Direct.IV. Consider that your work out of season is not so good or acceptable, if you could do it.[285]"Every thing is beautiful in its season," Eccles. iii. 11. To speak a "word in season to the weary," is the skill of the faithful messengers of peace, Isa. 1. 4. When out of season good may be turned into evil. Who will thank you for giving physic, or food, or clothing to the dead? or pitying the poor when it is too late? In time all this may be accepted.
Direct.V. Remember that if thou omit the season, thou art left to uncertainties both for time, and means, and grace. Lose this time, and for aught thou knowest thou losest all. Or if thou have time, it may be curst with barrenness, and never more may fruit grow on it. Preachers may be taken from thee; and gracious company may be taken from thee: helps and means may be turned into hinderances, and opposition, and strong temptations: and then you will find what it was to neglect the season! Or if you have the continuance of all helps and means, how know you that God will set in by his grace, and bless them to you, and move your hearts? He may resolve that if you resist him now, his Spirit shall strive with you no more. If while it is called to-day, you will harden your hearts, he may resolve to leave you to the hardness of Pharaoh, and to get himself a name upon you, and use you as vessels of wrath, prepared by your neglect and obstinacy for destruction.
Direct.VI. Bethink you how all the creatures keep their proper seasons, in the service which God hath appointed them for you.[286]The sun riseth and setteth in its season, and keepeth its diary and annual course, and misseth not a minute. So do the celestial motions. You have day and night, and seed-time and harvest, summer and winter, spring and fall, and all exactly in their seasons. "Yea, the stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed time, and the turtle, and the crane, and the swallowobserve the time of their coming: but my people know not the judgment of the Lord," Jer. viii. 7. Shall only man neglect his season?
Direct.VII. Consider how you know and observe the season for your worldly labours, and should you not much more do so in greater things? You will not plough when you should reap; nor do the work of the summer in the winter. You will not lie in bed all day, and go about your business in the night. You will be inquisitive, that you may be skilful in the seasons, for your benefit or safety in the world; and should you not much more be so for a better world? "O ye hypocrites! ye can discern the face of the sky, but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" Matt. xvi. 3. As at harvest you look for the fruit of your land, so doth God in season expect fruit from you, Mark xii. 2; Luke xx. 10. The "godly" are "like a tree that is planted by the river's side, which bringeth forth its fruit in season," Psal. i. 3. Shall worldlings know their season, and shall not we?
Direct.VIII. Consider how vigilant the wicked are to know and take their season to do evil. And how much more should we be so in doing good! Seducers will take the opportunity to deceive. The thief and the adulterer will take the season of secrecy and darkness. The ambitious and covetous will take the season for profit and preferment. The malicious watch their seasons of revenge. And have we not more need and more encouragement than they? Is it time for them to be building their own houses, and growing great by covetousness and oppression, and is it not time for you to be honouring God, and providing for endless life?[287]They "cannot sleep unless they do evil," Prov. iv. 16; and can you sleep securely while your time passeth away, and your work is undone?
Direct.IX. Remember that the devil watcheth the season of temptation to destroy you. He prevaileth much by taking the time; when he seeth you disarmed, forgetting God, in secure prosperity, fittest to hearken to his temptations. The same temptations out of season might not prevail. And will you let your enemy outdo you?
Direct.X. Consider how earnest you are with God in your necessities and distress, not only to relieve and help you, but to do it speedily and in season.[288]You would rather have him prevent the season, than to let it pass. You are impatient till deliverance come, and can hardly stay the time till it be ripe. When you are in pain and sickness, you would be delivered speedily: you are ready to cry, "How long, Lord, how long?"[289]And as David, "The time, yea, the set time is come," Psal. cii. 13. "Make no longer tarrying, O my God!" Psal. xl. 17. It would not satisfy you if God should say, I will ease you of your pain the next year. Why then should you neglect the time of duty, and use so many delays with God? He giveth you all your mercies in their season; why then do you not in season give up yourselves to his love and service? when you have his promise, that you shall "reap in due season if you do not faint," Gal. vi. 9.
Direct.I. The first point in the art of redeeming time, is, to despatch first with greatest care and diligence the greatest works of absolute necessity, which must be done, or else we are undone for ever. First see that the great work of a sound conversion or sanctification be certainly wrought within you. Make sure of your saving interest in Christ: get proof of your adoption and peace with God, and right to everlasting life. Be able to prove to your consciences from the word of God, and from your regenerate, heavenly hearts and lives, that your souls are justified and safe, and may comfortably receive the news of death, whenever it shall be sent to call you hence. And then, when you have done but so much of your work, you will incur no such loss of time, as will prove the loss of your souls or happiness. Though still there is much more work to do, for yourselves and others, yet when this much is soundly done, you have secured the main. If you lose the time in which you should be renewed by the Spirit of Christ, and in which you should lay up your treasure in heaven, you are lost for ever. Be sure therefore that you look first to this: and then if you lose but the time in which you might have grown rich or got preferment, your loss is tolerable; you know the worst of it; you may see to the end of it. Yea, if you lose the time in which you should increase in holiness, and edify others, the loss is grievous; but yet it will not lose you heaven. Therefore, as Solomon directeth the husbandman, "Prepare thy work without and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house," Prov. xxiv. 27; so I advise you, to see first that the necessary work be done; when that is done, and well done, you may go quietly and cheerfully about the rest: "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness;" oh what a deal is done when this is done!
Direct.II. Learn to understand well the degrees of duties, which is the greater and which the less, that when two seem to require your time at once, you may know which of them to prefer. Not only to know which is simply and in itself the greatest, but which is the greatest for you, and at that season, and as considered in all the circumstances. A great part of the art of redeeming time, consisteth in the wise discerning and performing of this; to give precedency to the greatest duty. He loseth his time, who is getting a penny when he might get a pound; who is visiting his neighbour, when he should be attending his prince; who is weeding his garden, when he should be quenching a fire in his house, though he be doing that which in itself is good. So is he losing his time, who is preferring his body before his soul; or man before God; or indifferent things before necessary; or private duties before public; or less edifying before the more edifying; or sacrifice before necessary mercy. The order of good works I have showed you before, chap. iii. direct. x. which you may peruse.
Direct.III. Be acquainted with the season of every duty, and the duty of each season; and take them in their time. And thus one duty will help on another; whereas misplacing them and disordering them, sets them one against another, and takes up your time with distracting difficulties, and loseth you in confusion. As he that takes the morning hour for prayer, or the fittest vacant hour, shall do it quietly, without the disturbance of his other affairs; when if the season be omitted, you shall scarce at all perform it, or almost as ill as if you did it not at all: so is it in point of conscience, reproof, reading, hearing, meditating, and every duty. A wise and well-skilled christian should bring his matters into such order, that every ordinary duty should know his place, and all should be as the links of one chain which draw on one another; or as the parts of a clock or other engine, which must be all conjunct, and each right placed. A workman that hath all his tools on a heap or out of place, spends much ofthe day in which he should be working in looking for his tools; when he that knoweth the place of every one, can presently take it, and lose no time. If my books be thrown together on a heap, I may spend half the day in looking for them when I should use them; but if they be set in order, and I know their places, it spares me that time. So is it in the right timing of our duties.
