Will you make them labour for you six Daies together and will not you cause them to serve God one Day in seven Be at least as much concern'd in Case of neglect of God's Service as you are at any Time when your own Work and Family-business is neglected Do it for God's sake Shew that you love the Honour of God and not only respect your own Commodity and look to your own Advantage Do it for your Servant's sake Make it their Business to do God Service that they may be approved and rewarded by him Yea do it for your own sake Make your Servants God's faithful Servants that so they may prove more faithful to you and that God may bless them in your Service and that your Work may thrive and succeed in their Hands On this Day especially call thy Family thy whole Family to Family-duties prepare them for and hasten them to the publick Ordinances It is reported of [w] M. Clark in his Life Dr. Chaderton the first Master of Emmanuel-Colledg that he was married three and fifty Years and yet in all that Time he never kept any of his Servants from the Church to dress his Meat saying that he desired as much to have his Servants know God as himself And it was the Custome of the Reverend and pious [x] See his Life among Mr. Clark's Lives of ten Em. Div. Dr. Gouge to forbear providing of Suppers the Eve before that Servants might not be occasioned thereby to sit uplate neither would he suffer any [y] Die Dominicâ ut in festis licet etiam ciborum lautiorem apparatum habere quamvit in eis parandis ne majora impediantur servorum animae detrimentum non necessarium iucurrant summopere curandum est Baxter Meth. Th. part 3. c. 14. p. 172. Servant to stay at home for dressing any Meat upon the Lord's-day for the Entertainment of Friends whether they were mean or great few or many Take your Family to Church along with you and when you return home again examine catechize inform instruct them recapitulate the Sermon read the Scripture and good Books to them whet practical profitable necessary saving Truths on them sing Psalms among them and pray most heartily and affectionately with and for them And you that are Servants who have little leisure most of you on other Daies and who live too many of you in such profane and ungodly Families where you hear not so much as one Praier put up to God nor one Line of the Word of God read nor one serious Word spoken of God all the Week long what reason have you carefully to redeem the Lord's-day to redeem it in publick by devoutly attending to the Prayers that are made and the Word that is both read and preacht in the publick Congregation And to redeem it in private by taking all possible Occasions to retire and go aside by your selves to consider in secret the needs of your Souls to examine your Hearts and States to review your Lives and Actions to humble your selves in Confession of Sin and to pour out your Souls in Prayer for Pardon and Grace to read the Bible and some instructive practical Writings of the most judicious experimental Divines apt to inform your Judgments and to work and prevail upon your Affections to set your selves to meditate of God to draw out and engage your Hearts to God rather than to lavish out and throw away those precious Hours in foolish Talk and frothy Discourse or in gadding abroad and walking idly in the Fields and recreating your Bodies rather than your Souls and in thrusting God and turning Religion wholly out of your Minds and Hearts and nourishing your selves in Ignorance of God and Unacquaintance with him and in Encreasing the Atheism of your Hearts and Lives and hardening your own and others Hearts through the Ensnarements of the World and the Deceitfulness of Sin But it may be you will say you are hard wrought all the Week long and you have reason to take your ease and pleasure and to rest and recreate your tired Bodies one Day in seven that so you may endure your Labour and go through all your Work the better I answer that your very Cessation in any measure from your wonted Labour is an ease and relief to your weary Bodies and that the very change of your Work and Occupation from secular servile Employment to spiritual divine Worship and Service and the Diversion of your Minds from worldly Businesses to the Offices and Exercises of Religion if you would but acquaint your selves with them and use your selves to them would be delightful and refreshing to you And the Peace and Quiet Joy and Comfort of a good Conscience in the faithful Discharge of your Duty to God and a tender Care of your immortal Souls would strengthen and hearten you to bear all the Burthen of the hardest Labours of your domestick Ministeries in consideration that your heavenly Father Lord and Master will accept and reward your Works of Piety and bless and prosper the Works of your Hands in the Houshold-businesses and Family-employments incumbent on you and belonging to you Rather break your Sleep to rise the earlier than lose the Opportunities of that Day Or chuse to leave and live out of those Families in the which you are forced to live without God are debarr'd from his Service and can have no Liberty allowed you to mind God and your Souls on a Day that was purposely ordained and appointed for your spiritual Proficiency and Improvement Let the Poor of this World redeem this Day by taking this Opportunity to labour spiritually for the Meat which perisheth not but endureth to everlasting Life and by hearing the Gospel preach'd in this Season to them to become rich in Faith rich in Grace to know and to partake of the Grace and Favour the Love and Kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ who though he was rich yet for our sakes became poor that we through his Poverty might be made rich You that are poor and mean and low in the World and who cannot take so much Time as others to worship and enjoy God on the Week-Daies see that you well improve this Day Now you are released from secular Businesses and common Services and your Bodies rest from their hard Labours be sure that you spiritually busie and holily employ your selves in the Service of God Let me likewise charge them that are rich in this World to redeem this choicest Part of their Time and in it to endeavour to be rich toward God rich in God to lay up for themselves a Treasure in Heaven to obtain the true certain durable Riches which when they fail will never leave them but when they remove will bear them company into the other World And here let me hint to you of the Gentry what [z] Fuller's Church-Hist B. 11. p. 146. Dr. Paul Michlewait once urged and pressed in a Sermon at the Temple that Gentle-folk of all
or a Duty to observe the Lord's-day or to come constantly to the Congregation or to repeat Sermons and the like If these ungodly Wretches had one spark of spiritual Life within them and any taste and feeling of the matters that concern their own Salvation instead of asking How can you prove that I must pray with my Family or that I must keep the Lord's-day they would be readier to say How can you prove that I may not pray with nay Family and that I may not sanctify the lord's-Lord's-day and that I may not have Communion with the Saints in Holiness I can perceive in many that I converse with the great difference between an Heart that loâ—es God and Holiness and an Heart that seems religious and honest without such a Love The true Conveit perceiveth so much sweetness in holy Duties and so much spiritual advantage by them to his Soul that he is loch to be kept back he can not spare these Ordinances no more than he can spare the Bread from his Mouth or the Clothes from his Back yea or the Skin from his Flesh no not so much He loveth them he cannot live without them And therefore if he had but a bare leave from God without a Command to sanctify the Lord's-day and to live in the holy Communion of the Saints he would joyfully take it with many thanks for he need not be driven to his Rest when he is weary nor to his spiritual Food when he is hungry But the unsanctified Hypocrite that never loved God or Godliness in his Heart he stands questioning and enquiring for some proof of a Necessity of thâ—se Courses And if he can but bring himself to hope that God will save him without so much adoe away then goes the Duty He never was Religious from a true Predominant love to God and an holy Life but for fear of Hell and for other inferiour respects Mr. Baxter's Direct and Perswas to a sound Convers from p. 372 to 376. too strict of being too holy on this holy Day 'T is an excellent Saying of Tully Nemo pius est qui pietatem cavet The plain English of which is this No man is truly godly who is afraid of being too godly Will you so observe the Lord's-day as you were ready to promise you would when you lay last upon a Sick-Bed and as careless Sinners commonly wish they had when they come to lie upon a Death-bed Will you make every Sabbath here on Earth resemble in some Degree that eternal Rest which you hope to hallow more perfectly in Heaven Seriously consider how many Lord's-daies you have lost already and what reason you have to observe and improve those that remain Do you know how few such Daies you shall ever enjoy more It may be this Lord's-day may be the last Before the next Sabbath comes thou maiest be called to a reckoning for neglecting and mis-spending all that are past Thou art not sure that ever thou shalt pray in publick more that never the Liberty shall again be afforded thee of hearing another Sermon preach'd to thee Thou maiest never enjoy such a blessed Opportunity to take pains with thy Family and to save their Souls from Death before thou diest If God shall please to put