when he stands ready with Strength and Assistance when he publisheth great and precious Promises when the golden Scepter is held out by God to us as it was to * Esther 5.2 Esther by Ahasuerus when gracious Offers merciful Tenders kind and loving Invitations are made and repeated and very sweet and comfortable Encouragements propounded and assured to penitent Sinners in the Ministery of the Word this is †Rev. 2.21 space given for Repentance this is a golden Season of Grace in which we may have Christ and all his precious and saving Benefits upon the reasonable Terms and acceptable Conditions of the Gospel When the Trumpet of the Jubile soundeth when Liberty to the Captives and the Opening of the Prison to them that are bound is proclaimed ‖ 2 Cor. 6. i 2. Behold now is the accepted Time behold now is the Day of Salvation O ‖ 2 Cor. 6. i 2. receive not the Grace of God in vain lose not so long and large a Season make your Advantage of the Time of the Gospel be thankful for it and faithful in the Use and Improvement of it close with the Gospel and daily and earnestly endeavour and pray that it may be made effectual to you Repent believe sincerely obey in this thy Day Repent think upon thy Waies be sorry for thy Sins hate them forsake them repent with a Repentance from dead Works never to be repented of So change thy Mind as to change thy Manners to reform and alter the Course of thy Life for the future So truly repent as to take care to bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance Believe not with a bare historical a meer intellectual Faith not with an idle dronish wholly ineffectual Assent but with a [b] Fortasse unusquisque apud seipsum dicet Ego jam credidi salvus ero verum dicit si fidem operibus tenet vera etenim fides est qua in hoc quod verbis dicit moribus non contradicit Fidei nostrae veritatem in vitae nostrae consideratione debemus agno cere Greg. Hom. 29. in Euang. Credere in Deum est credendo amare credendo diligere credendo in eum â—re membris ejus incorporari Putasne Filium Dei Iesum reputat quisquis ille est homo qui ipsius nec terretus comminationthus nec attrahitur promissonibus nec praeceptis obtemperat nec consiliis acquiescit Nonne is etiamsi fatearur se nosse Deum factis tamen negat Bernard in Octav. Pasc de tribus Testim in coelo ter serm 1. p. 88. practical active operative Belief So believe the Word of God as to take it seriously and in good earnest for the only Rule of thy Conversation in Matters necessary to Salvation So firmly receive and assent to the Divine Testimony as to have thy Heart rightly affected and thy Life powerfully influenced by it So cordially believe the Truth of the Gospel as to resolve and on all Occasions to endeavour to carry suitably to such Belief to live and act as a Person that does indeed believe it and to answer the end for which divine Truth was revealed which is the bringing us to good Lives So yield Assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel as to close and comply with the Terms of the Gospel and heartily to consent to the whole Duty of Man contain'd and delivered in the Word or God and Gospel of Christ so assent to the Commands of the Gospel as true as withal to love and like them to choose and embrace them as good and as good for thee yea as incomparably better for thee to observe than any other Rule that possibly can be respected by thee whatever they cause thee to lose or suffer here in this World So give your undoubted Assent to them as to cleave closely and stick invincibly to them against all flattering or affrighting Temptations to the contrary and still to engage and charge and provoke thy self to conform thy whole Heart and Life to them Farther So assent to the Truth of the Gospel-Promises as to take care to perform the necessary Conditions of them to trust in the Promises of the Gospel with an obediential Affiance with an obsequious and dutiful Reliance to trust in them according to the Tenour of them to trust in the Promises of Pardon and Remission in the Exercise of sincere and unfeigned Repentance and in the Promises of Sanctification in the Use of Gospel-Ordinances and Means and diligent Improvement of the Grace of God already communicated and received and in the Promises of Life everlasting in the way of new and sincere Obedience Assent to the Promises not only that they are true and real but that they are also the most valuable that can be * 1 Pet. 1 4. exceeding great and precious Promises so as to prefer the Promises of God above all the Proffers of the World as better than any thing that the Devil can offer or the World afford Farther yet So assent to the Truth of the Threatnings of the Word as to fear and stand in aw of them and to study to avoid those Sins which will put thee in Danger of temporal and eternal Sufferings and to keep thy self free from the Fear of the Menaces of Men while thou art in the way of thy Duty to God Believe the whole Word of God and Believe in all the Persons of the holy and blessed Trinity So assent to the Truth of whatsoever is spoken in the Scripture of God and Christ and the Spirit of God and Christ as deliberately to choose God the Father Son and holy Ghost for thy Portion and Treasure thy Happiness and chief Good To bring thy Heart to own love honour serve and worship God the Father as thy good and bountiful Creator and Preserver and very merciful God Redeemer by Jesus Christ and freely and gladly to consent to have God the Father for thy Covenant-Friend and reconciled gracious Father And to accept with all Love and Thankfulness even a crucified Christ for thy only Lord and Saviour to bring thee to God thy chiefest Good by reconciling thy Person and Nature to him to recover and bring thee back both in Heart and Life to God and to rest and rely upon Christ and on God only in and through Christ for Justification Sanctification and eternal Salvation according to the Promises of the Gospel Cordially receive him in all his Offices And here 1. Accept of Christ as a Priest to save thee by the offering of himself a Sacrifice in thy stead and by making Intercession on thy behalf And labour to answer the ends of his Death by Purity and Holiness of Heart and Life and to act becoming his Intercession to live so as it may be fit for Christ with Honour to present your Works and Services to his Father to be accepted by him to do nothing but what is worthy of such a Mediatour as Christ is to present unto God on your behalf Now tell me is
and solemn-Prayer this is the right instant for Ejaculations whether orally utter'd or only poured forth inwardly in the Heart Fuller's Medit on all kind of Prayers p. 77. This is an excellent way to redeem the Time in the want of a proper Place for larger Prayer Wherever thou art though never so far from a Church or Oratory yet as to the Use of this kind of Prayer thou maiest be the Temple of God thy self and pray within thy self Yea once more This is an admirable way to redeem the Time in the greatest straits of Time in the midst of much Company in the Multiplicity Croud and Hurry of worldly Businesses and Employments For this is the Advantage and rare Priviledg of Ejaculation that the Work of God is performed in it and [a] Media inter praelia semper Stetlarum coe ique plagis superisque vacavi Caesar apud Lucan l. 10. v. 185. no secular Affair or worldly Occasion hindred or retarded impeded or interrupted by it It is a gaining of Time for the Exercise of Religion without any Prejudice Let or Hindrance to your Calling It is a taking Time for a spiritual Duty without taking it away from your civil Employment [b] The Field wherein Bees feed is no whit the barer for their biting when they have took their full repast on Flower or Grass the Or may feed the Sheep fat on their Reversions The reason is because those little Chymists distil only the refined part of the Flower leaving the grosser Substance thereof So Ejaculations bind not men to any bodily Observance only busy the spiritual half which maketh them consistent with the prosecution of any other Employment Fuller loc cit p 78. VVe should make some improvement of that Time in which we do the works of our particular Callings to some spiritual Advantage if our Employments be such as exercise the Hand and not the Head by some useful Meditations as some will plant their Hedg-â—owes with fruit-trees reckoning that what they get thereby is clear Gain because they take up no room which might be put to any other Use so what we get by such Meditations is clearly gained because it doth not hinder any other Employment Lukins Pract. of Godl p. 53 54. Art thou as much against this that worldly thoughts should mingle themselves with thy solemn Prayers as that holy thoughts should be mingled with thy worldly Business This shews the rottenness of thy Heart that thou wilt admit the VVorld to come and speak with thee in the midst of thy solemn Duties or converse with God but wilt not afford God a word or a look while thou art conversing with the VVorld White 's Power of Godl p 214. You may at the same instant follow your particular proper Vocation and send up an holy Ejaculation The Husbandman may dart forth an Ejaculation and not make a Balk the more The Tradesman may mind his Shop never the less for minding God in such a way as this Thy Ejaculatory Prayers will sanctify instead of hindring thy Employments will influence thy Conscience and keep thee from sinning in thy Calling and will draw down a Blessing upon every Business and Undertaking In a Word To give our selves to holy and heavenly Ejaculation this is the way * 1 Thess 5.17 to pray without ceasing And surely the Frequency and Number of Ejaculatory Prayers will bring us in very great and large spiritual Gains and notable rich Returns 'T is a noted and approved Saying That much Meditation short Prayers and often make an excellent Christian The eminently learned and holy Andrew Rivet did much accustome and inure himself to these short Prayers He used in his old Age as he himself declares [c] Ego sanè mi srater à multis annis hanc orationem singults diebus saepe hor is repoto qui sentio mihi haec eadem convenire Andr. Rivet ep ad Guil. Fratr De Senect bon p. 1260. in an Epistle to his Brother for many Years every Day and often every Hour to repeat * Psal 71.17 18. those Words of the divine Psalmist which were suitable to the Circumstances of his own Condition O God thou hast taught me from my Youth and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous Works Now also when I am old and gray-headed O God forsake me not until I have shewed thy