ABEL'S OFFERING. OR THE EARLY, and most ACCEPTED Sacrifice of a Christian.  
Showing how soon every soul is bound to begin, & betake himself, not only to the true, but also to the timely service of God.  
A SERMON Preached at Hamburg in November 1617., and now published at the instant entreaty of A Godly Christian.  
BY JOHN WING (then) Pastor to the English church, there,  Hosea. 10.20. 
It is now time to seek the Lord, till he rain righteousness upon you.  
AT FLUSHING. Printed by Martin Abraham vander Nolck dwelling at the sign of the Printing 〈…〉.   

TO THE Right Honourable, THE OPHILUS, Lord Clinton, EARL of Lincoln, And to the virtuous, and Right Honourable, the Lady BRIDGET his wife.  
AND TO The Right Honourable, WILLIAM, Lord Say, and Seal, with the Virtuous and Right Honourable, the Lady ELISABETH his wife.  
JOHN WING A poor unworthy Minister of jesus Christ, wisheth all increase of all true honour, and happiness, with God, and men.  
RIght honourable Lords, and Ladies, I hope it shall not be any way distasteful, or unpleasing to your honours, that a stranger is bold to salute you, from beyond the seas, and to publish your names, there, where your persons may be as unknown to others; as mine is to your selves. I have not presumed on this double dedication without all reason; for why? it is famously known, that you are the worthy examples of this subject, whereof I here treat. And I cannot but think, that they are the fittest Patroness of divine books, whom God hath made, the faithful Patterns of the doctrine contained in them. It is long since I have heard of your early, and happy proceed in piety. Having now this opportunity, I could not longer contain in silence, but resolved to place you in the beginning of this little book, that they which read, seeing such gracious and noble precedents, of the practice herein pressed, might have the more powerful jnducements, to draw them, to do the same. The Lord of heaven, keep you all, in your most holy course, & bring you to the end of this happy race, that every of you may, (after all honourable falicityes enjoyed on earth) posesse those infinite, and endless glories, prepared, for all that love his name, in whom I rest,  
FLUSHING. the 30. of October 1621. Yours Honours in all service, for the honour of God. JOHN WING. Pastor to the English church, at Flushing in ZEELANT.   


Pag. 18. lin. 23. put in, and gave  
Pag, 43. lin. 33. put out he  
Pag. 49. lin. 24. for albe, read able    

ABEL'S OFFERING, OR THE Early, and most acceptable sacrifice of a Christian.  
Showing how soon, every soul is bound to begin to betake himself, not only to the true, but also, to the timely service of God.  Gen. 4.4. 
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and the fat thereof.  
THE three former chapters of this holy History being spent in the discovery of the world's creation, and of the most wonderful and glorious workmanship of God, as in every other creature, so especially in Man, whose happy estate while he stood, and miserable condition when he fell, and most gracious recovery from his fall, with diverse other divine occurrents (next and jmmediately following) being at large related unto us. It now pleaseth the holy Ghost to go further in this sacred narration, and in the beginning of this fourth chapter, to acquaint us with the multiplication of mankind. And here we have the story of the first two, that were ever borne into the world, to wit, the two first sons, of their, and our first parents, (I dispute not whether they were twins, the text seemeth to contradict it, though some do weakly conceit it, neither doth it carry, or conclude any material consequence, whether they were or Noah) concerning whom, we have a threefold description.  

1. of their birth, and natural being. ver. 1.2.  
2. of their business, and civil being: ver. 2.  
3. of their religion, and spiritual condition. ver. 3.4.   
They were both borne into the world of their parents: by them also were they both employed in the world; and these two are only named or mentioned without any further discourse: But the third thing, to wit, that which concerneth the matter of religion, is that which the Lord doth intent to treat off, and insist upon. In the world, and affairs of the earth, men may lawfully be of diverse professions, trades, & occupations and it is needful they should be so. But in religion it cannot be thus; piety cannot admit a diversity, the blessed worship of God will bear no variety at all, it must be uniform, as that one God is, who is worshipped. And so was this of these two brethren, so fare as the same appeared visiblely to men, in the external act of sacrificing, which practise they had (doubtless) learned of their parents, who were (without question) taught of God how to excercise this duty, though the letter of the scripture be silent in both as it is in diverse other excellent truths, which yet we stand bound to acknowledge, by virtue of such evident, and undeniable consequence as doth clearly conclude the same, without literal testimony in any express terms to avouch it.  
Now concerning the sacrifice of the sons of Adam, Cain, and Abel, there is a double difference noted.  

