith● as meat is received by our mouth and tasted by our Palate and so turned into our substance Being so received he will strengthen and refresh our Souls as meat doth a hungry man There is an absolute necessity of closing with Christ as crucified and of being highly pleased with him on that account as the Palate is with wholsom agreeable food that our Souls being united to him may of his fulness receive grace for grace Not that we must be like the gross Capernaites John 6. who had a gross appehension of eating corporally the very flesh and drinking the very blood of Christ There is indeed a spiritual eating of Christs flesh and drinking of his blood by Faith which may be exercised when this Sacrament is not administred And of such an eating our Saviour speaks to the Jews John 6.53 Verily verily I say unto you except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood ye have no life in you Now that he does not mean Sacramental eating there is plain and evident for that Sacrament was not instituted till a good while after this as will appear to any one who understands the history of our Saviour nay this kind of eating of his flesh by Faith he shews to be of so great necessity that without it he tells them they had no life in them v. 53. which cannot be said of all that never received the Sacrament of the Lords Supper When therefore we approach to this holy Table let us not be like the Carnal Israelites that did eat Manna and drink of the rock in the wilderness but neither saw nor tasted Christ in them 3. We come now to consider the command for the observing of this ordinance Do this in remembrance of me This command is not to be extended to circumstances and accessaries but to the substance and main of the institution This Sacrament is called the Lords Supper from the time of the first institution not that we are bound to receive it only at that time Occasional circumstances the prudence of the Church may alter let us look to the substance end and intent of this Sacrament and chiefly mind that The dying charge of a Friend does usually make great impression on the by-standers And so should this solemn charge of our dying Saviour make upon us Do this in remembrance of me and observe it in all ages till I come So long it must be continued in the world 4. Let us consider now the ends for which this Sacrament was ordained And here I shall speak 1. Of the true and proper ends for which it was instituted 2. Of the mistaken ends for which it was not appointed The true and proper ends for which it was instituted are these 1. To be a solemn commemoration of the death and passion of our Lord and Saviour to keep it in remembrance and in the eye of the Church till he come to Judgment 1 Cor. 11.24 25. 2. To be a Seal of the new Covenant or new Testament with all the promises and priviledges of it and of the ratification of it by the blood of Christ Luke 22.20 This Cup is the New Testament in my blood that is a Sign and

necessaries * Avaro deest tam quod habet quam quod non habet Haec est manifesta p●renesis ut locuples moriatis egen t is vivere fato neither decent apparel nor convenient food When they pinch their own bellies and the bellies of those they are to provide for Like the man described by Solomon Eccles 6.1 2. There is an evil which I have seen under the Sun and it is common among men A man to whom God hath given riches and wealth yet he hath not power to eat thereof but a stranger eateth it This is vanity and an evil disease And so likewise Eccles 4.8 There is one alone and there is not a second Yea he hath neither Child nor Brother yet there is no end of all his labour nor is his eye satisfied with riches Such men as one expresses it are like the Asse that carries Gold for others but it self feeds on thistles And so much of the Particulars wherein Covetousness expresses it self 3. I come now to consider the causes of Covetousness And they are such as these 1. False notions and apprehensions about riches and too high an esteem of the things of the World They think the happiness of man consists in having plenty and abundance And upon this conceit wealth so steals away their hearts that they make it their God They will tell you what Solomon sayes that money answereth all things Eccles 10.19 that is it will buy any thing that can be bought here and therefore they that have money in their purse have the world at their will But I shall tell them also what the Apostle sayes Godliness is profitable for all things which Money I am sure is not having the promises of this life and that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Godliness makes men rich without riches rich in Faith and Holiness rich in this that God is reconciled to them in his Son and they have his favour shining upon them here and have a good title to Heaven hereafter I know the World is ready to say of a man that hath gotten wealth O such a man is made whereas except God give him grace with his riches he may thereby be marred He may be made indeed in one sense that is made more proud more imperious more irreligious more idle more luxurious than he was before but that is far from being any felicity to himself or any benefit to others The World has very little judgment in the true nature of good and evil That is