THE RANSOM OF TIME BEING CAPTIVE.  
WHEREIN IS DECLARED how precious à thing is time, how much he looseth that looseth it, & how it may be redeemed.  
Written in Spanish, by the R. Father ANDREAS DE SOTO, Confessor to the most excellent INFANTA CLARA EUGENIA.  
Translated into Englich by I. H.  
AT DOUAI, Printed by GERARD PINSONE at the sign of Coline, 1634.   

TO THE HIGH, AND MIGHTY PRINCESS THE LADY KATHERINE DUCHESS marchioness, AND COUNTESS OF BUCKINGHAM▪ COUNTESS OF COVENTRIE, VICECOUNTESSE VILLIERS, AND BARONESS OF WHADDON▪ etc.  
MADAME  
This piece in its native language was happy by the protection of that glorious Princess, and mirror of virtuous Ladies, the Lady CLARA EUGENIA of happy memory.  
'tis now translated, and vested with an English hue: to whose protection, and tuition, with more convenience, or more confidence, may this stranger fly, then to your most Gracious Highness? For if it be the books ambition to scorn the public view, unless it may he graced with the sacred patronage of à Duchess, of à Noble, and virtuous Lady; by ●●ying to the refuge of your Highness unparrelled virtues, it shall only change, not lose its mistress.  
MADAME, yet I most humbly bow; craving pardon of your Grace that I present my homage so veiled as in à translation, not in à primary composition, best suiting with my duty, and your most eminent worth; since that your Excellencyes splendour might well enlighten, make acute, give full vigour, yea and most lively spirit to each vulgar capacity; to me especially whose devotion to your Greatness and Goodness well weighed, would be found as verily, it is, truly resigned.  
Really I would have attempted the deliverye of some notions wherewith aswell my zeal, as also your Grace's singular virtues have formerly prompted me.  
But when I (let not this my Apology, MADAME, not find grace with your Grace) perused this treatise (which I now dedicate to your Excellency) made English; and found it consonant to what the height of my imagination could arrive, yea and as well agreeing, aptly according with your Excellencyes example: Then was I acquieted, made no farther search, for that I was even fully appayed, Alas! yet MADAME as confiding in your indulgency, your connivency.  
The Author most learnedly hath delivered his charitable mind, in whose work reading and curious notions are sweetly couched, evidently to be seen in an appropriate Method: yea and it is most assuredly embellished and practically confirmed by him, as being fraught with many rare patterns, among which MADAME were I not à translator I would herein record, register your Grace, as one deservedly.  
Farther what are the particular contents of this piece will clearly be shown in the subsequent preface, compiled by the Author himself; to which I refer your Excellency wherein may be contemplated à discourse which may well and likely prove à general benefit to all Readers by your Grace.  
MADAME Your Excellencies Most humbly devoted Servant JOHN HAWKINS.   

THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE TO THE READER.  
GOOD is not known, yea not even taken notice of (as a spanish Proverb delivereth) until that it be passed by; yea more, be utterly lost. Alas! the truth hereof I most apparently perceive in myself, it aptly agreeth with my state, and my run course of life, for that I too late taken notice thereof, too late knew what time is, and of what value it is, and what a precious and inestimable treasure it may be truly found to be. So far forth that I am much aggreived that I did not dis●erne it, and well might I, for that I have lost so great à jewel: and earnestly I desire (if it were possible) that I were master of my years already spent, to the end I might well and most solicitously employ them, as Iought, and my well being requireth, and my duty commandeth, and that I might redeem them from the Captivity and enthrallment with which they have been miserably detained, yea and enchained. Rather might I well say, that he who hath not known, and prized time bathe justly deserved, that now he lament and earnestly wish for it, and that yet notwithstanding he fail to possesie that which he disesteemed, that which he, alas! so slightly regarded. But I take for a singular, a rare grace and mercy of notable value that our Lord (although at the end of my days) hath given me this capacity, this understanding, and fervent desire of à better employing my time, which from hence for ward his mercy will grant me, that I may exhort and give some counsel to the remiss; careless and as it were altogether negligent.  
And to give beginning to what is fore delivered, I have desired that he please to make me his Attorney or Proctor that I may petitionarily plead for the ransom, the redemption thereof: and that I may instruct them, who have lost it, how they may regain it, and that I may declare how much it importeth them, how far it concerneth them, of what great consequence it is to them, and likewise further I may earnestly, and with fullness of charity crave of them and piously, yea even move them that they cast not away one hour: what say I? no nor moment of time. I will be brief, though were it I should spend never so much time in the account hereof, I should not judge it lost time.  
I shall not be able to bring to pass what Pythagoras doth advise, which is to contract many sentences in few words, as good Philosophers ought, and are accustomed to do. Hence Diogenes to one who talking with him seemed to tax some what the brevity of the Philosopher's sentences, answered, you say right well truly they are in few words couched indeed, yet deserve not hence reprehension, for were it possible, so likewise should be the syllables.  
But I will do the fall extent of my power, contracting this whole subject under ten Chapters only. Herein observe Gentle Reader that I cast not time away neither in the definition or description of Time (where it might seem that the Treatise should take his beginning) for that it is not necessary (as said Saint Augnstine) for there is not aught more known, nor more familiar, more frequently spoken of by humane tongue, then is that of time.  
Let it graciously please God Almighty our good and glorious Lord through his precious blood (which was the price of our redemption) that this treatise of the redeeming of lost time may answerably profit the Reader.   

The names of the Authors alleged & cited in this tractate.  

SAint Ambrose.  
F. Alphonso de Castro.  
Andrew bishop of Caesarea.  
Aristotle.  
S. Augustine.   

B.  
S. Basil.  
V. Bede.  
S. Bernard.  
S. Bernardino of Scions.  
S. Bonaventure.   

C.  
S. Cassianus.  
Cesario.   

D.  
Dionysius Carthusianus.  
Dionysius Cassius.   

E.  
Elianus.  
Euthymius.   

G.  
S. Gregory Pope.  
Gregorius Nissenus.   

H.  
Haimon.  
Horace.   

I.  
S. Jerome.  
S. john Damaseene.  
S. john Chrysostome.  
john Stobeus.  
Don john Orozcory.   

L.  
Laërtius.  
B. Laurentius justianus.  
Ludovicus Blosius.   

M.  
F. Maldonato jes.   

N.  
S. Nicolas Diukespu.   

O  
Origen.  
Ovid.   

P.  
Plutarch.   

S.  
P. Salmeron jes.  
Seneca.  
Simon de Caffia.  
P. Soarez. jes.   

T.  
Thaulerus.  
Theodoret.  
S. Thomas of Aquine.  
Thomas de Kempis.   

V.  
P. Viegas. jes.  
Virgil Po.   

Z.  
Zedrenus.    

The Chapters in this treatise contained.  

Cap. 1. WHAT à precious jewel Time is! pag. 1.  
Cap. 2. That we are Lords of Time, and for what end God bestowed it on us, and in what manner it should be employed. pag. 28.  
Cap. 3. How God abbre●iateth, shorteneth, yea taketh away time when there is great want thereof to him who took no care thereof when he possessed it, nor sought he ough to make go●● use thereof according to his duty power. pag. 45.  
Cap. 4. That even now whilst we have time it concerneth us, to take pains with fervency, and speed, and that we ought to employ it well. pag. 64.  
Cap. 5. How justly the sluggish deserve reprehension, and who so called. pag. 91.  
Cap. 6. How the body doth captivate that time which is designed for the soul and thereby exalteth itself. pag. 101.  
Cap. 7. That lawfully secular people may use some entertainments of mirth, solace, and pastime to recreate their spirits. pag. 131.  
Cap. 8. That it is lawful also yea even necessary, that spiritual men use some convenient exercise which may tend for an intermission; recreation and solace. pag. 148.  
Cap. 9 Of the means to redeem time, where shallbe given to understand more expressly who are they, and of what condition they are who lose it. pag. 165.  
Cap. 10. How it is to be understood, that the days are bad, and how since so it is, that they are to be redeemed. pag. 181.   
FINIS.   

THE RANSOM OF TIME BEING CAPTIVE.  

