The works of George Swinnock, M.A

I Wish that I may all the day long be even covetous of my time, ⁴as knowing it is allowed me not for the service of the flesh, but for the service of my God, and to dress my soul for Heaven. If I be lavish of my time, I am the greatest Prodigal in the World. If he be a spendthrift, that throweth away an hundred pound every day, he is a far greater that wasteth half an hour in one day; Time is more worth then the revenues of the whole world. He that can command millions of treasure, cannot command one moment of time; The Father of eternity hath the sole disposition of time; The value of this commodity, is not known to this beggarly world in a day of life. Now men study sports and pleasures, and company, and plays, to waste time; It lieth as a drug upon their hands, and they think themselves beholden to any that will help them to put it off; But when the King of terrors with his ghastly countenance approacheth them, and summons them to a speedy appearance before the King of nations, to receive their eternal dooms, O then their judgements will be quite altered, and time will be precious indeed. Then they who play away their time, and give all to the world or flesh, will tell me that time was good for something else then to eat, and drink, and sleep, and trade; that it was good to feed an immortal soul in, and provide for an eternal estate. Then the Rich and Covetous, as well as they loved their wealth, though it be now dearer to them then their God and Christ, and Souls, and Heaven, will part with all they have for a little ⟨p. 544⟩time. Then the Swaggerers and Gallants of the world, who spend twenty hour• in Taverns, to one hour in the Temple, and if it were not for Play-houses, and Ale-houses, and Whore-houses, and Hawks, and Hounds, and Cards, and Dice, could not tell what to do with their time; who mark all the days in the Calendar of their lives, for Festivals, and make them all Play-days, as if there were never a working day among them, that are as busy and tedious in dressing their worm-eaten bodies, as Children in dressing Babies, and are more troubled at the smallest disorder in their hairs, then the greatest disorder in Church and State, would give up all, and much more if they had it, for a little time;

I Wish that I may all the day long be even covetous of my time,