[2.] ' Without spot.' This relateth to the soul, and the filthiness contracted by sin. This is your business, to get out your deep and inveterate stain. You began as soon as you made conscience of your baptism, and you never leave till it be perfected in glory : 2 Peter i. 4, ' Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust ; ' 1 John iii. 3, ' He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as Christ is pure.'
[3.] The third word, ' without blame,' relateth to the conversation : Eph. i. 4, ' According as he hath chosen us in him before the founda- tion of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love.' Carry on a blameless conversation in the world, obnox- ious to no just reproof, that neither by the omission of any known duty, nor by the commission of any known sin, you may give others just cause of offence ; but be always working out your salvation with fear and trembling.
VeR. 16.] SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. 367"
SERMON XX.
Bedeeming the time, hecause the days are evil. — Eph. v. 16.
Thirdly, I shall now proceed to the encouragements to the bargain- to redeem time and season.
First, Let me press you to redeem the time.
1. Too much time hath been spent already ; 1 Peter iv. 3, 'For the time past of our life may suffice us.' In infancy we were in no capa- city to act grace ; we lived the life of sense rather than reason, and did only feed and sleep. When we began to bewray our reason, we showed the folly that was bound up in our hearts, and since that we have spent a great deal of precious time in sin. Now as travellers that have stayed long in their inn mend their pace, and ride as much in an hour as before in two, so because we have spent much time already, we should redeem time: Eom. xiii. 12, 'The night is far spent, the day is at hand ; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light ; ' the text that converted Augustine, who opened the bible in this place, when he heard a voice, saying, Tolle, lege. We have all been too long disputing and traversing the case with God ; it is good to come to a resolution, and break off the old, vain, sinful, carnal way of living, that we may at length set about the work of godliness.
2. We are to be accountable to God for time. When he cometh to reckon with his people, time is one of the circumstances mentioned, either for the aggravating sin or commending his mercies : Ps. xcv. 10, ' Forty years long was I grieved with this generation,' God might have reckoned with you twenty, thirty, forty years ago, with honour enough to his justice ; but he hath borne with you all this while. So for commending his mercies : Luke xiii. 7, ' Then said he unto the dresser of the vineyard. Behold these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree.' When the scripture speaketh in such cases numeric rotundis, in round numbers, as ten, twenty, or the like, we need not inquire after the interpretation, but it signifies a long time. But when there is numerus impar, an uneven number, why is it three years rather than four or six? I answer — Look to the harmony of the evangelists, and you will find that after Christ's baptism he had spent three years in the ministry, and was now entering upon his fourth year. God. keepeth an exact account how long we have learned of him : Heb. v. 12, ' For when for the time ye ought to be teachers of others, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God ; ' Jer. xxv. 3, ' From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day (that is, the three and twentieth year), the word of the Lord hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you.' God keepeth an exact account; full three and twenty years had he been reclaiming them. All these things are but pledges of the great process at the day of judgment. God will call you to an account, not simply for your mercies and sins, but for the time you have spent, so long patience, so much means. Oh, then, reflect upon thine own heart : 1 must die, and give an account for all
368 SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. [SeR, XX.
my time, and I cannot give an account of one day among a hundred ; my time hath been spent in foolish mirth, troublesome cares, and idle company, in vain sports and recreations. Pass a reckoning upon your time for the present, and if you cannot answer conscience, you cannot answer God. So much in meals and banquets, so much in sleep, so much in sports and recreations, so much in worldly business ; and then think how little a remainder is there for God. I remember an account of a phantastic in Plutarch, that gave thus much time to his barber, thus much to his perfumer, tailor, cook, and half to his philosopher,