of glorie And therefore the Holy Ghost counsaileth vs Eccli 4.20 to preserue and keepe Time as we doe gold so shall we depart from euill which is as if he had told vs that we should vse imploy it in good works not loose the least moment thereof Againe he willeth vs to be aduised by the same Ecclesiasticus Eccli 14.14 saying Defraud not thy selfe of the good day and let not the portion of the good desires ouerpas thee One trāslation hath Particula bonae diei others as likewise in the vulgar editiō Boni doni One while he saith let no part of the good day ouerpas thee for nought another while he saith of the good gift or desires The meaning is to admonish vs that we spend wel the Time and the Day yea all days for he that can wel order redres one day may by the same amēd and reforme al his life in the same man ought to do all the good he can for him selfe for his neighbors exercising himself in works of Pietie and mercie King Dauid so much feared to loose the least particle of Time so farre indeuored wholy to imploy the same wel that he striued contēded with the sun for early vprising to praise God which at lēgth the king preuented according to those words Psal 11◠ver 147.148 Praeuenerūt oculi mei ad te diluculo Early in the morning do I cry vnto thee Mine eies preuēt the morning watch that I might meditate in thy words for before the Sun was vp I was occupied in the same Which according to the exposition of S. Ambrose is as much as if more clearely hee had spoken Rise earlier thou Christiā before the Sun be vp for I hold it great negligēce carelesnesse most culpable in thee that the beames of the Sunne when it riseth should find thee idle and sleeping in thy bed Thou art ignorant perhaps that thou oughtest euery day to render vnto God almighty the first fruits of thy toung and heart See thou haue a daily haruest and daily fruite in like maner And in another Psalme the Prophet saith Psal 77.4 Anticipauerunt vigilias oculi mei My eyes preuented and awaked before the watch-men and gard of the citie that is to say as S. Ierome declareth before that any body went to watch or did awake I awaked and watched at midnight and in the morning at mid-day in the euening and finally seuen times a day doe I laud my Lorde yea alwayes and at all houres haue I his prayses in my mouth Hee well knew how to obserue Time hee duely acknowledged what it was and what stood him auaileable as of a thing so pretious hee knew how to make profite thereof without loosing one iot either of the Good day or of the good gift Time saith Theophrastus is a most costly Theophrast expense Seneca Epist 1. And Seneca in his first Epistle which hee wrote to his friend Lucilius saith thus What man is he that will suffer me to set price on his Time How much thinkes hee is the day worth admitting that euery day hee were to die wherfore we do much deceiue our selues herein because we fix not our eies vpon death a great part whereof is already past all that of our age life which yet remaineth behinde death holdes in possession Wherfore my deere friend Lucilius persist still in doing of that which thou thy selfe in thy Letters didst write vnto me thou doest being a person that so well knowest the due estimation of Time imbrace al the houres so shalt thou depend lesse vppon the morrowe pointing as it were this day with thy finger not permitting the same to ouerpasse thee idlely for the life putting it selfe off with prolonging flies away passeth at random And all things els beeing estrainged alienated frō vs onely Time is ours and very naturall reason hath infourmed vs that we obtaine the possession of a very swift thing which runneth away so fast and slideth amaine yea flyes apace from betweene our hands The knowledge and discretion of mortall men is so litle and weake that they impute it a great losse incase they leaue vndone the least vilest thing or smallest trifle being indeed reuocable and amendable though pretermitted none thinkes that hee oweth or is indebted any thing for hauing receiued Time cōsidering that Time is but one sole thing which yet the gratefull mā can make no due satisfaction for that which he receiued as hee ought in regard of the high price and for that the debt is great in vndertaking the day vpon himself And in his booke of the shortnesse of life Idem lib. de breuit vitae he saith There is no man that will forgoe or part with his patrimonie or substance nor disinherite himselfe but rather will keepe it and augment it as for Time and his course of life hee will with great facility impart and bestow them many times on diuerse vaine things They are very niggard of their wealth but for Time they are most prodigall and lauish when as indeed their honest and laudable couetousnesse should be onely of Time because most truely as in the same Booke then presently after hee saith Time is the most precious thing that is and yet for al that they dispraise it