OF

THE REDEMPTION OF TIME:

HOW, AND WHY IT IS TO BE REDEEMED.

I WOULD confider thefe particulars: 1. What that

Time is which we are to redeem. 2. What it is to redeem that Time. 3. How that Time is to be redeemed. 4. Why that Time is thus to be redeemed.

The first of these, What that Time is, that is to be redeemed. The philofophers trouble themselves much what Time is, and leave it very difficult; but we shall not need to trouble ourselves with that enquiry. The Time that is here meant, feems to be under this double relation: First, in relation to fome apt season for any thing to be done; and then it is properly called opportunity, which is nothing elfe but the coincidence of fome circumftances accommodated to fome action fuitable to it: as the Time for the hufbandman to reap his corn, is when the corn is ripe, and the weather feafonable; it is Time for the fmith to forge iron when it is hot, and therefore malleable. And fo in matters moral; it is a Time to fhow mercy when an object of mifery occurs, and a power to give relief. This, as I take it, is that which the Greeks call nœpès, or opportunity. Secondly, in relation to that continuance of the duration of the reasonable creature in life, in this world, or the Time of our life.

II. To redeem Time, therefore, is in relation to both thefe; viz. 1. In relation to feafons and opportunities; the redemption of Time in this refpe&t is, 1. Diligently to watch and obferve all fitting feafons and opportunities of doing all the good we may, whe

ther

ther in relation to Almighty God, his fervice and glory; in relation to others, in all acts of charity and juftice; in relation to ourselves, in improvements of knowledge, piety, and virtue. 2 Induftriously to lay hold of all these opportunities, and not to let them flip, but to apply suitable actions to fuitable opportunities when they occur. 2. In relation to the Times of our lives; and fo we are said to redeem our Time. 1. When we constantly employ our Time, and leave as few vacuities and in'e ftitia in it without employing it. The oppofite to this is idlenefs, or doing nothing. 2. When we employ our Time conftantly in doing fomething that is anfwerable to the value and usefulness of our Time. The opposites to this are, first, the sinful employment of our Time, which is indeed worse than idlenefs: Or, fecondly, the vain, and impertinent, and unprofitable employment of our Time, as Domitian did in the killing of flies. 3. When we employ our Time, not only in things profitable, but in fuch things as are of greatest use and importance; and therefore fuch employments as are of greatest importance and concernment ought to take up the greatest and most confiderable part of our Time; otherwise we are impru dent and irrational in the improvement or redemption of our Time. And therefore this redeeming of our Time is ordinarily called husbanding of our Time, in refemblance of the husbandman's proceeding with his ground. If the husbandman doth not at all till and fow his ground, but is idle; or if he takes much pains in tilling of his ground, and fows nothing but cockle and darnel, or fuch hurtful feeds; or if he fows not that which is hurtful, but fows light or unprofitable corn; or fows that ground with a more ignoble and unuseful grain, which would with more reafon and advantage be employed to a more noble grain, that would yield more profit; or if he fows a fuitable grain, but obferves not his feafon proper for it, that man is an ill hufband of his ground: And he that with the like

1 intervals.

negligence

negligence or imprudence hufbands his Time, is an ill hufband of his Time, and doth not redeem it as he is here directed. But of this more in the next.

III. How Time is to be redeemed. The particular methods of hufbanding of Time under both the former relations, viz. in relation to opportunity, and in relation to our Time of life, fhall be promifcuoufly fet down. Now the actions of our lives may be diftinguifhed into feveral kinds, and in relation to thofe feveral actions, will the employments of our Times be diverfified. 1. There are actions natural; fuch as are eating, drinking, fleep, motion, rest. 2. Actions civil; as provifion for families, bearing of public offices in times of peace or war; moderate recreations and divertisements; employments in civil vocations, as agriculture, mechanical trades, liberal profeffions. 3. Actions moral; whether relating to ourfelves, as fobriety, temperance, moderation, (which though they are rather habits than actions, and the actions of them rather confift in negatives than pofitives, yet I ftile them actions) or relating to others, as acts of justice, charity, compaffion, liberality. 4 Or laftly, actions religious, relating to Almighty God; as invocation, thanksgiving, inquiring into his works, will, obedience to his law and commands, obferving the folemn feasons of his worship and fervice, and which muft go through and give a tincture to all the reft; a habit of fear of him, love to him, humility and integrity of heart and foul before him; and in fome, a habit of religion towards God in his Son Jefus Chrift, which is the magnum oportet, the one thing neceffary, and over-weighs all the rest upon this account: 1. In refpect of the excellency and fovereignty of the object, Almighty God, to whom we owe our being, and the ftrength and flower of our fouls. 2. In refpect of the noblenefs of the end thereby, and therein to be attained; for whereas all the reft ferve only to the meridian of this life, the latter hath a prospect to an eternal life. 3. In refpect of the

