A sermon preached before the King, April 18th, 1675 by John Tillotson ... Tillotson, John, 1630-1694. 1675 Approx. 35 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 19 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2006-02 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A62591 Wing T1228 ESTC R6940 12918466 ocm 12918466 95346 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A62591) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 95346) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 729:10) A sermon preached before the King, April 18th, 1675 by John Tillotson ... Tillotson, John, 1630-1694. [2], 34 p. Printed by A. Maxwell for Samuel Gellibrand ..., London : 1675. Reproduction of original in Union Theological Seminary Library, New York. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Bible. -- O.T. -- Psalms CXIX, 60 -- Sermons. Sermons, English -- 17th century. 2005-09 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-09 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-11 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2005-11 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-01 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A SERMON Preached before the KING , April 18 th 1675. By John Tillotson , D. D. Dean of Canterbury , and Chaplain in Ordinary to His MAJESTY . Published By His Majesties Special Command . LONDON : Printed by A. Maxwell , for Samuel Gellibrand , at the Ball in St. Pauls Church-yard , 1675. A SERMON Preached before the KING , Apr. 18 th 1675. PSAL. 119. 60. I made haste , and delayed not to keep thy commandements . In the words immediately going before , you have the course which David took for the reforming of his life , and the success of that course ; I thought on my ways , and turned my feet unto thy testimonies . A serious reflection upon the past errors and miscarriages of his life , produced the reformation of it . And you have a considerable circumstance added in the words that I have now read to you , viz. that this reformation was speedy and without delay , I made haste , and delayed not to keep thy commandments . Upon due consideration of his former life , and a full conviction of the necessity of a change , he came to a resolution of a better life , and immediately put this resolution in execution ; and to declare how presently and quickly he did it , he expresses it both affirmatively and negatively , after the manner of the Hebrews , who when they would say a thing with great certainty and emphasis , are wont to express it both ways , I made haste , and delayed not ; that is , I did with all imaginable speed betake my self to a better course . And this is the natural effect of Consideration ; and the true cause why men delay so necessary a work , is because they stifle their reason , and suffer themselves to be hurried into the embraces of present objects , and do not consider their latter end , and what will be the sad issue and event of a wicked life . For if men would take an impartial view of their lives , and but now and then reflect upon themselves , and lay to heart the miserable and fatal consequences of a sinful course , and think whither it will bring them at last , and that the end of these things will be death and misery : If the carnal and sensual person would but look about him , and consider how many have been ruin'd in the way that he is in , how many lye slain and wounded in it , that it is the way to hell , and leads down to the chambers of death , this would certainly give a check to him , and stop him in his course . For it is not to be imagined , but that that man who hath duly considered what sin is , the shortness of its pleasures , and the eternity of its punishment , should resolve immediately to break off his sins , and to live another kind of life . Would any man be intemperate and walk after the flesh , would any man be unjust and defraud or oppress his neighbour , be prophane and live in the contempt of God and Religion , or allow himself in any wicked course whatsoever , that considers and believes a Judgment to come , and that because of these things the terrible vengeance of God will one day fall upon the children of disobedience ? It is not credible , that men who apply themselves seriously to the meditation of these matters , should venture to continue in so imprudent and dangerous a course , or could by any temptation whatsoever be trained on one step farther in a Way that does so certainly and visibly lead to ruine and destruction . So that my work at this time shall be , to endeavour to convince men of the monstrous folly and unreasonableness of delaying the reformation and amendment of their lives ; and to perswade us to resolve upon it , and having resolved , to set about it immediately and without delay , in imitation of the good man here in the Text , I made haste , and delayed not to keep thy commandments . And to this end , I shall First , Consider the reasons and excuses which men pretend for delaying this necessary work , and shew the unreasonableness of them . Secondly , I shall add some farther Considerations , to engage us effectually to set about this work speedily and without delay . I. We will consider a little the reasons and excuses which men pretend for delaying this necessary work , and not only shew the unreasonableness of them , but that they are each of them a strong reason and powerful argument to the contrary . 