Direct.IV. Live continually as under the government of God; and keep conscience tender, and in the performance of its office; and always be ready to render an account to God and conscience of what you do. If you live as under the government of God, you will be still doing his work; you will be remembering his judgment; you will be trying your work whether it be such as he approveth: this will keep you from all time-wasting vanities. If you keep conscience tender, it will presently check and reprehend you for your sin; and when you lose but a minute of time, it will tell you of the loss: whereas a "seared conscience" is "past feeling," and will give you over to "lasciviousness," Eph. iv. 19; 1 Tim. iv. 2; and will make but a jest at the loss of time; or at least will not effectually tell you either of the sin or loss. If you keep conscience to its office, it will ask you frequently, what you are doing? and try your works; it will take account of time when it is spent, and ask you, what have you been doing? and how you have spent every day and hour? And (as Seneca could say) "He will be the more careful what he doth, and how he spends the day, who looks to be called to a reckoning for it every night." This will make the foreseen day of judgment have such a continual awe upon you, as if you were presently going to it; while conscience, with respect to it, is continually forejudging you. Whereas they that have silenced or discarded conscience, are like school-boys that bolt their master out of doors, who do it with a design to spend the time in play, which they should have spent in learning: but the after-reckoning pays for all.
Rules to know what time must be spent in.
Here, for the further direction of your consciences, I shall lay you down a few rules, for the right spending of your time. 1. Spend it in nothing (as a deliberate moral act) which is not truly, directly, or remotely an act of obedience to some law of God. (Of mere natural acts, which are no objects of moral choice, I speak not.) 2. Spend it in nothing which you know must be repented of. 3. Spend it in nothing which you dare not, or may not warrantably pray for a blessing on from God. 4. Spend it in nothing which you would not review at the hour of death, by an awakened, well-informed mind. 5. Spend it in nothing which you would not hear of in the day of judgment. 6. Spend it in nothing which you cannot safely and comfortably be found doing, if death should surprise you in the act. 7. Spend it in nothing which flesh-pleasing persuadeth you to, against your consciences, or with a secret grudge or doubting of your consciences. 8. Spend it in nothing which hath not some tendency, directly or remotely, to your ultimate end, the pleasing of God, and the enjoying him in love for ever. 9. Spend it in nothing which tendeth to do more hurt than good; that would do a great hurt to yourself or others, under pretence of doing some little good, which perhaps may better be done another way. 10. Lastly, Spend it in nothing which is but a smaller good, when a greater should be done.
Direct.V. Do your best to settle yourselves where there are the greatest helps and smallest hinderances to the redeeming of your time. And labour more to accommodate your habitation, condition, and employments to the great ends of your life and time, than to your worldly honour, ease, or wealth. Live where is best trading for the soul: you may get more by God's ordinary blessing in one year, in a godly family, or in fruitful company, and under an able, godly minister, than in many years in a barren soil, among the ignorant, dead-hearted, or profane, where we must say, as David, "I held my peace even from good, while the wicked was before me," Psal. xxxix. 1, 2. And when we must do all the good we do through much opposition; and meet with great disadvantages and difficulties, which may quickly stop such dull and backward hearts as ours. If you will prefer your profit before your souls in the choice of your condition, and will plunge yourselves into distracting business and company, your time will run in a wrong, unprofitable channel.
Direct.VI. Contrive beforehand, with the best of your skill, for the preventing of impediments, and for the most successful performance of your work. If you leave all to the very time of doing, you will have many hinderances rise before you, and make you lose your time, which prudent forecast might have prevented. As for the improving of the Lord's day, if you do not beforehand so order your business, that all things may give place to holy duties, you will meet with so many disturbances and temptations, as will lose you much of your time and benefit: so for family duties, and secret duties, and meditation, and studies, and the works of your callings; if you do not forecast what hinderance is like to meet you, that you may prevent it before the time, you must lose much time, and suffer much disappointment.
Direct.VII. Endure patiently some smaller inconvenience and loss, for the avoiding of greater, and for the redeeming of time for greater duties: and let little things be resolutely cast out of your way, when they would draw out your time by insensible degrees. The devil would cunningly steal that from you by drops, which he cannot get you to cast away profusely at once; he that will not spend prodigally by the pounds, may run out by not regarding pence. You shall have the pretences of decency, and seemliness, and civility, and good manners, and avoiding offence, and censure, and of some necessity too, to draw out your precious time from you by little and little; and if you are so easy as to yield, it will almost all be wasted by this temptation. As if you be ministers of Christ, whose time must be spent in your studies, and pulpits, and in conference with your people, and visiting them, and watching over them; and it is your daily groans that time is short and work is long, and that you are forced to omit so many needful studies, and pass by so many needy souls, for want of time; yet if you look not well about you, and will not bear some censure and offence, you shall lose even the rest of the time, which now you do improve. Your friends about you will be tempting and telling you, O this friend must needs be visited, and the other friend must be civilly treated; you must not shake them off so quickly; they look for more of your time and company: you are much obliged to them; they will say you are uncivil and morose. Such a scholar comes to be acquainted with you; and he will take it ill, and misrepresent you to others, if you allow him not time for some familiar discourse. It is one that never was with you before, and never took up any of your time: and so saith the next and the next as well as he. Such a one visited you, and you must needs visit him again. There is this journey or that which must needs be gone; and this business and that which must needs be done. Yea, one's veryfamily occasions will steal away all his time, if he watch not narrowly: we shall have this servant to talk to, and the other to hear, and our relations to respect, and abundance of little things to mind, so little as not to be named by themselves, about meat, and drink, and clothes, and dressing, and house, and goods, and servants, and work, and tradesmen, and messengers, and marketing, and payments, and cattle, and a hundred things not to be reckoned up, that will every one take up a little of your time; and those littles set together will be all. As the covetous usurer, that to purchase a place of honour, agreed for a month to give a penny to every one that asked him; which being quickly noised abroad in the city, there came so many for their pence, as took all that he had, and made him quit his place of honour, because he had nothing left to maintain it. So perhaps you are an eminent, much valued minister; and this draweth upon you such a multitude of acquaintance, every one expecting a little of your time, that among them all, they leave you almost none for your studies; whereby not only your conscience is wounded, but your parts are quenched, and your work is starved and poorly done, and so your admirers themselves begin to set as light by you as by others, for that which is the effect of their own importunity. And as in our yearly expenses of our money, there goeth near as much in little matters, not to be named by themselves, and incidental, unexpected charges, of which no account can be given beforehand, as doth in food, and raiment, and the ordinary charges which we foreknow and reckon upon; just so it will be with your precious time, if you be not very thrifty and resolute, and look not well to it: you will have such abundance of little matters, scarce fit to be named, which will every one require a little, and one begin where the other endeth, that you will find in the review, when time is gone, that Satan was too cunning for you, and cheated you by drawing you into seeming necessities. This is the grand reason why marriage and housekeeping are so greatly inconvenient to a pastor of the church, that can avoid them; because they bring upon him such abundance of these little diversions, which cannot be foreseen. In this case a conscionable man (in what calling soever) must be resolute: and when he hath endeavoured with reason to satisfy expectants, and put by diversions, if that will not serve he must neglect them, and cast them off, and break away, though he lose by it in his estate, or his repute, or his peace itself, and though he be censured for it to be imprudent, uncivil, morose, or neglective of his friends. God must be pleased, whoever be displeased: we must satisfy our minds with his alone approbation, instead of all: time must be spared, whatever be lost or wasted; and the great things must be done, whatever become of the less: though where both may be done, and the lesser hinder not the greater, and rob us not of time from necessary things, there we must have a care of both.