1. of the sacrifices they offered.  
2. of the effect they found with God, to whom they were offered.   
That which is observable in their sacrifices, is this, that whereas Cain, carelessly and without choice offered [of the fruit of the ground] not regarding what he offered, so he brought some what, contrary to the law of those offerings, which required the first of all fruits: It is reported of Abel, & commended in him, that he was very regardful and respective, to sacrifice to his God, of the first of his flock, and among the first, the best he could pick and choose.  
And according to the difference of these acts, the effect was also different with the Lord, who seemeth to suit and fit, his justice to Cain, that as he had no respect what offering he brought, so had God no respect to him, or that he offered; and his favour to Abel, unto whose person and sacrifice, the Lord had gracious regard, as he was most heedful to present the choice, and chief, of all he had to the Lord.  
And in this particular doth Moses, the man of God, and penman of this part of God's word, insist, & speaketh much of the things that issued hereupon, both on Ahells' part, and cain's.  
But here (it may be) some will move a question, how Moses who was borne many hundred, and some thousands of years after the creation, could come to know these things, and to set them down in such exact order unto us.  
To move this question, is to make question of God's truth, and to bring into doubt, all that he hath recorded in this whole book of Genesis, and all such other things as fallen out before his birth and ripe years, in Exodus; for in his infancy we cannot conceive him to be any way one of God's principal secretaryes, or meet to be entrusted with this rare jmployment of penning any part of scripture, especially considering that he was brought up in Pharaohs court as a Pagan, for the first forty years of his life.  
But for the clear manifestation of this matter, and for the justification of the authority of this sacred book against all accursed cavils; we answer and do acknowledge, that howsoever every thing reported therein by Moses were acted long before his birth, yet nevertheless all things written therein, are as absolutely true, as if Moses had been borne, & had seen, and heard, each passage in his own person. The Lord made choice of a man living so long after these things were done, that he might honour himself, and this his sacred history above all humane, histories under heaven.  
For whereas no profane writer is able infaillibly to report any thing (for matter of fact) but what was done in his own days, and came to pass in his own ceartayne knowledge; the Lord is able to instruct, such as he will set a work to report the proceed of his churches in all ages, in the incontroleable truth of all things that came to pass, though they that record it, were unborn when they were acted. And who knoweth whether the Lord hath not done this; and of purpose made use of such persons who had not a being in the world, till long after the time wherein the things themselves which they relate had their being, that so he might show himself an alsufficient instructor of his servants in those things which were done long before their time, and declared long after.  
It is not my purpose to digress into any general discourse of those evidences that do authorize, and warrant the whole scripture, which are discovered at large by many worthy, judicious, and learned Divines only, that it may manifestly appear that this book is no less scripture than any other, let us take into our hearts the due consideration of those things which may as unreproveably argue God to be the author, as Moses to be the penner of the same, and they are (among a multitude that might be produced) these few that follow.  
1. Moses doth tell us of some passages concerning God before the creation, which no creature could hear, or understand as that of the first creature, & all the rest, when he said of every of them: [Let there be light, etc.] who could tell what God spoke touching every of these, seeing as yet they were not, & when they were, yet till man was created all other were void of understanding.  
2. He relates to us touching the creation of man, what God said of his making to wit, the matter and form of his body, and the infusion of his soul, as also of the manner of the making of the woman when the man was in a deep sleep, and perceived it not, and what the man said of the woman, when the Lord brought her to him.  
3. After the creation, he report's the passages of man's fall, and discover's the subtiltyes of Satan, in seducing the first man and the first woman, which relations must needs be of God, for we cannot conceit that the devil would so detect himself, in the evil both of his gross sin, and great punishment.  
4. After man's fall, he tell's us of diverse secret passages, as of Adam's knowing his wife: of cain's anger conceived inwardly, and unjustly, against Abel his brother, before it broke out: of Noah's drunckenes, and nakedness: of Lots failing, and the manner thereof, how he was abused by his daughters, with their close carriage of the matter, & how he knew not what was done, when he had slept with them both: of the close conveyance which Rebecca used to obtain the blessing for jacob, with the most private circumstances thereof: and a multitude more of the like to these things, so secret, that no flesh could know, or relate, but they must needs be recorded by the Lord himself.  
5. He makes narration of the sins, of the most holy men and women, either, that which was common in those times to most of them, as the Polygamy of the Patriarches, or such offences as any one of them particularly fell into, not sparing Abraham the friend of God, nor any of the sincerest of his servants, which a good man would have done, had he been guided but by his own spirit. Nay, (which doth absolutely seal the truth and authority of his writings to be of God) Moses spare's not himself in his own sins, but makes a manifest discovery of his own infidelity, and unadvised anger, and the just punishment of God upon him for them both. This impartiality, argue's a supernatural spirit to guide it: when a man cannot spare his friend, nor himself but will leave both, upon everlasting record to be blamed and blemished to all posterity. A thing not usual (if at all used) in humane history, wherein men speak, and write the best they can (and many times more than they should) of themselves, & those whom they favour. It must be God that must make men thus to do: & therefore this is one of the prerogatives royal of his writings.  
6. And lastly, he tell's us of the most secret things that can be imagined; nothing can be conceived so close as the counsel of heaven: what God speaketh there, who can hear? especially when he speaketh not in any such sort, or so openly where Angell's may hear, but in his own private closet, nay (which is yet more) in his own breast or bosom: yet Moses can tell the world, not only what God said in heaven, but what he said in his hart, & how he was jnwardly affected. So we find in one chapter of this book, where Moses makes known how God [repent, and was grieved at his hart, at man's wickedness:] and in another, how he was graciously disposed for the continnance of the constant course and succession of all the affairs of this inferior world saying [And the Lord said in his hart, I will not again curse the earth etc.] See, Moses is privy to God's hart, and can make us know, what were his most jnwarde resolutions. And who could give him the least light, or acquaintance of these things but God himself, who made him his secretary, and so made these secrets known to him.  
And thus by all these evidences, (which are common to all other scripture as well as this, but coummunicable to no books but the book of God) we see that there is no reason of doubting or debateing any thing in this part of holy writ, (or any parcel of it) because it was penned by Moses, and he borne so long after all things written and recorded in the same, were gone and passed. He had a singular and all sufficient tutor, even the most wise God, and he himself did indite, all that he taught and enabled Moses to write, so that every jot and tittle of this book of Genesis, must be of absolute and infaillible truth.  
And so having now (by the way) cleared this scruple, we should proceed unto our discovery of Abel's sacrifice, as we have it here laid down, in the words of the text which make report unto us what kind of sacrifice it was, and whereof it consisted. But we must (first) take away another doubt, which may be made by some, how Abel could know the mind of God for these matters, and so readily offer a sacrifice of this kind, and do it so suitably to God's prescription, considering, that as yet the law of the offering of first fruits, nor any other part of the moral, or ceremonial was not given. We answer, it was given, but not written, as we have it now, it was given in those days by divine tradition; originaly from God to man, and successively from man to man.  
Then did the father inform the child, & acquaint him with the duties that pertained to piety, and the children they received it from their parents, & obeyed it as from God.  
And this course and manner of revealing the will of God by this kind of tradition, endured all the days of the holy patriarchs, and such as lived after them, till Moses, and also during all the days of Moses, till that part of his life, wherein the Lord employed him about the penning of this book, and that is diversely conjectured of; some suppose it to be written before he went into Egypt within the compass of these forty years wherein he kept sheep in Madian; others imagine he did it immediately after his departing out of Egypt, even in the first year thereof. Howbeit this, (as the former) is no point of such importance, as that we must of necessity have an exact knowledge of the same.  
But that God's law was delivered by this kind of tradition, till the time we speak off, we nothing doubt, and therefore the more foul is that slander laid upon us by the papist, that we acknowledge not, nor endure any traditions; judeede those that are popish and unwritten, we cannot abide, but do abhor them all, because none of them can be defended but by blasphemy, and some of them (in particular) are apparently blasphemous. But that there were traditions ●●ce, to wit, such as the Lord by himself, or by his Angels, made known to man; & man believed & related to his posterity, we do no more deny, than we do that Moses penned this part of holy scripture, which (till his time) was a tradition and unwritten, but can be none from that time forward. And if the Lord have ceased his own, hath any man power to erect more, that are none of his? especially now that his holy will is sufficiently revealed, in the writings of the Law, and Prophets, & the Gospel. That there were some traditions we freely confess; that any are (of God) now we dirictly deny; those that are (being not of God) we detest, because they are the fruit of the Pope's brain, who hath a very crazy head in heavenly things, though he be applauded to be the head of the church, and able to distil spiritual influence into it.  
But to return to Abel, it is probable, that he received the light and knowledge he had to offer sacrifice, from his father, who from God did instruct him how, and what to do, in such duties as were to be required of him. And upon this did he embrace, and obey the Lord in his ordinances; which course of his, and his forwardness thus to do, in those times wherein no scripture was penned, nor every man that spoke of the things of God traditionally, so infalliblely inspired, as were all they, by whom the Lord hath left his truth written to us, shall rise up against us, to condemn our untowardness, who refuse to be taught of God, and to be obedient to him, though he hath left us a more happy way to learn, than they had, who had but a part of his good pleasure manifested, and that not written, whereas we have the whole, and written, upon such records as can never be razed. The saints, of those times, were most willing to take knowledge of the ways of God and yield their obedience to them, by that means (which in comparison of ours) are but mean, and were but weak, (yet enough to bring them to God, who lived by faith in the truth thus revealed). The sinners of our days, to whom the Lord hath dispensed a more absolute, and most sufficient course, of coming near to him, are fare from the Lord, and will not give him, neither such, nor so much duty, as these did, whose knowledge and practice is not so much magnifyed, as ours shallbe manifested & plagued of the Lord, who looks they should be the best scholars, who have the best teaching. Note. Miserable will it be with those men to whom the Lord shall say; these knew little of my mind (in respect of you) yet have done much; I made it all known to you, yet have you done little or nothing.  
Let not this consideration be in vain, but think we, how cheerfully Abel learned, & how conscionably he performed, the worship of his God, having but little help to further him: that we by due ponderation hereof, may be both ashamed for our failings past, and enforce ourselves, (as it were) by a holy violence for time to come, to be more faithful and industrious, both to know, and to do, what on our part, we own unto the Lord, what unsepakeable shame is it? that we should lie behind them, that have gone before us in those duties, wherein many of them, had but few to follow, nor any scripture to learn them: but we have both Gods whole book to giude us, and all his blessed saints are gone before us, yet are we exceeding short of those holy ones who lived graciously in that age which may truly be called the infancy both of the world, and of the church; But I will not dwell here, we see the holy Ghost bear's record of Abel's offering: let us now come to the words of the text which tell us what manner of sacrifice it was. And Abel, he also brought of the [firstlings] or, first borne [of his flock, 
Exod. 22.29.30. cap. 34.19 26. Levit. 23.10.12. Num. 15.20.21. Deut. 12.17. cap. 18.4. cap. 26.1.2.11.  and of the fate of them.]  
Of the first-lings, or, first borne] that is, the first increase of cattles that the Lord gave him; The Lord made a most exact law for the offering of the first borne, both of man, and beast, and of all fruits unto him, and this law of his we find to be very frequently repeated, in diverse places of the four books of Moses Exodus Leviticus Numbers, and Deuteronomie. And as it was often itterated by God to Jsraell, so was it faithfully obeyed by Israel before the Lord, both before the captivity in Hezekiah days; 
2. Chron. 31.1.51. Neh. 10.3.32.35.  and after, in the days of Nehemiah, as appeareth in the story of their lives: nay, from the beginning, before this law was given (in writing) Abel (you see) is careful to bring his first, and I nothing doubt, but Adam his father did it before him, as we noted before.  
But here it way be enquired wherefore these things were offered, in those times, and among all the Jews to the time of Christ, and are not so now among us, were they proper to their worship?  
We answer, they were so as the jewish people were a people peculiar to God, and he taught them his mind after such a manner, as never any nation but they had it, to wit, by shadows, types and ceremonies, such as were to endure for a season, and to dye when once jesus Christ the Lord of life did appear, and had fulfilled this law of jewish rites, which perished and became frustrate (in God's purpose) as soon as, his [consummatum est] was out of his mouth.  
But if these Mosacaill rites were shadows, what was the substance? what was the truth and signification of these types, and ceremonies, and of these first fruits, and first borne, in particular?  
We answer; 
Heb. 10.1  all men must know that the whole ceremonial law was a type, or shadow, the apoctle tells us so, & (in the general) every ceremony therein did some way respect Christ, who is the end of this law & hath abolished the same; one way or other, Christ was aimed at in each offering. Now for the matter meant and signified by these first fruits, and first borne they also had their reference to the Lord jesus, who is entitled, 
1. Cor. 15. 1●.  both [the first fruits of them that sleep] and, [the first borne of every creature. Yet not to him only, (though principally) had they their total relation, as if nothing else at all, were to be shadowed by these things, but, as to him (to wit, to Christ) they were strictly, and properly assigned, so, in a larger sense and use, the perpetual morality of this law was, that our choicest, and chief, our first, and best, the prime and principal, (not of our fruits, or of our beast, but) of our lives, of our selves, should be given to the service of our God. That as soon as he pleaseth to enlarge and increase the abilities of our bodies, and faculties of our souls, that we can once discern between good and evil, and are able to put a difference between these in our opinion, and practise, we should incontinently, and forthwith betake ourselves to worship and obey the Lord, and from that time proceed in the same, during all our days.  
But it is further noted here, in the text, that Abells' sacrifice was [Of the fat of his flock.]  
Fat in scriptures hath diverse references, and (accordingly) diverse senses, as the nature of things to which it is referred doth require. It retaineth his natural signification, when it is referred to natural things: we read of Fatness attributed to the earth; to oil; 
Gen. 27.28. cap. 45.18  to wine; the best of which, God doth call the fattest, and the fattest of any thing is the best, as the fattest land, the best land; and so of the rest. And so we account the fattest beast, the best, (especially being young too,) as these firstborn were.  
But when fatness is affirmed of things spiritual (or things natural, considered spiritually) it carrieth contrary senses, and signifies both the best, and the worst. For we find David where he would show a most sinful hart, to say, it is a [hart as fat as brawn,] and the Prophet Isaiah, 
Psal. 119.20. Is. 6. Mat. 23.14.15. Psal. 36.2. Psal 92. ●0.  and Christ after him, when they speak of a hart given over of God, say thus [make the hart of this people fat.] On the other side, the most abundant and best blessings pertaining to the solacing of the saints, are called [the fatness of thy house:] and those godly and well-grown christians, who have eaten, and fed freely, of those divine delicates, and by the benefit of them are come to some good measure of ability, in good things, are said to be [fat and flourishing.]  
But with this mystical sense, or use of the word we meddle not, in our text it is taken most properly, for fat beasts, [the fat of his flock] that is the best there. So that the sum of all that is said here of Abells' offering is this: that he being made partaker of true grace and guided by God to show it in the fruits thereof, doth by faith offer unto God such a sacrifice as was now required, namely, the first, & (among all the first) the very best of the flock he did attend.  
I say now required, for afterwards God commanded and expected more, but as yet there was no temple, or tabernacle, no high priest, nor any Levite, no fire from heaven, (at least) that burned continually, nor many other things, which came in, in succeeding times: some when the Ark and tabernacle was erected, more, when the Temple was builded, and all other things set in order, according to God's prescription touching each particular.  
Note. Howbeit Abel (in the mean time) doth his best, and offers to his utmost power, what his present state, and the present time may permit, showing thereby that true grace will do what it can, though it cannot do all it would, or should, in the service of God; others may do more, in times & places which afford more means, but sincerity will show itself in the most that may be done for the time being; though we enjoy but little means, or few helps to further us, yet a sound hart will make some honest shift, to do something that may be pleasing to God.  
This is worth noting (by the way) because it meete's fitly, with their fearful jmpiety, who let all religion and piety alone, because they cannot do all: like to miserable and desperate bankrupts, who because they are not able to give every man all, will pay nothing at all to any man; which deceit who could endure? Nay, learn to do better of good Abel (and all God's saints who lived in the first times) do something the most and best, thou canst, and the Lord will accept thee according to the willing mind thou hast, to go as fare as weak means will further thee. Note. A man doth not more manifest weak grace, in not doing Gods work completely, than he doth evidence true grace in doing what he is able to do, conscionably. The Lord regarde's men according to his means, and their minds, in his service. They that offered uprightly before the preisthood was ordered, were as acceptable to God, and some of them had as much, and all of them had as true grace, as any that sacrificed after. Note. A wise christian, may employ much grace, upon little means, and (I think) the least means that ever the Lord doth give, may exercise the most grace the best of us have, if we play the good husbands, & set it well a work. But this is by the way, let us now make toward the main thing, 
Heb. 11.4  we mean to handle in this offering of Abel, which is so commended in him, both here & in other places of scripture.  
Doctrine. And that is, that moral of this practice ceremonial, which concerneth us christians, to wit, That it is the undeniable duty of every one, to give unto God the glory of his first abilities, both of soul & body, & to bestow their first powers in the service of his majesty.  
This lesson Abel needed not to have learned of the first borne of his beasts, had not his father Adam fallen, and deprived him (and us all,) of those first & best fruits of created grace, which the Lord gave him, when he filled him the first day of his life, with the perfection of all knowledge, holiness, and righteousness, and made him as holy, and as happy, as a creature might be on this earth. Had not these first fruits of this grace perished in the first Adam, so, as that never man but he might taste them, they would have taught us what to do as soon as we could have done any thing, that grace &c, would quickly have carried us to the fountain of grace, from whence, as it came but lately, it would have returned naturally, as the rivers into the sea. For Adam's graces were as natural, as his breath, it was all one to him, to do any duty to God, and to himself, both were alike easy unto him.  
But now the case is altered, it is nothing so, but clean contrary altogether, his first best lesson must be taught Abel (yea and Adam too) by his first best beast which he must now give to that God to whom he should have given himself from his first being, this beast must be sacrificed to shame him, who being once wholly Gods, hath now made himself worse than the beast that perisheth, now must man have dumb schoolmasters that cannot speak, and unreasonable yea senseless also, which cannot understand or hear his speech, and somewhat must be done to them, as soon as they are in the world, to show man, what we once (when time was) could have done, and what for ever he ought to do, from the time of his own first being. The first of our flock, the first of our fruit, must teach us to whom the first of ourselves, doth of right appertain: even to the Lord, to whom a beast must be given ceremonially, in stead of a man morally. And this being one moral and meaning of this ceremony, it most needs be our duty thus to do. Even this shadow shows us, that as a substance and a shadow, do from the first instant go together inseparably, and for ever; so should we ha' ve been to our God, ever from our beginning to have followed him wheresoever he had gone before us, and to have cleaved continually to him, in the obedience we own him all the days of our life, both first and last.  
And this truth of God of the early offering of ourselves unto the Lord, is not only typed out and signified here, by these first beasts, and fruits, that must be sacrificed; but it is substantially confirmed in other scriptures, wherein the Lord doth more expressly, manifest his mind in this matter.  
I will not, (for I need not) heap up many evidences; let us consider only, to what end it may be (if this be not God's truth,) that the Lord doth so often call upon parents, touching their duty to their children on this behalf, to nurture, to tutor, & instruct them, in all holy informations, even in their childhood, nonage and minerity, so soon as they can be discerned to be capable and understanding in any thing. [Teach a child] saith Salome on. [Fathers, bring up your children in the fear and information of the Lord] saith Paul, with more that might be added. In any of which, dare any man jmagine that the Lord calls for any thing more than his due, and if he do not, then doth the duty of our first days belong to the Lord, our first powers, & abilities, are his in all right, and he must have our service, so soon as we can do any.  
Again, why are many commended in scripture for being careful herein, and their examples recorded for our jmitation? is it not because we should trace them in this truth which some of them have learned, more than we, with much less teaching than we have? For instance, 
Josh. 24.2.13. Gen. 18.  Abraham, who in his own first times, was trained up in jdolatry with Terah his father, and so he gave not the first fruits of his own life, yet for his posterity, God prefumeth on his fidelity this way, and saith, he knew his mind so well for this matter, that he was sure [he would teach his children and command them] in the things of God, and thereupon acquaints him with his secret purpose concerning Sodom. We see Abraham did know this our doctrine to be his duty, yet he had neither his father's example, nor his own practice in his first years, nor Solomon, nor Paul, to call upon him but the Lord himself taught him this truth, him a hart to do it.  
And have you not also read what is recorded of Hannah, 
●. Sam. 1.  the happy mother of Samuel, and what her resolution was, when she went to pray for a child before she had ever a one, namely this, to give him to God, and that so, as the Lord might have the first fruits of him, even [from the day of his birth to the day of his death,] and when the Lord saw her so well resolved, he quickly granted what she desired.  
It were as easy to instance many more, as these two, who have harkened to God herein, & honoured him with the first of these fruits of their body which he had given them, as of old these did with the fruits of their beasts. But we will cease examples, and urge the reasons of the point, which are these that follow.  
Reason. 1 First, God is the best master we can serve, and therefore we have reason to go about his service the first thing we do, when once we can do any thing at all. That he is our best master, appeareth not only in his nature, he being every way infinitely good, but also in his infinite favour, which showeth itself, both in that he gives us the best work, and the best wages in the world. Our work is to worship and obey him, and to do only those things which are best for ourselves, whereby we may be most happy in our souls and bodies, both being at peace with him, and enjoying all things in a sanctified and sweet estate. Our wages (besides his manifold mercies here) is all inconceivable blessedness, that heaven can afford us, the glory of that kingdom, wherein we shallbe glorious kings with himself for ever and ever. Now what would any man do first, that were guided but by natural reason? even that which he might benefit most by, Behold then here is.  