and hold it of no esteeme for nought and of no worth as though it were right nought indeed bearing no price at all Not one makes reckoning of it when they haue it but if any be sicke then shall you see bowing of knees crouching before the Physitian and if hee feare the sentence of death that man will waigh him with gold for to ransome his life That blessed holy man Laurentius Iustinianus Laur. Iust de vitae solit 6.10 treating of Time and the value thereof sayeth thus Who hath that power to cōprehend or conceiue in his heart what a precious thing Time is O what grace eloquence or sweet flowing speach of man is able to declare it None knowes it but such as now want and misse the same Then all the goods of the world honours dignities and prelacies the pompe of this age corporall delights and bodily pleasures yea and all maner recreations sports and pastimes ioyes and intertainements whatsoeuer they be which are vnder the cope of heauen would bee giuen in boote and exchanged for one houre of Time if it were possible to bee obtained because in this most short space they would appease the diuine Iustice they would make glad and reioyce the Angels they would eschewe from that fearefull sentence of eternall damnation and gaine yea without al doubt they would procure life euerlasting And they are most vnhappie vpon whom the Sunne of mercie is already set who most irreuocably shall descend into that lake of miserie where there is neither order nor good course Iob. 10.15 22 but fright and horror perpetuall and with good reason shall
deliuereth thē all things they aske and demaund of such a one wee may truly say that himselfe ransomed his owne life So after the same maner thou my Brother enioyest a large faire house greate store of wealth iewels pearles and precious stones thou possessest a Soule which is the liuely Temple of the liuing God yea his owne house and dwelling place thou art endued with faith hope and charitie besides other vertues and gifts from his hands and bountifull liberality Giue and bestowe all that shall be demaunded of thee and loose the remainder when it shall be expedient and needfull in exchange least thou loose the life of thy Soule and so thou mayest ransome redeeme Time which in case thou dost not thy enemies will leade thee away captiue Againe Sinners may redeeme and ransome the time they with-held captiuated if they will embrace and follow the Counsell of the Prophet Baruch where he sayeth Baruch 4 28. Sicut fuit sensus vester c. Conuert and turne you to God and after your conuersion to him by repentance you shall serue and obey him tenne times more carefull with more ardent heate feruour and diligence then before when you departed from him and misimployed your time They will likewise rescue and repurchase the same againe if they wil performe the admonition which the Apostle S. Paul giueth declaring vpon the consequence of these words Sicut exhibuistis membra vestra Rom. 6.19 c. Euen as hitherto you haue imployed yeelded your bodies senses and members in the seruice of vncleannesse and iniquity to sin now wheele about and looke back turne ouer the leafe and imploy all things to serue equity vertue and holinesse of life The Apostle hauing spoken before Rom. 6.19 Humanum dico propter infirmitatē vestram c. I speake as a man for your infirmities sake and because you are weake hartily beseeching you that you wholy imploy and busie your selues in the seruice of God by keeping his cōmaundements and redeeming the Time of which holy exercise the fruite is your sanctification for by such workes man doth sanctifie and dedicate himselfe wholy to God that you perform this with as great affection and alacritie as euer hereto fore you deuoted your selues to impiety yeelding your members as bondslaues to sinne whose fruite is nothing else but iniquity and wherof a Sinner can make no other profit but that hee remaine a Sinner a miserable wretched man and be so accounted And notwithstanding it be true that Sanctification doth far exceed iniquitie yet rest I well satisfied with such vnfained endeuor and resolution of doing good workes which some haue performed after their conuersion with such earnestnesse as before they were set and bent to sin by displeasing and offending of God We see how violent and couragious many are to sinne and after they haue glutted their appetites how slothful and luke-warme howe slacke and faint they are to repent to exercise themselues in actions of vertue The sinner rusheth through thick and thin to accomplish his desire and to satisfie his lustfull appetite and as it were to run away with that he longed for nothing seemeth difficult or hard vnto him and if thou aske him how canst thou suffer this or that though he be neuer so graue and ancient to all things he will frame an answer and say yes Time seemeth most short to sinners for inioying of their lusts and pleasures but to occupie themselues