such Prices into thy Hands God give thee an Heart to make use of them Carefully redeem the Lord's-day and every Day after shew in thy Life that thou hast redeem'd it Make it appear by the Frame of thy Actions and Course of thy Life all the Week long that thou hast been under spiritual powerful quickening Ordinances the last Lord's-day You that enjoyed Communion with God on the Lord's-day have no parley with Satan no familiarity with Sin no fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness on any of the Week-daies following Be sure you every Day avoid those Sins which you solemnly confess'd the last Lord's-day and live over the Praiers you made that Day and live up to the Sermons you heard that Day and obey from the Heart that Form of Doctrine which that Day was delivered to you Perform every Day those Resolutions and Promises which you made to God on the Lord's-day and keep the Covenant you renewed at the Sacrament on that Day and maintain the Warmth that was wrought on your Souls by the Word and Spirit on that Day Use every Day the Grace you ask'd obtain'd and receiv'd on the Lord's-day and act in the Strength and Power of Christ which was communicated and given in to you in your Attendance upon him in his own Ordinances on his own Day This is the second particular Season and special Opportunity that is to be carefully redeem'd by every Christian The Morning of the Week the Lord's Day And I have purposely treated so largely concerning the Redemption of the Lord's-day because it is so despised in the Judgment and disregarded in the Practice of the confident Men of this dissolute and degenerate Age. The third Particular Opportunity to be redeem'd As the Morning of every Week the first Day of the Week so the [i] Dr. Gouge was very conscientious in the expence of his Time from his Youth to the very Time of his Death His custom was to rise very early both in the Winter and Summer In the Winter-time he constantly rose so long before Day as that he alwaies perform'd all the exercises of his Private Devotions before Day-light And in the Summer-time he rose about four a Cleck in the Morning by which means he had done half his Work before others began their Studies If he happen'd to hear any at their Work before he began his Studies he would say as Demosthenes spake concerning the Smith that he was much troubled that any should be at the Works of their Calling before he was at his In his Life among Mr. Clark's Lives of ten Em Div. p. 116 117. He continued in King's Colledg for the space of mine Years and in all that Time except he went forth of Town to his Friends he was never absent from Morning-Praiers in the Chappel which used to be about half an Hour after five a Clock in the Morning yea he used to rise so long before he went to the Chappel as that he gained Time for his Secret Devotions and for reading his Morning-task of the Scriptures Ibid p. 97. Morning of every Day is a special Season that ought to be redeem'd and improved by a Christian to spiritual Advantage The Morning is an Opportunity of giving God the very first and best of the Day and the chief of our Life Spirits and Strength In the Morning our Spirits are recreated and repair'd and our Bodies strengthned and refresh'd with the Rest and Sleep of the Night past and our Minds are vacant and not disturb'd with those Images and Representations of Things which the variety of worldly Employments in the Day usually fill and possess us with In the Morning our Minds are most free and our Affections most lively as
of it but fail in the Principle and Manner of the Duty and never look to the [g] The end of all Exercises of Piety and Devotion is more and mine to dispose our Hearts to the Love and our Wills to the Obedience of our blessed Creatour and Redeemer And busying our selves in any of them without this Design may well be counted in the Number of the fruitless and unaccountable Actions of our Lives Thus to do is prodigally to waste and mis-spend our Time as the Jews were upbraided by one of their Adversaries with doing upon the account of their Sabbath saying They they lost one Day in seven Dr. Fowler 's Design of Christianity pag. 186. End of the Duty have no real Design and hearty Intention to please and glorify God thereby and to gain and encrease in true Holiness of Heart and Life If you act not out of a Principle of Love and inward Life and Liking but only out of some external respect If you perform your Services not out of a filial ingenuous Disposition but merely out of a Slavish Fear of being beaten or of losing the Wages you expect for your Work If you use only a careless and supine Devotion If you matter not at all how little you do for God or what is the Frame of your Minds and Hearts in what you do If you give way to vain Thoughts in holy Duties If you be not intent in your religious Services but instead of using the World as if you used it not you use good Duties as if you did not use them observe the Lord's-Day as if you observ'd it not confess and repent as if you did no such thing hear as if you heard not and pray as if you prayed not If you pray only out of Custom and do not mind and well consider what you say nor are affected with what you speak nor desire what you ask If you pray and reade and hear only because you are brought up so to do and have taken up such a Practice or because you would satisfy natural Conscience and have the good Opinion and Word of all in your Families and be commended by your Neighbours for religious Persons and do not pray to this necessary End that so you may enjoy Communion with God and get and obtain Pardon and Grace and Strength from God nor reade the Scripture and good Books and hear the Word preached that so you may know your Duty in Order to the Practice and Performance of it all the Time that is thus spent in Duty is in a manner Time lost and mis-spent in so doing you lose your Duties and you lose your Time too But especially if any shall dare to do nothing but whisper and talk and laugh to mock and jeer at the Word and the Minister of it to be undecent and rude and profane in their Carriage and Behaviour in a Christian Assembly in the Time of Divine Worship in the [i] Vae mihi quia ibi pecco ubi peccata emendare debeo Bernard de interior Domo c. 33. Presence of the great God and in the Sight of the holy * 1 Cor. 11.10 Angels This is to lose the Time of publick Duty if it be to be lost at all This is to lose the Time of Duty with a Witness And so I have done with the third Vse namely of Reproof and Rebuke to several Sorts of Persons who are guilty of the Loss the lamentable Loss of their precious Time and unvaluable Opportunities CHAP. VI. The fourth and last Vse is of Exhortation to Magistrates Ministers the People in general Six quickening Motives to press the Duty of Redemption of Time 1. Consider how notably Jesus Christ redeem'd the Time when he was here in the World 1. He redeem'd the Time to save us 2. He redeem'd the Time to be an Example to us 2. Consider further that as Christ did once redeem the Time to save us So the Devil does daily redeem the Time to destroy us 3. Consider how very notably many of the Saints and Servants of God have improved and redeemed their Time 4. Consider that it is an Act of spiritual Wisdom to rodeem the Time and mere Madness and gross Folly not to redeem the Time 5. Consider that if now thou losest and squanderest away thy Time thou wilt at last be forced thy self to condemn thy foolish Neghgence and to justify the Care and Diligence of others that were wiser for their own Souls then thy self 6. Consider that do what we can to redeem our Time we shall never repent at last of any Care we have had to redeem it but shall certainly blame and find fault with our selves for being so careless of our Time so negligent of good Opportunities as we have been Serious considerative Christians do blame themselves for their Loss of Time even in their Life-time but they are especially sensible of it and exceedingly ashamed of themselves for it at their Death THe fourth and last use shall be of Exhortation to put you upon the Duty of Redeeming Time Let Magistrates vigorously redeem the Time in the faithful Execution and impartial Administration of governing Justice and in being active and zealous bold and couragious in the Cause of God and Goodness * Rem 13.3 in being a Terrour to Evil and not to good Works and in acting for the †i Pet. 2.14 Punishment of Evil-doers and for the Praise of them that do well in repressing Vice and checking Profaneness and daily dashing Sin out of Countenance and in countenancing and encouraging nourishing and cherishing Sobriety and Temperance Vertue and Godliness Holiness and Religion Let Ministers industriously redeem the Time in ‖ Acts 20.27 not shunning to declare to the People all the Counsel of God in urging Truths upon their own Hearts and pressing and enforcing them upon others Souls in labouring abundantly in the Lord's Vineyard in (*) Verse 28. taking heed unto themselves and (†) 1 Tim. 4.16 to their Doctrine and to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made them Over-seers in feeding the Church of God with the wholsome Food of sound Words in (‖) Heb. 13.17 watching for Souls as they that must give Account in [*] Acts 20.31 daily warning Sinners with Tears in perswading Men with Earnestness and Importunity as those that well [†] 2 Cor. 5.11 know the Terrour of the Lord in endeavouring to [‖] 1 Tim. 4.16 save themselves and them that hear them to () Jude 23. save some with Fear pulling them out of the Fire in taking all possible Care lest they [] 1 Cor. 9.26 beat the Air and * Gal. 2.2 Phil. 2.16 run in vain and labour in vain left their Peoples †Ezek. 3.18 Blood be required at their Hands and lest when they have preached to others they themselves should become * 1 Cor. 9.27 Cast-aways in discharging their Duty so painfully and faithfully that though
