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gotten by them. Ariftotle accounts, that the Profit which a Man gets by the Dice, and the Purchases that a Thief makes upon the Highway, are to be ranked equally among the unlawful Gains. And St. Auguftine tells us, Bona aleâ amiffa, tanquam furto ablata, Veteres reftituenda putabant; viz. The Antients were of Opinion, that Money won by Dice, or at Tables, c. ought to be restored, like Money that was ftolen.

And whe

I am fenfible it will be a hard Matter to perfuade all Men of the Truth of this. But however, I cannot but lay before them what the Sense of wife and good Men has been concerning this Affair. ther all will believe this or no, I hope all fober Perfons, who are either concerned for their Happiness in this World, or Salvation in the next, and who have any Regard either for their Eftates, or Families, or Reputations, will keep out of this ungodly Courfe of Gaming, and will seriously apply themselves to fuch Ways of living, wherein they may be ferviceable to their Families, to their Country, and to the Church of God; adorning their Profeffion by a holy and unblameable Life, that fo their Souls may be faved in the World to

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DISCOURSE VI.

Of Diligence and Watchfulness in our Chriftian Calling. How our Time is to be spent, and our Leifure improved, to ufeful Purposes. And particularly what Wisdom and Prudence Chriftians are to use in evil and dangerous Times.

[Delivered in Two Sermons.]

EPHES, V. 15, 16.

See then that ye walk circumfpectly, not as Fools, but as Wife, redeeming the Time, because the Days are evil.

T

HIS circumfpect Walking which
is here recommended, and re-
deeming the Time which is laid
down as an Inftance of it, may
be interpreted two Ways.

ift. It may either imply great Diligence and Watchfulness in profecuting the Work

of

143

of our Christianity in general, and in order thereto, that we improve our Time to the beft Advantage, fpending as little of it idly as is poffible; or,

2dly. It may imply Prudence, and Caution, and Difcretion in the Management of ourselves and our Affairs with Reference to this World, especially in Times of Difficulty and Danger; that by this Means we may gain Time to ourfelves, and avoid the Mischiefs that the evil Days threaten us with.

Each of these Interpretations, as it hath good Authority on its fide, fo doth it likewife afford us ufeful Inftructions ; and therefore I fhall reject neither of them, but in treating upon this Text fhall take them both in, beginning with the Interpretation firft mentioned.

St. Paul, in the former Part of this Chap

ter, is evidently exhorting the Ephefians, that laying afide all Wickednefs and Senfuality, they would live a holy and a pure Life ; and he doth it from this ConfideVer. 8. ration, that they had been fometime Darknefs, but now were Light in the Lord; therefore they ought to walk as Children of Light. They were heretofore in a heathen State, but now the Light of the Gospel did shine forth to them; and therefore it was an infinite Reproach to them if they did any longer pursue the unfruitful Works of Darkness. Wherefore (as the Apoftle goes

v. 15.

v.16.

v. 17.

goes on in the Words before my Text) The Spirit of God faith, Awake thou that fleep- Ver. 14. eft, and arife from the dead, and Christ ball give thee Light. And then comes my Text, See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as Fools, but as wife, redeeming the Time, becaufe the Days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwife, but understanding what the Will of the Lord is. As much as to fay, it is the Will of the Lord that ye fhould awake from the Sleep of Sin; that ye fhould arise from Death to Life; that ye fhould mortify your evil Habits and corrupt Affections, which have fo long enthrall'd you; and live from henceforward a holy and a fpiritual Life. This is it to which ye are called, and obliged by the Gofpel. It therefore infinitely concerns you to look about you, to be very watchful of your own Actions, to be circumfpect in all your Behaviour, to redeem the Time paft, which you have spent in Vanity, by improving the Time prefent to the best Purposes, nay to catch at all Opportunities of advancing in Virtue and Goodness. (This is the Meaning of redeeming or purchafing the Time that is here mentioned). And fo much the rather, because it is an evil and dangerous World ye live in. Ye have a great many Enemies to conflict with; ye have a Torrent of bad Examples and Cuftoms to ftruggle with; ye are furrounded with Temptations of all Sorts; fo that unless ye VOL. V. L

be

be wonderfully careful of your own Conduct, and watchful over your Enemies, you are in great Danger to be run down, and lofe all the Fruits and Rewards of your taking upon yourselves the Profeffion of Christianity.

This is the Account which fome of the Interpreters give of this Paffage. Now taking St. Paul's Precept of walking circumpectly in this Senfe, it contains in it these following Duties, or will oblige us to thefe following Particulars.

1. First of all we must look narrowly to our Hearts, that is to fay, to our Purposes and Intentions. Whoever means to walk circumspectly, muft, above all Things, take care of his Designs, that they be well fixed and fettled. If a Man live at random, having no Principles to act by, no steady Aims or Purposes to pursue, he is unprovided of all Defence, and expofed to the Affaults of every Temptation that comes in his way. I cannot fay that his Guard is easily broken, for he has no Guard at all, but is like a Ship without a Rudder, carried away with every Wind; like a House without Lock or Bars, a ready Prey to the firft Enemy that fhall attack him. If therefore we mean to live to any Purposes of Religion, it is abfolutely neceffary that we should, in the firft place, look carefully to our Hearts, fo as to keep them always in a good Frame and Difpofition.

My

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