his misdemeanour God Almighty subtracting his assistaÌ„ce from him he became a great robber for vvhich he vvas hanged in the same Tovvne vvhere he vvas bred and being their hung on a gibet and dead and in the preseÌ„ce of all the people there asseÌ„bled vvasâ—â—eene his beard to grovv and that in like manner the haire of his head grevv that there hee vvas seene to haue a vvrinckled face also his head vvas all ouer gray and in semblance in countenance he vvas not vnlike to be of the age of fourescore and teÌ„ne yeares vvhich made them all admire yea and affrighted them the Bishop of the Diocesse being informed hereof commanded that all the people should poure forth their feruent prayers he in like manner doeing the same desiring of God Almighty if it vvere his divine vvill and pleasure to reveale this mystery A vvhile after he craving silence and audience and speaking vvith a loud voice deliuered thus much Novv yee see my sonnes that this youth died at eighitene yeares old and here he seemeth in his countenance to be fourescore and tenne yeares old Hence vnderstaÌ„d that which God Almighty is pleased to teach vs vvhich is that really according to the course of nature he had to liue to the yeares of fourescore teÌ„ne and so many had he runne had he been obedient to his parents but in regard of his sinnes and disobedieÌ„ce God Almighty hath permitted him to dye a violent death cutting of so much time of his life as is betvveene eighteene years and fourescoure and tenne and that all the vvorld might hereof take expresse notice it vvas his diuine vvill to vvorke this miracle Sainct Hierome that rare diuine vseth these vvordes that the shortnes of life is a chastisemeÌ„t and iudgement of sinnes and hence is it that our Lord hath abreuiated and cut of short the life and yeares of men from the beginning of the world to this day God decreed that the life of king Ezechias should be lessened fifeteene yeares of vvhat he vvas to haue liued according to the course of nature and yet againe he gratiously granted him them through his teares and hearts sorrow And to this purport saith Haimon expounding the wordes of the Prophet Isaias our Lord hath heard thy prayers and thy teares obserued indulgeÌ„tly is pleased fo adde fifeteene yeares to thy life that euen as he spake to Adam conditionally that he should be immortall if so that he obeyed his diuine commands euen so in God his predestination vvere giuen these yeares to king Ezechias so that liuing vvithout sinne he vvere not svvollen and puft vp vvith pride and euen those vvho were foretaken vvith pride vvere mercifully restored through their humility Viri sanguinum doloâ—i non dimidiabunt dies suos saith the Prophet Dauid Bloody men and men vvho deceiue shall not runne out their race shall not liue halfe their dayes vvhich is as much as to say more cleerly they shall not liue the moity the halfe of their age vvhich they should runne out if so that they had spent their time vvell Sinners thall not obtaine and enjoy as they designe and think for euen as oâ—r Lord said to the Iewes Auferetur à vobis regnum Dei c. The Kingdome of heauen is to be transferred from yee and it will be bestowed on an other people who may make vse thereof and yeild fruite and may better know and value it Euen so God will abridge sinners of time for that they produce no fruite therein they doe no good and he will bestow it on them to whom it may deseruedly be giuen and who know to make right good vse thereof Those words of Dauid the Prophet in his hundred and one Psalme Ne reuoces me in dimidio dierum meorum in which he petitioned our Lord that he might not be taken of that he might not dye in the midst of his dayes rather according to the exposition of some it is as if he should say My God cut not the thred of my life let not me dye in the middest of my daies for this time and age is the dangerousest time euen the gulph of life full of idle cares phantasies and many vaine and misvnderstood courses and farre more dangerous is it to dye in these yeares then in an age compleatly runne in it is not the same security nor in it the same confidence alas the same trust Other deliuer the self-same according to what vve discourse in other vvordes I feare my Lord I feare my Lord that for my demerits my sinnes and for that I haue so ill spent my tyme that thou vvilst shorten my life vvhich punishment thou didst therefore inflict on some and hence is it that I humbly craue of thee that thou take me not avvay inseasonably in the middest of my yeares and daies but that I may runne them out accomplish them vvhich thou determinedst of had I been correspondent to my duety The holy and most patient Iob sayeth in like manner of a sinner Antequam dies impleatur peribit c. Before that his time shall be run he shall dye and his hand is to become arid dry to fade to perish euen as a branch of a vine in his first blooming shall be withered which is as much as to say that in greene yeares before a full age run he shall dye and that his life shall be shortened and shall be cut of in the midst of his dayes as the dayes of an vnworthy and vniust possessor And besides that it is a great punishement here in the world to come it will be greiueous and of great torment to the condemned the remembrance of the time they had and let slippe without makeing vse thereof and to see that they failed thereof which was to be well employed as for a better time It is read in the booke of the seauen guifts that a MoÌ„ke of Claraual deuoute and of a good and tender conscience on a time persisting a loÌ„ger time in his prayers then was his custome heard a dolorous sad yea and most lamentable voice as euen of one who miserably plained sighed and breathed forth grones and the religious earnestly beseeching God Almighty with feruent teares that the meaning thereof might be declared vnto him the voice which he heard answered him I am the soule of such an one a sinner calling himselfe by his owne name and I lameÌ„t my misfortune aÌ„d condemnation and among all the torments I poore wretch in this my miserable estate suffer which doth not torment me alone but also the rest of my company most extremely and mooueth bitter greifes woefull weeping and lamentations is the remembraÌ„ce of the grace and mercy which our Lord the Sauiour of the world hath offered of which we haue made no account no reckoning at all as also the memory of time which we haue lost yea and to too ill employed alas being made capable to gaine in so short a space so
all other entertainements other emploiments for man to busy and seriously attend the seruice of our Lord It is likewise called a time of labour according to those wordes of our Sauiour by S. Iohn Euangelist his wordes Now is the time of paines taking whilst day is yet in being for night will come in which no body can worke There is a time enstyled a time of sowing and a time of reaping and of carrying in the Corne the graine the haruest for it is the time that one may deserue well and gather in the fruites of merit whereby the reward of heauen is to be gained Hence it is that the Holy Ghost sendeth the idle careles and sluggish for his shame and confusioÌ„ to the carefull fully solicitous Ante goe thou to the Ante saith he in the Prouerbs of Salomon and obserue well how that in the summer season he maketh his prouision for the fall of the leafe for that time of the yeare and how he laboureth and gathereth his graine and how he hoordeth and keepeth it in such places not vnlike granaries corne lofts and hee maketh his prouision for that in winter there is no time to gather graine but to eate and liue by what is before gotten and conserued Our Lord bestowed time on vs said the blessed Laurentius Iustinianus that we should lament and sigh and bitterly be waile our trespasses it was giuen vs for to doe pennance to acquire vertue to multiply merits to obtaine grace to excuse hence to defend and to vindicate our selues from the tormeÌ„ts of hell and to acquire the glory of heauen And such is this truth that time hath been giuen vnto vs to employ in good workes that that onely which we spend on them and practises of vertue is ours properly and that onely time is registred in the account of our life and of our dayes and of whatsoeuer else is no reckoning made nor memory in heauen nor in the booke of life Although the world numbreth them and recordeth theÌ„ our Lord knoweth not those dayes at the least to vnderstaÌ„d him aright he saith he knovveth them not as that which neither pleaseth him nor is ouâ—ht agreable to him but rather offendeth him And in like manner Origenes expounding these wordes of Dauid our Lord knoweth the dayes of men who are without blott or staine who are the iust thus deliuereth It is written in sacred scriptures that God knoweth nothing else but what is good and that hee knoweth not euill he forgetteâ—h it not for that his science his vnspeakable fulnes of all knowledg doth not reach apprehendeth not all what good or euill is the meaning hereof is for that they are vnworthy of his sight his taking notice of his