Redeeming the Time by Theophilus Dwight Witherspoon

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 19, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 44.

"Redeeming the Time."

By Theophilus Dwight Witherspoon

TRAFFIC in the days of the apostles was conducted by different methods from those familiar to us. Now the vender selects a suitable locality for the display of his wares. Here he fixes his place of business, opens and arranges his goods, and invites his customers to call and make their purchases. Then the purchasers selected a convenient place in the mart, and, seating themselves, waited for the venders to pass, and as each went by, carrying his wares upon his person, the purchaser selected such articles as he desired and bought them out from the merchant's stock. Troops of these itinerant venders may still be seen in Oriental marts, carrying wares of every description, oftentimes laden until the person of the merchant is almost concealed by the mass of fabrics of every kind, the merits and prices of which he cries vociferously as he goes.

One who has ever witnessed a procession of these peripatetic merchants will have no difficulty in understanding the apostle's figure when he speaks of "redeeming the time," or (Rev. Ver.) "buying up the opportunity." Time, with its successive periods, is represented by the stream of venders, each laden with his wares. The Christian is the purchaser, seated at his post watching each period as it passes, that out of the multitude and variety of its incidents he may select and utilize that one which is most serviceable to his great purpose in life, or, as the apostle expresses it, may "buy out the opportunity," as the merchant buys out the pearl or the precious stone.

Viewed thus in the light of its particular setting, how very expressive the admonition of the apostle! It speaks to us, first of all, of vigilance as an element of the successful Christian life. For look at that merchant in the Oriental market seeking to make a collection of pearls. How intent he is upon his work! He watches with unceasing vigilance as each vender passes; for he does not know but any one may have the very pearl that he craves. His eye rests but lightly upon all the gay fabrics or glittering tinsel that the vender may bear. But if there be a string of pearls, how wide-awake he is! Just so, with the same earnest outlook, with the same unceasing vigilance, should the servant of Christ be watching for opportunities. If he allows himself at any moment to fall asleep or to become abstracted or to be diverted by inferior things, the very opportunity of opportunities may pass unimproved. The first lesson of the apostle, then, is that of watchfulness, watchfulness for opportunities of doing good.

But a second lesson follows close upon this. The pearl-buyer is not only vigilant, but see how discriminating he is. When he has discovered the string of pearls, with what rapidity and yet with what precision his eye runs along the string until he has found the very pearl that he requires! They are all pearls and all precious, but this one is the opportune pearl for him and he seizes the occasion to make it his own. Just so with us; there is a wise discretion, a spiritual tact, in knowing just what opportunities to avail ourselves of, just when to speak and what to speak for the Master. There is a "wisdom of the serpent," to be conjoined with the "harmlessness of the dove," by which, like the great apostle, we become all things to all men if by any means we may win some. If we would be successful Christian merchants and buy out the best opportunities, we must study to use a wise discrimination. We must, as the apostle expresses it in this same passage, "walk circumspectly towards them that are without, not as fools, but as wise."

But, after all, the great lesson of the apostle most probably is that of promptness in availing ourselves of opportunities as they pass. The itinerant vender, as he goes singing his wares, is in hearing of the pearl-gatherer only for a moment. Then he is gone beyond his sight and beyond his call. Whatever he desires to secure from the string of pearls must be decided upon and acted upon at once. A minute's delay, and it is altogether too late. He may sit down after the man is gone and think what a beautiful pearl it was, how well it would have fitted in the collection he is trying to make, how much he wishes he had bought it while the vender was present. All this will not bring the man back or give the opportunity of regaining the vantage that has been lost. So it is in these matters of the soul. There is an opportune moment. Oh, how rich it is in pearls of everlasting beauty! But it is only a moment. Seize it, and the pearl is yours forever. Hesitate, dally, let procrastination or irresolution rule the hour, and it is gone.

And it is with these opportunities as with the pearls of the merchantman; they must ordinarily be bought one by one. We cannot redeem a life-time in a single day. We cannot achieve our whole life-work by a single heroic resolve, a single brilliant achievement, or a single splendid success. The purchases that are to constitute our soul-wealth for eternity must be made at retail. We must be diligent, "in season and out of season." Patient, vigilant, unflagging toil, this is the law of the Christian life.

We must not be discouraged from working because the days are evil. This is the very reason the apostle gives for diligence; "redeeming the time," says he, "because the days are evil." The fewer and rarer the pearls are in the market, the more need that the collector shall be wary and prompt to avail himself of every offer. If opportunities are rare, let us seize the more eagerly the few that come within our grasp, knowing that for all unredeemed time, as so much buried talent, we must give account to God.