world but the Apostle bids to walke precisely or warily redeeming the time And hee that will take time to card or dice and to vse lawfull recreations immoderately I meane so as to be at his play the greater part of the day and it may be some if not the most of the night too shall pay full dearely for it Either he must repent vndo this with much greef and sorrow of heart or els he must smart for it hereafter worse in hell I would not deale ouer sharply with thee but take Gods louing admoniton and let him haue one tenth part of the foure twentie houres yea more a good deale then so now that thou hast more leasure then ordinarie And here is yet a kinde of people that are to be more rigorously handled such as are all gamesters that spend no one houre waking but vpon pleasure The world cals them scatter-goods and the Lord will call them scatter-houres that do misspend both goods houres Such let them think of themselues how they will as doe make gameing the greatest part if not all of their occupation must bee content to heare that they haue no portion in heauen as they can keepe no portion in earth How can one haue treasure in heauen that neuer laid vp any there If God hate a gamester so that he wil not giue him good cloths to his back now he hath threatned that he shall be clothed with rags he will much lesse afford them a seate in heauen And howsoeuer for a time they may ruffle it out be clad better then their more laborious neighbors yet this trade wil surely vndoe them For they haue brought this perill vpon thēselues that either God must not be true or they must not be rich he must for faite his truth or they their goods besides their name and soule wherefore let such as haue hitherto giuen their dayes to such an vnsanctified and inordinate course surcease from the practise of their lewdnes and both in conscience for their soules sake in discretiō for their goods sake resolue to become better husbands of time least their gameing on earth bring beggery to their latter dayes and damnation to their soules for euer Lastly let all good Christians be admonished to make precious account of their time and with much carefulnesse to take the seasons and opportunities of God according as they haue heard it is their dutie Christians either indeede purpose to learne or else make a shew of such a purpose when they come to church Ah that we might all learne this thrift and practise it as we haue heard Begin to day and hold on still now is a time of remembring the most admirable work of Christs incarnation when he was made flesh of the Virgin to purge vs from sin and saue vs from wrath by the shedding of his bloud and suffrings which he endured in his flesh Giue not all ah why should we giue any of it this time to play cheefly to bezelling surpheting or wantonnes but take some space to consider of the greatnes of this benefite and to be thankfull proportionablie therunto I would I might hope to preuaile with any by this exhortation but howsoeuer it is needfull to be spoken that none may haue occasion to pretend ignorance you see or might see your duties in this beehalfe and in practising the same shall finde the benefite of it But fooles will scorne admonition and those that haue abandoned themselues to lust will not bee intreated to pull their necks from out their hard yoake and to serue a better Master Nay so foolish are a number that they thinke to doe Christ great honour in spending the day whereon they imagine that hee was borne and some few that follow it in more then ordinary riot and sinfull excesse as though hee were a God that loued iniquitie and were delighted with drinking and swilling and gameing and swearing and surpheting and all disorder But those that know Christ know full well that hee is not pleased with such pranks Wherefore if wee will spend a day to Christ spend it more religiously and soberly then all other dayes not more profanely and luxuriously Wee should neuer forget his birth but when wee obserue some speciall time of remembring it shew that wee remember his goodnesse by doing good more honour to his name not by committing more rebellion against him And to conclude as at this time so at all times let all men that would haue their soules well furnished with inward substance play the good husbands in taking time and opportunitie whensoeuer wee finde any fit occasion of getting or doing good in our selues or others let it not slip but lay hold vpon it and vse it It is ioyfull to thinke if wee could thinke of it seriously what commoditie this thrift would bring how much knowledge and godlinesse might hee get that would keepe his tongue and heart carefully to good matters What a large treasure of good workes might hee haue that would bee ready whensoeuer his neighbours necessitie called for helpe to stretch out his hand for his reliefe And when hee saw him fit for an admonition would wisely bestow it vpon him How full of grace should his old age and sicknesse bee that would giue his health to God and his first yeares to the seruice of his soule How great acquaintance might hee get in the pallace of wisedome that would come to her at her first call and enter