Strength unto this Generation and thy Power to every one that is to come The seventh Direction If we would redeem the Time we must set our selves to the daily frequent diligent Reading and serious studying of the sacred Scriptures for 1. This is a gaining and making Advantage of all that Time past which the Scripture gives you the History and Account of Seneca advises his Friend Lucilius by the Peregrination of his Mind to go to the ancient Worthies and renowned great Men and by Cogitation to behold them in order to an Imitation of them This he proposes to him as a prudent way to get Vice extirpated and Vertue farther planted in him He would have him by Contemplation go live and converse with the Cato's with Laelius Tubero Socrates Zeno Chrysippus Posidonius These will instruct you saies [a] Hi tibi tralent divinorum humanor â—â—mque netitiâ—â—m Hi juâ—tbunt in opere esse Sen. ep 104. he in the knowledg of things divine and humane and will command and enjoin you to be busied and employed in some good Action Let me advise and counsel you that are Christians to travel srequently through the holy Scriptures to keep a constant Course of attentive reading those sacred Writings and they will give you the happy Advantage of spiritual and fruitful Converse with the Patriarchs and Prophets with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob with Moses and Elias with Noah Job and Daniel with David and Solomon with St. Peter and Paul and James and John with Christ and his Apostles and the Primitive Christians There you may get Acquaintance with and make use of those rare Persons that have been most exemplary and serviceable in their Generations and most deservedly famous in the several Ages of the Church of God and Christ and may take the Benefit of their holy Discourses their excellent Lives and vertuous Actions And what the same Philosopher wisely Discourses in his excellent Book of the Brevity of Life encouraging Persons to a daily familiar Acquaintance with Zeno Pythagoras Democritus Aristotle Theophrastus What he saies there to invite and engage Men to reade the Writings of such as excess in useful Philosophical Learning and good Arts is more truly applicable by way of Motive to prevail with Men to give themselves to the reading of the Pen-men of the sacred Scriptures and of the Sayings of those wise and holy Persons that are introduced discoursing therein [b] Nemo horum nen vocabit nemo non venientem ad se beatiorem ama 〈◊〉 émque sui dimittit Hi tibi dabunt ad aeternitatem iter te in iâ—um iocum ex
quo nemo te eji iâ—t sub evabunt Sen. de brev vit c. 14 15. There is not one of these but will call thee to hear them speaking to thee not any one of them but if you come to them will send you away more happy and more in love with them none of them will suffer you to go empty-handed away from them They may be met and spoken with visited and conversed with by all both Day and Night None of these will press you to die presently but all will teach you to die well at last None of these will waste your Years but will readily contribute and give their own to you for your Use and Service Profit and Benefit None of their Discourse will ever be dangerous none of their Friendship will prove pernicious your Acquaintance with them and Observance of them will not be costly and chargeable to you You may receive what you want and carry away what you will from them They will never hinder you from drawing as much out of them as you are capable of containing What an happy and lovely old Age is like to befal him who has given himself into their Tuition He will have those continually at hand with whom he may deliberate both of the smallest and greatest Matters whom he may daily advise with about himself from whom he may hear the Truth without Reproach by whom he may be commended without Flattery and after whose Similitude he may form and fashion himself These will set you in the way that will surely bring you to an happy Eternity and will mount you up into that Place out of which none shall be able to eject you This is in a sense a gaining of a great deal of Time that is past and an happy converting it to our own spiritual Profit and Use Our perusing the notable useful Histories and instructive Passages of the sacred Pages will after a sort make all that Time [c] Animus humanus arctam aetatem sibi dari non sinit Omnes inquit anni mei sunt nulium saecalum magnis ingentis clusam est nullum non cogitationi pervium tempus Seneca epist 102. ours and serve in a manner as much to our advantage as if we our selves had liv'd in the several Ages in which those eminently pious Persons appeared and acted that are recorded in sacred Writ 2. Our Reading the holy Books of scripture is a proper redeeming that Time in particular which is denied to worldly Profit or Pleasure and applied to such a spiritual Use It is a good husbanding and well improving the present Time that is spent and employed in this religious Duty for this is our Attendance on an Ordinance of God and in that respect an honouring of God It is also a Means of attaining divine Knowledg heavenly Grace and spiritual Comfort 1. Divine Knowledg By reading the Scripture we may be taught of God and come to be acquainted with the Mind and Will of our supreme Ruler and Governour with the righteous Laws of our Creator and Redeemer There we may sind * Ps 119.105 a Light unto our Feet and a Lanthorn unto our Paths a Pillar of Fire by Night to conduct us through the Wilderness unto Canaan a Star still before us to lead us unto Christ From thence we may receive suitable and seasonable Information Resolution Direction if with holy David we take God's Testimonies for our * Ps 119.24 Counsellers The Scriptures are apt to preserve and powerful to reduce Men from erroneous Opinions as Junius was mightily wrought upon and with clear Conviction and full Satisfaction recovered out of Atheism and converted to the Truth by reading the Beginning of [d] Lego partem capitis ita commoveor legens ut repentè divinitatem argum nti ser pti majest tem authoritatémque senserim longo intervabo omnibus eloquentiae humanae sluminilus praeeantem c. Junius ipse in descript vit suae St. John's Gospel The Scriptures are †2 Tim. 3.15 able to make us wise unto Salvation to make us so wise as to become truly good For 2. Our reading the Scripture is a means of obtaining heavenly Grace The holy Scripture is apt to terrify and affright the Sinner out of the Way of Sin The pure and clean Word of God is able to make thee pure and clean The holy just and good Law of God is able to make thee holy just and good St. Austin in his younger Years was an incontinent Person but being at length admonished by this Voice Tolle lege tolle lege take up the Book and reade he presently caught up and opened [e] Cod. cem Apestols St. Paul's Epistles and happily first cast his Eyes upon those Words in the thirteenth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans ‖ Rom. 13.13 14. Not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambering and Wantonness not in Strife and Envying But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not Provision for the Flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof With which his Heart was powerfully affected and touched to purpose [f] Nec ultra volui legere nec epus erat c. Jam liber erat animus meus à curis mordacibus ambiends acquirendi volutandi atque scalpendi scabiem libidinum Aug. Conf. l. 8. c. 12. §. 3. l. 9 c. 1. §. 2. I had no need to reade any further saies he How sweet and pleasant did I presently find it to want those trifling Pleasures of Sin How glad was I now to let go quite what a little before I was so much afraid to lose Thou didst make those seeming Sweetnesses vanish O Christ Jesus who art the true and highest Sweetness and didst come thy self in their Room and Stead sweeter than all the Pleasures in the World The Word of God's Grace is that holy * 1 Pet. 1.23 Seed of which you may be born again and is able when once you are truly converted from Sin and the World to God to †Acts 20.32 build you up and to give you an Inheritance among all them which are sanctified 3. Out reading the Scripture is a ready Way and proper Means of finding spiritual Peace and Comfort [g] Locus ille Pauli suit mihi verè porta Paradisi That Place of Paul was truly to me the Gate of Paradise So said Luther of the 17th Verse of the first Chapter to the Romans The Righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel from Faith to Faith as it is written The Just shall live by Faith Mr. Bilney or rather St. Bilney as [h] In his first Sermon before the Dutches of Suffolk fol. 5. Fox Act. and Mon. 2 v. p. 919. Father Latimer did not stick to stile him that holy and blessed Martyr of God that suffer'd Death for God's Word's sake was raised and revived cheered and refreshed by the 15th Verse of the first Chapter of the first to Timothy He confesses of himself
the Time we must endeavour to be throughly convinced of the great Value and real Worth of Time In respect of the Price paid for it In regard of the Use and End to which it serves p. 268. Considering what precious Thoughts the more improved Heathens had of Time p. 269. And what damned Spirits p. 271. and dying Persons who have not made their Peace with God think of Time p. 272. Direct 2. If we would well redeem the Time we must examine our selves and call our selves to a serious strict Account for the spending of our Time p. 277. This was the Precept of Pythagoras p. 278. and the Practice of Sextius Seneca p. 279. and Titus Vespasian Direct 3. That we may rightly redeem our Time let Conscience have some Authority with us and procure some Reverence from us p. 284. Stand much in aw of thy own Conscience p. 285. which will either acquit and absolve thee or surely judg and condemn thee p. 286. Direct 4. If ever we would redeem the Time we must live and act and do every thing as in the Sight and Presence and under the Eye and Inspection of God p. 286. The Apprehension of God's all-seeng all-searching Eye will be of excellent Vse and Advantage to us at four times especially 1. Actually consider that God sees you when you ordinarily visit one another and at any time feast and make merry together 2. When Buying or Selling remember you are manifest in God's Sight p. 291. that Godstands by and sees your Dealings p. 292. 3. Consider this in your secret Retirements p. 292. and in your private Families p. 294. 