the best master that can be desired  
the best service that can be performed.  
the best wages that can be received.   
Let any reasonable man judge whether he have not reason to set himself so soon as is possible to this truth.  
Reason. 2 Secondly, they are like to prove his best servants, that begin soon to serve him, for why? our first abilities are freest from sin, and least tainted with evil, and so much more apt, and able to good, then when once they have been habituated, and soaked, and seasoned nay poisoned, with astuall impiety, aded to that natural impurity, which is in us, and by both these, made utterly unmeet for the Lord, as they cannot but be, when once Satan hath got in, and had the first handsel of our hearts, and so posest us of a child, that we have been his vassals, in the base, and hellish bondage of sin and rebellion against God: it is hard getting of him out, if he be once in possession, more hard, if he have been in, long. But if the Lord enter us at first, we are his for ever, he cannot be gotten out by all the devils in hell, if once he have the happy possession of our hearts, he will hold his own. Seeing therefore we are fittest for him in our first times, let us know, it is goodreason we should then give ourselves unto him, especially considering we can never (at the best we can be) come any thing near that fitness which once we had, when we were full of that created grace whereof we spoke before.  
Reason. 3 Thirdly, our first fruits must of necessity be bestowed, and employed one way or other, to good or to evil; to God or to the Devil, it cannot be avoided but one of the two, must have the use of us from the first time we are fit for any thing. We must needs belong either to the one, or to the other; religion tell's us we cannot belong to both, and let reason speak to which of the two, it is best belonging: I say let reason speak, for no man can be so unreasonable, as to make any doubt, or the least demur upon it. If the Lord have us, it is that he would have, if the devil get us, woe unto us, we must account with God, for all the service we have done him, even for every act, & when this heavy account is made up, we must undergo God's eternal curse for our service, and receive the hire of our work with him (whom we have served) in hell, where the worm never dyeth, and the fire never goeth out.  
So that, inasmuch as our first fruits must go to one of these, and that it will be so miserable with us, if Satan seize upon us, let us believe the truth of our doctrine and do accordingly.  
I, (will some say) that is a good motion, Objection. and well it were with us if we could do as you say, but we cannot, it is not in our power now, true it is, that once it was, but it is as true, that now it is not, and that is well known, yea too well, to ourselves, and to God; how then would you have us do herein? doth God require what he knows we cannot do? do his precepts contain jmpossibilityes? will he have us undertake that which we are not able.  
I answer, Solution. all that can be pleaded (though never so truly) cannot on our part nullify any truth of God taught unto us, any precept of God imposed on us: so long as all that we would excuse ourselves by, is long of ourselves, and that whereby the Lord may accuse us most justly, because (of our selves, without him) we fell from our perfection, and power we had, to give all duty to him at all times.  
True it is, and too true, that we cannot give ourselves now from our first, as we could have done in our created state, but what of that? doth our jmbecility weaken the necessity of this duty? is God's commandment ever the weaker because we are worse than we were, when he gave his? can our corruption cancel or abate any jot or title of his truth? No, it doth, and will stand in full power, force, and virtue against us: we have enfeebled, and unfit ourselves for God, but his law, his will is as absolute and as strong as ever, his counsel must stand though we fall, he is all one in commanding, though we be not so in obeying; it is we with whom the case is altered, not he, for he is [jehovah and changeth not.] He need not, unless he please (for he is no way tied by any necessity) to take notice of our inabylity, if he do, he may the more righteously reprove, and upbraid us; if he do not so, it is his greater favour, not to cast it in our teeth. He may to this day expect, (and therefore much more command) that every one of us should be as Adam was at his best, & condemn and plague us for our unfruitfullnes, if we be not: as Christ did curse the fig tree for want of fruit, 
Mark. 11.13.  though it be expressly said by one Evangelist that [the time of figs was not yet] that is, that time which ordinarily, now under nature corrupted, it did usually bear fruit; it seemeth (nay it is more ceartaine) that before the earth was cursed, all fruits should have been more frequent and abundant, yea, almost continual (as some have conceived) like the trees in the paradise of God. 
Reu. 22.2  And so our Saviour to show, not only his power, but his righteousness, cursed it, because it was not so fruitful, as it was by creation, taking no notice of the unfruitfullnes of it, or of the want of fruit which came to pass at this time of the year, by reason of the curse through our corruption. Note. And thus may he deal with us, for that we are not at all times fruitful in those graces, of his good spirit, wherewith once he furnished us, and made us, meet and able (at any time) to honour him. What hath he to do with our falling, and insufficiency to do his will? that lieth between the devil, and us, to answer, the Lord hath no hand in it, nor cannot be taxed with it in any respect, he commande's no more than he made us fit for. So that there is no objecting this, to any good end, unless it be (as it ought to be) to humble us, for that we are not, as we were once (and should have been ever) and thereupon discerning our inability, to do the Lord all the duty we own him from our first breath; as also, seeing by absolute right, he may as well challenge it of us, as of the first Adam; we hereupon bestir ourselves the more, and the better, to hasten both ourselves and others, unto the practice of this instruction, and so turn all this (by the power of grace) into a provocation, which corrupt nature (perversely) urgeth as an objection.  
And thus the point is proved, and this scruple, (or cavil rather) removed, let us now come to the uses of of the point, which are three, and do concern all sorts of men: to wit.  

