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ish, as to put off a present season, a present oppor. tunity of profit and advantage, upon the account of a may-be? It may be, I may have a good season, it may be I shall have as golden, as precious an opportunity to get and to enrich myself as this is; and therefore farewell to this. No men that are in their right minds will argue thus; and why then should you, especially in the things that are of an everlasting concernment to you.

I have read of one Monarcho a frantic Italian, who thought all the kings of the earth were his vassals; and as frantics are they who wilfully neglect present seasons of grace, upon the account of a future may-be.

2. I answer, it may be if thou neglectest this present season and opportunity of grace, thou mayest never have another; it may be mercy may never knock more if thou dost not now open, it may be Christ shall never be offered to thee more, if now thou dost not close with him, and accept of him; it may be the Spirit will never strive more with thee, if now thou dost resist him, and withstand him; it may be a pardon shall never be offered to thee more, if now thou wilt not take it; it may be the gospel shall never sound more in thy ears, if now thou will not hear it now set one may-be against another may-be, set God's may-be against thy own may-be. But,

3. Doubtless there are many thousand thousands now in hell, who have pleased themselves, and put off God and the seasons of grace with a may-be, hereafter may be time enough; it may be when I have gratified such a lust, and when I have treasured so much of the world, I will return, and seek, and

serve the Lord; but before ever this season, or opportunity come, Justice hath cut the thread of their lives, and they are now miserable for ever; and now they are still a-cursing themselves, because they have slip their golden opportunities upon the account of a may-be.

4. This putting off of God and the present seasons of grace with a may-be, is very provoking to God, as you may see, if you will but read from the

twentieth verse to the three and thirtieth of the first of Proverbs. Nothing stirs and provokes a master more, than his servants putting off his service or his commands with a may-be; it may be I will, it may be, I may do this or that; nothing puts a master sooner into a flame, than this; nor nothing puts God more into a flame, than this; as ye may see by comparing, Ps. xcv. 6. to the end, with the third of Hebrews, and the 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. Read the words, and tremble at the thoughts of a may-be, at the thoughts of putting off God, and the seasons of grace.

I have read of two, who cut off their right hands for one another, and then made it an excuse, a putoff, they were lame, and so could not serve in the galleys of Francis the first, king of France; but this practice of theirs did so incense and provoke the king, that he sent them both to the gallows.

2. If I should begin to be good betimes, and to seek and serve the Lord in the spring and morning of my days, I should lose my friends, I should lose their favour, for they are carnal and worldly, and had rather I should seek after gold than God, the creature than Christ, earth than heaven.

To this I answer, Surely you are out; for,

1. This is the high way, the readiest way to gain the best, the surest and soundest friends; When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. When

a man falls in with God, God will make the crea tures to fall in with him; Joseph found it so, and Jacob found it so, and Job found it so, the three children found it so, and Daniel found it so, as you all know that have read but one scripture, and many in this age (as bad as it is) have found that the best way to make friends, is first to make God our friend.

Ah, young man, thou shalt not lose thy friends by seeking and serving the Lord in the spring and morning of thy days, but only exchange bad ones for good ones, the worst for the best; he that gives up himself betimes to the Lord shall have God for his friend, and Christ for his friend, and the angels for his friends, and the saints for his friends; Christ will be to such,

1. An omnipotent friend.
2. An omniscient friend.
3. An omnipresent friend.
4. An indeficient friend.
5. An independent friend.
6. An immutable friend.
7. A watchful friend.
8. A loving friend.

9. A faithful friend.

10. A compassionate friend.

11. A close friend.

There is a friend that sticketh closer than a

brother," Prov. xvii. 24. Such a friend is Christ, and such a friend as one's soul, and a rare happiness hardly to be matched.

12. An universal friend, a friend in all cases, a friend in all places. Christ is such a friend to every one of his, as if he were a friend to none besides: hence it is that they say, not only, Our Lord, and our God, but my Lord and my God; Christ is such an universal friend, as that he supplies the place, and acts the part of every friend.

13. He is our best friend, Psal. xc. 1. before we had a friend in all the world, he was our friend, Prov. viii. 21.

Lastly, He is a constant friend, whom he loves, he loves to the end.

Augustus Cæsar would not suddenly entertain a league of friendship with any, but was a constant friend to them he loved; Amare nec cito desiste, nec temere incipio; Late ere love, as long ere I leave; Where Christ begins to love, he always loves, Jer. xxxi. 3. "I have loved thee with an everlasting love:" Who then would not venture the loss of all the friends in the world to gain such a friend as this?

Ah! young men and women, let me say to you what Seneca said to his friend Polybius; Fas tibi non est fortuna conqueri, salvo Cæsare, Never complain of thy hard fortune, as long as Cæsar is thy friend; so say I, never complain of thy loss of friends, so long as by losing of them, you gain Christ to be your friend.

2. Thou wert better be without their friendship and favour than to enjoy it upon any sinful and unworthy accounts; thou wert better run the has

zard of losing thy friends, and their favour, by seeking and serving the Lord in the primrose of thy days, than to run the hazard of losing God, Christ, heaven, eternity, and thy soul for ever, by neglecting the things of thy peace. It was a gallant return which the noble Sutillius made his friend, requesting of him an unlawful favour, in such language as this; I had as good be without such a friend, as with him, who will not let me speed in what I ask. To whom he replied, I can want such a friend as you, if for your sake I must do that which is not honest.

Well young men, remember this, The torment of a thousand hells, were there so many, comes far short of this one voice, to be turned out of God's presence with a Non novi vos, I know you not.

Ah! young man thou wert better ten thousand times be cast out of the thoughts and hearts of thy carnal friends and relations, than to be cast out of God's presence with cursed Cain for ever, than to be excommunicated out of the general assembly of the saints, and congregation of the first-born, which are written in heaven; and therefore away with this objection. But,

3. The favour and friendship of such carnal persons, is very fickle and unconstant, it is very fading and withering. Now they stroke and anon they strike; now they lift up, and anon they cast down; now they smile, and anon they frown; now they kiss, and anon they kill; now they cry Hosanna, hosanna, and anon they cry Crucify him, crucify him. Haman is one day feasted with the king, and the next day made a feast for crows; the princes of Babylon were highly in Darius

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