4. When-ever we come to the publick Worship of God let us seriously consider that we stand in his Presence and ar ein his Eye p. 295. Direct 5. That we may wisely redeem the Time let 's be sure to propound a good End to our selves in all our Actions p. 297. and do nothing deliberately but what we can safely and freely warrantably and comfortably ask God's Assistance in and Blessing upon when we go about it p. 300. Direct 6. We must be sure to give our selves to Prayer as a special Way in which and principal Means and Help by which we may redeem and improve our Time aright And here 1. Be careful to keep up set and stated Times of Prayer p. 302. of secret Prayer p. 303. and Family-Prayer p. 304. 2. Be ready to betake thy self to Prayer upon special extraordinary emergent Occasions p. 309. 3. Vse thy self to frequent sudden ejaculatory Prayers to God p. 313. This is the Priviledg of Ejaculation that it is a gaining of Time for the Exercise of Religion without any Prejudice or Hindrance to your Calling p. 318. Direct 7. We must set our selves to the frequent diligent reading and serious studying of the sacred Scriptures For 1. This is a gaining and making advantage of all the Time past which the Scripture gives us the History and Account of p. 320. 2. Our Reading the holy Books of Scripture is a well improving the present Time that is employed in this Religious Duty for 't is an honouring of God and a means of attaining divine Knowledg p. 323. heavenly Grace p. 324. and spiritual Comfort p. 325. 3. It is moreover a means and help to the right redeeming of our Time for the future p. 327. Direct 8. If we would effectually redeem the Time we must give our selves to frequent and serious meditation p. 347. Set some Time apart for this Duty p. 348. Think of the four last Things especially 1. Of Death of the Day of thy own particular Death p. 349. and of the Time of the general Dissolution of the World p. 367. 2. Of the Day of Judgment p. 376. 3. Of the Joys of Heaven p. 388. 4. Of the Torments of Hell p. 432. Direct 9. If you would redeem the Time you must labour to spiritualize even your ordinary worldly Employments and must take care that your natural as well as civil Actions partake of Religion p. 453. Direct 10. If we would wisely redeem the Time we must make a good Choice of our Friends and Acquaintance and a good Improvement of our Company and Society with them p. 463. Direct 11. We must remember and consider perform and answer our solemn Sacramental Vows Occasional Promises and Sick-bed Resolutions p. 488. Direct 12. Lastly If we would effectually redeem the Time we must not give way to any Delay but strengthen and settle our Resolution against any farther Procrastination p. 495. Errata in the Treatise Pag. 50. l. 12. read warming 64 l. 22. Assembling 143 l 4. fall l. 16. seiseth 157 l. 6 ment 270. l. 14 their 287. l. 17. be to be 334 l. 1. Mouth 349. l. 25 dele 1 Use 378. l. 27. concern'd 396. l. 30. will be 398. l. 6. Aptitude 486 l. 23. Servants 530. l. 1. use his Errata in the Quotations Pag. 63 l. 1. read Constant 112. l. 7.15 Annal. 137. l. 6. adhuc esse 331. l. 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 342. l. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 390. l. 1. divinorum antmorum 459. l. 2. saturantur 484. l. 3. read p. 332. 486. l. ult 33. In the running Titles of the Epistle for Preface read Epistle Dedicatory Redemption of Time a good Duty in evil Daies Ephes 5.16 Redeeming the Time because the Daies are evil CHAP. I. The Coherence of the Words The Text divided The Doctrine propounded The Method laid down for the clearing and opening of it What it is to redeem the Time the Phrase in the Text may signify these four Things 1. To buy back the Time that is past In what Sence that may be done 2. to buy up the Time that is present that is to forgo or part with any thing for it and to make it our own and use it for our spiritual and eternal Advantage 3. Not only to buy it up but to buy it out to get it out of the hands of the Devil and the World and the distracting Cares and tempting Pleasures of it 4. To use all Wariness and Wisdom of Behaviour to secure our selves from Snares and to preserve our selves from spiritual Dangers and from running rashly and unseasonably into any temporal Suffering and Calamity THE whole Chapter contains several Exhortations some to General and others to Particular Duties 1. To General Duties such as concern and oblige all sorts of Christians from the first to the 22th Verse 2. To special and particular Duties which relate particularly to Husbands and Wives in their Carriage and Behaviour one towards another from the 22th to the End In the former Part of the Chapter he gives general Exhortations to a following of God vers 1. to a walking in Love in imitation of Christ vers 2. to the fleeing of Fornication and all Filthiness and Impurity so much as in Word or only by way of Jest from the Beginning of the third to the end of the sixth verse To have no familiar Converse no
be raised good Estates in the World is not that of the same excellent Philosopher too true concerning too many of us [d] Adhuc non pueritia in nobis sed quod est gravius puerilitas remanet hoc qui lem pejus est quòd authoritatem habemus senum vitia putrorum Id. ep 4. Not Childhood but which is more grievous Childishness remains and continues still with us And truly this is yet worse says he that we have the Authority of old Men and the Vices of very Boies If as Alexander counted his Life by Victories not by Daies or Years So we should reckon our several Lives by our spiritual Victories and good Works and our answering the Ends the true Ends and proper Purposes of Life which is the justest Account and the rightest Reckoning of our Living Should not the most of us find that we have liv'd but a few Daies but a few Hours yea that many have hardly liv'd at all have scarcely as yet begun to live that little or nothing has been done that is truly worthy of a Man or Christian Have not we been wretched Scatter-Hours and desperate Prodigals of our precious Time We have some of us lived a great while in the World but the question is Whether yet we have learn'd to know God and Christ and to know our Selves to be just and honest to be modest and chast to be sober and temperate to deny a strong unruly Appetite to refuse a superfluous Morsel of Meat a forbidden intemperate Cup of Drink Have we learn'd in the many Years of our Lives to master and moderate one Passion to subdue and mortify [e] Raro unum vitium perfectè vincimus ad quotidianum profectnm non accendimur A Kempis l. 1. c. 11. n. 2. one Lust to break off one evil Custom to root out one vicious Habit to answer one Objection to resist one Assault to defeat one Art of the Devil Who of us have been careful all this while to run our Race to trim our Lamps and to dress up our Souls for a blessed Etetnity Did not we spend our Youth in Vanity Which of us was so forward in good as to shun and flie youthful Lusts To how few of us can it be said as * 2 Tim. 3.15 St. Paul said to Timothy that from a Child thou hast known the holy Scriptures Tell me how have many of you desperately omitted and lamentably neglected the Reading of the Scriptures all your Life long which alone are able to store your Mind with divine Knowledg and to make you wise unto Salvation What Numbers are there who know but little what is contained in the Scripture any otherwise than as they hear a Chapter now and then read in the Church and God knows too too many give but little heed to it and so are but little the better for it then neither How few among us who have liv'd long under the Enjoyment of the Means of Grace are yet so well acquainted with divine Things and so well versed and exercised in Religion as to be able to put up a pertinent Praier and to commend their own or another's Case and Condition to God as Occasion does require How many Lord's-Daies have we profan'd How many Sermons have we wilfully missed How many good Opportunities have we negligently lost How careless have we been of our own spiritual Good How regardless of the eternal Welfare of those who belong to us How ignorant are many of our selves of the Things of God and of the Duties of Religion How far not only from doing but from understanding our spiritual Business who had we taken Pains might now have been very knowing Christians How ignorant through our gross Neglect of them are our Children and Servants and those about us in the very Rudiments of Religion who might have had a good Understanding therein had we done our Duty in first informing our selves and then instructing them [f] Quemadmodum omnibus annis studere honestum est it a non omnibus institui Turpis ridiculares est elementatius senex Juoent parandum seni utendum est Sen. ep 36. How ridiculous and uncomely is it to see an Old Man ignorant of his Letters or to seek in his Primer But how much more absurd is it to find so many Old Men who * Heb. 5.12 for the Time ought to have been Teachers yet to have need that one teach them again which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God Which of us have ever gone about doing and receiving good in the Places where we have a long Time liv'd Who are we the better for Who is spiritually the better for us How very little Good have we done nay how much Hurt have we done in the World What Mischief have many Parents and Masters done in their Families by gross Neglect of Family Duties such as Reading Praying Catechizing and by their Loosness and Licentiousness before those that belong unto their Charge whose ungovern'd Youth had more need to be curbed and restrain'd by their sober Counsels and seasonable Reproofs than desperately misled and hurried head-long by their ill Examples into Sin and Wickedness Oh what a sad Consideration is it for any of us all to think with our selves how that for ought we know there may be some this Day in Hell who were occasionally brought thither by our unholy Walking and ungodly Living It may be some of our Friends and Companions some of our Neighbours and Relations some of our very Children and Servants are at present in Hell bitterly exclaiming against us and cursing the Daies in which they liv'd with us and were acquainted with us Instead of growing better and better are not some of us [g] Nemo inquit Epicurus aliter quà m quomodo natus est exit è vita Fulsum est pejores mor mur quà n nascimur en epist 22. worse now than we were many Years since more profane or worldly more sensual more hardened from the Fear of the Lord more without God and Christ in the World more useless more unprofitable than ever more unfit to live more unprepared to die now than we found we were many Years ago Have not some of us so ill husbanded our Time that the older we have grown the less Hope we have had of Heaven and Happiness As Pius Quintus is reported by [h] Cùm essem Religiosus sperabam bene de salute animae meae Cardmalis sact us extimui nunc Pontifex creatus penè despero Corn. à Lap. in Numb l. 1.11 Cornelius à Lapide to have said When I was first of a Religious Order I hoped well of the Salvation of my Soul But when I was made Cardinal I began to fear it But since I was created Pope I almost despair of it How many may be found in like manner who in their Youth have had it may be some reason to hope well of themselves but in their Middle Age more