will have a mighty Influence upon the whole Course of our Lives and Actions The first of the four last Things proposed as the subject Matter of Meditation in order to the right Redemption of Time I. USE I. Use in thy Life time to think much of the Day of thy own particular Death and of the general Dissolution of all Things 1. [e] Mortem ut nunquam timeas semper cogita Sen. ep 30. in fine Vive me nor lethi fugit hora hoc quod loquor inde est Pers sat 5. Dum loquimue sugerit invida aetas Horat. carm l. 1. Od. 11. To think much of the Day of thy own particular Death Be not thou of Lewis the eleventh's Mind who strictly charged all about him that they sould not so much as name the terrible Word Death Do not only patiently hear of it but chuse to think and often to think of it Men are too commonly regardless of their End and unmindful of their own Mortality and Frailty The very Heathen have acknowledged Man's natural Proneness to forget his End and therefore they used several Arts to mind themselves and others of it Some Emperours on the Day of their Coronation have had several sorts of Marble presented to them out of which to chuse their Tombs Philosophers have had their Sepulchres before their Gates that they might neither go out nor in but they might still be put in mind of their Mortality And many great Men have had them in their Places of Pleasure And dead Men's Skulls have been served up in delicious Banquets And Philip King of Macedon had a young Monitor that came every Day and rubb'd up his Memory with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remember thou art but a Mortal Man And we plainly find in Scripture that this is naturally Man's Temper The Fool in the Gospel is a clear Instance of this who * Luke 12.19 said to his Soul Soul thou hast much Goods laid up for many Years take thine ease eat drink and be merry He never dream'd of a Stulte hac nocte Thou Fool this Night That was the farthest Thing off his Thoughts †Jam. 4.13 14. St. James reproves those who promise themselves to morrow and build upon the next Year for the driving of their Trade and getting of Gain Men in their Health think not of Sickness and in Sickness seldome reckon of Death Even dying Men often times think of nothing but recovering and living longer in the World Men are apt to look upon Death as afar off and when in all probability they have but a few Sands in their Glass to run they are ready to say that they ‖ Job 29 18. shall multiply their Daies as the Sand. Men can willingly measure their Lands and Grounds and number their Herds and Droves of Cattel and count the Revenues of their Manours and Farms and reckon their daily or yearly Incomes but who is willing to measure and number his Daies Yea we can willingly measure other Mens Daies and learn to know their End and take great Notice how frail they are We can point at an old Man and cry he is thus or thus old his Daies cannot be many he is past his best he has one Foot in the Grave Upon sight of one sick or in a Consumption we are apt to say Such a one is near his End he can't live long sure But we take little notice of our selves we make little Reckoning of our own End we little consider what may become of us to morrow We do not actually think we shall not die yet the most of us do not actually think we shall die God frequently reads Lectures of Mortality to us and yet we will not learn to remember them The Arrows of the Almighty have flown thick on every side of us and yet we live as if we thought to escape alwaies Though others have fallen round about us we are ready to count our standing sure We securely lie in a dead Sleep amidst many awakening providences I am afraid many of us are too like your common Grave-makers who often handle Skulls and dead Mens Bones but are so daily us'd to them that they are not at all mov'd or affected with them What senseless silly Creatures are we that we won't believe we are mortal till we feel it that we won't be perswaded we shall die till we our selves are struck with Death Ah Friends we do not live as if we believ'd it and were truly and really convinc'd fully and throughly perswaded of it We are apt to overmeasure our Daies to put more in than we should to promise our selves what God never promis'd us and to count those Daies ours which are wholly in God's Hand and quite out of ours We are ready to measure by [f] Reade Dr. Patrick's Div. Arithm. false Rules to reckon that because we are young we shall not die till we are old That because we are strong we shall last it out and indure long That because we are temperate we need not fear Diseases and Death That because some live much longer than others that we may live as long as the longest The Guilt of Sin makes many afraid to take a true Measure of their Daies The want of a good and well-grounded Hope of a better Life makes Men unwilling to know the End of this And the inordinate Love of the World makes Men loth to know their End and to think of leaving what they love Haec faciunt invitos mori These are the Things that make us unwilling to die was a discreet Answer given by the Emperour Charles the fifth to a certain Duke of Venice You are naturally backward and disinclin'd to the consideration of your latter End and therefore pray to God to enable you to it and help you in it Say with David * Psal 39.4 Lord make me to know my End and the Measure of my Daies what it is that I may know how frail I am And with Moses likewise †90.12 So teach me to number my Daies that I may apply my Heart unto Wisdom We need but a little Arithmetick to number our Daies as [g] Caryl on Job 4.21 one saies well but we need a great deal of Grace to number them A Child may be wise enough to number the Daies of an old Man and yet that old Man a Child in numbring his own Daies so as to apply his Heart to Wisdom Well then heartily beg of God that he would make you to know your End to know it so as to have your Heart touched and affected with the Knowledg of it To know your End and to live suitably and answerably to the Knowledg of it To know your End so as to make a good End of it Now give me leave to direct and assist you in this necessary Duty Suffer me to serve in a Death's-Head and to put a Turf of fresh Earth into your Hands 't is counted very wholsome to
thee that they did not imitate and take after thee If thou dost not sincerely repent and faithfully endeavour to the utmost of thy power to reclaim those who by thy means have become vicious thou shalt at last be sorely punish'd not only for those that have miscarried but for all those that might have miscarried as if they had indeed miscarried through thy ill Example because if God had left them thy ill Example was enough to make them miscarry for ever 7. And lastly Remember and consider every day of your Lives what are the true and proper ends of Life Think and conclude that you were not sent into this World to eat and drink to lie down to sleep and rise up to play Be asham'd to come short of meer Heathens Blush to read what Cato in Cicero says of himself (w) Nemo adhuc convenire me valuit quin fuerim occupatus Cic. in Cat. Maj. seu de sen No body could ever yet find me idle and unimployed With Curius Dentatus that noble and worthy Roman count it (x) Se malle mortuum esse quà m non vivere more eligible to be dead indeed and not to live at all than to be dull and dronish idle and unactive useless and unprofitable in the World Reckon with your selves that (y) Herb Poems Employment p. 71. Life is a business not good cheer That your work and business in this World is not to labour for the Meat which perisheth to seek and study to satisfy a delicate wanton luxurious Appetite and to take your fill of carnal sensual corporeal Pleasure to * Mat. 6.19 Luke 12.21 lay up for your selves Treasures upon Earth to †Job 27.16 Zech. 9.3 heap up Silver as the Dust and prepare Raiment as the Clay to acquire secular Grandeur and Honour Laborare in titulum Sepulchri as (z) Sen. de brev vit c. 19. in fine Quidam disponunt etiam illa qua ultra vitam sunt moles magnas sepulchrorum operum publicorum dedicationes ad rogum munera ambitiosas exequias At mehercule istorum funera tanquam minimum vixetint ad facis ad cereos ducenda sunt Id. ib. c. 20. in fine Seneca speaks to take unwearied pains for a pompous ambitious Funeral an honourable Inscription upon your Monument a swelling Title upon your Tomb-stone but to store your selves with such good things as will bear you company beyond the Grave enrich and ennoble you and render you worthy and honourable for ever in another World Give all Diligence to be vertuous and gracious to get (a) Absoluta libertas est in scipsum habere maximam potestatem Inastimabile bonum est suum fieri Sen. ep 75. great power over your selves and to become your own Men which the fore-cited Moralist tells you is absolute Liberty and an inestimable Good To govern your selves and to inspect and do good to others To lay out your selves for God to * Mat. 6.20 lay up durable Treasures in Heaven to gain and obtain the Praise of God to †Phil 3.14 press toward the Mark for the Prize of the high Calling of God in Christ Jesus ‖ 1 Cor. 9.24 25. So to run that you may obtain an incorruptible Crown and have * 2 Pet. 1 11. an entrance ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I have written a long yet I hope not tedious Epistle