so soone as the doores were set open How many sinnes might a man leaue and how much power should hee get ouer all sinne that when his heart smites him would turne to God by prayer and confession What great grace would affliction bring if a man would settle himselfe to humiliation and gaging his heart in time of affliction How much thankefulnesse might hee haue that would lift vp his heart to God in the fruition of euerie blessing How many feruent prayers might be store vp in heauen that would not fore-slow time when he feels his desires earnest How comfortably might wee weepe ouer Christ and how plentifully that would take the tyde of teares and turne all pensiuenesse to this vse And how many sweete and cheerefull Psames might a Christian sing if hee would turne all his mirth into a Psalme and offer it vp to God Oh what a large increase of grace would this care bring how should his soule thriue that would bee thus husbandly Surely as the common speech hath commēded a little land well tilled beefore much more ground that is careleslie dressed so the weaker meanes with this care would bee more auaileable to inrich the heart then are the strongest without it It is not the greatnesse of ones liuing that makes one rich but the good imploying and wary husbanding of it So it is not the greatnesse of the meanes but the diligent redeeming of time to make vse of the means that makes the soule wealthy But if great meanes ioyne with great care the increase will bee so much the more large as a large liuing with good husbandry But alasse hence comes it that some in the store of all good meanes of Saluation are very beggars and bankrupts because of their negligence to take the time and fit season They let passe all good opportunities and care not for any occasion for the soule and how can their soule thriue Wherefore let euery true hearted Christian learne this wisedome and practise it as euer hee desires to store his soule with that wealth which will make him glorious in the eyes of God and much set by euen in heauen among the Angels And thus much for this time and this dutie of redeeming the time FINIS Doctrine Col. 4.5 Psa 90 12. Luk. 19.42 Pro. 1.24.25.26 Gal. 6.10 Pro. 21.17 Isai 5.12 Mat. 6.33 Mat. 12.36 Eph. 5.4 Col. 4.5 Pro. 6.9.10.11 Pro. 26.14 Pro. 4.23 Mat. 22. Mat. 13. Mag. 1.23 Mat. 6.33 20. ver Eccles 12.1 Iames. 5.13 Vse
not wicked exercises doth not this wast and poure forth time ouer lauishly Or can that man haue so much rest and quiet or so much fitnes opportunitie to do good to his soule as his wise care in cutting of these needlesse recreations or vexations rather would haue afforded him For these vaine pleasures are not alone mischeeuous hinderers of this thrift in that they consume the very houres thēselues but as much or more also in that they dissettle the heart and pull the affections out of ioynt so that a man is driuen to take as much paines to set his heart to a good exercise as would well haue dispatched the dutie had hee not beene thus vnfitted Now what a miserable losse is it when a man is robbed of his time and of his heart both at once And by both kept from reading praying meditating examining his heart or any such good exercise for his soules aduantage Wherfore if any man would so preuent these vaine foolish sports that they should not spoile him of his heart and houres let him obserue these two rules in his sports and then he shall doe well in these respects First this being presupposed that he doe not vse any recreations but those which he can proue to be in themselues lawfull first I say for the beginning of recreation let euery man know that recreation must follow labour for the most part or if at any time it goe before it it must be very little onely to fit one for labour The Lord allowes a man no sport though neuer so lawfull in it selfe vntill such time as his body or mind do stand in neede of it cheefly when they haue beene busied in some such honest affaires as by wearying them haue made them vnfit for further labour so that they must againe be fitted thereto by recreation Vntil paines-taking haue made the body or minde not so well able to take paines there is no allowance ordinarily for recreation All our sports and recreations if we wil vse them well I speake of those which are lawfull must bee to our body or minde as the mowers whet-stone or rifle is to his syth to sharpen it when it growes dull He that when his syth is dulled wil not vpon a desire to doe more worke take time to whet it shall cut lesse and with more paine more vnhandsomely then he need to doe so he that when his body or mind is tired or heauie will not vse some honest refreshing shall doe lesse and with lesse dexteritie then he might But on the other side if the mower should doe nothing from morning to noone or from noone to night but whet whet whet rubbing his syth he would both marre the syth and bee counted an idle worke-man also for loosing his dayes work so he that will run after the most honest delights when neither the wearinesse of his body nor heauines of his minde requires the same but onely vpon a fond lust or longing after them shall in time destroy his wit