1. Many pretend , that they are abundantly convinced of the great necessity of leaving their sins and betaking themselves to a better course , and they fully intend to do so ; only they cannot at present bring themselves to it , but they hope hereafter to be in a better temper and disposition , and then they resolve by Gods grace to set about this work in good earnest , and to go through with it . I know not whether it be fit to call this a Reason ; I am sure it is the greatest cheat and delusion that any man can put upon himself . For this plainly shews , that thou dost not intend to do this which thou art convinced is so necessary , but to put it off from day to day . For there is no greater evidence that a man doth not really intend to do a thing , than when notwithstanding he ought upon all accounts , and may in all respects better do it at present than hereafter , yet he still puts it off . Whatever thou pretendest , this is a meer shift to get rid of a present trouble : It is like giving good words and making fair promises to a clamorous and importunate creditour , and appointing him to come another day , when the man knows in his conscience that he intends not to pay him , and that he shall be less able to discharge the debt then , than he is at present . Whatever reasons thou hast against reforming thy life now , will still remain and be in as full force hereafter , nay probably stronger than they are at present . Thou art unwilling now , and so thou wilt be hereafter , and in all likelihood much more unwilling . So that this reason will every day improve upon thy hands , and have so much the more strength , by how much the longer thou continuest in thy sins . Thou hast no reason in the world against the present time , but only that 't is present ; why , when hereafter comes to be present , the reason will be just the same . So that thy present unwillingness is so far from being a just reason against it , that 't is a good reason the other way ; because thou art unwilling now , and like to be so , nay more so hereafter , if thou intendest to do it at all , thou shouldst set about it immediately , and without delay . 2. Another reason which men pretend for the delaying of this work , is the great difficulty and unpleasantness of it . And it cannot be denied , but that there will be some bitterness and uneasiness in it , proportionably to the growth of evil habits , and the strength of our lusts , and our greater or less progress and continuance in a sinful course : So that we must make account of a sharp conflict , of some pain and trouble in the making of this change , that it will cost us some pangs and throws before we be born again . For when nature hath been long bent another way , it is not to be expected that it should be reduced and brought back to its first streightness without pain and violence . But then it is to be considered , that how difficult and painful soever this work be , it is necessary ; and that should over-rule all other considerations whatsoever : that if we will not be at this pains and trouble , we must one time or other endure far greater , than those which we now seek to avoid : that it is not so difficult as we imagine , but our fears of it are greater than the trouble will prove ; if we were but once resolved upon the work and seriously engaged in it , the greatest part of the trouble were over ; it is like the fear of children to go into the cold water , a faint trial increaseth their fear and apprehension of it ; but so soon as they have plunged into it , the trouble is over , and then they wonder why they were so much afraid . The main difficulty and unpleasantness is in our first entrance into Religion , it presently grows tolerable , and soon after easie , and after that by degrees so pleasant and delightful , that the man would not for all the world return to his former evil state and condition of life . We should consider likewise , what is the true cause of all this trouble and difficulty ; 'T is our long continuance in a sinful course that hath made us so loth to leave it ; 'T is the custom of sinning that renders it so troublesome and uneasie to men to do otherwise ; 'T is the greatness of our guilt , heightned and inflamed by many and repeated provocations , that doth so gall our consciences , and fill our souls with so much terror ; 'T is because we have gone so far in an evil way , that our retreat is become so difficult ; and because we have delayed this work so long , that we are now so unwilling to go about it ; and consequently , the longer we delay it , the trouble and difficulty of a change will encrease daily upon us . And all these considerations are so far from being a good reason for more delays , that they are a strong argument to the contrary : Because the work is difficult now , therefore do not make it more so ; and because your delays have encreased the difficulty of it , and will do more and more , therefore delay no longer . 3. Another pretended encouragement to these delays , is the great mercy and patience of God. He commonly bears long with sinners , and therefore there is no such absolute and urgent necessity of a speedy repentance and reformation of our lives . Men have not the face to give this for a reason , but yet for all that , it lies at the bottom of many mens hearts : So Solomon tells us , Eccles . 8. 