Some important truths about conversion, delivered in sundry sermons, / by Increase Mather, D.D.…

4. When a man doth endeavour to make up his former losses and mispence of time by a diligent improvement of the present season, then he may be said to redeem time; when a man hath lived and spent his time unthriftily, but now he endeavours by double diligence to redeem, and, as it were, to buy back again the time that's past and lost; ⟨p. 163⟩when he is made sensible, that he hath done little for God in former times, and therefore endeavours to live much unto, and do much service for God in Christ now, then he redeems time. As the Children of Israel in the last year of their being in the Wilderness, dispatched more way than in forty years before. So when a man doth more for God now in one year, than he hath done in twenty or forty years before: We may say that, that man Redeemeth time.

Come we to the Use of the point:

Use I. Here is matter of sad reproof unto those that do misspend precious time. You shall have some that say; They do such a thing to pass away time, & such a thing is very good to pass away time. O lamentable! as if men had more precious time then they knew what in the World to do with, or how to bestow it! And alas, how many are there, that spend their time exceeding unprofitably; it may be in going from house to house, and there hearing or telling tales: Oh if that time which is spent in vain jangling, were spent in secret communion with God, & in faithful endeavours to promote the welfare of the Souls of men, how comfortable, and how glorious would i• •e for such a man at the great Day How would he then rejoice that ever he ⟨p. 164⟩