Christs Love and Affection Towards Jerusalem, Chapter 18
CHAP. 18.
A juſt reproofe of all ſuch as laviſh out, and loſe the day and time of grace.
4 ANd what ſhall I ſay to thee, that trifleſt out the greateſt part of this day, and makeſt ſo large penyworths of it, as if thou couldſt not tell how to paſſe it away faſt enough? doſt thou know the worth of this day? or if thou doſt not, aske the damned ſpirits in hell, and let them reſolve thee: they had a day, as thou now haſt, and they like prodigalls laviſhed it out vainely, as now thou doſt: but what is it that now they would not willingly expend and lay out for the redeeming of it, if it were poſsible to be done? Oh if they had ten thouſand worlds in their hands, ô how glad would they be to part with all, if it were for no more, but the repurchaſing of one hour of this day? If this be not enough, looke upon the teares of Chriſt here in the text, that Chriſt ſhould thus bewaile the condition of Jeruſalem, as here he doth; Oh if thou hadſt knowne at leaſt in this thy day, &c! it plainly ſhewes, that there was ſomewhat in it of ſingular obſervation; it was not uſuall for him ſo to doe, and therfore it ſhould ſeeme that there is ſomething more than ordinary in it, and ſo indeed there is; Oh theſe teares ſhew what the worth of that day was; it was a great bleſſing to Jeruſalem that ſhe had it, a greater bleſſing had it beene if ſhee had knowne it, and taken notice of it; and the greateſt bleſſing of all, if ſhee had beene ſo wiſe as to have laid out her ſelfe upon the beſt imployments in that her day: and let me tell thee withall, that the cauſe of all that miſery, which fals upon thee, either here, or hereafter, it is becauſe thou knoweſt not this day of thy viſitation. If a man had Iewels of rare vertue, and incomparable worth, would he caſt them away, or beſtow them upon every one that comes unto him? ô then, why ſhouldeſt thou loſe and laviſh out thy precious time? why ſhouldeſt thou waſte and weare out the good houres of this thy day, the worſt of which is not to be purchaſed with all the Iewels under heaven? and therefore conſider with thy ſelfe, what a loſſe and dammage thou bringeſt on thine owne head, by loſing any part of this day.
1 To ſay nothing of the infinite gaine and advantage that might acrue unto thee by the good improvement of it, the very time it ſelfe, it is an irrecoverable loſſe; foraSen. de brevit. vitae, ca 8. Nemo reſtituet annos, nemo iterum te tibi reddet, ibit qua coepit aetas, nec cu…ſum ſuum, aut revocabit, aut ſupp…met. who is it that can reſtore unto thee the loſſe of a day? If thy houſe bee burnt, or thy goods ſtolne away, or thy lands forfeited, there be friends that can make a ſupply of that loſſe; but if all the friends thou haſt in the world ſhould conſpire to doe thee good; nay, if all the creatures in heaven and earth ſhould unite their forces, they could not all reſtore unto thee ſo much as one of thoſe good houres, or any leſſe part of this day, that hath beene loſt.