and strength and in the meane season maruailous vnthriftilie mis-spend his time Therefore let not a man beginne the day with play though neuer so lawfull vnlesse his body or minde require some necessarie exercise to make it more apt for his calling Hee that sets into the day sportingly shall bee sure to go through it either lumpishly or sinfully much more if he spend all the day from morning to night in playing let it be neuer so much holy day or haue he what other excuse he wil. This rule is for the beginning of sports The second is for the measure and continuance of them where this is a generall and a firme direction That it is not lawfull for a man in an ordinary course to spend more time in any pastime vpon any day then in religious exercises I meane cheefely priuate religious exercises I say it is vtterly vnlawfull to bestow a larger time any day vpon the most lawfull delight then in priuate religious exercises or at least in a customable course so to doe This is plainely proued by that which Christ speakes to vs saying First seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof You see here commanded to prefer the seeking of heauen before any other thing whatsoeuer to let that haue the cheef place in our soules and in our liues Now he that first seekes the kingdome of heauen cannot bestow more time in sports of any sort then in those things which doe directly make for the obtayning of eternall life and that righteousnesse which will bring one thereunto such as are hearing and reading the word praying meditating examining the heart conferring and the like And surely this is a most equall thing that the most needful duty should haue the most time bestowed vpon it Yea it is a most easie rule to all sorts of men that haue seasoned their hearts with the true feare of God For if a mans calling lye in bodily works then the very exercises of religion are a refreshing to his body in that he doth for the space while they continue desist from his bodily labour and his calling affords sufficient stirring of the body for health so that if he be religiously minded and haue indeed set his delight on God he may well giue as much time to these actions as to any carnall sports But if any mans calling lye in study or such like labour of the minde first the change is a great refreshing and varietie a delight and then there bee religious exercises which will refresh the minde as well as any sports and for so much exercise as health requires it is not long in vsing because nature is here as in other matters content with a little howsoeuer men seeke excuses by belying her so that at the least an equall portion of time must be allotted to God and religion as to sports and delights euen of students if they will first seek the kingdome of God Therefore let a man measure out the time of sporting and recreating himselfe by the time hee takes to pray to read to meditate to sing Psalmes to confer of good things or the like and know that he hath not libertie from God to imploy ordinarily so much time neuer to imploy one minute more in the most vnoffensiue sports then in these seruices of God Now let a man conforme himselfe to these two rules Begin not play till need of body or minde exact it Continue not sports longer then a man hath or shall continue some godly priuate exercise of religion and he shall saue his time well from this first theefe Now comes to bee considered the next spender or rather robber of time that is Idle twatling or babling And concerning this our Sauiour Christ deales plainely with vs saying That of euery idle word which men shall speak they shall giue account at the day of iudgement Think well of this sentence and lay vp euery word Thou must not alone
giue account of thy worke but also of thy words thou must not onely bee called to a reckoning for mouing of thy hand foote or whole body but of thy tongue also that not alone for wicked words sinfull words harmeful words speeches in themselues infectious and rotten but for idle and wast words and not onely for a number of idle words for a whole throng or fleete of them but for euery idle word Now then if there be an account to be giuen and a reckoning to bee made for these rubbish speeches iudge if it bee not a want of redeeming the time to lay it out in such a thing as will bring a sore and heauie burthen afterwards without repentance to cast it off iudge if he which makes much of time had not neede take much heed of this ill-spent breath Not alone then wicked speaking when one belcheth forth lewd and filthy words nor slanderous and backbiting talke when one whispers of his neighbours faults behinde his backe vttering perhaps also lying reports and fathering that vpon him which he neuer did or meant but euen vaine needlesse and vnprofitable words which tend to no good or wholesome vse for the soule or body are a mis-spending of time and contrary to this precept and therefore also to bee shunned of him that is this way thriftily disposed No man can talke idlely but he casts himselfe vpon a double damage euen the losse of a word and the losse of time two great losses what euer men imagine of them And therefore the