THE FIRST CHAPTER.  
What a precious jewel Time is?  
IT is the stile and manner of holy scriptures delivery (that whensoever it teacheth or admonisheth 〈◊〉 ought) which is very notable, 〈◊〉 of great importance, it preparest us with the fore sending of some marvelous and extraordinary vision or figure, which may invite and raise serious attention, which may awaken and sprightly quicken our minds, and hold them in suspense and admiration, as ordinarily is read in the kookes of the Prophets, and especially in the Apocalypse of S. john the Evangelist; 
Apoc. 10.  where among other admirable visions and figures, that which he writeth in the 10. Chapter is very remarkable, which (jointly with those words of the Apostle in the epistle to the Ephesians Redeem thy time, 
Ephes. 9  for thy days are evil) shall be the Theme and ground of this our treatise and exhortation.  
He then further saith that he sawan Angel goodly, mighty, and powerful to apprehension, to come down from heaven, environed with a Cloud; who brought with him on his head in lieu of à Diadem Heaven's Rainbow; his face was resplendent as is the Sun at full Noon, with his irradiations, his glistering beams: his Feet were like Columns or great pillars of purely bright-burning fire. In his hand he held a book opened, and treading on the Sea with his right foot, and on the earth with his left foot, so loudly strained he his voice, and in such à manner, that he seemed not unlike a Lion, when he roareth: and pointing at Heaven with his forefinger swore, by him who liveth, and shall live for ever and ever; him who created heaven, earth, and sea and whatsoever is in them contained, that after the days of the seaventh Angel, time should cease for ever and ever, that time should have no being at all.  
To declare briefly the mysteries which herein are comprised.  
This Angel according to the exposition of many Authors, is Christ our Lord, the Angel of the great, high and, mighty Counsel, or is One of the most blessed Angels, who representeth his person who hath from him the office of his Legate or Ambassador; descended From heaven, for apparently, most visibly he is to come down from thence in a resplendent, a cleerly-bright, and most glorious Cloud, with great and mighty power to give judgement on all the world.  
Yet observe also that his being covered in a cloud doth signify the confusion, the strange conturbation which in those last days will appear, as well in the time of the reign and fearful persecution of Antichrist, as also when there shall appear, such terrible, such horrible, such dreadful signs which are to fall out, and evidently to be shown before the universal judgement, the day of doom; when as the fearful presence of the judge is from moment to moment looked for.  
The Rainbow is the Emblem or sign of peace.  
The Fire, of Anger, fury, and chastisement.  
And in the two uttermost bounds of humane body, which are the Feet and head (the beginning and ending thereof) are delineated the two several comings of Christ to the world, whereof the first was of mercy to make peace between God ad Man, and hence is it that for devose he beareth on his head the Rainbow of Heaven, for sign that the waters of the Deluge, the afflictions and forepassed chastisements were ceased. And in the other he shall come as a judge; and hence is it that he is delineated with Feet of fire, which signify inflexible, implacable rigour, and terrible anger. Ignis ante ipsum praecedet said David, 
Psa. 49.  he shall come casting forth fire abundantly.  
The Form and figure of Columns import the mighty power which he will extend in the rigid execution of his judgement and justice.  
The Open book in his hand doth give us to understand the eternal sapience, eternal wisdom which he hathas God, by virtue whereof the office of a judge is his proper attribute and the fullness of science, of knowledge, of wisdom, which he hath as man to discern and discuss the real grounds of things, the demeanour and desert of all the sons of Adam, and the decreed rate of the Divine law according to the which they are to be adjudged.  
The placing one foot on the Sea, and the other on the Land is as much as to say that he surroundeth, that he comprehendeth the Sea and land, the land and Sea: and that there is not aught which can be exempt from his hands, 
Psal. 13.  nor hide itself from his presence.  
The roaring not unlike to that of a Lion, doth declare the strange anger, and inexpressible ireful countenance of the judge, when he shall pronounce the heavy, and most doleful, direful sentence of the condemned.  
And the so Solemn oath doth express the infallible certainty, which shall be in the full accomplishment, and complete execution of that, which he declareth, he pronounceth, he preacheth to mankind: that in the days of the seaventh Angel when as that dreadful trumpet shall be heard, and horridly resound, which shall summon to judgement all the offspring of Adam, time for ever and ever shall cease, shall be consumed, shall have its full and uttermost bound and last end, and that eternally, that everlastingly it shall be wanting to them, who opportunely did not benefit themselves by it, but deferred their well doing when as they possessed this Time, unto the last period, the uttermost day of their lives.  
And that the Angel published the Edict with so many and such like circumstances and ceremonies, that time should have its end once for ever and ever and when this is to take effect, it is for that we be informed, and begiven fully to understand of what price, value, and great esteem it is, and what great benefit God imparteth to us, bestoweth on us, to make us Lords thereof, the whole course of our days, of our life, and contrary wise what a great punishment it is that he subtract it from any one, as being altogether unworthy of it, it being ill employed: And to know how precious time is it would suffice to contemplate that in an instant the infinite eternity of Glory may therein be acquired, since that man may gain it in so little a space. And hence is it that the Holy Ghost adviseth us to conserve time, 
Eccles. 4.  as gold carefully wrapped up, as the apple of our eye, and that we carefully eschew vice, yea and with perseverance, successively, continually: which is, as if he should say that we spend it in good works, and that thereof we lose not aught, no not one sole moment. Again by the self same Ecclesiasticus he counseleth us, 
Eccles. 14.  saying; Consume not, cast not away a good day, not without profit let pass the one only particle of a good gift. One text readeth Particula bonae diei, and the other which is the vulgar translation, Bonidoni: whether the one or other be h●s words, his true meaning is, his realle scope is to advertise us, to give us counsel, and to exhort us earnestly to account of time, to use time well; oh! yea carefully, solicitously, and most tenderly, not only of a day, but also of each day; for he who well understandeth and well disposeth of one day, may take pattern there by to square, proportion, and well dispose of, well order his whole life; and he completely is master thereof, as also maketh thereof right use, who worketh his own proper good and that of his Neighbours to his full power, employing himself, and his time in works of piety and mercy. King David feared a little parcel of time of much, and so much desired he to spend it all well, that he was even agonized in contention, in struggling with the Sun who should rise soon to give laudes to God, to honour and praise God; & at length the King overcame, got the victory, according to those words, 
Psalm. 118.  by which it is testified, praevenerunt oculi mei ad te diluculo vtmeditarer eloquia tua: My eyes got ground of the sun, fore ram it to conteplate, to meditate on thy words; for before it at all appeared, I was all entertained seriously attentive and earnestly busied thereon, which according to the exposition of S. Ambrose is, as if he should speak more plainly, and more at large: oh, thou who art a Christian rise before the Sun is up, before the Sun appeareth at all. For I cannot but hold it for a great lazines, and a merely most indefensible and most strangely careless negligence, marvailously blamable, and above all discretion, that the beams of the Sun rising should find thee idle, thee I say sluggish, and drowsing in thy soft couch. Art thou peradventure so ignorant, so stupid as that thou apprehendest not, that thou oughtest to offer, and freely give to God each day the first fruits of thy tongue, and heart?  
Behold, observe well the gifts bestowed on thee; thou possessest daily harvest, and hence each day is fruit. And in an other Psalm Prophet saith Anticipaverunt vigilias oculi mei. My eyes have anticipated, 
Psa. 79.  prevented, and raised themselves up, before the sentinels and City watch; which importeth (according to S. Hierome) before any was awake, any had opened their eyes, even than I was with watchful eyes at Midnight, when each one sweetly slept, and profoundly, then risse ay, not only then, but in the morning, and at midday, also at evening, in a word; seven times a day I give laud and praise to God, and his praise was always in my mouth, and at all hours. It was he who knew well to conserve time, he exactly and most prudently observed & understood what it was, and of what value it was and how to avail himself, to make true use of so precious a gem without the loss of any one the least either of the good day, or good gift. A precious hazard is time Theophrastus said; and Seneca in his first Epistle (which he wrote to Lucilius his friend) delivereth his mind in this following manner; 
Theophras. Seneca. Epist. 1.  what man will you bring forth, can you produce, who can rightly value time, who knoweth the price of one only day? & well considering that we daily incline to our end, our death, and that we ever dye? Herein we extremely deceive ourselves that our fantasy, and our eyes make not death our object. Much of time tending to our end, is already passed: the rest of our a●e, and life that thou canst expect afterwards is what death doth challenge to itself; for one foot is then accounted to be in the grave Therefore my good friend (Lucilius) be thou even answerably to that which thou writest in thy letter to me thou art, as one who well knoweth the price of time. Entertain, make account, value all hours, and each tenderly, so shall less depend on the hours of to morrow, of the next day, taking strict account and careful esteem of the present day, not slightly and caresly letting it pass of, for life though never so much prolonged, yet in this his course passeth not withstandnig although at length, yea and swiftly flieth. And we cannot account aught our proper own but time; for that all other things are strangers to us, divers, not agreeing with us; alas! not in our jurisdiction, under our power, our command; nature hath impatronized us here with, we are possessed, though of what is nimble, whic runneth, flieth, and passeth beyond expression swiftly from us. And is human kind so unwise, so indiscreet that it is appassionated and looketh after means, things, almost matters of nothing, and likewise recoverable, which lost they miserably lament for? There is not any body to be found who will acknowledge that he is indebted aught for being made Lord of time, although undoubtedly true it is, that time is of a nature so precious, that be one never so thankful, yet is he never able to pay answerably to the greatness of the due debt; the price thereof hath so large extent; no, not the debt of one days time. And in his book of the brevity, 
Idem lib. de brevitate vitae.  the little extent of life he pursueth further: There is not any body living who desireth to consume and cast away his patrimony, his means, his goods of fortune, nor to utterly despoil himself, far rather to conserve it carefully, yea and more to make increase thereof; time and life is easily rendered, given over, and consumed in many and divers ways. Worldlings are covetous, are marvelous greedy of wealth, and strangely solicitous thereon, and oftentimes immeasurably profuse, wonderfully prodigal, although such is the condition of things that covetousness, the earnest desire of having, possessing, and completely enjoying of time, is that which is truly just and really laudable, worthy to be esteemed, and honoured with praise for truly, as immediately after in the same book he delivereth, time is the most precious iewell of all others, to be far preferred before any, what soever is or can be conceived, yet notwithstanding it of all other things is least valued, yea and indeed to say more, despised, for it 〈◊〉 reckoned as a thing of nothing, of no worth at all. There is not any who esteemeth it when he hath it, if so it occur that any one be sick, nay their finger's but even ache, you shall see them crouch, cringe, yea even bow their knees before the Physician; and be it that he fear the prognostic; the sentence, the doom of death, he will give the physician his weight in gold for his recovery, for ransom of his life. The blessed S. Laurence justinian considering what time is, 
Laurens. Iust. de vita solitaria. cap. 10.  and of what value, breaketh forth into these words: Ah! who is there, who is capable? who is he, who can with full extent of spirit and understanding apprehend of what price, of what worth is time? Oh! what grace of delivery, what eloquence, what sweetly-spun, or flowing speech of man can declare it, lively and sprightly express it? they who want time, and have it not at all know it. Then would they truck all the possessions of the world, honours, dignities, prelacyes, pomps of the age, corporal delights, and all that is under the Sun, wherewith they are taken, entertained, and marvailously pleased with, for one, one-sole houres-time, if possibly they might regain it, acquire it, possess it. For in this brief time, in this most short space, they might appease the divine justice, they might rejoice the Angels, they might escape the terrible, dreadful, most direful doom of eternal loss, everlasting damnation, and hence might they merit, and (without all doubt) might win everliving life, eternal bliss. The careless, unhappy, ah! unfortunate are those to whom the sun of mercy is set. And they are passed of, without hope of any recovery, they are descended to the Lake of misery, where is nothing but confusion and ever lasting horror. And not without all reason pardon is denied them, for that they misseprised it, 
job 10.  when it was offered unto them, nay they did not once desire either to meditate, to consider, or know what time its worth was, nor the much necessity thereof, and the great want that they were to suffer thereby, so living to please their palates, and their appetites, as if they were never to die. Oh! if they to ke●t into consideration, they should well apprehend (they I sav who employ their time ill, and live carelessly) how they without once reflecting thereon miserably lose it; for what is there more precious than time? what is more excellent? what more dear? what of greater benefit? oh! what is there more beautiful, more to be beloved then time? More is the pity, greater is the grief, that there is not any thing so vilified, so despised, so the least of leasts esteemed of, nor so unworthily possessed, it being that, through which may be heaped treasures, and eternal rewards won in any one part thereof. Hence is that they, who well observe; well know that, which is worth let not the least time pass, be it never so short without fruit, without return of profit; and why? for that they have to render to God an exact and strict account. And glorious S. Bernard saith that there is not any thing, 
Bern. serm. ad Schol:  which is more of value, more precious than is time; but now a days is there found aught more despicable, more contemptible? The day of safety, of well being doth like shadows pass, and there is not any body who according to reason doth lament the loss of that, which hath no regress, no return. But let men understand that even as no hair of the head shall perish, 
Luc. 1●.  even so neither more nor less 〈◊〉 any least moment of time, unless there be thereof an account, and reason. None of you brethren esteem aught the time you cast away in idle and most vain words; Words irrecoverable fly, yea and time flieth irremediably, not to be repaired, alas! not to be helped, and the sottish fool taketh no notice of what he looseth. It is not amiss, nay rather I may well say that it is even lawful, will some one urge to chat, to talk a while, and to continue familiar discourse between man and man, until one hour be run out; what! that hour that God almighty freely and mercifully gave thee to do penance, that hence thou mightest obtain pardon, hence to win grace, and merit glory? oh! until time glide away, fully make his flight until the hour completely be run? Time, oh! that time thou hadst to labour, to procure to win divine mercies, propiriousnes, favour, indulgency, and when thou oughtest to have made all haste, with fullness of diligence to come unto the society of Angels, to sigh, and breath for the eternal inheritance, to suscitate, to awaken thy lukewarm, thy sluggish will, and to weep bitterly on thy forepast life, the iniquities thou hast transgressed in. All these are S. Bernard's words. Oh! if this merchandise (saith the blessed S. Bernardin of Sienna) of time could be saleable in hell, 
S. Bernardin. ●o. ult. serm. 13 art. 3. & 4. & tom. vl. serm. 1● pag. 1 princip.  there for one half hour what would they proffer, nay what would they give? ah! alas yes! they would part with a thousand worlds, if they were possessed of them, their state considered, they there knowing how it is with such miserably distressed, although they were in being again. Time is of more value than is what soever the world hath, for of such nature is it, that thereby may be acquired, gained merits, through which one may arrive to the possession and enjoying eternal be atitude God himself the infinite good and ●●easure. And if the devil were but master of a little time, in which he might do acts of repentance, he would save himself, and gain, that, which without all redemption he hath utterly lost. The self same Saint further delivereth: That thing is of great value, very precious of which asmall quantity is as much worth as is a greater weight and quantity of an other. And so it is with gold, for that with little there of is bought great weight of any other thing or mettle what soever. Then contemplate time, weigh it well, for that there with in an instant, if you were practised in trading, you shall be enabled to get heaven, and life everlasting, as did the good Thief. Well knew Arsenius the Abbot, the price of time, 
Dionys. civet. in opuscul.  for when as he was in the hermitage of custom so well busied, 
Dionys. Carthus. in opusc.  and was so earnestly covetous of time, that is was his wont saying: An hour of sleep is enough for a Monk. And when once he found himself much incited, marvailously surprised, yea altogether overcome, calling on sleep uttered these words to him: Come, oh! come now thou forcibly oppressing enemy, and even then setting himself down, gave himself over to repose, slumbered, took a nap. And if so that it may be granted unto me as lawful to the confusion of bad Christians to recite the Gentiles, 
Plut●rch.  the Heathens, Pl●tarch writeth of Marcus Cato Censorius that three things he declined, yea exceedingly abhorred; The first to deliver to the discretion of womankind, what he would not each one should know. The second to make any journey by water, when commodiously he might go by Land. And the third was that negligently and through his own fault any day should pass without having well employed the time thereof. Plinius the elder on a day seeing one of his nephews to walk up and down, although seeming by him done for his recreation, chidd him and sharply reprehended him saying: you might well have aright known the price of time; you need not have lost these hours. Sertorius the Proconsul, 
Plutarc. in Sertorio.  and Captain general of the Romans when he had bought ad redeemed by money of the Barbarians a passage, and that hence some murmured, and took it in ill part, it seeming to them that this act of his was to enslave the Romans, as that they should give unto others tribute, answered: Alas! what urge you, what may be called your true meanings herein? I have not done aught else but redeemed and bought time, which is the treasure more precious than is any thing object to the eyes of men, though never so covetous, though never so greedy of great matters. Then well may I say, if the Heathens valued time at so high a rate, with what greater reason should the Christian esteem of it, completely prize it? since that through it he may acquire, gain, and win eternal beatitude, and infinite glory.  
The end of the first chapter.   

THE SECOND CHAPTER.  
That we are Lords of time, and for what end God bestowed it on us, and in what manner it should be employed.  
ALL other things (saith the blessed Laurentius justinian and Seneca before delivered the self same, are alienes, strangers, not appertaining to us as our own, they are not ours, time is that which we challenge as ours, time is that which is our proper own and we Lords thereof; for that it lieth in us to employ it as we desire, and will ourselves. And it is not a small grace, favour, and benefit where with we are endowed, that he giveth us freely for our own so precious a jewel, & especially giving us so much, that though the greatest extent of time is very short, saith Seneca, it is not a little which we retain, possess; and without all reason doth human kind complain of life's brevity, its shortness, it's soonerun race; they should rather reflect on time lost, what time is carelessly cast away, lamentably consumed; let here be the ●eate of their whisper, their murmurs, their indiscreetly placed Complaints. Ah! life is long enough to operate, to wo●ke atchieument, prais-worthy, and of singular note, if it so be that it be well distributed, well dispensed. God almighty yea even with the Angels themselves was so reserved herein, that he gave them for their bounds Instants of time, and prefixed times of well or ill deserving. He gave them short spaces, and moments which some say were two, or three, and those, who go farthest do assign but four (true it is that it sufficed in respect of their gifts and perfection of their nature) but to man who is slow, inconstant, and most variable, God giveth time of life and many years, and ages. But he was not endowed, and enlarged there with to live sluggishly, not to run over it, not to consume it in sports, delights, jests, laughters, pastimes, and corporal entertainments, and much less in sins; but it was to be seriously employed in good-workes, in well-doeing, and just and lawful exercises, and in taking pain, labouring in his vineyard, gaining by labour, and sweat of thy brows thy daily pay, 
Matth. 10.  which is the wages of the paines-taker and the reward of happiness. To the like end the Apostle delivereth: doing good works, 
Gala. 6  in them employing our time: for to such end he gave it us; let us not fail, let us not be discouraged, aught dismayed, or weary, for the time will come that we shall reap and get in our harvest, and our fruit. Since so it is whilst we are impatronized of time, let us do the uttermost of our power. And Seneca, 
Seneca.  though a Heathen delivereth thus, time was not bestowed on us so liberally, so benignly; that we might lawfully lose aught thereof. This is the time that is acceptable, 
2. Cor. 6.  the time which will be received, and well accounted of, this is the even day of happiness, of health, of safety (my brethren) therefore in this work your salvations by meritorious works acceptable, and such as may please God. The time of this life is likewise by him called, the time of a fair; for even as in them there are found, bought commodities at small rates, at little price; even so in this life merchandises, and jewels of inestimable and infinite value are bought with small cost; and yet with a momentary and easy, light tribulation, and small trouble is obtained an eternal weight of glory (as saith the same Saint Paul) which shall be possessed, shall be completely enjoyed in heaven. And by the way it is worth our observation to note how he giveth it the name of weight, for that with its weight and greatness it easeth and maketh light all the difficulties, griefs, and anxieties of this world, and that which in this world maketh us weigh most, to suffer, bear, and endure, compared with it, is of no more weight than a straw, is as light as a fly. And even so the weight of reward put in one balance maketh light, lifteth up to the very height the other scale of tribulations; even as a great weight put into a scale overturneth the other, in which there was one only straw. Answerable to which the same Apostle hath delivered in another place, 
Rom. 8.  the passions and tribulations of this life, its anxieties are not condign, not of a like worth, altogether improportionable to the glory to come, which shall be revealed and manifested in us, rather (if you compare them) they are truly very little, and of no weight. And to this our purpose which we intent to follow Christ our Lord maketh a like Comparison to that of fairs, 
Luc. 19  when he compared the Kingdom of heaven to a man buying and selling, 
Matth. 13.  to a Merchant. And when (as to men of employment) he spoke to all the faithful; Be busy, make your merchandise, and lose no time therein until I come, for then all traffic ceaseth, hath its end, there shall be no more Fair in being. Hence further more the time of this life is called, a time of leisure, a vacation (free from all other things, free from all other entertainments, other employments) for man to busy and seriously attend the service of our Lord: It is likewise called a time of labour, according to those words of our Saviour, by S. john Evangelist his words, 
john. 9  Now is the time of pains taking whilst day is yet in being, for night will come, in which no body can work. There is a time enstyled a time of sowing, and a time of reaping, and of carrying in the Corn, the grain, the harvest: for it is the time that one may deserve well, and gather in the fruits of merit, whereby the reward of heaven is to be gained. Hence it is that the Holy Ghost sendeth the idle, careless and sluggish for his shame and confusion, to the careful & fully solicitous Ante: go thou to the Ant (saith he in the Proverbs of Solomon) and observe well how that in the summer season, he maketh his provision, for the fall of the leaf, for that time of the year, and how he laboureth and gathereth his grain, and how he hoardeth and keepeth it in such places, not unlike granaries, corn lofts; and he maketh his provision, for that in winter there is no time to gather grain, but to eat, and live by what is before gotten and conserved. Our Lord bestowed time on us (said the blessed Laurentius justinianus) that we should lament, 
Laur●t. lustinian.  and sigh, and bitterly be wail our trespasses, it was given us for to do penance, to acquire virtue, to multiply merits, to obtain grace, to excuse, hence to defend, and to vindicate ourselves from the torments of hell, and to acquire the glory of heaven. And such is this truth that time hath been given unto us to employ in good works that that only which we spend on them, and practices of virtue is ours properly, and that only time is registered in the account of our life, and of our days, and of whatsoever else is no reckoning made, nor memory in heaven, nor in the book of life. Although the world numbereth them, and recordeth them, our Lord knoweth not those days; at the least, to understand him aright, he saith he knoweth them not, as that which neither pleaseth him, nor is ou●ht agreeable to him, but rather offendeth him. And in like manner Origenes expounding these words of David, our Lord knoweth the days of men who are without blot or stain, who are the just thus delivereth. It is written in sacred scriptures that God knoweth nothing else but what is good, and that he knoweth not evil, he forgette●h it, not for that his science, his unspeakable fullness of all knowledge doth not reach, apprehendeth not, all what good, or evil is; the meaning hereof is, for that they are unworthy of his sight, his taking notice of, his knowledge. I know you not said he to the foolish virgins; 
Matth. 25.  and as much to the workmen of mischief, of iniquity. Our Lord knoweth the way of the just, said the kingly Prophet David. And Solomon delivereth that our Lord understandeth the right hand way. 
prover. 4.  And likewise saith David that our Lord knoweth the hours and the days, and their time who live without stain of sin, and knoweth not the days of transgressors. Sacred Scripture registereth no more than only two years of Saul his Reign, 
1. Reg. 13.  although he bore the sceptre forty years, 
Act. 20.  for that he lived well but two years, and without blemish of sin, all the rest of his days were inquinated with foul and shameful blotts. Dionysius Cassius writeth that in a City of Italy was found an ancient sepulchre, 
Dionysius Cassius.  on the tombstone whereof were ensculpted were these words written. Here lieth Similus a Roman Captain, whose life although long it was, yet he lived not in all this time, but seven years only, for during that time, he being retired from Court, and freed from the solicitude, the care, the charges which he had held, dedicated, and fully devoted himself to virtue, & to its school, it's exercise, 
Damas. Hist. Barla cap. 18.  it's practice. The glorious Damas. in the history of S. Barlaan and josaphat recounteth, that josaphat demanding of Barlaam what where his years, of what age he was, had delivered to him this answer; I am (if I deceive not myself) forty and five years old, to many there are run, since I was borne: What is your answer, I understand you not (said josaphat) for to my eye, to my conjecture you are above seventy? if so that you account strictly from the time of my nativity, you say right well, and you err not aught, for I am above seventy; but I can no ways admit, they be reckoned more, for they seem not to me at all years of life, nor can the rest which I have misspent in the vanities of the world be accounted of For as at that time being slave to sin, I living at pleasure, at full swinge of sensuality of my body, and outward man, I was then undoubtedly a dead man without life according to the inward man, so far forth that I cannot call them, enstile them under the title of years of life, which were of death, I lived not then: But after that by the grace of our Lord I was crucified and dead to the world, likewise the world to me, and that I have despoiled myself of the old man, and quite cast him of, now I live no more sensually nor to please the body the spirits enemy, but only for jesus Christ, and such my years lived in I call years of life, of health, safety and salvation. And believe it most assuredly that all they who are in sin, and obey the devil, and pass away, I say consume their lives in delights, and vain concupiscences, are dead and buried, utterly lost; for that sin is death of the soul as Saint Paul affirmeth. 
Rom. 6.  Divine S. Jerome in his exposition on the third chapter of the Prophet Aggaeus delivereth. 
Hiero. in Aggaeum. cap. 3.  That all the time in which we serve vice, perisheth, becometh utterly lost, and so is it reputed, as if it had not been at all, it is reckoned for a thing of nothing. It is recorded of Titus Vespasian, that being at supper one day, when he called to mind, that he had done no good office for any one, that he had not been to any beneficial, to all the standers by, to each one present, with resentment, with sensibleness, and not without grief he breathed forth these words. O my friends how much I am perplexed, and afflicted that I have passed of this day unproffitably, that I have lost this day. Let the Christian observe well, let him know that the day which he hath ill passed, hath ill spent let him account it not his, that in it he hath no propriety at all. And that this is evident Seneca witnesseth in these words; that many there are who leave to live, before they begin to live. Time was benignly bestowed on us, saith that famous Doctor Thomas de Kempis, to spend it well, 
Thomde Kempis. ●. p. Ser. ad Nonit cap. 7.  to employ it well in good works; not to let it pass idly nor to hear, nor to tell Fables, and recount vain entertainments of time. ah! since so it is, let not pass away from you my sons (he delivereth this to the Novices of his order) neither hour, nor any instant of time without some fruit, and if so that now and then there shall be liberty of interchanging words of discourse, of speaking among yourselves or others be given, it is not granted unto you, it is not allowed to you, that any word should be uttered by you, which may not be of good use, and profit; for even as you have to give God Almighty an account of each idle world, so likewise you must do of all the time you have lost, and ill employed. Ludovicus Blosius among other advertisements, 
Ludou. Blosius.  other counsels which he delivereth to him, who newly beginneth to practise a spiritual life, saith, that he ought to value, weigh to a grain times worth, and account the loss thereof, be it never so little. And the mystical Thaulerus 
Thauler.  among other lessons, & counsels which he giveth to religious saith: Carry yourselves in such manner that you have great care, as of the eschewing of the most pestiferous, most mortal poison, of the loss of any time. And likewise one of the officers of the exchequer, and of the accusers that the day of judgement hath against us is to be that of time, according to which the words of the Prophet jeremias. are inculcated, 
jerem.  gi●●ing us to understand, in his Lamentations Vocavit adversum me tempus. My Lord against me called Time for witness. The which place the glorious Doctor S. Thomas showeth to be at the day of doom, 
Thom. de Aquin. Sap. ●.  for that among other things that there are to accuse us, one will be found to be that of time. And in that place it is its office to contest with sinners, who are insensible, dull, blockish; and with all the universe, all the world, applying itself, addicting itself wholly and zealously for God his honour, and it's own, accusing them, and against them requiring justice for the heavy offence which they against their Lord, and his creatures have trespassed in, with abuse of them, with injury done to them, and disgrace, and for drawing these creatures by force, & whether they would or not, to the end they might serve them in their ill courses, misled ways, and monstrous vices.  
The end of the second Chapter.   