knowledge I know you not said he to the foolish virgins and as much to the workmen of mischeife of iniquity Our Lord knoweth the way of the iust said the kingly Prophet Dauid And Salomon delivereth that our Lord vnderstandeth the right hand way And likewise saith Dauid that our Lord knoweth the howers and the daies and their time who liue without staine of sinne and knoweth not the dayes of transgressors Sacred Scripture registreth no more then onely two yeares of Saul his Raigne although he bore the scepter forty yeares for that he liued well but two yeares and vvithout blemish of sinne all the rest of his dayes vvere inquinated vvith foule and shamefull blotts Dionysius Cassius vvriteth that in a Citty of Italy vvas found an auncient sepulcher on the tombe-stone vvhereof vvere insculp't vvere these vvordes vvritten Here lieth Similus a Roman Captaine vvhose life although long it vvas yet he liued not in all this time but seauen yeares onely for during that time he being retired from Court and freed from the sollicitude the care the charges vvhich hee had held dedicated and fully deuoted himself to vertue to it's schoole it 's exercise it 's practise The glorious Damas. in the history of S. BarlaaÌ„ and Iosaphat recounteth that Iosaphat demanding of Barlaam vvhat vvhere his yeares of vvhat age he vvas had deliuered to him this answere I am if I deceiue not my self forty and fiue yeares old to many there are runne since I vvas borne What is your ansvvere I vnderstand you not said Iosaphat for to my eye to my coniecture you are aboue seuenty if so that you account strictly from the time of my natiuity you say right vvell and you erre not ought for I am aboue seuenty but I can no wayes admitt they be reckoned more for they seeme not to me at all yeares of life nor caÌ„ the rest which I haue misspent in the vanities of the world be accounted of For as at that time being slaue to sinne I liuing at pleasure at full swinge of sensuality of my body and outward man I was then vndoubtedly a dead man without life according to the inward maÌ„ so farre forth that I caÌ„not call them enstile them vnder the title of yeares of life which were of death I liued not then But after that by the grace of our Lord I was crucified and dead to the world likewise the world to me and that I haue despoiled my selfe of the old man and quite cast him of now I liue no more sensually nor to please the body the spirits enemy but onely for Iesus Christ and such my yeares liued in I call yeares of life of health safety and saluation And beleeue it most assuredly that all they who are in sinne and obey the deuill and passe away I say coÌ„sume their liues in delights and vaine concupiscences are dead and buried vtterly lost for that sinne is death of the soule as Saint Paul affirmeth Diuine S. Ierome in his exposition on the third chapter of the Prophet Aggaeus deliuereth That all the time in which we serue vice perisheth becommeth vtterly lost and so is it reputed as if it had not beene at all it is reckoned for a thing of nothing It is recorded of Titus Vespasian that being at supper one day when hee called to minde that he had donne no good office for any one that he had not been to any beneficial to all the standers by to each one present with resentment with sensiblenes and not vvithout greife he breathed forth these words O my friends hovv much I am perplexed and afflicted that I haue passed of this day vnproffitably that I haue lost this day Let the Christian obserue vvell let him knovv that the day vvhich hee hath ill passed hath ill spent let him account it not his that in it he hath no propriety at all And that this is euident Seneca vvitnesseth in these vvordes that many there are vvho leaue to liue before they begin to liue Time vvas benignely bestovved on vs saith that famous Doctor Thomas de Kempis to speÌ„d it well to employ it well in good workes not to let it passe idely nor to heare nor to tell Fables and
it vvilbe vvhen so that it is fully reconciled with him and in his grace vvhen so it shall by him be beloued and one of his fauourites And great cause yea and great inducement conuincible reasons are there that thou apply thy selfe vvith all the patience possible and vvith all good liking and that thou deuote thy selfe to all thinges that may be whatsoeuer they be and of what condition soeuer to benefit and laboriously attend to this reconciliation and returne to Freindshippe Giue vnto thy guest vnto thy soule that vvhich Ioseph spake of to à gentleman Cupp-bearer to King Pharoah assure thy selfe that happly à day will come that the King vvill take sensible notice of thee and vvill restore thee into thy lost estate let me impetrate so much fauour of thee that thou remember mee from hēce forward and help me vvhen so that thou well mayest alas haue pitty on me And without all peraduenture it vvill haue an especiall care and regard of thee to thy well-being if so that now thou tenderest thy seruice as becommeth thee and spendest the time according as is conuenient expedient to the soule and not to thy ease to that which thou valuest thy proper interest to it's cost losse and vtter onerthovv vvhen as so it shall be in fauour of it's Lord and face to face it vvill implore and impetrate for thee vvill shewe it selfe à true and faithfull freind intercessor and aduocate such like vvill be it's speech its treatye Most mercifull Lord of all power when I was for my trespasses for my greiueous sinnes banished and exiled to the vvide world wandred vp downe as à pilgrime meere stranger à poore and mercifull man receiued mee vnder his roofe did all the pious and cōmiserating respects that can be expressed hence am I à suppliāt to thine infinit Majesty with all the feruour with all the earnestnes I can that thou be mercifull vnto him pitty him who for my sake gaue all he was possessed of freely dispoiled himselfe of them yea further offred vp his owne persō to assist in whatsoeuer was good for mee loosing for my cause his owne pleasures and whatsoeuer delights sweating hardly labouring euen to wearisōnes yea to fainting it selfe for mee suffering hunger thirst and tyrings watchings toyles and what tribulations not for whatsoeuer he counted hee tooke no time of enquiry or supply therefore or so litle as may vvell be accounted no time to the end that he might deuote himself to my seruice and vvhat best appertained to me Nor is there any the least imaginable doubt but that the Scripture wil be fulfilled which deliuereth Our Lord will correspōd to the vvill of those vvho truely feare him and vvill heare their praiers and vvhen that the great King I say that King of infinite and incomprehensible Majesty enuironed with splendour glory attended on by à thousand millions nay an innumerable troupe of Angells to reforme bring our body to perfection to change them into à better state and being and to make them alike vnto his owne raising and at that terrible and dreadfull voice of the trumpet awakening them from the sleepe in vvhich they now deeply drouse then thou hauing been what thou oughtest to haue been towards the soule our Lord will well pay thee for hee will reward thee with glory for thy good entertainement allodging of that guest and he will glorifie thee and enrich thee with those precious guifts and endowments of immortality agility impassibility and splendour vvhich all thou shalt enioy in the company of thy soule for euer and euer Bee thou then althogether vnwilling I earnestly besseech thee to loose so glorious à glory such delight such treasures and crownes of honour for small litle weake fading and perishing goodes and for certaine kindes of pleasures fraught with so many discontents and so many hazards to suffer for such like toyes besides vvhat is spoken of eternall affliction paines and torments All the fore-written are the words of Saint Bernard And those who vsurpe the time belonging vnto the soule for the vse of the body and well like of this please themselues herewith neglect that yea tread it vndet their foote our Lord threatneth to punish sharply by the words of holy Iob in his foure and twentith Chapter saying Their delights shall quickly haue an end and all what vvas so pleasant vnto them shall proue to them no other then wormes and remorse of consciēce his mercy vvill forget them will not acknowledge them will take no Notice of them for euer they shall be buried in perpetuall obliuion there shal be no remembrance of them to any their vvell-being They shall from coole snowy water passe to an excessiue heate to the end that their paines their sufferāces may be the more dolourous and sharpe farr the more intensiue and the reason hereof shall bee Pauit enim sterilem c. for that they fed and vvith many curiosities and dainties entertained the barren and they did take no care no respect of the vvidow By barren is meant the body for the more they nicelyvse it and cherish it and deck it it vvill returne and bring forth no meritorious fruite for the acquisition of eternall life of euerlasting saluation it is to vse vvith much