the children of God, for consolation.  
the , for reprehension.  
all men, for instruction.   
Use. 1 And first for the saints, the sons and daughters of God, it cannot be but exceeding happy & comfortable to them, who have hearts convinced of this truth, and lives, that have expressed it, since the first day it was revealed to them from the Lord, before whom, they have sincerely endeavoured, to give him the first fruits of their knowledge of this lesson, though, either through their own personal ignorance thereof, or through the error of parents in their education, they have not given him the first fruits of their practice while they were in their nonage.  
It is a most happy thing to be rightly convicted of a divine truth, because many are superficially persuaded, an will give a slight consent, (& less, the Devil, if he be put to it, will not do) to many holy truths of God, but they whom the Lord convinceth a right, (as he doth all his own) he comforteth, in giving them, a heart's resolution settled in their very souls, to say within themselves; this is the undoubted truth of the everliving God, thus, we must do, & endeavour to stir up others to do the same; and if it be a truth which we should have practised before, we must repent for neglect past, & be upright with God for the time remaining, and go the faster because we began so late, and do our best to draw others after us, to that way which both they, and we should have gone, long before. He that is thus convicted, shall not go long uncomforted.  
It is a simple impossibility, that men called at their ripe years, or in their age, should give their first fruits to the Lord, those days are gone, and past: but to give the Lord (at what time it pleaseth him to call us) the glory of this truth, in our sound persuasion, that it is thus, and singleharted humiliation, because it had not place in our practice before now, & most careful provocation to our utmost possibility, that it may be thus in ours, and all others, with whom, by any good means, we can prevail, this is to be truly happy, and in a most comfortable condition, & we are accepted of God (thus doing) as if we had done it ourselves from the first day of our life.  
How famous is Abraham, few men so much renowned in religion as he, none more, yet from his child hood, he had not done service, but to Satan in jdolatry, and such other jmpiety, as usually accompanieth that jniquity. But at the first call, he came, and as soon as he heard he did obey, and perceiving that the Lord had lost such duty by him, as in his former days he should have received from him, he is convinced hereof, and resolved, that his children shall give it, though his own childhood, was given to sin. And the discerning of this in him, was that, that gave the Lord content, and Abraham comfort.  
Is not Moses a man abundantly magnified, and that of God himself, as if he had been (as indeed he was) some extraordinary servant of his, yet, for forty years of his life, what was he, (so fare as we find?) but such as others were that lived in the court of that Pagan Prince, who was the oppressor, and adversary of God's people; it may be, he might be less gross, than some of his fellow courtiers, who were inclined to egregious jmpiety, but that he was good, or savoured of any saving grace, is more than appeareth to me. Howbeit inasmuch as he freely and resolutely, cast off all the credit, and profsit of his high dignity, & pre-eminence in court, when the Lord would summon him to serve him, it was well taken, that from that age, and time, he waited on the work of God, though neither his childhood, nor youth were the Lords, in time past.  
What should I multiply more (as I might) of many other most worthy saints, who in the same case, have had the same comfort, what is overpast, and cannot be actually recovered, and performed, if it be rightly repent of, in our selves, and reform in others (to our best power, it is all one, as if we had done it in our own person. Let us bewail our own want of duty and Gods want of glory by us, and do as Hannah did, for such as may come within our possibility to dispose off, or persuade, namely, give them to the Lord from the first instant, that we have any interest in them, and it shallbe well with us.  
And this I do (of purpose) insert here, because Satan is malicious, and hungry, to gnaw upon the very hearts of God's saints, when once he gett's a truth by the end, wherein, their time (for performance) is passed, then doth he come with his piercing temptations to wound, and rend, the souls of such as are single hearted, and to lay it in their dish, that this, and that, they should have done long since, God should have had their whole lives for his service, now many years be gone, and there can be no recalling of them, and can they think which way to make all well, when it is an utter jmpossibility to recover one moment, much less, many years: with these, and the like spite full, and grievous suggestions, he doth tease, and torture their gracious minds to breed despair in them.  
But now we are armed (I hope) to answer him, and that we may do, and pay him double, both for himself, to whom we may say with joy and scorn; better once then never, for thy part, thy first days were as due to God as mine, but he will never call, but ever accurse thee; Note. and for ourselves; but for my part, though I have lost my first days, my God will not lose me ever, seeing he calls once and be that comes then, comes time enough for mercy, though he should have came sooner in duty: and moreover, know the Lord hath made many a happy man for his best service, among those who in their first days have been foully misled: I grieve, that I gave him not my childhood, or youth, but if he please to accept of my age I joy, and will joy, and do my best to offer all that I can prevail withal, as soon, as I should have offered myself.  
These and the like answers, will confound his cavils, and make him weary of us: and he being thus resisted, our God and we, may be the more intimate and familiar; in the sweetest passages of his singular favour.  
And see we see there is sound comfort for such as are persuaded hereof, and would have done it, and are humbled because God hath been rob of his right in their minority.  
Again; for such as have offered their first fruits to the Lord, there comfort cannot be behind (if it exceed not) theirs that went before. Our A bell here, who was so careful to give the Lord the first of his flock, and, (I cannot easily doubt but, that he gave the first of himself also) how doth the Lord magnify him in this his service and duty? Did he not most graciously regard him and his offering? hath he not put it here into his own book to his perpetual praise, 
Heb. 11.4. 1. Joh. 3.  and not only here, but elsewhere in the new testament once and again, that from the beginning to the end of the world, he might be famous, wheresoever either this, text, or those, should be preached, that which he hath done, should not be forgotten? Did he not most deeply avenge his innocent blood upon his jmpious brother, and made him the first and most fearful spectacle of his justice, and malediction, to the terror of all succeeding generations? And (which is more than all this) hath not the Lord crowned him with glory and immortality in the heavens with himself, as well as renowned him for holiness, and piety here on earth?  
He is the first, whose soul every saw the face of God, no man ever went from earth to heaven before him, among the innumerable spirits of just and perfect men who now, and for ever live there with the Lord in glory. He was the first martyr, & had the first crown none every died for the Lord before him, none could live with the Lord before him: he was the Lords first witness, & among all the Lords worthies this righteous Abel (as Christ calls him) stood in the forefrunt of the battle, & shed the first blood for the faith, & testimony of jesus, before there was any to back or abett him.  
And as the Lord took great notice of this first, so also, hath he done in like manner of the rest, who have began betime to be acquainted with him, in his service. How came Samuel to be so rare a man, and to be numbered among the most special favourites of God, Moses, job, Daniel, Noah, & c? Why; do you not remember what we have said of his mother, how she gave him to God (in resolution) before she had him and was as good as her word, as soon as he was weaned; do you not remember what is said of himself [the child Samuel ministered before the Lord] the child Samuel; this was worthy to be accounted wonderful, that a child should minister before the Lord, especially being so young, that; as yet) he knew not the voice or call of God, from Elyes, but ran to Ely, once and again, when the Lord called upon him, about the first business he had to do for him.  
What may be the cause that josiah is so mightily commended, that, as if he were matchless it is said of him, [that there was none like before him] nor any to succeed that should be such a one, as this peerless prince was; true it is, that never any king, either of Jsraell or judah (no not among the good kings) before or after him, went so fare in the work of Godfor the purgation & purifying of his worship, as he did; this king did surmount them all: but how is it that he came to do, what none had done, more than they all? why; he begun to work the work of God betime, & that may be a main reason why he did so much: at eight year old (saith the scripture) [he sought the Lord, 
2. King. 23.1. ] and that is but in childhood, all men know.  
What should I tell you of Solomon, of Timothy, and such others as I might mention to this purpose; nothing is more sure, than this, that they have been the rarest, and most excellent men, in piety, and religion, and the most able instruments of God's honour, who in the beginning of their days, have begun to do good, they must needs be nearest heaven, who set out on their way, soon, & continue going on thitherwarde.  
Only, it is seldom, that we see any enter upon religion so early now a days, they are very few, that begin to be so soon faith full. Note. The more are they to be admired of godly men, and the more to be comforted of God, who are found sucklings in grace, as soon as they are weanelings in nature, and hang upon God's breasts, when they have given over they mothers.  
So that by all that hath been said, it appeareth to be a happy thing, and they to be most happy men, who have learned this lesson of the Lord, and walked according to the light thereof, which leade's on directly in the way of life, wherein howsoever a man may (possibly) meet with some molestation, and misery, yet the end of it will (undoubtedly) be endless, & infinite glory, with him, who will make those most glorious beyond all time who betook themselves to glorify him betime.  
Much might be spoken to enlarge their consolation who have hearts, to do according to this instruction. But of this more hereafter: we now pass to our 2. Use.  
Use. 2 And that concerneth all  persons, who howsoever they will (because they must, and cannot for stark shame, say otherwise) after a sort acknowledge this our doctrine to be true; yet walk (most wickedly) in a course fare wide of it, nay, clean contrary to it: their mouths cannot be so monstrously finfull, but they must confess it to be a truth, howbeit, their hellish hearts, and lives, do deny it in their most jmpious practise all the days of their life: yea they have taught their tongues to lie herein notoriously, and that not to men alone, but to the Lord, of whom and of whose service they use to say, it is not yet time, it may be time enough hereafter.  
O ye impious children of the father of lies, can you say it is true, that every one should begin betime, and it were not amiss if it were so, and yet tell God and men to their faces, that any time is time enough hereby, you show yourselves to be the very jmps of the devil, who hath taught you such a language, as one part of your speech confutes, nay confound's another, and such a practice, as overturnes God's truth which you dare not deny, and confirms that falsehood which none ought to affirm: Miserable souls, how are ye given over of God into the hands, nay into the bands of Satan, who if you speak or breathe out but one true word, can make your life, both to belly, and abolish that, and to ratify every jot, and tittle of those infernal falshoodes, that he suggests into your souls.  
Do ye not sin presumptuously, and against the light of your own knowledge, and conscience, that can thus speak, and dare thus do? and is such a sin a light matter, or easy to answer to the judge of the whole world? know; you will not find it so, in the day of the great and universal assize, when all flesh shall at once, stand before him to give account, and receive recompense, according to what they have done.  
Notwithstanding the world hath been ever full (& hell willbe one day full, of so many of them as repent not) of such, as either turn God out of all time, or bring him in the tail of all the time they live, and that hour of our life which falls out to be so near death, that a man can neither serve himself nor the world nor Satan, because of extreme imbecility of body, is reserved for God, to serve him in, though it be but in saying Lord have mercy upon me: And this they dream to be enough to bring them to heaven, that, or their Pater noster, (if they can but have time to say it) will make them happy enough, they care for no more, and so (poor fooles) they go like oxen to the slaughter, conceiting that two or three words speaking, will purchase Gods glorious kingdom, and posesse them of it, without any more a do. Which jmagination, is more blasphemous than ever came into a Papists apprehension, for as gross as they are, in the matter of merit, yet they are not so foul, as to say that glory may be gotten with so slight desert, nay they exhort men to do good works betime, and abundantly; I never read any of them that held, heaven might be had for a few bare words, especially, proceeding from a mind, and soul, more sick, then at the pangs of death the body can be.  
And this pestilent conceit of prorogeving time with God, is a universal disease, and hath slain many that are gone, and infected desperately millions of men that yet live in the christian world. Every one throwe's off the day of this duty, & breaks that commandment in the substance, which they were bound to observe in the shadow, 
Exod. 22.29.20.  where God saith [Thou shalt not delay to offer thy first fruits] whether of oxen, & cattles, of liquor or any other thing.  
Delay, is a thing that the Lord still detested in any thing that he had for us to do he would never endure protraction of time; he hath ever pleaded with his people for haste, and expedition, and for priority before all things yea, to be put in the first place before all things, as well he doth deserve to be, in the conscience of the corruptest man among christians. And albeit, that both these be so, that the Lord hath so loved to be first served, and loathed in his soul to be set behind, yet, as if prolonging, and posting off the piactise of piety, were a thing that would rather make us acceptable to the Lord, then detestable in his sight: the devil (who is both Gods, and our avowed adversary herein) doth not only persuade jmpious people to stay, & rejourne whatsoever is required of them in true religion; but also, he puts into their minds, and mouths what to plead against God, & their own best good, (but they little know it) in the truth of this point which we now urge, & arm's's them to open their mouth with strange insolency against heaven, to defend their double jmpiety, in devising damnable shifts to support them therein, that they may be still, and (for ever,) holden fast in the cords of their jniquity, and linger so long in their sinful courses, and accursed carriage, till time shallbe no more, and it be too late to wish for the day of grace the day of God's patience, and our repentance, which being now past & gone, we are to bear for ever, the righteous vengeance of the wretched neglect of that happy opportunity.  
It is a sure thing that Satan never helpe's man to a jmpious hart to do an evil, but he also help's him to an jmpudent mouth to defend the sin he doth: 
Pretences for putting of God's service.  and because his pretences are such, and do seem so plausible, as that they do mislead the most part of men in the world, let us look into them a little, and try whether they be currant, or counterfeit, pure or hast, by the truest touchstone, even the word of God, which is truth itself.  
But before we come to any particulars, let us premise a few words in general to all such as do plead any thing in this particular, to the end and purpose afore said; let them therefore know, and receive for a memorandum thus much.  
That all that they speak is against God, and their own eternal good: and that it is for the, Devil and his advantage to their own everlasting evil.  
In all this plea, what are they? Adversaries to God, and themselves; and Advocates for the Devil against themselves. But let us hear them speak, although, all they speak, be not worth the hearing.  
They say (though God say the contrary, and themselves confess it too) that though men should begin betime, and it were well if they would, yet there is no such necessity lying upon it, that we should be so nice upon it: And why?  
Plea. 1 1. Because (as they cursedly conceit) a man may make too much haste, too much a do, and what need one be so curious, & precise, at present, there is time enough (for these matters) hereafter.  
This is their first Plea. Wherein, I must be bold to ask these men first, whether they speak (when they thus speak) as they think, or not. If not, what hellish hypocrisy is it in any man to belie his own mind, with his own mouth? what woeful impiety is it, to utter that (in others hearing) which a mans own hart doth contradict within himself? If they do think as they say (which I think every man would be well advised before he would do, if he knew all) then let us see if we can show them, what blasphemy is wrapped up in this speech, inasmuch as the scope thereof is guilty of the fearfullest felony that (almost) may be committed.  
Note. God is rob by them of his right, in the duty of their own, and the first days of such other, as they do thus delude. They are rob by Satan (but with their own consent, for they plead for the thief) of that right which Christ jesus hath purchased for such as are obedient to his truth.  
Others also are rob of the same good, by uttering these  sayings, to seduce them, sinfully to set off the time of their turning to the Lord. And I think the man that knew this, would not be so free of these words, which are so woeful as we see, were there no more to be said against them.  
But let us come nearer, 
The evil of it  and pry more narrowly into this plea, and the further we go, the more foul abomination shall we find, and detect therein, and that in diverse respects, a few whereof, we will notify before you.  
Evil. 1 1. This plea, supposeth an absolute cearteinety of more time yet to come, and to be remaining, unto our lives: why should any man (in common sense) say it is time enough hereafter, if he were not (as he thinks) assured of more time to come afterwards.  
Now thus to surmise is gross sin, inasmuch as the Lord hath taught us to know, that we cannot expect much less warrant, one instant of time, or a moment more to breath in, than we do already enjoy. 
Tro. 27.1. jam. 4.14  Doth not the wise man tell us, [we know not what a day shall bring forth?] Doth not the Apostle say as much for to morrow? [you know not what shallbe to morrow?] Was it not the fools saying in the Gospel [soul take thy ease, eat, drink, and be merry, than hast enough in store for many years] lo, he dreamt of many days, nay years, yea he presumed upon both, when he had not one day more to live out of hell, fulfilling that of the Prophet. [Destruction shall come upon the wicked, and he shall not know the morning thereof] yet will these  persons be presumeing of more time, and of time enough, hereafter. No, Noah, we have not spent our time past, so well, as that we may undertake for more to come; had any man dealt with us as we have dealt with God, I assure myself he should not live a day to an end, if we had power to hang him up: the more wickedly do they carry themselves against the Lord, who having long since, deserved to hang in hell fire, for not honouring him heretofore, dare yet say, there is time for that hearcafter: as if we were Gods, to foresee, & had foreknowledge of future things; the which to arrogate, is extreme jmpiety. This is the first, but not the worst, of this plea, Let us survey a second.  
Evil. 2 2. This plea supposeth, nay presumeth, not only that there willbe more time simply, but (which is more) more time of grace, more and better opportunity of repentance, & turning to God, than the present is.  
And this is worse than the former, and much more egregious in the sight of God: for howsoever every day's experience doth witness in the course of nature, and all things natural, that have life do testify, that the Lord is pleased to bestow life & being upon creatures, and that (among men) as well upon the  as the just, the infidel, as the faithful: Yet that together with this, time of grace should be presumed upon, and taken for granted by any mortal man (that is willingly graceless), and thrusts off, the call of God, and his heavenly proffer of the same; is a thing so unreasonable and senseless, so sinful and presumptuous, and an act of such arrogancy against the Lord, as he will severely punish, and no way cherish, in the hart of man.  
What? doth the natural sun in the firmament, & the sun of righteousness, keep both one course every day and hour? are the holy and precious things of God that pertain to our best being, & the common benefits of the earth, both at one rate? and to be had alike at all times? The sun in the firmament hath been rarely interrupted in her course; but the sun of righteousness hath many a time been darkened in diverse places, nay quite remooved from some places: The former is for all times and seasons, the latter is for seasons only, not tied to all times.  
Therefore is the Lord still lying at us and calling eagerly upon us, touching our awaking out of sin, and betaking ourselves to holiness, upon this ground [And that considering the season] For now the season is come. [This is the day of salvation, this is the acceptable season To day: if ye will hear] while it is called to day with many more of the like every day in the year, is not the day of grace, every time, not the season fit for this purpose.  
The Lord is not tied or bound in duty, to give us one day or season, but if in mercy he please to offer some few, no men may look for many; this gate is not ever open to every one, it is often shut, nay, 
Mat. 25.10.  it is ever shut to all such as were not ready to go in, when it was open. God's calendar and ours differ much, our days are constant, we can ceartainely foresee a year (or more) before us, when such a time will come; it is not so here, the Lords almanac gives no such light or foresight, his happy times, are hid from their eyes who were showed them long since, but would not then, and shall not now, see them. Well may a sinful wretch find some saints days there; that is, to his confusion, he may look upon the blessed seasons, they have made use of, to give themselves to the Lord, but his own days he can find none, but such as be past, and all written in red letters, in letters of blood, for his blood is upon himself, who hath neglected so great salvation, in the season thereof, and let the work of God alone, till it be too late to go about it. But let us yet see something further, what more will follow hence.  
Evil. 3 3. This plea is yet more foul in this third, then in both the former: for why? it doth not only presume upon time, and upon time of grace, (and both without God); but more, it presumeth to dispose this time, and to order it to repentance at our pleasure.  
And herein, what do we? (surely we are not well advised, in it) is not this to usurp God's place and prerogative?  
We make ourselves masters of the time, and of that which is to be done therein, as if we might not only take the time when we will, but also do therein what we will, and as if it were now in our power, and at our pleasure, to give ourselves to God when we think good. Which apprehensions are most proud in us, and most unpleasing to him, being apparently prejudicial, to his wisdom and providence whereby all our days, and all our ways are ordered.  
In his goodness we live and move naturally: in his mercy we live and move spiritually: in his power & assistance, we do any thing we ought that is heavenly: and shall we arrogate all three to ourselves, without any colour of ground or reason, and take these things so highly, (or rather so hellishly) upon us, as if we were equal with God, yea, above him, rather, to dispose that time to ourselves, and in that time, to dispose our selves to that service, which (for our own former contempt) the Lord doth, and will, deny us in both? that neither we shall have time to breath, or if we have, that yet no breath of spiritual life shallbe in us, to move towards any thing that is acceptable in his sight.  
Our betters have had better minds, who have confessed that without him, we could be nothing; without him, we could have nothing; without him, we could do nothing: and upon these thoughts, have cast all good things upon his wisdom to dispose, his power to bring to pass, his loving kindness and favour to increase, and encourage in us: acknowledging both themselves, and their times to be in his hands. It would well become these that thus plead, to practise the same, which because they do not, we see what jmpiety they incur herein; yet is not this all, more remaineth.  
Evil. 4 4. This plea of time enough hereafter, & of making too much haste yet, argueth that these persons do think these two things to be true.  