THE THIRD CHAPTER.  
How God abbr●uiateth, shorteneth, yea taketh away time when there is great want thereof to him whosoever, who took no care thereof when be possessed it, nor sought he ought to make good use thereof according to his duty and power.  
ALthough that solemn oath of the Angel, (of which we have spoken of in the first Chapter) that a day will come when as time shall have his end, that the day of universal judgement for all in general shall be accomplished, shall have its conclusion, after which there is no time to deserve well or ill, nor to do penance which may be of any profit, and for any each man in particular in the last day, last period of his life, in which he will hope, and there will be his particular judgement: Not withstanding it is much to be feared, and to be seriously considered that customarily God Almighty useth, for chastisement, and deserved punishment to bereave a negligent and altogether careless sinner of time, to shorten his life, because he doth not avail himself of time, as he aught seeing that it is spent ill. So teacheth the glorious S. Bernardine of Sienna, 
Bern. art. 3. cap. 4.  and he to prove it citeth that place of the Apocalypse; Sinon vigilau●ris, V●ian ad te tanquam fur, If thou watch not I will come to thee unawares like a Thief. Hence is it that God Almighty threateneth a careless sinner, whose manner was to post of his conversion and penance from day to day, it seeming to him that he had time, I and even time more than was sufficient, very abundant, and he thus delivereth himself: Be not too negligent, be not careless, play not with time, mock it not, nor value it for thine own surely, and certainly, nor at thy extent, nor so much at thy command, as thou imaginest, as thou dreamest; awake, sleep not I say, stand on thy guard, lest death come on thee as a thief is wont to do when he intendeth to rob, and that by a sudden assault it reduce thee into a miserable exigent, and all this without that thou know the hour of its approach. A thief cometh to do mischief, and taketh the goods which are not well looked unto, not carefully preserved, and with such diligence which is required, which they deserve, and such like is time in the house of a sinner. And hence justly our Lord abridgeth him thereof, for that he doth not spend it in such sort that thereby he may gain, and exchange, and make himself very rich and happy. And answerable to this our Lord saith by his Evangelist S. Matthew: To him that hath, more shall be given; from him who hath not, shall be taken away, what he had or seemed to possess. The just man esteemeth time his own, and is thereof Lord, and Master, for that he well knoweth the use thereof; and to this he who is master of time, more time shall be afforded him at the period of his life, more space to recollect himself, to examine, discuss, and purify his conscience; and he shall have abundance, he shall be supplied with fullness, all plenty will be bestowed on him as complete indulgency, plentiful grace, and infinite glory, and he is not Lord of time, who whilst he liveth doth not use it carefully and tenderly; hence when as thus deceived by the devil, with his dilation, with his deferring this amendment, he thinketh that yet he hath time, he shall be found by God his just judgement to be deprived thereof, space of repentance will be wanting unto him, either by sudden death, or by some unhappy chance, or other: all hitherto are the words of the glorious S. Bernardine. And hence is it that so often our Lord doth admonish us to watch, 
Matth. 25.  to be vigilant, for that we know not the day, the hour in which our time shall have its end. And the holy Church, as a solicitous, careful and most tender mother doth counsel us in a responsory, in answer delivered in the office of Lent, the selfsame saying Let us amend that wherein hitherto ignorantly we have trespassed in, Oh! let it not come to that exigent that hereafter we seek for time of penance, when it is not to be had. And to this purpose that God, cutteth of his thread of life immaturely, who availed not himself thereof to serve him: the glorious S. Bernardine of Sienna recounteth a most fearful and marvellous accident which happened in his time amongst the Catalonians next neighbours to the Kingdom of Valencia. A youth arrived to eighteen years old had beme most disobedient to his parents, and altogether disordered, who oftentimes bore no regard of them, tendered no duty; for punishment of such his misdemeanour God Almighty subtracting his assistance from him, he became a great robber, for which he was hanged in the same Town where he was bred, and being their hung on a gibbet, and dead, and in the presence of all the people there assembled was●●eene his beard to grow, and that in like manner the hair of his head grew, that there he was seen to have a wrinkled face; also his head was all over grey, and in semblance, in countenance, he was not unlike to be of the age of fourscore and ten years, which made them all admire, yea and affrighted them; the Bishop of the Diocese being informed hereof, commanded that all the people should pour forth their fervent prayers, he in like manner doing the same, desiring of God Almighty if it were his divine will and pleasure to reveal this mystery. A while after he craving silence and audience, and speaking with a loud voice delivered thus much: Now ye see (my sons) that this youth died at eighitene years old, and here he seemeth in his countenance to be fourscore and ten years old, Hence understand that which God Almighty is pleased to teach us, which is, that really according to the course of nature he had to live to the years of fourscore & ten, and so many had he run, had he been obedient to his parents, but in regard of his sins, and disobedience God Almighty hath permitted him to dye a violent death, cutting of so much time of his life, as is between eighteen years and fourescoure and ten; and that all the world might hereof take express notice, it was his divine will to work this miracle. Saint Hierome, 
S. Hieronym. Epist. 21.  that rare divine, useth these words, that the shortness of life is a chastisement and judgement of sins, and hence is it that our Lord hath abreviated, and cut of short the life, and years of men from the beginning of the world to this day. 
Isai●s 38.  God decreed that the life of king Ezechias should be lessened fifeteene years of what he was to have lived according to the course of nature, and yet again he graciously granted him them, through his tears, and hearts sorrow. And to this purport saith Haimon, expounding the words of the Prophet Isaias, 
Haimon in Isai.  our Lord hath heard thy prayers, and thy tears observed indulgently, is pleased foe add fifeteene years to thy life, that even as he spoke to Adam conditionally that he should be immortal if so that he obeyed his divine commands, even so in God his predestination were given these years to king Ezechias so that living without sin he were not swollen, and puffed up with pride, and even those who were foretaken with pride, were mercifully restored through their humility. Viri sanguinum & dolo●i non dimidiabunt dies suos, 
Psalm. 34.  saith the Prophet David: Bloody men, and men who deceive shall not run out their race, shall not live half their days, which is as much as to say more clearly, they shall not live the moiety, the half of their age, which they should run out, if so that they had spent their time well. Sinners thall not obtain and enjoy as they design and think, for even as o●r Lord said to the jews. Auferetur à vobis regnum Dei, etc. 
Matth. 21.  The Kingdom of heaven is to be transferred from ye, and it will be bestowed on an other people, who may make use thereof, and yield fruit, and may better know, and value it. Even so God will abridge sinners of time, for that they produce no fruit therein, they do no good, and he will bestow it on them, to whom it may deservedly be given, and who know to make right good use thereof. Those words of David the Prophet in his hundred and one Psalm, 
Psalm. 101.  Ne revoces me in dimidio dierum meorum, in which he petitioned our Lord, that he might not be taken of, that he might not dye in the midst of his days, rather according to the exposition of some, it is as if he should say: My God cut not the thread of my life, let not me dye in the midst of my days, for this time and age is the dangerousest time, even the gulf of life, full of idle cares, fantasies, and many vain and misunderstood courses, and far more dangerous is it to dye in these years, then in an age completely run, in it is not the same security nor in it the same confidence, alas! the same trust.  
Other deliver the selfsame according to what we discourse in other words: I fear my Lord: I fear my Lord that for my demerits, my sins, and for that I have so ill spent my time, that thou wilt shorten my life, which punishment thou didst therefore inflict on some; and hence is it that I humbly crave of thee that thou take me not away inseasonably, in the midst of my years and days, but that I may run them out, accomplish them which thou determinedst of, had I been correspondent to my duty. The holy and most patient job sayeth in like manner of a sinner: 
job. 15.  Antequam dies impleatur peribit, etc. Before that his time shall be run, he shall dye, and his hand is to become arid, dry; to fade, to perish even as a branch of a vine in his first blooming shallbe withered; which is as much as to say, that in green years before a full age run he shall dye, and that his life shall be shortened and shall be cut of in the midst of his days, as the days of an unworthy and unjust possessor. And besides that it is a great punishment here in the world, to come it willbe greiveous and of great torment to the condemned the remembrance of the time they had, and let slip without making use thereof, and to see that they failed thereof which was to be well employed, as for a better time. It is read in the book of the seven gifts, that a Monk of Claraval devout, and of a good and tender conscience on a time persisting a longer time in his prayers then was his custom, heard a dolorous sad yea and most lamentable voice, as even of one who miserably plained, sighed, and breathed forth groans, and the religious earnestly beseeching God Almighty with fervent tears, that the meaning thereof might be declared unto him, the voice which he heard answered him: I am the soul of such an one a sinner (calling himself by his own name) and I lament my misfortune and condemnation, and among all the torments I poor wretch in this my miserable estate suffer, which doth not torment me alone but also the rest of my company most extremely, and moveth bitter griefs, woeful weeping and lamentations, is the remembrance of the grace and mercy, which our Lord the Saviour of the world hath offered, of which we have made no account, no reckoning at all; as also the memory of time which we have lost, yea and to too ill employed alas! being made capable to gain in so short a space so much mercy, 
S. Nicol de Kesp  and such like rich and innumerable treasures; and this worm and remorse will always be gnawing their hearts and entrailes. 
Bern. serm. de fallacy praesentis vitae  And the glorious S. Bernard in one of his sermons entitled, of the Fallacyes and wiles of this present life, showeth, how it ensnareth, entrappeth and deceiveth sinners, one while under the persuasion that it is long, that they may a great space run on and defer their penance; in such manner doth it win them, so overcome are they by this means that they never make use thereof, that they never do penance; and otherwhile making the same short, very brief, 
Sap. 2.  that they may say, life is short alas! a breath, a blast, hence let us hasten to enjoy all the flowers, delights, and pastimes of the world, lest that we be deprived of them, before we take notice of them: He farther among many other remarkable things delivereth that God Almighty doth shorten their paces, their walks, their course in the midst of their pleasures, their delights, seeing their shamlesnes in offending him, and he cutteth of both their time and life, for that they who will not leave to sin willingly giving themselves over to their disordinate affections, trespasses, and vices he abridgeth them of time, taketh away their longer life, and maketh them to leave their further practice therein necessarily through death.  
And hence do many sinners die whether they will or Noah, for that the world conceiveth, that it is for accidents or in dispositions occulte, hidden, or for manifest occasions, notwithstanding that those days which they passed in sin, were not (as we have already said) truly good, were not well spent, nor the life candid and sincere, but shadowed, and alas! painted, I wis. Hence is it that in holy scripture sinners are valued as dead. 
Tim. 5.  The widow (sayeth the Apostle.) who liveth in pleasures, is dead: And our Lord saith in the Apocalypse to a Bishop who lived not answerable to his calling, 
Apoc. 3.  who lived not according to his duty: Thou art thought to live; the opinion of the world is no otherwise, but notwithstanding I know, Thou livest not, I say thou art dead, and so do I value thee, when thy soul is dead in thy living body; hence say I, that a sinner is said not to live but retaineth only the name of a living creature. And if the time which he passeth in vice, he liveth not, to speak properly, and that God Almighty customarily taketh away the half, he liveth much less time than the world apprehendeth, he shall prove short and scanted of time, of days. But what? the just far otherwise liveth a fairer, yea and a longer age than the world imagineth, and full of days; and timely and in his good season his master will cut him of from the tree.  
The end of the third Chapter.   