curiosity and nicenesse à block à dry sticke The Widdow is here an Embleme of the soule for that there is not à vviddow so distressed nor so solitary comfortles as is it vnder the roofe of à sinner Sinners attend and vvell obserue for hereō I treat no further for the loue of IESVS-CHRIST marke seriously and maturely and all yee whosoeuer doe abridge y r soules of time for your bodyes vndoe the soule by the molestation it bringeth to it and dayly afflicteth it with all the losse possible for that on the soules good safety dependeth all vvhatsoeuer happines the body can be capeable of and from the glory of the soule doth redoūd that in them which they hope for vvho are to enioy i◠for euer and euer The end of the sixth Chapter THE SEAVENTH CHAPTER That lawfully secular people may vse some entertainements of mirth solace and pastime to recreate their spirits FOr so much as as saith S. Iob our body is not composed of brasse or steele nor is it's hardnes like vnto that of à flint but it is friable weake sensible of each offence feeble alas nice delicate and tender vvhich is vvearied tired and yeildeth vnder the burthen of it's labours its affaires and businesses and also for that the soule is so vnited and affixed to the lumpish body it is as it vvere necessatily constrained sometimes to condiscend to the body as to comply vvith its desires no otherwise thē an aged married man wise and discreet how vvitty soeuer he be giueth vvay to the childish desires of his vvife since that she is very younge Some breathing
to satisfy they being vertuous and answereable to the seruice of our Lord that he may not faile in his wayand that according to the Prouerbe he fling not his burthen in the mire But by degrees by litle and litle as it were insensibly Custome hath crept in and pastimes are so differently vsed from the end intent for which they were firâ— inuented especially after that in certaine entertainements coueteousnes and interest of gaine hath crossed and ouerthwarted these such gaming 's I vnderstand vvith the rest to be hurtfull and that so farre is it that they are helpes assistances to accomplish the better their offices and their expresse and precise duetyes that they owe to God and their conscience as that they are directly found to be impediments lets hinderaÌ„ces and euident cause that there arise many imperfections and vvhat worse is many foule offeÌ„ces against the Majesty of God as are lies false oathes impatience furious ire and quarrells which customarily beget disgusts distasts ill language enmityes and malitious rancours hence doe I account that which is passed in such gaming 's wagers to be ill employed and vtterly lost To visite one another and interchangeably to communicate charity is à very lawfull recreation and is necessary to the coÌ„seruation of freindshipp among them ansvverably to this à Philosopher sayed that sileÌ„ce hath broken of hath cutt of many freindshipps The discourses of comforts crosses one to another doe ease one another and hence they continue freindshipp But I vvill ingeniously freely deliuer my minde many visits in these dayes are so tedious without any benefit or good to be hence acquired and to so much prejudice of thy neighbour and of those who are absent or are such as that all which is treated of is meere vanity vvorldly of the world of it's language as that I esteeme them for daÌ„gerous and for time ill employed time meerely lost being past of in such like visits I beleeue that the tongue is that which hath consumed most time vnthriftily scattered it for this worme neuer ceaseth or is weary and his fire is that which dilateth it selfe most at large and his spotts are such as are most spred although by litle and litle and this moth is that vvhich destroyeth more cloathes nor spareth it those which are of the finer sort Feasts and banquetts to the end of conseruation of peace freindship and concord and for other just reason are lawfull being temperate and moderate as they ought to be and vvith their due circumstances and vvhat is requisite But as now it is for the most part they are so disordinately vsed and vvith so great excesse yea so long and so tedious protracted to so many howers that I will not engage my selfe to make them good nor to take their iustification on my conscience for that rather my iudgement is convinced that their time is ill employed and the most part thereof so vtterly lost Of these called feasts balls or great meetings to dauâ—ce I know not what to say but that I esteeme them to many of the Company for dangerous and wanton and sometime awaken him who sleepeth and chaÌ„ge quiet soules and heart disquiet them moue sedition in them and are the occasioÌ„ of vnlawfull thoughts disordinate desire I hold much of the time so speÌ„t for ill employed and lost And to the end it may appeare with what discretion and moderatioÌ„ pleasures recreatioÌ„s pastimes are to be vsed Lodouicus Blosius relateth that the sister of S. Cosme Damian was fififteene daies in purgatory for no other cause but that once shee attentiuely obserued out of à window with some small content and delight certaine persons who in the streete were sporting and merrily iesting playing the buffons And he writeth of a deuout maide that shee suffered there à longer time for that in her last sicknes shee had eaten vvith delight those meates which vvere prepared for her and tooke them as solaces and entertainements vvith some roote of earthly pleasure And it would not be out of purpose to loppe and cutt of the superfluities of the worlds pleasures to aptly dispose here in this place vvhat the diuine Chrysostome deliuereth reprehending the speeches vvhich vsurpe the name of jests or witty sayings merry conceits fond and ridiculous gibings and such kinde of carriages especially being from nipping and biting tongues who season them with malices which declare themselues so by incoÌ„uenienâ—ies which hence arise This life sayth hee bretheren its course is a time of warre of watch and for all to goe harnessed with corslets on their shoulders and eyes quick sprightly and attentiue against the ambushes of the enimy and ponder it vvell here is noe place nor time of laughter that belongeth to those of the world and to it's oftsprings vvho professe and practize their lavves and customes and abuses Heare thou Christian the vvords of our Lord vvho speaketh to his faithfull The vvorld shall rejoyce and laugh but yee shall runne the course in grauity soberly and sadly Christ vvas crucified for thy sinnes and buffeted sharply strucken and thou desirest to passe thy time in jests scoffs and profuse laughters and pastimes The end of the seauenth Chapter THE EIGHTH CHAPTER That it is lawfull also yea euen necessary that spirituall men vse some conuenient exercise which may tend for an intermission recreation solace THere were certaine Hereticks who moued by the words of the Euangelist Saint Luck it is expe dient to pray alwayes and incessantly these words being ill apprehended by them they brought into the Church à false and new doctrine teaching that dayly nightly one was neuer to cease from praying therein they should passe their time so coÌ„tinually as that they were to doe nothing else without any intermission that à man should not employ himself at all to any thing whatsoeuer else But with expresse grounds of reason these hereticks were condemned and excoÌ„municated cutt of froÌ„ the Church for it is insupportable and impossible to our weake nature to pray alwaies as they deliuered nor is that the iudgement and sense of holy Church nor hath the high profound Trueth taught any such doctrine And what in those words are taught vs it is expedient yee pray alwaies and in those of the Apostle Pray without intermission is this That vvhen à great exigent occurreth to petition God ought or soe vvhen as vve are fallen into some vnwonted distresse tribulation or aduersity and are euen then in such maÌ„ner afflicted vve are then to be suppliants vvith great instance vvith great earnestnes and perseuerance once and tvvice and the third time that he vvill be mercifull vnto vs and that he vvill help vs and be propitious and gratious to vs without discouragement vvithout ceasing or being dismayed and although at present that vvhich vve impetrate for be not granted vs that vve call out for it at