11 , Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily , therefore the hearts of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil . But it is not always thus . There are few of us but have seen several instances of Gods severity to sinners , and have known several persons surprized by a sudden hand of God , and cut off in the very act of sin , without having the least respite given them , without time or liberty so much as to ask God forgiveness , and to consider either what they had done , or whither they were a-going . And this may be the case of any sinner , and is so much the more likely to be thy case , because thou dost so boldly presume upon the mercy and patience of God. But if it were always thus , and thou wert sure to be spared yet awhile longer ; what can be more unreasonable and disingenuous , than to resolve to be evil because God is good , and because he suffers so long , to sin so much the longer , and because he affords thee a space of repentance , therefore to delay it and put it off to the last ? The proper design of Gods goodness is to lead men to repentance , and he never intended his patience for an encouragement to men to continue in their sins , but for an opportunity and an argument to break them off by repentance . These are the pretended reasons and encouragements to men to delay their repentance and the reformation of their lives , and you see how groundless and unreasonable they are ; which was the first thing I propounded to speak to . II. I shall add some farther considerations , to engage men effectually to set about this work speedily , and without delay . And because they are many , I shall insist upon those which are most weighty and considerable , without being very curious and solicitous about the method and order of them : For provided they be but effectual to the end of perswasion , it matters not how inartificially they are rang'd and disposed . 1. Consider , that in matters of great and necessary concernment , and which must be done , there is no greater argument of a weak and impotent mind , then irresolution ; to be undetermined , where the case is so plain , and the necessity so urgent ; to be always about doing that , which we are convinced must be done . Victuros agimus semper , nec vivimus unquam . We are always intending to live a new life , but can never find a time to set about it . This is as if a man should put off eating and drinking and sleeping from one day and night to another , till he have starved and destroyed himself . It seldom falls under any mans deliberation , whether he should live or not , if he can chuse ; and if he cannot chuse , 't is in vain to deliberate about it . It is much more absurd to deliberate , whether we should live virtuously and religiously , soberly and righteously in the world ; for that upon the matter is to consult , whether a man should be happy or not : Nature hath determined this for us , and we need not reason about it ; and consequently , we ought not to delay that which we are convinced is so necessary in order to it . 2. Consider , that Religion is a great and a long work ; and asks so much time , that there is none left for the delaying of it . To begin with Repentance , which is commonly our first entrance into Religion : This alone is a great work , and is not only the business of a sudden thought and resolution , but of execution and action : 'T is the abandoning of a sinful course , which we cannot leave till we have in some degree mastered our lusts ; for so long as they are our masters , like Pharaoh they will keep us in bondage , and not let us go to serve the Lord. The habits of sin and vice are not to be plucked up and cast off at once ; as they have been long in contracting , so without a miracle , it will require a competent time to subdue them and get the victory over them : for they are conquered just by the same degrees that the habits of grace and virtue grow up and get strength in us . So that there are several duties to be done in Religion , and often to be repeated ; many graces and virtues are to be long practised and exercised , before the contrary vices will be subdued , and before we arrive to a confirmed and setled state of goodness ; such a state as can only give us a clear and comfortable evidence of the sincerity of our resolution and repentance , and of our good condition towards God. We have many lusts to mortifie , many passions to govern and bring into order ; much good to do , to make what amends and reparation we can for the much evil we have done : We have many things to learn , and many to unlearn , to which we shall be strongly prompted by the corrupt inclinations of our nature , and the remaining power of ill habits and customs : and perhaps we have satisfaction and restitution to make for the many injuries we have done to others , in their persons , or estates , or reputations : In a word , we have a body of sin to put off , which clings close to us , and is hard to part with ; we have to cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit , and to perfect holiness in the fear of God ; to encrease and improve our graces and virtues , to add to our faith knowledg , and temperance , and patience , and brotherly kindness , and charity ; and to abound in all the fruits of righteousness , which are by Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of God : We have to be useful to the world , and exemplary to others in a holy and virtuous conversation ; our light is so to shine before men , that others may see our good works , and glorifie our father which is in heaven . And do we think all this is to be done in an instant , and requires no time ? That we may delay and put off to the last , and yet do all this work well enough ? Do we think we can do all this in time of sickness and old age , when we are not fit to do any thing , when the spirit