23. vi. 5.

Φρὸν τῆς

is.

this world can produce; whofe life was spent in continual SERM. agitation and unfettledness, in all hardships of travel and XLVII. labour and care, in extreme fufferance of all pains both of 'E, axarabody and mind; in all imaginable dangers and difficulties sarías. and diftreffes, that nature exposes man unto, or human malice can bring upon him; in all wants of natural comfort, (food, fleep, fhelter, liberty, health;) in all kinds of difgrace and contumely; as you may fee in those large inventories of his sufferings, registered by himself, in the 6th 2 Cor. xi. and 11th chapters of his fecond Epistle to the Corinthians; yet all this, confidering the good things he expected afterward to enjoy, he accounted very flight and tolerable: For, faith he, our lightness of affliction, that is for a little 2 Cor. iv. while here, worketh for us a far more exceeding weight of case Τὸ γὰρ παρglory: while we look not at the things which are feen, but avrína inaat those which are not feen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not feen are eternal. For we know that when our earthly houfe of this tabernacle (of this unfteady tranfitory abode) is diffolved, we are to have a tabernacle from God, a houfe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. I reckon, faith he again, that is, Rom. viii. having made a due comparison and computation, I find, that the fufferings of this present time are not worthy (that is, are not confiderable, come under no rate or proportion) in respect of the glory which shall be revealed (or openly conferred) upon us. The like opinion had those faithful Chriftians, in the Epiftle to the Hebrews, of whom it is faid, that being expofed to public fcorn as in a theatre, Heb. x. 34. Θεατριζό with reproaches and afflictions, they did with gladness ac- μενοι. cept the fpoiling (or rapine) of their goods; knowing that 'Agrayńv. they had in heaven a better and more enduring fubftance. But the principal example (most obliging our imitation) of this wife choice, is that of our Lord himfelf; who, in contemplation of the future great fatisfaction and reward of patient fubmiffion to the divine will, did willingly undergo the greatest of temporal forrows and ignominies; who, faith the Apoftle to the Hebrews, propounding his Heb. xii. 2. example to us, for the joy that was fet before him, endured

18.

SERM. the cross, defpifing the fhame, and is fet down at the right XLVII. hand of God.

τον ανάλω

temporis

Thus immediately, or by an eafy inference, doth the confideration of this life's fhortnefs and uncertainty confer to that main part of wisdom, rightly to value the things about which we are converfant; difpofing us confequently to moderate our affections, and rightly to guide our actions about them; fitting us therefore for the performance of those duties fo often enjoined us; of not caring for, not trusting in, not minding (unduly that is, and immoderately) things below; of dying to this world, and taking up our crofs, or contentedly fuffering, in fubmiffion to God's will, all lofs and inconvenience; as alfo to the placing our meditation and care, our love and defire, our hope and confidence, our joy and fatisfaction, our most earnest pains and endeavours, upon things divine, spiritual, and eternal.

IV. I proceed to another general benefit of that general confideration; which is, that it may engage us to a good improvement of our time; the doing which is a very confiderable piece of wifdom. For if time be, as 11. Theophraftus called it truly, a thing of most precious value, (or expence,) as it were a great folly to lavifh it away unprofitably; fo to be frugal thereof, and careful to lay it out for the best advantage, especially every man having fo little ftore thereof, must be a special point of prudence. Nulla nifi To be covetous of time (Seneca tells us) is a commendal·le honetta eft avarice; it being neceffary for the accomplishment of any worthy enterprize; there being nothing excellent, that can foon or eafily be effected. Surely he that hath much and great bufinefs to difpatch, and but a little time allowed for it, is concerned to hufband it well; not to lofe it wholly in idlenefs; not to trifle it away in unnecessary divertisements; not to put himfelf upon other impertinent affairs; above all not to create obftacles to himself, by pursuing matters of a tendency quite contrary to the fuccefs of his main undertakings. It is our cafe; we are obliged here to negotiate in business of infinite price and

varitia.

Sen.

virtutem;

num fieri.

confequence to us; no lefs than the falvation of our fouls, SERM. and eternal happiness: and we fee, that our time to drive XLVII. it on and bring it to a happy iffue is very scant and fhort; fhort in itself, and very fhort in refpect to the nature of thofe affairs; the great variety and the great difficulty of them. The great father of phyficians did quicken the ftudents of that faculty to diligence, by admonishing them (in the first place, fetting it in the front of his famous aphorifms) that life is short, and art is long. And how Non enim much more fo is the art of living well, (that most excellent dat natura and most neceffary art: for indeed virtue is not a gift of ars eft bonature, but a work of art; an effect of labour and ftudy :) Sen. Ep. 89. this, I fay, moft needful and useful art of living virtuously and piously; this art of spiritual phyfic, (of preserving and recovering our fouls' health,) how much longer is it? how many rules are to be learnt? how many precepts to be obferved in order thereto? We are bound to furnish our minds with needful knowledge of God's will and our duty; we are to bend our unwilling wills to a ready compliance with them; we are to adorn our fouls with difpofitions fuitable to the future ftate, (fuch as may qualify us for the presence of God, and converfation with the bleffed fpirits above;) it is incumbent on us to mortify corrupt defires, to restrain inordinate paffions, to fubdue natural propenfities, to extirpate vicious habits; in order to the effecting these things, to ufe all fit means; devotion toward God, ftudy of his law, reflection upon our actions, with all fuch fpiritual inftruments; the performing which duties, as it doth require great care and pains, fo it needs much time; all this is not dictum factum, as foon done as faid; a few fpare minutes will not suffice to accomplish it. Natural inclination, that wild beaft within us, will not for presently be tamed, and made tractable by us. Ill habits Ti 49siges cannot be removed without much exercise and attendance; 1905; ive as they were begot, so they must be destroyed, by a con- Epia. ftant fucceffion, and frequency of acts. Fleshly luft is not to be killed with a ftab or two; it will fight ftoutly, and rebel often, and hold out long, before with our utmost endeavour we can obtain an entire victory over it. No vir

