The redemption of time, or, A sermon containing very good remedies for them that…

First, (this being presupposed, that he do not use any recreations, but those which he can prove to be in ⟨p. 18⟩themselves lawful:) First, I say, for the beginning of recreation; let every man know, that recreation must follow labour, for the most part: or […] at any time it go before it, it must be very little, only to fit one for labour. The Lord allows a man no sport• (though never so lawful in it self) until such time as his body or mind do stand in need of it; chiefly when they have been busied in some such honest affairs, as by wearying them, have made them unfit to further labour, so that they must again be fitted thereto by recreation. Until pains-taking have made the body or mind not so well able to take pains, there is no allowance ordinarily for recreation. All our sports and recreations, if we will use them well (I speak of those which are lawful) must be to our body or mind; as the Mowers whetstone or rifle is to his Sith, to sharpen it when it grows dull. He that when his Sith is dulled, ⟨p. 19⟩will not (upon a desire to do more work) take time to whet it, shall cut less, and with more pain, and more unhandsomely than he need •o do; so he, that when his body or mind is tired or heavy, will not use some honest refreshing, shall do less, and with less dexterity than he might. But on the other side, if the Mower should do nothing from morning to noon, or from noon to night, but whet, whet, whet, rubbing his Sith, he would both mar the Sith, and be counted an idle work-man also, for losing his days work; so he that will run after the most honest delights, when neither the weariness of his body, nor heaviness of mind requires the same (but only upon a fond lust or longing after them) shall in time destroy his wit and strength, and in the mean season marvellous unthriftily misspend his time. Therefore let not a man begin the day with play, though ⟨p. 20⟩never so lawful, unless his body […] mind require some necessary exercise to make it more apt for his calling He that sets into the day sportingly shall be sure to go through it, eith•• •umpishly or sinfully, much more […] he spend all the day from morning to night in playing; let it be never so much holy-day, or have he what other excuse he will. This rule is for beginning of sports.