The REDEMPTION of lost Time.  Ephes. 5.16. 
Redeem the Time, for the days are evil.  
LONDON, Printed by N.O. for Richard Sergier. 1608.   

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR EDWARD COKE KNIGHT, LORD chief justice of the King's majesties Court of Common Pleas.  
VOuchsafe my good Lord, to patronage this small Treatise of the Redemption of lost Time, which here I present unto your Honour (as an undoubted token of my dutiful affection towards you) not presuming thereby to instruct your Lo. in any thing you learned not before, being a Person well known to have deep insight in the due value and worth of TIME, and wisely to understand how to estimate, employ and divide the same, rendering to every action his due Time, and to every Time, his right function: But that under the shadow of your wings and protection, I may be freed from that Tax, whereof the best Books now adays imprinted cannot escape censure. And verily, if they be commended who bring us any commodities, drugs or delights, fashions or fruits from foreign Countries, how can I be justly reproved, if after long pursuit in a strange land, I bring home a dish of rare dainties, profitable and necessary, a precious jewel richer than the gold of Ophir, the Redemption of lost Time. Thus ceasing to interrupt your Honours weightier businesses, I commend this unto your Lordsh. favour, and your Lordsh. to the Almighty his protection.  
London the 10. of May. 1608. Your Lordsh. humbly to command, Daniel Powel.   

To the Reader.  
IT is true which is spoken in the Castilian Proverb, El bien no es conocido, hasta que es perdido, The good is not known until it be lost; as I have at last found by experience in myself, who have, but since my late Travels, neither apprehended what TIME is, nor understood the power and value thereof: which verily doth not a little grieve and vex me, in that all this while I lost so much good. Wherefore I could heartily desire with the Poet,  O si praeteritos referat mihi jupiter annos! 
That, if it were possible, I might once again enjoy the years that are already past, whereby I might employ them as I ought, and redeem them from the captivity wherein they have been detained. But he who once so little regarded to know and estimate the Time as appertained, is now well worthy to wish and want that which sometimes he had in abundance and vainly misspent. Yet notwithstanding I hold it for a special gift and grace given me of GOD, that now at length he hath vouchsafed me this knowledge, that henceforth I may better employ the time which the Lord in mercy shall hereafter grant unto me; and that now I thoroughly understand what it is to come out of Babylon, to know God in Christ, to worship him only; to read the Scriptures, to hear God's word, to be partaker of the Sacraments, and to pray in a known tongue; which I speak not as if I had been at any time affected, otherwise then now I am, but because I never heretofore esteemed either TIME, or any of these benefits according to their just value and worth, as now I do.  
And in this respect I could wish all men to constitute me their Proctor & Advocate aswell to sue for their ransom; as also to teach and instruct such negligent Sinners as detain Time captivated, how they ought to Redeem the same, & how much it concerns and imports them; to admonish secure and careless Christians rightly to weigh the Benefits which in great abundance GOD hath mercifully bestowed upon this Church and Common wealth; and to beseech all others that they lose neither hour nor moment of any Time or Season.  
For accomplishment whereof I desire all men to peruse this small Manual, wherein they may plainly understand & learn, both how and from what TIME is to be redeemed, and afterwards in what sort they ought to employ the same. And though haply some men may think that in discoursing of TIME much Time may be spent (which though otherwise I acknowledge may be true,) yet hold I not the Time employed in this Treatise, either lost or ill spent.  
I heartily pray and beseech our Lord GOD, even for his most precious blood sake (which was the price of our Redemption) that even as I wish and desire, so this Redemption of Time lost, may be beneficial and profitable to the Reader.  
D. P.   

The Contents of the Chapters which are contained in this Treatise.  

CHAP. 1. What a precious jewel TIME is. Fol. 1.  
CHAP. 2. That we are Lords of Time, and to what end GOD did bestow it upon us, and wherein we are to employ the same. Fol. 17.  
CHAP. 3. How GOD in his just judgement cutteth off sinners from enjoying the benefit of Time, who before made no reckoning thereof to profit themselves thereby, as they ought and might have done. Fol. 29.  
CHAP. 4. He that now enjoyeth the Benefit of TIME, must with great fervency and zeal labour to employ it altogether well. Fol. 41.  
CHAP. 5. How worthy of reproof idle Persons are, and who they be. Fol. 57  
CHAP. 6. How the BODY detaineth in captivity the Time which is properly the SOULS, and how it exalts itself and rebelleth against the SOUL. Fol. 72.  
CHAP. 7. That lay persons may lawfully enjoy some recreations, and intertaynements of mirth, solace and pleasure. Fol. 84.  
CHAP. 8. That likewise it is lawful, yea very necessary for religious and ecclesiastical persons to use some honest exercise, which may serve for intermission, recreation and rest. Fol. 96.  
CHAP. 9 How TIME is to be redeemed; and who they be that detain the same in captivity. Fol. 108.  
CHAP. 10. How it is to be understood that the days are evil, and how that therefore TIME is to be redeemed. Fol. 119.    

EPIGRAMMA.  
PRimus ut antè liber docuit sperare salutem,  
Tarda tui quamuis fuerit moestitia cordis,  
Dum syncera tamen: promit sic docta secundus  
Dogmata, quêis discas â primo flore iwentae  
Subdere colla Deo: rocteque impendere Tempus.  
Tempus, & obrizo longè praestantius auro,  
Cui magnae cedat famae Carbunculus, atque  
Arcana quaecunque jacent tellure reclusa.  
Non si sort tibi non applaudente, reperta  
Divitia pereant, spes est revocare, volantis  
At non est horae fas instaurare ruinam.  
observat natura vices, rapidusque polorum  
Tempore transigitur cursus, fit circulus, atque  
Vertitur in gyrum rursus, rursusque recursat,  
Nec tamen una redit transacti temporis hora.  
Resnullarevocanda prece, precióue, beatum  
Quae faciat, stygios aut certè mergat in amnes.  
Si tibi currenti fructus cum tempore cedit,  
Otiá declinas, remanent te praemia, verùm  
Si teris incautè Tempus, quando ultima tandem  
Hora adventârit, fueritque occasio cassa  
Virtutis, lugens inferni claustra subibis.  
Ergo agè quando datum est, virtuti insistere cura:  
 tutus Christum valeas audire vocantem.  G. B.  

THE Past, the Present, and the Time to be  
Can a man tell, or were there mortal wight  
So far above earth, raised to that height  
That heavens dimensions he could clearly see;  
Better that man were to report from thee  
The Benefits, mortality might raise  
From thy just labours, than th'uncertain praise  
Attending books, which not their worth can free  
From the Taxation which foul Envy lays  
On virtues faire-selfe, and with hellish spite  
Is ever blasting the deserved Bays,  
That should adorn her: But receive this right  
From TIME itself that must thy fortress be,  
Whose perfect use is only taught by thee.  M. Drayton.  

The Authors (besides sacred Scriptures) who are cited in this present Treatise.  

A  
Alphonsus de Castro.  
S. Ambrose.  
Andrea's Bishop of Caesarea.  
Aristotle.  
S. Augustine.   

B  
S. Basil.  
Bede the venerable.  
Bernardinus de Sena.  
S. Bernard.  
Bonaventure.   

C  
Cassianus.  
Cesarius Helisterbacchensis.  
S. Chrysostome.   

D  
Dion Cassius.  
Dionysius Carthusianus.   

E  
Elianus.  
Euthymius.   

G  
Gregory Nissen.  
Gregory the Pope.   

H  
Haymo.  
Horace.   

I  
S. Jerome.  
john Chrysostome.  
john Damascen.  
john Orozeus.  
john Stobeus.   

L  
Laertius.  
Laurence justinian.  
Ludovicus Blosius.   

M  
Maldonatus.   

N  
Nicholas Diukespu.   

O  
Origen.  
ovid.   

P  
Plutarch.   

S  
Salmeron.  
Seneca.  
Simon de Cassia.  
Suarez.   

T  
Thaulerus.  
Theodoret.  
Thomas Aquinas.  
Thomas Kempis.   

V  
Viegas.  
Virgil.   

Z  
Zedrenus.    