to you It is large from an * 3 Cor. 6.11 Heart enlarged toward you I will detain you no longer from the Treatise it self to which you will find many Quotations annexed Let none condemn them before they have read them It may be then you will judg them pertinent pregnant pleasant I desire you to accept of these seasonable Fruits of my Ministerial Labours among you as a Token and Testimony of my cordial Love and unfained Affection to your Souls It remains that you think and consider well with your selves that when the most important Truths are not only deliver'd in Publick and spoken in your Ears but brought home to your Houses put into your Hands and presented to your Eyes how you can escape if you will not lay them to your Hearts but neglect and reject such means and helps of your Instruction and Salvation O read and consider them and lay your Consciences closer than your Eyes to them If they prevail not to reform and amend your Lives and Manners they will come in and witness against you and heavily condemn you another Day Now that the only wise and good God who put it into my Heart to undertake this Work and assisted me in it to the End of it for though * 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured yet not I but the Grace of God which was with me would graciously vouchsafe to guide and direct your Minds and Hearts into the Knowledge Belief Consideration Love and (c) Non est beatus qui scit illa sed qui facit Sen. ep 75. Practice of the great and weighty Truths contained in it and would effectually bless and prosper it and all other serious profitable Discourses that have been already in somewhat more than 20 Years of my Ministry among you or shall hereafter by me or others be further made unto you to the spiritual Edification and eternal Salvation of your Souls is the earnest Desire and hearty daily importunate Prayer of Dear Friends Your Servant in the Work Of the Ministry For Jesus sake JOHN WADE THE CONTENTS Of the several CHAPTERS in the following Treatise CHAP. I. THe Coherence of the Words The Text divided The Doctrine propounded pag. 2. 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 p. 3. 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 p. 5. 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 p. 10. 4. To use all Wariness and Wisdom of Behaviour to secure our selves from Snares and to preserves our selves from spiritual Dangers and from running rashly and unseasonably into any temporal Suffering and Calamity CHAP. II. What the Time is that ought to be redeemed largely explained Opportunity more than Time 't is Time with an Aptness and Fitness it has for some good The Opportunity to be redeemed is either General or Particular p. 14. The General is all the Time of our Enjoyment of the glorious Light of the blessed Gospel p. 15. The Particular Opportunity five-fold 1. The Morning of our Age. p. 22. The well-redeeming your younger Daies will be most acceptable
be [z] Cato Munatio scripsit se vereri ne nimia amicitia causam altquando daret odio Huc proverbium Persicum Homines invisere indecorum non est modò toties non fiat ut dicant Sat est Et Arabes dicunt Visita raro angebis amcrem Et Martialis Nulli te facias nimis sodalem Quantò meltor ergo est Dei quà m hominum amicitia Deo tanto sumus gratiores quanto saepius ad eum accedimus Syn. Crit. in loc weary of thee and so hate thee But alas how few among us are to be found who make their Visits to these better Purposes to help and assist counsel and comfort sick Persons to exercise Charity to the Souls and Bodies of poor Neighbours to minister suitable and seasonable Relief to such as are in real and great Want and Need to further the Edification and promote the Salvation of all about them to labour and endeavour to bring some off from their Errours or Sins to mind one another of their latter End in a serious and savoury Manner to talk of the Kingdom and the Way to the Kingdom and to help one another Heaven-ward to add to one another's spiritual Knowledg to encrease and stir up one another's Graces to comfort and warm and strengthen one another's Hearts to affect one another with the Remembrance of God's Ordinances and with the Consideration of his Providences to their Persons Families Relations more particularly r to the Land of our Nativity and the People of God and Church of Christ more generally To bring one another to a due Sense of the Divine Mercies and to a dread of the Divine Judgments to pray with one another and to quicken one another to a Reformation of their Hearts and Lives and a well ordering of themselves and Families and the Redemption of their Time in these evil Daies and to a speedy and sound Preparation of themselves to suffer for the Gospel and for the Purity of the Reformed Religion if God shall please to call them to it That Prodigy of early youthful Piety and spiritual divine Proficiency [a] In his Life written by his Brother Jam. Janew p. 72 73. Mr. John Janeway Fellow of King's Colledg in Cambridg once in Company sate down silent took out his Pen and Ink and wrote down in Short-hand the Discourses that passed for some Time together among those that pretended to more than common Understanding in the Things of God and after a while he took his Paper and read it to them and asked them Whether that Talk was such as they would be willing God should record Is not this a brave rational divine Discourse says he Where 's our Love to God and Souls all this while Where 's our Sense of the Preciousness of Time and of the Greatness of our Account Did Saints in former Times use their Tongues to no better Purpose Would Enoch David or Paul have talked thus Is this the sweetest Communion of Saints upon Earth How shall we do to spend Eternity in the Praises of God if we cannot find some good Matter for an Hour's Discourse This he did to convince and shame them out of their barren Discourse and empty Converse and foolish fruitless Communication and to quicken and provoke them to a more profitable Improvement of their Society A seventh Sort of Persons reproved They also are justly blame-worthy who cast away their Time in excessive immoderate worldly Cares for superfluous Things Who as the [a] Magno temporit impendio quaeruntur supervacua multi transcunt vitam dum vitae instrumenta conquirunt Seneca ep 45. Philosopher describes them do wholly pass their Life in seeking and procuring the Instruments of Life and are [b] Seneca de brevitate vitae cap. 20. Facile est occupationes evadere si occupationum pretia contempseris Mercedem miseriarum amant ipsas exccrantur Idem ep 22. Rebus non me trado sed commodo nec consector perdendi temporis causas Idem ep 62. sooner weary of living than of labouring whose desire lasts longer than their Ability and Power to labour for this World who reckon Old Age grievous only on this Account that it laies them aside and hinders their lively and vigorous Pursuit of the Things of the World Who complain sometimes of the Trouble of Businesses of the Weight of great and full Employments but cannot find in their Hearts to leave them because though they hate the Miseries of their Labours yet they love the Gain and Profit the Price and Reward of them Who bestow a great Deal of Pains about that they never intend to use who toil and sweat tire and weary out themselves to heap up much thick Clay to treasure up Silver and Gold to * Isa 5.8 joyn House to House and lay Field to Field all which they must shortly exchange for a Turf in the Church-yard Who anxiously labour to raise and gather to clear and secure an Estate which they must every Man of them †Eccles 2.18 19. leave unto the Man that shall be after them and none knows whether he shall be a Wise Man or a Fool and take no pains in the mean Time to try and confirm their Title to Heaven Who are so solicitous about plowing their Grounds that they cannot ‖ Jer. 4.3 Hos 10.12 break up the Fallow-Ground of their own Hearts who are so busy in making up their Accounts with Men that they mind not the making even their Accounts with God So over-careful to improve their temporal that they neglect the Improvement of their spiritual Estates Who are * Luke 10.40 41 42. like Martha so cumbred and troubled about many Things that they are ready to forget the one only Thing which is absolutely necessary the happy Choice of that good Part or Portion which would be a Thing very acceptable to God and the Advantage of which would continue to themselves to all Eternity Who are so taken up with worldly Dealings that they have little or none of their Conversation in Heaven Who say in their Hearts what Duke de Alva once replied to the King who asked him whether he had seen the Ecclipse of the Sun that he had so much Business to do upon Earth that he had no Time to look up to Heaven Who are more studious and industrious to get a good earthly Bargain than to obtain a Crown of Righteousness a Crown of Life and Glory and to make sure of an heavenly and everlasting Kingdom Who have their Hearts as full of the World as their Hands and are so covetous and greedy of it that they will lose their Time and let go God and a god Conscience for it Who suffer their worldly Employments too often and easily to steal away their set and stated Times for Reading Prayer Confession Thanks-giving Meditation Self-Examination to rob their Duties of their allotted Hours or to borrow of their Duties their appointed Seasons without ever making any