recount vaine entertainements of time ah since so it is let not passe avvay from you my sonnes he deliuereth this to the Nouices of his order neither hovvre nor any instant of time vvithout some fruite and if so that novv and then there shall be liberty of enterchanging words of discourse of speaking among your selues or others be giuen it is not granted vnto you it is not allowed to you that any word should be vttered by you which may not be of good vse and profit for euen as you haue to giue God Almighty an account of each idle world so likewise you must doe of all the time you haue lost and ill employed Ludouicus Blosius among other aduertisements other counsailes which he deliuereth to him vvho newly beginneth to practise a spirituall life saith that he ought to value waighe to a graine times worth and account the losse thereof be it neuer so litle And the mysticall Thaulerus among other lessoÌ„s counsailes which he giueth to religious sayth Carry your selues in such maÌ„ner that you haue great care as of the eschewing of the most pestiferous most mortall poyson of the losse of any time And likewise one of the officers of the exchequer and of the accusers that the day of Iudgement hath against vs is to be that of time according to vvhich the vvords of the Prophet Ieremias are inculcated giâ—â—ing vs to vnderstand in his Lamentations Vocauit aduersum me tempus My Lord against me called Time for vvitnes The vvhich place the glorious Doctor S. Thomas shevveth to be at the day of doome for that among other things that there are to accuse vs one vvill be found to be that of time And in that place it is it's office to contest vvith sinners vvho are insensible dull blockish and with all the vniuerse all the vvorld applying it self addicting it selfe vvholy and zealously for God his honor and it 's owne accusing them and against them requiring iustice for the heauy offence vvhich they against their Lord and his creatures haue trespassed in with abuse of them vvith iniury donne to them and disgrace and for drawing these creatures by force whether they vvould or not to the end they might serue them in their ill courses misled vvaies and monstrous vices The end of the second Chapter THE THIRD CHAPTER How God abbrâ—uiateth shortneth yea taketh away time when there is great want thereof to him whosoeuer who tooke no care thereof when be possessed it nor sought he ought to make good vse thereof according to his duety and power ALthough that solemne oath of the Angell of which we haue spoken of in the first Chapter that a day will come wheÌ„ as time shall haue his end that the day of vniuersall iudgement for all in generall shall be accoÌ„plished shall haue it's coÌ„clusioÌ„ after which there is no time to deserue well or ill nor to doe pennance which may be of any profit and for any each man in particular in the last day last period of his life in vvhich he vvill hope and there vvill be his particular iudgement Not withstanding it is much to be feared and to be seriously considered that customarily God Almighty vseth for chastisement and deserued punishment to bereaue a negligent and altogether carelesse sinner of time to shorten his life because he doth not auaile himself of time as he ought seeing that it is spent ill So teacheth the glorious S. Bernardine of Siena and he to proue it citeth that place of the Apocalypse Sinon vigilauâ—ris Vâ—ian ad te tanquam fur If thou watch not I will come to thee vnawares like a Theife Hence is it that God Almighty threatneth a careles sinner whose manner was to post of his conuersion and pennance from day to day it seeming to him that he had time I and euen time more then was sufficient very aboundant and he thus deliuereth himselfe Be not too negligent be not careles play not with time mocke it not nor value it for thine owne surely and certainely nor at thy extent nor so much at thy command as thou imaginest as thou dreamest awake sleepe not I say stand on thy guard least death come on thee as a theife is wont to doe when he entendeth to robbe and that by a suddaine assault it reduce thee into a miserable exigent and all this without that thou know the houre of its approach A theife coÌ„meth to doe mischeife and taketh the goods which are not well looked vnto not carefully preserued and with such diligence which is required whiche they deserue and such like is time in the house of a sinner And hence iustly our Lord abridgeth him thereof for that he doth not spend it in such sort that thereby he may gaine and exchange and make himself very rich and happy And answerable to this our Lord saith by his Euangelist S. Matthew To him that hath more shall be giuen from him who hath not shall be taken away what he had or seemed to possesse The iust man esteemeth time his owne and is thereof Lord and Maister for that hee well knoweth the vse thereof and to this he who is maister of time more time shall be afforded him at the period of his life more space to recollect himselfe to examine discusse and purifie his conscience and he shall haue aboundance he shall be supplied with fulnes all plenty will be bestowed on him as compleate indulgency plentifull grace and infinite glory and he is not Lord of time who whilst he liueth doth not vse it carefully and tenderly hence when as thus deceiued by the deuill with his dilation with his deferring this amendment he thinketh that yet he hath time he shall be found by God his iust iudgement to be depriued thereof space of repentance will be wanting vnto him either by suddaine death or by some vnhappy chance or other all hitherto are the vvordes of the glorious S. Bernardine And hence is it that so often our Lord doth admonish vs to watch to be vigilant for that vve knovv not the day the hovver in vvhich our time shall haue it's end And the holy Church as a solicitous carefull and most tender mother doth counsaile vs in a responsory in ansvvere deliuered in the office of Lent the self-same saying Let vs ameÌ„d that vvherein hitherto ignorantly vve hane trespassed in Oh! let it not come to that exigent that hereafter vvee seeke for time of pennance vvhen it is not to be had And to this purpose that God cutteth of his thred of life immaturely vvho auailed not himselfe therof to serue him the glorious S. Bernardine of Siena recounteth a most fearefull and maruailous accident vvhich happened in his time amongst the Catalonians next neighbours to the Kingdome of Valencia A youth arriued to eighteene yeares old had beeÌ„ most disobedieÌ„t to his pareÌ„ts and altogether disordered vvho ofteÌ„times bare no reguard of theÌ„ tendred no duety for punishment of such
much mercy and such like rich and innumerable treasures and this worme and remorse will alwaies be gnawing their hearts and entrailes And the glorious S. Bernard in one of his sermoÌ„s entitled of the Fallacyes and wyles of this present life sheweth how it ensnareth entrappeth and deceiueth sinners one while vnder the persuasion that it is long that they may a great space run on and deferre their pennance in such manner doth it winne them so ouercome are they by this meanes that they neuer make vse thereof that they neuer doe pennance and otherwhile making the same short very breife that they may say life is short alas a breath a blast hence let vs hasten to enjoy all the flowers delights and pastimes of the world least that we be depriued of them before we take notice of theÌ„ He farther among many other remarkeable thinges deliuereth that God Almighty doth shorten their paces their walkes their course in the midst of their pleasures their delights seeing their shamlesnes in offending him and he cutteth of both their time and life for that they who will not leaue to sinne willingly giuing themselues ouer to their disordinate affections trespasses and vices he abridgeth them of time taketh away their longer life and maketh them to leaue their further practise therein necessarily through death And hence doe many sinners dye vvhether they vvill or noe for that the world conceiueth that it is for accidents or in dispositions occulte hidden or for manifest occasions notwithstanding that those dayes which they passed in sinne were not as we haue already said truely good were not well spent nor the life candide and sincere but shadowed and alas painted I wis Hence is it that in holy scripture sinners are valued as dead The vviddow sayeth the Apostle who liueth in pleasures is dead And our Lord sayth in the Apocalypse to a Bishop vvho liued not answerable to his calling who lived not according to his duety Thou art thought to liue the opinion of the world is no otherwise but notwithstanding I knovv Thou liuest not I say thou art dead and so doe I value thee when thy soule is dead in thy living body hence say I that a sinner is said not to liue but retaineth onely the name of a liuing creature And if the time which he passeth in vice he liueth not to speake properly and that God Almighty customarily taketh away the halfe he liueth much lesse time then the world apprehendeth he shall proue short and scanted of time of dayes But what the iust farre otherwise liveth a fairer yea and a longer age then the world imagineth and full of dayes and timely and in his good season his maister will cut him of from the tree The end of the third Chapter THE FOVRTH CHAPTER That euen now whilst we haue time it concerneth vs to take paines with feruency and speed and that we ought to employ it well IF time be so precious and that it was giuen vs to operate well and to labour in the vineyard of our Lord all the day to the setting of the Sunne and that if so that we auaile not our selues thereof it wil be taken from vs that we shall be vtterly depriued thereof and that it so fall out that it will faile vs when we most desire it and haue most neede thereof it will stand