Christian Geography and Arithmetic, Doctrine 4
Doct. 4.
Fourth and laſt Obſervation in which I ſhall be brief, That the right numbring of our dayes is a ſpecial means to obtain true Wiſdom; I ſhall endeavour to give you cle… demonſtration of the point in theſe following particulars.
1. He is a wiſe Man that minds his greateſt concern, in the firſt place; now he that numbers his dayes aright, that reckons of ſhortneſs, of time, he makes it his firſt buſineſs to ſeek the Kingdom of God and the righteouſneſs thereof, he will take Maries part, and leave Martha's till afterward if there be time for it: Luk. 10.38Our Lord Jeſus in his travel, comes into a certain Womans Houſe named Martha, and falls a Preaching: her ſiſter Mary, conſiders with her ſelf that ſhe might have time to provide food, when ſhe could not have an opportunity to hear a Sermon and therefore ſhe ſate Jeſus feet and beard his Word; Matha was very buſie in ſerving and providing entertainment, and complains of her Siſters ſleight and diſreſpect to his perſon, and unkindneſs to her to ſuffer her to ſerve alone; our Saviour gives her a check, and commends Mary's, entertaining his Doctrine, before Martha's entertaining his perſon; Chriſt loves that Man ſhould look after their Souls, and not make ſuch a buſtle about their, outward cordions to make them eaſie, and ſplendid and delightful, but be content with ſuch things as you have, ſuch things as the houſe affords; as Chriſt would have been well enough, and have been better pleaſed with Martha, if ſhe had ſit down with Mary to hear the Sermon: if Chriſt gave ſuch a check to Martha for her great love to his outward Man, becauſe ſhe neglected the good of her own Soul; What a ſevere cenſure will he paſs upon many one day, whoſe care and cumber, and pains, and time, and ſtrength has been moſtly imployed about their own outward Man, and their Families, and Children, how to get them Bread, and Livings, and Portions; and in the mean while have made no proviſion for their long home, for Eternity, for their precious Souls, but let them lie at ſixes and ſevens, hunger'd, ſtarved, defiled, naked and bare. He that reckons of the fewneſs of his dayes reaſons and reſolves thus; let me ſecure an intereſt for my Soul in the Lord Jeſus, let me be aſſured of a kind reception beyond the Grave, and a manſion in Glory, and then if I have time, I may look a little after the World, but if I leave the former undone, I ſhall be undone for ever; I may leave the latter undone and no great loſs, God will take care of my Children, he is bound to it; and for my ſelf, if I be in the meaner condition here, as we uſe to ſay to Children, no body will ask them, or tell them, when they come to be Men, what cloaths they did wear when they were Children; ſo when I come to Heaven, it will be all one then whether I had two coats here, or never a whole one, whither I lived in plenty here, or ſometimes was in ſuch a ſtrait that I did not know where to get my dinner; let my Soul be once in a ſafe condition, and then I am ſure there can be nothing much amiſs in other things.
2. It is a Point of Wiſdom to foreſee an evil, and to avoid it; the Wiſe-Man foreſeeth the evil and hideth himſelf; but the ſimple paſs on, Prov. 22.3and are puniſhed. He that numbers his dayes aright, that knbws the ſhortneſs of time, the certainty and ſuddenneſs of Death, does prepare himſelf accordingly, he gets himſelf hid in the rock the Lord Jeſus; he has got an hiding place, ſo that when Death, comes to ſtrike, and Satan watching for the Soul, and the Grave (which can never have enough) gapeing for the Body; all on a ſudden, the Soul is carried by Angels into Abraham's boſom, and the Body laid as ſeed in the Earth, (not detained as a Priſoner under the grave's power) to be raiſed again a Glorious Body at the Reſurrection of the Juſt; the Soul is continually whilſt here fortifying it ſelf, by Faith and Repentance, and humility and ſelf-denial which are Armour of proof in every evih day.
3. He is a Wiſe-Man that knows how to carry himſelf ſuitable to his condition. The right numbring his dayes conduces much to this, as you have already heard, and therefore I need not enlarge upon this Head; only this, he reckons his time is ſo ſhort that it never concerns him whether he be in an high or in a low condition; it's no matter where or how I fit, I am not like to fit ſo long; no matter what part I act, I ſhal quickly be gone off the ſtage, I can take any part that is allotted me; it's no matter how I buy and ſell, or pofeſeſs, for I muſt do all as though I did it not, becauſe of the ſhortneſs of time: ſo that in ſhort, as numbring our dayes aright is the fruit of Divine Teachings; ſo it is the way and means to obtain Divine Wiſdom.
