The redemption of time, or a sermon

So then every man redeems this season of the Gospel, when he gives himself to consider seriously of those faults which he finds in himself, and hears sharply reproved in the word, & hereupon resolves to forsake them, & doth alone do his own best endeavour, but earnestly calls upon God for his help, without which his power is but weakness & ineffectual, when he doth also duly ponder upon the holy commandments that he hears pressed, & those exhortations that are daily sounded in his ears to move him to do such duties as god requires, & hereupon concludes with himself to set about this work, and craves the strength of God to bear him through in the same. And when he doth advisedly think of the promises that are generally proclaimed, and labours to get some assurance that he is such a one to whom the right of these promises appertain. Thus doing, I say, one redeems the time wisely, & makes his advantage of the Gospel while it continues, which is a thing that all men should do, but so rare in the world ⟨p. 49⟩as that it is wonder the Lord hath so patiently continued his loving voice, when men scoff at it and will not hear. The Lord hath and doth send his prophets amongst us, as he did among the Jews, rising up early, and sending them which with all earnestness do proclaim the dangerous event that shall follow upon profaneness, neglect and contempt of Gods word, breaking of his Sabbath, railing, wrathfulness, whoredom, wantonness, covetousness, the eving, oppressing, slandering, lying, and the like. Yet how many run on in these evils presumptuously, rushing like the horse into the battle with an unreasonable boldness not fearing any danger, and shutting their ears against these reproofs as the deaf Adder doth, that they may not be moved by them to amendment. Ah, how contrary is this to redeeming the time. If any man have hitherto lost the season, let him now grow wise, and even at this time turn to God, and beg power to forsake these sins. How often & how earnestly are men exhorted to all good works by the continual ⟨p. 50⟩voice of God speaking unto them by his servants, to read the word of God daily, to pray privately, to meditate upon the word, to watch over their days, & to call themselves to a reckoning every day for the faults committed in the day.

So then euery man redeemes this season of the Gospell, when he giues himselfe to consider sereously of those faults which he findes in himselfe, and heares sharply reproued in the word, & herevpon resolues to forsake them, & doth alone doe his owne best indeuour, but earnestly cals vpon God for his help, without which his power is but weaknesse & ineffectuall, when he doth also duely ponder vpon the holy commandements that he heares pressed, & those exhortations that are daily sounded in his eares to moue him to do such duties as god requires, & hereupon concludes with himselfe to set about this worke, and craues the strength of God to beare him through in the same. And when he doth aduisedly thinke of the promises that are generally proclaimed, and labours to get some assurance that hee is such a one to whom the right of these promises appertaine. Thus doing, I say, one redeemes the time wisely, & makes his aduantage of the Gospell while it continues, which is a thing that all men should do, but so rare in the world