Redeeming the Time

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Willem Teellinck, Redeeming the Time, Preface:

Men say there is nothing more valuable than time, and they speak the truth; for their life, which is their most valuable possession, is none other than a bundle of hours, days, weeks and so on; but many have scarcely spoken thus before they dispose of their time as if it were useless rubbish by the basketful: what folly! Look -- in time there is a certain fatness and marrow which is excellently valuable and delicious: and the vigour of our life is therefore lengthened out to us by God, that we may fetch good out of it and our souls thrive in fatness. We sadly deceive ourselves, if think that one hour of our life is lengthened out to us by God other than for the furtherance of His glory and the salvation of our souls.

So it is well for us to consider each hour of life permitted to us as a special gift, bestowed upon us in mercy by the great God for our profit; and just as certainly we merit eternal misery for each hour of our life ill-spent or lived unprofitably, were the Lord to deal with us as we deserve. And, the deep consideration of what we owe to God and Christ in His service, and how shamefully neglectful we have been hitherto, should cause us in justice to redeem our time with all diligence. The more so, seeing that our life is not only very short but also very uncertain; wherefore we should rightly view each day which dawns upon us as that which could be the last day of our lives, and on that account never dare to put off for one hour the discharging of our conscience before God. (Heb. 3.7; Psa. 119.60).

 

[LadyCalvinist]

Andrew, where can I get a copy of that book?

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Andrew, where can I get a copy of that book?

Diane -- There are copies available at Alibris (the best price is $3.45). It is a 37-page booklet.

It was written in the last year of his life. He took it upon himself, sort of as a New Years resolution, to record his devotional thoughts each day for a month starting on January 1, 1629. He says on that date: "Such then is my intention, with the good help of my God, to keep my senses vigilant this whole year if the Lord spare me to live through it, and my eyes watchful to observe and to grasp all opportunities of doing and receiving good; that profiting thus by my time here below I may live hereafter with my God, without limit of time, in everlasting joy and glory, through Jesus Christ my Lord! Amen." On January 4, 1629 he turned 50 years old (he refers to that as his "jubilee"). He wrote the Preface for this work on February 6, 1629. On March 16, 1629 he fell ill and he went to be with Jesus on April 8, 1629.