with good reason that we employ it well and that vve be very solicitous thereof and that we make all hast to labour and to trafficke therein to make right and ready vse thereof And euen so doth Ecclesiasticus aduise vs saying let thy hands labour in their vttermost abilityes earnestly diligently feruently and speedily all he deliuereth is as much as to say let not there be in thee any good thought which thou canst remember which thou keepe not and which thou procurest not to conserue nor good word which thou maist come to the hearing of which thou harken not to or what in duety and charity thou shouldst say that thou speake not nor good worke that thou canst doe that thou doe not without loosing occasion or time And further he deliuereth that what thine owne can doe seeke not a strangers assistance for thou must by no meanes trust thy saluation on others nor must thou think or imagine ought that thy seruant or thy friend or any whosoeuer in the world is are to winne heauen for thee thou iocundizing in fulnes of delights I tell thee plainly and indeed that thy hand thine arme thy streÌ„gth thy vertue are to worke and bring this to passe thou must labour with great desir much earnestnes and maruailous solicitude and most vigilant care yea and with viuacity eueÌ„ to all speed for that life passeth and suddainly flyeth avvay and vvhen so that thou least thinkest on it the sunne vvâ—ll set and euen then indeed shalt thou be heartily glad that thou hast taken much paines for that proportionably so much more vvilâ— bethy revvard and thy rest And the reason vvhich is deliuered by Ecclesiasticus of all vvhich is foresayed is for that after this life vvhich so svviftly runneth his stage his course no vvorke either of reason or vnderstanding or the act of vvill or any such faculty or povver vnder what title soeuer it be shall be of any validity any force of any fruite any commodity or benefit whatsoeuer hence to deserue grace or glory The seauen fruitefull and most plentifull years figured designed noted by the seauen fatt kine which Pharoah saw in a dreame signified the time of this life which by weekes each weeke coÌ„prising seauen daies goe on successiuely making their returnes and running their course but after are to succeed other seauen yeares which will be all that other space of time wherein the other life which is without end and so shall endure shall last haue being and continuance figured designed by the seauen leane and euen hunger-starued kine barreÌ„ without any 〈◊〉 of deserte Therefore in imitation of the discreete and prudent Ioseph fill thy Granaries my Sonne thy corne lofts and make thou prouision for time of want for time of dearth for if so that thou deferrest thy gathering of Manna vntill the Sabbath of the other life the other world it will not auaile thee ought rather it will proue vnto thee wormes for that there will be in thy soule as we before said a perpetuall worme and stinge of conscience Faire beyond what tongue can expresse was Rachael the most beautifull but shee was barren and on the other part Lya was farre from being beautifull farre otherwise shee was very homely oh farre inferior to such an excelleÌ„t coÌ„elines with gratious beauty yet was this Lya fertill shee was fruitefull The life to come is beyond all account most faire most sweet most amiable but it is barren for alas yea euen alas there meritorious workes haue no place haue no being at all such like are onely and solely
all the world and admonisheth each one that they conserue that they be tender of time that they leaue to sinne that they forsake euill for that this iewell of time was not benignely bestowed on them to the end they should doe ill but they should doe well And the state of an idle man in the person of a worke man and day-labourer is also reprehended by the maister of à family much more reprehension might be and iustly laid of him who ' is more aged who hath runne à longer course of life alas à longer time And if so that the Kingly Prophet Dauid in the beginning of his Psalmes compareth the truely iust man vvith the tree which is planted hard by à current of waters which yeildeth his fruite seasonably yet doth not he at all imply he meaneth not that euen â—s the tree yeildeth no fruite but in his proper moneth and destined time of yeare and not othervvise so hath the iust man to tender his one dayes moneths and precise times strictly determined of and not in any other but vnderstand aright that euen as that the owner of à tree vvhich giueth fruite in it's due season vvould cut it vp and grubbe it by the roote vvere it not so euen so man ought to doe his duety according to his vocatioÌ„ his being and his profession timely novv man's time runneth the full end and vvhole course of his life And so it is aduised and couÌ„sailed in the name of God that it is expedient for à man to pray euermore yea and vvithout ceasing and to be alvvaies vvatchfull and avvake vvith à burning candle in hand for that it is not known at vvhat time his Lord and Maister will come to reckon with him and that he be à good accountant of what is laid out and receiued of those thinges which were comitted to his charge and of the profit of the vineyard which they let and set and of his traffique and commerce all which are manifest tokens that at all times our Lord requireth of vs that we bring fruite and he that so doth is valued to be à true seruant à true à prudent à most discreet seruant And the time which man is maister of is the whole time of his life vvherefore after it as the Angell hath solemnely svvorne time hath to haue no more being The tree vvhich the Euangelist S. Iohn in his Apocalypse did see which euer more and at all times bare fruite each moneth gaue it mature ripe all which was very wholesome yea and euen to the very leaues of the tree is an embleme or figure of the iust man who alwaies and in all times beareth fruite as vvel in each moneth as also in the vvhole course of his age and vvhatsoeuer he attendeth to is of great benefit and singular profit as well his thoughts as also his workes and words The end of the fourth Chapter THE FIFTH CHAPTER How iustly the sluggish deserue reprehension and who are so called AMong all men saith Seneca those cheifely yea and onely are to be accounted idle least busy though most serious who employ themselues giues themselues ouer quite to the practise of piety and wisedome and these solely and onely liue for that hence they doe not alone conserue and well keepe their owne time but likewise they annexe to their owne dayes other ages and other times for that which they haue gathered and are made Lords of turneth to their vse their profit their well being hereof they auaile themselues hereof they make singular benefit This vacancy this idlenes so well employed is laudable is worthy of all praise indeed set this apart thus vnderstood all other vacancy all other idlenes which is really such and so esteemed of so truely valewed is right worthy of reprehension euen as the bird was ordained to fly so is man to labour to take paines And of this vacancy this idlenes speaketh the fame Seneca that it was the sepulcher of a living man in such sort that an idle man not employed and one who addicteth himselfe to nothing but idlenes is buried therein and in extreme danger to fall into many sinnes and greiuous trespasses against God Hence is that Ecclesiasticus deliuereth that idlenes hath occasioned mach malice much sinne our Seraphick Father S. Francis in one of his rules calleth it the enemy of the soule and the glorious Augustine sayeth that it will neâ—er come to passe nor can it be that à Citizen of heauen be freind of idlenes of sluggishenes And S. Chrysostome professeth that idlenes is a part of vice or to say more oppositely is no part but is the occasion and peruerse roote for that it is the teacher of all sinnes and director to them The great Anthony spake earnestly yea and cryed out with à loud voice in the heremitage which voice was heard in heauen and these were his wordes O my God and my Lord true Samaritan and true watâ—h and protector of soules and bodyes resuscitate in me raise a new in me thy grace newly enable me herewith and grant vnto thy seruant so much mercy that indulgently thou permit not that I euer be in the desert idle to these his feruent acclamations is answered from one of heaueÌ„ from some one or other appointed messenger of God Anthony desirest thou indeed in earnest really to please God then doe thou pray and vvhen so that thy spirits in prayer are enfeebled are become weake then labour let thy hands worke and euermore entertaine thy self in some what or other doe but thy endeauour so will the diuine fauour neuer be vvanting vnto thee It was the sentence the iudgement of the Fathers who liued in Egipt that one Deuill waited to doe mischeife through his temptations to one onely monke employed but on him who is idle many attend yet for that of this idlenes of this sluggishnes of this remissenes much hath been vvritten and that hereof hath been various disputes on one the other parte and that my principall aimeth at the spirituall against that sluggishnes I will arme my self I will moore processe against it by making apparant to many who in their opinions are well employed the deceipt hereof declaring and sufficiently proouing that they are no otherwise to be vâ—â—ewed then idle persons and that they loose their time and that so it is and no otherwise with them alas For necessarily you must grant that he is an idle sluggish man vvho maketh not the same vse of time which is conformable to it's vse to it 's end for vvhich God Almighty bestowed it yea farre other wise employeth it vnlawfully and vniustly vvhere appeareth that nothing in such his course goeth or can any waies tend to God his seruice or to the benefit of his neighbour nor can they be made good as to any vpright laudable and praise worthy end And euen so as many handy crafts men