their Time in slandering detracting whispering tale-bearing speaking [c] In primis provideat nesirmo vitium aliquod indicetinesse morst us Quod maxtmè tum solet evenive cum stuâ—tosè de absentibus detrahendt causâ aut per ridiculum aut severè aut maledicè contumel osèque dicitur Dicero l. 1 de Offic Evil of others when they have no lawfull Call to do it in talking uncharitably of others [d] De alterius vtta de alterius morte disputatis Seneca de vita beata c. 19. Lives and Deaths in private caracterizing judging censuring back-biting of others These are as perfect in the Enumeration of others Faults [e] Dr. Allestry's Sermons p. 35. as if their Memories were the Books that shall be opened at the Day of Judgment This is in it self a base Temper where-ever it is with the Fly to fasten now here but upon a Sore like a Cupping-Glass to draw nothing but corrupt Blood This is an ungodly Humour for any to suffer their Tongues to be busily medling with those Sins and Miscarriages Failings or Faults of other Persons which never grieved and troubled touched or came near their own Hearts and which they never secretly bewail'd and sadly bemoan'd before God To be continually judging and censuring those that were never privately and personally reprov'd lovingly and compassionately admonished nor once earnestly and heartily praied for by them This censorious Spirit is a Christless Spirit Jesus Christ is an Advocate with the Father he excuses he pleads for Sinners he makes the best of every Thing he covers a Multitude of Sins Now when we do nothing but rip open and aggravate others Faults behind their backs we are far from an Imitation of Christ This is so far from being a Christ-like that it is too evidently a Diabolical Spirit The Devil he is called an Accuser and we plainly play Satan's Part and act him to the Life and spend our Time just as the Devil does if we make it our Business to be ever prying and finding of Faults to be alwaies bringing Charges against and framing Accusations of others And the employing our Time thus is far from redeeming it Might not we spend our Time far better in meekly admonishing of others and in heartily praying for others than in rashly judging and censuring of others Let me tell you while we are alwaies pleading others guilty we do but make our selves more guilty and thus to lose our own Innocency is this to redeem our Time To render our selves uncapable of Heaven is this to work out our own Salvation * Psal 15.1 3. Lord who shall abide in thy Tabernacle who shall dwell in thy holy Hill he that back-biteth not with his Tongue nor doeth Evil Wrong Hurt or Injury to his Neighbour in this way of backbiting nor taketh up that is with his Mouth that uttereth not a Reproach against his Neighbour that does not curiously pry into the Businesses Affairs Infirmities secrets of others and then busily divulge and tell them abroad to other Persons thereby defaming disgracing disparaging and rendring Men contemptible one to another and stirring up Strife Hatred Enmity Division and Quarrels among Men. Where shall we now find the Christian who deserves the Commendation that once [i] Hieron ad Marcellam de laudibus Asellae St. Jerome gave of Asella of whom he says Sermo silens silentium loquens she was silent when she spake for she spake only of religious and necessary things not medling with other Persons or Fame How do many mis-spend their Time and talk in vain and ridiculous Self-gloriation and in uncomely affected if not false and ungrounded Commendation of themselves in complementing and flattering great Sinners to their very Faces And some very vile and wicked Wretches abuse their Time and Tongues in speaking a Multitude of Lies in frequent taking God's Name in vain in common and customary Swearing in [f] Dr. Allestry's Sermons p. 154. mingling horrid and bitter Imprecations with their sportive Talk and making the Wounds and Blood of God and other such sad Words their foolish or peevish Modes of speaking Many Mens Mouths run like an Issue nothing but Putrefaction They vent and pour out * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4.29 putrid unsavoury rotten †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coloss 3.8 filthy Discourse apt only to minister to a Vice instead of ministring Grace unto the Hearers Corrupt it self and tending to corrupt good Manners and to infect the Fancies and defile the Minds of those that hear it They pass the Time in uttering [g] The Apostle chargeth that Fornication should not be once named among them as becometh Saints Eph. 5.3 not meaning that the Vice should not have its Name and filthy Character but that nothing of it be named in which it can be tempting or offensive nothing tending to it or teaching of it should be named Bishop Taylor 's Sermons 1 Vol. p. 288. wanton loose lascivious Words in singing amorous and obscene Songs whereas he that is ‖ James 5.13 Private Christianâ— are to teach and admonish one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs Coloss 3 16 Etiaâ—n cùn htlaritati inser vimus addification is utâ—iâ—at is mutuae memores esse debemus Dav. in loc merry should sing Psalms Many mis-spend their Hours in * Ephes 5.4 inconvenient [h] Ipsum genus jocandi non profusum nec immodestum sed ingenuum facetum esse debet Vt enim puer is non omnem licentiam ludendi damus sed eam quae ab honest is actionibus non sit aliena sic in ipso joco aliquod probi ingenit lumen eluceat Cicero l. 1. de Office scurrilous immodest yea many mis-spend them in impious and profane Jesting in openly Scossing at good Men and making merry with their Imperfections and their own Slanders and in jeering the holy Waies and playing with the holy Word of God He that makes a Jest of the Words of Scripture or of holy things as a [i] Bishop Taylor 's Sermons 1 V. p. 305. learned Pen richly expresses it plaies with Thunder and kisses the Mouth of a Canon just as it belches Fire and Death he stakes Heaven at spurn-point and trips Cross and pile whether ever he shall see the Face of God or no he laughs at Damnation while he had rather lose Goal than lose his Jest nay which is the Horrour of all he makes a Jest of God himself and the Spirit of the Father and the Son to become ridiculous And is not this a monstrous cursed Improvement of precious Time to use and employ it in profanely deriding and desperately abusing the Word and Spirit of God that gave it 'T is a good Saying of the [k] Detestanda illorum insania qui hilares esse non pâ—ssunt sine Christi contumelia religionis ludibrio Dav. in Coloss 3.16 Thes if any do hilarem insaniam insanire ac per risum furere Seneca
assisted him [l] In his Life centracted and translated out of French by Mr. Edward Stern Fellow of P. Hall in Cambridg among Mr. Clark's Lives p. 74. fol. I have a great Account to make having received much and profited little So the painful and pious Dr. Robert Harris when a Friend told him in his Sickness Sir you may take much comfort in your Labours you have done much good His Answer was [m] In his Life written by Mr. W. Durham p. 55 56. Oh! I am an unprofitable Servant I have not done any thing for God as I ought Loss of Time sits heavy upon my Spirit Work work apace Assure your selves nothing will more trouble you when you come to dy than that you have done no more for God who has done so much for you Yea the Reverend and holy Bp. Vsher a most laborious and sedulous Servant of God a Prodigy of Industry a Person that never was known to lose an Hour by was ever employed in his Master's Business either praying preaching studying writing reading or hearing others reade to him either resolving of Doubts or exhorting instructing giving good wholsome and holy Counsel to such as came to visit him yet as [n] Pag. 110. Dr. Bernard relates in his Life the very last Words that ever he was heard to utter in praying for Forgiveness of Sins were these But Lord in special forgive my Sins of Omission If the choicest Saints on Earth the faithfullest Servants of God in the World who have surpassed and transcended us by many Degrees do close and end their Lives with an humble Confession and earnest Petition for Forgiveness and Pardon of their Sins of Omission Surely then we have reason to conclude that we our selves do what we can shall repent at last of doing too little and not repent and complain of having done too much And if those that have well redeem'd their Time complain especially at the Hour of Death that they have lost too much of it What a case then will the careless negligent World be in when their sleepy Consciences shall be roused and awakened and they be hastened and hurried out of this world and their Souls and Bodies shall be just a parting and they shall look behind them upon an idle loose and lazy Life and look before them upon a dreadful horrible terrible Judgment I have done with the Motives to press you to the Duty In the next place I shall give you some Directions which may be so many Means to help you to regain the Time and redeem the Opportunity Take these twelve following CHAP. VII Direction 1. If ever we would redeem the Time we must endeavour to be throughly convinc'd of the great value and real worth of Time In respect of the Price paid for it In regard of the use and end to which it serves Considering what precious Thoughts the more improved Heathens had of Time And what damned Spirits and dying Persons who have not made their Peace with God think of Time Direct 2. If we would well redeem the Time we must often examine our selves and call our selves to a serious strict Account for the spending of our Time This was the Precept of Pythagoras and Cicero and the Practice of Sextius Seneca and Titus Vespasian Direct 3. That we may rightly redeem our Time let Conscience have some Authority with us and procure some reverence from us Stand much in aw of thy own Conscience which will either acquit and absolve thee or surely judg