VOL. I.

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noblene's

noblenefs of the habit itself, which hath an universal influence over all the reft of the before-mentioned relations, and advanceth and improveth, and ennobleth them. It would be too long to profecute the methods of redeeming the Time in the particular relation to all these actions in this fheet of paper, therefore in this purfuit of the manner of redeeming the Time, I shall fet down only these generals.

1. We are to neglect no opportunity that occurs to do good; but 1. To watch all opportunities that offer themselves in order thereunto. 2. To feek for them, if they offer not themselves. 3. To use them, and not to let them flip.

2. In the coincidence of opportunities of feveral kinds, and fuiting to feveral actions, to give thofe the prelation that correfpond to the moft worthy actions; and in the coincidence of opportunities for actions of equal moment, to prefer fuch as are most rare, and probably of unlikelihood to occur again, before those that are under a probability of frequent occurrence.

3. We are to be very careful to leave no baulks or in, terfperfions of idlenefs in our lives. Thofe men that have most employment, and of the most conftant nature, cannot choose but have certain interftitia between the varieties of bufinefs, which may be fitted with employments fuitable to their length or qualities; and it becomes a good husband of his Time, to have fome defignations and deftinations of bufineffes that may be fuitable to thenature, quality, feafons, and more3 of those vacant interftitia. An induftrious hufbandman, tradefman, fcholar, will never want bufinefs fitted for occafional vacancies and horæ fubfeciva 4. Gellius' Notes Attica have left us an experiment of it. And a Chriftian, even as fuch, hath ready employment for occafional interstices, reading, praying; the crumbs and fragments of Time would be furnished with their fuitable employments; 'tis precious, and therefore let none of it be loft.

1

1 preference. scatterings. *

3 occasions.

leisure hours.

4. Much

4. Much Time might be faved and redeemed in retrenching the unnecessary expences thereof in our ordinary fleep, attiring and dreffing ourselves, and the length of our meals, as breakfasts, dinners, fuppers; which efpecially in this latter age, and among people of the better fort, are protracted to an immoderate and exceffive length. There is little less than ten or twelve hours every day spent in thefe refections and their appendencies, which might be fairly reduced to much lefs.

5. Take heed of entertaining vain thoughts, which are a very great confumption of Time, and are very incident to melancholy and fanciful perfons, whom I have known to fit the greatest part of feveral days in projecting what they would do if they had such estates, honours or places, and fuch kind of unprofitable and vain meditations; which humour is much improved in them that lie long in bed in a morning.

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6. Beware of too much recreation. Some bodily exercife is neceffary, for fedentary men efpecially; but let it not be too frequent, nor too long. Gaming, taverns, and plays, as they are pernicious, and corrupt youth; fo if they had no other fault, yet they are juftly to be declined in respect of their exceffive expence of time, and habituating men to idleness and vain thoughts, and disturbing paffions and fymptoms when they are paft, as well as while they are used. Let no recreations of any long continuance be used in the morning, for they hazard the lofs or difcompofure of the, whole day after.

7. Vifits made or received, are for the moft part an intolerable confumption of time, unlefs prudently ordered; and they are for the most part spent in vain and impertinent difcourfes. 1. Let them not be used in the morning. 2. If the vifits be made to, or by per fons of impertinence, let them be fhort, and at fuch times as may be beft fpared from what is more useful or neceffary, viz. at meals, or presently after. 3. But if the perfons to be vifited, are men of wisdom, learning * too much indulged by,

refreshments.