CHAP. I. What a precious jewel TIME is.  
IT is the manner and style of the sacred Scripture, that when any notable cause of importancy is showed and noted unto us, some wonderful vision or miraculous type ever goeth before, which doth awake & stir up our spirits and senses for attention, leaving them in suspense and admiration, as very ordinarily may be seen in the book of the Prophets, and specially in the Revelation of the blessed Evangelist Saint john, where amongst many other admirable visions & strange figures, chiefly that is to be noted, which he hath written in the tenth Chapter (which together with those words of the Apostle, in his Epistle to them of Ephesus, 
Ephes. 5, 16.  Redeem the Time, because the days are evil; shall be the very Theme or ground of this our Treatise and exhortation) saying, 
reve. 10.1.  that then he saw a mighty Angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, and that he wore upon his head, in steed of a diadem, the rainbow, and his face shined as the Sun in midday, His feet were as pillars of fire, And he had in his hand a little Book open, 
Ver. 2.  and he put his right foot upon the Sea, and his left upon the earth, 
3.  And cried with a loud voice, after the manner of a Lion when he roareth, 
5.  and lifting up his finger towards heaven, 
6.  swore by him that liveth for evermore, which created heaven, and the earth, and the Sea, & all things in them contained, That from the days of the seventh Angel, there should never be any more TIME.  
And briefly to manifest the mysteries which here are comprised, 
Refert illos Viegas in Apoc. cap. 10 Andreas Episc. Cesareae in c. 5. Apoc. Act. 1.2.  This Angel according to the exposition of many Authors, is Christ our Lord; the Angel of the great Council, or else is one of the blessed Angels which representeth his person, and executeth the office of Legatship, as his ambassador. He came down from Heaven, because visibly he is to descend from thence in a cloud shining with great power and majesty, to judge the whole world: Howbeit, his coming clothed with a cloud, doth signify the confusion and turmoil which shall happen as well in those last days, as also in that space and time, in which the persecution of Antichrist shall endure: when specially they shall behold those hideous signs and terrible tokens, which are to happen before the day of the universal judgement, & are every moment to expect that fearful presence of the judge. The Rainbow signifies peace; and the Fire, wrath, furiousness and punishment: and in those two extremities of man's body, which are, the feet, and the head▪ both the end and beginning thereof (viz.) both top & toe, are portrayed both the come of our Saviour CHRIST into the world. The first was, of mere mercy, to make peace and atonement between God and men; and because of that, for his Escutchion and special difference, he bore upon his head the Rainbow of heaven, in token that the Deluge of his former anger, displeasure and passed punishment, were now ceased. And in the latter coming, he shall come as judge, and therefore he shall carry feet of fire, which betokens inflexible rigour, and terrible wrath: Ignis ante ipsum praecedet, 
Psal. 50.3.  saith David, There shall go before him a consuming fire. The Form and shape of the Pillars signifies, the mighty strength and force he shall have, for the execution of his final sentence and last judgement. The Book open in his hand, in respect of his Godhead, representeth the eternal wisdom he hath, for the which he appropriateth to himself the office of judge; & in respect of his Manhood, it signifieth the absolute knowledge he apprehendeth to understand the worth & worthiness of the causes, process and actions of all the sons of Adam, and the scroll or proclamation of the divine law, whereupon they are to be judged. The putting of one foot upon the Sea, & the other upon the Land, is as much to say, as that he embraceth, compasseth & comprehendeth all things, sea and land, earth and water; & that nothing can escape his hands, free itself from his power, 
Psal. 139. ver. 3. & 8.  nor be hid from his presence. The roaring, as of a Lion, signifieth the wrath and vengeance, wherewith he shall pronounce sentence against the condemned ones. And the solemn oath, signifieth the infallible certainty & assuredness he shall have, in the accomplishment and execution of those things before prophesied, & preached to the people, which in the days of the seventh Angel, when they shall hear that fearful Trumpet sounding and summoning all the sons of Adam to judgement, shall end and finish the Time for ever afterwards; and they who made no profit thereof, when they had it, but have deferred their good works until the uttermost day, & last hour of their lives, shall eternally remain without it. And that public sounding and proclamation of the Angel, with such and so many circumstances, That on some day Time should end and cease, & when that should be, is, to give us intelligence that we may understand of what price, value and estimation, and what a great benefit of God bestowed upon us it is, that he hath made us Lords of the same all the days of our lives. And on the contrary, what a great cross and punishment is it, for othersome to be absolutely bereaved thereof and to have it quite taken away from them, as a thing by them misspent, and ill employed.  
To manifest what a precious thing Time shall be, it sufficeth only to know, that in one instance of time, one may gain infinite eternity of glory. And therefore the Holy Ghost counseleth us, 
Eccli. 4.20.  to preserve and keep Time, as we do gold, so shall we departed from evil; which is, as if he had told us, that we should use & employ it in good works, & not lose the least moment thereof. Again, he willeth us to be advised by the same Ecclesiasticus, 
Eccli. 14.14.  saying: Defraud not thyself of the good day, and let not the portion of the good desires overpay thee. One translation hath Particula bonae diei: & others (as likewise in the vulgar edition) Boni doni. One while he saith, let no part of the good day overpay thee for nought; another while he saith of the good gift, or desires. The meaning is, to admonish us, that we spend well the Time, and the Day, yea all days: for he that can well order & redress one day may by the same amend and reform all his life, & in the same, man ought to do all the good he can for himself, & for his neighbours, exercising himself in works of Piety and mercy. King David so much feared to lose the least particle of Time, & so far endeavoured wholly to employ the same well, that he strived & contended with the sun, for early uprising to praise God, which at length the king prevented, according to those words, 
Psal. 11●. ver. 147.148  Praevenerunt oculi mei ad te diluculo. Early in the morning do I cry unto thee: Mine eyes prevent the morning watch, that I might meditate in thy words: for before the Sun was up, I was occupied in the same. Which according to the exposition of S. Ambrose, is as much as if more clearly he had spoken, Rise earlier thou Christian, before the Sun be up, for I hold it great negligence & carelessness most culpable in thee, that the beams of the Sun when it riseth, should find thee idle and sleeping in thy bed. Thou art ignorant perhaps, that thou oughtest every day to render unto God almighty the first fruits of thy tongue and heart? See thou have a daily harvest, and daily fruit in like manner. And in another Psalm, the Prophet saith, 
Psal. 77.4.  Anticipaverunt vigilias oculi mei. My eyes prevented, and awaked before the watchmen, and guard of the city: that is to say, (as S. Jerome declareth) before that any body went to watch, or did awake, I awaked and watched at midnight and in the morning, at midday & in the evening; and finally seven times a day do I laud my Lord, yea, always and at all hours have I his praises in my mouth. He well knew how to observe Time, he duly acknowledged what it was, and what stood him available; & as of a thing so precious, he knew how to make profit thereof, without losing one jot either of the Good day, or of the good gift. Time saith Theophrastus is a most costly 
Theophrast.  expense. 
Seneca. Epist. 1.  And Seneca in his first Epistle (which he wrote to his friend Lucilius) saith thus; What man is he, that will suffer me to set price on his Time? How much thinks he, is the day worth, admitting that every day he were to die? wherefore we do much deceive ourselves herein, because we fix not our eyes upon death, a great part whereof is already past; all that of our age & life which yet remaineth behind, death holds in possession. Wherefore my dear friend Lucilius, persist still in doing of that which thou thyself in thy Letters, didst write unto me thou dost, being a person that so well knowest the due estimation of Time: embrace all the hours, so shalt thou depend less upon the morrow, pointing (as it were) this day with thy finger, not permitting the same to overpass thee idly, for the life (putting itself off with prolonging) flies away & passeth at random; And all things else being estranged & alienated from us, only Time is ours; and very natural reason hath informed us, that we obtain the possession of a very swift thing, which runneth away so fast, and slideth amain, yea flies apace from between our hands. The knowledge and discretion of mortal men is so little and weak, that they impute it a great loss in case they leave undone the least vilest thing, or smallest trifle, being indeed revocable and amendable though pretermitted, none thinks that he oweth or is indebted any thing for having received Time, considering that Time is but one sole thing, which yet the grateful man can make no due satisfaction for that which he received as he ought, in regard of the high price, and for that the debt is great in undertaking the day upon himself. And in his book of the shortness of life, 
Idem lib. de brevit vitae.  he saith: There is no man that will forego or part with his patrimony or substance, nor disinherit himself, but rather will keep it, and augment it: as for Time, and his course of life, he will with great facility impart and bestow them many times on diverse vain things. They are very niggard of their wealth, but for Time they are most prodigal and lavish, when as indeed their honest and laudable covetousness, should be only of Time; because most truly (as in the same Book, then presently after he saith: Time is the most precious thing that is, and yet for all that, they dispraise it and hold it of no esteem, for nought, and of no worth; as though it were right nought indeed, bearing no price at all. Not one makes reckoning of it when they have it, but if any be sick, then shall you see bowing of knees & crouching before the Physician, and if he fear the sentence of death, that man will weigh him with gold for to ransom his life,  
That blessed holy man, Laurentius justinianus, 
Laur. just. de vitae solit. 6.10.  treating of Time and the value thereof, sayeth thus: Who hath that power to comprehend or conceive in his heart, what a precious thing Time is? O what grace, eloquence or sweet flowing speech of man is able to declare it? None knows it, but such as now want and miss the same. Then all the goods of the world, honours, dignities, and prelacies, the pomp of this age, corporal delights and bodily pleasures yea and all manner recreations, sports and pastimes, joys and entertainments whatsoever they be, which are under the cope of heaven, would be given in boot and exchanged for one hour of Time, if it were possible to be obtained; because in this most short space, they would appease the divine justice, they would make glad and rejoice the Angels, they would eschew from that fearful sentence of eternal damnation, and gain (yea without all doubt they would procure) life everlasting. And they are most unhappy, upon whom the Sun of mercy is already set, who most irrevocably shall descend into that lake of misery, where there is neither order nor good course, 
job. 10.15. & 22,  but fright and horror perpetual, and with good reason shall be denied of their pardon, because of their contempt and disdaining of Time when it was offered them, who respected neither consideration nor the experience of the validity and worthiness of the same, nor yet the great necessity & lack thereof, which one day they should feel, living after the taste of their palates and proof of their appetites, as though they should never die. Oh I would to God, that they who employ the time wickedly, and live most idly & securely, did know how to estimat that, which they overpass, and look without consideration and due regard. For what thing is it that is more valuable than Time? what thing more excellent? what thing more seemly & cheerful? what thing of more fruit and better profit? or what thing more lovely, amiable and beautiful? But out alas! great dolour, woe and grief! There is not any thing more vilipended, nor at least worse respected, nor more basely reputed, nor more indignly, and opprobriously used then Time is, whereas indeed men are able to gain and obtain heaps of eternal reward, in whatsoever small portion of Time. Wherefore they who well know the due value of Time, will not overslip any space or quantity thereof, be it never so little without some profit, and for which they are to yield to God, a most straight account. And the famous S. Bernard saith: 
Ber. ser. ad Scholar  That he reckoned nothing more precious than Time; but in these days nothing more base nor more contemptible. They let go the days of health, and none considers of them, as though by right and equity, a man should not be grieved to lose that day which is never to return again. But let men note, and be assured, that as one hair of the head shall not perish, 
Luc. 21.18.  much less shall any one moment of Time, without rendering good reason & account for the same. Let none of you (my brethren,) esteem that Time for nought, which you consume away, and spend in idle talk, Words fly away irrevocable, Time runs on irremediable, and the ignorant doth not understand what he looseth. It is lawful (say some) to chat a little, and to hold conference till one hour be past, O! but how long will that hour endure? That very hour, which our Lord hath granted thee to repent, to sue and prosecute for thy pardon, to purchase grace, and to procure glory. O! but how long will that Time continue? That very time, wherein thou art to procure favour & mercy of the divine Piety, and to make all possible speed to accompany the Angels, to sigh and desire fervently for that ever-during Inheritance; to waken that slow and lukewarm will, and to bewail all wicked fellowship and impious iniquity. Thus far the Divine Bernard. I would to God (saith Bernardine de Sena) if that traffic and merchandise of Time, 
Bernardin. tom. vlt. ser. 13. art. 3. & 4. Et tom. vlt. ser. 18. p. 1. princip.  might be carried into Hell to be sold; where for one only half hour, would be given a thousand worlds, if they had them. But Time surpasseth all things, that are in the world, it is so gainful, that men enjoying the same, may reap and obtain such grace, as that they may come to possess and enjoy even God himself, goods & treasure infinite. And if the Devil might obtain to himself but a small space of Time, wherein he might repent him, than would he save himself, and recover that good, which now without remedy he hath lost. That thing is most precious (saith the same man) whereof a small parcel, valueth so much as a great quantity of another thing: And therefore that is the gold, because that with a little thereof one may buy many and large weights of any other thing or metal; Considering all which, mark well, what a thing Time is, and how available, in respect that in one instance of the same, if thou knowest how to traffic well, thou mayest win heaven & life everlasting in such sort as the good Thief hath done.  
That holy Arsenius well knew the estimation of Time, 
Dion. Carth. in Opusc.  who after he had retired himself from his ordinary devotions, was so greedy in spending the time, that he was wont to say, That a few hours of sleep was sufficient for a religious mind. And whereas on a time perceiving himself to be stung and conquered of Time he called it unto him, saying; Come, now come my violent enemy, then setting himself down, did sleep a little.  
And if it be lawful to speak of Gentiles & Heathen men for the confounding of ill livers and bad Christians, 
Plutarch.  Plutarch writeth of Marcus Cato censorius, that three things he greatly abhorred. The first was, to repose secrets in women, The second, To go by water, when one might travail by land. And the third was, that he should overpass any day, wherein some good were not done. Pliny the great, seeing one day a Nephew of his, walking for pleasure, sore chid and reprehended him, saying, well thou mayest do, not to lose them hours. Sertorius the Proconsul & captain general of the Roman Forces, 
Plutarch in Sertorio.  at such time as he was forced to redeem and buy his Passage for money of certain barbarous people, some of his company murmured, and took that action in very ill part, for that it appeared unto them, as Tribute given by the Romans, he made them this answer, I have neither redeemed nor bought any other thing save only Time, which is a Treasure most precious of all the best and richest things that are in the eyes of the most greediest, and most covetous persons that be: To conclude then, if the Heathen have so reputed & thought of Time, how much more ought a Christian man to estimate thereof, considering that in and by Time, he may gain eternal wealth and endless glory.   

CHAP. 2. That we are Lords of Time, and to what end GOD did bestow it upon us, and wherein we are to employ the same.  
THE learned and devout Laurentius justinianus reporteth the same which Seneca said before, 
Laur. just. de vita solitar.  that all other things are strange unto us, but Time is properly termed OURS, and that we are Lords of the same, because it is in our hands, and lieth in our power, to employ it as we please: which is no small favour and benefit that GOD doth for us, in bestowing as our own, one sole thing so precious, and specially by granting it so bountifully, and so long, though the longest be but very short; Hereupon saith Seneca, 
Seneca.  the Time we enjoy is no small matter, and without reason it is, that men do complain of the shortness of their lives, but rather should esteem that loss to be very great, when they lose Time. The life is long enough, for performance of special and commendable actions, in case the whole be well employed. In the Angels, God proceeded so determinately, and with such limitation, that for instances, he gave them set terms, and prefixed times for their trial, whether they would stand or fall; very short spaces and moments, as some say, they were but two or three moments, & othersome extends them more largely to four, which in truth to them sufficed, because of their quick apprehensions, and perfection of their natural inclinations; but to slow, unconstant, and changeable man, God hath granted many years and ages: Howbeit, not to live idle and secure, nor to waste and consume it in play, delights, jests, pleasures, merriments, pastimes, and carnal sports, much less in sin and the hurt of himself, but that it be employed in good works, in lawful exercises & honest recreations, & should labour in the vineyard, 
Math. 20.2.4.6. etc.  and painfully in the sweat of his brows gain his daily food and stipend, which is the workman's wages, and the reward of his good adventure. Whereupon the Apostle saith, 
Gal. 6.9.10  Doing of good works, and using the Time in such things for which it is lent us. Let us therefore, neither deceive ourselves, nor be dismayed, nor be weary to reap and mow Time, and we shall gather our harvest and fruit in due season. For which, in all that time we enjoy, let us perform what good we may. And Seneca, 
Seneca.  though an heathen man, saith, that Time was not so liberally & so bountifully bestowed upon us, that we should lose any part of the same, which by the Apostle is called the acceptable time, 
2. Cor. 6.2.  and the day of salvation. Wherefore (my good brethren) employ the same for your soul's health, to do works acceptable and grateful unto God. And therefore also, the time of this life, is called the Fair time, or Market time. For as in the same, wares are sold and bought most cheap and at a small rate: So in this life, great merchandises & jewels of infinite value, may be bought at a small rate, 
2. Cor. 4.17  and for one momentany and light tribulation or affliction may be caused an eternal weight of glory (as the same Apostle S. Paul saith) which in Heaven is to be possessed and enjoyed.  
And by the way let us here note, how by that holy and blessed Apostle, it is termed a weight, because that with the weight and greatness thereof, it maketh light and easy all the difficulties and troubles of this life, and that which we suffer and abide here in the same, makes us to weigh: all which in comparison is as easy and as light to bear, as one straw or chaff. Even as a great heavy weight in one end of a pair of scales, doth highly lift up & outweigh the other end, wherein there is but one single straw or chaff: So the weight of our reward being put in the one end of the balance, doth lift up the other end wherein our labours and worldly businesses are weighed. Whereunto agreeth that, which the same Apostle in another place hath written, namely, That the passions and tribulations of this life, 
Rom. 8.18.  are neither comparable nor equal to the glory to come, which hereafter shall be revealed and manifested in us: till such time by all comparison, they are very small, light, and of no weight. And upon that similitude of the Fayors (for application sake to our present purpose) it seems our Saviour CHRIST hath meant and used it, 
Luc. 19.13.  when he compared the kingdom of Heaven to a man trafficking & merchandizing in this world; 
Math. 13.45.  considering when he spoke to all the faithful (as to men full encumbered with many businesses) Occupy till I come, for hereafter there will be no place.  
Furthermore, the time of this life is called, Time of vacation (from all other businesses) whereby man may solly & wholly addict and employ himself in the service of our Lord. It is called Time of employment, according to those words of our Redeemer, spoken by the mouth of his Evangelist S. john, Now is the time to work, 
Io. 9.4.  while it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work. It is likewise called the time of sowing, and the time of mowing and gathering of the Harvest, because it is the time of grace and faith, whereby the reward of heaven is to be won & obtained. And therefore by the example of the heedful, diligent, and careful Emmet, the Holy Ghost sendeth to reprove & confound the idle and slothful person, 
Prou. 6.6.  Go and behold the Emmet (saith he in the Proverbs of Solomon) She prepareth her meat in the Summer, 
Verse 8.  and gathereth her food in harvest: which she layeth up and keepeth in her storehouse or granary for her provision against Winter, which season is counted no time to get, but to eat and spend that which before was gathered and laid up.  
Time was bestowed on us by the Lord (saith Laurence justinian) for to lament & bewail us of our sins, 
Lau. justin.  to be very penitent, to purchase virtues, to increase in grace, to achieve faith, to discharge us from hellish torments, and to obtain heavenly glory. And it is so true, that Time was given us to be employed in good works, as only that which we spend about the same, and in virtuous and necessary exercises is most properly OURS, and only entereth within the reckoning of our lives and account of our days: For all the rest, there is neither respect nor memory thereof in Heaven, nor in the book of life; albeit the world makes reckoning of them, records and enrolls them for long continuance; but our Lord knoweth no such, at least he saith, that he acknowledgeth no such, as a thing which neither pleaseth, delighteth, nor yet contenteth him, but rather much vex and sore offend him. So Origen, 
Orig. in Psal. 37.18.  expounding the words of David, The Lord knoweth the days of the undefiled, which are the Just, saith thus; In the sacred Scripture, it is said, That God knoweth but only good things, and that he is ignorant of the evil, and them he forgets; not in that his knowledge cannot comprehend all things both good and bad, but in regard the evil are unworthy of his sight & notice, I know you not, 
Math. 25.12.  said he, to the foolish Virgins, and as much again to the workers of iniquity. The Lord knoweth the ways of the just (said that kingly Prophet David. 
Prou. 4.18. ) And Solomon saith, that the Lord knoweth the way of the right hand. And so saith David, that the Lord knoweth the hours, and the days, and the Time of them that live without spot of sin, but is ignorant of the days of Sinners. The holy Scripture makes no reckoning of the time of saul's reign, save only of two years, 
1. Sam. 13.1  though he reigned 40. years, because only two years he lived well, and without blemish of sin, and the residue, were days stained and tainted therewith. So of S. Paul. Act. 20. verse 31.  
Dion Cassius writeth, 
Dion Cassius.  that in a City of Italy was sound an ancient Sepulchre, wherein upon the Tomb or upper stone thereof, were written or engraved these words, Here lieth Simil, the Roman captain, whose life, though it were long, yet for all that is reputed to live, but only seven years, because in them he retired himself from the Court, and being freed of the cares and charge in Office, which formerly was imposed upon him, he addicted himself to the study of virtue, to his own meditations and godly exercises. Damascen in his history of Barlaam and josaphat reporteth, 
Damasc. histor. Barla. cap. 18.  that when josaphat demanded of Barlaam, of what age he was of; he made him this answer, (if I be not deceived) I am forty and five years of age, and so many years there are, since I was borne. What dost thou answer me (replied josaphat) for thou seemest to me, that thou art passed seventy? I mary (said Barlaam) if thou reckonest my years ever since I was borne into this world, thou sayest right, and art not deceived, for that I am passed seventy; But those years do by no means seem unto me, years of life, nor can such be reckoned in the Account, which were spent and consumed in the vanities of this world; because then (as servant to my sins) I lived after the taste of my sensuality, and appetite of my flesh and outward man, being then without all doubt dead according to the inward man, and so I may not call them years of life, which rather were years of death; But after that (by the grace of God) I was crucified and dead to the world, and the world to me, and have put off the old man, than lived I no more after my sensuality, nor after the flesh, being enemy to the Spirit, but only to jesus Christ, and those years I call years of life and salvation. And I believe that all those who remain in sin, and obey the devil, and consume their lives in delights and vain concupiscences, are departed this life and dead, because that Sin is the death of the soul, 
Rom. 6.19.21.  as affirmeth the blessed Apostle S. Paul, Rom. 6.21. Godly S. Jerome expounding the first Chapter of the Prophet Haggai, saith: 
Hieron. in Agg. cap. 1.  All that Time wherein we give place to Sin, and serve our own vices, perisheth and will be lost, and as though it had never been, shall be reputed for nought.  
It is reported of Titus Vespasian, that being one day at supper, and calling to mind, that in that day he had showed no courtesy nor rewarded any body, nor had performed any good turn, or done any good deed to any person, he spoke with great feeling & sorrow of heart, to all them that were then present; Oh my friends! how grievously sorry am I, to have lost this day; Then let a Christian man hold for lost, that day which by him is ill employed, and make that reckoning that he shall have nothing for it.  
For manifestation of this truth, that the years spent and consumed in vices and wickedness, are not properly OURS, Seneca saith, 
Seneca.  That there are many who first must leave to live, before they can begin to live. Time (sayeth that famous Doctor Thomas de Kempis) was bestowed upon us, 
Tho. de Kemp. 1. pag. Serm. ad Novit. cap. 7.  to perform good works, not for idleness, nor to hear or rehearse old tales, fables, vanities, nor things of no value. Wherefore my good Sons (speaking to the Novices in Religion) let neither hour nor any time overpass you without some fruit and profit. And when you are freely licenced to speak, you are not permitted to talk or confer about any other thing, but what shall be commodious, necessary, and profitable. For as you are to give reckoning to God almighty for every idle word: 
Mat. 12.36.  so are you bound to yield a strait account for all the Time which you have lost and ill employed. Ludovicus Blosius amongst other his exhortations which he gives to such as 
Lud. Blos.  purpose to lead a spiritual life, adviseth and saith, That he should regard and weigh the estimation and value of Time, and esteem the least part thereof (if ill spent) how little soever it be, for a very great loss. And that mystical Thaulerus, 
Io. Thauler.  amongst other documents & admonitions he gives to religious persons, saith; Take heed and beware (as from the most pestiferous poison that is) of the least loss of Time; And so one of the Offences, whereof the Remembrancers or Chequer-officers; and our Accusers at the day of judgement, shall accuse and tax us withal, will be loss of Time, according to that, which the Prophet jeremy in his Lamentations doth give us to understand, 
Lame. 1.21  Vocavit adversum me Tempus. The Lord called Time to be witness against me. The which place Thomas of Aquine expoundeth of the day of judgement, 
Tho. de Aquin. Sap. 5.  because amongst other things, whereof we are there to be charged & burdened, one will be Time; Where all the whole orb of the earth (in defence of God's honour, will commence hard suit against all sottish & senseless sinners, accusing than, & requiring justice against them for the wrong and hurt they did, against both their Creator & the creatures, by abusing and misemploying them, and haling them by the hair, against their wills, to serve their own lusts & wicked appetites.   