and Fellow-Christians do bear not only Leaves but Fruit bring forth Fruit in due Season Fruit meet for the Dresser much Fruit Fruit which will abound to their own account We have been brought up in the same House we have suck'd at the same Breasts and sate at the same Table We have eaten the same Milk the same Meat But we have not grown by the sincere Milk of the Word we have not rellish'd and concocted the spiritual Food of our Souls as others have done The Word of God's Grace has not been sweet unto our Taste as it has been to others We have not desir'd it delighted in it and received it in the Love of it as others have done and therefore we have not profited by the Word we have not been nourished and strengthened by it as others have been Oh how much Leanness may be found in our Souls when others are thriving and well-liking in the Eye of God and good Men Others have excell'd and exceeded us Our Fellow-Christians have out-shot us out-grown us out-run us out-done us Themistocles professed he could not [a] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch in vic Thes p. 3. sleep for thinking of the Trophies of Miltiades And when Julius Caesar was employed in Spain in the Office of a Quaestor or Judg in matters of Law and coming to Cales beheld there the Image or Portraiture of Alexander the Great in the Temple of Hercules [y] Ingemuit quasi pertaesus ignaviam suam quòd nihil dum à se memorabile actâ—m esset ia aetate quâ jam Alexander orbem terrarum subegisset missionem contmuò esslaguavit ad captandas quà m primùm majorum rerum occasiones in urbe Sueton. in vit sul Caesaris §. 7. he was asham'd to think of his own Sloth and sighed to consider that as yet he had perform'd no memorable Act at those Years wherein Alexander had conquered the whole World and presently craved leave to depart that so he might take the first Occasions of greater Actions in the City So when we see and consider what others have acted at our Years how others have done more good to their own Souls more good to the Souls of their Relations more spiritual good in their Families and Places of abode have conquer'd their own Passions subdued Temptations and Lusts and been the means of bringing others into Subjection and Obedience to the Lord Christ it may cause a more than ordinary Blush to arise in our Faces if there be any Christian Blood in them O let others considerable Improvement and Proficiency quite shame us out of our Idleness Negligence and Indiligence and quicken and provoke us to Activity and Industry in working the Work of God and working out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling The fourth Motive Consider farther That it is an Act of spiritual Wisdom to redeem the Time Redeeming the Time is called a * Coloss 4.5 walking in Wisdom a walking †Eph. 5.15 not as Fools but as Wise in the Verse before my Text. they are commended for * Mat. 25.4 wise Virgins who took Oil in their Vessels with their Lamps And on the contrary it is meer Madness and gross Folly not to redeem the Time They are noted for †Verse 3. foolish Virgins who took their Lamps and took no Oil with them 'T is Folly for a Merchant to trifle away the Time of his Trade Solomon marks him for a ‖ Prov. 17.16 Fool who has a Price in his Hand to get Wisdom and has no heart no use it What an odd and foolish Humour what a weak and childish Carriage and Behaviour what a vain and fruitless Practice and Employment was that of the Emperour [a] Inter initia principatûs quoâ—â—â—e secretum sibi horarium sumere solebat nec quicquam amplius quà m muscas captare ac stylo praeacuto configere ut cuidam interroganti Essetne quis intus cum Caesare non absurdè responsum sit a Vibio Crispo Ne musca quidem Id. in vit Domitiani § 2. Domitian to spend so many Hours in catching and killing Flies when he should have been in the Senate-House consulting for the good of the Commonwealth Which occasioned Vibius Crispus when a certain Person asked whether any one were within with Caesar to return this smart Answer There is not so much as a Fly with him And how has the World scorn'd and laughed at [b] Repente ut conchas legerent gaâ—ásque sinus replerent imperavit Spolia Oceani vocans Capitolio Palatiôque debita Id in vit Caligulae § 46. Caligula who when he drew out his Army on the Sea-shore and made a Shew of War on a suddain he only commanded his Souldiers to gather a company of Cockle-Shells and to fill their Shields and Bosoms with them affirming that they were the Spoils of the Sea and were due to the Capitol and Palace So how contemptible in the Eyes of God and good Men do many Christians render themselves by their toyish trissing Actions and petty inconsiderable Employments who were sent into the World about matters and Businesses of the greatest weight and moment When a certain [c] Dr. Lightfoot serm on Psal 4.4 p. 20. Epicure made his Will he bequeathed to his Player to his Cook to his Jester Talents and Pounds but Philosopho obolum an Half-penny only to him that would have taught him Wisdom And is not the Distribution of most Mens Time much after the same absurd Measure and foolish proportion What vast Portions of the rich Treasure of Time do they give and allow to sensual Pleasures and carnal Delights and freely bestow and lavish out upon secular Affairs and worldly Employments But if they part with any at all alas how few Minutes how very small and poor a pittance of Time is it that they find in their Hearts to spare in a Day a Week a Month a Year yea in a whole Life-time to God and Religion and the Needs and Concerns of their own Souls The Reverend [d] Bp. Hall's Remains or Shaking of the Olive-tree Serm. on 1 Pet. 1.17 p. 226. Bp. Joseph Hall relates a very remarkable Story out of [e] Summa Praedicantium Bromiard of a certain Lord in his Time that had a Fool in his House to whom the Lord gave a Staff and charg'd him to keep it till he should meet with one that was more Fool than himself and if he met with such an one to deliver it over to him Not many Years after this Lord falling sick even unto Death his Fool came to see him and was told by his sick Lord that he must now shortly leave him And whither wilt thou go said the Fool Into another World said his Lord And when wilt thou come again within a Month No Within a Year No When then Never Never And what Provision hast thou made for thy Entertainment there whither thou goest None at all No said the Fool none at all
take what care conld be expected in making choice of Goats and Sheep and such like things but were extreamly [a] In amicis eligendis negligentes esse necâ—h there quasi signá quaedam notas quibus eos qui ad amicitiam essent idonei judicarent Cic. de Amic negligent in chusing of their Friends nor in this case made any use of requisite Signs and Notes by which they might discern and judg what Persons were fit and well qualified to be received and taken into Friendship And he there directs that Men would prudently put some stop to the Stream of their Affection and as we make Trial of other things so that we would make some [b] Aliquà parte periclitatis moribus amicorum Ib. Experiment of the Manners of the Persons we design for our Companions and accordingly embrace or decline Familiarity with them O be nice and choice of your Company and Society delicate and curious in that Matter and Business Consider beforehand as [c] Hominum utique del ctus habâ—ndus est an digni sint quibus partem vitae nostrae impend mus an ad ibos temporis nostri jactura perveniat De tranq An c. 6. Seneca advises whether they be worthy or no to have any part of your Life bestowed upon them whether any share of your Time may fitly and warrantably be allowed them for idle carnal Friends are the Thieves that steal away our Time from us and 't is a costly Entertainment of them to waste our Time upon them Vain and profane Friends and Acquaintance do rob us of the opportunity of doing and receiving good They seek nothing but idle and empty Talk they will not maintain serious and savoury Discourse O! what Loss have many of us sustain'd by such ill Customers as these Call to thy remembrance says Seneca [d] Quà m mults vitam tuam diripuerint te non sentiente quid pâ—rderes De brev vit c. 3. How many have cheated thee of thy Time thou in the mean time not understanding what thou hast lost * Eâ—â— quos validissâ—mè diligunt partem suorum annorum dant nec inteâ—â—gunt Dant autem ita ut sine illorum incremento sibi detrabant Sed hoc ipsum an detrahant nesciunt ideo tolirabilis est iâ—is jactura detrimenti latentis Id ib. c. 8. Men give away part of their Years saies he to them they mightily love nor do they perceive or know in the least what they do And they give it so that others receive no profit by that which they deprive themselves of But they are ignorant that they themselves lose any thing by it and therefore the Detriment that is so latent is toberable to them If we be wise let 's look well who they be that we spend and lay out our Time upon Let 's not * Ps 26.4 1.1 Prov. 4.14 15 16. sit customarily sit with vain Persons nor be the common †Prov. 13.20 Companions of Fools but rather say in our Hearts at least with holy David ‖ Ps 6.8 Mat. 7.23 Depart from me all ye Workers of Iniquity (*) Ps 119. 