4. He is a Wiſe-Man that is wellread in antient Records and Hiſtory, and has a good reach with him about what things may fall out hereafter and manages himſelf accordingly. Now to number our dayes aright will put us upon a ſearch of the dayes that are paſt, what times have been before; and that which is, is but what hath been, and is gone and paſt, and ſo muſt what lies before us top; and therefore we ſhall be looking after ſomething that is laſting, & not ſo flitting and fading as theſe earthly things are: a Man that knows no more than the preſent day, will mind nothing elſe but the preſent things; will be alwayes muddling, and moyling, and ſcraping in the World, and never looks about him, to ſee what has gone before him, or what will come after him, which if, he once did he would quickly come out of his muddy hole, and ſhake himſelf, and ſeek about for ſome ſurer foot-hold, ſome better ſtanding, ſome other imployment than what he is now engaged in, and taken up with.
5. He is a Wiſe-Man what knows things of deep reach and ſearch, of profound enquiry, things that are out of other Mens thoughts, that never enter into their head's; the right numbring of our dayes will much help to this knowledg, for he that conſiders that time will quickly end, and Eternity preſently begin which will never end, will begin to inquire what things are converſant and in uſe in the other world; and when he finds that Communion with God, beholding Chriſt in his Glory, freedom from all ſin, the ſociety of Saints, &c, is the condition of the place; he preſently turns out, Worldly thoughts and deſigns, and diſcourſes about Houſes, and Lands and Money, and Pomp and Glory and Pleaſures; and dives into the Myſtery of the Goſpel, the Word of reconciliation, a Life of believing, the work and ſealing of the Spirit, the priviledges of God's People &c, and falls upon ſtudying the work of repentance, of ſelf-denial, of mortification, together with all thoſe works of meekneſs, love and charity, by which Perſons are made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light, and are prepared for an Eternal ſtate and condition: alas, faies he, why do you trouble me with theſe trifles as Eating, and Drinking and Trading &c. It's true they are of uſe in, and are calculated for this preſent infirm ſtate, and muſt have their place; but the main work and buſineſs is quite another thing, the usages and cuſtomes of this World are quite differing from, and contrary to thoſe of the next; and therefore I muſt begin the life here that I expect to live in the next, and muſt be practiſing Non-conformity to, and living above this preſent evil World, I muſt come out of it, I muſt be out of Love with it, I muſt keep it at due diſtance, I muſt uſe it as not abuſing it, as if I uſed it not, that I may be ready and fitted for the condition and company of the World to come, when-ever the meſſenger of Death comes for me, Luk. 12.35, &c.which I am to expect every hour: For I am commanded to watch alwaies with my loins girt about, and my light burning, that when my Lord comes and knocks I may open to him immediatly.
6. We count him a Wiſe-Man who is willing to be taught, and nothing like the numbring of our dayes will further that, it cures trewantry; he that does a thing as his laſt will be willing to do it the beſt way he can, and will be glad of any help perſons that have difficult buſineſs to do which muſt be done in ſuch a time, are ready to receive advice and take it kindly, and this does argue them to be wiſe, for willingneſs to learn is a ſign of Wiſdom, he is a fool that thinks he knows enough; how glad is a ſerious Chriſtian that values time of an opportunity of receiving good, of being helped on his way, of a little cordial in time of fainting, of one that will take him by the hand when he gives a ſlip; he that knows the moſt is the moſt receptive of knowledg, and the ableſt Chriſtian readieſt to take in more ſtrength.
7. He is a Wiſe-Man who is able to give advice and counſel, and nothing does ſo much inable a Man in that as to number his dayes aright: what's the reaſon that we go to the Ancient for counſel but becauſe they have had the experience of many dayes paſt, and they reckon but of a few to come, they look upon all the years they have lived, but as yeſterday, and they reckon to Die to morrow; were I to chuſe a Man for my Life to give me counſel, it ſhould be one that makes Conſcience how he ſpends his time, that will not trifle and idle away his time. The diligent good School-maſter does firſt of all teach the well-uſing of time, when he is very ſevere if his Scholars do not come in the morning exactly at the time appointed.
8. We count him a Wiſe-Man that is of few Words, for even a fool when he holds his peace is counted wiſe; now he that values time and knows the pretiouſneſs of it is alwayes very thoughtful and ſtudious, what he muſt do in the next place, he is not for talking but for doing, his words are weighty and alwayes ſpoken in due place and ſeaſon; he has no ſuperfluous time for ſupernumerary words.
9. He is a Wiſe-Man that loves and keeps Wiſe-Mens company; he that meaſures time has none to ſpare to ſpend with fools; he that makes conſcience of redeeming his time, finds that he has not ſo much time as he would have with Saints, he has none at all for ſinners.