the Lamentations vsed Vide Domine considera c. Behold Lord and consider how I haue been come to be abject since that my seruant yea my slaue doth so vilify me more offereth outrages against mee And in such māner doth the body draw on great burthē on the soule which it doth extremely wrōg doth raise and exalt it selfe with vvhat is not agreable rather contrary to all reason and iustice and it is bound to returne to the soule what properly belongeth vnto it vnder paine vnder amerce that vvhen the soule hath as also the body each of them both of them may be lost vvithout any redemption or any safety And to giue life to vvhat hath been deliuered as also what is to follow what better doctrine can be set downe then that vvhich the glorious Bernard hath in à sermon of the comming of our Lord of Aduent vvhereof I vvill here recite à great part The time of this life sayeth hee appertaineth not to the body it belongeth properly to the soule and for it vvas it appointed for of much more value is the soule then the body and it hath first to repaire and procure remedy vvhich first fell for it's fall it 's transgression the body vnderwent incurred punishment And if vve desire to liue and be true members of our head vho is IESVS CHRIST our Lord our duety is to imitate him and to conforme our selues to him the way wee must walke the principall care and sollicitude must be of our soules for vvhich he cheifly came into the vvorld and suffred the torment of the Crosse and let vs reserue the care of the body for that day and time vvhen our Lord shall come to reforme them to change them into à better state as said the Apostle Saluatorem expectamus nostrum c. We looke for our Sauiour who is IESVS-CHRIST our Lord and his comming to Iudge vvho will reforme or according to the Greeke text vvill transforme our body meane abject and full of imperfections and miseries and it shall be according to his similitude vvho is replenished with clearnes and splendour Hence striue not no attempt not oh thou body ill to be regarded ill to bee esteemed of to impatronise thy selfe of time by force and vvith violence before time for albeit thou maist occasiō yea hinder safety to thy soule yet canst thou not vvithout it procure it for they selfe alas no. All things haue their time permit suffer and consent that the soule may worke freely nor be thou any impedimēt vnto it rather helpe it and labour iointly vvith it for if you trauaile together if you shall suffer with it you shall raigne vvith it and so much as thou troublest and hinderest it's safety thou troublest and hinderest thine owne for thou canst not be reformed vntill that our Lord see in thy soule his image reformed Oh! body obserue vvell that thou hast vnder thy roofe à most noble guest à guest of grand rancke and quality vvhich is the soule and that thy well being and safety dependeth on it Be therefore some what like à Courtier well mannered and discreet and giue vvay respect and free entertainement vnto so honorable à guest Thou thy selfe art in thine owne house and in thine owne proper soile for thou art earthly and of earth but the soule is but à guest in thy house euen as à stranger à trauailer and exiled alas banished from his proper place of residence Let mee freely enterchange à word vvith thee oh body vvhat rusticall rude lowne very block head and course conditioned fellow should bee be valiewed to vvhose house might happen à Prince or Earle to come to allodge vvho would not willingly and most readily giue way and betake himselfe to the worst roome of his house to present him vvith the best roome and best lodging of his house yea if it vvere necessary vvould sleepe on hay and straw or by the chimnyes harth cinders Let this be thy way forsake thy meate sleepe litle if so it be expedient and necessary for the good of thy soule and for the loue of it let passe thy pleasures thy entertainements and passetimes fast and be regular sober and temperate in thy diet to the end that it may be in good time and perfect health and so perseuere correct thy selfe sharply bleed and mortifie thy selfe that it may liue this time is not the time of laughter but of teares not of repose but of labour not of dantinesse nicenesse but of pennance not of delight not pleasure but of anguish of sharp tribulation the time vvill come about there vvill come à time of mirth of joye and of laughter together vvith it so be it that with it thou lament thou suffer thou at the present poure forth thy teares and if together thou so west in teares together thou shalt reape gladnes hearts-comfort hearts ioy and vilifie not nay esteeme not at an ordinary value thy guest for that hee seemeth to come vnto thee from forraine countries as à stranger but contemplate obserue vvell the many and singular benefits which accrew to thee through his society his conuersation and presence This guest this soule is it vvhich giueth life spirit and vigour to thy sight and to thy eares faculty of hearing speach to thy tongue to thy palate it's tast and sense of feeling and motion to all thy entire body beauty and gracefull comlines And if so that thou vvilt vvell obserue and ponder what I now deliuer let it be your serious attention vvhat is it that you would be found to bee if so that it should faile you and that it should depart frō you that it should at any time leaue you abandon you and vtterly forsake you your house in this euen point and instant of time thy tongue will not be able to doe his office thou wilt be vtterly bereaud of speach thine eyes will become blind thou wilt be depriued of thy guift of hearing thy countenance will appeare pale all thy beauty will fade and fully perish and thou shalt proue to be terrible foule vgly stark cold irksome and horrible and thou shalt be an vnsauory carcasse and altogether rotten and à dunghill for vvormes Since Since that vvhich I here deliuer is true from whence is it that for à small momentary delight that thou dispensest and thou notably offendest so great à guest one of such quality and so profitable as of whom so inexpressible vse might haue been well made and that thou takest away it's time doth injure it and stealest from it and employest it so ill but thou canst not haue euen this thy shadowed delight if it vvere not vvith thee And if so great guifts depend and accrue to thee through it's presence and society not withstanding it be in à forraine Countrey and banished for sinne from the high and mighty Court of heauen and from the sight of it's Lord thinke maturely what
but to be in the state of sinne and to be alas à sinner and wicked and to be so enstyled to beare such domination such name And although true it is that sanctification doth notably exceed farre surmount iniquity vnrighteousnes yet should I be some what acquieted that they would employ so much earnestnes so most vigilant sollicitude in vvelldoeing after conuersion as they haue rendred and formerly fully placed to sinne and to displease the Majesty of God But ô pitty although bold and ill placed couragious many vvere to sinne how luck warme and euen cold slacke and heeâ—â—es are they to vndergoe repentance and to exercise themselues in practise of vertue A sinner maketh no difficulty of ought to give himselfe his intended delights and pleasures to obtaine his contents and fulnes of his appetits nothing is by him accounted hard to acquire and if so be that you question him can you suffer and endure such like or such other be it neuer so difficult he will answere to all yea he can time is very short of too quick speed for sinners to enjoy the fulnes of their delights but to employ themselues in good-workes they account the time long masse is long à sermon long and tedious prayer as also meditation burthensome and fasting very painefull cold maketh them heartles quelleth their spirits and heat doth euen enfeeble them and each thing whatsoeuer seemeth à great torment or heauy burthen euen soe as to conclude this Chapter it is à very good remedy to redeeme time to employ it vvell yea and with à like agony earnestnes covetousnes with such vvatch diligence and expeditenes and mindfullnes vvhich might equalize that vvhich vvas applyed to loose time and to haue