Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	bring_v	good_a	treasure_n	13,062	5	10.6433	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65610	The redemption of time, or, A sermon containing very good remedies for them that have mis-spent their time shewing how they should redeem it comfortably / by William Whately ... ; now published for general good by Richard Baxter.	Whately, William, 1583-1639.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1673 (1673)	Wing W1590; ESTC R38583	45,467	132

literally understood Therefore brethren there is none but may see a fault in himself in these respects some or all of them and happy is he that resolves to mend it Therefore if you will take good counsel do thus when you come home Think alas if time must be reckoned for and should be redeemed how far am I behind hand with God that what for sleep what for play what for idle babling what for vain thoughts and excessive worldliness I cannot make a good account of the fortieth yea of the hundredth part of my time And then grieve because thou hast been such an unthrift of time and now begin carefully to spare before all be gone But now here is a reproof more sharp for some others that are not willing to hear of that ear Tell them they must not spend a whole day or a whole night in playing and sporting What not at Christmas say they why you are too precise well but yet vouchsafe to consider a little what God speaks Thou sayest this is too much preciseness and so saith the world but the Apostle bids to walk precisely or warily redeeming the time and he that will take time to card or dice and to use lawful recreations immoderately I mean 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 dearly for it either he must repent and undo this with much grief and sorrow of heart or else he must smart for it hereafter worse in Hell I would not deal over sharply with thee but take Gods loving admonition and let him have one tenth part of the four and twenty hours yea more a good deal than so now that thou hast more leisure than ordinary And here is yet a kind of people that are to be rigorously handled such as are all gamesters that spend no one hour waking but upon pleasure the world calls them scatter-goods and the Lord will call them scatter-hours that do mispend both goods and hours Such let them think of themselves how the● will as do make gaming the greatest part if not all of their occupation must be content to hear that they have no portion in Heaven as they can keep no portion in earth How can one have treasure in Heaven that never laid up any there If God hate a gamester so that he will not give him good clothes to his back now he had ●reamed tha● he shall be clothed with ●●g● he will much less afford him a seat in Heaven And howsoever for a time they ruffle it out and be clad better than their more laborious neighbours yet this trade will surely undo them for they have brought this peril upon themselves that either God must not be true or they must not be rich he must forfeit his truth or they their goods besides their name and soul wherefore let such as have hitherto given their days to such an unsanctified and inordinate course surcease from the practice of their lewdness and both in conscience for their souls sake in discretion for their goods sake resolve to become better husbands of time lest their gaming on earth bring beggary to their latter days and damnation to their souls for ever Lastly Let all good Christians be admonished to make precious account of their time and with much carefulness to take the seasons and opportunities of God according as they have heard it is their duty Christians either indeed purpose to learn or make a shew of such a purpose when they come to Church Ah that we might all learn this thrift and practise it as we have 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 us from sin and save us from wrath by the shedding of his blood and sufferings which he endured in his flesh Give not all ah why should we give any of it this time to play chiefly to bezeling surfetting or wantonness but take some space to consider of the greatness of this benefit and to be thankful proportionably thereunto I would I might hope to prevail with any by this exhortation but howsoever it is needful to be spoken that none may have occasion to pretend ignorance You see or might see your duties in this behalf and in practising the same shall find the benefit of it But fools will scorn admonition and those that have accustomed themselves to lust will not be entreated to pull their necks from out their hard yoke and to serve a better Master nay so foolish are a number that they think to do Christ great honour in spending the day whereon they imagine that he was born and some few that follow it in more than ordinary riot and sinful excess as though he were a God that loved iniquity and were delighted with drinking and swilling and gaming and swearing and surfetting and all disorder but those that know Christ know full well that he is not pleased with such pranks Wherefore if we will spend a day to Christ spend it more religiously and soberly than all other days not more prophanely and luxuriously We should neither forget his birth but when we