and condemn thee Direct 4. If ever we would redeem the Time we must live and act and do every thing as in the sight and presence and under the eye and inspection of God The apprehension of God's all-seeing all-searching Eye will be of excellent Vse and Advantage to us at 4 times especially 1. Actually consider that God sees you when you ordinarily visit one another and at any time feast and make merry together 2. When Buying or Selling remember you are manifest in God's Sight that God stands by and sees your dealings 3. Consider this in your secret Retirements and in your private Families 4. Whenever we come to the publick Worship of God let us seriously consider that we stand in his Presence and are in his eye Direct 5. That we may wisely redeem the Time let 's be sure to propound a good end to our selves in all our Actions and do nothing deliberately but what we can safely and freely warrantably and comfortably ask God's Assistance in and Blessing upon when we go about it Direct 6. We must be sure to give our selves to Prayer as a special way in which and principal means and help by which we may redeem and improve our Time aright And here 1. Be careful to keep up set and stated times of Prayer of secret Prayer and Family-Prayer 2. Be ready to betake thy self to Prayer upon special extraordinary emergent Occasions 3. Vse thy self to frequent suddain ejaculatory Prayers to God This is the Priviledg of Ejaculation that it is a gaining of Time for the Exercise of Religion without any prejudice or hindrance to your Calling Direct 7. We must set our selves to the frequent diligent reading and serious studying of the sacred Scriptures For 1. This is a gaining and making advantage of all that Time past which the Scripture gives us the History and Account of 2. Our reading the holy Books of Scripture is a well improving the present time that is imployed in this religious Duty for 't is an honouring of God and a means of attaining divine Knowledg heavenly Grace and spiritual Comfort 3. It is moreover a means and help to the right redeeming of our Time for the future Direct 8. If we would effectually redeem the Time we must give our selves to frequent and serious Meditation Set some Time apart for this Duty Think of the 4 last things especially 1. Of Death of the Day of thy own particular Death and of the Time of the General Dissolution of this World 2. Of the Day of Judgment 3. Of the Joys of Heaven 4. Of the Torments of Hell Direct 9. If you would redeem the Time you must labour to spiritualize even your ordinary worldly Employments and must take care that your natural as well as civil Actions partake of Religion Direct 10. if we would wisely redeem the Time we must make a good Choice of our Friends and Acquaintance and a good Improvement of our Company and Society with them Direct 11. We must remember and consider perform and answer our solemn Sacramental Vows and Sick-bed-Promises and Resolutions Direct 12. Lastly If we would redeem the Time we must not give way to any Delay but strengthen and settle our Resolution against any farther procrastination The First Direction IF ever we would redeem the Time we must endeavour to be throughly convinced of the great Value and real Worth of Time Consider 1. How precious Time is in respect of the Price paid for it That
that when the New Testament was first set forth by Erasmus he was drawn to buy it more in consideration of the good Latine of that Edition than out of any regard to the Word of God of which he was utterly ignorant at that Time And by the Providence of God he fell at first reading on this Sentence This is a faithful Saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief [h] O mihi suavissimam Pauli sententiam Haec una serâ—â—â—ntia Deo iatus in corde meo docente sic exhilaravit pectus meum c. Biln ep ad Cutb. Tonstallum Lond. Episc Fox Act. Mon 2 v. p. 915. O this Saying of Paul was a sweet and comfortable Saying to me saies he This one Sentence God inwardly teaching and instructing me did so exhilarate and comfort my Heart which before was wounded and ready to despair through the Conviction and Sense I had of my Sins that I felt immediatly such a marvellous Tranquillity and Gladness within me that the Bones which had been broken did rejoice and from this Time the Scripture began to be sweeter to me than the Honey and the Honey-comb As Adam and Eve went about in vain to cover their Nakedness with their Fig-leaves and were never quieted till they had believed the Promise of God that the Seed of the Woman should break the Serpents Head so neither could I be healed saies he of the Stings and Bitings of my Sins before I was taught of God that Lesson of which Christ speaks Joh. 3.14 15. As Moses listed up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal Life Thomas à Kempis is said to have uttered and to have written this Sentence in his Books [i] In omnibus requiem quaesivi sed nusquam inveni praeterquam in angulo cum libello S. Torshel exercit in Malach. I have sought for Rest every where but have found it no where except in a Corner alone with a little Book The Bible is that blessed Book which will either alone or above all other Books afford a suitable seasonable Rest unto our Souls And now these Things considered is it not well worth the while to bestow your Time and Pains in reading and studying the sacred Scriptures 3. It is moreover a Means and Help to the right redceming of our Time for the future For here in the Scripture we have the plainest Precepts given us to oblige us to take due Care of our Time the best Examples and worthiest Patterns of Redemption of Time set before us in the Servants of God and in the Son of God and have here afforded us the strongest Motives and Encouragements to it and the most prudent Instructions and proper Directions about it For all that has been hitherto discoursed concerning it has chiefly been fetch'd from and drawn out of the holy Scriptures And these divine and sacred Writings will not only teach and instruct you but also inwardly dispose and qualify sit and enable you to make the best Improvement of your remaining Time by converting and transforming regenerating and renewing purifying and sanctifying you By giving you a new Nature they will enable you to lead a new Life And therefore be sure to redeem some competent Time for reading of the Scripture that you may the better redeem the Remainder of your Time by reading of the Scripture The noble Aethiopian * Acts 8.28 Eunuch would lose no Time but as he was travelling and sitting in his Chariot he read Esaias the Prophet And as St. Chrysostom well notes if he was so religiously employed in a Journey what a diligent Student of the Scripture was he at home yea though he found what he then read to be to him difficult and [k] Quae aperta sunt in quibus mentem suam Deus aperit avidè prompto animo susâ—ipere decet quae adhuc nobis obscura sunt praeterire couvenit donec plentor lux affulgeat Quod si legendo non satigabimur fiet tandem ut scriptura assiduo usu familiaris nobis reddatur Calv. in loc obscure yet he would not lay that holy Book away which he did not at present well understand We must esteem reverently of the Word saies the judicious [l] Mr. Arthur Hildersam Lecture 1. on the Title of Psal 51. pag. 2. The obscurity of any Place should increase our Diligence in searching the meaning of it and teach us to acknowledg the necessity of a learned Ministry and of that Gift of Interpretation God hath given unto his Servants Act. 8.31 And to see the Necessity of joining with our reading humble Prayer unto God that he would open our Understanding Ps 119. 18. And cause us to come to the reading of the Word with an Heart that is humbled and fearful to offend God For the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant Ps 25.14 And this should move us to mark and lay up in our Hearts even those things which we understand not because they may do us good hereafter Luke 2.50 51. Joh. 2.22 Id. ib. pag. 2 3. Hildersam though we cannot at the first reading or hearing of it profit by it or discern what use it may serve us unto The Jews were so exactly versed in the Old Testament that [m] Contr. Appion l. 2. Josephus gives this Testimony of them Every one of our Nation being demanded of our Laws can answer as readily as he can tell his own Name * Acts 17.11 The Bereans are commended for spending their Time every Day in searching the Scriptures It is the honourable Character of Apollos that he was * Acts 18.24 mighty in the Scriptures one that had a great Insight and Skill in the Scriptures of the Old Testament But †Verse 26. Aquila and Priscilla ordinary Tent-makers had attained to such a measure of Knowledg in the Gospel that they were able to instruct an eloquent Apollos and to expound unto him the Way of God more perfectly ‖ 2 Tim. 3.15 Timothy had known the holy Scriptures from a Child Tertullian after his Conversion was taken up night and day in reading of the Scriptures and did with great Pains get much of them by heart and that so exactly that he knew each Period Origen having this daily Task set him by his Father to rehearse unto him some Portion of Scripture He though a Child not only committed the Words unto his Memory but inquired into the Sense and Meaning of them and diverse Times would gravel his Father with the Questions which he propounded to him And when he was grown to riper Years he spent much of the Night in meditating on the holy Scriptures [n] Quis sic universam divinam Scripturam edidicit imbibit concoxit versavit meditatus est Erasm ep
