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

Now follows the fourth Thief to be arraigned, and that is, Idle thoughts. Mans imaginations will be working, and tossing conceits up and down almost continually. Now all men by nature are so tainted with the sickness of vanity, that their minds will run willingly after nothing else, but that which vanity begets. And for this cause men have taken up a Proverb, to dazzle their eyes, (if it might be) that this might not seem a ••u••. They say, tha• Thought is free; a• though one should never answer for idle thoughts. And it is the common excuse of men to say, They think no harm; as though it ⟨p. 42⟩were enough, to hatch no mischievous and harmful conceits, notwithstanding they do exceed in idle and unprofitable imaginations. Whereby it may be seen, that men are so far from reforming this fault, and avoiding this thief, that they will not take it for a fault, nor esteem it as a thief of time. But this swallows up most of our solitary hours, when men are in bed, or alone in the night season, and cannot sleep; or when they be journeying and walking without company, they cannot then possibly talk with others, when no man is present: yet their mind doth busy it self in idle talking with it self, casting a thousand fond things before ones eyes; as, wha• if this should be? or, what if that should come to pass? and much ado to little purpose. This roving and frisking of the fantasy (like a wanton calf let loose from the st•ll) is a f••ting worm, that eats out a great deal of most mens time, so ⟨p. 43⟩that they cannot redeem it for the profit of their hearts. This puts by good meditations, and suggests featherly and light stuff, that hath no good substance in it; froth and some, which is not nourishment to the mind, but rather poison, in that it fills it full of wind; and a windy heart is no less burdensome that a windy stomach. This casts out the cogitation of God's benefits, that one may not be thankful for them; it shoulders away the thought of ones own sins, that he may not renew his godly sorrow and repentance for them; it jostles out the consideration of God's graces, that we cannot set our affections on fire, to long and labour after them. And in all thse respects, it takes away the benefit of much good opportunity. For every time a man is alone, separated from all company and outward business, there is an excellent occasion of furthering his own soul, offered