observe some special time of remembring it shew that we remember his goodness 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 have their souls well furnished with inward substance play the good husbands in taking time and opportunity Whensoever we find any fit occasion of getting or doing good in our selves or others let it not slip but lay hold upon it and use it It is joyful to th●nk if we could think of it seriously what commodity this thrift would bring how much knowledge and godliness might he get that would keep his tongue and heart carefully to good matters What a large treasure of good works might he have that would be ready whensoever his neighbours necessity called for help to stretch our his hand for his relief And when he saw him fit for an admonition would wisely bestow it upon him How full of grace should his old age and sickness be that would give his health to God and his first years to the service of his soul How great acquaintance might he get in the palace of Wisdom that would come to her at her first call and enter so soon as the doors were set open How many sins might a man leave and how much power should he get over all sin that when his heart smites him would turn to God by prayer and confession What great grace would affliction bring if a man would settle himself to humiliation and gage his heart in time of affliction How much thankfulness might he have that would lift up his heart to God in the fruition of blessing How many fervent prayers might he store up in heaven that would not fore-slow time when he feels his desires earnest how comfortably might he weep over Christ and how plenti●ully that would take the tide of tears and turn all pensiveness to this use and how many sweet and chearful Psalms might a Christian sing if he would turn all his mirth into a Psalm and offer it up to God O what a large encrease of grace would this care bring how should his souls thrive that would be thus husbandly Surely as the common speech hath commended a little land well tilled before much more ground that is carelesly dressed so the weaker means with this care would be more available to enrich the heart than are the strongest without it It is not the greatness of ones living that makes one rich but the good employing and wary husbanding of it so it is not the greatness of the means but the diligent redeeming of time to make use of the means that makes the soul wealthy But if great means joyn with great care the encrease will be so much the more large as a large living with good husbandry But alas hence comes it that some in the store of all good means of salvation are very beggars and bankrups because of their negligence to take the time and fit season They let pass all good opportunities and care not for any occasion for the soul and how can their soul thrive Wherefore let every true-hearted Christian learn this wisdom and practise it as ever he desires to store his soul with that wealth which will make him glorious in the eyes of God and much set by even in heaven among the Angels And thus much for this time and this duty of redeeming the time FINIS

under●tanding shall have a naked ragged ●●atter'd soul and that comes because he hath not used his time well by the right employment whereof he might have got wealth for his better part I mean unto his mind and heart A threed-bare heart needy of knowledge comes from a voluptuous life stuffed with pleasures And the Prophet Isaiah cries out Chap. 5.12 with a woful and a better cry against those which had the Timbrel the Pipe and the Harp in their feast but would not regard the work of the Lord all their dayes were taken up in eating and drinking in banqueting and feasting in good chear and merry-making so that there was no time to meditate and think on those afflictions whereby God did warn them to repentance and amendment which is most contrary to this duty of redeeming the time for all this time is even lost and cast away And had we no other proo● than our own experience in this behalf would it not manifestly convince that he which desires to redeem the time must flie these vain delights and sports For do we not plainly see what a canker it is in a number of mens lives when many days they bestow three or four hours together yea half the day if not the whole in Dicing Carding Bowling Shovel-board of the like idle if not wicked exercises doth not this waste and pour forth time over-lavishly Or can that man have so much rest and quiet or so much fitness and opportunity to do good to his soul as his wise care in cutting off these needless recreations or vexations rather would have afforded him For these vain pleasures are n●t alone mischievous hinderers of this thrift in ●hat they consume the very hours ●hemselves but as much or more also in that they dissettle the heart and pull the affections out of joynt so that a man is driven to take as much pains to set his heart to a good exercise as would well have dispatched the duty had he not been thus unfitted Now what a miserable loss is it when a man is robbed of his time and of his heart both at once and by both kept from reading praying medi●ating examining his heart or any such good exercise for his souls advantage Wherefore if any man would