Nuncupat ad G. Varam praesix Epist D. Hieron Erasmus gives this notable Testimony of St. Jerome Who saies he did ever learn by heart the whole Scripture imbibe concoct handle it meditate upon it as he did This very learned and holy Father did moreover [o] Has omnes Hierontmus ad divinae Scripturae studium inflammavit inflammatas suâ doctrina provexit Hieron vita per Erasm contexta inflame and stir up diverse noble Matrons of his Acquaintance at Rome to an earnest and constant Study of the divine Scriptures exhorting and urging those holy Women not to lay the Bible out of their Hands until being overcome with Sleep and not able any longer to hold up their Heads they bowed them down as it were to salute the Leaves below them with a Kiss And by his instruction of them and interpretation of the Scriptures to them he assisted and promoted their pious Endeavours in those sacred Studies [n] Quò saediùs essâ—t ab ipsis Episcopis sacros libros negligi quos sexus insirmtor amplecteretur Id. ib. that it might be the greater shame for any Bishops in any wise to neglect those sacred Books which were so often read and so well understood by the weaker Sex And he attests particularly Marcella's Industry and great Proficiency in his Epitaph of her expressing himself in these Words concerning her Because I was at that Time of some Repute and Note saies he for the Study of the Scriptures [o] Nunquam me convenit quin de Scripturis aliquid interrogaret Id. ib. she never met with me but still she would be putting some Questions to me about the Scriptures And he further adds there [p] Quicquid in nobis longo fuit studio congregatum meditatione diuturnâ quasi in naturam versum hoc illa libavit didicit atque possedit ita ut post profectionem nostram si in aliquo testimonio Scripturarum esset oborta contentio ad illam pidicem pergeretur Id. ib. Inserant in aures margaritas verbi Tertullian de cultu foemin Whatever by long Study was gathered by me and turn'd as it were into my Nature by continual Meditation all that she pick'd out tasted learn'd and possess'd So that after my departure if any Controversy arose about the Testimony of the Scripture in any Matter they had recourse to her as a Judg therein Prosper was assiduous in reading the Scripture and usually had the four Evangelists in his Hands Venerable Bede read the Scripture with such Devotion and Affection that he would often weep in the reading of it and would conclude his reading of Scripture with Prayer The good Emperour Theodosius Senior wrote out the whole new Testament with his own Hand and read some Part of it every Day [o] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Niceph. Acclehast Historia l. 14 c. 3. Theodosius the second dedicated and consecrated a good Part of the Night to the Study of the Scriptures to which end he had as Nicephorus relates a Lamp so artificially made that it constantly supplied it self with Oil that none of his Servants might suffer any Trouble upon those Occasions He learned much of the holy Scriptures without Book and when he met and confer'd with the Bishops he expounded and explain'd obscure and knotty Places of Scripture as if he himself had been a Person in holy Orders Maccovius reports of George Prince of Transylvania that he had read over the Bible seven and twenty times And it is storied of Alphonsus King of Arragon that notwithstanding all his Princely Affairs he read over the Bible with a large Comment some say ten others affirm fourteen times Bonaventure wrote out the Bible twice with his own Hand and had most of it by heart Antonius Walaeus in his younger Years imprinted much of the Scripture in his Mind and when he was [p] Vit. Ant. VValaei ante Oper. Tom. 1. old could repeat without Book the Epistle to the Romans the second to the Corinthians to the Galatians Ephesians and Philippians Zuinglius wrote out St. Paul's Epistles and got them by heart [p] Fox Act. and Mon. 2 v. p. 1075. Thomas Cromwel afterward Earl of Essex in his Journey going and coming from Rome learned the Text of the whole New Testament of Erasmus's Translation without Book which was a Means of bringing him to the Knowledg and Savour and Love of the Truth [q] Id. ib. p. 1609 1610. Bishop Ridley in his Letter of Farewel to his Friends bidding farewel to Pembroke-Hall does thus attest his own Practice with the comfortable Fruit and Effect of it In thy Orchard saies he the Walls Buts and Trees if they could speak would bear me witness I learned without Book almost all Paul 's Epistles yea and all the Canonical Epistles save only the Apocalypse of which study although in time a great part did depart from me yet the sweet smell thereof I trust I shall carry with me into Heaven for the Profit thereof I think I have felt in all my Life-time ever after [r] His Life inserted among Mr. Clark's Lives of so em Div. p. 97 98. Dr. Gouge did tye himself to reade every Day fifteen Chapters in English out of the Bible five in the Morning five after Dinner before he fell upon his other Studies and five before he went to bed which course he first took up when he was a young Student in King's Colledg in Cambridg He was often heard to say that when he could not sleep in the Night time he used in his Thoughts to run through divers Chapters of the Scripture in order as if he had heard them read to him The like Practice he used in the Day time when he was alone whether within Doors or abroad for which end he wrote in a little Book which he alwaies carried about him the distinct Heads of every Particular Passage in every Chapter of the Bible that so when in any Place he meditated on the Word of God and was at a loss he might presently find help by that little Book By this means he made himself so expert in the Text that if he heard any Phrase of Scripture he could presently tell where it was to be found And besides all this he had his set Times of Study for understanding the meaning of the more difficult Places of Scripture [s] His Life ib. p. 163. Mr. Jeremy Whitaker usually read all the Epistles in the Greek Testament twice every fortnight [t] He had read that voluminous Book of the Acts and Monuments of the Church seven times over In his Life among Mr. Clark's Lives in 4. Mr. Ignatius Jurdain read the Bible above twenty Times over and that with special Observation as appeared by the Asterisks and Marks in the Bible which he used making particular Application to himself [u] His Life written by Dr. Bernard p. 22. Bp. Vsher had two Aunts who by reason of their blindness from their Cradles never
is the sincere Milk and strong Meat by which you may grow and be daily nourished the Wine with which you may be refreshed when weak the Physick with which you may be cured when sickâ— the Sword of the Spirit with which you may defend your selves when assaulted and resist and repel your spiritual Enemies Will you not readily and gladly repair to the Precepts which counsel you in all your Doubts and quicken you in all your Deadness and get and keep a spiritual Acquâ—lâ—tance with those exceeding great and precious Pronâ—â—ses that strengthen and stay relieve and refresh support and comfort you in all your Sorrow and Afflictions Troubles and Trials Dejection and Heart-breakings Disquietments and Discouragements Me-thinks a Man should never take up the Bible when he reads in private but with the greatest Comfort and Joy that can be and should say within himself Here 's that which very plainly proposeth the most excellent End and withal the most proper and sure Means to reach and attain it which clearly holds forth a sufficient Rule of Faith and Life which plentifully affords me most admirable Precepts and most select exact Patterns of exercising Graces and performing Duties most rare Exemplars of strong believing and holy Living Here 's that which contains the grand Charter of all my Spiritual and Heavenly Priviledges Here 's that that keeps me from Horrour and Despair notwithstanding all my Sin and Guilt Here 's that that teaches me how to live and that makes me able to think of Death without sinking and dying at the Thoughts of it Here 's that that makes me hold my Head above Water in the blackest Hour and saddest Condition that can befal me Love and delight in the Scriptures chiefly and especially for their Sanctity and Purity because they reveal and discover the holy Nature and Law of God the Necessity and Beauty of Holiness the Evil and Folly and Danger of Sin and are apt to win and draw us off from Sin and to bring us to a real universal Conformity to the Will of God and to a Participation of the Divine Nature an happy Participation of God's Holiness And apply thy self to the daily reading and diligent studying of the holy Scriptures with a sincere Desire to [b] This is the thankful Glass that mends the Lookers Eyes this is the VVell that washes what it shews Herb. Poem H. Script be made really holy in Heart and Life by them to be transform'd and renewed assimilated and made like to God by them to be conformed to Scripture-Precepts and Examples and to gain a Frame of Heart and a Conversation and Course of Life every way becoming the Gospel of Christ Whenever thou takest the Bible into thy Hand to reade a Chapter or any Portion of Scripture lift up thy Heart to God and say Now let me be made * Jo. 15.3 clean through the Word which thou shalt speak unto me Now let me be †17.17 sanctified through thy Word of Truth and Holiness Now let me gain some Degree of Grace and make some Improvement and Proficiency in Holiness by thy holy Word by this sacred Writ Allot and allow and ordinarily employ some Portion of Time every day for reading and considering the holy Scriptures If we don't in a manner task our selves usually to observe some certain set Times for this Use and Purpose our slothful Hearts will easily admit yea catch at any trifling Excuse to put by the Performance of this Duty and by Degrees we shall be drawn to an habitual Neglect of it We should therefore charge and enjoin our selves not to dispense with our stated Hours but upon very necessary and just Occasions and in such Cases be very careful that what we were forc'd to omit at such a Time we faithfully and honestly endeavour to supply and make up another It is convenient to reade commonly if it may be some portion of Scripture every Morning and every Evening [c] Luxin's Introduct to the holy Script p. 28. A worthy Divine well observes that our reading some Scripture in the Morning will be a good Antidote against the Infection of those Corruptions which we live amongst and is apt to fortify us against the Temptations of the ensuing Day as those who live where there is any Contagion do usually drink something in the Morning to prevent Infection And our reading Scripture in the Evening will be a means to compose our Minds and furnish us with matter of Meditation for the Night-season as Cattel feed towards the Evening that they may have something to ruminate or chew over again when they lie down to take their Rest That nothing may prove an Hindrance and impediment in this Employment 1. Redeem the Time from unnecessary wordly Businesses Nay let no ordinary Occasions of your Calling make you generally careless and negligent of the sacred Scriptures Do not idly pretend want of Leisure to reade the weightiest Matters in the World things of greatest Importance and nearest Concernment to your immortal Souls They that enjoy much Leisure from worldly Assairs God expects that such should employ and bestow more of their Time in this spiritual Exercise Yet they that have fullest Business and fewect Spare-hours cannot wholly be exempted from this Duty 'T is very remarkable that the * Deut. 17.18 19 20. King himself was expresly commanded to write him a Copy of the Law in a Book to write out the Book of Deuteronomy which is a Compendium of the Law yea to write out the whole Pentateuch saies [d] Totum Pentateuchum tenebatur describere primùm ut Israel ta quivis deinde iterum ut Rex ut sciret in privatis in publicis negotiis Legem sibi sequendam Sic legere eam debebat sibi peivatim in Templo audiente populo ut sciret populus neminem à lege excipi Grot. in loc Grotius to write it with his own Hand saies Philo that the divine Precepts might be the better imprinted and fastened in his Mind It was to be with him and he was to reade therein all the Daies of his Life notwithstanding the Multiplicity and Greatness of the Affairs of his Kingly Office 2. Redeem the Time from fruitless Pleasures from Play-Books Romances Fansyful Poems feigned Stories common Histories witty or elegant Speeches Never suffer these or the like to fill your Hands to entertain your Eyes to please your Phansies to get into your Hearts so as to keep the sacred Scriptures and divine Oracles out of your Hands and Hearts Alexander would find Time to reade Homer even in the Camp and chose to lay up Homer's Poems in a most precious Casket taken out of the Spoils of Darius And the Emperour Aelius Verus was so in love with Ovid de arte amandi as to reade it in his Bed and to lay it under his Pillow when he went to sleep But these were utterly ignorant of the Scriptures O let not us Christians have