2 If it were a matter of leſſe worth, it is not ſo long, that any part of it ſhould be loſt, all will bee little enough for the worke and imployment that lies upon it; the heathen PhiloſopherbSen. ep. 118. Non tam benignum, & liberale tempus natura nobis dedit, ut aliquid ex illo vacet perdere, &c. Jterum. Ex hoc tempore tam anguſto, tam rapido, & nos auferente, quid juvat majorem partem in vanum mittere? could obſerve this, that nature deales not ſo liberally with man, nor gives him ſo long and large a day, that hee may well ſpare or loſe any part of it. He that hath much worke lying upon his hands, many irons in the fire, or a great journey to goe, and but a little time allotted for it, a ſmall part of the day yet remaining, hee had need to loſe none of that; and ſo it is with man, eſpecially with a Chriſtian man, hee ſtands in ſo many ſeverall relations, and each of them requires ſo many duties at his hand, that if hee carefully apply himſelfe unto them, there is no part of the day can poſsibly want his worke; for how many duties are required at his hands, as he is a creature in relation to God? how many more, as he is a ſubject in relation to his Prince? how many more as he is a maſter in relation to his family, and ſervants, as a Husband in relation to his wife, as a father in relation to his children? and how many more as hee is a neighbour, and hath to deale with men in matters of the world, and hath relation to others? and how many more as hee is a man, in relation to himſelfe? and what part of the day is it that can want his work, if all theſe be carefully looked unto? and yet if yee looke abroad into the world, and take a view of the lives and converſations of moſt men, it is ſtrange to ſee, how liberal, or rather how prodigal every mā is of his time, as if it were nothing worth.dSen. de brevit vitae, ca. 8. Mirari ſoleo cum video aliquos tempus petere, & eos qui regantur facillimos, illud uterque ſpectat, propter quod tempus petitū eſt, ipſum quidem neuter, quaſi nihil petitur, quaſi nihil datur, res omnium pretioſiſſ luditur. Many a one that is ſparing enough of his money, and will give little or nothing to the poore, when their neceſſities and occaſions call and cry for it; and yet ſo prodigall of his time, that every one may have it that will but ſpeake a word for it; if any deſire to borrow of him an houre, or a day, or more, from other neceſſary and waighty affaires, wherein it might be profitably expended and laid out, to trifle it out with him in needleſſe vanities; it is no ſooner asked but granted; which made that devout Father complaine, that the dayes of ſalvation paſſe away even as the water in the river, and no man conſidereth it in his heart.eBern. Serm. var. Tranſcunt dies ſalutis, & nemo recogitat It is reported of Veſpaſian, one of the Romane Emperours, that upon a certaine day looking backe upon his owne doings, and finding that no man had received any benefit from him that day, hee makes his complaint to his friends, ſaying, O my friends, I have loſt a day fEraſ. Apophthe l. 6. Veſp. filius. Amici, diem perdidi.: but alas, how many are there, who let one day after another paſſe over their heads, without either doing good to others, or receiving good to themſelves, and never complaine of any loſſe? No man, ſaith Seneca gSen. de brevit. vitae, ca 3. Praedia ſua occupari à nullo patiuntur, & ſi exigua contentio eſt de modo finium, ad lapides, & arma diſcurrunt, in vitam ſuam incedere alios ſinunt; imò verò ipſi etiam futuros ejus poſſeſſores inducunt; nemo invenitur qui pecuniā ſuam dividere velit, vitā unuſquiſ que quam multis diſtribuit; aſtricti ſunt in continendo patrimonio, ſimul ad temporis jacturam ventum eſt, profuſiſſimi in eo, cujus unius honeſta avaritia eſt., will ſuffer another to intrench upon his lands, or to occupie his fields; nay, if there ariſe any doubt or difference touching the bounds or limits of them, hee is ready, like a madde man, to throw ſtones, to take up armes in the defence of his own right; and yet hee will ſuffer any one to invade and make an inrode upon his life, to take up his time, to runne away with his dayes; yea, he himſelfe will be ready to bring in thoſe that eate up all his good houres, and become, as it were, future owners and poſſeſſors of his dayes. There is no man found, that will divide his eſtate and ſubſtance betweene him and another; but his life and good houres every one is ready to parcell and cut out, to as many as deſire to have a ſhare and portion in it. Men are ſparing and cloſe handed in keeping their wealth and patrimony, and will not loſe a mite or farthing of it; but when it comes to the loſſe of time, in which onelyonly they might bee honeſtly and vertuouſly covetous, therein above all other things, they are moſt prodigall and profuſe.