it taken prisoner The end of the Ninth Chapter THE TENTH CHAPTER How it is to be vnderstood that the daies are bad and how since so it is that they are to be redeemed ALL things which God created are good considered in themselues coÌ„formable to their nature for from his good hands there could nothing come vvorke nor vvhatsoeuer else vvhich vvas not good and euen the same all-Godnes after hee had created theÌ„ hee valued them good and gaue them for good to all And that wee continue our discourse to our the selfe same purpose the daies and yeares pondered in themselues by the same grouÌ„ds caÌ„not be bad cannot be evill nor can they beare in theÌ„ morall malice which may be accouÌ„ted à fault in theÌ„ for in-so much as that they are not capeable thereof as litle are they subjects or objects of sufferance punishment for as improper are they to receiue such inflictions nor whatsoeuer other miseryes vvhich men sustaine for their trespasses their greivous transgressions but euill dayes are called by such name and goe vnder such like title respect had to men vvho then liue for the ills of sinnes which they commit in those daies or for the ills of punishements which are inflicted on them and for and by they suffer as Saint Chrysostome and Saint Ierome declare And customarily sick sad and afflicted men vse to say Oh! vvhat à day hath this been to mee alas how ill oh how bitter ah poore wretch as I am vvas euer knowne the like There are two things sayth the glorious S. Austine which are cause that the dayes are evill are bad and that they are so called though in themselues they bee good which are malice and the misery of men misery is common but in no sort is malice From the time that Adam sinned and was banished from Paradice the daies haue been evermore evill bad and the crying of children in their being even newly borne is to fore-tell to presage to prophetize miseries calamities and heauy labours and to say that in that day they make their entrance and beginning in this valley of teares and at least although it fare well with them that they be happy in their lot that they prove good they shall not be free from temptations and wherefore to feare nor vvhy not Euthymius expounding the vvords of the Psalmist who is the man vvho desireth life and to see good daies delivereth that these good daies are those of the other vvorld the other life for that those of this time are evill according to vvhat Iacob sayed to Pharaoh and the Apostle Saint Paul vvhen he spake to the people of Ephesus redeeme time for the daies are bad And to the same purpose delivereth S. Basill The daies of my pilgrimage sayed S. Iacob answering to Pharaoh vvho questioned of him how old he vvas are one hundred and thirty fevv and those bad The King asked of him how many are the yeares thou hast lived and he replyed c. and although he seemed at first sight that he answered not to the purpose yet hee returned an admirable answere like himselfe à Saint and discreete as à wise and prudent man he cutt of in à tacite and silent way the question which was asked of him as the Maister doth with his scholler when he demandeth an impertinent questioÌ„ his meaning to Pharaoh was that the years of this life are not years but dayes and the dayes not dayes but howers and the howers not howers but moments and the life of the seruants of God is not à place of setling in this world but à journeying a travelling froÌ„ place to place à pilgrimage to the celestiall IerusaleÌ„ They are passengers euen as such like they make vse of the goods and commodities of the vvorld and hee spake further that his yeares vvere fevv although he vvere an hundred and thirty for that those his yea and many more are few for that the longest life is short yea euen as à shadow And finally he enstyleth his daies bad for the many dangers and corporall spirituall crosses labours and afflictions which in it are found and which it suffereth for temptation is mans life are the time of his life Hence is it that for the euills for the labours crosses misfortunes which often occurre to man in his daies the daies are said to be euill and in the holy scripture they are called euill Hence is the day of Doome called bad respect had to the euill and it goeth vnder the title of sharpe and bitter and from hence wee shall vnderstand the meaning of those words which our Lord and Sauiour deliuered by S. Mathevv Bee not too much sollicitous of to morrow for each dayes ill each dayes malice is enough which is as if he should speake more at large You haue enough to doe to day take great care of this present day and of it's labours it 's busines it's entertainements it's necessityes without that thou seeke to redouble thy charge and to take to thee to day the anxiety and care of mind and burthen that belongeth to the following day thinking what thou hast to doe therein or what may happen vnto
thee and I assure thee that let it take sufficient care for it self And euen to this same purpose was that which the Apoâ—â—le deliuered to the Ephesians when he sayed Redeeme the time for the dayes are ewill Obserue well that the dayes are laborious full of miseries difficulties and hinderances employments occasions temptations and impediments to thy salvation and to thy safety for which for many other respects and affaires to which our vveake body draweth on vs as necessity for conseruation of it and life and our ill inclined nature after the sinne much time is frequently lost without any fruite of good workes and is impawned sold and captivated imprisoned hence doe I craue of thee with all tendernes I exhort thee vvith all sincerity recommend vnto thee with all fervour that thou beware of employing thy time ill to let it bee imprisonned alas and lost and that thou endeavour tooth and naile vvith all thine endeavour to the vtter most of thy power to make vse thereof to reedeeme it and to value it and so to coÌ„merce carry thy busines that vvhen our Lord shall come shall call for accouÌ„t thou may giue him vp à good an exact and perfect one And euen so we must each of vs doe for moreover and aboue vvhat is delivered the daies are as short as possibly may be vncertaine yea and irreuocable not to be called backe not to be returned vnto vs and vve must be of time very sparing euen to coveteousnes thereof painefully and most sollicitously endeavouring to recover that vve lost those daies vvhich vve cast avvay vvith making all hast to make vse of that time vvhich is lent vs and left vnto vs to the seruice of God repaire our omissions and negligeÌ„ces with diligence present care multiplying penaÌ„ce sorrovv for our sinnes mortificatioÌ„s meritorious workes of charity as doth he who hath à long iourney to make the time prouing short for him almost passed and through his negligence and carelesnes and sloth is caâ— very much behinde hand endeauoureth afterwards to runne in such à manner so speedily that he dispatcheth in two howers that iourney for the performance of which hee had sixe howers and therfore seeketh out ' the shortest way sweats trauaileth paine fully and forceth himself to runne à mile together without giving ouer or wearisomnes although necessarily it be required to eate and that he take vnto him some foode à morcell ot two yea and euen this doth he eate running and as first as he can Euen so did the same Apostle to redeeme the time he had fore gone and lost Sequer si quomodo comprehendam As if he should say Since so it is that I had so much time and went so farre astray and gott so litle ground in the seruice of God and was so negligent in endeauouring to gaine the reward of heauen and had so many daies lost my time I now earnestly desire to make à double hast insomuch as I runne speedily yea and without looking behinde mee at all for that I make noe esteeme of all my former walkes rather absolute forgetfulnes thereof hath taken me vp euen as if I had not gonne astepp going forward and boldly aduaÌ„cing my pace through thicke and thinne mine eyes attentiue on my waie I am to run and my journey I haue to expedite and finish and not on that I haue already passed The self same did king David put in practise after that God dilated extended and enlarged his heart with the loue of him and charity and released him of those fetters thoses gyues which were on his feete as he testifieth in these words Viam mandatorum tuorum cucurri c. When as through thy great mercy my Lord my God thou pleasedst to attract mee and release mee from sinne and misery in vvhich I vvas plunged surprised and fast-held so long and in the breaking the chaines vvherevvith I was fast tyed refreshing my heart vvith the vvater the liquor more precious then that of Angels from the bounty of thy all Soueraigne benignity and grace comforting it consoling it therewith I began that I might redeeme time to hasten and run and I made all possible speed all diligence imaginable without getting vnto mee or purchasing so much as one breathing or other nâ—thy way for the way of thy commandements The deuout and mysticall Thaulerus and then with him will we conclude this