Direct.VIII. Labour to go always furnished and well provided for the performance of every duty which may occur. As he that will not lose his time in preaching, must be well provided; so he that will not lose his time in solitariness, must be always furnished with matter for profitable meditation; and he that would redeem his time in company, must be always furnished with matter for profitable discourse: he that is full will be ready to pour out to others, and not be silent and lose his time for want of matter, or skill, or zeal; for in all these three your provision doth consist. An ignorant, empty person wants matter for his thoughts and words; an imprudent person wants skill to use it; a careless, cold, indifferent person, wants life to set his faculties on motion, and oil and poise to set the wheels of his soul and body a-going. Bethink you in the morning what company you are like to meet, and what occasions of duty you are like to have; and provide yourselves accordingly before you go, with matter and resolution. Besides the general preparative of habitual knowledge, charity, and zeal, which is the chief, you should also have your particular preparations for the duties of each day.[290]A workman that is strong and healthful, and hath all his tools in readiness and order, will do more in a day, than a sick man, or one that wanteth tools, or keeps them dull and unfit for use, will do in many. Psal. xxxvii. 30, 31, "The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment;" and no wonder, when "The law of his God is in his heart: none of his steps shall slide." "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh: a good man out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things," Matt. xii. 34, 35. "Every scribe which is instructed to the kingdom of heaven, is like a man that is an householder, that bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old," Matt. xiii. 52.
Direct.IX. Promise not long life to yourselves, but live as those that are always uncertain of another day, and certain to be shortly gone from hence. The groundless expectation of long life, is a very great hinderance to the redeeming of our time. Men will spend prodigally out of a full purse, who would be sparing if they knew they had but a little, or were like to come to want themselves. Young people, and healthful people, are under the greatest temptation to the loss of time. They are apt to think that they have time enough before them, and that though it is possible that they may die quickly, yet it is more likely that they shall live long: and so, putting the day of death far from them, they want all those awakenings, which the face of death doth bring to them that still expect it; and therefore want the wisdom, zeal, and diligence which are necessary to the redemption of their time. Pray therefore as Psal. xc. 12, "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Dream not of rest and plenty for many years, when you have no promise to live till the next morning, Luke xii. 19, 20. When they perceive death is at hand and time is near an end, almost all men seem highly to esteem of time, and promise to spend it better if God would but try them once again. Do you therefore continually perceive that death is even at hand, and time near an end, and then it will make you continually more wise than death maketh the most; and to redeem your time as others purpose to redeem it when it is too late.
Direct.X. Sanctify all to God that you have and do, and let Holiness to the Lord be written upon all; whether you eat or drink, let it be intended and ordered ultimately to his glory. Make all your civil relations, possessions, and employments thus holy; designing them to the service and pleasing of God, and to the everlasting good of yourselves or others, and mixing holy meditation and prayer with them all in season.[291]And thus we are bid to "pray continually," and "in all things give thanks," 1 Thess. v. 17, 18. And "in all things to make known our requests to God, in prayer, supplication, and giving of thanks," Phil, iv. 6. And "all things are sanctified by the word and prayer." This sacred alchymy,that turneth all our conversation, and possessions, and actions into holy, is an excellent part of the art of redeeming time.
Direct.XI. Lastly, be acquainted with the great thieves that rob men of their time, and with the devil's methods in enticing them to lose it, and live in continual watchfulness against them. It is a more necessary thriftiness to be sparing and saving of your time, than of your money. It more concerneth you to keep a continual watch against the things which would rob you of your time, than against those thieves that would break your house, and rob you by the highway. Those persons that would tempt you to the loss of time, are to be taken as your enemies, and avoided. I shall here recite the names of these thieves, and time-wasters, that you may detest them, and save your time and souls from their deceits.
ThiefI. One of the greatest time-wasting sins is idleness, or sloth. The slothful see their time pass away, and their work undone, and can hear of the necessity of redeeming it, and yet they have not hearts to stir. When they are convinced that duty must be done, they are still delaying, and putting it off from day to day, and saying still, I will do it to-morrow, or hereafter. To-morrow is still the sluggard's working day; and to-day is his idle day. He spendeth his time in fruitless wishes: he lieth in bed, or sitteth idly, and wisheth, Would this were labouring: he feasteth his flesh, and wisheth that this were fasting: he followeth his sports and pleasures, and wisheth that this were prayer, and a mortified life: he lets his heart run after lust, or pride, or covetousness, and wisheth that this were heavenly-mindedness, and a laying up a treasure above. Thus the "soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat," Prov. xiii. 4. Prov. xxi. 25, "The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour." Every little opposition or difficulty will put him by a duty. Prov. xx. 4, "The sluggard will not plough by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing." Prov. xxii. 13, "The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets." Prov. xxvi. 14-16, "As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth." And at last his sloth depraves his reason, and bribeth it to plead the cause of his negligence. "The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit, than seven men that can render a reason." Time will slide on, and duty will be undone, and your souls undone, if impious slothfulness be predominant. Prov. xv. 19, "The way of the slothful man is as a hedge of thorns; but the way of the righteous is made plain." You seem still to go through so many difficulties, that you will never make a successful journey of it. Yea, when he is in duty, the slothful is still losing time. He prayeth as if he prayed not, and laboureth as if he laboured not; as if the fruit of holiness passed away as hastily as worldly pleasures. He is as slow as a snail; and rids so little ground, and doth so little work, and so poorly resisteth opposition, that he makes little of it, and all is but next to sitting still and doing nothing. It is a sad thing that men should not only lose their time in sinful pleasures; but they must lose it also in reading, and hearing, and praying, by doing all in a heartless drowsiness! Thus "he also that is slothful in his work, is brother to him that is a great waster," Prov. xviii. 9. If he "begin in the Spirit," and for a spurt seem to be earnest, he flags, and tireth, and "endeth in the flesh." Prov. xii. 27, "The slothful roasteth not that which he took in hunting; but the substance of a diligent man is precious." If he see and confess a vice, he hath not a heart to rise against it, and resolutely resist it, and use the means by which it must be overcome. Prov. xxiv. 30-34, "I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; and, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man." Shake off then this unmanly sluggishness: remember that you run for the immortal crown; and therefore see that you lose no time, and look not at the things that are behind;[292]that is, do not cast an eye, or lend an ear to any person or thing that would call you back, or stop you: heaven is before you. Judg. xviii. 9, "We have seen the land, and behold it is very good; and are ye still? be not slothful to go and to enter, and possess the land" (as the five Danite spies said to their brethren). Abhor a sluggish habit of mind: go cheerfully about what you have to do; and do it diligently, and with your might. Even about your lawful, worldly business, it is a time-wasting sin to be slothful. If you are servants or labourers, you rob your masters and those that hire you; who hired you to work, and not to be idle. Whatever you are, you rob God of your service, and yourselves of your precious time, and all that you might get therein. It is they that are lazy in their callings, that can find no time for holy duties. Ply your business the rest of the day, and you may the better redeem some time for prayer and reading Scripture. Work hard on the week days, and you may the better spend the Lord's day entirely for your souls. Idle persons (servants or others) do cast themselves behindhand in their work, and then say, they have no time to pray or read the Scripture. Sloth robbeth multitudes of a great part of their lives. Prov. xix. 15, "Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep: and an idle soul shall suffer hunger." You cannot say, "No man hath hired you," when you are asked, "Why stand you idle?" Matt. xx. 3, 6. See how sharply Paul reproveth idleness, 2 Thess. iii. determining that "they that will not work should not eat;" and that they be avoided, as unfit for christian society. And 1 Tim. v. 13, he sharply rebuketh some women that "learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house." And Rom. xii. 11, "Not slothful in business, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." A painful, diligent person is still redeeming time, while he doth that which is good; and a slothful person is always losing it.