1. that God may be served too long.  
2. that the Devil may be served too little.   
Both which do as naturally flow from their foul, and jmpure mouths, as water from a fountain; for whereto else can their sayings tend, seeing (as we said before) either God, or the Devil, must be served of us at all times, and until we have sacrificed ourselves to the Lord, the Devil hath all our days.  
And may we think that heaven can, or will, hear, and bear, the hideous blasphemy of both these, or either of them? what? may we serve the Lord too soon? and, too soon give over the service of Satan? is the devil become the better master, and God the worse, that our last time, may serve his turn, and all the rest, little enough for the other? who hath heard such things among the heathens, or such speeches as do, as directly, and plainly infer and conclude them, as if they did speak them? How unreasonable, how irreligious, are both? nay, how excecrable is either of the two by itself? the one applaudes the Devil above God, the other abases the Lord below the devil, will either; can both be sufered? were not the patience of the almighty infinite, these sinners would sink into hell, yea, into the nethermost hell, but let them know; forbearance is no acquittance; he that doth endure this so long, will in the end avenge it, with the heaviest justice and wrath, that is 

revealed from heaven, or  
reserved in hell   as against all other, so especially, against this mighty ungodliness of men, than which what can be more monstrous or provoking, to draw swift damnation upon their souls that thus speak: for what can be spoken to the greatest disgrace of him that is most glorious, if this be not? and can we once surmise, that the Lord will suffer such indignity and disparagemet at our hands & not power out his indignation upon us? Especially, if withal, we well consider, our own jujury we do our selves, besides this jmpiety against the Lord: because the less service we do the Lord, and the more we do the devil, the more woeful is it for us, in both respects: for that little we would give God is rejected, and all that we do for Satan is plagued, and so by both, we are wrapped under the eternal wrath of his dreadful majesty.  
Thus and no better, than we have said, but much worse, than we can say, is the sequel of this first pernicious apology, which men make against God, and their own souls, in the procrastination of the power, and practise of this truth. Now if a man should sum up all these together, would not the total, be terrible (think you) to the soul that is guilty in the Items?  

to assure ourselves of more time of life.  
to presume that some of that, shallbe time of grace.  
to take upon us to dispose of that time, what we will do therein.  
to jmagine God may have too much, and the devil too little, of our service.   
Is any one of these answerable before God? much less are they all excusable: Noah Noah, every of them is high treason against 

his honour who order all time.  
his favour who gives all time of grace.  
his excellency and worthiness, who deserves the duty of all our days.    
These words must be eaten, and recalled, and that with more than ordinary humiliation, grief, and detestation; or nothing can remain but his just vengeance upon the transgressors; it is most true of this plea, 
1. King. 1.23.  which Solomon spoke of Adoniahs' desire, that [he had spoken this word against his own life], and was thereupon instantly slain: and so might they be, who have spoken these words against their own eternal life: and if the Lord should now seize upon them to everlasting death, how righteous were it upon these  wretches? against whom the Apostle jude saith, the Lord will come in great glory, and dreadful power, even (among other things) [for their hard and cursed speakings] of which number, who can jmagine that these are not? what need such haste? there is time enough hereafter for these matters: woeful man, that utterest these words; is there so little need that God should have his glory, that thou shouldst (by giving it) be truly happy? if thy whole time were given to God, were it enough? nay can any time be enough for his duty? suppose one man might live from one end of the world to the other, from the first day to the last of all time, to see both the creation and consummation of all things, yea, and admit that man could live without sin too, and not miscarry one moment, but be evermore doing that which might honour God? could this man say he had given God enough? I trow not: for what time can be (in equity) enough for him, whose least glory to his saints shallbe infinite, and eternal beyond all time? and yet these accursed mouths, dare stint the Lord to the last, and least, and worst, time of their life, and think it enough to. The Lord deliver us (saith the apostle) from [unreasonable and wicked men,] which if these be not, who are, or can be?  
Oh then, let us revoke, recant, and cancel presently, what we have spoken wickedly; bite that tongue that uttered them, smite that hart that thought them; accurse and excecrate that devil that suggested them; lest our not revoking of them, rend us from God, send us to Satan, the author of them. Let us lay our hands upou our mouths and resolve never to open them again to such jmpious purpose, wherein.  