115 Depart from me ye evil Doers for I will keep the Commandmentsi of my God Avoid Communion with the Lepers of the World O never offer with Nebuchadnezzar to keep Company with Beasts Do not so degrade and debase your selves Do not lose your Time and lose your selves in such unprositable contemptible Society Take here the Counsel of St. Jerome [e] Disce ex hac parte sanctam superbiam scito te illis esse meâ—terem Ilieron In this respect learn an holy Pride scorn such mean and low vile and base Company and know your selves to be better than they Be of more raised Spirits than to be Companions with them By keeping ill Company thou wilt lose thy Time and lose or lessen thy spiritual Beauty thou wilt like him that walketh in the Sun be quickly tann'd insensibly Have no frequent chosen Converse no inward close Friendship with those that are none of God's real Friends that have no spiritual Acquaintance with God but are manifestly profane openly ungodly and alienated from the Life of God that are Enemies to God and his Religion his Son and Spirit his Word and Worship Laws and Waies and whose * Irm 4.4 Friendship is Enmity with God whose Friendship is Friendship with Hell and who are themselves but a kind of familiar Devils Never chuse to join in Company with these to haunt the Places they use which commonly give no small occasion of Sin and to resort and repair to such Houses in agreed Meetings to sinful Ends and Businesses Chuse not those for thy Friends who never yet began to be true Friends to themselves He that is not a Friend to himself will never be a Friend to thee 'T is only he that is a Friend to himself saies [f] Qus sibi Anicus est scito hunc amicum omnil us esse Sen. ep 6â— in fine Seneca wisely and discretely that is likely to prove a truly profitable Friend to others Chuse not such for thy Friends that are not likely to be Friends to thy Soul How can he be reckon'd and reputed a Friend to thee who is not a Friend but rather an Enemy to the better Part of thee Take this for a Rule That if a Person be not a good Man though he love thee he is not a Friend to thee A Master of Morality will tell thee That [g] Qui amicus est amat qui amat non utique amicus est Itaque amicitia semper prodest amor etiam aliquando nocet Sen ep 35. he that is a Friend does love but he that loves is not for that reason presently a Friend for Friendship does alwaies profit a Person but Love doth hurt sometimes Now hurt to the Soul is the greatest Hurt that can be done to any And therefore acquaint not with those that will study to bring Vice into your Acquaintance and whose Acquaintance will breed your Estrangement from God Keep free from that Company that will make you part Company with God and Christ and a good Conscience Cleave not unto those that will be Clogs and Pull-backs Deadners and Quench-coals to you that will cool and damp your Heart and Spirit in the Practice of Piety and Exercise of Religion and make you * Ps 39 1 2. hold your peace even from Good That will only love and respect and care for you upon condition that you love not Christ nor regard Holiness nor care in the least for your immortal Soul and eternal Happiness That will by all means labour to bring you to esteem lightly of the Lord's-Day and to give them your Time and Company in an idle truitless profane ill-exemplary private Retirement when you should be conscientiously and awfully present at the Publick Assembly Be sure you beware of such Company as will only give a treat and entertainment to your Sense
from whom we may reap and receive most spiritual Good or from whom we may reap and receive most spiritual Benefit Study and strive to chuse such an one for thy Friend to whom thou maiest give such reverential Respect in thy Carriage and Behaviour as may restrain thee from many uncomely sinful Actions which you might take more Liberty to commit in other Company Take him for thy special Friend and peculiar Companion who will be a constant Physician careful Tutor and spiritual Benefactor to thy Soul who will be a familiar tutelar guardian Angel to thee who will be as [k] Dr. Alle. bâ—â— Serm. p. 57. The second Soul and Conscience Dr. Ham. of srat Admoa and Correp p. 8. one well expresses it an [k] Dr. Alle. bâ—â— Serm. p. 57. The second Soul and Conscience Dr. Ham. of srat Admoa and Correp p. 8. assistant Conscience to thee who will not fail to perform that Office which the benumm'd or sleepy Conscience within thee shall at any time neglect Who will be as faithful a Monitor to thee as thy own Conscience should be Who daily does so improve in Vertue and Profit in Piety that whenever he comes into thy Company he will give thee the great Pleasure not only of seeing whom you would but of seeing such an one as you would Who will be careful to [l] Herb. Church-porch p. 6. salute himself before he visits thee and will surely bring himself a great Gift to thee as [m] Conspectus praesentia conversatio al quid habet vivae voluptatis utique si non tantum quem velis sed qualem velis videas Affer itaque te mihi ingens munus Prepera ad me sed ad te prâ—us Sen. ep 35. Seneca counsels his Friend Lucilius to order compose and carry himself toward him Chuse such Persons for thy intimate Friends who will be Friends and Helps in the best things to thee Friends in the concernments of the Life to come that will prize and value and on all occasions readily shew some real Kindness to thy Soul that will observe thy Motions and help to guide and direct thy Actions that will have a constant watchful Eye upon thy Life and Manners and not willingly suffer thee to misearry to Eternity for want of careful looking after Acquaint and accompany with those in the enjoyment of whom you may enjoy somewhat of God himself and whose sweet and gracious Converse will be a little Image of Heaven to you Take those for your Consorts and Associates here with whom you may desire and hope to keep joyful Company for ever hereafter If we make any Reckoning of our Time let us first make a good Choice of our Friends 2. And then a good Improvement of our Company and Society with them Be prudent and pious in the Vse as well as in the Choice of your Friends Let not your Friendship be a meer nominal formal empty juiceless thing Let your ordinary Visits to your Friends be out of Conscience as well as out of Courtesy out of a real Design to do some Office of Love especially to their Souls and to bring some spiritual Advantage to them [m] See p. 216. to the end of 219. Time is commonly lost by meer complemental Visits wherein no civil Business is dispatch'd no Service done to the Bodies Estates or Souls of others Let Christian Friends take heed especially that they come not together of purpose to waste their Time in unseasonable immeasurable Play and Sport that they be not found notoriously guilty of spending commonly and customarily as many Hours in Play together as if Gaming were not their Recreation and Diversion but their Trade and Profession their Calling and Occupation Can this be reckon'd a well redeeming the Time in evil Daies Would not some of that Time be spent more fruitfully and comfortably in the Communication of your Experiences and the Observations you have made relating either to God's Word or Works or in reading together some select and seasonable Scripture or else some part of practical Divinity or good Morality or useful History and in discoursing and conferring thereupon as you have Ability and find Occasion Let not Cards and Dice swallow up and devour the most of the Hours you spend together Nor ever suffer any Friends and Companions to rob you of your Time by [m] Nulla est excusatio peccati si amici causâ peccavâ—â—â— Strectum statuerimus vel concedere amicis quicquid veltur vel impetrare ab amicis quicquid velimus perseâ—â—â quideus â—pientià sumus si nibil habeat res vitu Haec prima lex in amicitia sanciatur ut neque rogemus res turper nec factamus rogati c. ut ab amicis honesta petamus amitorum can a honesta faciamus Lael apud Cic. de Amic yielding to them and complying with them when they unreasonably exact of you to hold out with them in their Sports If you perceive that any particular Game or Play does steal away your Heart and Time 't is high time then rather to lay it quite aside than to suffer such Detriment by Continuation of the Use of it When Bp. Vsher in his tender Years was taught by some of his Friends to play at Cards and found himself so delighted therewith that it not only took place of the Love of his Book but began to be a Rival with the spiritual Part in him upon apprehension thereof as [n] In the Life of Bp. Usher p. 24. Dr. Bernard informs us he gave it over and never played after When Christian Acquaintance meet together let them be as useful and profitable as helpful and beneficial as holy and heavenly in their Discourses as may be You may do more good by an honest Hint and a serious savoury Speech in Company than it may be a Minister may do by many Sermons Labour to spiritualize and ennoble your Friendship by making it a State of Love and Purity an Opportunity and Advantage of amending and reforming of benefiting and bettering one another [o] Dr. Ham. of frat Admon or Corrept p. 29. Let such as live either with or by one another by solemn Compact and Agreement strictly and strongly oblige one another to take some special spiritual Care of one another's Souls This would be real spiritual good Neighbourhood an high Advancement a rich and gainful Improvement of Friendship You that are Intimates and Familiars look upon your selves as one another's * Gen 4.9 Keepers Take a spiritual Charge one of another †Phil. 2.20 Naturally care for one another's spiritual State ‖ Heb. 13.17 Watch over one another's Souls as they that must give account an Account of one another as well as of your selves that you may do it with Joy and not with Grief Be (*) 2 Cor. 11.2 jealous over one another with a Godly Jealousy and shew your selves such fast Friends to one another's Souls as to do your best to prevent