ThiefII. The second thief or time-waster is excess of sleep. Necessity cureth most of the poor of this; but many of the rich are guilty of it. If you ask me, What is excess? I answer, All that is more than is needful to our health and business. So much as is necessary to these, I reprehend not. And therefore the infirm may take more than the healthful; and the old more than the young: and those that find that an hour's sleep more will not hinder them, but further them in their work, so that they shall do the more, and not the less, as being unfit without it, may use it as a means to the after-improvement of their time. But when sluggish persons spend hours in bed, which neither their health nor labours need, merely out of a swinish love of sleep;yea, when they will have no work to do, or calling to employ them, but what shall give place to their sleepy disease, and think they may sleep longer than is necessary, because they are rich and can afford it, and have no necessary business to call them up; these think they may consume their precious time, and sin more, and wrong their souls more, because God hath given them more than others. As if their servant should plead that; he may sleep more than others, because he hath more wages than others. Oh did these drowsy wretches know what work they have to do for God, and their poor souls, and those about them, it would quickly awake them, and make them stir. Did they but know how earnestly they will shortly wish, that, they had all those hours to spend again, they would spend them better now than in drowsiness. Did they but know what a woeful account it will be, when they must be answerable for all their time, to say, we spent so many hours every week or morning in excess of sleep, they would be roused from their sty, and find some better use for their time, which will be sweeter in the review, when time is ended, and must be no more.
ThiefIII. The next thief or time-waster is inordinate adorning of the body. The poor may thank God that they are free also from the temptations to this, and can quickly dress them and go about their business; but many ladies and gallants are so guilty of this vice, that I wonder conscience is so patient with them.[293]O poor neglected, undressed souls! O filthy consciences, never cleansed from your pollutions by the Spirit or blood of Christ! Have you not better use for precious hours, than to be washing, and pinning, and dressing, and curling, and spotting, and powdering, till ten or eleven o'clock in the morning, when honest labourers have done one half of their day's work? While you are in health, were not six o'clock in the morning a fitter hour for you to be dressed, that you might draw near to the most holy God in holy prayer, and read his word, and set your souls, and then your families, in order for the duties of the following day? I do not say that you may go no neater than poor labouring people, or that you may bestow no more time than they in dressing you: but I say, that for your souls, and in your callings, you are bound by God to be as diligent as they; and have no more time given you to lose than they, and that you should spend as little of it in neatifying you as you can, and be sensible that else the loss is your own: and that abundance of precious hours which your pride consumeth, will lie heavy one day upon your consciences; and then you shall confess, I say, you shall confess it with aching hearts, that the duties you owed to God and man, and the care of your souls, and of your families, should have been preferred before your appearing neat and spruce to men. If you have but a journey to go, you can rise earlier and be sooner dressed; but for the good of your souls, and the redeeming of your precious time, you cannot. Oh that God would but show you what greater work you have to do with those precious hours! and how it will cut your hearts to think of them at last! If you lay but hopelessly sick of a consumption, you would be cured it is like of this proud disease, and bestow less of your time in adorning the flesh, which is hasting to the grave and rottenness! And cannot you now see how time and life consume? and what cause you have, with all your care and diligence, to use it better before it is gone? I know they that are so much worse than childish, as prodigally to cast away so many hours in making themselves fine for the sight of men, and be not ashamed to come forth and show their sin to others, will scarce want words to excuse their crime, and prove it lawful, be they sense or nonsense. But conscience itself shall answer all, when time is gone, and make you wish you had been wiser. You know not, ladies and gallants, how precious a thing time is: you little feel what a price yourselves will set upon it at the last: you little consider what you have to do with it: you see not how it hasteth, and how near you stand to vast eternity! You little know how despised time will look a wakened conscience in the face! or what it is to be found unready to die! I know you lay not to heart these things; for if you did, you could not, I say, you could not so lightly cast away your time. If all were true that you say, that indeed your place and honour requireth, that your precious morning hours be thus spent, I profess to you, I should pity you more than galley-slaves, and I would bless me from such a place and honour, and make haste into the course and company of the poor, and think them happy that may better spend their time. But indeed your excuses are frivolous and untrue, and do but show that pride hath prevailed to captivate your reason to its service. For we know lords and ladies, as great as the rest of you, (though alas, too few,) that can be quickly up and dressed, and spend their early hours in prayer and adorning their souls, and can be content to come forth in a plain and incurious attire; and yet are so far from being derided, or thought the worse by any whose judgment is much to be regarded, that they are taken justly for the honour of their order: and if it were not that some few such keep up the honour of your rank, I will not tell you how little in point of morality it would be honoured.