CHAP. 3. How GOD in his just judgement cutteth off sinners from enjoying the benefit of Time, who before made no reckoning thereof to profit themselves thereby, as they ought and might have done.  
NOTwithstanding that solemn Oath of the Angel, (whereof we spoke in the first chapter) that on some day, Time should finish, & make an end of all in general at the day of universal judgement, after which there should be no more Time to deserve either well or ill, or to make any saving repentance: And that every man in particular, in the last day of his life is to expect his own peculiar judgement: yet for all that it is greatly to be feared & considered. That God accustometh for the punishment of the heedless and negligent sinner, to cut off Time from him, & to shorten his life, lest he should profit himself thereby as he ought and might have done, considering that he hath ill employed and misspent the same. So teacheth that famous Bernardine de Sena, 
S. Bern. art. 3. cap. 4.  and for proof thereof citeth that place of the Apocalypse, 
Apoc. 3.3.  Si non vigilaveris, veniam ad te tanquam fur. If thou watch not, I will come on thee as a thief; and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.  
Whereupon God threateneth the careless sinner, who from day to day deferreth & prolongeth his conversion and amendment (dreaming & imagining that he shall have Time enough, yea, to spare) sayeth thus; Be not negligent and careless, neither jest nor dally thou with Time, neither esteem the same so certain, so sure, so long, nor so at thy command as thou imaginest; watch and sleep not, be ever wary & well advised; If otherwise, he will come unto thee as accustometh the thief to come, to rob and spoil, & will on a sudden, at unawares, catch & apprehend thee; before thou canst know or perceive on what hour he is to come The thief comes to steal, and to carry away the treasure, which he shall find heedlessly laid up, and which is not kept with that due regard and carefulness as behoved; and such is Time in the house of the sinner: And therefore with good and just reasons, will the Lord cut it off, because it was not regarded and employed to that end, whereby good gain and profitable exchange, yea great riches, blessings, and eternal happiness might have been had and obtained.  
Conformable to this, sayeth our Saviour, by his Evangelist S. Matthew; 
Mat. 25.29  He that hath shall have more, and from him that hath not, shall be taken away that which he hath, or seems to have. The just man apprehends Time as his own, and is Lord thereof, for that he well knoweth how to use it, and to him that hath time at the end of his life, more time and space shall be given him, to examine himself & to purify his conscience, and shall have abundance, because he shall obtain full remission and complete pardon of all his sins, plentiful grace, and glory infinite. And he possesseth no Time, who (while he liveth) doth not well employ the same, but being seduced and deceived by the Devil with prolonging of amendment, thinks that he shall enjoy sufficient, by the just judgement of God shall be bereaved of his vain expectation, and shall want space to repent, either by some sudden death, or by some other disgraceful and unfortunate accident; Thus far Bernardin Senensis. And for that cause doth our Lord and Saviour, admonish us so often, 
Mat. 25.13.  that we watch, because we know not the day nor the hour wherein Time will make an end of us.  
And the holy Church semblably, like a loving and compassionate Mother, doth advise us the very same, saying; Let us reform and amend that which hitherto we have most ignorantly or wilfully transgressed, considering that no Time of repentance will be hereafter left us, which though we seek for, yet shall not we obtain the same. And to this purpose, as God cuts the third of life before the time from him, who profited not with Time in his service. 
Bern. de Sena.  Bernardinus de Sena reporteth a most terrible and fearful accident which in his time happened in a certain village of Catalunna, near to the kingdom of Valencia. A young man of the age of eighteen years, having been most rebellious & disobedient towards his Parents, did many times lose and forget the regard and respect due unto them. In punishment whereof, God leaving him to himself, came to be a most notorious Thief, & for robberies being apprehended and condemned to die, was brought to be hanged to the market place of his own Town: And the young man being dead, & hanging upon the gallows, and all the whole Town present, they saw and perceived his beard to sprout out, & much hair to grow, & to remain with a wrinkled brow & a writhe face, full of grey hairs, & with the aspect and semblance of a man of ninety years, a thing whereat all were astonished and wonderfully amazed, which accident being brought to the knowledge of the Bishop, who then resided in that Village, commanded that all should prepare themselves to prayer, himself performing the same, most humbly beseeched Almighty God, that he would be pleased, to reveal unto them the mystery of so rare an accident, and after a pretty while entreated silence, and speaking with a loud voice, said thus; You see (my Sons) that this young man died of the age of eighteen years, who afterwards appeared and seemed with the visage and countenance of a man of ninety years; whereupon you are to note what God would have us to be instructed of, namely, that after the course of nature he was undoubtedly to live ninety years, and so would have done, had he been obedient to his Parents, but in regard of his sins and disobedience, the Lord hath permitted him to die a violent death, cutting off from his life so many years, as are from eighteen to ninety. And because this might be manifest and apparent to all men, he hath wrought this miracle.  
S. Jerome saith, 
Hieron. Epist. 21.  that the shortness of life, is a punishment and judgement against sinners, and therefore because of sin the Lord from the beginning of the world, hath shortened and cut off the life, and years of men. Once God withdrew from Hezehiah fifteen years of his life, 
Isaiae: 38.1.  which according to the course of nature, he was to live, but afterwards by means of his Tears and hearty repentance, 
Ver. 3.  they were restored and granted unto him again. And so Haymo upon those words of the Prophet Isaiah, 
Haymo in Isaian, 38.5.  The Lord hard thy Prayer, and hath seen thy tears, and will add unto thy days fifteen years, saith thus; even as he spoke to Adam, that he should be immortal, conditionally so as he continued obedient to the divine precept: so by God his eternal Decree those years were granted to King Hezechias conditionally, if he lived faultless and blameless, and would not suffer himself to be puffed up with pride: For those years which for his pride should have been taken from him, now because of his humility and lowliness, were restored again. 
Psa. 55.23.  Viri sanguinum & dolosi, non dimidiabunt dies suos, saith David, The bloody and deceitful men shall not live half their days, That is, as if more plainly he had said, They shall not live the one half of the days they should have lived, in case they had been godly. Sinners are not the men whom they think and imagine they are; For as our Saviour said to the jews, Auferetur a vobis regnum Dei, etc. 
Mat. 21.43.  The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a Nation which shall bring forth good fruit, and shall better know how to acknowledge and estimate thereof: So will God bereave sinners of Time, because they yield no fruit of good works in the same, and will bestow it on such as will yield good fruit and likewise know how to employ the same well. Those words of David in his 102. Psalm, Nerevoces me in dimidio dierum meorum, 
Psal. 102.24.  wherein he beseeched the Lord, that he would not take him away out of this life in the midst of his days; albeit according to some interpreters, are as much to say, as Oh my God I heartily beseech thee not to take me away in the midst of my days, because that time and age is the very gulf & wrack of life, the nest of cares and pretensions, and more dangerous to die in, then in old and decrepit age; and is not so secure, nor of such confidence and assurance: Yet others expound them to the purpose we now treat of, that is to say, in other terms, O Lord, I fear and tremble that for my demerits and sins, and for having so ill employed my Time, my life be cut off or shortened, which is a punishment thou art wont to inflict upon some, who run on in their wickedness, not regarding the exceeding infinite finite worth of Time. And therefore do I earnestly entreat thee, that I be not unseasonably cut off & taken away in the midst of my days, but that thou suffer and permit me to enjoy & fully to accomplish the residue of my years, which thou in thy determination hast appointed I should live, if I persisted obedient in thy service, as I ought.  
That holy and blessed man job (the mirror and pattern of all patience) also saith speaking of the sinful man, 
job. 15.32.  Antequam dies eius impleantur, peribit, etc. Before that he accomplish his days, he shall die, and his hand shall be cut off, as the vine in the bud, that is to say, God will take him away, and shall cut him off in the blade, being young and tender, and shall fade and whither away before his time, and in the midst of his days shall be bereaved of his life, as being an unworthy and unjust possessor thereof. Over & beside THIS, being a great punishment in this life, in the other, the remembrance of Time which they enjoyed & suffered to pass away without any profit, shall be a great pain and grievous torment to the condemned ones, and therefore shall then though all to late, behold and bewail the lack and want of so precious a jewel.  
Holy S. Bernard, 
Bern. ser. de fall●●. praesentis vitae. Sap. 2.  in a Sermon entitled of the fallacy and deceit of this present life, very elegantly declareth how it bewitcheth and deceiveth Sinners, sometimes protracting and making their lives long & large, whereby they might so defer and prolong their conversion and amendment in such sort, as they never afterwards amend indeed or are reclaimed, and othertimes abridging it and making it short, whereby they may truly say, That life is short, & is but a blast, and therefore let us make haste to glut ourselves with all manner of delights & pleasures of the world.  
Whereupon he saith, that God amongst other things cutteth off such persons in the midst of their greedy appetites and licentiousness for their impudency in offending, and bereaveth them both of Time and of their lives, because such who of their own accord have no regard to leave their wicked ways, GOD cutteth off before their time, and chargeth them with death, and by force constraineth them to forbear to sin any further. And for that respect many sinners die very improvidently & unwillingly which the world judgeth to happen unto them by some accident, or hidden indisposition, or for some manifest casuastie; pretending beside, that those days wherein they lived not in sin, were not true days, nor the life that they lead, true life, but painted and appearing: Whereupon they are called in the holy Scripture, Dead sinners. 
1. Tim. 5.6. Apoc. 3.1.  The Widow (saith the Apostle) who liveth in pleasure, is dead while she liveth. And our Saviour saith in the Revelation unto a certain Bishop, who lived not as he ought, Thou hast a name that thou livest, and the world thinks no less, but thou art not living but dead, and for such I repute thee to be, considering that thy soul remaineth dead within that living body of thine; So as the sinner hath no life in deed, but only a name that he liveth.  
To conclude therefore, if that Time which the wicked vainly misspend and abuse, cannot properly be termed a Time of life, and that God oftentimes shorteneth the life and days of the wicked; then do they not, nor shall LIVE as the world imagineth, but shall be very poor & sparing of days, that is, They shall die very timeously and speedily; Contrariwise, upright and just men shall be full of days, and shall live far longer than the world supposeth; for the Lord will not gather them into his barn, until it be due season.   