one another's sinning and to promote the Work of Grace and Holiness in one another's Hearts Take Occasion to warm not so much one another's Houses as one another's Hearts Visit one another in the Evening meet together and confer one with another at leisure hours and on daies of Recreation * Mal. 3.16 Speak often one to another concerning the things that belong to the Peace of one another's Souls and concern the Conditiion of the Church of Christ Build up †Jude 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one another on your most holy Faith ‖ 1 Thess 5.11 Comfort your selves together and edify one another (*) Heb. 3.13 Exhort one another daily while it is called To day Let your Exhortation be mutual and reciprocal frequent and continual seasonable and speedy lest any of you be hardened through the Deceitfulness of Sin Take the first Opportunity of dealing with thy Friend as the case and need of his Soul requires lest Death remove him unexpectedly out of the reach of thy Charity to all Eternity Consider with thy self that should thy Companion live longer yet he may continue in the omission of some Duty because you only purpose to put him upon it Or he may go on in the commission of some Sin grow more and more in Love with it and fall more under the Power of it because you have only some thought and intention to turn him from it Support preserve and keep one another from falling and in the Spirit of Meekness raise and recover (†) Gal. 6.1 restore and (‖) Jam 5.19 convert one another when overtaken and fallen in any degree and measure either into Sin or Errour * Le◠19 17. Hate not your Friend or Brother in your Heart in any wise rebuke your Neighbour and never suffer Sin upon him when you find him offending against God or Man And * Mat. 18.15 if a Friend or Brother shall plainly trespass against thee go and tell him his Fault between thee and him alone not seeming to reproach him by chiding and reprehending him in publick nor offering to back-bite him by talking privately to others against him †Col. 3.16 Rom. 15 14. Teach and admonish one another and let it appear that you practise your own Precepts and take your selves the Counsel you give to others Follow Tertullian's excellent Advice [p] Oportet constantiam commenend proprtie conversationis autheritate dertgere ne icta faciis aesictent thus crubescant Tert. de patientia initio strengthen your friendly Admonition and Exhortation with the Authority of your own Conversation that your want of Deeds may not make you blush at your own Words and let me add that your Friend and Companion may not neglect and reject your Sayings because he knows too well your Doings As oftentimes you thrust away the good Light of a Candle for the ill savour which the stinking Tallow yields Let none have reason to retort and say ‖ Luke 4.23 Physician heal thy self (*) Rom. 2 21. Thou which teachest another teachest thou not thy self What Mr. Herbert speaks of Ministers may be sitly accommodated to the Exhortations and Admonitions of Christian Friends [q] The Windows Doctrine and Life Colours and Light in one When they combine and mingle bring A strong Regard and Aw but Speech alone Doth vanish like a flaring thing And in the Ear not Conscience ring (†) Heb 10 24. Consider one another to provoke unto Love and to good Works or to [r] Dr. Ham of frat Admon or Correp p. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sharpen or provoke in one another Charity and good or laudable Works You are apt to forget and prone to neglect your selves you have need enough of one anothers spiritual Care and Help 't is necessary that others should watch and observe incite and assist you be at some trouble and take some pains with you your own and others Consideration and Provocation of you is little enough to stir and move you Ponder and [s] Dr. Hum. Par. in loc weigh all Advantages that you can have one upon another to excite and extimulate to engage and quicken one another to the Exercise of Charity and all Actions of Piety whensoever you find any thing of fainting or growing cold in one another Search and enquire into one anothers spiritual Estates mind and study the Cases and Conditions of one anothers Souls the Causes and Cures of one another spiritual Distempers Be very solicitous for one anothers present and future Good carefully consult the spiritual Prosperity and eternal Welfare of one another Consider one another to provoke one another not to Sin and Wickedness to Vanity and Folly to uncertain Opinions to Faction and Division to Siding and Party-taking not to that which is highly provoking but exceeding well-plealing to God not to Wrath but to Love not to Evil but to Good Works Consider and provoke one another not as the Devil considers and provokes Men by his Temptations but as God considers and provokes Men who watches over us continually prevents us daily with his Grace strengthens us against Temptations affords us his Counsel instils many good Motions into our Minds and often incites and stirs us up to the Duties incumbent on us And as Christ consider'd and provoked Sinners when he was here on Earth to Faith and Repentance good Works and Obedience who went about doing Good doing good to Mens Souls as well as Bodies who freely convers'd with them frequently instructed them affectionately exhorted them powerfully press'd them plainly reprov'd them was grieved for the Hardness of their Hearts lamented and wept over their Impenitency and Insidelity Consider thy Companion at such a season when it is most likely that he may consider what you say to him Provoke him to Good when in all probability it may do most good Remember to consider and provoke one another in a serious manner Never offer to utter a few cold dull dead Words between Jest and Earnest but earnestly perswade and pathetically expostulate one with another and let one another plainly see that every Application does arise and proceed from Love and Compassion and that it is the Desire of your Souls to save one another's Souls Let your Words be as * Eccl. 12.1 Goads as the Wise Man speaks to prick one another forward in the way of Religion Instead of detaining one another unnecessarily from the Publick Assembly stir up one another with an holy Zeal and say one to another in the Words of the Prophet * Zech. 8.21 Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord of Hosts I will go also Be not Quench-coals but as live Coals begetting Heat in those that are next you Let Christian Acquaintance use their utmost Endeavours to bring one another more acquainted with God and with their own spiritual States and Conditions Let Christian Neighbours study
and endeavour to make one another nigh to God Let Christian Yoke-fellows exhort and encourage one another to take Christ's Yoke upon them and to bear his Burden Let Christian Servants stir up one another to work out their Salvation to do the Business and to finish the Work which their heavenly Master has given them to do Consider exhort provoke one another and look what becomes of all the Labour Care and Pains that you take with any Friend or Acquaintance and if it obtain not at present its much desired Fruit and Effect yet be not disheartened nor [t] Angor iste qui pro amico saepe capiendus est non tantum valet ut tollat è vita amicitiam non plus quà m ut virtutes quia nonnullas curas molestias afferunt repudientur Lael apud Cic. de Amic desert your Duty and give over this necessary Office and excellent Part of Friendship though you find it difficult and uneasy though you seem to any carnal Friend as one that mocks as * Gen. 19.14 Lot did to his Sons-in-law †2 Tim. 2.25 4 2. In Meekness instruct those that oppose themselves ‖ 1 Thess 5.14 Reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering which will be a becoming Imitation of God who you may remember endured you with much long-suffering who did not leave you to your selves when you first rejected his heavenly Admonition who called you often before you would hear and often provoked you before you would stir who suffers sinful Men so long till at last he suffers for his Suffering who is so patient till at last he loses by his Patience whose extream Patience as Tertullian excellently observes seems to [u] Vt sua sibi patientia detrahat plures enim Dominum idcirco non credunt quia seculo iratum tamdiu nesciunt Teit. de patientia detract and derogate from his Power for many believe saies he that there is no Governour of the World because they do not see him angry with the World Patiently continue thy Consideration and Care of thy Friends for though they do not consider what you say at present they may consider it hereafter Consider them because this will be a comfortable Consideration that though you do no good upon them yet you did your honest faithful and best Endeavours to do them good and are therefore clear from their Blood Think how greatly you will gain in your own Experience by considering your Acquaintance and dealing in a spiritual way with them and how much you will heighten and strengthen your own good Affections by exhorting provoking and exciting your Friends by rubbing and chasing your Companions you will not only get warmth into them but will with the same labour make your selves a great deal hotter than you were before The more you perswade and stir up them to the Love and Fear of God the more your own Heart will be warmed and inhamed with the Love and filled and possess'd with the Fear of God The more you quicken and stir up them to good Works you your selves will become much more ready to every good Work And as this will increase and improve your own spiritual Gifts and Graces so it will enlarge your Joys and Comforts and be matter of Satisraction and Pleasure to you to see some of their Souls spiritually prosper whom you have taken a special care of What a comfort will it be at last to consider that