ThiefIV. Another time-wasting thief is unnecessary pomp and curiosity in retinue, attendance, house furniture, provision and entertainments, together with excess of compliment and ceremony, and servitude to the humours and expectations of time-wasters.[294]I crowd them all together, because they are all but wheels of the same engine, to avoid prolixity. Here also I must prevent the cavils of the guilty, by telling you that I reprove not all that in the rich, which I would reprove if it were in the poor: I intend not to level them, and judge them by the same measure. The rich are not so happy as to be so free as the poor, either from the temptation, or the seeming necessity and obligation: let others pity the poor; I will pity the rich, who seem to be pinched with harder necessities than the poor; even this seeming necessity of wasting their precious time in compliment, curiosity, and pomp, which the happy poor may spend in the honest labours of their callings; wherein they may at once be profitable to the commonwealth, and maintain themselves, and meditate or confer of holy things. But yet I must say, that the rich shall give an account of time, and shall pay dear for that which unnecessary excesses do devour: and that instead of envying the state and curiosity of others, and seeking to excel or equal them to avoid their obloquy, they should contract and bring down all customs of excess, and show their high esteem of time, and detestation of time-wasting curiosity; and imitate the most sober, grave, and holy; and be a pattern to others of employing time in needful, great, and manly things; I say, manly, for so childish is this vice, that men of gravity and business do abhor it: and usually men of vanity that are guilty of it, lay it all on the women, as if theywere ashamed of it, or it were below them. What abundance of precious time is spent in unnecessary state of attendance, and provisions! What abundance, under pretence of cleanliness and neatness, is spent in needless curiosity about rooms, and furniture, and accommodations, and matters of mere pride, vain-glory, and ostentation, covered with the honest name of decency! What abundance is wasted in entertainments, and unnecessary visits, compliments, ceremony, and servitude to the humours of men of vanity! I speak not for nastiness, uncleanness, and uncomeliness: I speak not for a cynical morosity or unsociableness. When conscience is awakened, and you come to yourselves, and approaching death shall better acquaint you with the worth of time, you will see a mean between these two; and you will wish you had most feared the time-wasting prodigal extreme.[295]Methinks you should freely give me leave to say, that though Martha had a better excuse than you, and was cumbered about many things for the entertainment of such a guest as Christ himself, (with all his followers,) who looked for no curiosity, yet Mary is more approved of by Christ, who neglected all this, to redeem the time for the good of her soul, by sitting at his feet to hear his word: she chose the better part, which shall not be taken from her. Remember, I pray you, that one thing is necessary: I hope I may have leave to tell you, that if by you or your servants, God, and your souls, and prayer, and reading the Scriptures, and the profitable labours of an honest calling, be all or any of them neglected, while you or they are neatifying this room, or washing out that little spot, or setting straight the other wrinkle, or are taken up with feminine trifling, proud curiosities, this is preferring of dust before gold, of the least before the greatest things:[296]and to say, that decency is commendable, is no excuse for neglecting God, your souls, or family, or leaving undone any one greater work, which you or your servants might have been doing that while; I say, any work that is greater all things considered. Oh that you and your families would but live, as those that see how fast death cometh! how fast time goeth! and what you have to do! and what your unready souls yet want! This is all that I desire of you: and then I warrant you, it would save you many a precious hour, and cut short your works of curiosity, and deliver you from your slavery to pride and the esteem of vain time-wasters.
ThiefV. Another time-wasting sin is needless and tedious feastings, gluttony, and tippling: which being of the same litter, I set together.[297]I speak not against moderate, seasonable, and charitable feasts: but alas, in this luxurious, sensual age, how commonly do men sit two hours at a feast, and spend two more in attending it before and after, and not improving the time in any pious or profitable discourse: yea, the rich spend an hour ordinarily in a common meal, while every meal is a feast indeed; and they fare as their predecessor, Luke xvi. deliciously or sumptuously every day. Happy are the poor, that are free also from this temptation. You spend not so much time in the daily addresses of your souls to God, and reading his word, and taking an account of the affairs of conscience, and preparing for death, as you do in stuffing your guts, perhaps at one meal. And in taverns and alehouses among the pots, how much time is wasted by rich and poor! O remember, while you are eating and drinking, what a corruptible piece of flesh you are feeding and serving; and how quickly those mouths will be filled with dust! and that a soul that is posting so fast unto eternity, should find no time to spare for vanity; and that you have important work enough to do, which if performed, will afford you a sweeter and a longer feast.
ThiefVI. Another time-wasting sin is idle talk. What abundance of precious time doth this consume! Hearken to most men's discourse when they are sitting together, or working together, or travelling together, and you shall hear how little of it is any better than silence: and if not better it is worse. So full are those persons of vanity who are empty, even to silence, of any thing that is good, that they can find and feed a discourse of nothing, many hours and days together; and as they think, with such fecundity and floridness of style, as deserveth acceptance if not applause. I have marvelled oft at some wordy preachers, with how little matter they can handsomely fill up an hour! But one would wonder more to hear people fill up, not an hour, but a great part of their day, and of their lives, and that without any study at all, and without any holy and substantial subject, with words, which if you should write them all down and peruse them, you would find that the sum and conclusion of them is nothing! How self-applaudingly and pleasingly they can extempore talk idly and of nothing a great part of their lives! I have heard many of them marvel at a poor unlearned christian, that can pray extempore many hours together in very good order and well-composed words. But are they not more to be marvelled at, that can very handsomely talk of nothing ten times as long, with greater copiousness, and without repetitions, and that extempore, when they have not that variety of great commanding subjects to be the matter of their speech? I tell you, when time must be reviewed, the consumption of so much in idle talk, will appear to have been no such venial sin, as empty, careless sinners now imagine.
ThiefVII. Another thief which by the aforesaid means would steal your time, is vain and sinful company. Among whom a spiritual physician that goeth to cure them, or a holy person that is full and resolute to bear down vain discourse, I confess may well employ his time, when he is cast upon it, or called to it. But to dwell with such, or choose them as our familiars, or causelessly or for complacency keep among them, will unavoidably lose abundance of your time. If you would do good, they will hinder you; if you will speak of good, they will divert you, or reproach you, or wrangle and cavil with you, or some way or other stop your mouths. They will by a stream of vain discourse, either bear down, and carry you on with them, or fill your ears, and interrupt and hinder the very thoughts of your minds by which you desire to profit yourselves, when they will not let you be profitable to others.
ThiefVIII. Another notorious time-wasting thief, is needless, inordinate sports and games, which are commonly stigmatized by the offenders themselves, with the infamous name of pastimes, and masked with the deceitful title of recreations; such as are cards and dice, and stage-plays, and dancings, and revellings, and excesses in the most lawful sports, especially in hunting, and hawking, and bowling,[298]&c. Whether all these are lawful or unlawful of themselves, is nothing to the present question; but I am sure that the precious hours which they take up, might have been improved to the saving of many a thousand souls, that by the loss of time are now undone and past recovery. Except malicious enemies of godliness, I scarce know a wretcheder sort of people on the earth, and more to be lamented, than those fleshly persons, who, through the love of sensual pleasure, do waste many hours day after day in plays and gaming and voluptuous courses; while their miserable souls are dead in sin, enslaved to their fleshly lusts, unreconciled to God, and find no delight in him, or in his service, and cannot make a recreation of any heavenly work. How will it torment these unhappy souls, to think how they played away those hours, in which they might have been pleasing God, and preventing misery, and laying up a treasure in heaven! And to think that they sold that precious time for a little fleshly sport, in which they should have been working out their salvation, and making their calling and election sure. But I have more to say to these anon.
ThiefIX. Another time-wasting thief is excess of worldly cares and business. These do not only, as some more disgraced sins, pollute the soul with deep stains in a little time, and then recede; but they dwell upon the mind, and keep possession, and keep out good: they take up the greatest part of the lives of those that are guilty of them. The world is first in the morning in their thoughts, and last at night, and almost all the day: the world will not give them leave to entertain any sober, fixed thoughts of the world to come; nor to do the work which all works should give place to. The world devoureth all the time almost that God and their souls should have: it will not give them leave to pray, or read, or meditate, or discourse of holy things: even when they seem to be praying, or hearing the word of God, the world is in their thoughts; and as it is said, Ezek. xxxii. 31, "They come unto thee as the people cometh; and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love; but their heart goeth after their covetousness." In most families there is almost no talk nor doings but all for the world: these also will know, that they had greater works for their precious time, which should have always had the precedency of the world.