which are of so strange and weighty an importance that the * 1 Pet. 1 1◠Angels themselves desire [o] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is an Allusion to the Cherubims which were made with their Eyes looking down towards the Mercy-Seat slooping down to look to peep and pry into them In gaining Knowledg and Understanding of the Wisdome Counsel Mind and Will of God In acquainting our selves with the Rule of our Lives in learning the Laws of the Kingdome and studying the Statutes of Heaven in using the Means of getting and growing in saving Grace in opening and reading our Elder Brother's Will and Testament in sucking those full Breasts of strong Consolation and in drawing the refreshing Water of Life out of those Wells of Salvation Let it be the shame and sorrow and trouble of our Souls that we have been careless of the Scriptures in any part of our whole Lives [p] In his Life written by Mr. W. Durham p. 2. Dr. Robert Harris President of Trinity-Colledg in Oxford was not a little afflicted to his dying day that even in his Childhood he was more willing of play than of reading the Scriptures to his pious Parents at their Call And let 's lament and sadly lay to heart the slight Thoughts that too many have of the holy Scriptures and their gross neglect and great disregard of the precious and venerable Book of God Mr. Fuller in his [p] Pag. 148. History of the University of Cambridge does give us a Relation of an excellent Meditation of the Reverend Dr. Richard Holdesworth which the Relater himself heard drop from him a little before his expiring I admire saies he at David 's gracious Heart who so often in Scripture but especially in the 119th Psalm extolleth the Worth and Value of the Word of God and yet Quantillum Scripturae how little of the Word had they in that Age the Pentateuch or five Books of Moses the Book of Job and some of the Hagiography a little of other holy Writ How much have we now thereof since the accession of the Prophets but especially of the New Testament and yet alas the more we have of the Word of God the less it is generally regarded Lastly let 's do our honest and utmost endeavour to win and draw others on to the Love and Liking to the Reading and Studying of the sacred Scriptures * Deut. 6.6 7. Let them be in thine Heart and teach them diligently unto thy Children and talk of them when thou sittest in thine House and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thon risest up †4.9 Teach them thy Sons and thy Son's Sons ‖ Gen. 18.19 Command thy Children and engage thy Houshold and Servants to reade the Scriptures and to mind what they reade and allow them Time for so necessary a Duty and let not any in thy Family want a Bible for their Use and Benefit [q] The Life of Dr. Rob. Harris written by Mr. W. Durham pag. 57. In all the Wills made by the forementioned Dr. Robert Harris this Legaey was alwaies renewed Item I bequeath to all my Children and their Childrens Children to each of them a Bible with this Inscription None but Christ The eighth Direction If we would effectually redeem the Time we must give our selves to frequent and serious [a] Meditatio soror lectionis nutrix orationis directrix oporis emntumque pariter perfectio consummatrix Gerson Meditation Meditation is more excellent than mere Study for the End of Meditation is not the filling our Heads with Notions but the quickening of our Affections and strengthning of our Resolutions the warming of our Hearts and putting them upon Duty the bringing them to an inward lively Sense of God to the Love and Fear of God to Thankfulness and Obedience to him to the Enjoyment of him and Fellowship and Communion with him Let 's use and inure our selves [b] See Dr. T. Goodwin of the Vanity of Thoughts pag. 8 9 10. to raise and extract holy Observations and spiritual Considerations from all ordinary Occurrences and Occasions and as the Bee sucks Honey out of every Flower let 's endeavour to distil heavenly and savory sweet and useful Meditations out of all God's Dealings with us and Dispensations towards us out of all Accidents that befall us or any about us out of the Things we see hear or hear of and out of all the Objects that any way come into our Thoughts This was the Practice of our blessed Saviour when he came to * Joh. 4. a Well he took occasion to discourse of the Water of Life And this has likewise been the Vsage of the most eminent practical Christians The Reverend and holy [c] His Life among Clark's Lives of ten em Div. p. 166 167. Mr. Jeremy Whitaker as he was riding with one of his intimate Friends by Tiburn which he had not seen or not observ'd before he asked what that was and being answered that it was Tiburn where so many Malefactors had lost their Lives he stop'd his Horse and utter'd these Words with much Affection O what a shame is it that so many thousands should die for the Satisfaction of their Lusts and so few be found willing to lay down their Lives for Christ Why should not we in a good Cause and upon a good Call be ready to be hanged for Jesus Christ It would be an everlasting Honour and it is a thousand times better to die for Christ to be hanged or to be burn'd for Christ than to die in our Beds When we are riding walking sitting alone in the day time or when we are awake in the night season let us commune with our own Hearts and fill up such spaces of Time and employ such Spare-Hours in holy Thoughts of the best Things yea let us set some Time apart for the solemn Duty of Meditation That which comes into our Souls by Meditation is like a Shower of Snow which falls soft and sinks deep 'T is a good Saying of St. Austin Intellectus cogitabundus principium omnis boni A thinking Mind is a Principle productive of all good [d] Dr. Annesly M. E. Serm. i. p. 9. The Father of a Prodigal lying on his Sick and Death-bed straitly charg'd his only Son that he would spend a Quarter of an Hour every day in serious solitary Thoughts leaving to himself the particular Subject of his retired Meditation The Son accordingly following this Advice at last cast in his Thoughts what might be his Father's Intention in such Injunction He concluded that his Father being a wise and a good Man designed to direct and lead his Thoughts to the consideration of somewhat of Religion which did so mightily operate upon him that he quickly became rationally religious Upon all Occasions particularly and especially often meditate and frequently think of the four last Things Death Judgment Heaven and Hell the serious Thoughts of which
natural Infirmities not to cause moral Distempers as means to * Eccl. 10.17 sustain and refresh our Bodies that our Bodies may be fit to serve our Souls and our selves may be enabled with vigour and alacrity to serve and honour God in the proper Duties of our particular Places We should eat our Bread before God as the Expression is Exod. 18.12 that is not only as in the sight of God but as the * 1 Cor. 10.31 Apostle speaks whether we eat or drink we should do all to the Glory of God Remember to direct these natural Actions to spiritual Ends and to make them an occasion of some Exercise of Religion Be never wanting to beg a Blessing of God before you eat And when you sit at Table as [h] Cùn manducas nequaquam totus manduces sed corpore tuo suam refectionem postulante mens suam non negligat memoria suavitatis Domini vel Scripturarum poscat Meditationes Bernard St. Bernard advises be not wholly employed in eating and drinking but your body requiring and receiving its due repast let not your Mind neglect its proper refection Refresh your Soul when you feed your Body and use such holy Meditations as may keep and preserve you from †Jam. 5.5 Rom. 13.14 nourishing your Hearts from ministring fuel to your Lusts and making provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof [i] Fox Act. and Mon. 2 vol. p. 1457. Mr. Fox reports of the holy Bradford that in the midst of Dinner he used often to muse with himself having his Hat over his Eyes from whence came commonly plenty of Tears dropping on his Trencher Whenever you recruit and repair your Nature strive then to provoke and stir up in thy self and others ‖ Mat. 5 6. hungrings and thirstings after Righteousness Remember meditate and discourse of the Sweetness of Christ of the refreshing strengthning Ordinances of Christ of being (*) Ps 36.8 abundantly satisfied with the Fatness of God's House and of drinking of the River of his Pleasures of feeding and living by Faith on the Promises of the Gospel and receiving the * Rom. 15.4 Comforts of the Scriptures With Job †Job 23.12 esteem the Words of God's Mouth more than thy necessary Food or appointed Portion With David acknowledg the Laws and Judgments of God to be ‖ Ps 19.10 sweeter than Honey and the Honey-comb than the sweetest and purest Honey Think and speak of the (*) Joh 6.48 50 51 55. living Bread which came down from Heaven of the Bread of Life the (†) Rev. 21.6 22.17 Water of Life of spiritual (‖) Isa 55.1 Wine and Milk * 1 Pet. 2.2 Desire the