Apostle Paul also findes fault with a certaine sort of women that were pratlers which would goe from house to house twatling and babling out frothy speech that was good for nothing which fault he condemnes as a matter something worse then idlenesse or doing nothing when one talks toyes or trifles and speakes shadowes or gawds that yeeld no profit Such twatling cuts out the heart of good time for it hath seldome any measure it creepes by little and little ouer a great part of the day and sometimes of the night How many winter nights doe men suffer themselues to be robbed of by this childish babling And in the fourth verse of this Chapter the Apostle forbids foolish speaking iesting The one is a rouing discourse gathering together a great deale of chaffie geere that will feed no man a busie but absurd prosecuting of a headlesse and footlesse tale as wee may call it in our phrase The other is a setting of ones selfe and sharpning of his wit to coine pretty and wittie scoffes and conceits that may moue laughter for this end onely Both these are condemned as vnlawfull and vnbeseeming Christians There must be a difference made betwixt a smooth and pleasant vttering of ones mind in seemly phrases and good and delightfull termes and manner And this whetting of the wit to bandie and tosse sharpe and brinish taunts and quirks Now this pleasantnesse of the most honest sort is not to bee vsed as a custome but in the nature of a refreshing when men are dulled for better matter For laughter being a power of Gods creating and holesome to the body and therefore lawfull it cannot bee vnlawfull in a seemely sort harmlesly to moue laughter by words but it must not bee iesting one must not giue himselfe to it and make it his occupation for an houre or two together Now none can be ignorant how great a hinderance this vaine speech is to the well imploying of time For doe we not see that in many places whole dayes are cast away in the deepe gulfe of rouing and vnprofitable runnagate babling to no purpose And that whole meales are deuoured in gibing and iesting if without taking the sacred name of god in vaine and hurting ones brothers name which is very seldome yet excessiuely and not without thrusting out better matter which is a greeuous fault Wherefore that we may be well armed against this robber let vs obserue diligently these two rules First let vs make conscience of our words and of the mouing of our tongue knowing it to be a necessarie duty that God hath imposed vpon vs to haue our words alwaies gracious and seasoned with salt alwaies good for the matter and tempered with wisedome for the manner Which precept the Apostle ads presently after this of redeeming the time to the Collossians as a notable part of it The Law of grace then must bee the bridle of our tongue and wisdome must raigne in our mouthes so that wee speake nothing but that which may be for some profit to our owne or others soule or body being fitly tempered to the present circumstances of time place c. where and when we speake For the words are gracious not alone when they tend to the further edification of the soule in some matter of religion but also when they be busied about ones honest outward affaires and lawfull calling this being a great furtherance to Godlinesse that a man know how and accordingly practise it to follow his calling with dexteritie and wisdome Now he that would not haue vnnecessarie trifling words steale into his heart out of his mouth and so spoile him of good seasons must set it downe as a thing to which his conscience is bound as well as not to lye sweare or slander not to speak one word whereof hee cannot giue some reason from the good that he doth aime at in speaking of it And euery man must know that hauing let slip such a word he hath committed such a fin as makes him liable to Gods iudgement and to the sentence of condemnation The want of resoluing the heart thus causeth many to take libertie to their tongues and harmefull libertie it is and yet to thinke they haue done no harme to themselues in so doing And therefore the common excuse of such twatlers is this I hope that it is no harme yea but what good was it If it were not directed to some good it hath done harme for it hath broken Gods commandement set thy selfe deeper in debt then thou wast before thou hast one trespasse more to answere for before Gods tribunall no man shall euer auoide this puddle that will not be perswaded it is a damnable sin to step into it First then labour to conuince thine heart and frame thy practise to this rule in all speaking Secondly for honest comely mirth in speech besides that it must not relish of lust nor sauour of mallice and profanenesse for then it is worse then idle words it ought to bee bounded with this rule namely that it bee vsed as a meanes to quicken our selues or others against some naturall heauines or deadnesse by which the heart is made vnapt for better conference and other exercises of more profitable vse and when this effect is brought to passe that laughter hath scattered the mist of dulnesse from of the heart and minde or if no such occasion bee offred then let mirth and naturall