ThiefX. Another time-waster is vain ungoverned and sinful thoughts. When men are wearied with vain works and sports, they continue unwearied in vain thoughts; when they want company for vain discourse and games, they can waste the time in idle, or lustful, or ambitious, or covetous thoughts alone without any company. In the very night time while they wake, and as they travel by the way, yea, while they seem to be serving God, they will be wasting the time in useless thoughts: so that this devoureth a greater proportion of precious time, than any of the former. When time must be reckoned for, what abundance will be found upon most men's accounts, as spent in idle, sinful thoughts! O watch this thief; and remember, though you may think that a vain thought is but a little sin, yet time is not a little or contemptible commodity, nor to be cast away on so little a thing as idle thoughts; and to vilify thus so choice a treasure is not a little sin; and that it is not a little work that you have to do in the time which you thus waste. And a daily course of idle thoughts doth waste so great a measure of time, that this aggravation maketh it more heinous than many sins of greater infamy. But of this more in the next part.
ThiefXI. Another dangerous time-wasting sin is the reading of vain books, play-books, romances, and feigned histories; and also unprofitable studies, undertaken but for vain-glory, or the pleasing of a carnal or curious mind. Of this I have spoken in my book of "Self-denial." I speak not here how pernicious this vice is by corrupting the fancy and affections, and breeding a diseased appetite, and putting you out of relish to necessary things. But bethink you before you spend another hour in any such books, whether you can comfortably give an account of it unto God; and how precious the time is, which you are wasting on such childish toys. You think the reading of such things is lawful; but is it lawful to lose your precious time? You say that your petty studies are desirable and laudable; but the neglect of far greater necessary things is not laudable. I discourage no man from labouring to know all that God hath any way revealed to be known; but I say as Seneca, We are ignorant of things necessary, because we learn things superfluous and unnecessary. Art is long and life is short: and he that hath not time for all, should make sure of the greatest matters; and if he be ignorant of any thing, let it be of that which the love of God, and our own and other men's salvation, and the public good, do least require, and can best spare. It is a pitiful thing to see a man waste his time in criticising, or growing wise in the less necessary sciences and arts, while he is yet a slave of pride or worldliness, and hath an unrenewed soul, and hath not learned the mysteries necessary to his own salvation. But yet these studies are laudable in their season. But the fanatic studies of those that would pry into unrevealed things, and the lascivious employment of those that read love-books, and play-books, and vain stories, will one day appear to have been but an unwise expense of time, for those that had so much better and more needful work to do with it. I think there are few of those that plead for it, that would be found with such books in their hands at death, or will then find any pleasure in the remembrance of them.
ThiefXII. But the master-thief that robs men of their time is an unsanctified, ungodly heart; for this loseth time whatever men are doing: because they never truly intend the glory of God; and having not a right principle or a right end, their whole course is hell-wards; and whatever they do, they are not working out their salvation: and therefore they are still losing their time, as to themselves, however God may use the time and gifts of some of them, as a mercy to others. Therefore a new and holy heart, with a heavenly intention and design of life, is the great thing necessary to all that will savingly redeem their time.
Though the redeeming of time be a duty of grand importance and necessity to all, yet all these sorts following have special obligations to it.
SortI. Those that are in the youth and vigour of their time. Nature is not yet so much corrupted in you, as in old accustomed sinners; your hearts are not so much hardened; sin is not so deeply rooted and confirmed; Satan hath not triumphed in so many victories; you are not yet plunged so deep as others, into worldly encumbrances and cares; your understanding, memory, and strength are in their vigour and do not yet fail you: and who should go fastest, or work hardest, but he that hath the greatest strength? You may now get more by diligence in a day, than hereafter you can get in many. Howfew prove good scholars, or wise men, that begin not to learn till they are old! "Flee youthful lusts," therefore, 2 Tim. ii. 22. "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth," Eccles. xii. 1. If you be now trained up in the way you should go, you will not depart from it when you are old, Prov. xxii. 6. Oh that you could but know what an unspeakable advantage, and benefit, and comfort it is, to come to a ripe age with the provisions and furniture of that wisdom, and holiness, and acquaintance with God, which should be attained in your youth! and what a misery it is to be then to learn that which you should have been many years before in practising, and to be then to begin to live when you must make an end! much more to be cast to hell, if death should find you unready in your youth! or to be forsaken of God to a hardened age! Happy they that, with Timothy and Obadiah, do learn the Scripture and fear God in their childhood, and from their youth, 1 Kings xviii. 12; 2 Tim. iii. 15.
SortII. Necessity maketh it incumbent on the weak, and sick, and aged, in a special manner to redeem their time. If they will not make much of it that are sure to have but a little; and if they will trifle and loiter it away, that know they are near their journey's end, and ready to give up their accounts, they are unexcusable above all others. A thief or murderer will pray and speak good words when he is going out of the world. Well may it be said to you, as Paul doth, Rom. xiii. 11, 12, "Now is it high time to awake out of sleep," when your salvation or damnation is so near! It is high time for that man to look about him, and prepare his soul, and lose no time, that is so speedily to appear before the most holy God, and be used for ever as he has lived here.
SortIII. It is specially incumbent on them to redeem the time, who have loitered and mispent much time already. If conscience tell you that you have lost your youth in ignorance and vanity, and much of your age in negligence and worldliness, it is a double crime in you, if you redeem not diligently the time that is left.[299]The just care of your salvation requireth it, unless you are willing to be damned. Ingenuity and duty to God requireth it; unless you will defy him, and resolve to abuse and despise him to the utmost, and spend all the time against him which he shall give you. The nature of true repentance requireth it; unless you will know none but the repentance of the damned; and begin to repent the misspending of your time, when it is gone, and all is too late.
SortIV. It is specially their duty to redeem the time, who are scanted of time through poverty, service, or restraint. If poor people that must labour all the day, will not redeem the Lord's day, and those few hours which they have, they will then have no time at all for things spiritual: servants that be not masters of their time, and are held close to their work, had need to be very diligent in redeeming those few hours which are allowed them for higher things.
SortV. Those that enjoy any special helps either public or private must be specially careful to improve them and redeem the time. Do you live under a convincing, powerful ministry? O improve it and redeem the time; for you know not how soon they may be taken from you, or you from them. Do you live with godly relations, parents, husband, wife, masters in a godly family, or with godly fellow-servants, friends, or neighbours? Redeem the time: get somewhat by them every day: you know not how short this season will be. Do you live where you have books and leisure? Redeem the time: this also may not be long. Had not Joshua been horribly unexcusable if he would have loitered when God made the sun stand still, while he pursued his enemies? O loiter not you, while the sun of mercy, patience, means, and helps do all attend you.
SortVI. Those must especially redeem the time who are ignorant, or graceless, or weak in grace, and have strong corruptions, and little or no assurance of salvation, and are unready to die, and have yet all or most of their work to do:[300]if these loiter, they are doubly to blame. Sure the time past of your lives may suffice to have loitered and done evil, 1 Pet. iv. 3. Hath not the devil had too much already? Will ye stand "all the day idle," Matt. xx. 6. Look home and see what you have yet to do; how much you want to a safe and comfortable death! "Sow to yourselves in righteousness: reap in mercy: break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you," Hos. x. 12.
