The saints everlasting rest

I advise thee therefore, if well thou mayst, to allow this duty a stated time, and be as constant in it, as in hearing and praying: yet be cautious in understanding this. I know this will not prove ever, man's duty: some have not themselves and their […] command, ⟨p. 330⟩and therefore cannot set their hours; such are, most servants, and many children of poor parents; and many are so poor, that the necessity of their families will deny them this freedom. I do not think it the duty of such to leave their labours for this work just at certain set times, no nor for prayer. Of two duties we must choose the greater, though of two sins we must choose neither. I think such persons were best to be watchful, to redeem time as much as they can, and take their vacant opportunities as they fall, and especially to join meditation and prayer, as much as they can, with the labours of their callings. There is no such enmity between labouring, and meditating or praying in the spirit, but that both may be done together; yet I say, as Paul in another case, if thou canst be free, use it rather. Those that have more spare time, I still advise, that they keep this duty to a stated time. And indeed it were no ill husbandry, nor point of folly, if we did so by all other duties; if we considered the ordinary works of the day, and suited out a fit season and proportion of time to every work, and fixed this in our memory and resolution, or wrote it in a table, and kept it in our closets, and never broke it but upon unexpected and extraordinary causes: if every work of the day had thus its appointed time, we should be better skilled, both in redeeming time, and performing duty.

I advise thee therefore, if well thou mayst, to allow this duty a stated time, and be as constant in it, as in hearing and praying: yet be cautious in understanding this. I know this will not prove ever, man's duty: some have not themselves and their 〈…〉 command, ⟨p. 330⟩and therefore cannot set their hours; such are, most servants, and many children of poor parents; and many are so poor, that the necessity of their families will deny them this freedom. I do not think it the duty of such to leave their labours for this work just at certain set times, no nor for prayer. Of two duties we must choose the greater, though of two sins we must choose neither. I think such persons were best to be watchful, to redeem time as much as they can, and take their vacant opportunities as they fall, and especially to join meditation and prayer, as much as they can, with the labours of their callings. There is no such enmity between labouring, and meditating or praying in the spirit, but that both may be done together; yet I say, as Paul in another case, if thou canst be free, use it rather. Those that have more spare time, I still advise, that they keep this duty to a stated time. And indeed it were no ill husbandry, nor point of folly, if we did so by all other duties; if we considered the ordinary works of the day, and suited out a fit season and proportion of time to every work, and fixed this in our memory and resolution, or wrote it in a table, and kept it in our closets, and never broke it but upon unexpected and extraordinary causes: if every work of the day had thus its appointed time, we should be better skilled, both in redeeming time, and performing duty.