CHAP. 4. He that now enjoyeth the benefit of TIME must with great fervency and zeal labour to employ it altogether well.  
IF Time be such a precious jewel, bestowed upon us to do good works, and to labour in the vineyard of our Saviour all the day long until Sun set; And if we profit not ourselves therewith, we may fear and tremble, that it will be taken away from us, and that we shall want the same, when we most desire and have need thereof: It is good reason therefore, that we employ it well, and that in the mean time with great earnestness and zeal we labour in our vocation. So Ecclesiastes adviseth us, saying, 
Eccles. 9.10  Let thy hand labour ALL that it may, and that with earnestness, diligence, fervency and haste; he saith All, as if he had said, Let no good thought or imagination overslippe thee, which thou mayst obtain; nor any good word which thou mayest hear, Omit not any thing thou oughtest to utter, nor any good work thou mayest perform, foregoing neither occasion, opportunity nor time to do good. And further he saith, That which THY hand, and not that which a stranger or another man's hand doth, because thou must not rely or repose thy salvation upon the hands, power or strength of any other, neither oughtest thou imagine that thy servant, or thy friend, or any other worldly person, aught to gain Heaven for thee, thyself playing the Truant, and continuing lazy. Thy hand and thy arm are to perform it, and are to labour with greediness, earnestness, carefulness and zeal, because life flits away, and when thou least suspectest, Thy Sun will set. Rejoice that thou hast laboured much, because thy rest and reward shall be so much the greater. And the reason which the Preacher yieldeth for all above said, is, because that after this life no work either of reason, or of understanding, or any act of will, or of any other power shall be of worth nor of profit to gain thereby grace or glory.  
The seven fertile years (prefigured by the seven fat kine, 
Gen. 41.2.  which king Pharaoh saw in his dream) do signify the time of this life, which by weeks (whereof every week comprehendeth seven days) goeth on with an alternative continuation & succession, wheeling about & prosecuting his path; but afterwards will come other seven years (which willbe all that which shall remain in the other life, which is without end) prefigured by the seven lean and hunger-starved kine, 
Vers. 3.  barren and without fruit of desert. For which cause in imitation of that discreet and wise man joseph, 
Exod. 16.16  Now (Brother) fill thy granary and storehouse, & make provision against the time of want and famine, because if thou wait to gather Manna for the Sabbaoth day of the other life, it will profit thee no whit, but rather will be converted into worms; For thereby will remain in thy Soul (whereof we now speak) a perpetual worm and sting of conscience, Rachel was most fair, 
Gen. 30.1.  and beautiful above measure, but barren withal, and though Leah was not so well favoured, yet was she fruitful. The other life is most beautiful and excellent, but is said to be barren, because there is no place for repentance & good works, proper unto this present life, the which though in comparison it be brown, duskish, foul & laborious, yet notwithstanding is fruitful and fertile, and apprehendeth that sovereignty, which causeth and produceth works both good and acceptable unto God, with the increase of grace and assured hope of glory; and he who at first doth not respect these things, and with alacrity and patience under go his labour and suffer grief and tribulation, and daily busy himself about good exercises, cannot hope hereafter to enjoy the exceeding and excellent beauty of Rachel the other life. 
Matt. 20.7   
Then be careful (thou Christian) to labour and work here All that thou canst, because hereafter thou canst not possibly do it. We are mercenary workmen and hirelings, and therefore there is no reason we should pass away our lives idly, nor in delights, pleasures and dainties, as though we were great Magnificoes or Gentlemen of high reputation. Before Adam had sinned GOD placed him in the Paradise of pleasure, 
Gen. 2.15.  the which he ordained for him, that he should labour in that garden; that in that lodge or palace of pleasure, he should be entertained, spend his time and solace himself. But after he had sinned, he was banished out of Paradise, and was made a labourer and a workman of the terrestrial vineyard. Considering therefore the case standeth thus, labour and make speed (my friend) if thou be'st desirous to live without stain or spot of sin, and to end thy days in all joy and spiritual happiness.  
Because this is not rightly understood, or rather because few endeavour or care to understand and consider the same as they ought, men now a days convert this vineyard into gardens & places of mirth and pleasure, and pass away their lives in all kind of sensuality and delight: Who are rightly compared unto king Ahaz, of whom it is written, 
2. Reg. 16.  that as he beheld the Altar of Damascus, he sent from that City the true pattern and platform thereof unto Vriah the priest, that thereby he might frame, and make an Altar according to the king's order and direction; but the Altar of brass and of metal, 
Ver. 8.  which stood till that day before the Lord, he took away out of the Temple, and from before his presence, That (I say) many Christians now adays do practise, who embrace Religion, & worship God, but upon the Altar of the Gentiles, living as though they were Gentiles or heathen men, enjoying so much & so many dainties, pleasant tastes, and delicates they can procure and attain unto, they fall straightways to all such things, as their appetites can wish and demand, & without making of any manner resistance they labour to fulfil and perform what their sensualities shall long and lust after.  
Correct and chastise (thou Christian man) that body of thine, tame & subdue it, busy thyself in the works of a Christian labourer, work in thy vineyard, dress and prune it, dig and delve it, plough it, till and manure the inheritance of thy soul, and thou shalt see how thy sensuality will forego and forget her heady wilfulness, her gallant bravery and wantonness, & there shall not be found in the same such store of bryer-bushes, nor so many thorny brambles, and sharp pricking thistles of Sins as otherwise there should. So, because the children of Israel should not be multiplied, 
Exod. 1. 1●.  nor recover any head or strength, but that they should be kept under and sold, Pharaoh made them work and labour, and appointed them ordinary tasks which were not small. know and acknowledge (thou Christian) the good time and the good day, hoard them up in store, & reserve them in thy storehouse, whereby that may not be said of thee, which was spoken of the Hebrues. The Kite, the Stork, 
Isaix. 10.  and the Swallow do know their times and seasons, and well understand the due value thereof and profit thereby; But Israel neither knoweth nor regardeth the time of his visitation, nor understandeth how to profit by the occasion thereof, and therefore shall some day weep and lament most bitterly, and shall much long for, & wish even that which now he neither esteemeth nor regardeth.  
The people of Israel perceiving the river of jordan to be dry, were therefore secure in the passage, and lest they should lose so good an opportunity, they made haste to pass over, 
josuae. 4.10  and indeed passed over most safely: But if they had deferred their journey till another day, peradventure they should have come short & found the passage shut up. We cannot secure to ourselves the morrow, and if this day thou mayest, defer it not, let it not overpass thee, but convert thyself to God, for it may be that to morrow thou shalt not be able or canst not. 
Psal. 95 7.  To day (saith David) if you will hear the voice of the Lord, who inviteth and calleth you to repentance, and to amendment of life, post it not over so hardening your hearts, 
Verse 8.  and defer not till another day. Consider thou miserable wretch, thou blind and ignorant Sinner, that the Devil to deceive and delude thee, saith, Bestow upon me this day, and the morrow thou shalt give to God, and to morrow he will reiterate and say unto thee the very same, and so he will cozen and undo thee.  
S. Basil saith, 
Basil. hom. 13 exhort. ad Bapt.  That he noted a most marvelous subtle shift of a certain little Bird (which according to Elianus is the Partridge) which perceiving the Fowler to draw near towards her nest where her young lay, fearing that if he had come any nearer, he would have made a prey of them all: wherefore in respect they could not well fly, she skipped out of her nest and lighted hard by him, putting him in hope, that he might speedily catch her (having her young ones, as he now imagined sure in his hands,) of purpose to make him to follow her into by-paths, and whereby he might forget to find again her little young ones. When the Fowler drew near towards the Partridge, and thought himself sure of her, she suddenly flirted up, and alighted some short distance before him, and after that manner, always flying and staying, or rather limping and hopping still near about him, she deceived the Fowler by entertaining and withdrawing him aloof so far, till at length her young ones by little & little with short leaps and easy flight, had provided for themselves, and digged small holes in the ground, and had hid them all in safety. And afterwards, the wily and cunning dam soared aloft, and quite flew her ways, leaving the Fowler deceived & ashamed, considering he could lay hold neither of herself, nor upon any of her young ones. In the same manner goeth the Devil about to delude and entrap thee (thou blind and foolish Sinner) and so detaineth, entertaineth, and draweth thee on, with vain pleasures and deceivable delights from one day to another, and from one year to another, yea many years together, with one false hope, that hereafter thou shalt have Time sufficient to repent thee, that if thou neglect it this day, thou mayest perform it to morrow, or some other day, (as though the days and times were in thine own hands, 
Act. 10.  which the eternal Father hath reserved for himself) whereby thus always losing Time, and the occasion present, thou mightest hereafter come to want & lack all good opportunity or seasons, then shalt thou have cause to bewail and moon for ever.  
If it be good to convert ourselves to God almighty (saith S. Augustine) let us do it quickly, let it be done instantly; 
Aug. ad fraet. in Eremo.  will't thou say, I will convert and turn me to morrow? yea too morrow. And wherefore not this day? Considering the morrow is neither sure, nor certain, Happens there not oftentimes many sudden deaths? Die there not an innumerable multitude without acknowledging their sins and repentance? Then sayest thou, God help me, what harm have I spoken, by saying, that to morrow I will convert me and begin a new reckoning, when of necessity it should be done this day? Then God help me likewise Brother mine (answered S. Augustine) what hurt have I spoken by saying, it should be done this day? That being much more safe and better; and so I speak better than thou dost, considering thou hast not for thine own, but only this day, and yet not all this day, save only the present moments or minutes. How much better were it if it might be, that all thy life were good, for thou wishest and desirest that it were amended and reform, then that some part thereof be good, though as little as may be? Thou wilt have, or at least endeavourest to obtain, thy meat, thy wife, thy house, thy apparel, thy hose and shoes, all thoroughly neat and of the best; Esteem and respect therefore thy Soul in much more account than thy shoes? Thus far Saint Augustine.  
The life (saith Seneca) is divided into three seasons or times, namely, 
Seneca.  in that that is past, present, and to come, and of them the Time present is the shortest, and that to come is most doubtful, but Time past is most sure and certain, and thereof now Nature itself hath lost the dominion and Ruledome, neither is it possible, that it can be recalled by any human faculty. Then if we suffer the Time present to overpass, we endanger ourselves to be bereft for evermore without it, but to continued in eternal condemnation. How much more thou sottish Sinner, (Open thine ears & listen to me) I say, how much more better were it, that in all the Time of this life, yea from the very first moment, that thou hast the use of Reason, thou yield forth good fruit, and prepare thyself, and be in a readiness against such Time, as when the Master & Lord thereof doth come to demand it, for there is neither moment nor hour, wherein he cannot come and call us to particular judgement, wherein he rewardeth the labourers and workmen of his vineyard, according to every one's labour and industry. All which out of S. Jerome.  
In confirmation whereof, that Parable of the Figtree cometh near this purpose, 
Mat. 21.19.  which our Saviour Christ had planted, & as our Lord drew near the same being hungry and desirous to eat some figs, and finding no figs thereon, did curse the same. 
Mar. 13.28.  And the holy Evangelist well noteth, that as then it was no time of fruit bearing, And therefore did not inflict that punishment properly upon the Fig tree, but upon fruitless & barren men void of good works, signified by the same tree. Because that man at all times is bound to yield and render fruit, for which cause our Lord, when he comes to seek and finds none, he will inflict upon him the pain of his eternal malediction & everlasting curse.  
All things) saith Solomon) have their determined and precise times, 
Eccles. 3.1.  and after that sort and manner, That all Time, is neither opportune nor seasonable for all things, for that which is peculiar and natural for one thing, is not fit for other business, but very prejudicial and hurtful. As if one should sow, when he should reap, fall and grub up trees, when time were to plant, To speak, when one should keep silence, To laugh, when he ought to weep; Furthermore, for man to do good works, and to labour in the vineyard of our Lord, there is no precise nor limited Time: it is always fit Time, It will be ever seasonable, in what hour so ever, & in what age so ever, admitting that at no time, it be lawful to sin and offend, and that no Time was given & bestowed on man to do evil or to execute wickedness. According to those words of Ecclesiasticus, 
Ecclus 15.20.  God commanded no man to do ungodly, neither hath he given any man licence to sin: but rather adviseth and admonisheth all men to preserve and keep Time, 
Ecclus 4.20.  and that they depart from evil, because it was lent and given them for no other end, but to do good, & to employ the same well.  
The being of a man idle and careless, 
Matth. 20 7  as well the workman as the hireling, is reproved by the goodman of the family, yet such an idle standing and careless living of him that is most in years, and most aged deserveth and is worthy of most blame. And so compareth that royal Prophet David in the beginning of his Psalms, the Just man, 
Psal. 1.3.  with the Tree that was planted near the running waters, which yielded fruit in due time. By which he meant not to say, that as the tree rendereth no fruit, save only in one month, or at one special time of the year, & not in others: so the just man is to yield his fruit upon certain days or months, or in some precise and determined years, and not in others; But rather saith thus, even as the tree yields his fruit in his due time & season, & if it did not, then would the owner cut it down to the very ground: So man ought to render fruit according to his estate and profession in his time, And his time is, all the time of his life, And he adviseth and warneth him on God's behalf, that it behoveth him always to pray, 
Luc. 18.1.  and never to cease, and to be always watching as it were with a candle in his hand, because he knoweth not at what hour his Lord and Master will come, 
Luc. 12.40.46.  and that he be always provided in a readiness with the accounting Book of Receipts and Defrayments of Charges and Allowances against the Time he shall come to demand an account of the Talents, 
Mat. 25.19.  which were upon trust committed unto his charge and delivered to be kept, that now they should be restored, and of the increase and profit of the Vineyard which was rent and farmed unto him, and of his traffic and employment. All which is a manifest argument or sign, that at all times the Lord expecteth that man bear fruit, and be prepared as a faithful and wise Servant. And he calleth his Time, all the time of his life, because that after the same, (as the Angel most solemnly hath sworn it) There should be no more Time. 
Apoc. 10.6.  The tree which the Evangelist S. john in his Revelation did see, which always continued with fruit, and every month yielded his own▪ 
Apoc. 22.2  all which was wholesome and profitable, yea the very leaves thereof, represent the just man, who always beareth fruit at all times and in all the months of the year, and throughout his whole age, and all that is in him, is good & profitable, as well thoughts, words, as deeds.   

CHAP. 5. How worthy of reproof idle persons are, and who they be.  