truly good for a man which makes him better towards God and that is evil for him which makes him worse Indeed riches when honestly got are Gods blessings and so ought to be esteemed by us and we ought to be very thankful to God for them But by reason of the corruption of mans heart they are often to many men snares yea very dangerous snares Riches without grace usually hurt the Possessor I have seen riches reserved to the hurt of the owners thereof sayes Solomon Eccles 5.13 And not only to their hurt but to the hurt of many others round about them Many men had never been so great sinners nor had they dishonoured God nor hurt and corrupted others at so high a rate if they had not been so great and rich in this World Our Saviour therefore Mark 10.23 sayes How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God that is that have riches but not grace to make a right use and improvement of them There are indeed great temptations in Poverty But I think we may truly say that if the temptations of Poverty have slain their thousands the temptations of riches have slain their ten thousands I know Solomon sayes no man can know love or hatred by these outward things Eccles 9.1 that is we cannot know Gods love or hatred to us by the meer outward dispensations either of riches or poverty prosperity or adversity but we may by the inward impressions that are made upon our hearts by those dispensations He to whom God giveth riches and withal an humble thankful charitable beneficent frame of heart to him they are given in mercy But he who hath riches and by them is made more proud insolent vain wanton intemperate oppressive injurious than he was before I think hath no great cause to imagine his riches are given him in mercy 2. Another cause of Covetousness is mans diffidence and distrust of Gods fatherly care and providence over them Ignorance of God and distrust of God usually go together They that know thy name will trust in thee saith the Psalmist Psal 9.10 For thou hast not forsaken them that seek thee They that know thy name that is thy nature and attributes they that know how infinitely wise gracious merciful faithful thou art will put their trust in thee but they that are ignorant of thee will not trust in thee but in their own wisdom and providence Men usually take it very ill when they see they are not trusted How much more may the great God of Heaven take it ill from us when he sees we dare not trust him It is an engagement upon the Almighty to speak with reverence to trust in him to depend on him and to cast our cares on him But it must needs be a great provocation to him to distrust him Therefore our Saviour in Mark 6. from 25. to the end charges his Disciples three several times to take no thought for their life what they should eat or drink or for their body what they should put on for about these things the Gentiles that knew not God nor acknowledged Providence inordinately carked and cared But those that professed themselves his Disciples should seek in the first place the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and for other things they should not be over anxious but believe that God in the use of lawfull and fair means would bestow them upon them as far forth as he saw to be good for them 3. Another cause of Covetousness is this men live by sense more than by Faith The Apostle tells us Heb. 11.2 that Faith is the evidence of things not seen that is it doth convincingly shew and demonstrate the reality of things not seen And 2 Cor. 4.18 He shews the different temper of the true Christian from the man of the World The true Christian chiefly minds the things unseen The men of the World mind chiefly the things seen The one minds things temporal the other things eternal Some persons have three eyes as one observes the eye of sense the eye of reason and the eye of faith Worldly men have the two former the eye of sense and reason but they want the eye of Faith They see what it is to have a good estate a good house a good stock to have pleasant accommodations for this life But for Heaven and the other life they never spake with any body that came from thence and they do not much give

6. I shall shew who are the persons that should especially be perswaded to the practice of this duty For the First What is meant by redeeming time Time may be considered either as past present or to come 1. For Time past there is no recalling of that the loss of it ought to be bewailed by us and that with great bitterness * Damna fleo rerum sed plus fleo damna dierum 2. For Time to come that we are uncertain of Only two times we are assured will come the time of Death and the time of Judgement And he is no wise man that does not provide and prepare himself against both these 3. The Time present This only is our time and this we should labour well to imploy improve and husband to the best advantage And so much of the first particular what is meant by redeeming Time 2. To what purposes are we to redeem time There are many excellent purposes for which we should do it Particularly 1. To consider our wayes and find out the sins of our lives that we may humble our Souls before the Lord for them and may undoe them again by true Repentance 2. To sue out our Pardon and make our Peace with God by betaking