THE FOURTH CHAPTER.  
That even now whilst we have time it concerneth us to take pains with fervency, and speed, and that we ought to employ it well.  
IF time be so precious, and that it was given us to operate well, and to labour in the vineyard of our Lord all the day to the setting of the Sun, and that if so that we avail not ourselves thereof, it willbe taken from us, that we shall be utterly deprived thereof, and that it so fall out that it will fail us when we most desire it and have most need thereof, it will stand with good reason that we employ it well and that we be very solicitous thereof, and that we make all haste to labour and to traffic therein to make right and ready use thereof: And even so doth Ecclesiasticus advice us, 
Eccles. 9  saying: let thy hands labour in their uttermost abilities, earnestly, diligently, fervently, and speedily. all he delivereth is as much as to say: let not there be in thee any good thought, which thou canst remember, which thou keep not, and which thou procurest not to conserve; nor good word which thou mayst come to the hearing of, which thou hearken not to, or what in duty and charity thou shouldst say, that thou speak not, nor good work that thou canst do, that thou do not; without losing occasion or time. And further he delivereth, that what thine own can do, seek not a stranger's assistance, for thou must by no means trust thy salvation on others, nor must thou think or imagine aught that thy servant, or thy friend, or any whosoever in the world is, are to win heaven for thee thou iocundizing in fullness of delights: I tell thee plainly and indeed that thy hand, thine arm, thy strength, thy virtue are to work and bring this to pass, & thou must labour with great desire, much earnestness, and marvellous solicitude, and most vigilant care, yea and with vivacity, even to all speed, for that life passeth and suddenly flieth away, and when so that thou lest thinkest on it, the sun w●ll set, and even then indeed shalt thou be heartily glad, that thou hast taken much pains, for that proportionably so much more wil● bethy reward, and thy rest. And the reason which is delivered by Ecclesiasticus of all which is foresayed is, for that after this life (which so swiftly runneth his stage, his course) no work either of reason, or understanding, or the act of will, or any such faculty or power under what title soever it be, shall be of any validity, any force, of any fruit, any commodity, or benefit whatsoever hence to deserve grace or glory.  
The seven fruitful, and most plentiful years (figured, 
Genes. 41.  designed, noted by the seven fat kine which Pharaoh saw in a dream) signified the time of this life, which by weeks (each week comprising seven days) go on successively, making their returns and running their course; but after are to succeed other seven years (which will be all that other space of time, wherein the other life, which is without end, and so shall endure, shall last, have being and continuance) figured, designed by the seven lean, and even hunger-starved, kine barren & without any 〈◊〉 of desert. Therefore in imitation of the discreet and prudent joseph fill thy Granaries (my Son) thy corn lofts, and make thou provision for time of want, for time of dearth; for if so that thou deferrest thy gathering of Manna until the Sabbath of the other life, 
Exod. 16.  the other world, it will not avail thee aught, rather it will prove unto thee worms, for that there will be in thy soul (as we before said) a perpetual worm, and sting of conscience. Fair beyond what tongue can express was Rachael the most beautiful, 
Genes 30.  but she was barren, and on the other part Lya was far from being beautiful, far otherwise she was very homely, oh! far inferior to such an excellent comeliness with gracious beauty, yet was this Lya fertile, she was fruitful. The life to come is beyond all account most fair, most sweet, most amiable, but it is barren, for alas! yea even alas! there meritorious works have no place, have no being at all; such like are only and solely proper to this time, to this present life; which although in comparison thereof it is duskish, foul, and full of trouble, full of anguish, yet is it notwithstanding fruitful and hath in it this good, that prepareth and bringeth forth good works, and meritorious, with which grace is increased, and glory is acquired, and who so will not regard it and entertain its tribulations and its pains, and will not endure its mole●●ations, it's unquietness, and will not mortify himself in the customary ways thereof, shall not hereafter enjoy the most comely, yea and most beautiful Rachel. Give thy earnest attention o Christian, 
Matth. 20.  make all the speed thou any ways artable to undergo, for hereafter thou wilt be bereaved of all power, for it will be found impossible for thee to avail thyself of aught to thy well being We are all of us work men, hirelings, and journeymen, we work from day to day, so it clearly appeareth to be void of all reason that we pass over our timē of life in idleness, either in delights, or niceness, as if we were great Masters, great Lords, great Potentates. 
Gen. 3.  Before Adam sinned God Almighty placed him in a place of delights, it was Paradise, which he wrought and finished with his own hands, to the end that in this garden, à place of pleasure, he might entertain himself, might enjoy his time with content, with great delight and singular recreation; but after his delict, his sin, expulsing him, yea and banishing him from thence, made him a labourer, a painstaking man, and a workman on his own vine, alas! contemplate here his estate: Well since so it is, labour, take pains, and be very solicitous, and make all the hast possible (my good friend) if so that thou hast a mind to live without want, and to dye rich in spiritual goods, in heavenly treasures. And for so much as that men understend not thus much, (to speak more plainly) for that they will not, desire not to apprehend, to weigh and thereon consider, they convert the vine that is so fruitful into gardens and places of pleasure, and of overweening curious and nice solace, alas! and many are so vainly gilien over that their sense must be entertained with odoriferous smells and curious perfumes; and many of such appear to be like to King Achaz of whom it is written, 
4. Reg. 16.  that when as he had veiwed attentively the Altar of Damascus, he sent the the model thereof from that City, and draught to Urias the Priest, who erected an Altar according to to the King's design, and appointment; but the Altar of brass, and of other mettle which was to that very time before our Lord, he caused to be passed of, sent away, and that it should be no more seen in his temple, nor in his presence. My meaning, my application is, that now a days are many Christians who believe, and adore a God; but how? On the Altar of the Gentiles, for their lives are correspondent, answerable to theirs, they live even as they were heathens, giving themselves over to as many sumptuous entertainments, pleasures, voluptuousness, & height of delights as they can invent, any way find out, and are able to compass, without taking notice diligently from time to time what are those things which the appetite requireth of them, nor do they make any resistance, far otherwise they give themselues over to sensuality, to that which utterly destroys them. Oh Christian! I say o Christian! tame thou this thy body, bring it under, bring it in to true subjection, set it a work with the pains of a Christian labourer solicitously, most carefully and most serious to make thy vine fruitful, prune it, break up the ground about it, open it at the root, then trench it, and manure right well thy soul's inheritance, and hence will plainly appear to thee how thy sensuality declineth, yea abandoneth his wilfulness, his folly; ye● franticness, and in it there will not be so many briers, brambles, and thistles of sin; even so to the end that the children of Israël should not increase, nor become wilful & stubborn, but that they should live in subjection and slavery, Ph●roah made them work hard, and assigned them their daily tasks, 
Exod 1.  which were not small ones, but heavy and very toilsome Oh! Christian take notice of this good and happy time, herein take care of thine own house; set it in order, that it may not be said to thee as to the jews: 
jorem. 87.  The Kite, the Stork, and the Swallow know their time, and they well understand how to advantage themselves, to work their ends, to win their benefit, but Israël taketh no notice, enquireth not, hearkeneth not after the time of its visitation, help, and redress, not taketh it hold, no norknoweth to make his gooduse, opportunity; and hence he will lament hereafter most bitterly, and will dearly wish for that which now he esteemeth not, he valeweth not, nor indeed knoweth. The people of Israël, the river jordan, d●y and that hence they were well ascertained of free and safe passage, 
joshua 4.  lest that they might let pass so good an opportunity made all the hast possible to go over it, which they did most securely; and had they never so little delayed likely they would unhappily have found the passage barred, stopped, by no means to be past. To morrow is never secure, alas! it is not in our hands, under our command and will, and if so that what you can do to day, you practise not, you put not in prosecution, apply yourself wholly to God; it may so fall out that to morrow you cannot, that to morrow you be abridged of all means thereunto tending. If to day, 
Psalm. 95.  saith the Prophet David you hear the voice of our Lord, who inviteth you, and calleth on you to repentance, and amendment of life, defer it not to the next day, in such manner hardening your hearts. Look on thyself, behold thy self, poor wr●tch that thou art, alas! thou art an ignorant sinner and dimmely sighted, yea blind, that the devil to deceive thee, saith, allow me this day to myself, and that thou givest to God, offer up to God the next day, the self same will he deliver the day following, in such sort as that he will draw thee on perverted and lost alas! to utter ruin. There hath been observed (Saint Basilius reaccounteth) a marvelous craft of a small bird (which according to the reference of Elianus is the Partridge) who seeing à fouler approach nigh the places where his young one's were in their nest, 
S. Basilius ho●. 13. exhort. ad Bapt.  fearing lest he should approach nigher he would discover, and take them (for they knew not yet their wing, they were unready in flight) sprung up from her nest, and boldly shown herself before the fowler, hence gathered that he would speedily follow (as thus invited) her with all attention, and that by this means would forget the nest, and her young birds, her little ones, taking so tender care of them; and when as the fowler sought after and prosecuted this partridge, and that he took himself most certain of the taking of her, yea even so sure, as if so that she were in his hands, she made à flight with à small turning about, and hence got advantage, and in this manner flitting and fluttering hence and thence, and attending to such various motions, at length got the upper hand; and in à word by these ways deceived the fowler of his expectation, and in such manner perplexed him and kept him busy, until that the young partridges by little, & little, by short skipps & turnings wearied, & like ground pines betook themselves into à low and safe place, there hiding themselves very well: then their notably subtle dam made à great flight, & deceived the fowler, yea put him into à great rage, that he could neither catch the dam, nor her young ones This even self same practice is that of the devil, to deceive thee, alas! to cheat thee (blind and sottishly-ignorant sinner) and in like manner he detaineth thee, yea and entertaineth thee with shadowed, and false pleasures, false delights, yea even from day to day, and year to year, yea and alas! too many, and many, with à false glossed hope, sophisticated all over that time will be sufficiently afforded and supplied for repentance, yea and undoubtedly, which if it hap not to day, either it will fall out to morrow, or next day, or some other day, 
Act. 10.  at one time or other (as if so that days and time were at thy command which God Almighty hath reserved to himself only) to the end that thou casting away thy time in such manner, & the present opportunity thereof, that time fail thee altogether, & that thou become in such state that thou have that for which thou may bewail for ever. Grant it good to convert one's self to God (delivereth the glorious Austin) yet thou sayst, 
Aug ad fra●res in eremo.  and boldly, I will change my life to morrow, I will be another manner of man to morrow, I will serve God to morrow. Ah! poor wretch if to morrow, why not to day? for there is no trust, alas no certainty of to morrow, therein is no security at all; pray speak plain and understandingly, like à wise man who knoweth the world; are we not subject, and daily exposed to sudden death? tell me farther, do not many die without confession, without giving account penitently of their trespasses? but you will not prosecute your way, and urge that as God shall help you, you take notice of no ill in that you say, that to morrow shall be the day, wherein I will be an humble penitent, and that I will turn à new leaf, and not unlikely it may be, yea even this very day? but as God Almighty shall help me, what have you to say to me (answereth Saint Austin) wherein speak I ill, th●t there be no dilation herein, that this even now day, be the day? this being the safest, the most secure, hence the best? so that observe thy will I speak with more reason than do you, for you are not master of any time but of this present day, what say I? no, alas no, you are not Lord of all the day, you command only presents moments, or rather instants of time, and well so. As nigh as thou canst, let all thy life be good; wherefore desirest thou that it be amended, & become good by peice-meales, and as little at once as thou canst possible? Thou desirest that thy fare be all good, that thy wife be good, thy house likewise, thy garments decent, thy stockings yea ●uen thy shoes; dost thou make more esteem of thy shoes, then of thy soul? art thou so void of consideration and judgement? hitherto are the words of glorious Saint Austin. 
S●neca.  Seneca doth distribute the course of our life into three sections, three parts; into time past, present, and yet to come; and of these the present is as brief as can be imagined, the time to come is not ours, is doubtful; of all these the time passed is certain and nature hath lost her power thereof, nor is it in any human power, to make it return, to repossess it. Since so it is, that we let pass, let glide away that which is present to abide for ever and à day without it, and to be stated in everlasting damnation, and utter loss, utter ruin, by so much the rather (open thine eyes, and be of my opinion, yea my sentence) that throughout the whole course of time, even from the time of use of reason, there is all reason, all discretion that thou bring forth fruit, that thou carefully look about thee, that thou be prepared, that thou be not unready for that time in which thy Lord and Master is to come, and to call upon thee, since that there is not à moment; far less an hour, in which any one can say he may not come, and cite us to particular doom, wherein reward is given to the workmen of the vineyard, answerable to their labour, and great pains. This is saint Jerome his sentence, and to confirm what he hath delivered the parable of the fig tree is opposite, 
Matth. ●9.  and well alludeth, to which the planter thereof came nigh being hungry, and intending to satisfy his hunger, and earnest appetite to eat figs, and found none on the tree, he laid his curse on the tree; 
Marc. 13.  and the sacred Evangelist saith that he gave his malediction on the tree, when as it was not its season to bear fruit, the scope of this was not much appertaining to the punishment of the tree, but under it is meant that men void of works are hereby denoted, designed, so much is signified by the fig tree: for that human kind is seriously to attend, is strictly bound at all time to yield fruit, and hence is it that our Lord when he cometh with express intention to seek and findeth not, giveth his sentence of eternal malediction, of eternal damnation.  
All things (sayeth Solomon) have their determinate and precise time, 
Eccles. 3.  in such like manner, that each time is not time, & season for all things, but that only which is proper & so appointed for à particular, not for any other whatsoever to well being, far rather for it proveth to it assured hurt, as for example sake would it be convenient to sow, when it is harvest, to grub up roots, when the fittest time is to plant, to speak, when it is best to be silent, to laugh when it is proper to weep? There is no time limited, there is no precise time to labour in good works, to toil on the well ordering, well cultivating the vine of our Lord, each time is opportune, it will be evermore seasonable, in whatsoever hour it fall, and in whatsoever age, foreunderstand, and well know that it is not lawful to sin at any time, and that there is not allotted, nor set out any time to sin in. According to those words of Ecclesiasticus, 
Eccles 15.  to none give God command to do ill, nor afforded he space of t●me wherein to sin, 
Eccles 4.  but he counseleth all the world, and admonisheth each one that they conserve, that they be tender of time, & that they leave to sin, that they forsake evil, for that this jewel of time was not benignly bestowed on them to the end they should do ill, but they should do well. 
Matth. 10.  And the state of an idle man in the person of a work man and day-labourer is also reprehended by the master of à family; much more reprehension might be and justly laid of him who ' is more aged, who hath run à longer course of life, alas! à longer time. And if so that the Kingly Prophet David in the beginning of his Psalms, compareth the truly just man, with the tree which is planted hard by à current of waters which yieldeth his fruit seasonably, yet doth not he at all imply, he meaneth not that even ●s the tree yieldeth no fruit but in his proper month and destined time of year, and not otherwise; so hath the just man to tender his one days, months, and precise times, strictly determined of, and not in any other, but understand aright that even as that the owner of à tree, which giveth fruit in its due season, would cut it up, and grub it by the root were it not so: even so man ought to do his duty, according to his vocation, his being and his profession timely, now man's time runneth the full end, and whole course of his life. And so it is advised, 
Luc. 18.  and counselled in the name of God, that it is expedient for à man to pray evermore, yea and without ceasing, 
Luc. 12.  and to be always watchful, and awake with à burning candle in hand, for that it is not known at what time his Lord and Master will come to reckon with him; and that he be à good accountant of what is laid out, and received of those things which were commited to his charge and of the profit of the vineyard which they let and set, and of his traffic and commerce, all which are manifest tokens, that at all times our Lord requireth of us that we bring fruit and he that so doth is valued to be à true servant, à true, à prudent, & à most discreet servant. And the time which man is master of is the whole time of his life; wherefore after it (as the Angel hath solemnly sworn) time hath to have no more being. 
Apoc. 1.  The tree which the Evangelist S. john in his Apocalypse did see (which ever more and at all times bare fruit, 
Apocal. 22.  & each month gave it mature, ripe, all which was very wholesome, yea and even to the very leaves of the tree) is an emblem or figure of the just man, who always, and in all times beareth fruit, as well in each month, as also in the whole course of his age, and whatsoever he attendeth to is of great benefit and singular profit, as well his thoughts, as also his works, and words.  
The end of the fourth Chapter.   