Seneca de brevitate vitae.  Amongst all men, (saith Seneca) they only are deemed idle, who employ and addict themselves to the study and exercise of wisdom and knowledge, albeit indeed they only do live; seeing they do not only preserve and live out their own years and ages, but also add unto their days, the forepassed times of former ages, because they have the fruition of that which in those days was registered for the behoof of ensuing posterity, whereof they reap great commodity and profit. Which Idleness (having been so well employed) is laudable and praiseworthy, but (excepting this) all other idleness which properly is idleness indeed, is most worthily to be reprehended: For as the Bird was created to fly, 
job. 15.  so was Mán borne to labour. And touching that Idleness, the same Seneca saith, that it is the living man's sepulchre, and that the healthful idle person, & loiterer that followeth nothing but idleness, being as it were interred and buried therein, is in great danger of falling into many offences against God: Wherefore Ecclesiasticus saith, 
Eccle. 33.26.  That Idleness hath taught much malice and envy. A certain schoolman  termeth Idleness, 
Fr. Francis. in sua regula.  the Enemy of the Soul. 
Aug ad fra. tres in Eremo ser. 19  And S. Augustine writeth, that no friend of idleness shall or can be any Citizen in the kingdom of Heaven. 
Chrysost. hom.: 8. in cap. 4. ad Ephes.  S. Chrysostome affirmeth, that Idleness is a part of vice, or rather no part at all, but a most wicked perverse root, yea the very cause and occasion of all vices, whereof Idleness is the Ringleader and Mistress.  
That great Anthony with loud shrieks and sorrowful lamentation to God almighty, cried out in the wilderness, saying, O my God and my Lord, thou true Samaritane and right keeper and protector of Souls and of bodies, raise in me thy grace, afford me such favour, and bestow upon thy Servant so much mercy, as that thou permit me not to be idle one jot in this Desert; whereunto in like manner (as the story reporteth) a voice from heaven made him this answer, Anthony, thou hast rightly desired to please God. Then pray? & when thou canst not pray, labour and do some handiwork? and always employ thyself in some one thing or other, performing such things, which on thy part are to be performed and done, and then shalt thou never fail or miss the divine favour? It was the opinion of the Fathers who lived in Egypt, 
Cassian lib. 10. collat. c. 3.  That one only Devil tempted a labouring Monk, but many, the idle. Howbeit, because many things are written concerning and against that kind of idleness, my principal intent and chief purpose is, not to entreat thereof so much as of spiritual Idleness; Against which I will proceed, freeing many of error in that point (who in their own conceit and imagination are much occupied) manifesting and proving with sufficient reasons, how they are idle, and how they withhold Time captivated & imprisoned.  
For which purpose I say, he is idle who useth not Time conformable to that end, whereto by our Lord it was granted unto us, but rather employeth it in things unlawful and unjust, which neither tendeth nor can be directed to his service, nor to the benefit or profit of his Neighbour, or about some other businesses which cannot be perfected or brought to pass for any honest or laudable end: And so all Officers, Labourers, Merchants, Tradesmen, Workmen, & Hirelings, Kings, Princes, Counsellors, Advocates, Ministers & Servants, and all manner of persons that are such, do as it were cover heaven with their Mantles, and withhold Time captivated, when they occupy and busy themselves in and about works, actions, exercises, and services which are unlawful and prohibited by the Laws, Decrees & Constitutions divine, or not to that end and intent they ought, or else do live so secure and reckless, that they do no work that is good or acceptable unto God; And therefore (as before we have spoken) Time was bestowed on man, not to do evil, nor to be idle, and he that is ill occupied, is reckoned and accounted as idle before God.  
In vain hath he received a Soul, 
Psal. 15.  who always offendeth GOD with the same. In vain hath every Sinner had all that Time, wherein he lived in sin; and in vain have all those now the same, who continue therein, and for all the time their souls have remained idle within them, notwithstanding that they have profited as touching the world, and reaped benefit thereby, and enjoy the use of their strengths & powers for other works, actions, exercises and services; but as for the principal end whereto GOD granted the same, which was, that they should serve him (as acknowledged Seneca at length) when he said: 
Seneca.  That God created all other things of the world for the use of human body, & the body for the five senses, and the Senses for the Soul, and the soul to contemplate and love the divine Beauty. All the Time they spend and waste sinfully, or do not employ themselves in things about the service of God, is idle and vain, And yet for all that you will say, that the King is busy, or a counsellor, or some Officer or Minister, etc. But I will term such a one an idle Christian, a loiterer or idle workman in the house of God, & millions of persons do remain in hell for their idle loitering in that kind of Idleness, who in their own imagination think themselves greatly occupied in this world.  
All hours spent and consumed in unlawful plays, murmuration, detraction, in writing & reading of lascivious letters and profane books, which usually make chaste minds dishonest, And those times likewise which are spent in registering, sentencing, and judging of other men's lives and actions, without delivering to the party grieved any Copy of his own cause, and without any mature or full hearing thereof, nor yet well knowing it, and before the judges have thoroughly understood the truth thereof, nor as yet have received the Informations they ought, and yet proceed to judgement, or acquit by proclamation: Who can leave such persons uncondemned for idle ones, who wickedly employ and imprison all good Time. And all those hours which either thyself, or bad, vain and naughty women have wasted (which are not a few in number) in decking, trimming, and adorning themselves, for to ensnare and entangle men's hearts, to captivate Souls and bring them in subjection, to make free, and set at liberty them that are bound. May such (tell me?) be overpast, without the same censure and sentence? And the time and hours which the ambitious sort (wherein they are puffed up, as another Ephraim) do spend and consume in erecting and building of their lofty Towers & windy Turrets, and in purtraying in the air the dreams and inventions of their fickle fantasies, speaking to themselves, like unto that proud King Cyrus (the type and figure of that proud Lucifer) saying, I will sit in the mountain of my testament northward; I will place my seat and my throne so high, that my feet may be above the stars. What wise or discreet man will say, That such Time is not lost, misspent, and bound (as it were) in fetters and imprisoned? The time and hours which the covetous person spendeth in plodding of his Accounts and Reckon, imagining and compassing how and by what means, and with what intelligence, he may hoard and receive still greater gain, use, and interest, by way of truck, or barterie, by changing and exchanging, by usury, or without usury, adding and extracting with himself, watching, wallowing, and cumbering himself therein, and wholly reposing all his care, endeavour, and industry in his own resolute appetite, to procure and get all that he may come to, by lawful or unlawful ways and means, either by hook or by crook: requiring good and sufficient Security to be answerable for sure undoubted payment and satisfaction as well of the principal Sum, as of the interest thereof and use of Time, at the day limited and prefixed; But what man is he that can secure himself, that that day, wherein he shall demand or expect an Account with consideration for Time, shall pass for currant and good? I need not discourse any further hereof, nor manifestly express any more estates or conditions of people, for by so doing, my memory might fail me, and I should put myself to excessive pain & trouble. Wherefore, Is the world so ignorant or so sottish (being so wide and so spacious) but that hence any understanding Christian may collect and gather all the rest, which here may be specified and condemned if he please, as well by the Sermons which he hath heard, the books that he hath read, and by the holy inspirations and inward enlightening which the Lord hath given him, as by that which his own conscience (being his own loyal witness & faithfullest friend, except he be an Atheist) hath many times admonished and inwardly accused himself of?  
And that more credit may be given to that I say, it will not be amiss for confirmation thereof to avouch the authority of the sacred Scripture, David in one of his Psalms saith of the good and just, 
Psal. 73.  Dies pleni invenientur in eyes, That in them will be found full days and not empty. It is a very usual speech in the old Testament, that they died full of days, as it is said of Abraham, Isaak, and of other Saints and friends of God, 
Gen. 25.8. & 35.29. job. vlt. ver. 17.  Thou shalt go to thy grave in a full age, as a rick of corn cometh in due season into the barn, job. 5.26. Whereupon if that be spoken of the just, then contrariwise may we say, that neither the days nor years of Sinners are full, but empty and void, yea for number few, lessened, diminished and vain, & their hours, diminished hours, and by consequence will not die full but empty of days. 
Dion. Carth. in job 5.  And Dionysius Carthusianus expounding those words of job. Menses vacuos enumeravi mihi, Empty months & days have I reckoned to myself, saith. That the penitent sinner may well say so, namely, that he hath wasted, spent, and consumed without fruit or profit his time and days, and so for good works they were void and empty, idle, and full of vanity and all vice, which is as good as right nought. And thereupon S. Ambrose saith, 
S. Ambr.  that the life of the just is full, and the days of the wicked are void & vain, and nought they apprehend, save only an appearance and show, much like unto a green Reed without either marrow, substance, or pith. Of the same opinion is Gregory in his Morals, 
Greg in moral. sup. c. vlt. job.  treating upon the last Chapter of job.  
Now, that all persons who have so lived, and presently do so live, are most worthy of reprehension, doth already appear most manifestly out of the former chapters. Then, considering Time to be a most precious jewel, as may well be understood out of the first Chapter, and that it was bestowed upon us, whereby we might win and gain heaven, by a lively faith working by love, as is proved in the second; and that God suddenly accustometh to abridge and cut it off from such who do not well and worthily employ the same as they ought, as may be seen written in the third Chapter, and notwithstanding regard not to accept the advise & counsel which by the illumination of the holy Spirit we have showed and directed them in the fourth Chapter, but being altogether forgetful, and all fear and care being set aside, do by their unsavoury morsels and bitter tastes (though outwardly guilt and candied) wickedly employ Time, the which they dispraise and commit outrage against, & in steed of good dealing or well handling thereof, or profiting themselves thereby, they grieve and vex it, and do withhold the same in prison and captivity, without any manner of consideration of what they lose, or might thereby obtain, nor of what they own to God, who at his own cost so redeemed them, and whom, for such and so many innumerable respects, obligations and rewards they ought to serve both day and night, and to love and reverence withal their heart and withal their soul.  
Such may be compared to Merchantmen, who on Markets and Fayor days, not respecting the present gain they might there obtain, do occupy themselves about childish toys, and embrace fopperies of jests and deceit, and by hearing of Ballad singers, or blind folks rehearsing of old tales and fables, or by seeing of stageplays or Comedies, or other vain pastimes at Bear or Bullgarden; and afterwards do find their purses empty, & the occasions to merchandise, traffic and to get, to be overpast. Likewise they are like those mariners who coming a shore out of their Ship or Galley to provide them of things necessary for the accomplishment of their voyage and arrival to their wished port and desired haven, do linger and busy themselves in beholding the curiosities which are about the streets and in shops, or by walking in curious gardens, whereby Time overpasseth them without perceivance, and forget themselves of that they principally came for, and that their Ship, Galley or vessel, was ready at hand upon a set determined time to launch forth & to strike sail, and so remain destitute of necessaries, poor, comfortless and miserable in a strange land, because they came too late and unprovided.  
It may seem to those, who so without remorse or feeling do lose time, that they possess so much, that they shall have sufficient and enough for all things, yea Time to spare, to repent and amend their lives: Whereas indeed it appeareth plainly that their understanding & knowledge do fail them, considering Zeno Cliticus, being an heathen man (as Laertius reporteth) did say, 
Laert. in vita Philosopho.  That men had no such lack or want, nor such penury of any thing, as they had of Time: and truly with good reason and sound probability, because we apprehend not that which is past nor that to come, and Time present is so fleeting, successively following on, and so short, that in one moment it is past.  
A certain devout holy man marveling with himself and bewailing the estate of those idle persons, who so fruitlessly without grief and compunction of heart, permitted Time to overpass them, did say, The slothful looseth both this, and the other life, blessed is he that spendeth his life & his powers in the service of God. I pray thee tell me? If a well of wine or a fountain of oil, were freely given thee, which for the space of one whole day should continually run in thy house, wouldst thou (being poor) consume that one day in play, or rather in looking out Barrels and vessels wherein to save and preserve the same, where by to become rich? Without doubt (if thou wert not mad) thou wouldst do the latter: So did that wise and discreet Widow (of whom mention is made in the second Book of the Kings) by gathering up and saving of the oil which the Prophet Elisha most miraculously procured for her to pay the debts of her late husband, 
2. Reg. 4,5  lest the Creditors would take away her two sons for slaves, till she had discharged that she owed; But out alas! (saith that holy man) our blockishness and madness is such, and our discretion so little, that whereas God giveth us Time, and the life present, whereby in the same through his divine grace, manifold blessings & exceeding favours, we might with that main and principal stock he bestoweth upon us, make ourselves rich, and satisfy that we own, lest hereafter we be made slaves to the Devil, without remedy, and without end; yet we lavishly spend and consume the same in vanities and trifles. Agreeable to which, be these words of most pariend job, saying, 
job. 24.  Dedit ei locum poenitentiae, God gave man place of repentance and time for the same, but he hath converted the good use to an abuse, and in sins of Pride.   

