bereave us of a very practical lesson, it seemeth not proper to this place.
[1.] Because the drift of the apostolical writings is to draw men to a contempt of life, and to a cheerful suffering of persecutions, not to clancular arts how to shift them.
[2.] Because it is drawn from the consideration of their being * children of light/ or ' light in the Lord,' and the obligation that lieth upon them of ' walking as children of light ; ' and that will rather enforce a holy conversation for the conviction of heathens, than a wary •carriage to shun their rage, and a trouble for their own safety. Well, then, what is the meaning of ' redeeming the time,' or buying the time ? The term is proper to civil contracts, but is here applied morally.
(1.) In buying there is some price paid ; we part with one thing to obtain another ; so we must part with anything less than it rather than lose time ; as Prov. xxiii. 23, 'Buy the truth, and sell it not.' No temporal conveniency is too dear to be parted with to get truth and retain truth. As merchants stand upon no rate or price if they may get such wares into their hands as they may make benefit of, so time is such a precious commodity, and so useful to us in order to eternity, that we should not stand upon ease, carnal pleasures, and worldly con- veniences, that we may purchase it.
(2.) Emptum cedit in jus emptoris, that which is bought belongeth to the buyer ; and so the Greelj scholiast, dyopd^eiv rov Kaipov icrrcv YSlov irocelv, so buy time to make it your own for spiritual advantages. But our translation useth the word redeem, which implieth another metaphor, namely the recovery of a mortgage, or the redeeming of what hath been lost or pawned out ; and so it noteth our former im- provident misspence of time. We have, as it were, mortgaged it to Satan, to the world, and to vanity, and now should redeem it out of the hands of these engrossers, and by future diligence recover our former neglect.
2. The object, rov Kaipov, ' the time.' The word properly signifieth the season and opportunity, but yet it is the usual word for time in scripture, for to a christian all time is season. Time in general is but short : 1 Cor. vii. 29, ' But this I say, brethren, the time is short/ But the season or opportunity, which is the flower of time, is shorter ; therefore this must not be slipped : Gal. vi. 10, ' As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men.' There are special seasons of getting, or doing of good, and they continue not long with us ; they are always in passing, and being passed, will not possibly return ; there- fore we should take them when they are fairly offered.
Secondly, The reason by which this duty is enforced, ' Because the days are evil' Herein I shall — (1.) Give the meaning of the phrase ; (2.) The force of the consequence. 1. For the meaning of the phrase.
[1.] It may be understood of the whole course or race of man's life : Gen. xlvii. 9, ' And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years : few and evil have the days of the years of my life been.' They are few in themselves, but especially in comparison with eternity ; and they are evil in regard of
360 SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. [SeR. XIX.
sin and misery. In heaven tliey are neither few nor evil ; here it is a mercy they are few, because they are evil. Time in itself is neither good nor evil, but in regard of the accidents of time, as it is encum- bered with variety of vexations, cares, and miseries, so our days may be called evil. And in this sense we must take that of our Saviour, Mat. vi. 34, ' Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof.' Every day bringeth evil enough and sorrow enough to exercise us. Therefore you had need to lay up for a better life, for you have but sorry evil days here.
[2.] More properly and specially it relateth to the times the apostle wrote in, which were hard and calamitous, and full of danger, because of the wickedness of those among whom they lived. There were many enemies then, both to christian verity and piety. They lived among heathens, and troubles every day grew more sore and fierce, as also near and close. Paul himself felt the smart of them. This epistle was written out of prison ; so that these days were evil indeed.
2. The force of the consequence. You may conceive it many ways.
[1.] Because others vainly misspend time, christians should be more careful to redeem it. The worse the times are, the better should we be, as fountain water is hottest in the coldest weather, and stars shine brightest in the darkest night. This consideration is not amiss, for they were to ' have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather to reprove them ; ' that is, in their practice ; and christians are to ' shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and froward gener- ation,' Phil. ii. 15. God's children are best in the worst times, more strict and watchful when sin aboundeth. The world saith it is an evil time ; we must do as much as we can to reclaim their lukewarmness. Let us rather labour to do good than complain of the evil of the times, a^d so seek to make them better.