you have done much good by considering your Associates that by your consideration of them you have brought them to consider God and themselves that under God you have been the happy Instruments of awakening convincing strengthning and quickning your Acquaintance of * Mat. 18.15 gaining your Brethren of gaining them to God and gaining and endearing them more and more to your selves and of saving some precious Souls from Death which are more worth than the whole World How will they be your †1 Thess 2.19 20. Glory and Joy and Crown of Rejoicing who shall confess and acknowledg that you were the blessed means of working upon them and prevailing with them that under God they ow their spiritual Light and Life their Growth and Thriving in Grace their Progress and Procedure in Faith and Holiness their Stedfastness and Advancement in Religion and Godliness to your cure and pains with them your compassionate Consideration of them and watchful Circumspection over them yea will not this increase the Joies of Heaven and heighten the Pleasures of Paradise to you to meet with those Acquaintance there whom you were a means of helping thither by prompting and encouraging them to do those Works which are the way to the heavenly Kingdom Consider moreover that your considering your Friends and Neighbours will be consider'd and accepted by God though they should never consider any thing at all that your Labour of Love shall not be in vain to your selves though it should be ineffectual to others But if by dealing with them you do some real considerable good upon them that then very great will be your Reward in Heaven that if you * Dan. 12.3 turn many to Righteousness you shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever That if from a Principle of the Fear of the Lord you †Mal. 3.16 17. speak often one to another to animate one another to Faith and Obedience to Courage and Constancy the Lord will hearken and hear it and a Book of Remembrance shall be written before him concerning it and you shall be his in that Day when he maketh up his Jewels his peculiar Lot Inheritance choice Portion chief Treasure and he will spare you as a Man spareth his own Son that serveth him If you consider one another for good God will consider you for good If you provoke one another to Love this will provoke God to love you for it If you provoke your Acquaintance to good Works this will provoke God to reward you as well as them for all the good Works that are done by them by means of your Exhortations and [w] Quantoscunque aliquis exemplo sanctae vitae aedificaverit cum tantis pro tantis mercedem beatae vitae retributionis aceipiet Aug. tom 10. p. 209. Paris Examples But if you provoke not them to do good Works you shall one Day be found guilty of all the evil Works done by them which you might have hindred by any means and any way prevented the Commission of Neglect not the serious Exhortation loving Consideration and zealous Provocation one of another for surely when you come to die your own Hearts will not condemn you for labouring too hard in the grand concernments of the Souls of your Friends who are as * Deut. 13.6 your own Souls But you will be ready to challenge your selves for want of Care and Diligence in that Performance and to grieve and mourn that you have been so useless in your Friendship and Society that
our Health and Strength to resume our old-acquaintance Sins or to * Ps 85.8 turn again to Folly Did we but answer our sacred Vows and solemn Promises we should no longer be expensive and wasteful of our pretious Hours We should not be [f] Inter caetera mala hoc quoque habet stultitia proprium semper incipit vivere Epicuri dictum à Seneca laudatum ep 13 Considera quà m foeda sit hominum levitas quotidie nova vitae fundamenta ponentium novas spes etiam in exitu inchoantium Id. ib. Malè vivunt qui semper vivere incipiunt quia semper illis imperfecta vita est Non potest autem stare paratue ad mortem qui modò incipit vivere Id agendum est ut satis vixerimus nemo hoc putat qui ordetur cùm maximè vitam Id. ep 23. alwaies beginning to live but should live indeed and in good earnest We should in time make so sure of a blessed Eternity that we should never more have cause to fear either Sickness Death the Grave or Hell The twelfth and last Direction 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 * Luke 19.44 Know the Time of thy Visitation †Verse 42. Know in this thy Day the things which belong unto thy Peace ‖ Is 55.6 Ps 32.2 Seek the Lord while he may be found call upon him while he is near (*) Job 22 21. Acquaint now thy self with God (†) Mat. 5.25 Agree with thine Adversary quickly whilst thou art in the Way with him (‖) 3.7 Flee from the Wrath to come Not go nor run but flee * Heb. 6.18 Flee for Refuge to lay hold upon the Hope set before you as of old the unwitting and unwilling Man-slayer was wont to hasten to take hold upon the Horns of the Altar and to †Exod. 21.13 Num. 35.6 Deut. 4.41 flee for safety to a Sanctuary or City of Refuge when hotly pursued by the enraged Avenger of Blood Be able to say with holy David ‖ Ps 119.60 I made [a] Properat vivere nemo sntis Martial l. 2. epigr. 90. haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments Where the Prophet expresses it both affirmatively and negatively and so the more Emphatically after the manner of the Hebrews to shew his promptitude and readiness speediness and quickness in [b] Calv. in loc comparison of those dull and lazy Procrastinators who come not at all or come but softly and slowly to God And [c] Quanquam verba sunt praeteriti temporis continuum tamen actum notant Ibid. though the Words speak of the time past yet as Calvin observes they note a continual act I made haste and delayed not and I still make haste and now do not delay to keep thy Commandments Remember how Abraham rose up early in the Morning and without objecting or disputing or letting slip the first opportunity was ready to offer and forward to sacrifice his only Son at God's command Gen. 22.3 And how Christ's Disciples at his first Call immediatly left their Nets the Ship and their Father and followed him Matth. 4.20 22. And take Example by the wise Merchant in the Parable who dispatch'd his necessary business immediatly without cunctation or delay The account there given of him is express'd all in the present Tense He * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 13.44 goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth the Field in which the Treasure was hid †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 6.10 While you have opportunity do good to your selves and do good to all Let me say to you concerning Time and Opportunity as Boaz said to his Kinsman concerning the Land ‖ Ruth 4.4 If you will redeem it redeem it Stand no longer dallying and trifling in a matter that requires haste and speed For here consider 1. The sooner the better 'T is better 1. In respect of God 2. Of our selves 1. The sooner we redeem the Time the better it is in respect of God for God is abundantly more honoured and better serv'd by it He is more honoured by it Our making haste to redeem the Time prevents the doing of much Dishonour which by great and gross misspence of our Time would many waies be cast upon God by our affronting his Authority continuing in open Rebellion against him breaking his holy and righteous Laws abusing his Creatures and misemploying his Gifts from day to day And more than so It actually and positively does much honour to him as it is a ready present obedient Answer to God's Call who cries * Heb. 3.7 13. To day while it is called to day And a real demonstration and high expression of our ardent Love and hearty Affection to him and his Laws and Waies and an open and constant Justification of their Equity Bonity Suavity and Amability in the eye of the World And it is no small Honour done to God that by making haste and not delaying we devote the best of our Time to him and put him not off with the very dregs and refuse And further yet as God is more honoured so he is much better served by it The more haste we make to redeem the Time we shall be the better disposed more adapted and sitted for the Service of God become more meet Vessels for our Master's Vse and not only acquire greater Abilities but meet with larger more frequent and various Opportunities of doing God faithful and acceptable Service The sooner we enter in the longer we shall labour in our Lord's Vineyard and do the more work for our Heavenly Master 2. The sooner we redeem the Time the better it is in respect of our selves 'T is more honour able more pleasurable more profitable to do it sooner than later 1. It is more honour able to hasten and not to delay for this is a Sign that our Acts and Deeds are free and voluntary not forced and constrained That what we do in Religion we do of good will and choice On a Sick or Death-bed a Man is scared into a sudden and unchosen Piety and frighted into sits of involuntary Devotion He that never sets himself to redeem his Time till a mighty Fear forcibly drives and impells him to it till he finds he approaches and draws near to the Gates of Death and Hell and is ready to give up his unready and unallowable Accounts to the great and righteous Judg This Man acts dishonourably for he does nothing out of disaffection to his Sins nothing at all for the Love of God and for the sake of Vertue But it is an Honour and a Credit to a Christian to redeem the Time by his own Election and to act for God out of a free and ingenuous Principle of Love 2. The more haste we make to redeem the Time it is so much the more pleasurable