10. We count him Wiſe that minds his own buſineſs and meddles not with other mens, he that numbers his dayes; ſees that he has time little enough to manage his own matters in: It is obſervable that walking wiſely towards them that are without, and redeeming time are put together, Col. 4.5. Eph. 5.16. of all Men he gives the leaſt offence: Two things offend the World, Firſt, When they obſerve your failings: Secondly, When you obſerve their's; Now the Man that ſpends his time conſcienciouſly, minds his own Paths, looks directly forward, he neither ſtumbles, nor looks on ſide to take notice of the falls of others; he looks to his own place and work that the Lord left him to do, Mark. 13.34.
11. He is a Wiſe-Man in Scripture-ſence that fears God.Prov. 1.7. The fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wiſdom; Job 28.28. The fear of the Lord that is Wiſdom, and to depart from evil that it underſtanding. Now none is ſo prepared for the fear of the Lord as he that numbers his dayes, it keeps the Soul in the continual awe and dread of the Almighty God: and the reaſon is evident and plain; for he looks upon the Lord as his Landlord, and himſelf as his Tenant at will, the rent he payes is but ſmall, and he is very careful to pleaſe his Landlord, turning out is troubleſome at the beſt, and upon ſhort warning it may be ſomewhat dangerous, & therefore he judges it very reaſonable that he ſhould continually ſtand in awe of him in whoſe power he abſolutely is as to his being and wel-being, as to his ſtay here, and his dwelling place hereafter; and thus much briefly for the proof of the point, one word of Application, and ſo I conclude this Text at this time.
Ʋſe.
One General exhortation from the whole; let us learn this Wiſdom of numbring our dayes that we may be Wiſe: has it been our evil that we have loſt much time, and have not put a due value upon it, let us now redeem it, repurchaſe it at any rate; the word ſignifies to buy ſome things back, a Metaphor taken from one that mortgageth his land and redeemeth it again, or from the practice and cuſtome of Wiſe Merchants,foreign, Eph. 5, 16. who uſe to buy their commodities whilſt fit time of buying ſerves, and whilſt the market holds, and having haply had great loſſes, or formerly ſpent their time idly or unthriftily do by their diligence ſeek (as it were) to buy back again the time that is paſt. The truth is, my Brethren, we have been great unthrifts, have ſquandred away a great ſtock and portion, of time; time is now grown a ſcarce commodity, the price of it is riſen; we are fallen into thoſe hard times mentioned, 2 Tim. 3.1.foreign, Dura, moleſta. hurtful, heavy, damaging times; that as the Sea being infeſted by pirats, the Earth being followed with male-influences from the Heaven, make times hard for the Body; ſo the ſcarcity of opportunities together with their enſnarements and moleſtations, adding the great ſuſpenſion of Heavenly influence, renders the ſeaſons of receiving good very difficult, hard to come by, and harder to be improved: beſides this, the ſwifter motion of time now (becauſe nearer to its center) meeting with an old, crazy diſtempered World, (all Perſons and Things being grown worſe than they were every way) does cauſe much detriment and ſpoil to both, as the ſpeedy motion of a Coach in bad wayes makes the paſſengers knock their Heads together, and fall heavy upon one another that never intended it; the hurry of this laſt time does wear and weary out Perſon and Things, throws Men and breaks them one over another, caſts ſome into the grave, and leaves others I know not where, and cauſes ſuch commotions, mutation, and inflammations that it is much to be feared that the axletree of the World may catch fire which may not ſo eaſily be quenched but increaſe to the general conflagration of that great day mentioned, 2 Pet. 3.10. But the day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the Night, in the which the Heavens ſhall paſs away with a great noiſe, and the Elements ſhall melt with ſervent heat, the Earth alſo and the works that are therein ſhall be burnt up. I ſhall conclude my exhortation in the words of the ſame Apoſtle that immediatly follow, ſeeing then all theſe things ſhall be diſſolved, v. 11, 12, 14, 17, 18,(that time will bring matters to this paſs) What manner of Perſons ought we to be in all holy Converſation and Godlineſs, looking for, and halting unto the coming of the day of God wherein the Heavens being on fire ſhall be diſſolved, and the Elements ſhall melt with ſervent beat, wherefore (Beloved) ſeeing ye look for ſuch things be diligent that you may be found of him in peace without ſpot and blameleſs, and ſeeing ye know theſe things before, Beware laſt ye alſo being led away with the errour of the wicked fall from your own ſtedfaſtneſs; but grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt.
To him be Glory now and for ever AMEN.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Hardcastle, Christian Geography and Arithmetic (1674)