of a man can hardly bear the infirmities of nature , much less a guilty conscience and a wounded spirit ? Do we think that when the day hath been idlely spent and squandered away by us , that we shall be fit to work when the night and darkness comes ? When our understanding is weak , and our memory frail , and our will crooked , and by a long custom of sinning obstinately bent the wrong way , what can we then do in Religion ? what reasonable or acceptable service can we then perform to God ? when our candle is just sinking into the socket , how shall our light so shine before men , that others may see our good works ? Alas ! the longest life is no more than sufficient for a man to reform himself in , to repent of the errors of his life , and to amend what is amiss ; to put our souls into a good posture and preparation for another world , to train up our selves for eternity , and to make our selves meet to be made partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light . 3. Consider , what a desperate hazard we run by these delays . Every delay of repentance is a venturing the main chance . It is uncertain whether hereafter we shall have time for it , and if we have time , whether we shall have a heart to it , and the assistance of Gods grace to go thorough with it . God indeed hath been graciously pleased to promise pardon to repentance , but he hath no-where promised life and leisure , the aids of his grace and holy Spirit to those who put off their repentance : He hath no-where promised acceptance to meer sorrow and trouble for sin , without fruits meet for repentance , and amendment of life : He hath no-where promised to receive them to mercy and favour , who only give him good words , and are at last contented to condescend so far to him , as to promise to leave their sins when they can keep them no longer . Many have gone thus far in times of affliction and sickness , as to be awakened to a great sense of their sins , and to be mightily troubled for their wicked lives , and to make solemn promises and professions of becoming better ; and yet upon their deliverance and recovery all hath vanished and come to nothing , and their righteousness hath been as the morning cloud , and as the early dew which passeth away : And why should any man , meerly upon account of a death-bed repentance , reckon himself in a better condition than those persons , who have done as much , and gone as far as he ; and there is no other difference between them but this , that the repentance of the former was tryed , and proved insincere , but the death-bed repentance never came to a tryal ; and yet for all that , God knows whether it were sincere or not , and how it would have proved if the man had lived longer . Why should any man , for offering up to God the meer refuse and dregs of his life , and the days which himself hath no pleasure in , expect to receive the reward of eternal life and happiness at his hands ? But though we do not design to delay this work so long , yet ought we to consider , that all delays in a matter of this consequence are extremely dangerous ; because we put off a business of the greatest concernment to the future and in so doing , put it to the hazard , whether ever it shall be done : For the future is as much out of our power to command , as it is to call back the time which is past . Indeed if we could arrest time , and strike off the nimble wheels of his charriot , and like Joshua bid the Sun stand still , and make opportunity tarry as long as we had occasion for it ; this were something to excuse our delay , or at least to mitigate and abate the folly and unreasonableness of it : But this we cannot do . It is in our power , under the influence of Gods grace and holy Spirit , to amend our lives now , but it is not in our power to live till to morrow ; and who would part with an estate in hand , which he may presently enter upon the possession of , for an uncertain reversion ? And yet thus we deal in the great and everlasting concernments of our souls ; we trifle away the present opportunities of salvation , and vainly promise to our selves the future ; we let go that which is in our power , and fondly dispose of that which is out of our power , and in the hands of God. Lay hold then upon the present opportunities , and look upon every action thou dost , and every opportunity of doing any , as possibly thy last ; for so it may prove , for any thing thou canst tell to the contrary . If a mans life lay at stake , and he had but one throw for it , with what care and with what concernment would he manage that action ? What thou art doing next may , for ought thou knowest , be for thy life , and for all eternity . So much of thy life is most certainly past , and God knows thou hast yet done little or nothing towards the securing of thy future happiness : It is not certain , how much or how little is remaining , therefore be sure to make the best use of that little which may be left , and wisely to manage the last stake . 4. Seeing the delay of repentance doth mainly rely upon the hopes and encouragement of a future repentance , let us consider a little how unreasonable these hopes are , and how absurd the encouragement is which men take from them . To sin in hopes that hereafter we shall repent , is to do a thing in hopes that we shall be one day mightily ashamed of it , that we shall one time or other be heartily grieved and troubled that we have done it : It is to do a thing in hopes that we shall afterwards condemn our selves for it , and wish a thousand times we had never done it ; in hopes that we shall be full of horrour at the thoughts of what we have done , and shall treasure up so much guilt in our consciences as will make us a terror to our selves , and be ready to drive us even to despair and distraction . And is this a reasonable hope ? Is this a fitting encouragement for a wise man to give to himself , to any action ? And yet this is plainly the true meaning of mens going on in their sins , in hopes that hereafter they shall repent of them . 