the Lord of heaven is damnifyed:  
the souls of men are damned:  
the devil only is advantaged.   
God is dishonoured, we are undone, the devil goes away with all the gains from both; which he could never do, if he could not thus line the lips, and tip the tongues of some profane persons, to become his trumpets, to gather men to damnation, by such delusions.  
This is the first infernal plea, that is devised, and urged to deceive the Lord of his first fruits of our time, but have they done? when they have said thus? noe they have, yet, a second pretence, and a third too, to come. Let us exanime the former.  
Pretence. 2 2. They plead, that in age, this work may be done well enough, and time enough; then men are stayed and know what they do, is it not fit for young giddy heads to meddle with such matters.  
Then there willbe more leisure, when those days come, wherein men have given over the profits, pleasures, and vanities, of the world, and have nothing to do, but to go to church, and serve God. This they pretend. 
The Evils of it.   
Well, but though in the former there was much, in this latter there is much more presumption: we will try it, & then we shall see it, in the particulars; which are the apparent consequents of this pretence, which (upon due search) we shall find, not to be so seemingly plausible, as they are really pernicious, & damnable.  
Evil. 1 1. It doth directly contradict the Lord in that which he saith, for he will have the first of our days (as we have heard,) these say, Noah, it is not fit for young heads to intermeddle,  
Is not this to give God the lie, yea to make him a liar, who will (therefore) have the first because they are fittest for him? is not this to charge folly upon him that is only wise? as if he had not wisdom enough to choose that part of our days for his duty, wherein we are most meet to do it; but we will take it upon us, to be wiser than he, and assign him a season, better suiting this business.  
He saith he will have our first, we will give the last time to him: doth not this infer, that he is fare wide of the mark, and wonderfully overseen, and that we only are in the right?  
So then these two, to make the most true and wise God (I tremble to utter it) a fool, and a liar, these two I say, do make up the first jmpiety, of this second plea: the vengeance & justice due to either of which, (much more to both) is beyond mine, (or any creatures) ability, to express.  
Evil. 2 2. This presumeth upon old age, and makes no question to live to see those days and years wherein men are so accounted.  
And this thwarteth all God's truth touching the unceartaniety, and shortness of man's life, so often taught us every where; Noah, the lives of these men must be no vanities, dreams, or vapours; nor compared to winds, to smoke, to nothings; they are during and permanent for 60.70. or more years. Howbeit, how many have not lived so many hours, as they dreamt years, nor so many days, as they accounted scores? the sun hath shined clearly upon some in the morning, who were become carcases, ere the evening: and others have seen it set in the evening, whose eyes were sunk ere morning, and yet they thought themselves as likely to live, as long lived, as any that thus speak. Even moments have swept away millions of other men, yet these, must live many years, at least, to be old, (how, or when, should God have them, else) and as if God himself were bound, and had bound all his creatures to their good behaviour, that they must be saved harmless from any means of short life, or sudden death, either they must be aged, or God must not have them: and sure, I am persuaded he is most willing to lose them. But of this presumption we said something before, therefore the less shall serve here.  
Evil. 3 3. Admit you might live to age, and were sure, not to dye till you were very old, are you sure either to have a hart to give yourself to God then, or that, God hath a hart to take you then.  
Assuredly (if it be well looked into) there is no reason for either, but very much against both: for why? consider first, for our own hearts: what aptness, what ability, nay what possibility will, or can, there be in us, unto good, who have been soaked, and steeped many years In all sin and jmpiety; what holiness? what purity? in those parts of our bodies, and powers of our souls, which hell hath poisoned and envenomed all our days, & are now full of deadly poison, the hart hardened, the conscience vnconvinced, the judgement blinded, the affections earthly, the will rebellious, all, benumbed, and utterly void of any spark of that quickening spirit, which must turn a man to God: wherewith will ye come to the Lord? if you pray, it must be with a mouth furred with blasphemy, with a mind fraught with all other jmpiety, whereto you have been affected? what will ye give him, but a soul, and a body that have both combined to be rebels your whole life, against him, and is there any power in these to be given to the Lord, who have sold themselves like Ahab, to sin, and whom the Devil (the true owner now) will come, & claim as his own, long since due unto him, & therefore will not endure they should be given to any other from him.  
It is against all humane reason, and common sense, that a man so jnured to sin, so accustomed and habituated to corruption, who hath consumed his days in nothing but in dishonouring & disobeying the Lord, and never knew what belonged to the savour of saving grace, or to the beginning of any god work, should now be able to begin and finish, that great work of giving himself up to God, and that at and in, his own set time. No, there goes more to it then so: it is no such short work, no man can be so quick at it, especially, those that have been so slow all their days before: it will ask longer time, and more a do, before it be well begun, than these sots do conceit, doth belong to the middle, and both ends of it.  
God saith that no man can come to him except he he be drawn; these men (it seems) will come to God, whether he will or Noah, as if it were in their power to draw God to themselves; but as he will not have his goodness, and power so much abused, as to be drawn to them; so neither, will he endure, to have their rebellious and debauched life so much honoured, as now at last cast, to draw them to him: but even let him alone with them, who hath had their childhood, and youth, to take their age too, and so to have all to himself. Customary sin is not so lightly cast off, it is bred in the bone, it will not be easy to get it out of the flesh, and that so, as God's spirit may instantly enter, as these do most idly apprehend.  
Again consider the second, what hart can God have to accept of the devil's reversion, or the leave of our lives? the doteage, the dog-days (as it were) of all the time we live. Let old age be well considered, and the state thereof pondered, in our selves, and all other creatures that serve us: is it not the only time, wherein we cast off, our servants, or cattles, to base uses, as being unfit for ours? An old servingman, now overworn and decrepit, and not fit to attend his Lord any longer, has a licence to keep an alehouse, or becomes some tapster, and so is made servile to every base pot-companion: An old horse, of good pace, of great price, before, for the saddle, the coach, now to the mill, to the harrow, to any mean drudgery, and at last, to the dogs. And can this age, wherein one man is not fit for another's service, nor any beast for man's use, be the meetest time for the most high, to be served in of us? what shall we then think to become his, when we are a burden to the world, 
2. Sam. 19 35.  and to our selves, and both weary of one another as Barzillai spoke to David, of himself?  
What man would be so used by his beast, as these men (more unreasonable than beasts, herein) would use God: Admit a man's beast (like balam's ass) could speak, if he should say to his master (as these do to the almighty.) While I am young and strong, I must follow my pleasure, you must give me leave till my old days, and then I willbe yours to command, and give myself wholly to your service. What would the owner answer, think you? would he yield to his beast, & think well of the motion, and take him home to house, and make much of him, when he were aged, and diseased, and both unfit, and unable, to do business; surely noe; if he could not be broken, and brought to work before, he should be beaten out now, though he did offer himself. And must God take that from us, which we will not endure from beasts? the last, the worst, the dregs, and refuse of our days, must they fall to his share? the only unfit time for any thing, must that be his only time, and all he shall have at our hands? Can we hope of acceptation and entertainment in heaven, then, when, men refuse, and the world refuse's our service?  
Woeful men, who hath bewitched you, that you should not believe the truth? Even Satan, who because he would have you wholly his own, doth therefore withhold you from being Gods, till you be unable to honour him, and it be impossible, he should receive you; it is he that doth abuse you herein, he knows, it is with men in respect of God, as with beasts in respect of men, in their aged days they are more fit for slaughter, then for service, so old men (who have deferred their duty) are now more like to be adjudged of God, for neglecting it in time past, then accepted for time to come.  
What doth not every, thing wear, & grow worse with age? all old things are accounted little worth: old  to put on; old houses to dwell in; & the same we might say of all other things in their kind, no man cares for, or regared's any such. But this is wonderful, that men who see, that the fruit of our sin in other creatures makes them unserviceable to us, ye see not, sin itself abiding, and increasing in us, (for so long time) should make us so to God. Time, use, age, doth corrupt all other things to us, but sin, (the only venom and poison of all things) makes men (by this reckoning) most fit for God, for the only time they choose for him is, when sin hath had his greatest sway, all their lives before: as if the corruption of our nature, and life, had no power at all, to enfeeble, or unfit us, for our God. Is not sin our spiritual sickness, and the only desperate disease of our whole man? hath it not a corroding quality, to eat quite through all the parts of our bodies, all the powers of our souls, to pollute, infect, and annoy us, in all respects? and who (I pray you) would entertain, an aged, diseased, and infected man into his house, as more fit for his turn now, then in his former times, when he was free from these contagious maladies? think, (by your own reason) what hart the Lord of heaven can have, to take in these late comers, being in fare worse case, to serve him, than the most disabled man, may be to attend a Prince.  
Now then, if we see reason to conceive, (as we cannot but do, if the Lord enlighten our eyes) that our wilful, and woeful deferring of our duty till our old days, doth deprive us of hearts to go unfeignedly to God, and debar him from having a hart, graciously to accept of us, than this plea is pernicious to us, and we (now we know it) most jmpious in urging it, as we have done. But let us come to the fourth & last, plea, for this proroguation, of piety.  
Plea. 4 4. It is pleaded, that there is mercy with God at any time, even at the last cast, as the thief on the cross did well find, and so shall we, we hope, why should we not, even at our last breath.  
This pretence is put upon us daily; upon all occasions we hear of it, at all times it is laid in our dish, to bolster up rebellion against God, and to bar repentance unto life. No word of God so much abused, no work of God more. This precedent of the Lords extraordinary mercy, is made the ordinary packhorse to carry all men's jmpiety: and seeing he was pleased to be so gracious to one, he shall far the worse with many, for million of men do build their gracelessues, upon this grace of his.  
But because we find by pitiful experience, that this holy word, and this holy work of God, (both being right worthy, to be thought upon with all the admiration, and honour of our hearts) is become the common hackney whereon every hellhounde rides post, to his own perdition; and as he goes kicks and winces, at Gods long suffering, and loving kindness: I will therefore endeavour the uttermost that I am albe, to see if some may yet be recalled, that are gone fare, and others may be stayed, that are coming after, and some prevented, that are setting out, to run this reprobate race.  
Undoubtedly, did men deliberate at all, or could any wise consideration enter into their soul's, they could not thus plead, they would not produce, this rare and matchless example of favour and grace, to support their own  profanes & jmpiety. Yea, and to add another evil to all the rest, in the very use and urging of it; to wit, to pervert, and abuse the sacred word of God, and to abase, and prostitute this glorious work of his; either of which, whosoever doth, he doth it to his own destruction, he destroye's himself in the very deed, 
2. Tet. 3.16. 2. Cor. 4. 3.4.  if the apostle say true in one place; and in another too, where he tell's us, that if the Gospel be hid (and so it is to them, that can see to do nothing with it, but to abuse it) it is hid to them that are lost, who are hudwinckt by the devil, that they discern not the true sense, & use of the same, but urge it, & argue from it, to such ends as God doth abhor, that now his word must wound himself, and nothing shall be made such an occasion of his dishonour, as that which he once did, to renown himself, and the glory of his goodness, 
The Evils of it  and favour for ever. And how do we jmagine the Lord will take it, that his own acts should be thus mistaken, as to be made weapons against his own majesty, which he ordained to destroy our jmpiety. Doubtless, that thief, that malefactor, never did half the robbery, or any villainy comparable to that which these men do, who thus abuse his example, to wrong the Lord, and their own souls (and the souls of others) so unspeakeably as they do. And that they may see and understand, (as they shall, if the Lord have a purpose to save them,) we will crave your patience and attention, to open in particular, the heavy and hideous evils, that are committed when this instance of God's grace, is so alleged.  
Evil. 1 1. This is to make that common and ordinary, which God hath made peculiar, and extraordinary.  
Is it not thus? observe, and you shall see: what the Lord did at one time only and never before, nor since, (that we read off,) to one man only, & not to any other but he, (for a second example of such favour is not to be found in all the revealed will of God;) and upon a cause, and consideration which shall never be seen again, Christ being but once offered for us. This doth every man urge as his own at all times, and in all cases, without all consideration of these particulars before mentioned.  
Is not this to eclipse, nay to cancel, the glory of the living God? and to cast this most precious pearl before all swine, and trample this most holy thing under the feet of every profane person, that the greatest riches of his grace should be reached out to the veriest wretches in the world, who build nothing but contempt upon this loving kindness of the Lord? If it be such a woeful thing to darken the counsel of God by words without knowledge (as it is said in job?) must it not needs be a thing more damnable, to darken the kindness of God, with words against knowledge, as these cannot but be, to every one of those that thus abuse them?  
Note. Again what an absurd, senseless & sinful collection were this, or the like. Once, Balaams' ass did speak, therefore every ass, should expect to do the same. Once the sea went back, and the water stood upright as a wall on either hand to Israel, therefore every man might look for the like passage: I think they that presumed upon it, and followed after them, found it not so.  
Once, God sent manna, and quails from heaven, and water out of a rock, why should any man care to get meat or drink, he may hope to have the same means to feed him.  
Once, Naaman washed in Iorden and was clean: Once, men were thrown into a fiery oven, and not burnt; Once, a bush did burn and not consume; Once, Christ smote all his enemies down with a word or two. Why does not all the world depend upon these particulars, and resolve to be relieved in the same miseries, by the same means? It were a thing soon done, to deliver a multitude more of the like instances, wherein and from every of which, we might argue as warrantably, as from this of the thief. But the world is wise enough, not to be so befooled, in these things that belong to the body, they can see, and say, these were all extraordinary, & miraculous &, not to be looked for again: And are ye not blinded by the prince of darkness (ye sinful souls) that ye should not more clearly see the same, in this that concerns soul and body too, and the eternal state of both? Is there absurdity in those, & sense in this? do those instances seem extraordinary, and may this seem so common? cannot you hope to have the benefit of those, being miraculous, and must this be for all men, which is matchless? Undoubtedly, either you must look on them all alike, with a single eye, and discern them to be equally impossible; or acknowledge that eye to be sinful, which can see odds in things of the same kind and nature, especially, such odds as shall give God the honour of his favour and power in the one, and rob him of both, in the other.  
But the spectacles wherewith they thus see, are Satan's, he makes them and puts them on and teaches them to look thus asquint, on the things of God; If for food, for physic; for passage over sea, for victory over enemies, or any such things we should thus reason, the world would ●●sse at us, as most witless fools, nay our own bellies, our bodies, our dangers, would teach us to do better, he must famish that gapes for quails out of the clouds, and he must perish that looks for Naamans' cure, & he have his throat cut, that waits to have all his enemies laid flat with a word: men will say there is no proportion of reason in these things, & the same doth the Lord (and the truth of his religion) say, in this instance, if thou hadst an ear opened, a mind sanctified, to hear and see it; as little reason would appear in this one, as in all the other, & thou wouldst as plainly see the jnevitable perdition of thyself, in soul and body here, as in any of those things named there.  
Do but consider well, whither this do not spoil, & utterly make void, the very marrow, and pith, the sap, and juice of God's sacred word, I mean the true application of the same, wherein consisteth the, life, and virtue, of all that God reveale's, and he that shall dare 

either to abridge  
or, to enlarge    
this, that it either fall short of God's bounds, or do exceed them, shall find heavy (yet just) measure at God's hands.  
The everlasting rule, 
Act. 10.15  and express canon of the scripture is this [That which God hath sanctified, do not then make common] this is God's mind; that things be not made otherwise then he meant them, that every thing be let alone, as he left it, and not once meddled withal, to any other end. Who is he that shall now against the clearest light of knowledge and conscience, violate, this absolute law of the eternal God? But doth not every soul do so, that, vrge's this word of God, and suffers Satan to be his interpreter upon it, receiving his gloss, and embracing the devil's commentary upon God's text.  
He it is, that makes this pearl, (even this peerless, and priceless pearl,) as ordinary as any pebble stone that lies in the high way. I call it a pearl, and I acount it no less than peerless, because it cannot be paraleled, in any place, but was a precedent of wonderful peculiarity in all respects, as namely. 