so prevent these vain and foolish sports that they should not spoil him of his heart and hours let him observe these two rules in his sports and then he shall do well in these respects First this being presupposed that he do not use any recreations but those which he can prove to be in themselves lawful First I say for the beginning of recreation let every man know that recreation must follow labour for the most part or 〈◊〉 at any time it go before it it must be very little only to fit one for labour The Lord allows a man no sport● though never so lawful in it self until such time as his body or mind do stand in need of it chiefly when they have been busied in some such honest affairs as by wearying them have made them unfit to further labour so that they must again be fitted there●o by recreation Until pains-taking have made the body or mind not so well able to take pains there is no allowance ordinarily for r●creation All our sports and recreations if we will use them well I speak of those which are lawful must be to our body or mind as the Mowers whetstone or rifle is to his Sythe to sharpen it when it grows dull He that when his Sythe is dulled will not upon a desire to do more work take time to whet it shall cut less and with more pain and more unhandsomely than he need ●o do so he that when his body or mind is tyred or heavy will not use some honest refreshing shall do less and with less dexterity than he might But on the other side if the Mower should do nothing from morning to noon or from noon to night but whet whet whet rubbing his Sythe he would both marr the Sythe and be counted an idle work-man also for losing his dayes work so he that will run after the most honest delights when neither the weariness of his body nor heaviness of mind requires the same but only upon a fond lust or longing after them shall in time destroy his wit and strength and in the mean seas●n marvellous unthriftily mis-spend his time Therefore let not a man begin the day with play though never so lawful unless his body 〈◊〉 mind require some necessary exercis● to make it more apt for his calling He that sets into the day sportingly shall be sure to go through it eith●●●umpishly or sinfully much more 〈◊〉 he spend all the day from morning to night in playing let it be never so much holy-day or have he what other excuse he will This rule is for beginning of sports The second is for the measure and continuance of them where this is a general and a firm direction that it is not lawful for a man in an ord●nary course to spend more time in any pastime upon any day than in religious exercises I mean chiefly private religious exercises I say it is utterly unlawful to bestow a larger time any day upon the most lawful delight than in private religious exercises or at least in a customable course so to do This is plainly proved by that which Christ speaks to 〈◊〉 saying Mat. 6.33 First seek ●he Kingdom of God and the righteousn●ss thereof You see here commanded to prefer the seeking of Hea●en before any oth●r thing whatsoever ●o let that have the chief place in our souls and in our lives Now he that first seeks the Kingdom of Heaven cannot bestow more time in sports of any sort than in those things which do directly make for the obtaining of eternal life and that righteousness 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 equal thing that the most needful duty should have the most time bestowed upon it Yea and it is a most easie rule to all sorts of men that have seasoned their hearts with the true fear of God For if a mans calling lye in bodily works then the very ●●●rcises 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 have indeed set his delight on God he may well give as much time to these actions as to any carnal sports But if any mans calling lye in study or such like labour of the mind first the change is a great refreshing and variety a delight and then there be religious exercises which will refresh the mind as well as any sports and for so much exercise as health requires it is not long in using because nature is

liberty it is and yet to think they have done no harm to themselves in so doing And therefore the common excuse of such twatlers is this I hope that it is no harm yea but what good was it If it were not directed to some good it hath done harm for it hath broken Gods Commandment and set thy self deeper in debt than thou wast before thou hast one trespass more to answer for before Gods Tribunal no man shall ever avoid this puddle that will not be perswaded it is a damnable sin to step into it First then labour to convince thine heart and frame thy practice to this rule in all speaking Secondly for honest comely mirth in speech besides that it must not relish of lust nor savour of malice and prophaneness for then it is worse than idle words it ought to be bounded with this rule namely that it be used as a means to quicken our selves or others against some natural heaviness or deadness by which the heart is made unapt for better conference and other exercises of more profitable use and when this effect is brought to pass that laughter hath scattered the mist of dulness from off the heart and mind or if no such occasion be offered then let mirth and