THE FIFTH CHAPTER.  
How justly the sluggish deserve reprehension, and who are so called.  
AMong all men (saith Seneca) those chiefly yea and only are to be accounted idle, 
S●neca de brevitate vitae.  least busy, though most serious, who employ themselves, gives themselves over quite to the practice of piety and wisdom, and these solely and only live, for that hence they do not alone conserve, and well keep their own time, but likewise they annex to their own days, other ages, and other times, for that which they have gathered and are made Lords of turneth to their use, their profit, their well being & hereof they avail themselves, hereof they make singular benefit. This vacancy, this idleness so well employed is laudable, is worthy of all praise indeed, set this apart thus understood, 
job. 15.  all other vacancy, all other idleness which is really such, and so esteemed of, so truly valued, is right worthy of reprehension even as the bird was ordained to fly, so is man to labour, to take pains. And of this vacancy, this idleness speaketh the fame Seneca, 
Seneca.  that it was the sepulchre of a living man; in such sort that an idle man, not employed, and one who addicteth himself to nothing but idleness is buried therein, and in extreme danger to fall into many sins and grievous trespasses against God. Hence is that Ecclesiasticus delivereth that idleness hath occasioned mach malice, 
Eccles. 33.  much sin; our Seraphic Father S. Francis in one of his rules calleth it the enemy of the soul: and the glorious Augustine sayeth, 
Augustin. ad fratres in e●●mo. ser. 19  that it will ne●er come to pass, nor can it be that à Citizen of heaven be friend of idleness, of sluggishness. And S. Chrysostome professeth that idleness is a part of vice, 
Chrys. hom. 1●. in ca 4. add Ephesios'.  or to say more oppositely is no part, but is the occasion, and perverse root, for that it is the teacher of all sins and director to them. The great Anthony spoke earnestly yea and cried out with à loud voice in the hermitage, which voice was heard in heaven, and these were his words.  
O my God, and my Lord, true Samaritan, and true wat●h, and protector of souls, and bodies, resuscitate in me, raise a new in me thy grace newly enable me herewith, and grant unto thy servant, so much mercy, that indulgently thou permit not, that I ever be in the desert idle; to these his fervent acclamations is answered from one of heaven from some one or other appointed messenger of God: Usum desirest thou indeed, in earnest, really to please God? then do thou pray, and when so that thy spirits in prayer are enfeebled are become weak, than labour, let thy hands work and evermore entertain thyself in some what or other, do but thy endeavour, so will the divine favour never be wanting unto thee. It was the sentence, the judgement of the Fathers, who lived in Egypt, 
Cassianus lib. 10. collat. c. 3.  that one Devil waited to do mischief through his temptations to one only monk employed, but on him who is idle, many attend; yet for that of this idleness, of this sluggishness, of this remissness much hath been written, and that hereof hath been various disputes on one & the other part, and that my principal aimeth at the spiritual, against that sluggishness I will arm myself, I will moor process against it by making apparent to many (who in their opinions are well employed) the deceit hereof, declaring and sufficiently proving, that they are no otherwise to be v●●ewed then idle persons, and that they lose their time, and that so it is, and no otherwise with them, alas! For necessarily you must grant that he is an idle & sluggish man, who maketh not the same use of time which is conformable to its use, to it's end, for which God Almighty bestowed it, yea far other wise employeth it unlawfully and unjustly, where appeareth that nothing in such his course goeth, or can any ways tend to God his service or to the benefit of his neighbour, nor can they be made good as to any upright, laudable, and praise worthy end. And even so as many handy craft's men there are, and labourers, and Merchants, and tradesmen, workmen, and iour neymen; Kings, Princes, Counsellors, Advocates, and Officers, & all and each person under the Sun loose time, when so that they employ it in works, practices, actions, and offices unlawful and prohibited by the laws, and divine decrees, and not with the end and intention for which they ought to be made use of; or live so careless that they do not aught which is good and meritorious, for (as we have said a while since) that God neither gave man time to do ill, no nor be sluggish, and he that employeth his time ill, he in the presence of God is idle. In vain hath he been endowed with à soul, 
Psalm. 14  who with it hath always trespassed against God, and alas! in vain hath any sinner what soever retained it, all that time in which he hath been in mortal sin, yea and in vain I further say have they it now who are in such state; and their souls (ah!) have been idle all this time, for albeit they have made use and daily do thereof & of its powers for other works, actions, practices, and service, but for this as à principal end were they herewith informed, and hence was it that God gave it, that they should serve him (which even Seneca himsef came to the knowledge of: 
Seneca.  when he said, God Almighty created all exterior things of lesser rank and quality in the world, to serve human body, and the same body he created for the senses, and the senses for the soul; and the soul, that it might contemplate, and fervently love the divine beauty) all the time which man passeth in sin, or employeth not in the service of God he is therein idle, yea and most vain. And although you call yourself à busied King entertained by your grave and weighty affairs, or à Counsellor, or handycraftsman, or servant etc. I will enstile you herein à lazy & lither christian, and à sluggish and idle workman in the house of God, in what appertaineth to the service of God, & for idle & for nought worth in this kind of fluggishnes million of people shall be in hell, who according to their hallucination, their misdeeming, their alas! misseco●ceit, thought that they were not idle, far other wise that they were always attentive on affairs. All the hours spent in unlawful games, murmurings, grumble, detractions, and in writing and reading vain letters and lascivious books, and profane books, which often have corrupted formerly chaste souls, to change their such purity to dishonesty; and they and those hours which are spent in ripping up and giving sentence, giving verdict on the lives of others without giving reference to the party, & with his being heard, yea without that he hath any the least notice thereof, and even without that the judges be well and plainly instructed in the truth never informing them as they ought, & as justice, & charity exacteth at their hands, who is there, who will spare to condemn them as idle, as sluggish, as il employed, and hence convince them of their assured loss of time? And all those hours which thou hast ill spent (which are not few, too many alas!) Oyee vain women in the dress, in your deckings to ensnare, to entrap, to captivate souls yea and to enthrall them, to subjugated them alas! to enslave, occasion free wills to yield, pray let me know from you, can you except against those that range ye under the same judgement, the same censure? And the time, the hours, that the ambitious who feed themselves (as like to Efraim, and satisfy themselves with wind, with vanity, spend and consume in designing their towers, their airy fabrics, & in the writing in the air their dreams, chimaeras and crotchets of their idle brains, talking to themselves & speaking with themselves what the haughty King Cyrus (figure of proud Lucifer) said thou shalt see me in the mountain of the testament, in the same place of the North side by side with it! I will so seat myself, and so place my throne, I say so high, so eminent, that I may set my feet on the stars, that I may make themselves my footstool, who is he who will say that herein is time ill employed, cast away, yea miserably lost? The time, the hours which the covetous man passeth of, consumeth in his brains, working, and reckoning, how and with what attention, diligence, and intelligence he may advantage himself, that he may gain more by exchange, and return herein, by use, or otherwise ruminating and variously disposing his spirit, solicitous, and again solicitously serious hereon, hereon making the seat of all his care, and as one resolved, as one decreeing to get by lawful or unlawful means, by hook or by crook, by any ways, who is so void of judgement who will ascertain them that they so running over their time, when as the moderatest account thereof be made, these things shall pass for good? my desire is not to go farther, as to memorate particularly more ranks of people, or their natures, qualities, or whatsoever their conditions are, for to take particular notice to call them to my memory would appassionate me, would really afflict me, I should herein so doing notably suffer, and for that the world is not so lost, so dull, so sottish (alas! yet well may it be said it is far gone herein) that any Christian may not hence understand, collect and gather all whatsoever may be farther specified, and condemned, if he please by what hath been delivered by the books which he hath read, and by the inspirations which God hath benignly given him, and by that which his conscience (witness and loyal friend, so it be beleft) herein cannot but have, oftentimes counselled him and accused him. And that there may be more credit to confirm it with holy scripture, David in one of his Psalms speaketh of the good and just: Dies pleni invenientur in eyes. That there shall be found in them full days, 
Psalm. 72.  entire, & complete days, not empty, and it is à manner of speech frequently used, in the old testament, to say, that they died full of years, that they died when they were aged, as it is related of Abraham, 
Genes. 25. & 35.  & of other Saints, friends, and beloved of God, 
jobult.  if this be delivered of the just let us say on the contrary part that neither days, nor years of sinners are full, rather they are false, vain and their hours, hours of deceit, consequently they shall not dye aged, but empty of days. And Dionysius Carthusianus, declaring those words of Saint job, 
jobs.  Mens●s vacuos enumerau● mihi, Months, and empty days I have recounted with myself, saith he, so much may the penitent sinner utter who hath spent, and consumed without fruit, without benefit his time, and his days, hence were they empty of good works and idle, yea and full of vanities, and indeed of vice, which is nothing. To this purpose saith Saint Ambrose, 
Ambrose.  the life of à just man is completely full and empty are the days of those who are wicked, and really vain, and they retain nothing, but appearance, s●doth the green reed without pith, or substance. Of the same judgement is the glorious Gregory in his Morals, 
Greg. in Moral. sup. ca ult. job  in his Exposition on the l●st Chapter of job. That all those who have so lived, and spent their times in such manner, are worthy of blame, now it appeareth clearly by the fore delivered Chapters, that time being so precious à thing, as hath been said in the first Chapter, and it being bestowed upon us that we may gain heaven by our endeavours, our pains, our good works, (as is likewise shown in the second) and in seeing (which you may find written in the third) that who so employeth not time well, God abridgeth him of it, and altogether bereaveth him of it, taketh it ' out of his command, when he thereof lest thinketh, not with standing all this they will not take the advice and counsel which we have given in the fourth Chapter in the name of the Holy Ghost, but forgetting all, all fear postposed, ●et by, by their depraved tastes, deceived by outwardly seeming dainties though ugly be they and bitter morsels, wast their time ill, & misprise it, value it at naught, yea and wrong it beyond all measure, & in lieu of tendering it good treaty, & of making profitable use thereof they molest it, they pervert the use thereof in so much as they are found to have utterly lost it, nor observe they what they have neglected, what they have passed from, & what they might have acquired are found therein, nor of their duty to God who at so great à price redeemed them, & whon for so many great and innumerable respects & obligations they should serve both day and night always, incestantly, they should love and adore with all their hearts, & with all their souls. These such like may be aptly compared to men who in the time of traffic, of commerce, of buying and selling of fairs making no reckoning of the great gain that there (well knowing how to trade) they might hence acquire to themselves are busied, and entertained, all taken up with mimic toys, and jests, & in hearing blind men sing, and seeing of stage players, and afterwards their purse becometh empty, and opportunity of traffic, and hence gaining by the fair, passed. They may be accounted alike to those who coming a shore from à ship or galley, to land, to make provision of what they want to accomplish & bring the●r journey to à happy end, & the long wished for haven, keep themselves busied in the gazing on curiosities which occur in the streets, or passages, or in walking in places of pleasures, as in pleasant gardens, and so time overrunneth them without time being observed in so much as that they forget that principal and chiefest end for which they came, and that the ship, or vessel was to hoist sails, and to depart, and even so they stay behind, for that they came to late, in à strange country, poor disconsolate, and miserable. It seemeth to them who without any conturbation loose time that they are possessed of so much as will serve for all, and that there is more than time enough to do penance, and to amend their lives, and it clearly appeareth that their understandings and wisdom are faulty, for that Zenon Cl●ticus à fair conditioned, 
Laent. in vit● Philosoph●.  grave and wise man (as Laërtiu● reporteth) said, that men failed not so much in any thing, as in that of time, nor that they have more need of aught, then of it, and all this he delivereth upon good grounds truly: for that we possess not what is passed, nor what is to come, and for the present it followeth so at hand, and so brief, that it runneth its course in à moment.  
The Saint Prior Gill brother of our holy order falling into admiration, and compassionating with himself upon contemplation of these idle persons, who so much and beyond measure pass their time without fruit and hearts-greife thus delivereth himself. The idle, the sluggish man looseth this, yea and the other world, happy is that man who employeth his time, and passeth his life, and his forces, his full strength, his uttermost ability in the service of God; Tell me if there were given unto thee à fountain which were to run oil or wine one entire day in thy house wouldst thou consume thy time being à poor man in play, in loitering, or in seeking of barrels, or other neat vessels whatsoever wherein to keep it, thy end, thy scope being to be rich? undoubtedly if thou wert not simple yea and sottishly such, thou wouldst make use of such like afterwards so did the wise widow (of whom is made mention in the fourth book of the Kings) in carefully taking and reserving the oil which the Prophet Elizeus, 
4. Reg. 4.  gave unto her miraculously therewith to satisfy for her husband's death, that the creditors might not have power to lead aw●y and detain her two sons for slaves, until that she should discharge what was due, but true it is (saith the Saint) that so far forth hath our folly taken hold of us, and we entertain, we admit of so little discretion & wisdom, that whereas God Almighty giving us time, and present life, that in its course through his grace, his benignity, and favour, and the main, the principal, the stock which he doth enrich us with we may make ourselves hence rich, and that we may satisfy we may acquit, and pay what we owe, so far forth as that we fall not into the misery of being made slaves of the fiend, the devil without all peradventure, without all remedy, and end; we consume our time in vanities, and toys, and buffoneries, and in mere jest as job the most patient said in those words, 
job 24.  Dedit ei●lo um poenitentiae, etc. God gave unto man place of penance, and time to that end, and he hath changed the good use thereof into abuse, and into sins of pride.  
The end of the fifth Chapter.   