to the party by whom.  
to the parties before whom.  
to the party to whom; it was done    
For the first, to wit the party by whom, it was peculiar to jesus Christ, who was God, & so could give grace, and forgive sin, and convert a man in one moment, fully and extraordinarily: I think it would trouble the whole world, to find an jufallible instance, that ever ordinary minister, or any mere man, hath done as much.  
For the second, it was peculiar to the parties before whom, that the adversaries, and excecutioners of the Lord jesus, might see the power of his deity shining (at this time) through all the reproach, and misery of his humanity: and so be convinced (as some of them were) that he was the true messiah, and son of God, able to go himself (at that time) to heaven, and carry aneiher with him, by the virtue that was in him.  
For the third, it was peculiar to the party to whom it was done, & that in regard of his rare, and extraordinary repentance, expressed in many particulars: the sudden change of his hart, and tongut (for he, as well as his fellow, did at first blaspheme Christ) now he rebuke's him, and condemns both himself and his fellow justly: the excellent confession he made of Christ before them all, & that now, when he was upon the torture, where he could also, (not withstanding all pains) pray instantly; Did ever any barren dry tree, bear so much fruit in an instant by any ordinary course? The fig tree was very strangely and miraculously cursed, which so soon withered with a word of Christ mouth; and was not this tree miraculously blessed, which so soon did yield such abundance? nay, was it not a greater, even a double miracle, that such a bramble such a rebel, should become an olive, and bear plentifully the first day, & hour, of his being so?  
Now than if all this be thus, that in each of these, and diverse other instances, this particular were so peculiar, and extraordinary, what is it that any wicked man nay conclude hence for himself, more than this, (and note it well, thou godless, and graceless person, as thou readest it. 
Note well. ) That when jesus Christ shall come again in the flesh, and fall into the hands of men to be crucified, and that two other must be hanged on either side of him, & it come to thy turn to be one of those two, & the better of the twain that hang's by him, upon whom he will show his deity to convert thee miraculously, & unto whom again, thou showest the fruits of repentance extraordinarily, then, mayst thou be assured to speed as this thief did.  
Other warrantise I can give none, upon any other terms than these, in any common case: howsoever it is most true, that there want not evidences, nor experiences, at any such time as the Lord shall please to excercise his special patience, and grace; yet, by virtue of this example, or precedent, (every way thus extraordinary) no such matter can be concluded, as most men would make of it: To delay what is due to the Lord, and to rejourne what he commands, hath no colour of ground or reason here, to do so is more than this thief himself did, who having (in all likelihood) lived all his life without God, or any means of good, doth now come at the first call: which is more than thou hast done, nay thou being daily called upon, by the Lord, dost post off thy coming to him, by his example, that came as soon as he was called: & if thou do worse than he, dost hope to far as well? nay rather, how righteously may the just God take this allegation out of thy mouth, and retort it upon thee, who pleadest the putting off, of thy service to the Lord, by his pretence, that made more than ordinary haste to come to jesus Christ, and went so fast, towards him, that he got to heaven, the same day, with him.  
Behold now whereunto it is come, that every  man (that presse's this precedent to this purpose) is condemned out of his own mouth, and the mouth of jniquity is stopped by that very evidence, whereby it did open itself against heaven. Note. And this is the first of the mischiefs that ariseth from the misaledging of this example, when men will so unreasonably and without all sense, press, and plead, the last fruits of christs mercy to one malefactor, to prevent the first fruits of that duty, that all men own to god their creator; and make that ordinary to every one, which he was pleased to jmpropriate but once, and but to one alone. and if they be so deep at the first step, let us look a little further how in going forward this way, they plunge thenselves past all recovery into perdition.  
Evil 2 2. The perverse; & perverted pressing of this thief's particular, to that end which  men urge it, doth breed most evident and jrreconcileable contradictions in the scriptures, & make bate, between one part of God's blessed word and another.  
And he that doth thus, (if he did know what he doth) doubtless, would look well about him ere he would offer it: For why? to set the scripture together by the ears, what is it? Is it not (as was observed before) to make God (who is truth itself, and whose word it is) a liar, for if one piece be contrary to another, all cannot be true and sound? Is it not to expose the sacred book of God to contempt, in taking from it that incommunicable property, and prerogative royal, that it hath above all books under heaven, to be ever more at absolute unity within itself, and making it like humane writings which are full of error, and falsehood? Is it not to make our preaching vain, and your faith vain, and to keep you still in your sins? for if the ground where upon we preach, and you believe, be unsound, and not such absolute truth, as may bear up both, then is neither to any purpose? Nay, is it not to bring all to utter and remediless confusion, by shaking God's foundation, and overthrowing the whole frame of his blessed building, upon this infaillible truth of his own, one title whereof, if it should be false, no word of all the rest, would be thought true, and foe these (like those pagans) do their best, to turn the truth of God into a lie. 
Rom. 1.26   
Now is not the abusive urging of this scripture, a setting of one word of God against another? let us weigh it well, and we will see it, and say it also. For why? It is a ruled case, and past all question, (as we have proved) that God will have the first fruits of us all, we have made God's mind undeniably manifest for that, now if that be so, is not the allegation of this example, as manifest a contradiction of this truth as may be; for why do men stand upon this scripture? why is it so often urged and itterated? why are we replied upon, when we reprove men's jmpiety, and have this evermore cast in our dish, from day to day? Is it not to plead for proroguation of piety till hearafter? does it not make men say (through their own jmpiety) that it is too soon yet? it is not yet time; there is time enough for these things in time to come?  
Are not these words made the only refuge of all rebellions against God, and a counterpoison to that early, and timely duty, that we own unto him? do not men think they have stopped our mouths, and satiffyed their own minds sufficiently, when they have thus spoken; and done enough, to undo all, that we can say to the contrary.  
And I pray you what call you this, but contradiction, when you oppose, & set this one word of God, against all the words of God spoken elsewhere; when he so often calls for the 1. fruits, you will choke all, with that favour which was once showed to one man, at the last? This is to confute one piece of scripture by another: to overthrow God's word, by God's work, and so to divide God against God, as Satan against Satan, to make the Lord say a thing, in one place, and in another to unsay it: and (finally) to draw from the Lord himself a dispensation, and liberty of sinning, that so what he requires in so many places of his law, he shoule release, and cancel in one part of his Gospel.  
Let any man whom God hath endued with any measure of sound understanding, judge whether this be not to make a rent in the Lords revealed will; and if so it be, it is time for us to judge ourselves, for so doing, for before the Lord will endure this, the soul that doth it, shallbe rend from him, & thrown among reprobates; the judgement and damnation of these disgracers of God, and depravers of his holy word, sleepeth not; and there is no way to shun, or escape it, but by a through judging of yourselves, in respect of this impiety, which if they do not, whose mouths have spoken it, and whose minds have thought it; vengeance shall surely overtake them, even that vengeance, which is due to such as do this insufferable indignity, to God, and his word.  
This is the 2. step they tread, who follow this way, & we see it sinks deeper than the former, toward that dreadful confusion which cannot be avoyed, if this fearful evil be not abandoned. Let us yet see further, to the third.  
3. the producing, and aleadging of this precedent of the thief thus, (that we may play the theives with God, and rob him of his first fruits,) doth breed, and engender many foul falsehoods, and vile blasphemies in our hearts.  
He that proposeth this precedent for his apology, against the manifest light of truth we have proved, maketh this scripture, the patron of such atheistical principles as, are to be abhorred in the thought of every man, and not to be once uttered of any. Let us see some few of those many monstrous untruths which we might mention.  
Evil, 3 1. it doth posesse us with a persuasion that by authority of scripture, we may rejourne the obedience that long since we owed unto the Lord.  
Whereas the holy ghost is clearly opposite hereunto: God calleth for nothing more, (as we have heard) then the first, and condemneth nothing more than putting off what he commands. His servants, (such as he hath effectually called) have made all the haste and expedition that was possible: So saith David [I will run the way of thy commandments] and again [I made haste and delayed not to keep thy righteous judgements] So saith Cornelius to Peter [Then I sent for thee jmmediately] and Paul saith the same of himself [jmmediately I consulted not with flesh and blood etc.] The evidence of God, 
Psal. 119.32.60. Act. 10.33. Gal. 1.16.  to hasten our duty is undeniable: the sin of not doing so, is in excusable: yet by these men's arguments the same God that is so eager for expedition, doth warrant our delay. And can any thing be more false than, that God should abet these two contraries.  
Evil, 4 2. it doth patronage not only delay, but presumptuous delay, such, as men are guilty of by presuming (against all good ground) they shall find the same measure of mercy that this thief did.  
Now to presume of pardon for a sin of presumption, is to presume of more favour than the thief found, for, (for aught we know) his sin was not of presumption; but either of mere ignorance if he were a Roman, (as some suppose him & his fellow, to be) or of gross ignorance if he were a Iew. Sure it is, he knew not Christ, for he reviled him at the first, as well as the other. And must you (by his example) presume of delay in God's duties, which he never meant, and of mercy for presumptuous delay which this thief never found? shall God become the prop of our presumption, when it is a sin that his soul hate's, and he is so fare from having any mercy in store for it, that he hath not greater store of justice heaped up, scarce against any ungodliness; & they that befaulty are said to store, or treasure up wrath, against the day of wrath, that is, 
Ro. 2.5.  every day to augment, enlarge, and add unto their own damnation.  
This jmpiety is next neighbour to that which is unpardonable, if once a man be so jmpudent that he dares offend presumptuously, he had need bethink himself where he is, and what he does, the next leap may be into the bottomless pit, especially if he shall add this unto all, that he will father such offences upon the Lord's allowance, & so turn his extraordinary mercy, into extraordinary jmpiety. Note David had another spirit when he prayed against presumptuous sin, that he might be free from the great transgression; & did not the spirit of the devil posesse these woeful men, 
Psa. 19.13  they would surely do the same. But Satan has enough, even all that he would have, to make them build their presumption upon God, because he knows that by so doing, he shall provoke God against them, to abhor them for ever. But let us look yet a little further.  
Evil 5 3. The urging of this example thus, doth lose us, & bind God, we are enlarged for all our life till the last, his hands are tied, & that with double bands.  
Is not this undeniably true, and a clear consequent of this allegation? do we not press it to put off that whereunto we are bound, not to give the Lord first of our lives, but to be free to come when we will, though at the last day, or hour, or instant? do we not take it for granted, that till we do come, we must have health, peace, food, and all other favours from God? and that we must be accepted also?  
So we are free, God is bound: we are free from duty during our pleasure (and a great deal of kindness we must have for many years, and do him no service) but he is bound to maintain us till we come, and entertain us when we come. And is it not fearful and hideous jmpiety, for us to seek to enslave the Lord to our sinful lives, and to set ourselves at liberty in them against him.  
But perhaps you will say, God hath bound himself saying. [At what time soever a sinner shall repent him] and that Christ hath done the same saying [he that cometh to me I cast not away].  
Well, if (touching the former) we grant the truth of those words (though they are not literally expressed in any text) that the Lord will refuse none, but is tied to take them when they come, yet I hope it is with condition, of their coming as they ought to come; that is, with warrant from him, at his call: with ability of grace from him to repent: without both these, it is an jmpossibility to come; and if we come not thus, (as we are bound to do) God is free to refuse us. Note. Now they that have refused to come at his call in their young years, may fear whether they shallbe called in their old days, and neglecting grace so long; how can they hope to have it at such short warning as a little before death, or, (as the most of them say) at the last gasp? and without these they cannot come.  
If the word [whensoever,] or, [at what time soever etc.] Were in the text, I hope it must be understood of God's time, not of ours; it must be one of his [whence] not of ours; we must not be choosers to tie him to our time; Noah, he is our commander and may bind us to his: Note. now all [whensoevers] or [what times soever] are not the times that he calleth to repentance, for (besides what we said before) that they cannot hope of any time to be called, who have refused the time wherein they were called: we find in the parable, that after the eleaventh hour, God sent not out to call any, it being a time too late, to begin; & too short, to end, any business of his, showing that our last hour is no time for us to go to God, or for God to regard us.  
The same is the sense of the latter, which Christ saith: so that God is bound to us in kindness, when we have performed our part of obedience. Do your duty, you shall find mercy.  
Note. Do not make such wild and unlimmited propositions, understand what God saith with all reverence, wisdom, and sobriety, know, that every word of his flowes from infinite and unsearchable wisdom, and therefore must be conceived warily, as doctrine of piety, not of liberty.  
Beware of binding God, and looseing thy , lest (for so doing) he bynde thee hand and feet, and cast thee into utter darkness: do not once dare to think that he that is only wise, could ever be so unwise, as to reveal, or write any one word, that might j mbase himself, and give us any occasion to abuse him, as in thus disputing from these propositions we do.  
Nay, we are bound, and he is free, it was his free grace, to make any such promises of grace, or glory to us, upon any terms, seeing we broke with him and rebelled against him at the first, he might have chosen whether ever he would have given us one good word or no; now seeing he hath, let that be acknowledged as his love, and let us confess ourselves bound to every tittle of his truth, that doth or may concern us, and give our best obedience we can to the same with joy, grieving always that we can give no better. Be it fare from us thus to captivate the Lord, so much as in one thought it is abominable, it is for malefactors (such as we are) to be bound, not for him who is God almighty, and to be blessed for ever. And be it as fare from us to free ourselves, but always to confess our subjection to the Lord with all humility, yea too accomt it our best liberty to be bound to him, whose law is absolute liberty. The service of Satan is the basest bondage that can be, and to be (by him) withholden from God (as we are) till the last of our lives, is absolute slavery, and that whereby he meane's indeed (what soever he pretends to delude us) to pull us into his own chains, to be bound up with himself for ever, for refusing to come under God's yoke, when he did call us.  
Thus we see in these few steps, how fare from heaven, how near to hell these men go, that make account to make but one leap from earth to heaven, and that at last cast too; if we should follow them further, in such other most blasphemous and cursed consequences, as would as well flow from this example (as they allege it) as any of those we have noted, & refuted; we might go with them to hell gates, and see them shut in, to the rest of their fellows, who have lived and died in the abuse of this word, and work of God, because their, hearts & lives, were shut against God, & they would not open to him, when he knocked seasonably to their salvation, but depended upon the mercy shown to this thief, without any consideration of these other things that are thereunto appertaining, no the devil will not have them once dream.  