3 And againe,*Ad Lucil. 1. ep. 1. Magna pars vitae clabitur malè agentibus, maxima nihil agentibꝰ, tota aliud agē tibus; quem mihi dabis qui aliquod precium tempori ponat? qui diem aeſtimet? a great part of a mans life is ſpent and conſumed in doing evill, the greateſt part of it in meere idleneſſe, and doing nothing; and the whole ſumme of it, and all the particular dayes contained in it, is vainly laid out in matters upon the by, which little or nothing helpe and conduce, for and towards the attainment of happineſſe; but where is the man that knowes how to prize his time according to the true worth of it, or that knowes how to ſet a valuable rate and eſtimation upon his dayes? Now if heathen men complained ſo much of the loſſe of time, that knew no further uſe or improvement of it, than for the affaires of this preſent life onelyonly: what a ſhame is it for Chriſtians to ſet no higher price upon the day of grace, or to make ſo light account of the loſſe of that time, which might have beene improved for the gaining of happineſſe, even happineſſe that endures to all eternity? and yet experience ſhewes, that even a great part of this day of grace is loſt amongſt Chriſtians; for many there are that trifle out a great part of it in doing nothing; the houſholder in the Goſpell findes fault with ſuchhMat. 20.6., Why ſtand yee here all the day idle? Many that loſe a great part of it in doing that which is worſe than nothing, in ſinfull pleaſures.iHieron. com. in Hag. ca. 2. pag. 224. Omne tempus in quo non virtutibus, ſed vitiis deſervimus, perit, & quaſi non fuerit reputatur in nihilum. They ſpend their dayes in wealth, and pleaſure, and in a moment goe down to the grave *Iob. 21.13.: ſo it was with Dives kLuc. 16.25., Sonne remember thou in thy life time hadſt thy pleaſure, therefore art thou now tormented: many that loſe a great part of it in matters impertinent, and upon the by.
1 In wandring and roving thoughts, which runne to and fro from one object to another, without any certaine profit or advantage, becauſe they doe not faſten or ſtay upon any thing, but preſently grow weary of it, and are ever flitting and removing, and ſo disjoynt the ſoule, and put it out of an orderly frame and diſpoſition.
2 In idle words and vaine ſpeeches, which eate up many good houres that might have been laid out more profitably in ſavory and religious communication.
3 In needleſſe and unprofitable actions, from which redounds little or no good to themſelves or others; the dayes that are thus laviſhed out, they are but dayes of vanity, as Solomon cals themlEcceſ. 7.17.: And they that wait upon lying vanities, forſake their owne mercies mIona 2.8.; and therefore to prevent, or at leaſt to repaire this loſſe, conſider with thy ſelfe,
1 ThatnSen. inſtit. ad Lucil. l. 1. ep. 1. Omnia aliena ſunt, tempus tantū noſtrum eſt. it is onelyonly time that can properly be termed thine, and therefore the loſing of that, is the loſing of all that thou haſt, or that can properly bee called thine owne: thy goods thou haſt from others, and thou muſt leave them againe to others, and they can make uſe of them as well as thy ſelfe; but thy time thou hadſt it not from any but God onelyonly, neither canſt thou leave and bequeath it to any, nor can any make uſe of it to his benefit or behoofe, but thy ſelfe onelyonly; in other things, the propriety thou haſt in them: increaſeth thy care for them, and love unto them: Thou loveſt and careſt for thy Countrey, not becauſe it is great, but becauſe it is thine; thou careſt for thy Children, and wouldeſt not loſe them, not becauſe they are Children, but becauſe they are thine; and why then wilt thou loſe and laviſh out thy time, ſeeing it is that onelyonly that moſt properly can be termed thine?