SERM. tue is acquired in an instant, but by degrees, step by step; XLVII. from the feeds of right inftruction and good refolution it

fprings up, and grows forward by a continual progrefs of customary practice; it is a child of patience, a fruit of Rom. ii. 7. perseverance, that úñoμový čgys åyadoũ, enduring in doing well, St. Paul speaks of, and confequently a work of time; for enduring implies a good space of time. Having therefore fo much to do, and of fo great concernment, and fo little a portion of time for it, it behoves us to be careful in the improvement of what time is allowed us; to embrace all opportunities and advantages offered; to go the nearest way, to use the best compendiums in the tranfaction of our business; not to be flothful and negligent, but active and intent about it; (for as time is diminished, and in part loft by floth or flackness; so it is enlarged, and, as it were, multiplied by industry; my day is two in respect of his, who doeth but half my work:) not, also, to confume our time in fruitlefs paftimes, and curious entertainments of fancy; being idly busy about impertinences and trifles; (we call it fport, but it is a serious damage to us;) not to immerfe ourselves in multiplicities of needlefs care about fecular matters, which may diftract us, and bereave us of fit leifure for our great employment; that which our SaLuke x. 40. viour calls Tupsuger Sa Tepi moλλà, to keep a great deal of do and ftir (to be jumbled about as it were, and confounded) about many things; and, περισπᾶσθαι περὶ πολλὴν διακονίαν, το be distracted and perplexed about much cumbersome service; 1 Tim. ii. which St. Paul calls περιπλέκεσθαι ταῖς τοῦ βίε πραγματείαις, to be implicated and entangled, as in a net, with the negociations of this prefent life; fo that we fhall not be expedite, or free to beftir ourselves about our more weighty affairs. The fpending much time about those things doth fteal it from thefe; yea doth more than fo, by discompofing our minds fo that we cannot well employ what time remains upon our spiritual concernments. But efpecially we should not proffitute our time upon vicious projects and practices; doing which is not only a prodigality of the prefent time, but an abridgment of the future; it not only doth not promote or fet forward our business,

but brings it backward, and makes us more work than we SERM. had before; it is a going in a way directly contrary to our XLVII. journey's end. The Scripture aptly resembles our life to a wayfaring, a condition of travel and pilgrimage: now he that hath a long journey to make, and but a little time of day to pass it in, muft in reafon ftrive to fet out foon, and then to make good speed; muft proceed on directly, making no ftops or deflections, (not calling in at every fign that invites him, not standing to gaze at every object seeming new or ftrange to him; not staying to talk with every passenger that meets him; but rather avoiding all occafions of diverfion and delay,) left he be surprised by the night, be left to wander in the dark, be excluded finally from the place whither he tends: fo muft we, in our course toward heaven and happiness, take care that we fet out foon, (procrastinating no time, but beginning inftantly to infift in the ways of piety and virtue,) then proceed on speedily, and perfist constantly; nowhere staying or loitering, fhunning all impediments and avocations from our progress, left we never arrive near, or come too late unto the gate of heaven. St. Peter tells us, that the end of all things doth approach, and thereupon advises us to be fober, and to watch unto prayer; for that the lefs our 1 Pet. iv. 7. time is, the more intent and induftrious it concerns us to be. And St. Paul enjoins us to redeem the time, because Eph. v. 15. the days are evil; that is, fince we can enjoy no true quiet or comfort here, we fhould improve our time to the best advantage for the future: he might have also adjoined, with the patriarch Jacob, the paucity of the days to their badnefs; because the days of our life are few and evil, let Gen. xlvii. us redeem the time; man that is born of a woman is of?: few days, and full of trouble; fo few indeed they are, that it is fit we fhould lofe none of them, but use them all in preparation toward that great change we are to make; that fatal paffage out of this strait time into that boundless eternity. So, it feems, we have Job's example of doing; All the days, fays he, of my appointed time will I wait, till Job xiv. 14. my change come. I end this point with that fo comprehenfive warning of our Saviour: Take heed to yourfelves,

Job xiv. 1.

Luke xxi.