SortVII. It much concerneth them to redeem the time, who are in any office, or have any opportunity of doing any special or public good; especially magistrates and ministers of Christ. Your life will not be long: your office will not be long: O bestir you against sin and Satan, and for Christ and holiness, while you may: God will try you but a time. Let Obadiah hide and feed the prophets when he is called to it, and while he may, that God may hide him, and not think to shift off duty, and save himself to a better time. Saith Mordecai to Esther, "Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house more than all the Jews: for if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall their enlargement and deliverance arise from another place, but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther ix. 13, 14. Are you ministers? O preach the gospel while you may: redeem the time: all times are your season: so great a work, and the worth of souls, commandeth you to do it "in season and out of season," 2 Tim. iv. 2. A man that is to save many others from drowning, or to quench a fire in the city, is unexcusable above all men, if he redeem not time, by his greatest diligence and speed.
SortVIII. Lastly, it is especially incumbent on them to redeem the time, who, being recovered from sickness, or saved from any danger, are under the obligation both of special mercy and special promises of their own; who have promised God in the time of sickness or distress, that if he would but spare them and try them once again, they would amend their lives, and live more holily, and spend their time more carefully and diligently for their souls, and show all about them the truth of their repentance, by the greatness of their change, and an exemplary life. Oh it is a most dangerous, terrible thing to return to security, sloth, and sin, and break such promises to God! Such are often given over to woeful hard-heartedness or despair; for God will not be mocked with delusory words.
Thus I have opened this great duty of redeeming time the more largely, because it is of unspeakable importance; and my soul is frequently amazed with admiration, that the sluggish world can so insensibly and impenitently go on in wasting precious time, so near eternity, and in so needy and dangerous a case. Though, I bless my God, that I have not wholly lost my time, but have long lived in a sense of the odiousness of that sin, yet I wonder at myself that such overpowering motives compel me not to make continual haste, and to be still at work with all my might, in a case of everlasting consequence.
I have showed you, in my "Treatise of Walking with God," how much man's thoughts are regarded by God, and should be regarded by himself; and what agents and instruments they are of very much good or evil: this therefore I shall suppose and not repeat; but only direct you in the governing of them. The work having three parts, they must have several directions. 1. For the avoiding of evil thoughts. 2. For the exercise of good thoughts. 3. For the improvement of good thoughts, that they may be effectual.
Direct.I. Know which are evil thoughts, and retain such an odious character of them continually on your minds, as may provoke you still to meet them with abhorrence. Evil thoughts are such as these: All thoughts against the being, or attributes, or relations, or honour, or works of God: atheistical and blasphemous, idolatrous and unbelieving thoughts: all thoughts that tend to disobedience or opposition to the will or word of God; and all that savour of unthankfulness, or want of love to God; or of discontent and distrust, or want of the fear of God, or that tend to any of these: also sinful, selfish, covetous, proud studies; to make a mere trade of the ministry for gain; to be able to overtalk others; searching into unrevealed, forbidden things; inordinate curiosity, and hasty conceitedness of your own opinions about God's decrees, or obscure prophecies, prodigies, providence, mentioned before about pride of our understandings.
All thoughts against any particular word, or truth, or precept of God, or against any particular duty; against any part of the worship and ordinances of God; that tend to unreverent neglect of the name, or holy day of God: all impious thoughts against public duty, or family duty, or secret duty; and all that would hinder or mar any one duty: all thoughts of dishonour, contempt, neglect, or disobedience to the authority of higher powers set over us by God, either magistrates, pastors, parents, masters, or any other superiors. All thoughts of pride, self-exalting ambition, self-seeking covetousness: voluptuous, sensual thoughts, proceeding from or tending to the corrupt, inordinate pleasures of the flesh: thoughts which are unjust, and tend to the hurt and wrong of others: envious, malicious, reproachful, injurious, contemptuous, wrathful, revengeful thoughts: lustful, wanton, filthy thoughts: drunken, gluttonous, fleshly thoughts: inordinate, careful, fearful, anxious, vexatious, discomposing thoughts: presumptuous, and secure, despairing, and dejecting thoughts: slothful, delaying, negligent, and discouraging thoughts: uncharitable, cruel, false, censorious, unmerciful thoughts; and idle, unprofitable thoughts. Hate all these as the devil's spawn.
Direct.II. Be not insensible what a great deal of duty or sin are in the thoughts, and of how dangerous a signification and consequence a course of evil thoughts is to your souls. They show what a man is, as much as his words or actions do: "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he," Prov. xxiii. 7. A good man or evil is denominated by the good or evil treasure of the heart, though known to men but by the fruits. Oh the vile and numerous sins that are committed in men's thoughts, and proceed from men's thoughts! O the precious time that is lost, in idle, and other sinful thoughts! Oh the good that is hindered hereby both in heart and life! But of this having spoken in the treatise afore-mentioned, I proceed.
Direct.III. Above all be sure that you cleanse the fountain, and destroy those sinful inclinations of the heart, from which your evil thoughts proceed. In vain else will you strive to stop the streams: or if you should stop them, that very heart itself will be loathsome in the eyes of God. Are your thoughts all upon the world, either coveting, or caring, or grieving for what you want, or pleasing yourselves with what you have or hope for? Get down your deceived estimation of the world; cast it under your feet, and out of your heart; and count all, with Paul, but as loss and dung, for the excellent knowledge of God in Christ: for till the world be dead in you, your worldly thoughts will not be dead; but all will stand still when once this poise is taken off: crucify it, and this breath and pulse will cease. So if your thoughts do run upon matter of preferment, or honour, disgrace, or contempt, or if you are pleased with your own pre-eminence or applause; mortify your pride, and beg of God a humble, self-denying, contrite heart. For till pride be dead, you will never be quiet for it; but it will stir up swarms of self-exalting and yet self-vexing thoughts, which make you hateful in the eyes of God. So if your thoughts be running out upon your back and belly, what you shall eat or drink, or how to please your appetite or sense; mortify the flesh, and subdue its desires, and master your appetite, and bring them into full obedience unto reason, and get a habit of temperance; or else your thoughts will be still upon your guts and throats: for they will obey the ruling power; and a violent passion and desire doth so powerfully move them, that it is hard for the reason and will to rule them. So if your thoughts are wanton and filthy, you must cleanse that unclean and lustful heart, and get Christ to cast out the unclean spirit, and become chaste within, before you will keep out your unchaste cogitations. So if you have confusion and vanity in your thoughts, you must get a well furnished and well composed mind and heart, before you will well cure the malady of your thoughts.
Direct.IV. Keep at a sufficient distance from those tempting objects, which are the fuel and incentives of your evil thoughts. Can you expect that the drunkard should rule his thoughts, whilst he is in the alehouse or tavern, and seeth the drink? or that the glutton should rule his thoughts, while the pleasing dish is in his sight? or that the lustful person should keep chaste his thoughts, in the presence of his enamouring toy? or that the wrathful person rule his thoughts, among contentious, passionate words? or that the proud person rule his thoughts, in the midst of honour and applause? Away with this fuel, fly from this infectious air, if you would be safe.
Direct.V. At least make a covenant with your senses, and keep them in obedience, if you will have obedient thoughts. For all know by experience how potently the senses move the thoughts. Job saith, "I made a covenant with my eyes, why then should I think upon a maid." Mark how the covenant with his eyes is made the means to rule his thoughts. Pray with David, "Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity," Psal. cxix. 37. Keep a guard upon your eyes, and ears, and taste, and touch, if you will keep a guard upon your thoughts. Let not that come into these outer parts, which you desire should go no further. Open not the door to them, if you would not let them in.