5. If you be still resolved to delay this business , and put it off at present ; consider well with your selves , how long you intend to delay it . I hope not to the last ; not till sickness come , and death make his approaches to you . This is next to madness , to venture all upon such an after-game . 'T is just as if a man should be content to be shipwrackt , in hope that he shall afterwards escape by a plank , and get safe to shore . But I hope none are so unreasonable ; yet I fear that many have a mind to put it off to old age , though they do not care to say so . Seneca expostulates excellently with this sort of men ; Who shall ensure thy life till that time ? Who shall pass his word for thee , that the providence of God will suffer all things to happen and fall out , just as thou hast designed and forecast them ? Art thou not ashamed to reserve the reliques of thy life for thy self , and to set apart only that time to be wise and virtuous in , which is good for nothing ? How late is it then to begin to live well , when thy life is almost at an end ? What a stupid forgetfulness is it of our mortality , to put off good resolutions to the fiftieth or sixtieth year of our age , and to resolve to begin to do better at that time of life , to which but very few persons have reached ? But perhaps thou art not altogether so unreasonable , but desirest only to respite this work , till the first heat of youth and lust be over , till the cooler and more considerate part of thy life come on : that perhaps thou thinkest may be the fittest and most convenient season . But still we reckon upon uncertainties , for perhaps that season may never be : however , to be sure it is much more in our power , by the assistance of Gods grace , which is never wanting to the sincere endeavours of men , to conquer our lusts now , and to resist the most heady and violent temptations to vice , than either to secure the future time , or to recover that which is once past and gone . Some seem yet more reasonable , and are content to come lower , and desire only to put it off for a very little while . But why for a little while ? why till to morrow ? To morrow will be as this day , only with this difference , that thou wilt in all probability be more unwilling and indisposed then . So that there is no future time which any man can reasonably pitch upon . All delay in this case is dangerous , and as senseless as the expectation of the Ideot , described by the Poet ; who being come to the river side , and intending to pass over , stays till all the water in the river be gone by , and hath left the channel a dry passage for him . — at ille Labitur , & labetur in omne volubilis aevum . But the river runs , and runs , and if he should stay a thousand years , will never be the nearer being dry . So that if the man must go over , and there be a necessity for it , ( as there is for Repentance ) the onely wise resolution to be taken in this case , is to wade or swim over as well as he can , because the matter will never be mended by tarrying . 6. Lastly , consider what an unspeakable happiness it is , to have our minds settled in that condition , that we may without fear and amazement , nay with comfort and confidence , expect death and judgment . Death is never far from any of us , and the general Judgment of the world may be nearer than we are aware of ; for of that day and hour knoweth no man : And these are two terrible things ; and nothing can free us from the terror of them , but a good conscience ; and a good conscience is only to be had , either by innocence , or by repentance and amendment of life . Happy man ! who by this means is at peace with God , and with himself ; and can think of death and judgment , without dread and astonishment . For the sting of death is sin , and the terror of the great day only concerns those , who have lived wickedly and impenitently , and would not be perswaded , neither by the mercies of God , nor by the fear of his judgments , to repent and turn to him : But if we have truely forsaken our sins , and do sincerely endeavour to live in obedience to the Laws and Commands of God , the more we think of death and judgment , the greater matter of joy and comfort will these things be to us . For blessed is that servant , whom his Lord when he comes shall find so doing . Let us therefore , as soon as possibly we can , put our selves into this posture and preparation ; according to that advice of our blessed Saviour , Luke 12. 