THE six CHAPTER.  
How the body doth captivat that time which is designed for the soul, and thereby exalteth itself.  
AFter the sin of our Ancestors did the body rebel against the soul, so much prevailed it as that the body (as the servant or slave Agar did to her Lady and Mistress) laid aside all respect and duty, in so much as it might seem that the body was the m●stris, the soul slave alas! and that all the course of this life was and is only for the body, and for its daintiness, it's niceness, and its recreation and to accomplish its appetits and overweening desires▪ in so much as that the poor soul takes it as à great favour, that the body grants it that time which is required and by her challenged. That to such her miserable state she hath drawn on herself by sin, disgrace and abasement, in so much as she may call out to God repeating her tribulations, her miseries in those words whieh Jerusalem in the Lamentations used, Vide Domine & considera, etc. Behold Lord and consider how I have been come to be abject, since that my servant, yea my slave doth so vilify me, & more offereth outrages against me. And in such manner doth the body draw on great burden on the soul which it doth extremely wrong, & doth raise and exalt itself with what is not agreeable, rather contrary to all reason, and justice, and it is bound to return to the soul what properly belongeth unto it, under pain, under amerce, that when the soul hath as also the body each of them, both of them may be lost without any redemption or any safety. And to give life to what hath been delivered, as also what is to follow what better doctrine can be set down then that which the glorious Bernard, hath in à sermon of the coming of our Lord, 
Bern. 6 de Aduen ●u● Domini.  of Advent, whereof I will here recite à great part. The time of this life (sayeth he) appertaineth not to the body, it belongeth properly to the soul and for it was it appointed, for of much more value is the soul, than the body, and it hath first to repair and procure remedy which first fell, for its fall, it's transgression the body underwent, incurred punishment. And if we desire to live, and be true members of our head, who is JESUS CHRIST our Lord, our duty is to imitate him, and to conform ourselves to him; the way we must walk, the principal care and solicitude must be of our souls, for which he chiefly came into the world and suffered the torment of the Cross, and let us reserve the care of the body for that day and time when our Lord shall come to reform them, to change them into à better state, as said the Apostle Saluatorem expectamus nostrum, etc. 
Philip. 3.  We look for our Saviour (who is JESUS-CHRIST our Lord) and his coming to judge, who will reform, (or according to the Greek text, will transform) our body mean, abject, and full of imperfections and miseries, and it shall be according to his similitude, who is replenished with clearness and splendour. Hence strive not no attempt not (oh! thou body ill to be regarded, ill to be esteemed of) to impatronise thyself of time by force, and with violence, before time, for albeit thou mayst occasion yea hinder safety to thy soul, yet canst thou not without it procure it for they self alas! no.  
All things have their time, permit, 
Eccles. 3.  suffer and consent, that the soul may work freely, nor be thou any impediment unto it, rather help it and labour jointly with it; 
2. Tim 2.  for if you travail together, if you shall suffer with it, you shall reign with it; and so much as thou troublest and hinderest its safety, thou troublest and hinderest thine own, for thou canst not be reform, until that our Lord see in thy soul his image reform. Oh! body observe well that thou hast under thy roof à most noble guest, à guest of grand rank and quality, which is the soul, and that thy well being and safety dependeth on it; Be therefore some what like à Courtier, well mannered, and discreet, and give way, respect, and free entertainment unto so honourable à guest. Thou thyself art in thine own house, and in thine own proper soil, for thou art earthly, and of earth, but the soul is but à guest in thy house, even as à stranger, à traveller and exiled alas! banished from his proper place of residence. Let me freely interchange à word with thee (oh! body) what rustical & rude loon, very block head, and course conditioned fellow should be be valiewed, to whose house might happen à Prince or Earl to come to allodge, who would not willingly and most readily give way, and betake himself to the worst room of his house, to present him with the best room and best lodging of his house, yea if it were necessary, would sleep on hay, and straw, or by the chimneys hearth & cinders. Let this be thy way, forsake thy meat, sleep little if so it be expedient and necessary for the good of thy soul, and for the love of it let pass thy pleasures, thy entertainments, and passetimes, fast and be regular, sober and temperate in thy diet, to the end that it may be in good time and perfect health, and so persevere; correct thyself sharply, bleed, and mortify thyself that it may live; this time is not the time of laughter, but of tears, not of repose, but of labour; not of dantinesse, niceness, but of penance: not of delight, not pleasure, but of anguish, of sharp tribulation; the time will come about, there will come à time of mirth, of joy, and of laughter together with it, so be it that with it thou lament, thou suffer, thou at the present power forth thy tears, and if together thou so west in tears, together thou shalt reap gladness & hearts-comfort, heart's joy: and vilify not, nay esteem not at an ordinary value thy guest; for that he seemeth to come unto thee from foreign countries as à stranger, but contemplate, observe well the many, and singular benefits which accrue to thee through his society, his conversation, and presence. This guest, this soul, is it which giveth life, spirit, and vigour to thy sight, and to thy ears faculty of hearing, speech to thy tongue, to thy palate its taste, and sense of feeling, and motion to all thy entire body, beauty and graceful comeliness. And if so that thou wilt well observe and ponder what I now deliver, let it be your serious attention, what is it that you would be found to be if so that it should fail you, and that it should depart from you, that it should at any time leave you, abandon you, and utterly forsake you, & your house: in this even point, and instant of time, thy tongue will not be able to do his office, thou wilt be utterly bereaved of speech; thine eyes will become blind, thou wilt be deprived of thy gift of hearing; thy countenance will appear pale, all thy beauty will fade and fully perish, and thou shalt prove to be terrible foul, ugly, stark cold, irksome, and horrible, and thou shalt be an unsavoury carcase, and altogether rotten, and à dunghill for worms. Since Since that which I here deliver is true, from whence is it, that for à small momentary delight that thou dispensest, and thou notably offendest, so great à guest, one of such quality, and so profitable as of whom so inexpressible use might have been well made? and that thou takest away its time, doth injure it, and stealest from it, and employest it so ill? but thou canst not have even this thy shadowed delight, if it were not with thee. And if so great gifts depend and accrue to thee through its presence and society not withstanding it be in à foreign Country, and banished for sin from the high and mighty Court of heaven, and from the sight of its Lord, think maturely what it will be when so that it is fully reconciled with him, and in his grace, when so it shall by him be beloved and one of his favourites? And great cause, yea and great inducement & convincible reasons are there, that thou apply thyself with all the patience possible, and with all good liking, and that thou devote thyself to all things that may be whatsoever they be, and of what condition soever to benefit and laboriously attend to this reconciliation, and return to Freindshippe. Give unto thy guest, 
Genes. 40.  unto thy soul that which joseph spoke of to à gentleman Cuppbearer to King Pharaoh, assure thyself that haply à day will come, that the King will take sensible notice of thee, and will restore thee into thy lost estate, let me impetrate so much favour of thee that thou remember me from hence forward, and help me when so that thou well mayest, alas! have pity on me: And without all peradventure it will have an especial care, and regard of thee to thy well-being if so that now thou tenderest thy service as becometh thee, and spendest the time according as is convenient & expedient to the soul, and not to thy ease to that which thou valuest thy proper interest to its cost, loss and utter onerthow: when as so it shall be in favour of its Lord, and face to face, it will implore, and impetrate for thee, & will show itself à true and faithful friend, intercessor, and advocate, such like will be its speech, its treaty. Most merciful & Lord of all power when I was for my trespasses, for my greiveous sins banished, and exiled to the wide world, & wandered up & down as à pilgrim, & mere stranger à poor and merciful man received me under his roof, & did all the pious and commiserating respects that can be expressed; hence am I à suppliant to thine infinite Majesty with all the fervour, with all the earnestness I can, that thou be merciful unto him, pity him, who for my sake gave all he was possessed of & freely despoiled himself of them, yea & further offered up his own person to assist in whatsoever was good for me losing for my cause his own pleasures, and whatsoever delights, sweeting, hardly labouring even to wearisonnes, yea to fainting itself, for me; suffering hunger & thirst, and tire, watchings, toils, and what tribulations not? for whatsoever he counted, he took no time of enquiry or supply therefore, or so little as may well be accounted no time, to the end that he might devote himself to my service, and what best appertained to me. Nor is there any the least imaginable doubt, but that the Scripture willbe fulfilled, which delivereth. Our Lord will correspond to the will of those who truly fear him, 
Psalm. 144.  and will hear their prayers; and when that the great King, I say that King of infinite and incomprehensible Majesty environed with splendour & glory attended on by à thousand millions, nay an innumerable troop of Angels, to reform, & bring our body to perfection to change them into à better state, and being, and to make them alike unto his own; raising and (at that terrible and dreadful voice of the trumpet) awakening them from the sleep, in which they now deeply drouse, than thou having been, what thou oughtest to have been towards the soul, our Lord will well pay thee, for he will reward thee with glory for thy good entertainment & allodging of that guest; and he will glorify thee, and enrich thee with those precious gifts and endowments of immortality, agility, impassibility, and splendour, which all thou shalt enjoy in the company of thy soul for ever and ever. Be thou then althogether unwilling (I earnestly besseech thee) to lose so glorious à glory, such delight, such treasures and crowns of honour for small, little, weak, fading and perishing goods, and for certain kinds of pleasures fraught with so many discontents, and so many hazards, to suffer for such like toys, besides what is spoken of, eternal affliction, pains and torments. All the fore-written are the words of Saint Bernard: And those who usurp the time belonging unto the soul for the use of the body, and well like of this, please themselves herewith, neglect that; yea tread it undet their foot, our Lord threateneth to punish sharply by the words of holy job in his four and twentieth Chapter, 
job 24.  saying: Their delights shall quickly have an end, and all what was so pleasant unto them, shall prove to them no other than worms and remorse of conscience, his mercy will forget them, will not acknowledge them, will take no Notice of them for ever, they shall be buried in perpetual oblivion, there shallbe no remembrance of them to any their wellbeing.  
They shall from cool snowy water pass to an excessive heat, to the end that their pains, their sufferances may be the more dolorous and sharp, far the more intensive and the reason hereof shall be, Pavit enim sterilem, etc. for that they fed, and with many curiosities and dainties entertained the barren, and they did take no care, no respect of the widow. By barren is meant the body, for the more they nicelyuse it, and cherish it, and deck it, it will return and bring forth no meritorious fruit for the acquisition of eternal life, of everlasting salvation; it is to use with much curiosity and niceness à block, à dry stick. The Widow is here an Emblem of the soul, for that there is not à widow so distressed, nor so solitary & comfortless, as is it under the roof of à sinner. Sinners attend, and well observe (for hereon I treat no further) for the love of JESUS-CHRIST mark seriously and maturely and all ye whosoever do abridge your souls of time for your bodies, & undo the soul by the molestation it bringeth to it, and daily afflicteth it, with all the loss possible, for that on the soul's good, & safety dependeth all whatsoever happiness the body can be capable of, and from the glory of the soul doth redound that in them which they hope for, who are to enjoy i● for ever and ever.  
The end of the sixth Chapter.   

THE SEAVENTH CHAPTER.  
That lawfully secular people may use some entertainments of mirth, solace, and pastime to recreate their spirits.  
FOr so much as (as saith S. job) our body is not composed of brass or steel, 
job 5.  nor is its hardness like unto that of à flint, but it is friable, weak, sensible of each offence, feeble alas! nice, delicate and tender, which is wearied, tired and yieldeth under the burden of its labours, its affairs and businesses, and also for that the soul is so united and affixed to the lumpish body, it is as it were necessatily constrained sometimes to condescend to the body, as to comply with its desires: no otherwise than an aged married man, wise and discreet, how witty soever he be, giveth way to the childish desires of his wife since that she is very young. Some breathing while, some relaxation from cares, and affairs, labours, and bodily toils is certainly expedient; for if à man should always labour & toil his understanding and memory incessantly, he would destroy his forces, and his health, and he would quickly consume and end his days. And for so much as the universal labour of men should have limit, and ease, and rest, yea and that of brute beasts, nature provided then with sleep, and with successive variety and change of time, ordaining, that the day should succeed the night: in which as is written in the book of wisdom, 
Sap. 18.  All things, all creatures are silent, and hushed are (as sayeth Virgil) all the wide fields and wilderness and as well the birds as beasts; and for so much as yet this rest, this repose was not sufficient, there were appointed holy days, which we call Festival days, which are celebrated among all people, and all Nations and in all ages. It was expedient then that we should by rest repair our weary selves, that we might hold out, through the benefit thereof, for that hence strength and vigour is reassumed, and as well desire as also will is hence recovered to return to take pains à new; with which repose were we not endowed, any toil, yea any whatsoever labour, affair, or exercise would be extremely burdensome, nor could our feebleness or imbecility sustain long such continuance of toil & wearisomeness. 
Ovid.  For (as saith Ovid,) that whatsoever it be, cannot long continue which hath not sometimes rest, which incessantly toileth; this repose according to Plutarch 
Plutarch.  is the restore of labours burden, as also of mind's agitation, and ears. It is written of king Amasis, that when so he had dispatched his grave and serious affairs, he would à while be pleasant and recreate himself among his familiar friends and favourites: and it is rehearsed of Scevola that in part of his leisure and out of hours from his charge, he would pass time in playing at hand ball: and although it is delivered of CHRIST our Lord (to leave the examples of the Gentiles) it is no where read that he laughed, 
joan. 11.  but that he hath wept, as namely in the raising of Lazarus, 
Lu●. 19  and upon the ungrateful city of jerusalem, and upon the sacred wood of the Cross; 
Heb. 3.  Notwithstanding he some times took out his disciples into the fields, when so he thought it expedient for recreation sake and spoke to them in this manner: Vnweary yourselves, repose à while, take breath again, recover your spirits, and enjoy the fresh air (ye are indeed men, hence weak, subjects of sufferances (ye are in à word mortal men) that ye may be hence enabled to reassume your vocations and duties with à more lively and rigorous spirit. So that by the former Chapters delivered we condemn not altogether time spent in sports, pastimes, recreations, and entertainments, solaces, and glorious shows, fights, which have in them such scope, such end, such motives and reasons; but we, willingly counsel and warn, that necessary it is to keep order, and temperance, & moderation in these things which are real and serious, much more in frivolous toys, in which some times very grave men do forget themselves some what, such is the danger of excess. Therefore that (according to the Apostle) à Christian ought to do all things in good order, 
1. Cor. 14.  he should set down à task, 
S. Tho. 2. 2. qu. 168.  and measure on his recreations, and on that time which is passed in them, and hence is there à known virtue called Eutrapelia, or like à true understanding courtly and well-bred gentleman, answerable to which God Almighty would that men do so recreate themselves (as wrote Saint Ambrose,) that they lose not their gravity altogether whilst they are in their pastimes, 
S. Ambrose.  for the harmony of àgentile life and living well, is not to be dissolved, is not to be disordered. And Aristotle assevereth that little recreation is enough to sustain life with, 
Aristotle.  as doth a small portion of salt serve to give season to meat in its right preparation, and for the palate, and that recreation should be used to its end as is salt to the other: And in like manner pastime and entertainments ought to be lawful, then of no long continuance, seldom, fair conditioned, and without the prejudice of any body, and accommodated to the time, place, and persons, and so tempered with à fit moderation, that it prove not à hindrance which is ordained, is appointed for à help, and furtherance and for à solace, nor let that be an impediment of virtuous exercises, and your express duties which is destined to repair, and recover your forces, and full vigour, and be the better able in accomplishments by their means without want; Wherefore now that it is adjudged good that we repair the weakness of our nature, & reinforce it, and give it animosity and spirit, so on the other part the self same is so great an enemy of labour, pains taking, and penance, and so unbridledly without all rule and order doth affect and doth appetit and covet pleasures; if so that there be not much care taken and that mean be not observed in which the virtues are placed, idleness taketh place easily and vice is entertained for labour, and wearisomeness is no way admitted of, so falleth it out, and to such pass is it come when the inward man is out of frame, and so desisteth from labour and due entertainments, exercises, & practices, there cannot be beheld à person more heartless, sluggish, lither, and less apt, one altogether indisposed. Hence the Philosophers, and the Civil laws have ordained and prescribed and assigned certain bounds: And who will not profess, and with all reason maintain that the recreations of Christians ought to surpass them in moderation, & gravity and sobriety, and that they ought to be according to the squares & rules of justice far beyond those of the Philosophers, or Civil Laws have either permitted or granted.  
The Lacedæmonians took great care that none breathing should lose their time, 
Aelianus de varia Hist. li. 2.  norlive idly, nor pass it of in jestings, and fopperyes, and in such like as are called witty sayings, but in works and in right worthy and virtuous exercises and practices: Hence when as the Governor of many people among whom were those of De●aleya was informed that they who lived there carelessly and without regard walked up and down, written them à letter to this purpose: Walk not up and down so much to satisfy your selves, and for recreation, but so far forth as may concern the exercise of your bodies, for expedient it is that the Lacedæmonians acquire & conserve their health not with walking, but with exercising themselves in those things which are lawful, and whence may be derived profit. There are many allowable conditions, 
S. Tho. 2. 2. q. 168.  and occasions, and times in which to play & pass of some time vould prove virtuous, as when it were necessary that à man might be hence made the better able to do his offices, & charges on him laid, and by them to satisfy, they being virtuous and answerable to the service of our Lord that he may not fail in his wayand that according to the Proverb, he fling not his burden in the mire. But by degrees by little, and little as it were insensibly Custom hath crept in, and pastimes are so differently used from the end & intent for which they were fir● invented, especially after that in certain entertainments covetousness, and interest of gain hath crossed and overthwarted, these such gamings I understand with the rest to be hurtful, and that so far is it that they are helps, assistances to accomplish the better their offices, and their express and precise duties that they owe to God, and their conscience, as that they are directly found to be impediments, lets, hindrances, and evident cause that there arise many imperfections and what worse is many foul offences against the Majesty of God as are lies, false oaths, impatience, furious ire; and quarrels, which customarily beget disgusts, distastes, ill language, enmityes, and malicious rancours, hence do I account that which is passed in such gamings & wagers to be ill employed, and utterly lost; To visit one another and interchangeably, to communicate charity, is à very lawful recreation, and is necessary to the conservation of freindshipp among them; answerably to this à Philosopher said, that silence hath broken of, hath cut of many freindshipps. The discourses of comforts & crosses one to another, do ease one another; and hence they continue freindshipp. But I will ingeniously & freely deliver my mind, many visits in these days are so tedious, & without any benefit, or good to be hence acquired, and to so much prejudice of thy neighbour, and of those who are absent, or are such, as that all which is treated of is mere vanity, worldly, & of the world, & of its language, as that I esteem them for dangerous, and for time ill employed, & time merely lost, being passed of in such like visits; & I believe that the tongue is that which hath consumed most time & unthriftily scattered it for this worm never ceaseth or is weary, and his fire is that which dilateth itself most at large, and his spots are such as are most spread although by little and little, and this moth is that which destroyeth more clothes, nor spareth it those which are of the finer sort▪ Feasts and banquetts to the end of conservation of peace, friendship, and concord, and for other just reason, are lawful, being temperate and moderate as they ought to be, and with their due circumstances, and what is requisite. But as now it is for the most part they are so disordinately used, and with so great excess yea so long, and so tedious, protracted to so many hours that I will not engage myself to make them good, nor to take their justification on my conscience, for that rather my judgement is convinced, that their time is ill employed, and the most part thereof so utterly lost. Of these called feasts, balls, or great meetings to dau●ce I know not what to say, but that I esteem them to many of the Company for dangerous and wanton, and sometime awaken him who sleepeth, and change quiet souls and heart, & disquiet them, move sedition in them and are the occasion of unlawful thoughts, & disordinate desire, I hold much of the time so spent, for ill employed and lost. And to the end it may appear with what discretion, and moderation, pleasures, recreations & pastimes are to be used Lodovicus Blosius relateth that the sister of S. Cosme & Damian was fififteene days in purgatory, 
Ludo●icus Blo●●us App●●●.  for no other cause but that once she attentively observed out of à window with some small content and delight certain persons, who in the street were sporting, and merrily jesting, playing the buffoons. And he writeth of a devout maid, that she suffered there à longer time, for that in her last sickness she had eaten with delight those meats which were prepared for her, and took them as solaces and entertainments with some root of earthly pleasure. And it would not be out of purpose to lop and cut of the superfluities of the world's pleasures, to aptly dispose here in this place what the divine Chrysostome delivereth reprehending the speeches, which usurp the name of jests or witty sayings, 
Chrysost. in expos●●. 〈◊〉 ad Ephes serm 17.  merry conceits, fond and ridiculous gibes, and such kind of carriages, especially being from nipping and biting tongues, & who season them with malices, which declare themselves so by incōuenien●ies which hence arise. This life (saith he) brethren, & its course is a time of war, of watch, and for all to go harnessed with corslets on their shoulders and eyes quick, sprightly, and attentive against the ambushes of the enemy and ponder it well, here is no place nor time of laughter, that belongeth to those of the world and to its oftsprings who profess and practice their laws and customs and abuses. Hear thou Christian the words of our Lord, 
joan. 16.  who speaketh to his faithful: The world shall rejoice and laugh; but ye shall run the course in gravity, soberly and sadly: Christ was crucified for thy sins, and buffeted, sharply strucken, and thou desirest to pass thy time in jests, scoffs, and profuse laughters, and pastimes.  
The end of the seaventh Chapter.   