in good workes it seemes most large and wearisome The Seruice long the Sermon large his prayers meditations paines and fasting laborious and tedious Cold weather makes them heartlesse and cowards heate slacketh and releaseth them and all things seemes painefull and heauie So as to conclude that is a most singular remedie and helpe for to redeeme Time to imploy it well and to vse it with such alacritie heedfulnesse earnestnesse and liuelinesse to deuotion as he hath done when he was altogether bent and resolued to loose and captiuate to same CHAP. 10. How it is to be vnderstood that the dayes are euill and howe that therefore TIME is to be redeemed AL things that God hath created are good being considered in themselues and according to their owne nature and kind because that from his most blessed hands there could proceed no worke or thing which were not good And so himselfe after the worke of Creation sayd that all were good and perfect Gen. 1.31 that he had made and created And to speake to our purpose the dayes and yeares considered in themselues cannot be euill neither can there be any morall malice found in them which iustly may be tearmed a fault because they are not capable thereof nor yet any feeling of punishment for they cannot apprehend it nor any other miserie which men suffer for their sinnes But the dayes are sayd to be euill in respect of men who liue in them by occasion of their transgressions and sins they commit or by reason of those punishments they suffer caused by the former according to S. Chrysostome and S. Ieromes exposition Chrys Hier. sup Psal 27. And so are persons that be weake sicke sad sorowfull or afflicted wont to say O what an euill day this hath beene vnto me oh how terrible and how bitter Two things there are saith that excellent S. Augustine that make the daies to be euill Aug. ser 24. de verbis Apost are the cause wherefore they are termed euill being indeed in thēselues good namely the Malice and the Miserie of men The miserie or wretchednesse is common but the malice ought not so to be From the time that Adam sinned and was banished out of Paradise the dayes haue euer continued euill and the crying of infants at the time of their birth is a presage of their miserie and troubles and a sure signe and infallible token that vpon that day they enter into this vale of teares and that at the least though they be so happie as to become good they shall not faile but bee encombred with sundry dangerous temptations and tryals albeit the cause thereof cannot be expresly declared Euthymius expounding Euthym. in Psal 34. those wordes of the Psalmist Who is that man that wisheth life and desireth to see good dayes saith that those good dayes are they of the other life for that those of this are euill according to that which Iacob spake to Pharao Gen. 47.8.9 and the Apostle S. Paul also when he wrote to them of Ephesus Redeeme the time Ephes 5.15 because the dayes are euill And S. Basil faith the same The whole time of my Pisgrimage saith Iacob answering Pharao Basil ibid. who had asked him Gen. 47.9 how old he was is an hundred and thirty yeares fewe and euill haue the dayes of my life beene The king demanded him how many are the yeares of thy life and he answered The dayes of my pilgrimage c. and though it seemes that
small holes in the ground and had hid them all in safety And afterwards the wylie and cunning dam soared aloft and quite flew her wayes leauing the Fowler deceiued ashamed considering he could lay hold neither of her self nor vpon any of her young ones In the same maner goeth the Diuell about to delude and entrappe thee thou blinde and foolish Sinner and so detayneth entertaineth and draweth thee on with vaine pleasures and deceiueable delights frō one day to another and from one yeare to another yea many yeares together with one false hope that hereafter thou shalt haue Time sufficient to repent thee that if thou neglect it this day thou mayest performe it to morrow or some other day as though the dayes and times were in thine owne hands Act. 10. which the eternall Father hath reserued for himselfe whereby thus alwaies loosing Time and the occasion present thou mightest hereafter come to want lacke all good opportunitie or seasons then shalt thou haue cause to bewaile and mone for euer If it be good to conuert our selues to God almightie saith S. Augustine let vs do it quickly let it be done instantly Aug. ad fraet in Eremo wilt thou say I will conuert and turne me to morrow yea too morrowe And wherefore not this day Considering the morrowe is neither sure nor certaine Happens there not oftentimes many suddaine deaths Die there not an innumerable multitude without acknowledging their sins and repentance Thē sayest thou God help me what harme haue I spoken by saying that to morrow I will conuert mee and begin a new reckoning when of necessitie it should be done this day Then God