Direct.VI. Remember how near kin the thought is to the deed; and what a tendency it hath to it.Let Christ himself tell you, Matt. v. 22, 28, "But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." A malicious thought and a malicious deed are from the same spring, and have the same nature: only the deed is the riper serpent, and can sting another; when the thought is as the younger serpent, that hath only the venomous nature in itself. A lustful thought is from the same defiled puddle, as actual filthiness: and the thought is but the passage to the action: it is but the same sin in its minority, tending to maturity.
Direct.VII. Keep out, or quickly cast out, all inordinate passions: for passions do violently press the thoughts, and forcibly carry them away. If anger, or grief, or fear, or any carnal love, or joy, or pleasure be admitted, they will command your thoughts to run out upon their several objects. And when you rebuke your thoughts, and call them in, they will not hear you, till you get them out of the crowd and noise of passion. As in the heat of civil wars no government is well exercised in a kingdom; and as violent storms disable the mariners to govern the ship, and save it and themselves; so passions are too stormy a region for the thoughts to be well governed in. Till your souls be reduced to a calm condition, your thoughts will be tumultuating, and hurried that way that the tempests drive them. Till these wars be ended, your thoughts will be licentious, and partakers in the rebellion.
Direct.VIII. Keep your souls in a constant and careful obedience unto God. Observe his law; be continually sensible that you are under his government, and awed by his authority. Man judgeth not your thoughts: if you are subject to man only, your thoughts must be ungoverned: but the heart is the first object of God's government, and that which he principally regardeth. His laws extend to all your thoughts; and therefore if you know what obedience to God is, you must know what the obedience of your thoughts to him is; for he that obeyeth God as God, will obey him in one thing as well as another, and will obey him as the governor and judge of thoughts. The powerful, searching word of Christ is a "discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart, and as a two-edged sword is sharp and quick," and will "pierce" and "cut" as deep as the very "soul and spirit," Heb. iv. 12, 13. "It casteth down every imagination, and bringeth into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ," 2 Cor. x. 5. Therefore David saith to God, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting," Psal. cxxxix. 23, 24. And you find God's laws and reproofs extending to the thoughts: Isa. lix. 7, "Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity." The fool's heart-atheism is rebuked, Psal. xiv. 1. He reproveth a rebellious people, for "walking in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts," Isa. lxv. 2. See how Christ openeth the heart, Matt. xv. 9. He chargeth them, Deut. xv. 9, "to beware that there be not a thought in their wicked hearts," against the mercy which they must show to the poor. Psal. xlix. 11, he detecteth the "inward thought" of the worldling, that "their houses shall continue for ever." Prov. xxiv. 9, he saith, "The thought of foolishness is sin." The old world was condemned because the "imaginations of their hearts were only evil continually," Gen. vi. 5. And when God calleth a sinner to conversion, he saith, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him," Isa. lv. 6, 7. You see then if you are subject to God, your thoughts must be obedient.
Direct.IX. Remember God's continual presence; that all your thoughts are in his sight. He seeth every filthy thought, and every covetous, and proud, and ambitious thought, and every uncharitable, malicious thought. If you be not atheists, the remembrance of this will somewhat check and control your thoughts, that God beholdeth them. "He understandeth" your "thoughts afar off," Psal. cxxxix. 2. "Doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it," Prov. xxiv. 12. "Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?" saith Christ, Matt. ix. 4.
Direct.X. Bethink you seriously what a government you would keep upon your thoughts, if they were but written on your foreheads, or seen by all that see you, yea, or but open to some person whom you reverence. Oh how ashamed would you then be, that men should see your filthy thoughts, your malicious thoughts, your covetous and deceiving thoughts! And is not the eye of God ten thousand times more to be reverenced and regarded? And is not man your god, if you are awed more by man than by God, and if the eye of man can do more to restrain you?
Direct.XI. Keep tender your consciences, that they may not be regardless or insensible of the smallest sin. A tender conscience feareth evil and idle thoughts; and will smart in the penitent review of thoughts; but a seared conscience feeleth nothing, except some grievous, crying sins. A tender conscience obeyeth that precept, Prov. xxx. 32, "If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thy hand upon thy mouth."
Direct.XII. Cast out vain and sinful thoughts in the beginning, before they settle themselves and make a dwelling of thy heart. They are easiliest and safeliest resisted in the entrance. Thy heart will give them rooting and grow familiar with them, if they make any stay. Besides, it shows the greater sin, because there is the less resistance, and the more consent. If the will were against them, it would not let them alone so long. Yea, and their continuance tendeth to your ruin; it is like the continuance of poison in your bowels, or fire in your thatch, or a spy in an army: as long as they stay they are working toward your greater mischief. If these flies stay long they will blow and multiply; they will make their nests, and breed their young, and you will quickly have a swarm of sins.
Direct.XIII. Take heed lest any practical error corrupt your understandings; or lest you be engaged in any ill design: for these will command your thoughts into a course of sinful attendance and service to their ends. He that erreth and thinks his sin is his virtue or his duty, will indulge the thoughts of it without control; yea, he will drive on his mind to such cogitations; and steal from the authority and word of God, the motives and incentives of his sin. As false prophets speak against God in the name of God, and against his word as by the pretended authority of his word; so an erring mind will fetch its arguments from God and from the Scripture, for those sinful thoughts which are against God and Scripture. And if evil thoughts will so hardly be kept out when we plead the authority of God and his word against them, and do the best we can to hinder them; how will they prevail when you plead the authority of God and the sacred Scriptures for them, and take it to be your duty to kindle and promote them! For instance; all the sinful thoughts by which the Romish clergy are contriving the support of their kingdom of darkness in the world, and the continuance of their tyranny in thechurch, are but the products of their error, which tells them that all this should be done, as pleasing to God, and profitable to the church. All the bloody thoughts of persecutors, against the church and holy ways of Christ, have been cherished by this erroneous thought. John xvi. 23, "The time cometh that whoever killeth you, will think that he doth God service; and these things they will do unto you, because they have not known the Father nor me." All Paul's bloody contrivances and practices against the church did come from this. Acts xxvi. 9, "I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth: which thing I also did." All the scornful and reproachful thoughts and speeches of many of the ungodly against a holy life, are hence: 1 Pet. iv. 4, "They think it strange that you run not with them to excess of riot, speaking evil of you." The vain babbling of hypocrites, who cheat their souls with idle lip-labour, instead of the spiritual service from the heart, and the sacrifice of fools, who offer God some outward thing, while they deny him their hearts and holy obedience, do proceed from this, that "they think to be heard for their much babbling," Matt. vi. 7, "and they consider not that they do evil," Eccl. v. 1. All the self-flattery and presumption of the ungodly, and consequently all their ungodly lives, are much from their erroneous thoughts: "He that thinketh he is something when he is nothing, deceiveth himself," Gal. vi. 3. O come into the light, and forsake your darkness! for sinful thoughts are like hobgoblins and hags, that fly from the light; and like worms and serpents, that creep into holes, and crawl and gender in the dark.