35 , 36. Let your loins be girded about , and your lamps burning , and ye your selves like unto men that wait for their Lord. And now I hope that enough hath been said , to convince men of the great unreasonableness and folly of these delays ; nay , I believe , most men are convinced of it by their own thoughts , and that their consciences call them fools a thousand times for it : But O that I knew what to say , that might prevail with men , and effectually perswade them to do that , which they are so abundantly convinced is so necessary . And here I might address my self to the several ages of persons . You that are young , and have hitherto been in a good measure innocent , may prevent the Devil , and by an early piety give God the first possession of your souls ; and by this means , never be put to the trouble of so great and solemn a repentance , having never been deeply engaged in a wicked life : You may do a glorious , I had almost said a meritorious thing , in cleaving stedfastly to God , and resolving to serve him , when you are so importunately courted , and so hotly assaulted by the Devil and the World. However , you may not live to be old ; therefore upon that consideration begin the work presently , and make use of the opportunity that is now in your hands . You that are grown up to ripeness of years , and are in the full vigor of your age ; you are to be put in mind , that the heat and inconsiderateness of youth is now past and gone ; that reason and consideration are now in their perfection and strength ; that this is the very age of prudence and discretion , of wisdom and wariness : So that now is the proper time for you to be serious , and wisely to secure your future happiness . As for those that are old , they methinks should need no body to admonish them , that it is now high time for them to begin a new life , and that the time past of their lives is too much to have spent in sin and folly . There is no trifling where men have a great work to do , and but little time to do it in . Your Sun is certainly going down and near its setting , therefore you should quicken your pace , considering that your journey is never the shorter because you have but little time to perform it in . Alas man ! thou art just ready to dye , and hast thou not yet begun to live ? Are thy passions and lusts yet unsubdued , and have they had no other mortification than what age hath given them ? 'T is strange to see , how in the very extremities of old age , many men are as if they had still a thousand years to live , and make no preparation for death , though it dogs them at the heels , and is just come up to them and ready to give them the fatal stroke . Therefore let us not put off this necessary work of reforming our selves , in what part and age of our lives soever we be . To day , whilst it is called to day , least any of you be hardened thorough the deceitfulness of sin . Nay , to day is with the latest to begin this work , had we been wise we would have begun it sooner . 'T is Gods infinite mercy to us , that it is not quite too late , that the day of Gods patience is not quite expired , and the door shut against us . Therefore do not defer your repentance to the next solemn time , to the next occasion of receiving the blessed Sacrament : Do not say , I will then reform and become a new man , after that I will take leave of my lusts and sin no more . For let us make what haste we can , we cannot possibly make too much — properat vivere nemo satis . No man makes haste enough to be good , to cease to do evil , and to learn to do well . Be as quick as we will , life will be too nimble for us , and go on faster than our work does ; and death will go nigh to prevent us , and surprize us unawares . Do , do sinner , abuse and neglect thy self yet a little while longer , till the time of regarding thy soul and working out thy own salvation be at an end , and all the opportunities of minding that great concernment be slipp'd out of thy hands , never to be recovered , never to be called back again ; no , not by thy most earnest wishes and desires , by thy most fervent prayers and tears ; and thou be brought into the condition of prophane Esau , who for once despising the Blessing , lost it for ever , and found no place of repentance , though he sought it carefully with tears . To conclude : Art thou convinced , that thy eternal happiness depends upon following the advice which hath now been given thee ? Why then , do but behave thy self in this case , as thou and all prudent men are wont to do in matters which thou canst not but acknowledg to be of far less concernment . If a man be travelling to such a place , so soon as he finds himself out of the way , he presently stops and makes towards the right way , and hath no inclination to go wrong any farther : If a man be sick , he will be well presently if he can , and not put it off to the future : Most men will take the first opportunity that presents it self , of being rich or great ; every man almost catches at the very first offers of a great place or a good purchase , and secures them presently if he can , least the opportunity be gone , and another snatch these things from him . Do thou thus so much more , in matters so much greater . Return from the error of thy way , be well , save thy self as soon as possibly thou canst . When happiness presents it self to thee , do not turn it off , and bid it come again to morrow . Perhaps thou mayest never be so fairly offered again ; perhaps the day of salvation may not come again to morrow ; nay , perhaps to thee to morrow may never come . But if we were sure that happiness would come again , yet why should we put it off ? Does any man know how to be safe and happy to day , and can he find in his heart to tarry till to morrow ? Now the God of all mercy and patience , give every one of us the wisdom and grace , to know and to do in this our day , the things that belong to our peace , before they be hid from our eyes ; for the sake of our blessed Saviour and Redeemer ; To whom , with the Father and the Holy Ghost , be all honour and glory now and for ever . Amen .