CHAP. 6. How the BODY detaineth in captivity the Time which is properly the SOULS, and how it exalts itself and rebels against the SOUL.  
THE Body after the fall, so lifted up itself, withstood & rebelled so much against the Soul, as the flesh (like another bondslave Hagar towards her Mistress) hath lost all awful respect, 
Gen. 16.4.5.  and would seem to be Lady and Mistress, and that the Soul is but a slave or servant, suggesting that all the Time of this life is only for the Body, for his own gallantness and recreation, & for the accomplishment of his sinful lusts & greedy appetites; and further, that the Body showeth great favour, yea doth a very good turn unto the poor Soul by yielding it so much time as himself pleaseth; who by reason of her dejection for sin, was brought unto this miserable thraldom: Whereupon she may say unto God, counting her troubles and anguishs, that which jerusalem in her great griefs and sorrows hath uttered, 
Lam. 1.11.  Vide Domine & considera, etc. Behold Lord and consider how I am become vile, considering that my bondslave esteemeth so little of me, and offereth violence unto me. And therein doth the Flesh greatly injury the Soul, & with a Stranger exalteth itself against all reason and justice, and is therefore bound to restore unto the Soul that which properly is hers, upon pain lest when he shall have need of the Soul & Body, both of them do fail to attain their final Salvation.  
For prosecution of this point, there can be no better doctrine written, then that of S. Bernard in his Sermon of the Aduent, 
Berinthia ser. 6. de Aduentu Domini.  a great part whereof I will here rehearse. The time of this life (sayeth he) is not for the Body, but for the Soul, and for her only was it assigned and appointed: because the Soul is far more worthy than the Body, and that which first fell and transgressed is first to be repaired and remedied, and therefore because the Soul was first in the transgression, came the Body to incur in the punishment, and to participate thereof: But in case we desire to be made living and true members of our head, who is JESUS CHRIST, we are to manifest the same, and to conform ourselves unto him, wherein our first thought and chiefest care should be concerning our Souls, for whose behoof most principally HE came into this world, & hath suffered the pains and torments of the Cross; and therefore let us reserve and keep the care of the Body, against that day and time when our Lord shall come to reform it, as the Apostle saith, 
Philip. 3.20.  salvatorem expectamus Dominum nostrum etc. We look and expect for a Saviour (who is jesus safeguard and preservation dependeth upon hers. Be therefore somewhat courteous, civil and discreet, to give place and prefer so honourable a guest. Thou art in thy house and upon thy ground, for thou hast been earthly, and of earth thou art, but the Soul is lodged in thy house and home, as a stranger, a pilgrim banished as an exile from her own dwelling. Tell me (thou Body) what rude, rustical Clown or countryman, though never so gross or doltish blockheaded fellow, If a Prince or an Earl should come to lodge in his house, would not he with heart and goodwill, retire and withdraw himself to the worse part thereof, whereby to suffer that Nobleman to enjoy the best room or chamber? yea, if it were necessary, would go and sleep upon hay or straw, or near the cinders and ashes upon the very hearth, or in the chimney corner. Then likewise do thou the same, and if it be expedient, leave off to eat and sleep for the good of thy Soul, and for the love thereof lose thy delights and pleasures, forego thy pastimes and sports, Fast and keep Diet, whereby she may be safe and whole, chasten and discipline thyself, let thyself blood to tame and mortify thy flesh, if need shall so require, that thy Soul may live; For this Time is no time of mirth and solace, but of lamentation and tears, no time of rest and quietness, but of labour and pain; no time of worldly recreations and loose-living, but of prayer and repentance, nor time of any contentments, but of tribulations and sorrow. Time may hereafter come of laughter, when thou mayest rejoice and be merry together with her, so as now thou bewail and weep with her; For if thou sow no tears, thou shalt neither reap nor gather any alacrity or joy: Despise not thy guest, esteem her not of any small worth or reckoning, though she seemeth unto thee a Pilgrim and stranger, but rather admire to behold the manifold goodness and unspeakable blessings that redound unto thee, as well because of her society and presence, as also by reason of her participation & communicating with thyself in all things. That guest, and that Soul is she, who giveth sight to thy eyes, hearing to thy ears, words to thy tongue, taste to thy palate, and to all thy other parts their sense and several motions, yea all their grace, comeliness and beauty.  
But if more clearly thou desirest to understand this point, then consider what thou shouldest be in case she were lacking (I mean) departed or fled out of thy house? At that very instant, thy tongue would be mute and dumb, thy eyes blind, thy ears deaf; thy nose would wax pale, all thy beauty and comeliness would fade and perish, and then shouldest thou remain dreadful and terrible, foul, filthy, ugly, frozen, stark and stiff, loathsome, irksome and horrible, and wouldst be a most stinking corrupted rotten carcase, and a dunghill of worms. These things being well considered, Wherefore dost thou for one momentany and temporal delight & pleasure grieve and offend so noble and profitable a member, so principal a guest, and bereavest her of her Time? yea, stealest and robbest her thereof, and consumest the same so ill, and so like a wicked scapethrift. The which false deceivable delights notwithstanding, thou couldst not enjoy, in case thy soul were absent from thee? Albeit nevertheless if such and so great glory and treasures happen and befall thee by reason of her presence and fellowship, though being a sojourner in a foreign country, by reason of Sin and Transgression, banished out of the sovereign Court, and from the sight of her Lord; Yet what shall come and redound to thee, when of all sides both (Body and Soul be reconciled unto the Almighty, and so shall absolutely remain in his grace and favour, in his friendship and inward familiarity? It is reason therefore that thou in all patience and meekness, dost dispose and prepare thee to offer thyself to all things which may in any wise profit and serve for the obtaining and purchasing of that reconciliation and amity, Tell thy guest, thy Soul, that which joseph said to King Pharaoh his gentleman Butler or Cupbearer, I am sure & certain that ere it be long the King will remember himself of thee, 
Gen. 40.13  and will restore thee to thy former estate, and therefore, I prithee, have me in remembrance at that time. So without doubt, she will specially stretch herself for thy good and regard thee, if now thou serve and use her well, and imployest the time about that which belongeth and appertaineth to the Soul, and not about thine own only commodities and peculiar behouffes, on her cost and charges. And when she shall obtain the grace and favour of her Lord, and enjoy his presence, she will intercede and entreat for thee, and will be thy most faithful friend, and advocate, and will say:  
Most merciful and omnipotent Lord, when for punishment of my offences, I was exiled in the world, and as a Pilgrim and stranger walked therein, a certain poor, pitiful, and godly boast received me into his house, and dealt with me most lovingly, For whom, so effectually and so sincerely as I may, I most humbly beseech thy most infinite Clemency and goodness, that thou requite him, who for the love of me gave away all his Substance, utterly undoing himself for my sake, and offered himself to perform whatsoever I thought behoveful and good, foregoing his own appetites, fancies, dainties, and pleasures, labouring and sweeting, wearying and vexing himself for me, and enduring thirst, hunger & faintness, watching, sorrow and tribulation; and for his own proper necessities and peculiar affairs took the least part of Time, even as little as might be, whereby the more might remain for me.  
Hereupon no doubt will be fulfilled, that portion of Scripture which saith, Our Lord executeth his will upon them that fear him, 
Psal. 145.18.19.  and will hear their prayers and supplications; For when that King of infinite Majesty shall come, compassed with shining brightness and glory, accompanied with thousand millions of Angels to raise up and restore our bodies, and to reduce them like unto his own, awakening them out of that sleep, in which now they rest, by that terrible and dreadful noise of the Trumpet (thou having ever demeaned thyself towards thy Soul in all thy steps and carriage as thou oughtest and appertained, Then will our Lord well reward thee with his glory, who will glorify and clothe thee, with those most precious endowments of immortality, mortality, agility, impassibility and brightness, the which in the company of thy Soul thou shalt for ever enjoy. Desire not therefore (I beseech thee) to lose and overpass a Glory so glorious, such delicates, such wealth, & such honour, for any short, fading, and perishing pleasure, or for any seeming good tastes or carnal like, being indeed full of distastes and dislikes. For which moreover the wicked are to suffer and abide grievous dolours & everlasting torments. All which above rehearsed out of famous S. Bernard.  
Such therefore who for their carnal bodies in this life do challenge and assume the Time that belongeth to the Soul, which they vainly misspend according to their own lusts; neglecting and contemning, yea and as it were trampling their soul under their feet; the Lord threateneth with great punishment, in those words of holy job, in the 24 chapter, saying▪ 
job. 24.20.  Their mirth and pleasures shall most speedily end and finish, and all their sweetness shall be turned into worms and stings of conscience, and all mercy and pity will forget them for evermore, and at last shall be buried in the perpetual pit of oblivion, they shall pass from hard frozen snowy waters, into intolerable excessive heat, whereby their pains and torments might be the greater, and their punishments prolonged. The cause whereof will be Pavit enim sterilem, 
Verse 21.  etc. Because they fed and pampered the Barren, & they righted not the widow. That Barren signifieth the Body, for the more it is cockered, and pampered, the less fruit of Godliness doth it yield. It is all one, as if they pampered and cherished a dry wooden block: The widow signifieth the Soul, because there is no widow so mured up in a corner, nor so solely left, as herself is in the house of the Sinner.  
To conclude therefore, I heartily pray and entreat all Sinners, for the love of jesus Christ, yea all such as bereave the Soul of Time, and assume it for the lusts & appetites of their own bodies, diligently to consider of all here before spoken, and then to reform themselves, and heartily to repent them for the enormities & wickedness they have committed; and that they employ for the good of their Souls all the time they may; considering that on her health and happiness, dependeth all that of their Bodies, and by the welfare of the Soul must they come to abound and be replenished of that glory which for evermore they hope to enjoy.   

CHAP. 7. That lay persons may lawfully enjoy some recreations, and intertainments of mirth, solace and pleasure.  
BEcause (as holy job saith) our Flesh is neither of brass, 
job. 6.12.  nor of steel, nor the power and strength thereof of hard and strong flint, but brittle, sensible, soft, feeble, tender, and such as will be tired and wearied, yea dulled with labour and pain, with manifold businesses and affairs: and likewise for that the Soul being united, and as it were incorporated with the gross Body; it is to be granted that at sometimes she must enjoy her desires and solace, as also the old married man though never so wise and discreet, yieldeth and useth some youthful behaviour towards his wife, specially if she be a young woman. Wherefore some interposition of mirth is very requisite and necessary amongst many businesses of care and respect for the refreshing of the continual travel and wearisomeness of the body: For if man should always without intermission work and labour, he would not only make dull and weary his understanding and memory, continually wast the vigour and strength of his health, but also should most speedily spend and consume his life withal.  
And so whereby generally both men and bruit beasts might interchangeably enjoy travel and ease, labour and rest; Also the natural disposition and condition of sleep and of the variety of Time, it was ordained that the night should succeed and follow the day, wherein (as Wisdom speaketh, 
Wisd. 18.14 ) All things do keep silence, and according to Virgil, 
Virgilius.  All the field as well birds as beasts are quietly at rest; And because that the ordinary rest was thought too little, the Feriae which we call Feasts were ordained, which throughout all Nations, Countries, and people at several seasons are used & observed: It is convenient and expedient therefore, that after labour there should be rest, whereby men might repair their strength, recover and obtain a longing desire and will to return unto their labour and businesses again; without which, every work, labour, occupation and exercise would be so heavy and toilsome, that our weakness and feebleness could not be able to bear and sustain, For as Ovid saith,  Quod caret alterna requie durabile non est. 
ovidius.  
Nothing can endure or long continue, which wanteth interchangeable rest, which according to Plutarch, is the very health and preservation of labour.  
It is written of King Amasis, that when his public affairs were finished, he was wont for a while to recreate himself with his familiar friends. And of Scevola, that upon vacant hours he played a while at tennis. Howbeit, of our Saviour Christ (setting aside the heathens & pagans) it is not written that at any time he laughed, but that he oftentimes wept as at the raising up of Lazarus, and over that ungrateful city of jerusalem, 
Io. 11.35. Luc. 19.41. Heb. 5.7.  and upon the Cross: Nevertheless for recreation sake, when he thought it necessary and expedient, he sometimes lead his Disciples with him to the fields, and said unto them, Rest and pause ye a while (you that are weak and mortal men) eat yourselves & refresh ye, Take breath & recover strength & spirit, whereby you may with more ardent fervour and alacrity of spirit, return to your several offices, ministries, and functions. So that by all which hath been said in the precedent Chapters, we are not condemned for all the time that is spent in play, recreations, sports, solaces, spectacles & sights which apprehend the same ends and causes, but rather let us note and diligently observe, that if it be necessary to keep order, temperance, and moderation in causes of weight and moment, much more is it in trifles and frivolous matters, the which though most cunningly handled & framed, yet at times are wont to be disordered and reduced to somewhat; for the peril & danger, which remaineth and ariseth out of the excess and unmeasurableness thereof. Wherefore according to the Apostle, A Christian man ought to perform and do all things orderly, 
1. Cor. 14. 40.  much more it behoveth him to prescribe & limit tasks and measure in his recreations, 
3. Tho. 22. qu. 168.  and upon the time which therein he shall waste. And for that respect there is a virtue, which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Comitas, Gentenesse or good behaviour, conformable to which GOD would, that men should recreate and sport themselves in such sort, 
S. Ambr.  that (as saith S. Ambrose) it behoveth not to lose our gravity or sobriety in pleasure, lest the harmony of good life should be dissolved.  
Aristotle saith, 
Aristot.  that as a little salt will serve to season one mess of meat: So a little recreation sufficeth life, which recreation is to be used in the same manner as salt is. And so their play, sports and entertainments ought to be lawful, short, seldom, honest and not prejudicial or offensive to any, accommodate & fitting to the time, place and persons, & with such moderation and soberness, as that which he taketh and assumeth for help and ease, be no let or hindrance unto him, nor any impediment of his virtuous exercises and other just offices or duties.  
That which is to be recovered and obtained is ability and strength, whereby things may be the better compassed and brought to pass and effected without default or difficulty: For when the faintness of our natural disposition is well refreshed, it encourageth and animateth us to proceed & persevere therein; As on the other side, it is such an enemy unto labour and amendment of life, as that our appetite doth covet and long for pleasures without rule or order, unless great care & diligent respect be had, and that Mediocrity be kept wherein all virtue consisteth: Otherwise one may fall with great facility into Idleness and vice, and so fly from labour, whereupon it falleth out that the inward man cometh to be disordered, and for ordinary businesses and requisite occupations to remain a person most slothful, idle and lazy, most slack and lose, and least apt and disposed to do good. For which cause the Philosophers and the civil Laws have ordained some documents and set down limitations: Albeit the recreations of a Christian, by all good reason ought to be much more moderate, more honest, and more lawful, than those which the Philosophers, Or the civil Laws do permit or grant.  
The Lacedæmonians took a most heedful straight reckoning, 
Aolian, de varia hist. lib. 2.  that no person should lose and Time, nor live idly, nor enter into any matter of jest or scoff, save only in laudable works, honest labours and virtuous exercises; whereas upon a day it came to the notice and knowledge of the common Magistrates, that the Inhabitants of Decelia, were gone forth to walk at noon time: they sent after them a letter to this effect, Walk ye not abroad so much for mirth and recreation sake, as for the exercising of your bodies, because it is very firting & behoveful for the Lacedæmonians to seek out help & remedy for the preservation of their healths, not by walking and loitering, but with bodily exercises, about things lawful and profitable.  
Some sports there be which are good & lawful, and occasion may be offered, & opportunity serve, wherein pastime may be a virtue, as then chiefly when it is necessary for man for the administration and performance of his office and function, 
S. Tho. 22. Qu. 168.  specially being virtuous, and about the service of our Lord, for the obtaining of greater ability & strength for fulfilling thereof, That thereby he may make due satisfaction for the same, lest otherwise he should fail, or be dismayed in the high common pathway, & as the Spanish Proverb saith, Porno dare con lacarga en el suelo, 
A Spanish Proverb.  lest our burden & charge fall in the mire, and so we might lose our labour. Which by little and little with great moderation and sobriety are to be used, and with such discretion and heedfulness (as concerning the end and intention) they were first invented, & specially after their greedy appetites for lucre & profit have crossed them in some plays, which I hold more than hurtful and damnable; which not only are no help or aid for the furthering of our offices and special duties, which on God's behalf & our own consciences we are bound to effect, but rather and impediment & let, yea an occasion whereby we commit therein no small defects; but oftentimes many offences against God, as lying, swearing, false oaths, frettings, contentions, standing most stiffly & stoutly in bad quarrels, outfacing and earnest labouring in strifes, which are wont to cause dislikings, evil words, enmities, and rancour, wherefore I hold and am of opinion that the Time which is spent in such plays & sports, for ill employed and lost, for captivated & imprisoned Time.  
It is very necessary that persons go visit and communicate with Charity, which is a recreation most lawful for the continuation & preservation of amity and friendship.  
Conformable to which, a certain Philosopher said, That Taciturnity or Silence, hath undone many friendships, or broken many a loving knot: But the imparting to their friends of their contentments in their actions, labours, and chances for the greater joy of the one, & the hartease and comfort of the other, is a thing most lawful and laudable, & the Time needful & expedient about the same, is well employed; Howbeit, many of the visirings & gossipings which now adays are used, are either so prolix & tedious, so without fruit or profit: Or so hurtful and prejudicial to themselves and to their Neighbours, or all that they treat of it but vanity, and savoureth of the world and her fashion; so as I hold such for perilous and dangerous, and the time therein spent, for ill employed & captivated.  
And I believe it is the Tongue which consumeth & unthriftily spendeth the most Time, because that kind of Tattle or prittle prattle will never cease & have end, or be wearied & tired, and the fire thereof is it, which most prolongeth and longest putteth off & deferreth repentance, and her spots & blemishes are they that most spread abroad and furthest creep, & she is that moth which devoureth and destroyeth the most clothes, yea that which with her fine cunning and quaint subtlety, will neither remit nor forego.  
The feasts and banquets which are made for conservation of peace, love, concord, amity and unity, or for any other just causes are lawful, being used and observed with that temperance and moderation as appertaineth & with their due circumstances, as becometh Christians. Nevertheless for the most part as they are now used with such disorders, riot & excess, for so many hours and for so long time together, I may not be bold nor dare presume to make them good and perfect, nor to undertake their justification upon my conscience, because the most part of Time which therein they wast and consume, I rather hold as ill employed and imprisoned.  
Concerning merriments, leapings and dancings, I have nothing to say, saving that I think many of them to be most lascivious and wanton, and that many times they wake and stir up them that sleep, and do change and alter the spirits and affections of chaste souls and honest hearts, and do disquiet men, raise an hurly burly, cause and provoke unlawful and unmodest thoughts and disordered desires and lust, wherefore I hold much of that time, which therein also is consumed and spent, for ill employed and captivated.  
And whereby it may be seen, with what moderation and stint men ought to use their recreations and sports. It will not be out of purpose or in vain for the shortening and abridging of the superfluity of worldly contentments; to write that which divine Chrysostom rehearseth in reproof of those words which they call Donayres, 
Chrysoft. in expos. Epist. ad Ephes. ser. 17.  etc. Merry jests, witty sayings, gibes, foolish tales, or taunts to make people laugh, counterfeiting of other men's gestures, scoffings, making of mows, dancing the antic, or any ridiculous toy to move fond delight, legerdemain, juggling, performing of apish compliments, to use terms specially proceeding from sharp biting & taunting tongues, and which are mingled with malice; for the inconveniences which thereupon do ensue, saith: brethren, this life and the time thereof, is the Time of war, of watching, and always to go ready with armour on our shoulders, & our eyes staring against the plots and ambushments of the enemies, and by good reason, Time hath here no place of laughter, which is carnal and of the Sons of the world, who profess and observe the laws, customs and abuses of the same. Hear (thou Christian) our Saviour Christ, speaking to all His, The world shall sport itself, 
Io. 16.20.  shall laugh and be merry, but you shall weep and walk sadly and pensively: Christ was crucified and buffeted for thy Sins, and thou desirest to pass this life in Donayres, etc. Merry jests, fond delights, mirth, laughter and vain pastimes.   

