Boyle, Robert (1627-1691)

Occasional Reflections Upon Several Subjects

London

Printed by W. Wilson for Henry Herringman

1665

"And since Gold-smiths and Refiners are wont all the year long carefully to save the very sweepings of their Shops, because they may contain in them some Filings, or Dust of those richer Metals, Gold and Silver; I see not why a Christian may not be as careful, not to lose the Fragments and lesser Intervals of a thing incomparably more precious than any Metal, Time."

NOr will the Meleteticks (or way, and kind of Meditation) I would perswade, keep Men alone from such gross and notorious Idleness, that they may be ask'd the Question, propos'd by the Housholder in the Gospel, Why sit ye here all the Day idle? But this way of Thinking, may in part keep Men from the loss of such smaller parcels of Time, as though a meer Morallist would not perhaps censure the neglect of them in others, yet a Devout person would condemn it in himself: For betwixt the more stated Employments, and important Occurrences of humane Life, there usually happen to be interpos'd certain Intervals of Time, which, though they are wont to be neglected, as being singly, or within the Compass of one day inconsiderable, yet in a Man's whole Life, they may amount to no contemptible Portion of it. Now these uncertain Parentheses, (if I may so call them) or Interludes, that happen to come between the more solemn Passages (whether Businesses, or Recreations) of humane Life, are wont to be lost by most Men, for want of a Value for them, and ev'n by good Men, for want of Skill to preserve them: For though they do not properly despise them, yet they neglect, or lose them, for want of knowing how to rescue them, or what to do with them. But as though grains of Sand and Ashes be a part, but of a despicable smallness, and very easie, and liable to be scatter'd, and blown away; yet the skilful Artificer, by a vehement Fire, brings Numbers of these to afford him that noble substance, Glass, by whose help we may both see our selves, and our Blemishes, lively represented, (as in Looking-glasses) and discern Celestial objects, (as with Telescopes) and with the Sun-beams, kindle dispos'd Materials, (as with Burning-glasses) So when these little Fragments, or Parcels of Time, which, if not carefully look'd to, would be dissipated, and lost, come to be manag'd by a skilful Contemplator, and to be improv'd by the Celestial fire of Devotion, they may be so order'd, as to afford us both Looking-glasses, to dress our Souls by, and Perspectives to discover Heavenly wonders, and Incentives to inflame our hearts with Charity and Zeal; And since Gold-smiths and Refiners are wont all the year long carefully to save the very sweepings of their Shops, because they may contain in them some Filings, or Dust of those richer Metals, Gold and Silver; I see not why a Christian may not be as careful, not to lose the Fragments and lesser Intervals of a thing incomparably more precious than any Metal, Time; especially, when the Improvement of them, by our Meleteticks, may not onely redeem so many Portions of our Life, but turn them to pious Uses, and particularly to the great Advantage of Devotion.
(pp. 8-10)

Mineral::Gold and Silver

Reading

2 entries in ESTC (1665, 1669).

Occasional Reflections Upon Several Subjects, Whereto Is Premis'd a Discourse About Such Kind of Thoughts.(London: Printed by W. Wilson for Henry Herringman, 1665). <Link to ESTC><Link to EEBO-TCP>

07/28/2014