_Thief_ XI. Another dangerous time-wasting sin is the reading of vain books, play-books, romances, and feigned histories; and also unprofitable studies, undertaken but for vain-glory, or the pleasing of a carnal or curious mind. Of this I have spoken in my book of "Self-denial." I speak not here how pernicious this vice is by corrupting the fancy and affections, and breeding a diseased appetite, and putting you out of relish to necessary things. But bethink you before you spend another hour in any such books, whether you can comfortably give an account of it unto God; and how precious the time is, which you are wasting on such childish toys. You think the reading of such things is lawful; but is it lawful to lose your precious time? You say that your petty studies are desirable and laudable; but the neglect of far greater necessary things is not laudable. I discourage no man from labouring to know all that God hath any way revealed to be known; but I say as Seneca, We are ignorant of things necessary, because we learn things superfluous and unnecessary. Art is long and life is short: and he that hath not time for all, should make sure of the greatest matters; and if he be ignorant of any thing, let it be of that which the love of God, and our own and other men's salvation, and the public good, do least require, and can best spare. It is a pitiful thing to see a man waste his time in criticising, or growing wise in the less necessary sciences and arts, while he is yet a slave of pride or worldliness, and hath an unrenewed soul, and hath not learned the mysteries necessary to his own salvation. But yet these studies are laudable in their season. But the fanatic studies of those that would pry into unrevealed things, and the lascivious employment of those that read love-books, and play-books, and vain stories, will one day appear to have been but an unwise expense of time, for those that had so much better and more needful work to do with it. I think there are few of those that plead for it, that would be found with such books in their hands at death, or will then find any pleasure in the remembrance of them.
_Thief_ XII. But the master-thief that robs men of their time is an unsanctified, ungodly heart; for this loseth time whatever men are doing: because they never truly intend the glory of God; and having not a right principle or a right end, their whole course is hell-wards; and whatever they do, they are not working out their salvation: and therefore they are still losing their time, as to themselves, however God may use the time and gifts of some of them, as a mercy to others. Therefore a new and holy heart, with a heavenly intention and design of life, is the great thing necessary to all that will savingly redeem their time.
_Tit._ 5. _On whom this Duty of Redeeming Time is principally incumbent._
Though the redeeming of time be a duty of grand importance and necessity to all, yet all these sorts following have special obligations to it.
_Sort_ I. Those that are in the youth and vigour of their time. Nature is not yet so much corrupted in you, as in old accustomed sinners; your hearts are not so much hardened; sin is not so deeply rooted and confirmed; Satan hath not triumphed in so many victories; you are not yet plunged so deep as others, into worldly encumbrances and cares; your understanding, memory, and strength are in their vigour and do not yet fail you: and who should go fastest, or work hardest, but he that hath the greatest strength? You may now get more by diligence in a day, than hereafter you can get in many. How few prove good scholars, or wise men, that begin not to learn till they are old! "Flee youthful lusts," therefore, 2 Tim. ii. 22. "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth," Eccles. xii. 1. If you be now trained up in the way you should go, you will not depart from it when you are old, Prov. xxii. 6. Oh that you could but know what an unspeakable advantage, and benefit, and comfort it is, to come to a ripe age with the provisions and furniture of that wisdom, and holiness, and acquaintance with God, which should be attained in your youth! and what a misery it is to be then to learn that which you should have been many years before in practising, and to be then to begin to live when you must make an end! much more to be cast to hell, if death should find you unready in your youth! or to be forsaken of God to a hardened age! Happy they that, with Timothy and Obadiah, do learn the Scripture and fear God in their childhood, and from their youth, 1 Kings xviii. 12; 2 Tim. iii. 15.