CHAP. 8. That likewise it is lawful, yea very necessary for religious and Ecclesiastical persons to use some honest exercise, which may serve for intermission, recreation and rest.  
THERE were certain Heretics, 
Alph. de Castro adverse. haeres. lib. 11. verb Oratio.  who misinterpreting these words of the Evangelist S. Luke, where it is said that men ought always to pray, 
Luc. 18.1.  and never to wax faint; brought into the Church that false and new coined doctrine, teaching that no other thing was to be done and performed neither night nor day, but only to pray, and that without any manner of intermission, interruption or ceasing howsoever: For man ought only to be occupied and employed therein: But these Heretics were sithence not without great reason condemned and banished out of the Church, because it was not possible that our weakness and feebleness should endure and be able always to pray, in such sort as they have affirmed; Neither are the words of the Evangelist so to be understood and expounded, neither hath the infallible Verity spoken them in that sense.  
That which by these words, 
1. Thes. 5.17.  It is expedient always to pray, and by those of the Apostle, 
Salmeron.  Pray continually without ceasing, is meant, is this; when as necessity compelleth us to ask any thing of God, or when we are driven to any straightness, tribulation or adversity, or do fear any such thing, then are we to entreat and beseech with earnestness and perseverance, once, twice, & thrice, till he show mercy upon us, reward, assist, and favour us without fail or fraud, not ceasing nor being dismayed, though presently he do not sensibly bestow or grant that which we demand, but that we knock and call at the gate of his bountiful mercy, until it be opened for us, and that if he please, he bestow upon us our desires, because of our importunacy, even as the Lord in the Parable of the widow and wicked judge doth teach us the same (which then to that purpose he propounded after he had said, 
Luc. 18.2. & seqq.  Men ought always to pray, who with mere importunacy and perseverance, came to weary the judge for the grace and favour she desired. And this is confirmed by the example of the Church who prayed without intermission, for the Apostle S. Peter while he was detained in prison, 
Act. 12.5.  until he was delivered thence, and that she saw him safe.  
Moreover, that saying, Pray continually, is as much to say, as Pray at hours & time convenient, wherefore Dionysius Carthusianus sayeth, 
Dionys. Carthus.  Let him that prayeth, pray without intermission in due times; and he prayeth always, who prayeth when he may, and hath occasion and fit opportunity thereunto.  
Simon de Cassia declareth it thus; 
Simon de Cass. in job. 7  All the life of man is a continual trial and warfare, and all the time he continueth and abideth here, our enemies wage battle against us both night & day without ceasing or intermission: And of ourselves or by our own proper strength and might we are not able to overcome or conquer them, nor to withstand their force, and therefore it behoveth us to pray continually, and to entreat for aid and secure of that LORD, who only is able to grant our requests, for which cause the Spaniard saith, En todas manner as es oportuna la oration importuna: that is, By all means an importunate prayer is always opportune and fitting: And therefore it is not to be so intended, that there must be no ceasing nor intermission of any Time in prayer, considering that our sleep, our eating and drinking do often constrain us, as also our appareling, and sometimes we must rest and ease ourselves, and men must have time to prepare themselves to their several offices and ministries, & sometimes to recreate and repair themselves for performance of corporal and spiritual works of mercy: but that which is sought & expected of us is, that our intention be wholly settled towards God, and that all our works be only directed and intended to his glory, & that at times and hours convenient, our hearts and thoughts be lifted up unto him, to pray & beg that which we lack and have need of, So as all our life time, it behoveth to pray continually, because throughout the whole course thereof, there is neither day nor hour, wherein man may say, that there is no need, or can leave undone so necessary, and so important an exercise. But ever and always to continue in prayer & meditation: there is no head can bear it, nor body endure it, nor any Law of God that commandeth any such thing, nor obligeth or bindeth us to any such task, (because his yoke is easy & pleasant, and his burden light) and there are other things wherein we ought to be employed, which charity and necessity demand and require at our hands.  
And for the accomplishment of all things, how spiritual or holy soever a man be, it is very needful and requisite that he have and exercise some lawful occupation and honest exercise, or some other function which may serve him for recreation and ease to lighten the heart, because that variety (as saith Theodoretus) takes away the irksomeness and loathing, 
Theodor. li. de provid.  and causeth fresh desires and new appetite to spring and grow in us, and so afterwards man will return with better liking & greater ability, & with a more fervent desire and earnestness to his spiritual exercises. Wherefore, 
3. Reg. 3.  even as the Wiseman in that his discreet 
Solomon,  judgement and sentence, 
1. King 3.25.  which he gave for satisfaction of the two women who sued for the child, each of them affirming that it was hers, where he commanded that it should be divided & parted in the midst, and so distributed betwixt them both: So the wise, prudent, spiritual man, is to part and divide his Time between the Soul and Body, yielding & rendering to either of them the part due to the same: And as true husband jacob with his two wives Rachel and Leah, 
Genes 29.23. ver. 30.  was wont by turns to exercise himself in both lives; namely, active and contemplative, giving the most he could, to the most perfect and most excellent.  
And because that in this miserable and wretched life, the soul is not able to attend always on spiritual things, therefore all authors that writ of spiritual life, say, that some interposition of Time is very necessary, whereby the spiritual man might exercise himself in some honest and lawful trade or occupation, which should neither withdraw nor avert the soul, nor restrain the spirit, but such as should strengthen and comfort them, and serve for aid and courage. For which cause those Fathers who in time of persecution lived in the Desert and solitary places, enjoyed and used their corporal occupations, or bodily travels, and set times thereto limited and dedicated, whereby the Devil might always find them occupied either in corporal or spiritual exercises, which corporal exercises served in steed of recreation and repast, and for the obtaining of more valour and courage, to perform the spiritual.  
So saith S. Jerome in his Rule, 
D. Hiero. in reg. cap. 8.  Give no place nor entertainment to idle and wandering thoughts, for if they begin to be Lords over thee, & to master thee, thou shalt perceive and feel in thy soul a most heavy loss and great damage. And lest the Devil do find thee lazy & idle, procure (when thou dost not contemplate) to do and execute some handiwork, as by making some baskets of rushes, or by framing & composing some small fruit dish or platter of slender, fine, delicate twigs or osyars: Dig a while in some garden, and the ground being seasoned and prepared, dress and make even the same, frame it in order, measure it with a line, and divide it into squares & make beds, sow and set therein diverse sorts of pulse, plants, seeds and flowers. Visit them often, succour and prune them, & in due time water them, and as the seeds are growing and sprouting, rake and pluck up the wild herbs and noxious weeds; and if it please thee, thou mayest graff some trees, whereof thou mayest in time come to gather their savoury and wished fruit. Make hives, whereinto the industrious Bees may retire themselves and abide, and work their sweet honey combs: we ave and make nets to fish and catch the busy roving fishes; Writ and compound books; portray & draw pictures, Paint or limb them with colours, because the idle is an ocean of thoughts, and therefore the religious men of Egypt do accustom to receive none that is ignorant of some office or science, not so much for the earning of his victuals, as for that which imports the soul's health, and for the avoiding of idleness, and whereby with the variety and change of exercises, he might return with more earnestness and desire to the spiritual exercise of prayer and contemplation, the which in this present life none can possibly endure continually. And moreover, writing to Demetrias, he saith: 
Idem epist. ad Demetr.  It is of great importancy that thou lose no time, but remainest always occupied, them chief at the hours of Prime, the third, sixth, and ninth hour, at Evensong, Completorie, and Morning prayer, wherein every day thou art to exercise thyself in prayer, assign to thyself appointed hours for study, to learn and understand the sacred Scriptures, and after thou hast spent some time thereabouts, & perceivest the thoughts, and care of thy Soul, to have awakened, stirred, and moved thee, to fall down upon thy knees, and oftentimes to kneel upon the bare ground, have due respect to the overplus of time, having always some business & work at hand, and do thou spin the wool, bombast, or cotton, flax, hemp or tow which remaineth on thy Distaff, or reel and wind up bottoms of yarn, stitch and sow a while, labour and perform some such like work, for if thou be busied, the days will never see me long or tedious, but easy and short.  

D. Berm, tract. de vita solitar.  And divine S. Bernard in his Treatise of solitary life counseleth the same, saying: After thy daily sacrifice of prayers, after thou hast studied thy lesson, and after the examination of thy conscience, use & embrace some occupation or bodily exercise, whereby the soul & spirit may for some short time rest & refresh itself, yea pause and breath, lest thou be dismayed, averted, or withdrawn from thy purpose of godly exercise, from the which when thou please or seest convenient, thou mayest departed and leave of, or be freely dispatched without any manner of offence or displeasure. For as man was not created for the woman, 
Gen. 2.18.  but the woman for the man: So, the bodily exercise ought to be for the spiritual, and to help and further it, but not to hinder or disturb the same by no means. In like manner, as the Companion, which God gave to Adam, 
Verse 23.  was in all resemblance most like unto him, made and form of his rib, bone, and flesh; So likewise the help, assistance and exercise, which ought to accompany and bear fellowship with the life spiritual, must resemble and hold proportion with things spiritual, and by reason of their affinity, either of them should be the badge and token of the other, as to meditate somewhat that hath been spoken or written, or to write aught that was read or heard; for if they were laborious works of great pains and weariness, amazing and as it were distracting the senses, and tiring the body, the spirit and courage of well doing would be altogether assuaged and abated, and the devotion lessened and diminished, yea made lukewarm. Therefore the religious and spiritual person must take heed of, and look diligently, that the Time be not overmuch which he shall spend in bodily exercises, but so as with great ease and facility, he may return again to his spiritual devotion; howbeit the while and space that the corporal endureth, he ought not to be alone and his exercise carelessly performed, but accompanied with others, and refreshed with the spiritual. Corporal exercises, are those which are termed handicrafts or works of the body; for otherwise watchings, fastings, and such exercises of mortification, do not only not perturb or hinder, nor cause any hurt or damage to the spirit, and are not contrary unto the same, but rather they are most favourable and profitable, if they be done and seasoned with discretion and wisdom as is requisite. And the same Saint Bernard writing of a religious Sister of his, 
Idem tract. forma bene vivendi ad soror. ca 51.  saith thus; Thou (servant of God) must always read, pray, and labour, that the spirit of dishonesty beguile not thy idle spirit, and carnal delights, and fleshly lusts have the upper hand of labour and pains-taking. Divide the day (Sister) into three parts, in the first, pray? in the second, read? and in the third, labour? and perform some handy work: Prayer, doth purify and make us clean, reading, doth teach and instruct us, and labour makes us blessed and happy, according to that of David; Thou shalt be happy and fortunate, 
Psal. 128.2.  and all things shall happen well unto thee, because thou eatest the fruit of thy handiwork and labours. And who so well and so wisely parteth and spendeth the Time in this manner, shall have no recconing to yield unto God Almighty of Time ill employed, neither shall Time have whereof to complain him.   

