A65610:49
The redemption of time, or, A sermon containing very good remedies for them that…
The redemption of time, or, A sermon containing very good remedies for them that have mis-spent their time showing how they should redeem it comfortably / by William Whately ... ; now published for general good by Richard Baxter.The redemption of time, or, A sermon containing very good remedies for them that have mis-spent their time shewing how they should redeem it comfortably / by William Whately ... ; now published for general good by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Francis Tyton, 1673
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
For he means, that God would enable him with grace, so seriously to consider of the shortness of this life, and the transitoriness of this present world; as that he might take all occasions, and use all means to bend his heart to the seeking and obtaining of the true knowledge of God and himself, and so the true fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom.
And the want of this husbandry Christ doth mournfully lament in the City of Jerusalem, setting out unto us also the grievous and dismal effects and consequents of this heedlessness, in regard of taking time, and using the fit opportunity: O (saith he) if thou hadst even known, at the least in this thy day, those things that pertain unto thy peace! but now are they hid from thine eyes, &c. Luke 9.42. as if he had said, Hitherto thou hast had the means to learn what made for thy good, and what might have prevented ⟨p. 10⟩thy ruin; and if thou hadst but even at this last hour marked and considered them, thou mightest have escaped these fearful judgements: but now that thou hast been all this while wanting to God, he will hereafter be wanting to thee; thou shalt never have any true knowledge of these things, nor ever avoid these miserable calamities. Because they did not use time, whilst time did serve, to repent and turn to God, therefore after, it was too late, God would not hear them nor help them. They that refuse the good offer of a good bargain from God, shall not have this bargain offered again at their pleasure: yea God will not deal with them at their leisure, that would not deal with him at his leisure. And Wisdom (in Solomon's wise book of Proverbs) speaks to this effect of ungodly men, Prov. 1.24, 25, 26, 27. That when their misery comes, she will laugh at them, because ⟨p. 11⟩when she gave her good instructions to prevent this misery, they laughed at her.