THE EIGHTH CHAPTER.  
That it is lawful also yea even necessary, that spiritual men use some convenient exercise, which may tend for an intermission, recreation & solace.  
THere were certain Heretics who moved by the words of the Evangelist. Saint Luck, 
Castro advers. heres. lib. ●1. verb. oratio Luc. 18  it is expe; dient to pray always, and incessantly- these word's being ill apprehended by them, they brought into the Church à false and new doctrine, teaching that daily & nightly, one was never to cease from praying, & therein they should pass their time so continually as that they were to do nothing else, without any intermission, & that à man should not employ himself at all to any thing whatsoever else. But with express grounds of reason these heretics were condemned, and excommunicated, cut of from the Church, for it is insupportable and impossible, to our weak nature to pray always, as they delivered, nor is that the judgement and sense of holy Church, nor hath the high & profound Truth taught any such doctrine. And what in those words are taught us it is expedient ye pray always: and in those of the Apostle, Pray without intermission, 
2. Thes. 5.  is this. That when à great exigent occurreth to petition God aught, 
almer●n.  or so when as we are fallen into some unwonted distress, tribulation or adversity and are even then in such manner afflicted, we are then to be suppliants with great instance, with great earnestness and perseverance once, and twice, and the third time that he will be merciful unto us, and that he will help us and be propitious, and gracious to us without discouragement, without ceasing, or being dismayed, and although at present that which we impetrate for, be not granted us; that we call out for it at the gate of his mercy, until it be opened unto us, and alms be given us: Then it willbe bestowed on us for our earnestness our importunity, 
Luc. 18.  as our Lord hath taught us in the Parable of the Widow and the unjust judge (which he them to that purporse after he had said it is Expedient to pray evermore, propounded) who by her simple importunity and perseverance therein came to obtain of the judge, that which she so earnestly petitioned for, and this is confirmed by the example of the Church, which prayed without intermission for the Apostle S. Peter, 
Act. 12.  when so that he was in prison until that he was freed, & was in safety. And likewise he is said to pray continually who observeth time and hours of prayers in convenient time in them, hence is it that Dionysins Carthusianus, 
Dionysius Carthusianus.  he prayeth without intermission, who prayeth in due seasons, in fit times, and he likewise prayeth always, who prayeth when so that he can, and that occasion and opportunity be had for prayer. Simon of Cassia doth declare it thus: 
Simon de Cassia. job. 7.  All human life is à continual warefare and temptation, and through the whole course of our lives, our enemies make assaults against us without ceasing by night or day, nor can we by means of our proper gifts overcome them, or withstand their strengths, hence it is expedient for us to pray evermore, and to implore help and succour of our Lord who only can confer it on us, wherefore by all manner of means importunate and earnest prayer is opportune. And this such like is not so to be mistaken, that there may not be à pause or intermission of time in prayer, for sleep requireth its due, feeding it's, yea and clothing & some time is to be allowed for repose, & men are to employ themselves in arts, vocations & divers services, and to attend the works of corporal and spiritual mercy; What is required of us is that in fitting, convenient, and opportune time for prayer, we lift up our hearts and minds to him with prayer and humble petition for what we stand in need of, what we extremely want: in such sort that through the whole course of our life it concerneth us to pray without ceasing, for that therein is not found one day or hour wherein à man may say, that he hath no express need thereof, and that he may decline so important and necessary à custom and practice. But to be always praying vocally or mentally & evermore without any ceasing, or intermission, there is not à head, à spirit that can bear it, nor body that can endure it, nor doth the laws of God command it, nor oblige us so far (for his yoke is sweet, and his burden light) and there is some what else to attend to, which charity challengeth and necessity, wherein there is much of our time to be spent, and to fully accomplish this, be à man never so contemplative, never so spiritual, it is necessary that he employ himself in some entertainment and lawful exercise which may be his recreation, and solace, for that variety (as saith Theodoretus) acquitteth wearisomnes; and procureth à new mind, 
Theodoret l. de provide.  and new desire in so much as afterwards à man returneth with more ease & ability & fervour to spiritual practices, and à new acquired livelynes. 
3. Reg. 3  Wherefore even as Solomon the most wisest in that his most discrreete judgement & sentence which he pronounced to satisfy the two women, who required one and the selfsame child, each of them pretending that it was hers, gave order that it should be divided into equal parts, and each of them should take their assigned portions Even so à spiritual man and prudent must divide his time between the body, and his soul allotting to each of them their part which is due, 
Genes. 29.  and as jacob the upright married two wives Rachel and Lya, he hath to practise at while each manner of life, as well the active, as the contemplative, giving the most he can, to what is most perfect and excellent. And for that in this miserable and wretched life the soul cannot always attend to that which appertaineth to the spirit, hence is it that all they who write spiritual treatises, of spiritual life, deliver that it is necessary that there unto be allotted à time of interposition, wherein the spiritual man may exercise himself In some well be seeming, just and lawful exercise, which may not distract and put the soul out of order, and enfeeble the spirits, rather that hereby they be reinforted and comforted, and do the office of help and refection. Hence the anncient Fathers who lived in heremitages and in those solitary places, deserts and wildernesses of Egypt used bodily exercises, and allotted times for them, to the end that the devil might find them always busied either in corporal or spiritual exercise, and the corporal should serve for recreation and pastime, and to recover spirit and strength for the spiritual. And in like manner saith S. Jerome in his rule, give no way, no entrance to idle, and wand'ring thoughts, for if once they begin to be Masters of thee, thou shalt evidently find à change to very great prejudice. And that the fiend find thee not idle, take this course. when thou dost not contemplate, entertain thyself in some little handy work or other, as namely make à little basket of rushes, or of curious fine Osiers, one while dig in à garden, make the earth fine, set it in comely order, and by line make all your banks and garden quadrats even; sow therein divets sorts of pulse, plants & flowers, look to them, & take care that by watering them in their due times they be succoured, and whilst the little seeds sprout up, and appear as grown, pull up by the roots the weeds, and you may if you like well plant some trees, from which you may in their due season gather savoury and looked for fruit; make bee-hives to which the laborious bees may make their recourse, and there live, and make their honycombes: make nets to catch fish, draw pictures, paint, or limb, for he who attendeth to nothing, is à Sea of thoughts, is full of imaginations, and hence is it that the Monks of Egypt receive not any one, who knoweth not at all any workmansipp, not that thereby they may get their meat, drink and cloth, but for their soul's sake, and that hence they acquit themselves of idleness, and that through the variety of such like entertainments he may become more fervent, and as it were greedy in fervour of spiritual exercise of prayer, and contemplation, which practise as we are weak cannot be continual, cannot alas! be incessant. And writing to Demetrius he thus delivered himself: 
idem epistola ad Deme●riū.  It concerneth you much, & is of great importance, that you lose no time, & that you employ y r self always, yea & even having said thy Primes, Terses, Sexts, nonce, Vespers, Complines, & Matins which thou art to daily practice, yet shalt thou have hours assigned thee for thy study, and to serious reading of holy Scriptures, and to the informing & enabling thee therewith▪ and when so that thou hast passed some time, and the care of thy soul shall have a-wakened thee and moved thee to kneel humbly and often on the ground, thou shalt if thou wilt be advised by me use some corporal labour or some manufacture in thy cut of hours, in the hours thou hast to spare, as the work made of wool or Cotton, spin flax, or wind up yarn, work with the needle à while or some such like work or entertainment of time: for if so that you employ your time, the days will never seem long but even very short. And divine Bernard in the treatise of à solitary life adviseth the same, 
D. Bernard. tract. de vitâ. solitaria.  saying: After the daily sacrifice of prayers, after study, after examination & discussion of conscience, thou shalt give thyself to some entertainment, or corporal exercise where with the soul may solace and recreate itself à while, and breathing time, without that it be distracted, or remiss, out of which when thou wilt and shalt find it expedient, thou canst not deliver thyself, & freely part from without some difficulty. 
Genes. 2.  For even as man was not ereated for à woman, but à woman for à man; even so corporal exercise is for spiritual and for to assist it, and not to be à hindrance to it. And even as the companion which God gave to Adam, was very like to him and made of his rib aswell bone as flesh, even so the help and exercise which hath to accompany spiritual life, aught to have à proportion and solicitude to the spiritual state, and to symbolise and correspond with it, even as it is to meditate any thing one writ, or write ought one hath read, for were it so that they were works of great labour and wearisomeness, oppressing the spirits and senses much and wearing the body, the spirits vivacity & devotion would hence prove lessened, grow weak and alas! feeble and cold. Yet let the religious and spiritual person be advertised that long time be not consumed in corporal exercises but brief, and in such manner that easily he from them call himself to those of the spirit, and the condition thereof ought not go alone, and even solely such, but it ought to be accompanied and to be associated with that of the spirit. Corporal exercises are those which are under the denomination of manufactures, handy-workes; for others wherein necessary it is that the body take pains, and suffer watches, fastings, austerityes, and such like penances, and sharps and mortifications do not only not hinder, nor draw on any prejudice to the spirit, nor are they works adverse to it; but far otherwise they are favourers and friends, be it so that they be used with discretion, wit, and answerable to true judgement. And the same Bernard writing to à certain sister of his (à Nun) delivereth himself in this: 
Idem tract. formae benevidendi ad sororemc. 51.  the servant of GOD must always either read, pray, or work, left that the luxurious spirit get advantage and possess itself of an idle spirit; carnal pleasures are overcome with business, painstaking, and employments. Divide thy day (Sister) into three parts, in the first, pray; in the second, read; in the third, do some or other labour, and handiwork. Prayer, doth purify us; reading, doth teach us; and labour gaineth us happiness, according to what David said. Thou shalt be blessed, 
Psalm. 127.  and thy affairs all will have good success, because thou shalt eat of the labours and works of thy hands: And he who shall dispose and pass his time over, shall have no account to give to God for time ill employed and lost, nor shall he have time to lament of, to complain of, nor to accuse himself at the day of judgement that he neglected time, cast away time, lost time.  
The end of the Eighth Chapter.   

THE NINTH CHAPTER.  
Of the means to redeem time, where shallbe given to understand more expressly who are they, and of what condition they are who lose it.  
The Apostle Saint Paul among other doctrines, exhortations and counsels that he giveth to the Ephesians, and under them to all Christian people, after that he had admonished them that they should beware of Luxury and covetousness, and of all other works of darkness, and that they converse not, 
Eph. 5.  communicate not with heretics the enemies of light, these are his words Videte quomodo cautè ambuletis, etc. You have well seen already how many dangers there are and traps, snares, impediments & ambushes in the way to heaven, and how many thieves, pirates and enemies; hence well observe, and take tender & most solicitous care how you travail, stand on your guard prudently, and that with very great solicitude and cautelousnes, with watch and circumspection that you miserably fall not into their hands; Run not the course of fools, but entertain the discretion of the wise, discreet, prudent, subtle, and sound solid men, that well know what to do; and he following his intent and continuing his discourse sayeth: Redimentes tempus, etc. Redeeming time, for the days are ill, 
Viegas in Apoc. c. 10. citat Hiero●ymum  and the first exposition of the first words is Saint Ierom's (the later shallbe explained in the following Chapter) time unto men that they might therein serve him, and that they might employ themselves in good works and meritorious (which is at large read in the second Chapter) hence appeareth it, that they lose time, when so they employ it ill, and unworthily, as in bad works (which is the true loss most culpable, most to be blamed and most to be deplored) and even so hath, time to be redeemed, to be ransomed by the doing of good works; and then à man buyeth & redeemeth it and maketh it his own proper, which was formerly detained, impawned, engaged, nay sold. The second declaration is this: Many times God Almighty doth shorten, and cut of sinners from days and time, which according to the course of nature they were to run, had they been good (as the third Chapter showeth) so that the just, the virtuous, and who so employeth his time well, redeemeth it, ransometh it, for he doth recover and reassume that part of time, and space of life, that though he were à sinner, God Almighty as à just judge will acquitt him, and it so happily falleth out, that he liveth to his full years destined him, and dyeth enjoying à long course of life and many years. The third exposition is, that he ransometh time, who parteth with parcel thereof from worldly affairs to offer it up to God, and in serious applying himself to God, and to enjoying of inward comfort of his soul, and that seeming to do nothing he employeth it in an holy vacancy from worldly addictions, according to the example of S. Mary Magdalene. 
Luc. 10  And also he who carefully and strictly boundeth his time, in so much as he abridgeth its addiction to temporal affairs, & maketh as little consuming thereof as he can, as it were some what purloyneth or only stealeth some time for necessary affairs and requisite for the body, and yet herein saveth some thing for the soul, & for its good and profit; & this is as it were à redeeming of time, and to allow for it that which one would spare from other occasions, and decline them. And although this edemption and ransom (from the delights & pleasures wherewith mankind is taken) is sensible, as is it for one very hungry to be abridged of food, not with standing à man must necessarily use all his strength and power, yea ut-most forces and procure with all earnestness to difengage à thing so valuable & of so great worth as is that of time, since pastimes and unlawful entertainments and superfluous were the moneys and price, for which he sold it to the devil, being notably deceived in the sale, to his great affliction, aswell for the loss of time, as also for its great value & worth. And answerable to what is here delivered is said by the glorious Doctor of the Church Saint Austin, 
August serm. 24 de verbis Apost●li.  to redeem time, is this: Whensoever any one moveth à suit in Law, à plea against thy estate, lose some what to win time to serve God, and cut of the time which thou wert to lose in thy suits and that which thou thinkest that thou losest, thou winnest, and it is the price and valiew with which thou art made Master of time, who hath any thing to be deprived of for gain, in which he saith that God gave and to buy: for if so thou go into the market, and buy-est bread or wine or oil, or other merchandise; thou partest from one thing, receivest another, leavest thy money, partest from it, and makest good thy commerce and traffic, for this is the manner of buing and selling, of traffic; Then if thou shalt give nothing, nor have less than thou hadst before, and yet shouldst possess more, either it must be that thou hast found it, or that thou art heir of it, or that it was given unto thee in courtesy; but when so that thou givest and partest with one thing for an other, and dost give out from thy house in barter for some what that is necessary for thee, than dost thou traffic; and that which thou possessest, is what thou boughtest, and what thou partedst with, and hast not, is the price where with thou boughtest it. The divine Chrysostome declareth it in this following manner: 
Chryso. in epiad Ephes. serm. 17.  To redeem time (brother) is the self same as is the taking hold of opportunity & occasion offered, and in being time is not thine own to neglect it, or more to despise it, and that without sin thou mayest play it away, & cast it of to ill purpose (even as another saith that he may dispose, of his money at will, so that he may even play it away, and throw it in the river if such be his humour for that he is Lord thereof) although it be thine own, for that it is in thy power and freewill to employ it well, or no; Ye are strangers here and passengers, and since such is your state, seek not after honours, nor hunt after vain glory nor riches, dignities and authorities, revenges, nor points of honour. Patiently suffer every thing which happeneth to the contrary of thy expectation, as also to thy content, and be amidst them patient and meek, in so doing thou redeemest time, and doth ransom it: Moreover be good & charitable to thy enemies and adversaries, and give unto them all the riches thou hast if they require it, and that it be necessary to make à change between thy worldly wealth and sin. Imagine, fain à man who hath à house of valiew, and sumptuous, and very magnificently furnished, and that certain thieves moved by the report and fame thereof break into this palace with firm resolution to deprive him of his life, that they might easily rob him, and that he call out to them with à pitiful and commiserable voice and say thus much: Oh! alas! for the passion of our saviour, for the love of God (friends) kill me not for pity sake, for I will not withstand you, save my life, and take my goods, I will give you all treasure in my house; and even he parteth from all whatsoever they demand; even then of such an one we will speak and decipher, who doth ransom his life; In like manner hast thou (brother) à goodly palace and rich jewels, & of great valiew, thou hast à soul, which is the lively temple of God and his house and dwelling place, thou art endowed with faith, hope and charity, and other virtues, & gifts of his infinite goodness give them their demands, give I say whatsoever they ask and part with all thy estate, when so it be requisite and necessary, in exchange, not to lose the life of the soul: and this is the manner and true course to ransom it, and thou redeemest time which shoulest thou not do, thine enemies would take thee captive, thy time would be lost. Sinners ransom time which they lost, be it that they follow the counsel of the Prophet Baruch, 
Baruch 4.  when he sayeth: Sicut fuit sensus vester, etc. Convert yourselves to God, and after thou art converted to him through thy penance, serve him tenfold more, with far greater solicitude, care, fervour, diligence, and earnest attention, than was that thou employedst in parting from him in falling of from thy duty, and in offending him, and in ill casting away thy time. They shall redeem their time likewise who do answereably to what Saint Paul the Apostle adviseth, 
Rome 6  giving counsel to the same purpose. Sicut exhibuistis membra vestra etc. Even as to this very instant you employed and yielded up your bodies, senses, and the parts of your body to serve uncleanness and iniquity on iniquity, make even now a turn about, yea and turn à new leaf and spend all your time on the service of justice and virtue to sanctification. Before these words the Apostle delivered. Humanum dico propter vestram infirmitatem, etc. I desire to persuade you, and to propose unto you what is in itself nothing estranged from man & his nature, à thing feasible yea and easy to be done and sufferable, notwithstanding thy frailty and weakness, and it is, that for so much you serve not justice and truth as your duty is, and you aught according to reason, at the least I require it at your hands, that with as much affect, attention, efficacy, and fullness of vigour you employ yourselves in the service of God and in true observance of his commandments, and to make as much use of time and hours (of which the fruit, practice, and entertainment is sanctification, for by such works à man is sanctified, and is truly dedicated and delivered over to God) with as much care, attention and solicitude as you spent in your addictions, yea and giving yourselves over to serve iniquities and sin, for from hence the sinner contracteth nothing on himself, but to be in the state of sin, and to be alas! à sinner and wicked, and to be so enstyled, to bear such domination, such name. And although true it is, that sanctification doth notably exceed, far surmount iniquity, unrighteousness, yet should I be some what acquieted that they would employ so much earnestness, so most vigilant solicitude in welldoeing after conversion; as they have rendered, and formerly fully placed to sin, and to displease the Majesty of God. But, o pity! although bold, and ill placed courageous many were to sin, how luck warm, and even cold, slack, and hee●●es are they to undergo repentance, and to exercise themselves in practice of virtue? A sinner maketh no difficulty of aught to give himself his intended delights, and pleasures, to obtain his contents, and fullness of his appetits: nothing is by him accounted hard to acquire: and if so be that you question him, can you suffer and endure such like? or such other? be it never so difficult, he will answer to all, yea, he can; time is very short of too quick speed for sinners to enjoy the fullness of their delights, but to employ themselves in good-workes, they account the time long; mass is long; à sermon long, and tedious, prayer, as also meditation burdensome, and fasting very painful; cold maketh them heartless, quelleth their spirits; and heat doth even enfeeble them, and each thing whatsoever seemeth à great torment, or heavy burden; even so as (to conclude this Chapter) it is à very good remedy, to redeem time, to employ it well, yea and with à like agony, earnestness, covetousness, with such watch, diligence, and expeditenes, and mindfullnes, which might equalise that which was applied, to loose time, and to have it taken prisoner.  
The end of the Ninth Chapter.   