helpe mee likewise Brother mine answered S. Augustine what hurt haue I spoken by saying it should be done this day That being much more safe and better and so I speak better then thou doest considering thou hast not for thine owne but onely this day and yet not all this day saue onely the present moments or minutes How much better were it if it might be that all thy life were good for thou wishest and desirest that it were amended and reformed then that some part therof be good though as little as may be Thou wilt haue or at least indeuorest to obtaine thy meate thy wife thy house thy apparell thy hose and shoes all throughly neate and of the best Esteeme and respect therefore thy Soule in much more account then thy shoes Thus farre Saint Augustine The life saith Seneca is diuided into three seasons or times namely Seneca in that that is past present and to come and of them the Time present is the shortest and that to come is most doubtfull but Time past is most sure and certaine and thereof now Nature it selfe hath lost the dominion and Ruledome neither is it possible that it can be recalled by anie humane facultie Then if we suffer the Time present to ouerpasse we indanger our selues to be bereft for euermore without it but to cōtinue in eternall condemnation How much more thou sottish Sinner Open thine eares listen to mee I say how much more better were it that in all the Time of this life yea from the very first moment that thou hast the vse of Reason thou yeeld forth good fruite and prepare thy selfe and be in a readinesse against such Time as when the Maister Lord thereof doth come to demaund it for there is neither momēt nor houre wherein hee cannot come and call vs to particular Iudgement wherein he rewardeth the labourers and workemen of his vineyard according to euery ones labour and industrie All which out of S. Ierome In confirmation whereof that Parable of the Fig-tree commeth neere this purpose Mat. 21.19 which our Sauiour Christ had planted as our Lord drew neare the same being hungry and desirous to eate some figs and finding no figges theron did curse the same Mar. 13.28 And the holy Euangelist well noteth that as then it was no time of fruite bearing And therefore did not inflict that punishment properly vpon the Figge tree but vpon fruitlesse barren men voyde of good workes signified by the same tree Because that man at all times is bound to yeeld and render fruite for which cause our Lord when hee comes to seeke and findes none he will inflict vpon him the paine of his eternall malediction euerlasting curse All things saith Salomon haue their determined and precise times Eccles. 3.1 and after that sort and maner That all Time is neither opportune nor seasonable for all thinges for that which is peculiar and naturall for one thing is not fit for other businesse but verie preiudiciall and hurtfull As if one should sowe whē hee should reape fall and grub vp trees when time were to plant To speake when one should keepe silence To laugh when hee ought to weepe Furthermore for man to doe good works and to labour in the vineyard of our Lord there is no precise nor limitted Time it is alwayes fitte Time It will be euer seasonable in what houre so euer in what age so euer admitting that at no time it be lawfull to sinne and offend and that no Time was giuen bestowed on man to doe euill or to execute wickednesse According to those words of Ecclesiasticus Ecclus 15.20 God commaunded no man to doe vngodly neither hath hee giuen any man licence to sinne but rather aduiseth and admonisheth all men to preserue and keepe Time Ecclus 4.20 and that they depart from euill because it was lent and giuen them for no other end but to do good to imploy the same wel The being of a man idle and carelesse Matth. 20 7 as well the workeman as the hireling is reproued by the goodman of the family yet such an idle standing and carelesse liuing of him that is most in yeares and most aged deserueth and is worthy of most blame And so compareth that royall Prophet Dauid in the beginning of his Psalmes the Iust man Psal 1.3 with the Tree that was planted neer the running waters which yeelded fruite in due time By which he meant not to say that as the tree rendreth no fruite saue onely in one moneth or at one speciall time of the yeare not in others so the iust man is to yeeld his fruit vpon certain dayes or moneths or in some precise and determined yeares and not in others But rather saith thus euen as the tree yeelds his fruite in his due time season if it did not thē would the owner cut it downe to the very ground So man ought to render fruite according to his estate and profession in his time And his time is all the time of his life And he aduiseth and warneth him on Gods behalfe that it behoueth him alwayes to pray Luc. 18.1 and neuer to cease and to be alwayes watching as it were with a candle in his hand because he knoweth not at