2 Againe, conſider how much ofoSen. ad Lucil. l. 21 ep. 118. Vide quam multa etiam diligentiſſimis pereant, aliud valetudo ſua cuique abſtulit, aliud ſuorum, aliud neceſſaria negotia, aliud publica occupaverunt, vitam nobiſcū dividit ſomnus, &c. this day is loſt already, and how much is, and will bee taken away with incidentall occaſions, even from thoſe that are moſt carefull and diligent in looking to it; a great part of this day is ſpent in ſleep, for the refreſhment of nature; and all that time is loſt, in reſpect of any ſpirituall imployment; another part of it runnes out in the yeares of childhood, and infancy, wherein men are rather troubleſome, than profitable, and cannot doe any great ſervice either to God or man, and all that upon the matter, is little better than loſt and trifled away; another part of it is takē up in eating & drinking, and other neceſſary recreations, and this is to be reckoned but as loſt time, (though it bee needfull and neceſſary in other reſpects) becauſe it is abſtracted from thoſe ſerious imployments, wherein the life of Chriſtianity doth conſiſt: Another part of it, and the greateſt part too, it is eaten up with earthly employments, as buying, ſelling, plowing, ſowing, and other civill and ſecular works, agreeable to every mans calling, and condition of life; and this time, though it bee allowed by God, for theſe occaſions, and the actions themſelves required by God; yet it is loſt from ſacred and ſpirituall ſervices. Now if all this time bee deducted and taken out of the day of grace, what is it that remaines behind? how ſmall a part is that which is left? and how little is that can be ſaved, even by thoſe that are moſt provident & ſparing of their time, to bee laid out upon the duties of piety and religion? and if it bee ſo little, is it not pitty that any of that ſhould be loſt?
3 Laſtly, conſider what courſe God himſelfe takes, to make men aſhamed of their loſſe, and laviſhneſſe in this kinde; hee doth not compare them with the Heathen, who would bee aſhamed to loſe ſo much time from the ſervice of their dumbe Idols, which are but ſtockes and ſtones, as many doe from the ſervice of the living God, who made heaven and earth; but as if there were none bad enough amongſt men, even the worſt of men, with whom he might compare them, he ſorts thē with the brute beaſts; and if there be any amongſt them more brutiſh than others, it is with thoſe brutes, that are moſt blockiſh, with the horſe and Mule, with the Oxe and Aſſe;pPſal. 49.20. Man being in honour, underſtands not, but is like the beaſt that periſheth: and it is no ſmall diſparagement to mans nature, to be matched with a beaſt, and yet to bee like unto a beaſt in that ſenſe, is worſe than to bee a beaſt indeed; for to be a beaſt indeed, is without any fault in the creature, it was God that made it ſo; but to bee made a man, a Chriſtian man, and yet to be like a beaſt, that is not without his owne fault, not without his great ſinne: and yet more, he that loſeth his precious time, and laviſheth out this day of grace, hee is not onelyonly like unto the beaſt, but even worſe than the beaſt; the bruite beaſt is not onelyonly matched with him, but even preferred before him: qIer. 87.Even the Storke in the ayre knoweth her appointed times, and the Turtle, and the Crane, and the Swallow obſerve the time of their comming, but my people knowes not the judgement of the Lord, Theſe Fowles here mentioned, they have a day, and a certaine time for their returne, and they never loſe or laviſh out that time, but obſerve and keepe it; he that laviſheth out the day of grace, and makes ſo large penny-worths of it, hee comes ſhort of them; in both theſe hee cannot pitch upon a day, nor finde out a time of vacancie and leiſure to looke after the things of GodrSanct. com. in loc. Vis comp… rationis in eo cernitur, qui… volucres iſtae, multò ante praeſagiunt, aut hyemalem inclementiam, aut vernalem temperiem: neque illas unquam in regione frigida deprehendit hyems, neque in calida aeſtas: ita debuiſſet pop: praeſagire et providere, &c. Tertull. de poenit. cap. 12. Mutae quidem animae et irrationabiles, medicinas ſibi divinitus attributas in tēpore agnoſcunt. C…rvus ſagitta transfixus, ut fertū