THE TENTH CHAPTER.  
How it is to be understood, that the days are bad, and how since so it is, that they are to be redeemed.  
ALL things which God created are good, 
Genes. 1.  considered in themselves, & comformable to their nature, for from his good hands there could nothing come, work nor whatsoever else, which was not good: and even the same all-Godnes after he had created them, he valued them good, and gave them for good to all. And that we continue our discourse to our the self same purpose, the days and years pondered in themselves by the same grounds cannot be bad, cannot be evil, nor can they bear in them moral malice, which may be accounted à fault in them, for & inso much as that they are not capable thereof, as little are they subjects or objects of sufferance & punishment, for as improper are they to receive such inflictions, nor whatsoever other miseries, which men sustain for their trespasses, their grievous transgressions: but evil days are called by such name, and go under such like title, respect had to men, who then live, for the ills of sins which they commit in those days, or for the ills of punishements which are inflicted on them, and for, and by they suffer as Saint Chrysostome, and Saint Jerome declare. 
Chrys. & Hieron. super Psa. 26.  And customarily sick, sad, and afflicted men use to say: Oh! what à day hath this been to me, alas! how ill, oh! how bitter, ah! poor wretch as I am, was ever known the like? There are two things (saith the glorious S. Austin) which are cause that the days are evil, 
Augu. serm. 24. de verb. Apost.  are bad, and that they are so called, though in themselves they be good; which are malice, and the misery of men; misery is common, but in no sort is malice. From the time that Adam sinned, and was banished from Paradise, the days have been evermore evil, bad and the crying of children in their being even newly borne is to foretell, to presage, to prophetize miseries, calamities, and heavy labours, and to say that in that day they make their entrance, and beginning in this valley of tears, and at least (although it fare well with them, & that they be happy in their lot, that they prove good) they shall not be free from temptations, and wherefore to fear, nor why not. Euthymius expounding the words of the Psalmist: who is the man who desireth life, 
Euthymius in Psalm. 33.  and to see good days? delivereth that these good days are those of the other world, the other life, for that those of this time are evil, according to what jacob said to Pharaoh, 
Gen 4●  and the Apostle Saint Paul, 
Ephes 5  when he spoke to the people of Ephesus, redeem time, for the days are bad. And to the same purpose delivereth S. Basill: 
Basill. ibid.  The days of my pilgrimage (said S. jacob, answering to Pharaoh, who questioned of him how old he was) are one hundred and thirty, few, and those bad. The King asked of him, how many are the years thou hast lived? and he replied etc. and although he seemed at first sight that he answered not to the purpose, yet he returned an admirable answer, & like himself, à Saint, and discreet, & as à wise and prudent man he cut of in à tacit and silent way, the question which was asked of him: as the Master doth with his scholar, when he demandeth an impertinent question, his meaning to Pharaoh was that the years of this life, are not years, but days: and the days, not days, but hours, and the hours, not hours, but moments: and the life of the servants of God is not à place of settling in this world, but à journeying, a travelling from place to place; à pilgrimage to the celestial jerusalem. They are passengers, & even as such like, they make use of the goods and commodities of the world; and he spoke further that his years were few, although he were an hundred and thirty; for that those his, yea and many more are few, 
Genes. 29. & 32.  for that the longest life is short, yea even as à shadow.  
And finally he enstyleth his day's bad for the many dangers and corporal & spiritual crosses, 
job 7.  labours and afflictions, which in it are found, and which it suffereth, for temptation is man's life, are the time of his life. Hence is it that for the evils, for the labours, crosses, misfortunes which often occur to man in his days, the days are said to be evil, and in the holy scripture they are called evil. Hence is the day of Doom called bad, 
Psalm. 29.  respect had to the evil, and it goeth under the title of sharp, and bitter, and from hence we shall understand the meaning of those words which our Lord and Saviour delivered by S. Matthew: Be not too much solicitous of to morrow, 
Matth. 6.  for each days ill, each day's malice is enough: which is, 
Simon de Cassia.  as if he should speak more at large: You have enough to do to day, take great care of this present day, and of its labours, it's business, its entertainments, its necessities, without that thou seek to redouble thy charge, and to take to thee to day the anxiety, and care of mind, and burden that belongeth to the following day, thinking what thou hast to do therein, or what may happen unto thee, and I assure thee that, let it take sufficient care for itself. And even to this same purpose, was that which the Apostle delivered to the Ephesians, when he said: Redeem the time, for the days are ewil. Observe well that the days are laborious, full of miseries, difficulties, and hindrances, employments, occasions, temptations, and impediments to thy salvation, and to thy safety; for which, for many other respects and affairs to which our weak body draweth on us, as necessity for conservation of it and life, and our ill inclined nature after the sin, much time is frequently lost without any fruit of good works, and is impawned, sold and captivated, imprisoned; hence do I crave of thee with all tenderness, I exhort thee with all sincerity, & recommend unto thee with all fervour, that thou beware of employing thy time ill, & to let it be imprisonned, alas! and lost, and that thou endeavour tooth and nail, with all thine endeavour, to the utter most of thy power, to make use thereof, to reedeeme it, and to value it, and so to commerce & carry thy business, that when our Lord shall come, & shall call for account, thou may give him up à good, an exact and perfect one. And even so we must each of us do, for moreover and above what is delivered, the days are as short as possibly may be, uncertain, yea and irrevocable, not to be called back, not to be returned unto us; and we must be of time very sparing, even to covetousness thereof, painfully, and most solicitously endeavouring to recover that we lost, those days which we cast away, with making all haste to make use of that time which is lent us, and left unto us, to the service of God, & repair our omissions and negligences with diligence & present care, multiplying penance, sorrow for our sins, mortifications, meritorious works, & of charity, as doth he, who hath à long journey to make, the time proving short for him, almost passed, and through his negligence and carelessness and sloth is ca● very much behind hand, endeavoureth afterwards to run in such à manner, so speedily, that he dispatcheth in two hours that journey, for the performance of which he had six hours and therefore seeketh out ' the shortest way, sweats, travaileth pain fully, and forceth himself to run à mile together, without giving over, or wearisomeness, although necessarily it be required to eat, and that he take unto him some food, à morsel, ot two, yea, and even this doth he eat running and as first as he can. Even so did the same Apostle to redeem the time he had fore gone, 
Philip. 3. & 1. Cor. 9  and lost: Sequer si quomodo comprehendam. As if he should say; Since so it is that I had so much time, and went so far astray, and got so little ground in the service of God, and was so negligent in endeavouring to gain the reward of heaven, and had so many days lost my time, I now earnestly desire to make à double haste, insomuch as I run speedily, yea and without looking behind me at all, for that I make no esteem of all my former walks, rather absolute forgetfulness thereof hath taken me up, even as if I had not gone astepp going forward, and boldly advancing my pace through thick and thin, mine eyes attentive on my way I am to run, and my journey I have to expedite, and finish, and not on that I have already passed. 
Psalm. 118.  The self same did king David put in practice after that God dilated, extended, and enlarged his heart with the love of him, and charity, and released him of those fetters, thoses gyves which were on his feet, as he testifieth, in these words: Viam mandatorum tuorum cucurri etc. When as through thy great mercy (my Lord, my God) thou pleasedst to attract me, and release me from sin, and misery, in which I was plunged, surprised and fast-held so long, and in the breaking the chains wherewith I was fast tied, refreshing my heart with the water, the liquor more precious than that of Angels, from the bounty of thy all Sovereign benignity and grace comforting it, consoling it therewith; I began (that I might redeem time) to hasten and run, and I made all possible speed, all diligence imaginable, without getting unto me, or purchasing so much as one breathing, or other, n●thy way for the way of thy commandments. The devout and mystical Thaulerus (and then with him will we conclude this treatise) moveth a question in this manner how a man may redeem, 
Thaulerus.  and recover time passed by, and lost; how he may ransom it, since that there is not, no not one moment of time, which is not due to God, which we are not to give account of to God; and (as Gregory Nissenus said) if so that we should pass all our time in prayer, 
Gregor. Nissenin orat. Pater noster.  and in rendering of thanks to God, hardly shall we accomplish, fulfil the obligation, and duty which we even at this present instant owe, & for it, how much more for the time passed, and to come; and thus he answereth; turn another way, retire yourselves each one of you with all your power, and greatest height of your strength and abilities, the highest yea and the lowest, from all time, and place, and let it all be recollected and drawn unto that present instant of eternity, where God is essentially and remaineth in one being, and in a most firm stability, without that there be any thing passed, or to come, but that all is present, & in an everlasting state, uniform, durable fixed, permanent, constant, invariable, without change, & immovable, without time it's passing in so much as hath relation to him, there being and being found in him, all what is present, passed, and to come, and all beginning, and ending of time, without beginning and ending. And there with he shall find all those treasures, which he set at light, and despised, and infinitely more; and they who oftentimes accustom themselves, make it their practice, and raise themselves above themselves, and all creatures, and even to hide themselues, cover themselves, and to make their nest, and place of abiding in God, who is present in the hearts of all people, they undoubtedly acquire riches, procure unto themselves treasures, and find therein much more them, alas! they can have lost. And in this their entrance and conversion to God each one ought fully, entirely, and perfectly to transform himself into him, and even from the very bottom of his heart say: o my eternal God I would, that all the time which hath been from the beginning of the world, and hath to continued until the end thereof, that I had lived for thee, and thy service, and that I may hence forward live such as I may bepraise-worthy, & clean with obedience, and all kind of virtues, as those men whosoever have been borne at any time who have run the course of their lives in afflictions, poverty, tribulations, & anxious toils. Oh! could I distil, power forth, yea gush out from mine eyes all the water in the sea, & supply the necessities of those who want, and are poor, & confer comfort to the heavy, afflicted, and sad, and for thee (my God) that I might love thee, praise thee, and exalt thee, and glorify thee, even as much as do all the Saints and Angels of thy sovereign, high, and mighty Court? For undoubtedly all these things would I do most willingly: And let him be most assured, who so hath taken into his heart this will, and lively desires, that even accordingly that most just, and most upright judge will accept them, as if they were put in execution; for to desire with sincere and efficacious will to do any work, is as much as if it were done before God in his sight; so it is accounted of him, it being (as we formerly said) à perfect will, and it so being that the work surmount the possibility, 
Chrys. homil. 19 in Math. S. Tho. 1. 2. q. 20. art. 4,  and faculty of our forces, and hence I refer the Reader to the 4. Chapter, where mention is made of the good thief which doctrine there delivered agreeth well to that of this.  
The end of the tenth and last Chapter.  
LAUS DEO TRINO-VN●.    

Hic liher cui titulus est, The Ransom of time being Captive, id est, Redemptio temporis captivi ex Hispanica lingua in Anglicanam, fideliter translatus, nihil habet fidei aut moribus bonis adversum, Actum Duaci 27. Novembris 1634.  
Georgius Coluenerius S. Theol. Doctor & Professor, Collegiatae Ecclesiae S. Petri praepositus, Academiae Duacensis Caneellarius, & Librorum Censor.   

ERRATA.  
P. 1. l. 3. deal (). p. 2. l. 〈◊〉 for kookes, read books. p. 15. l. 21. for 〈…〉 which. p. 26. for as, read and p. 75. l. 19 after Isra●● 〈…〉 p. 84. l. 13. for opposite, read apposite. 〈…〉 appositely. read appositely. p. 95. l. 7. for 〈…〉 ●oue. p. 97. l. 1. after nor, add to. p. 101. l. 13. 〈…〉 not. p. 103. l. 12. for beleft, read believed. p. 122. 〈◊〉. for dispensest, read despisest. p. 135. l. 19 for rigorous, read vigorous, the page 142. is put twice, the latter should be 144. p. 15●. li. 4. for reinfortid, read reinforced. p. 171. l. 1. the first line of this, page 171. should have been put the first line of the page 167. pag. 171. The second line of this page is 〈◊〉 follow after the last line of the page 170. pag. 193. line 2. for the lettre n, read in.  
Some other faults in orthography, the numbers of the pages, etc. the Readers courtesy may pardon, and the printers want of an English tongue excuse.