treatise moueth a question in this manner how a man may redeeme and recouer time passed by and lost how hee may ransome it since that there is not no not one moment of time which is not due to God which wee are not to giue account of to God and as Gregory Nissenus sayed if so that vvee should passe all our time in prayer and in rendring of thanks to God hardly shall wee accomplish fulfill the obligation and duety which vvee euen at this present instant owe for it how much more for the time passed and to come and thus he answereth turne another way retire your selues each one of you vvith all your power and greatest height of your strength and abilityes the highest yea and the lowest from all time and place and let it all be recollected and drawne vnto that present instant of eternity vvhere God is essentially and remaneth in one being and in a most firme stability vvithout that there be any thing passed or to come but that all is preseÌ„t in an euerlasting state vniforme durable fixed permanent constant inuariable vvithout change immoveable vvithout time it 's passing in so much as hath relation to him there being and being found in him all vvhat is present passed and to come and all beginning and ending of time vvithout beginning and ending And there vvith hee shall finde all those treasures which he set at light and despised and infinitely more and they who oftentimes accustome themselues make it their practise and raise themselues aboue themselues and all creatures and euen to hide theÌ„selues couer themselues and to make their nest and place of abiding in God vvho is present in the hearts of all people they vndoubtedly acquire riches procure vnto themselues treasures and finde therein much more theÌ„ alas they can haue lost And in this their entrance and conuersioÌ„ to God each one ought fully entirely and perfectly to transforme himselfe into him and euen from the very bottome of his heart say ô my eternall God I would that all the time which hath beene from the beginning of the world and hath to coÌ„tinue vntill the end thereof that I had liued for thee and thy seruice and that I may hence forward live such as I may bepraise-worthy cleane with obedience and all kind of vertues as those men whosoeuer haue beene borne at any time who haue runn the course of their liues in afflictioÌ„s poverty tribulations anxious toiles Oh! could I distill power forth yea gush out from mine
are the daies of those vvho are vvicked and really vaine and they retaine nothing but appearance sâ—doth the greene reed vvithout pith or substance Of the same indgement is the glorious Gregory in his Moralls in his Exposition on the lâ—st Chapter of Iob. That all those vvho haue so liued and spent their times in such manner are vvorthy of blame now it appeareth cleerly by the fore deliuered Chapters that time being so precious à thing as hath been said in the first Chapter and it being bestowed vpon vs that we may gaine heauen by our endeauours our paines our good vvorkes as is likewise shewen in the second and in seeing which you may find vvritten in the third that who so employeth not time well God abridgeth him of it and altogether bereaueth him of it taketh it ' out of his command when he thereof least thincketh not with standing all this they will not take the aduise and counsaile which we haue giuen in the fourth Chapter in the name of the Holy Ghost but forgetting all all feare postposed â—et by by their depraued tasts deceiued by outwardly seeming dainties though vgly be they and bitter moâ—sells wast their time ill misprise it value it at naught yea and vvrong it beyond all measure in liew of tendring it good treaty of making profitable vse thereof they molest it they peruert the vse thereof in so much as they are fouÌ„d to haue vtterly lost it nor obserue they what they haue neglected what they haue passed from what they might haue acquired are fouÌ„d therein nor of their duety to God vvho at so great à price redeemed them vvhoÌ„ for so many great and innumerable respects obligations they should serue both day and night alvvayes incestantly they should loue and adore vvith all their hearts vvith all their soules These such like may be aptly compared to men who in the time of traffique of commerce of buying and selling of faires making no reckoning of the great gaine that there vvell knowing how to trade they might hence acquire to themselues are busied and entertained all taken vp with mâ—mick toyes and iests in hearing blind men sing and seing of stage players and aftervvards their purse becommeth empty and opportunity of traffique and hence gaining by the faire passed They may be accounted alike to those vvho coÌ„ming a shoare from à shipp or galley to land to make prouision of vvhat they vvant to accomplish bring theâ—r iourney to à happy end the long wished for hauen keepe themseâ—ues busied in the gazing on curiosities vvhich occurre in the streetes or passages or in vvalking in places of pleasures as in pleasant gardens and so time ouerrunneth them vvithout time being obserued in so much as that they forget that principall and cheifest end for vvhich they came and that the shipp or vessell vvas to hoyse sailes and to depart and euen so they stay behinde for that they came to late in à strange countrey poore disconsolate and miserable It seemeth to them vvho vvithout any conturbation loose time that they are possessed of so much as vvill serue for all and that there is more then time enough to doe pennance and to amend their liues and it clearly appeareth that their vnderstandings and vvisedome are faulty for that Zenon Clâ—ticus à faire conditioned graue and vvise man as Laërtiuâ— reporteth sayed that men failed not so much in any thinge as in that of time nor that they haue more neede of ought then of it and all this he deliuereth vpon good grounds truely for that vve possesse not what is passed nor vvhat is to come and for the present it followeth so at hand and so breife that it runneth it's course in à moment The Saint Prier Gill brother of our holy order falling into admiration and compassionating vvith himself vpon contemplation of these idle persons vvho so much and beyond measure passe their time vvithout fruite and hearts-greife thus deliuereth himselfe The idle the sluggish man looseth this yea and the other vvorld happy is that man vvho employeth his time and passeth his life and his forces his full strength his vttermost ability in the seruice of God Tell mee if there vvere giuen vnto thee à fountaine which vvere to runne oile or wine one entire day in thy house vvouldst thou consume thy time being à poore man in play in loitering or in seeking of barrells or other neate vessells whatsoeuer wherin to keepe it thy end thy scope being to be rich vndoubtedly if thou wert not simple yea and sottishly such thou vvouldst make vse of such like aftervvards soe did the vvise vvidow of vvhom is made mentioÌ„ in the fourth booke of the Kings in carefully taking and reseruing the oyle which the Prophet Elizeus gaue vnto her miraculously therewith to satisfie for her husbands death that the creditors might not haue power to leade avvâ—y and detaine her two sonnes for slaues vntill that shee should discharge what was due but true it is saith the Saint that soe farre forth hath our folly taken hold of vs and wee entertaine wee admitt of so little discretion wisedome that whereas God Almighty giuing vs time and present life that in it's course through his grace his benignity and fauour and the maine the principall the stock vvhich he doth enrich vs vvith vvee may make our selues hence rich and that vvee may satisfie vve may acquit and pay vvhat vve owe so farre forth as that vve fall not into the misery of being made slaues of the fiend the deuill without all peraduenture vvithout all remedy and end vve consume our time in vanityes and toyes and buffoneries and in meere iest as Iob the most patient sayed in those words Dedit eiâ—lo um poenitentiae c. God gaue vnto man place of pennance and time to that end and he hath changed the good vse thereof into abuse and into sinnes of pride The end of the fifth Chapter THE SIXTH CHAPTER How the body doth captiuat that time which is designed for the soule and thereby exalteth it selfe AFter the sinne of our Auncestors did the bodye rebell against the soule so much preuailed it as that the body as the seruaÌ„t or slaue Agar did to her Lady and Mistris laid aside all respect and duety in so much as it might seeme that the body vvas the mâ—stris the soule slaue alas and that all the course of this life was and is onely for the body and for it's daintines it 's nicenes and it's recreation and to accomplish it's appetits and ouerweaning desires in so much as that the poore soule takes it as à great fauour that the body graÌ„ts it that time vvhich is required and by her challenged That to such her miserable state shee hath draweÌ„ on her selfe by sinne disgrace and abasement in so much as shee may call out to God repeating her tribulations her miseries in those wordes vvhieh Hierusalem in