Either of the extraordinary occasion of his conversion, which was to express the power, & honour of Christ's deity, even now, in the time of his greatest abasement.  
Or, of the extraordinary means of his conversion, which was Christ himself,  
Or, of the extraordinary manner of his conversion, which was in a small time, on the gallows, or gibbett, or cross; call it as you will.  
Or of the extraordinary manifestation of his conversion, by the honour he gave to Christ, the shame he took to himself, before all Christ's enemies, and his own, & that effectual prayer of faith, whereto he had so sweet an answer.   
These things and the like, shall not once enter into the jmaginations of these men; they only remember he found mercy, without any further thought of any of the aforesaid particulars, that respected either what Christ did, or why; or what he did; no, Satan hyde's these matters from them, lest they should (seeing so many words, and deeds too, went to this bargain) bethink themselves better of it, and not rest in such a slight conceit of the matter as they have done. This precedent, the devil makes his pretended picklock to open heaven to all these that he can thus delude: but it proves intruth, his pitfall by which, million of men tumble into hell, in that last moment of time, wherein all their life before, they made full account to go to heaven: & so before they are a ware, the bottomless pit hath swallowed them up, & there they lie howling in endless, & easeless misery, who thought verily, to have been with this thief in glory.  
No, Noah, his conveyance was every way, and in all respects extraordinary, his passage is jmpossible (for aught we know) to any other; especially for those who would go the same way, and yet regard not at all the way he went.  
Thus we have waded through some few, of those many things, which, are ordinarily alleged to hinder the happy success of this sacred truth of God in men's hearts, and their happiness by the obedience and practice of it. We will now go no further in this way, the further we pass the fouler it will appear, and our hope is that such as are not gone too fare, but are yet within call, may be recalled, by this voice of God, which hath told them the danger of every step they have gone as yet, & the damnation that they will run into, if they (still go on) & return not, in due time, to save themselves, from the wrath to come, which is reserved for all such, as resist Gods revealed will, and labour to defend their protraction of duty, and their practice of jmpiety, by such pleas and pretences, as come from that hell originally, whereunto, (they that persist in them) must go eternally.  
And to preserve so many of them as is possible; now they have done pleading for sin, (against the honour of God and the good of their own souls) we will begin to plead both for God, and for them, and the happiness they may have by this blessed truth of his, if they have such hearts as may yet be moved & persuaded to embrace the same. Use. To which end, we now come to our third use, wherein we shall make tender unto them of such motives, and considerations, as may jnduce any hart, (that is not wholly hardened and sealed up, or seared by Satan, to a stark senclesse condition), to yield both acknowledgement & obedience, to that which (in this behalf) the Lord requireth of them.  
The thing the Lord expecteth, is the first fruits of our lives to be his, that as soon as we can undertake any thing, we should betake ourselves to his service; and can we conceit he doth this without right, or reason? Fare be such jmpious jmmaginations from our hearts. Let us peruse seriously, some few particulars that may be powerful, and perswaaing with us herein. And first we will begin with those grounds whereupon legally, the Lord required them, which if we ponder, and parallel according to their moral, we shall see enough to move men, to do as God would have them: Note then, that the first fruits were to be given to these ensuing ends,  
1. That the Lord might be honoured in this favour and power, whereby he gave Isarell that goodly land, by giving him his right in the first of every thing.  
The first of all was the Lords right, and appropriated to himself, by his own ordinance and decree: he that gave it not, robbed God of his due, and was guilty of the higest sacrilege that could be committed.  
Yea, the Lord was so absolute herein, that all the first should be entire to himself, that if it were not given him, 
Exod. 34.20.  yet they might not reserve it to their own use, as is evident in that instance of the ass, which being an unclean beast, it was to be redeemed by a lamb, but if the owner aid not redeem it, he might not let it live; but must break the neck of it].  
Now then, who seethe not through this shadow, that our first time is the Lords absolute right, and that we are theives to our God, if we give not ourselves to him, and this felony we may not jmagine to be easily answered; it is no slight matter to be false to the almighty, to be a robber of the most high, it is not our book will save us, yet his book (if we willbe ruled by it) will show us the means how to be saved. The reproach of being a thief and a robber is great, but the punishment is greater, he that repent's not sincerely of it, will assuredly rue it.  
2. God will have the first from us, that we might have right to the rest from him.  
Till he have his, nothing of all we have is ours, when we have given him his right in the first, then, (and not till then) he gives us right to the rest, and this is as plain as the former, in the law of Moses, in the places forealedged,  
Wherein as we see the great & most gracious goodness of God, in providing and caering for our interest, that what we have, we might hold it from him in a lawful and comfortable tenure. So the greater and more heavy is the moral and meaning of this heavenly truth to them, who denying the Lord his right, do thereby spoil their own, & by the jmpious neglect of giving the Lord his, do proclaim to all men that nothing they have is theirs.  
Every  man that honours not the Lord with his first, is a thief and a usurper of all he doth posesse, and lives under the just reproach of a felon before God, and in the danger of that justice due to this offence, he is in perpetual peril, every moment, & hath heaven's indignation hanging over his head, ready at all times to be arrested, arraigned, condemned & excecuted by the high posessor of heaven & earth, the great Lord and owner of all that every man hath, who give's no man title to any thing he hath, unless he himself first have his due.  
A wicked man's food, raiment, riches, his whole estate is stolen goods, wheresoever he goes, whatsoever he does, how long, or little so ever he lives, every instant of his life is perilous, and may prove the very moment of his eternal death; his life is not his own, himself is not his own, he hath no right to the breath he drawe's, to the earth he treads on, to any thing appertaining to his being: all is forfeit to the Lord of all, for none-payment of these first fruits.  
And hereof may we be well assured; if we well consider, that the Lord would not be so unwise, as to give us any thing to serve Satan withal, Noah, he ever gave us, that we might enjoy it to his honour, and to our own advantage. Now if he please to give us hearts to give him the first, he will graciously continue the same hart in us, to give him the rest also: whereas if Satan set in first, it is great wonder if he have not the last too, for he useth to hold hard for that which he once hath.  
3. the Lord will have the first, that the rest may be not only ours, but sanctified to us also, that the right we have in it, and the use we have of it, may both be seasoned and sweetened to us, when we have first given God that which is Gods.  
And without a use sanctified what is, or can any thing be to us? Beasts, that want reason have a natural use of earthly comforts: Pagans, that want religion have a civil use of that which they have, now there is no difference between their tenure and ours, but this (wherein we exceed them) that we have both the natural, and civil, sanctified unto us. It is theirs in that state wherein sin left it, with the whole curse of sin upon it: It is ours as Christ jesus hath purified it and made it holy to us. So all is poisoned to him that is in God's debt for this due: and to him that hath discharged it (to his best ability) all is blessed.  
[If the first fruits be holy (saith the apostle) so is the lump] if they be not, 
Ro. 11.16  the lump cannot be. Tie these two motives together, and see how strong they are to bind us to the obedience of this instruction; if we have no right at all, than we steal all we have, if no sanctified use, all we steal is envenomed to us, so that first, we are theives to God in using what we have no right in, and next, we are murderers of ourselves, in the unsanctifyed estate of that we use. Now what mighty and unmatchable misery is it for a man, to live by stealing all he eate's, and to dye in eating, all he steale's, Let us think on these motives, which are the substance of those jnducements, which the ceremonial law did but shadow.  
We now proceed to press a few other, which may yet more move us, if we ponder them as we ought: either in the benefit, that comes by the obedience of this truth, or the evil that issue's from the neglect thereof. I pray you note bath.  
1. First, if we did give the Lord our first, do but think what a world of sin we might save, which is committed and continued in, by millions till we do give ourselves too God.  
Did we throughly know the danger of one sin (even the least we can be guilty of,) we would do much to prevent it, seeing that, everlasting perdition is due to it, but here is a course that would spare a multitude, nay all our transgressions, for from the time we are the Lords, he reckons no sin to us, but account's us righteous, and accepts us blameless in his beloved.  
Now to avoid sin, with the dishonour it brings to God, with the damnation it brings to us, (yea, & to others too, by our example,) who would not tender the Lord his right, & most freely let him have his own from us, that Satan might never have us as his own from God. Assuredly he that could ever conceive the Lord's damage, & his own disadvantage, by sin: what glory God wants, what grief it is to his spirit, what provocation it is to his patience, how jniurious to his goodness and favour, how abusive to his long suffering & loving kindness; would never deny himself to the Lord from the first day he did understand, how he might (acceptablely) yield himself unto him, what a siranger should Satan be in us? what a familiar would God be to us? if we begin betimes with him.  
2. Consider that as we might save much sin, so this were also the only way, to have much grace.  
The more early any thing gins to be good, the more goodness is hoped from it: the sooner any man sets himself towards heaven, the more heavenly must he needs be. Oh, what a most happy thing is it, when grace gins to grow betimes in us; then is the Lord much honoured by us, then are men much bettered by us, then are we fit for all duty; then are we more safe from sin, & the contagion of sinners; then are we more able to work out our salvation; and more sure to posesse the same. A man's life is a heaven upon earth, when his graces are well grown in him, his affection, his conversation cannot but be in heaven: such a man may be bold with his God at all times, and Satan can have no hope to prevail against him, when it cometh so to pass with a man in good, as it did with him in evil, in whom the devil had been from a child, he was the more hardly cast out, & so the more easily is he kept out, and hardly, (nay never shall he possibly enter) to posesse that person, who of a child and from the first hath been gracious.  
What have we in this world to do, or to busy ourselves most about, but to get that grace that may further us to glory: and what better way to get much, then to fall to work, as soon as is possible?  
3. Consider, that the Lord never gave any man a time of grace, that would dare to set God a time to come for it.  
The man that shallbe so jmpious, and jmpudent; as to prescribe and limit the Lord, at what time he will come, never hath hart to come at all. Is it not good reason that when we neglect, (yea and despise too) so great salvation, as is tendered, nay commanded to us, in our tender years, that he whom we have denied in his time of grace, should deny us in our time of sin? especially considering that he hath power, to confine us, to the instant of his call; but it is intolerable jmpiety in us, to bound him to ours. Shall God wait upon the devil, and accept us at that hour, when our sin will let us come, we having cast of his day, & hour, of mercy before?  
How read we in the scriptures for this, what find we? nothing but thunder and lightning, from heaven, to peal these wicked wretches to perdition, [They that were bidaen were not worthy] saith Christ. And again [The door was shut] against them that were not prepared for the bridegroom, at the instant of his coming, and though (at their own time) they came (afterwards) with much jntreaty, yet, it could not be opened, but they were banished thence, and abandoned to hell. 
Pre. 1.24.25.26. Zach. 7.13.  And yet again, by the prophets: [Because I have called and you have refused, therefore shall ye cry and not be heard] So that (you see) God sets no time to him, that sets God any; nothing remayne's to such, but disdain from heaven, damnation in hell.  
4. Consider, that what extraordinary honour God ever intended to himself, by any man, or men, whom he would make instruments of the same, he meant to make all such persons gracious betime.  
Do but ponder it well in the first Adam, & in the second, In the first, all mankind might have been happy, and God mightily honoured through all generations; now to bring this about, Adam shallbe righteous from his first being, and honour the Lord from the time of his creation. In the second Adam, all the elect shallbe happy, & (through him) the glory of God's infinite favour, shall shine upon them; & to furnish him for this wonderful work, he sanctified himself before he was borne, and (after) in our infancy, and (so) throughout all ages of our life, during the days he lived. Indeed, he attained not our old age (I will not take upon me peremptorily to determine why; but) it may be it was to show, that old age doth not easily attain him; that so these presumptuous, old fools, might be the more terrefyed, and daunted, from daring to be so audacious, as they have been.  
Did the Lord ever glorify himself in that man, or glorify that man with himself, that (refusing to come when God called) came when himself would? name one instance if it be possible, No, he will sanctify all such, as shallbe glorious to him in earth, or glorious with him in heaven, I say he will sanctify all such, in his purpose before time, and in his practice, in such time, as wherein they shall come when he shall call, be it more early, as jeremiah: josiah; John Baptist: or more late, as Abraham, and such other, as we have named before. He gave them hearts to attend his time, not one of them ever dared to reject that, and to cause the Lord to attend theirs.  
These few inducements I hope shall draw, and enforce us to the Lord, whose we are, and whose all our days are, and all our abilities both of body and soul; from him we have them in mercy, if he have them not from us (again) in duty, it had been better for us we had never been borne.  
Lay these holy considerations to hart, & offer not to presume upon grace in thine own time, it is presumptuous sin to do so: that man is extraordinarily graceless, that dares presume of grace in extraordinary time. They that come to crave more than common kindness of us, must be more than common friends unto us; little reason hath God to be more then usually good to them, who have been grossly evil to him; as all they are who render him not his right in their first days. If we would be the Lords for ever, let us ever resolve to be so at the first.  
Dear beloved, take these things into deliberation, let them lodge in our hearts, rest, and roost in our minds, that so the Lord our God may take us into his favour and compassion. Old, young, middleage, all ages, have this in good remembrance, for it is a truth that makes us happy if we harken to it, miserable if we do not. To the aged I say (yet not I, but the Lord) look backward, see how much of your glass is out, and forward, how little remaineth to run, and run apace to the living God to be received, before all be gone, and no hope be left; think that voice of God spoken to you: 
1. Pet. 4.2.3.  [It is sufficient that we have spent the time passed after the lusts of the flesh &c] & thereupon hasten towards heaven with all expedition, it may (be the Lord may take that little time that is left, and receive you into everlasting habitations. To the young I say also, [Remember thy Creator (& thy redeemer too) in the days of thy youth] and jmagine that other voice of heaven spoken to you [for it is now time to a wake; 
Ro. 13.11  &c] it is great reason that the flower of your abilities should be the Lords, from whom you had them, and to whom your account must be made for them.  
In a word, I say to you all, and to every one of you: Do but think 1. how fare it is to heaven, seeing we must go from sin to grace, that we may go thence, to glory 2. how hard it is, to find the way, because flesh & blood cannot show it: then 3 how hard to enter, & go on, because the gate is so strait, & the enemy so strong, & we so weak, & wearied out with sin continually clogging us. And so I end with that speech in job: [If thou wilt seek unto God early, 
Job. 8.3.6.7;  and make thy supplication to the almighty: if thou be pure and upright, surely he would now awake unto thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous: and though thy beginning be but small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.] And that thus we may be, and thus do, Let all sorts uncessantly seek his face for ever.  
Glory be to God on high.