CHAP. 9 How TIME is to be redeemed; and who they be that detain the same in captivity.  
THE Apostle S. Paul, amongst other documents, exhortations and counsels that he gave to the Citizens of Ephesus, and to all Christian people, after he had admonished them, that they should beware from riotousness and covetousness, and from all other works of darkness, and that they should not communicate with Heretics being enemies of the light, saith thus; 
Ephes. 5.15  Videte quomodo cautè ambuletis etc.  
Now you see how many daingers there be, occasions, impediments, lets, & ambushments in the way to heaven, and how many thieves and robbers, pirates, rovers and other enemies hinder the passage; therefore Look about you and be advised how you walk, and how you travel that way, make your journey warily, with special care and heedfulness, with much vigilancy and fear, lest you fall into their snares. Walk not as fools, but as wise, discreet, prudent, circumspect and wary, least by following and prosecuting the enemy's plots and practices you be quite overthrown. Remember that it is said, 
Ephe. 5.16.  Redimentus tempus etc. Redeem the time because the days are evil. The first exposition or explanation of which words (because the second part thereof is treated in the Chapter subsequent) is of Saint Jerome where he saith, 
Viegas in Apoc. cap. 10. citat Hieronym.  that God bestowed Time upon men whereby he might be served in it, and they occupied in good works, (the which more at large may be understood in the second chapter precedent) which notwithstanding they detain as captivated and imprisoned, employing the same in bad works & wiced affairs (which is a captivity most culpable and blamable, and most worthy to be lamented) But Time is to be redeemed and ransomed, by doing of good works; for than doth man redeem and buy it, and make that properly his own, which malice had detained as overcome and alienated.  
The second Exposition is this, God cutteth short & diminisheth many times from Sinners their days and time, the which by the course of nature (had they been good) should have lived longer, (as in the third chapter before we are instructed) Wherefore the good, just, and virtuous man, and he that employeth his time well, doth redeem & ransom it. Then he that rescueth and ransometh that part of time and space of life, wherein he lived sinfully, for which God by his just judgement would have cut him off, shall now enjoy all the time that Nature had assigned and appointed him to live in, and shall die a good usurer or great gainer of time, & full of days.  
The third Exposition is, That he redeemeth Time who taketh part thereof from the affairs and traffic of the world to bestow it in the service of God, for the enjoying of the inward peace and quietness of his Soul, for the idleness of Marie Magdalen is not to be accounted Idleness, 
Luk. 10.39  but holy and religious employment.  
Furthermore, he that useth Time with such circumspect limitation and heedful respect in his transitory commodities and temporal businesses, as that he doth not employ the whole day therein, but now and then borrows a little from his worldly employments, and saves & reserves it for the Soul, for her best advantage and greater benefit; he is truly said to redeem and purchase Time, and to bestow for the same even that which he saved and spared from his worldly affairs for his Souls health. And albeit this redemption & ransom (because of the delight and good liking otherwise of the which he is deprived) aggrieveth him in such fort, as it should grieve one to be beguiled of his dinner, who had a good appetite thereunto, yet notwithstanding man ought very earnestly and eagerly to strive and procure by all means to redeem and recover again the pawn or pledge of a thing so precious as Time is, considering that pastimes & sports, unlawful and excessive entertainments and recreations, were the money and price by the which it was sold to the Devil, who beguiled us most notably in the sale thereof, with his great subtlety and forcible enticements as well of the Time itself▪ as of the precious worth and value thereof.  
Agreeable to which, that most famous Doctor of the Church S. Augustine saith, 
August. ser. 24. de verb. Apostol.  To redeem Time is, as when any body impleadeth or sueth thee for thy goods, to lose somewhat thereof for the gaining of Time to serve and please God, and to abstract thereout so much as by suits of law thou shouldest spend; & that which thou seemest to lose, thou gainest, which is the price wherewith thou hast bought Time; and something must be lost to get, and to purchase; for if thou goest to the market place to buy bread, wine, or oil, or other merchandise; thou givest & receivest, thou leavest & receivest, thou leavest behind one thing, and bringest home another, thou leavest money behind thee which thou losest, & carriest home thy ware or merchandise, and that is to buy: for if thou hadst not given something, thou shouldest not have now wanted what thou hadst, but thou shouldest have possessed much more than before, if haply thou hadst found it, or didst inherit it, or else that others in courtesy had bestowed the same upon thee; but when thou givest and losest, or takest out of thy house one thing to bring home another, than dost thou buy & purchase: and that which thou injoyest, is that which thou boughtest, & that which thou bestowest and hast not, is the price wherewith thou hast bought.  
The Divine Chrysostome expoundeth it after this manner; 
Chrys. in Epist. ad. Ephes. Ser. 17.  Redeem the time (brethren) that is, Redeem the opportunity & the occasion to do good. Time is not yours to be despised, and wherein without sinning you may play & spend it away wickedly, or consume it unthriftily (as is said of one, who affirmed that he could play away his money, & throw it into the river if he listed, because he was Master thereof) for though it be yours, by being in your hands & power to employ it well or ill; Yet are you but Pilgrims and Passengers, and therefore aught to desire no worldly honour, nor vain glory, nor riches, dignities, puissance or authority, revenge, nor any point or particle of renown or worship. Suffer & bear meekly all things which offer themselves unto you against the hair as it were, and disagreeable to your good liking; have patience therein, & so you shall redeem and ransom Time, and do good to your enemies, and give them of that you have if they ask it and be in necessity. Imagine that a man had a house most rich and most sumptuous, very costly furnished and well orderly provided and prepared, and that by the fame & report thereof certain thieves or burglarors did enter into the same, who sought and endeavoured to kill the owner, that afterwards they might spoil and rob him, whereupon he should say unto them, Oh my good friends, for the love of God, do not murder me, and I will yield and render you all that I have in my house, and thereupon delivereth them all things they ask and demand; of such a one we may truly say, that himself ransomed his own life: So after the same manner, thou (my Brother) enjoyest a large fair house, great store of wealth, jewels, pearls, and precious stones; thou possessest a Soul which is the lively Temple of the living God, yea his own house and dwelling place, thou art endued with faith, hope and charity, besides other virtues and gifts from his hands and bountiful liberality; Give and bestow all that shall be demanded of thee, and lose the remainder when it shall be expedient and needful, in exchange lest thou lose the life of thy Soul, and so thou mayest ransom & redeem Time, which in case thou dost not, thy enemies will lead thee away captive.  
Again, Sinners may redeem and ransom the time they withheld captivated, if they will embrace and follow the Counsel of the Prophet Baruch, where he sayeth; 
Baruch. 4 28.  Sicut fuit sensus vester, etc. Convert and turn you to God, and after your conversion to him by repentance, you shall serve and obey him ten times more careful with more ardent heat, fervour and diligence then before when you departed from him and misemployed your time.  
They will likewise rescue and repurchase the same again, if they will perform the admonition which the Apostle S. Paul giveth, declaring upon the consequence of these words, Sicut exhibuistis membra vestra, 
Rom. 6.19.  etc. Even as hitherto you have employed & yielded your bodies, senses, and members in the service of uncleanness and iniquity, to sin, now wheel about and look back, turn over the leaf, and employ all things to serve equity, virtue, and holiness of life.  
The Apostle having spoken before, 
Rom. 6.19.  Humanum dico propter infirmitatem vestram, etc. I speak as a man for your infirmities sake, and because you are weak, heartily beseeching you, that you wholly employ and busy yourselves in the service of God by keeping his commandments, and redeeming the Time (of which holy exercise the fruit is your sanctification, for by such works man doth sanctify and dedicate himself wholly to God) & that you perform this with as great affection and alacrity, as ever hereto fore you devoted yourselves to impiety, yielding your members as bondslaves to sin, whose fruit is nothing else but iniquity, and whereof a Sinner can make no other profit, but that he remain a Sinner, a miserable wretched man, and be so accounted.  
And notwithstanding it be true that Sanctification doth far exceed iniquity, yet rest I well satisfied with such unfeigned endeavour and resolution of doing good works, which some have performed after their conversion, with such earnestness as before they were set and bend to sin by displeasing and offending of God; We see how violent and courageous many are to sin, and after they have glutted their appetites how slothful and lukewarm, how slack and faint they are to repent & to exercise themselves in actions of virtue? The sinner rusheth through thick and thin to accomplish his desire, and to satisfy his lustful appetite: and as it were to run away with that he longed for; nothing seemeth difficult or hard unto him; and if thou ask him, how canst thou suffer this, or that? though he be never so grave and ancient, to all things he will frame an answer, and say, yes.  
Time seemeth most short to sinners for enjoying of their lusts and pleasures, but to occupy themselves in good works it seems most large and wearisome: The Service long, the Sermon large, his prayers, meditations, pains and fasting, laborious and tedious: Cold weather makes them heartless and cowards, heat slacketh and releaseth them, and all things seems painful and heavy. So as (to conclude) that is a most singular remedy and help for to redeem Time, to employ it well, and to use it with such alacrity, heedfulness, earnestness and liveliness to devotion, as he hath done when he was altogether bend and resolved to lose and captivate to same.   

CHAP. 10. How it is to be understood that the days are evil, and how that therefore TIME is to be redeemed.  
ALL things that God hath created are good being considered in themselves, and according to their own nature and kind, because that from his most blessed hands, there could proceed no work or thing which were not good; And so himself after the work of Creation said, that all were good and perfect, 
Gen. 1.31,  that he had made and created.  
And to speak to our purpose, the days and years considered in themselves cannot be evil, neither can there be any moral malice found in them, which justly may be termed a fault, because they are not capable thereof: nor yet any feeling of punishment, for they cannot apprehend it, nor any other misery which men suffer for their sins: But the days are said to be evil, in respect of men, who live in them by occasion of their transgressions and sins they commit, or by reason of those punishments they suffer, caused by the former, according to S. Chrysostome and S. Ieromes exposition. 
Chrys. & Hier. sup. Psal. 27.  And so are persons that be weak, sick, sad, sorrowful or afflicted, wont to say, O what an evil day this hath been unto me! oh how terrible, and how bitter!  
Two things there are (saith that excellent S. Augustine) that make the days to be evil, 
Aug. ser. 24. de verbis Apost.  & are the cause wherefore they are termed evil, being indeed in themselves good, namely the Malice and the Misery of men: The misery or wretchedness is common, but the malice ought not so to be. From the time that Adam sinned, and was banished out of Paradise, the days have ever continued evil: and the crying of infants at the time of their birth is a presage of their misery and troubles, and a sure sign and infallible token that upon that day they enter into this vale of tears, and that at the least (though they be so happy as to become good) they shall not fail but be encumbered with sundry dangerous temptations and trials, albeit the cause thereof cannot be expressly declared.  
Euthymius expounding 
Euthym. in Psal. 34.  those words of the Psalmist, Who is that man that wisheth life and desireth to see good days? saith, that those good days, are they of the other life, for that those of this, are evil, according to that which jacob spoke to Pharaoh, 
Gen. 47.8.9.  and the Apostle S. Paul also when he wrote to them of Ephesus, Redeem the time, 
Ephes. 5.15.  because the days are evil. And S. Basil faith the same: The whole time of my Pisgrimage (saith jacob answering Pharaoh, 
Basil, ibid.  who had asked him, 
Gen. 47.9.  how old he was) is an hundred and thirty years few and evil have the days of my life been. The king demanded him, how many are the years of thy life? and he answered, The days of my pilgrimage, etc. and though it seems that he answered not to the purpose, yet did he answer most admirably, like a most holy, wise and discreet Saint, amending and secretly correcting the demand and question propounded unto him, even as the Master is accustomed to do with his Disciple, when he demandeth not aright: who gave Pharaoh to understand, that the years of man's life, are not years, but days, and the days be not days but hours, and the hours, not hours, but moments; and that the life of the Servants of God, is no steedfast or permanent life, but only a peregrination and pilgrimage towards the heavenly jerusalem; They are passengers and strangers, and thereafter they use the goods of this world; and said further, that the days he lived were few, being a hundred and thirty years, because these and many more, are indeed but few, 
Gen. 29. & 31. job. 7.  likes as the longest life, is but short.  
And finally he calls his days evil, because of the manifold perils wherein he remembered himself oftentimes plunged, and of the corporal and spiritual travels which usually he suffered: For the life of man is a temptation and trial even all the time that he lives upon the earth. And because of the misery and troubles, the mischances and disgraces which befall and happen unto men in their days, happen and befall men in their time, the days are called evil, as likewise in the sacred scripture they are so termed.  
Therefore also is the day of judgement called the evil and the bitter day, 
Psalm. 50.  in respect of the wicked; and from hence we may understand the sense and meaning of those words of our Saviour written by S. Matthew, 
Matth. 6.34.  Be not over careful for the morrow, for the morrow shall care for itself; the day hath enough with his own grief: That is, 
Simon de Cassià.  as if more plainly he had said, Too day ye have sufficient to do, namely to cark and care for this present day, and for all the labours, turmoils, occupations, necessities & businesses thereof, without doubling the weight or overcharging yourselves, in taking upon you too day, the anguish, vexation and burden of the morrow, imagining that then you may do it, or that then such a thing may happen unto you: for I assure you that to morrow will be very careful of itself.  
And therefore the meaning of that, which the Apostle wrote to them of Ephesus, when he said, Redeem the time because the days are evil, 
Ephe, 5.16.  was this, Behold, that the days are troublesome, full of misery, difficulties and lets, occupations, temptations & impediments of your salvation and health; For the which, and for many other things and affairs, whereinto the necessities of this body and life, & our own ill inclined natural disposition after the fall have lead us, much part of time is often lost without fruit, and is sold, mortgaged, impawned, pledged and captivated. And therefore I heartily beseech and exhort you, and do highly commit to your charge, that you take special care and regard that it be not ill employed any longer, nor withheld imprisoned, but that you cause and procure to your uttermost power and endeavour, that thereby you may reap profit, that it be redeemed, repurchased and ransomed, and that you will duly esteem thereof, and negotiate therewith; So as when our Saviour shall come to demand an Account, thou mayest be able to make it good. And so are all of us to do and perform, considering besides that the days are most short, uncertain and irrevocable, we should be covetous of Time, endeavouring and procuring to recover that which is lost, and to pacify them unto whom we have done any harm by making of great haste to recover and save that which is to come to serve God in, and to repair our former negligences and passed heedlessnes with present diligence and care, renewing and augmenting our repentance, mortifications and charitable deeds: Even as accustometh the Traveler to do when he hath any long journey to make, and perceiving the time to be short, and that by his own negligence, recklessness and carelessness, he is much behind, he indeavoreth afterwards to run in such sort that he goeth in two hours so much way as that otherwise he would not have gone in six, and for that purpose looks for nearer ways and shorter cuts, he sweats and toils, and runs on headlong a thousand rugged ways, without resting or pausing, though necessity much require it, and if he hap to eat, it will be but a bit, and that with much celerity and quick speed.  
So did the same Apostle for the redeeming of the Time which he had lost, & withheld captivated. Sequor si quomodo comprehendam. 
Phil. 3.12. 1. Cor. 9.24  As if he had said, Now in respect I captivated and lost so much time, and erred so far, and continued so backwards in the right path of God's service, and was so negligent in gaining and procuring the glory of the life to come, I will now give double diligence and bestir myself apace, and run without any looking back, because I make no reckoning of all that I have already journeyed and traced, but rather will commit all that to oblivion, as if I had not traveled it at all, crowding and thrusting myself forward, as it were through the midst of all that stand before me, having always an eye to that which I have to go, and not to that, which I have already traveled.  
King David did the same, after that God had amplified and enlarged his heart with his love and fear, and took away those gifes or fetters which he had on his feet, as himself confesseth, saying; 
Psalm. 119.  Viam mandatorum tuorum cucurri, etc. When as by thy great mercy (O my Lord God) thou thoughtest good to draw me out of my sin and misery, wherein I detained & spent so much time, and hast been pleased to burst the chains where with I was tied and bound, refreshing and comforting my heart with the water of thy superabundant grace, more than of Angels; I begun (for the redeeming of Time captivated) to run, and have runned (as far forth as I could) with all diligence, without reaching, as it were, one breath or other, the way of thy precepts.  
The devout and mystical Thaulerus (with whom we will conclude this Treatise) did ask, 
Thauler.  how lost and passed Time might be redeemed and ransomed, considering we have no moment of time which we own not to God, and (as Gregory Nissenus saith) when all the life is employed in Prayer, 
Greg. Niss. in orat. Dominie.  & in giving thanks to God, with much ado, do we accomplish as we ought, what at the present overrunnes us, how much less that of the Time past, and to come: maketh answer thus; Let every one depart and retire himself withal possible power and strength, from all and every place and time, and betake himself wholly unto that present Nuno (which properly cannot be said in the vulgar language) of eternity, where God is essentially, & always continueth in one Being, and in one firm stability, without respect of any thing that is Past, or To come, but all Present and in one perperualestate, uniforine, perdurable, fixed, permanent, constant, unchangeable & unmovable, having no time to overpass him, In whom remaineth & is all present, past & future, & all beginning and end of time, without beginning & without end. And there in God are found all the treasures which by the wicked are vilified, despifed & contemned, yea infinite more. And they who accustom many times to lift them above themselves, & above all things created, & to hide themselves and make their nests and dwelling with God, who abideth in the Souls of all present, such without doubt do make themselves rich, and shall find in him much more of that which otherwise they might have lost. And in this introversion or conversion to God, ought every one of us, wholly, entirely and perfectly to transform himself into him, and from the very bowels of his heart say unto him after this manner.  
Oh my everlasting God, If all the TIME which hath been from the beginning of the world, and which shall be till the end, were granted unto me, I would live wholly for thee and in thy service, and from henceforth I would God I might live and continue so loyal, faithful & obedient in all kind of virtue, as all as many men as have been borne and lived, though it be in all manner affliction, trial, misery & tribulation. I would to God that all the waters of the Sea might be distilled through my eyes to remedy all them that are poor and in necessity, and to comfort them that are sad and heavy, and to love thee (my God) to praise thee, to extol thee, to magnify thee, and to glorify thee so much as all thy Saints and Angels of thy sovereign Court: For without all doubt I would do and perform all those things very willingly and with all my heart.  
And certainly he that retaineth and feeleth in his heart that will and lively affection, shall be so assured that he shall be accepted of that most just and rightful judge, as if he had put it in effect, because the seeking with an unfeigned will to accomplish and perform any thing, 
Chrysost. homil. 19 in Matth. S. Tho. 1.2. qu 20. art 4 2. Cor. 8.12  and the real doing and fulfilling thereof, is all one and the very same with God. For as S. Paul saith, if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.  
FINIS.