sincere Milk of the Word that you may grow thereby Have a longing Mind to that spiritual Food which is Meat indeed and Drink indeed Taste and relish the †Rev. 2 17. hidden Manna Delight thy self in the serious Fore-thoughts of ‖ Mat 8.11 sitting down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven of (*) Luke 22.30 eating and drinking at Christ's Table in his Kingdom Raise and lift up thy Mind to the Celestial Table strengthen and sharpen thy Appetite to the most delicious heavenly Banquets Let the Consideration and Hope of the spiritual Joys and purer higher Pleasures of the other World cause thee to despise these gross and brutish Pleasures to say in the Words and with the Affection and Spirit of Mr. Herbert [k] Home What is this weary World this Meat and Drink That chains us by the Teeth so fast [l] Church-porch p. 5. Look on Meat think it Dirt then eat a Bit. And say withal Earth to Earth I commit Entertain thy self with better fare and richer cheer Thank God you have * Joh. 4.32 Meat to eat which the World knows not of Let others †6.27 labour for the Meat which perisheth but do thou resolve rather to labour for that Meat which endureth to everlasting Life Account and reckon it thy Meat and Drink with thy blessed ‖ 4.34 Saviour to do the Will of thy heavenly Father And with (*) 4.31 32. him have a greater care of making provision for others Souls than of supplying thy own bodily Necessities When at usual seasons thou nourishest thy Body be sure thou doest not then forget to (†) 1 Tim 4.6 nourish up thy self and others in (‖) 6.3 wholesome Words in the Words of Faith and of good Doctrine which is according to Godliness Even while thou arc feeding thy Body as thou hast occasion and opportunity let thy * Prov. 10.21 Lips feed many I remember Cicero introduceth Cato giving this good account of himself that he loved to feast with his Friends and Neighbours not so much for the [m] Neque enim ipsorum convivtorum delectationem corporis voluptatibus magis quà n catu amicorum sermonibus metiebar Bene enim majores nostri c. Ego verò proster sermonis delectationem tempestivis conviviis delector c. Cicero de senect corporal Pleasure of eating and drinking as for the delight and refreshment of the good Discourses that were used among them at such Meetings And Tertullian informs us that much of Religion was mingled with the Meals the very common Meals of the Primitive Christians That they did not offer to [m] Non priùs discumbitur quà m oratio ad Deum praegustetur It a suturaatur ut qui meminerint etiam per noctem ado andum Deum sibiesse c. Aequè oratio convivium duimit non tam coenam coenaverint quà m disciplinam Tert. Apol. c. 39 take their Meat before they had tasted the spiritual sweetnesses of Prayer and Devotion That they fed as those who well remembred that they were to go upon their Knees to God before they went to Bed and therefore narrowly watch'd over themselves that no degrees of Intemperance at Supper might dull and indispose them to the Duty of Prayer and unfit them for the Worship and Service of God that night That they talk'd and confer'd as those that knew God heard And after Supper as any was able either out of the holy Scriptures or out of his own Invention he was called forth into the midst of the Company to sing a Psalm or Hymn to God which was a manifest Proof what temperate measures he had at that Meeting kept in drinking having loaden neither his Stomach nor his Understanding Prayer in like manner dismiss'd the Company who then departed with setled dispositions and sirm resolutions to lead most modest chast vertuous godly Lives as those who at that very season had not so much made a Meal as kept a Discipline had at that time been at a Lecture rather than at a Supper and then had more replenish'd their Souls than satisfied their Bodies And both [n] In ipsa mensa magis lect onem vel disputationem quà n epu ationem
potation◠nque d ligebat c. Poslidonius de vita August Possidonius and [o] Mensam habebat magis srugiseris sermonibus quà m exqu sitis e luliis opiparam Eóque firè velsacram lectionem adhibebat mensae vel de re quaptam frugisera commentabatur ut non minùs ammt convivarum resi erentur quà n cerpora Lrasm epist ad archiep Toletan ante Op. August Erasmus certify us concerning St. Austin that he had a Table richly furnish'd rather with fruitful Discourses than exquisite Dainties That he took great care that their Table-talk should be serious and pious or some way profitable at least charitable and innocent To which end he ordered that a certain Distich or two Verses should be written on it or hung at it as a necessary Law forbidding those that fed at his Table to gnaw the good Names of others or to fasten their Teeth in them by back-biting of them by detracting from or speaking evil of absent Persons A Disease as Erasmus there well observes almost peculiar to those who otherwise make a profession of Piety when nothing is more alien from true Piety for this Pest usually steals upon Men under a shew of Probity and guise of Goodness while it would appear to be an hatred of Vices and a Zeal of Vertue Which great Evil was so abhorr'd by this holy Man that sometimes he would not yield to the Authority of the very Bishops but when some of his most familiar Fellow-Bishops were forgetful of that Writing and spake what was not agreeable to the Direction of it he would very sharply reprehend them and be so mov'd as to tell them Let them either blot out those written Verses or he would rise from the Table in the midst of his Refection and go to his Chamber if they would not forbear such Tales and Stories He would not suffer his Table to be polluted with such Talk but either required some Scripture to be read while he sat at Table or held some useful Disputation or discours'd concerning some fruitful Matter at Meals that the Minds of his Guests might be no less refresh'd than their Bodies How instructive and edifying were the Table-colloquies of the excellent Luther and the holy Mr. Greenham And [p] In the Life of Bp. Usher p. 57 58. Dr. Bernard acquaints us that the Discourses which daily fell from Bp. Usher at his Table in the clearing of Difficulties in the Scripture and other Subjects especially when learned Men came to visit him were of great advantage to such as were capable of them To others he would apply and accommodate himself with wonderful Humility and Condescention to their meaner Capacities to inform and satisfy their Minds and to work upon their Affections in practical Matters and in his Discourses would sometimes rather incline toward such than to others more learned It put me often in mind saies that worthy Doctor of that Speech of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon Happy are these thy Servants that continually stand about thee and hear thy Wisdom We should all ordinarily stir up our selves to use savoury Expressions and shew holy Affections when we are eating We should still taste and commend the Goodness of God in the variety of his Creatures we partake of and give God solemn hearty [q] A young man lying upon his Sick-bed was alwaies calling for meat but as soon as he saw it was brought to him at the sight of it he shook and trembled dreadfully in every part of his Body and so continued till his Food was carried away and thus being not able to eat he pined away and before his Death acknowledged God's Justice in that in his Health he had received his meat ordinarily without giving thanks Mr. Swinnock's Christ man's Call p. 409. thanks after every Meal for his satherly Care of us and seasonable bountiful Provision for us and ours and charge our selves to spend the Strength we receive from his Creatures in doing him faithful and cheerful Service And as we should be spiritual and heavenly in eating and drinking so we should use Recreations and Sleep to holy ends that by doing for the present little or nothing we may become more apt to do some good thing to be usefully occupied and worthily employed The tenth Direction If we would wisely redeem the Time we must make a good Choice of our Friends and Acquaintance and a good Improvement of our Company and Society 1. A good Choice of our Friends and Acquaintance The sense Man has of his own Weakness and Indigency makes him naturally much [a] The Philosopher sitly calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 addicted and strongly inclin'd to Company and Society which he apprehends so necessary for the * Gen. 2.18 Eccl. 4.9 10 11 12. Help Relief and Comfort of his Life But of all Society that is the most inward and intimate which has its Rise from Choice and Election In the making of which Choice great Caution and Consideration Care and Prudence is to be exercis'd for Men are either made or marr'd as to the forming of their Manners and further'd or hindred as to the Improvement of their Time and their Preparations for Eternity according to the Company they sall in with And therefore we need Direction in no Action of our Life more than in the Choice of our Company especially of our Friends our closest and most familiar Companions They are excellent Counsels that are given by [a] Bp. Taylot of the Measures and Ossices of Friendship p. 14. Pythagoras and [b] Bp. Taylot of the Measures and Ossices of Friendship p. 14. Theognis to guide and conduct our Choice [a] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pvvhag Aur. Carm 5. Where Vertue dwells there Friendships make [b] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theogn sent 113. But evil Neighbourhoods forsake [c] Virtutum amicitia adjutrix à natura data est non vitiorum comes ut quoniam solitaria non posset virtus ad ea quae summa sunt perventre conjuncta sociata cum altera perviniret Lael apud Cic. de Amic Tully tells us that Friendship is given and intended by Nature to be an Assistant Helper and Advancer of Vertues and not a Companion Prompter and Promoter of Vices It therefore greatly concerns and becomes you so to pick and chuse your Friends and Acquaintance as may best serve some excellent End of Vertue And yet we sind when Persons are to chuse their most bosom Friends the Companions of their Youth and Age that they and their Relations who are their Guides and Governours do too commonly regard bodily Beauty and worldly Portion more than Piety and Religion and all the Riches and Ornaments of Grace and Helps for Salvation and Advantages of living and growing in the Knowledg and Faith and Fear of God Laelius in Cicero relates of Scipio that he was wont to complain that Men were exceeding diligent in all other Provisions would