et irrevocabiles moras ejus de vulnere expell…t, ſcit ſibi Dictam…o …ē dum. Hitundo ſi excaecaverit pullos, novit illos oculare rurſus de ſua Chelidonia, peccator reſtitu…ndo ſibi inſtitutam à Domino exhomologeſim, ſciens praeteribit illam, quae Babylonium Regem in regna reſtituit?: he can finde a day, yea too many dayes to take his flight from God, and to runne out of his wayes, not occaſioned onelyonly by trouble and adverſity, by perill and perſecution, that is, by evill dayes, as theſe fowles are, by the coldneſſe of the weather, and the hard time of winter, but often and many a time in the Halcion dayes of proſperity, in the beſt and fayreſt dayes: but hee can never find out a day, nor ſo much as halfe a day to reſolve and pitch upon, for his returne back againe to GOD: or if in his purpoſes and intentions hee pitch upon a day, he doth not obſerve and keepe it: when the day comes, he hath not yet convenient leiſure for it: ever and anon he will doe it, and he will doe it; but ſtill he is to ſeeke for the time and ſeaſon wherein to doe it; like the younger ſonne in the Goſpell, who when his father bids him goe and worke in the Vineyard, hee gives him good words, I will Sir, but he went not ſMat. 21.30.. Therefore the fowles of the ayre are preferred before him, as having more skill to know their time, and more care to obſerve it, than hee hath either to know and diſcerne the day of grace, or to lay out himſelfe in thoſe employments which are moſt proper for it. Yea further, hee that ſo forgets himſelfe in this day of grace, as to loſe that bleſſed ſeaſon and opportunity, hee is ſet to ſchoole to creatures, yet more meane and deſpicable than the fowles of the ayre, to the Ant or Piſmire: that ſilly and contemptible creature is ſet before him as a patterne, and ſet over him as a Tutor to teach and inſtruct him, that he might learne care and providence from her, for the well husbanding and good improvement of the day of grace.tProv. 6.6. Goe to the Piſmire, O ſluggard, behold her wayes, and be wiſe; for ſhe having no guide, governor, nor ruler, prepareth her meat in the Summer, and gathereth her food in the harveſt: That is, as God and nature hath aſſigned unto her a day, and a ſeaſon wherein to make her proviſion, ſo ſhee obſerves it, and with all diligence applyes her ſelfe to the worke, while that ſeaſon laſteth, and will not loſe any part of it; and what is it now that can ſhame thee out of thy ſinfull courſe of extreme negligence, if this doe it not? Is it not ſhame enough for thee to come below thy ſelfe, and the worſt of men, but that the meaneſt and moſt contemptible creature under the face of heaven ſhould go before thee in the care and providence of obſerving his day and time? thou haſt thy day ſet out unto thee, for the workes of piety and religion, even the day of grace, as well as the creature hath his day for the works and employments belonging to his nature; yea every day is thy day; no day unſeaſonable for the workes of grace; every day is to thee that acceptable time, and the day of ſalvation. And what a ſhame is it that the day ſhould be yet to come, that ever thou didſt ſeriouſly apply thy ſelfe to the proper and ſeaſonable workes of this day? many perhaps are now in hell, who never enjoyed halfe ſo long a day as thou haſt done: and thy day is even ready to expire, before thou haſt begun that great worke for which it was afforded unto thee. Oh conſider therefore that if this thy day be once come to an end, it will then be too late to lay out thy ſelfe for the ſeeking of grace and ſalvation; it is neither prayers nor teares that can then prevaile for the obtaining of it.
There is a day when Gods affection cannot be won, though Moſes and Samuel ſhould ſtand before him uIer. 15.1.. There is a day when God will not heare, though many prayers ſhould bee made unto him xEſay 1.15.. Eſaus teares are ſpent in vaine, when the time is paſt, and the bleſsing gone yHeb. 12.17.. When the doore is ſhut, the fooliſh virgins they knock too late, and but a little too late; yet can they find no admittancezMat. 25.12.: and therefore loſe not the time, but lay out thy ſelfe at leaſt in this thy day, before the day of grace be ended, and it be too late for thee.