our selves to Christ Jesus and giving up our selves to him to be Pardoned through the infinite merit of his active and passive obedience and to be sanctified by his Spirit 3. To consider what unruly affections are in us that we may set our selves through the aids of grace to subdue and mortify them 4. To consider how we may frame our outward conversation so as may tend to the honour of God and credit of our Profession 5. To consider what is the part that God hath appointed us to act in this world and what are the peculiar duties incumbent on us in reference to our particular calling and station that we may perform them wisely faithfully and diligently 6. To consider that this life is our seed-time and that we shall reap hereafter according to what we sow here And therefore we had need look to it that we sow good seed and do what good we can while we have opportunity He that sowes to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption and he that sowes to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting Gal. 6.7 7. To consider that we are not only to take care to clear our own Souls of guilt but to humble our selves for the crying sins of our Nation by which our Heavenly Father is highly dishonoured that so we may do our part to stand in the gap and divert the wrath of God And so much of the purposes for which we are to redeem Time 3. I come now in the third place to consider from what we must redeem time There are many things from which we must redeem it 1. From the ordinary business and affairs of this life For though we are to be diligent in our particular callings yet we must not suffer our worldly business to ingross all our time We must labour so to contrive the business of our callings that they may not intrench upon that time which we are to imploy for the good of our Souls 2. From the lawful refreshments of our lives such as eating drinking sleeping recreations c. In which there is very often too much of our time spent 3. From Conversation and company especially such company among whom we cannot expect either to do good or to receive good 4. We must be especially careful how we employ our solitary hours and when we are alone that we do not spend that time n melancholy and impertinent musings and rovings and wandrings of thoughts but imploy it in meditation on things profitable and useful And if we had the care and skill to keep our minds to good works when we are alone It would be of incredible advantage to us both for the improving of our reason and much more to improve us in real piety and Christianity And so much of the third Particular From what we must redeem time 4. What are the reasons that should press this duty upon us 1. Our time is but short we have but a little of it We have not seven or eight hundred years of life as the Patriarchs had before the flood Mans life is now ordinarily very short Few live to threescore years and ten and very few to four-score And take out of the longest life that any live here 1. The folly and inconsiderateness of Child-hood and youth 2. The time spent in eating drinking and sleeping though with moderation 3. The time of sickness and indisposition of health 4. The time spent in journeys and travel 5. The time spent in recreation and visiting of friends 6. The time of weakness valitudinariness unusefulness in old age I say take out all these and the residue that remaineth for our business of greatest moment and consideration we shall find will be but a small pittance or portion And therefore having so little time we had not need waste it prodigally 2. Our time flyes away very swifly Job 9.25 26. compares it to three very swift things to a Post to a Ship on the Sea and to an Eagle flying to her prey Let any one consider how soon a year is gone and then tell me whether time does not fly away apace 3. A great deal of our time we have already mispent Let us reflect on our infancy Childhood and youth Alas How many years have passed over our heads ere we came to have any consideration for what end we came into the world or what work we had here to do Nay how many in their youth have weaved those cursed wehs of sin which must be afterwards unweaved and undone again with great sorrow and shame Nay how much of the time which we have spent in Gods own worship may be reckoned to our lost time God commands us to use the World as if we used it not But we are apt to pray as if we prayed not and to hear as if we heard not and to worship God in such a cold and formal manner as if we minded not what we were about 4. Consider what a damned soul in hell would give for a little time to recover himself out of that woful misery if it were in his power to purchase it O how cutting must it needs be to him to think how he might have procured everlasting joy and bliss to himself but he foolishly neglected his time and season for the doing of it which is not now to be recovered If God by an extraordinary dispensation should grant to a damned Soul one moneth or week to come out of hell upon tryal surely such a person would better improve his time than before he had done When people come to die at how dear a rate would they be willing to purchase some of those hours which they foolishly mis-spent and squandered away before 5. Consider time is a Talent