natural laughter give place to his betters otherwise coming into a continued custom and shouldering out more needful communication it takes the name and nature of jesting and is a thing much unbeseeming the stayedness of a Christian. Thus the tongue may be bound from dealing falsly with the heart and cousening the soul of good hours and occasions Now followeth the third devourer of time and that is immodera●e sleeping or sluggishness The wi●e King Solomon have a great hatred to this Thief and gives many warnings and caveats whereby men might learn to take heed of it The bed is a very cunning and slie cousener that useth a pleasing trick to deceive a man and robs him under shew of friendship Now Solomon hath made a most fit description of a sluggard caught by the whiles of sleep and sloth setting him out to the light Prov. 6.9 10 11. where he brings him in roaming himself and rubbing his eyes with an unwilling hand uttering broken and sl●epy sentences as one not half awake First he calls him up as it were saying How long wilt thou sleep when wilt thou rise out of thy sleep As if he had said Ho Sir it is time to get up what not out of your b●d yet at this time of the day Then mark the drowsie slumbring and senseless answer A little sleeps a little slumbers for the Original hath the words in the plural nember well befitting a sluggard a little folding of the hands to sleep See how speaking of sleep all is in the littles and though he names sleeps yet it is but a little in his conceit He tells not when he will rise but he cannot rise yet and when he ha●h had enough and too much already then he must have a little more begging for sleep as one would beg for bread He asks a little because he would not be denyed First He must have sleeps and having slept he must have slumbers and having slumbred he must fold his hands and roam and tumble himself Behold a sleeper in his colours and mark what answer Solomon gives he spends no more time to call him up but tells him his doom as he lies in his bed Therefore thy poverty comes as a traveller and thy necessity as an armed man As if he had said Well be it so if you will needs sleep on take your belly-ful of sleep but know that sith you shew such skill in begging sleep you shall even become a beggar for it sith you will have you fill of sleep you shall have little enough of any wealth poverty will pursue you and overtake you it will follow you and surprize you it will make haste and strike home you cannot run from it nor resist it it comes with speed and with force it will take you in bed where you cannot flie away from it nor drive it from you and what he saith of outward poverty is most certain of inward penury a sluggard hath so much the less grace by how much he hath the more sleeps and slumbers So the same wise King hath set out a sluggard in another place saying that a sluggard tumbles himself on his bed as the door on the hinges Prov. 16.14 that is he is still there and there must be such a do before he can be removed from off his couch as if one were to lift a door off the hooks a man must come with leavers to heave him off call him waken him bid him rise c. all is little enough to rear him This sluggish humour you see is condemned long ago for a mis-spender of time And surely it is not alone very dangerous in regard of the quantity and muchness of the time which it filcheth but also in regard of the quality and goodness for it ordinarily feeds gluttonously on the very fat of time it eats the very flower of the day and consumes the first fruits of our hours even the morning season After sleep hath made strong what labour hath weakned after that nature hath been well refreshed and the revived spirits come with a fresh supply of strength and nimbleness to serve the body and the mind then for want of exercise all grows dull again as a band of Souldiers that grow effeminate by lying in garrison without labour all the Summer Thus it robs one of the principal and most seasonable time when the mind and body were both in the greatest fitness to read pray meditate or to dispatch and cast any matter of ones calling it is a thief that robs one not of his baggage stuff but even of his gold and jewels for some time is better than other as much as some metal is better than others and this always for the most part takes away the most precious yea it hath one trick as much and more dangerous than the former If a man give himself to sluggishness it will often follow him to the Church and close up his eyes and ears both of body and mind from hearing and marking those most wholesome exhortations which like so many Pearls God's messenger with a liberal hand according to the pleasure of his Lord doth sca●ter amongst men that who so will may take them up The time of Preaching and Expounding the Word with applying it is the time of harvest it is God's market day nay it is his dole or prin●ely congie when he gives gifts freely and those of great worth too unto those that will take them How can it chuse but be a great hinderance to a mans estate to sleep in harvest and to be in bed at such a time when so much wealth is bestowing Therefore this sleep you see is a most crafty and pernicious deceiv●r and doth with much cunning over-reach a