souls, the time that should be spent by themselves and us for their recovery, must be spent to make them believe that they are lost; and when all is done we leave them lost, and have lost our labour, because we cannot prevail with them to believe it. Drown they will, and perish everlastingly, because the time that should be spent in saving them, must be spent in making them know that they are sinking, and after all they will not believe it; and therefore will not lay hold on the hand that is stretched forth to pull them out. The narrative of the savage people of Soldania doth notably represent their state. Those people live naked, and feed upon the carrionlike carcases of beasts, and hang the stinking guts about their necks for ornaments, and wear hats made of the dung, and carve their skins, and will not change these loathsome customs. Some of them being drawn into our ships, were carried away for England. When they came to London and saw our stately buildings, and clothing, and provisions, they were observed to sigh much, which was thought to have been in compassion of their miserable country, which so much differed from ours. When they had stayed long among us, and got so much acquaintance with our civility and order, and all that belongs to the life of man, as that they were thought fit to communicate it to their countrymen, the next voyage they were brought back, and set on shore in their own country, to draw some of the rest to come into the ships, and see and enjoy what they had done (who had purposely been used as might most content them). But as soon as they were landed, they leaped for joy, and cried, 'Soldania,' and cast away their clothes, and came again in the sight of our ships, with dung on their heads and guts hanging about their necks, triumphing in their sordid nakedness. Just so do worldly, sensual men, in the matters of salvation. If against their wills they are carried into cleaner ways and company, and the beauty of holiness, and the joys of heaven are opened to them, they are weary of it all the while; and when we expect they should delight themselves in the felicity that is opened to them, and draw their old acquaintance to it, and be utterly ashamed of their former base and sinful state, they are gone when the next temptation comes, and return with the dog unto their vomit, and with the washed swine to wallow in the mire (2 Pet. ii. 21, 22.),

and glory in their filth and shame, and only mind their earthly things; Phil. iii. 18.

Use 3. By this time you may see yourselves that the disease of sinners is in their own hearts, and it is that that must be healed if they will be saved. But what should we do to get into those hearts, to search your sores and work the cure? 1 come now to the principal part of my message to you; but will you indeed entertain it, if it prove itself to be from God? How the case standeth with mankind, you have heard in my text from Christ himself. How one thing is needful; and how the busy, idle world is diverted from this one thing, by many needless, troublesome things to their own destruction. If hence I warn you of your danger, and tell you of your duty, and exhort you to take another course than you have done, I hope you will confess I do but what is needful both for you and me, and what you have no reason to contradict. Come then for the Lord's sake, and let us treat practically and successfully about so great a business; and make something of it before we leave it; and end not till we amend what we find amiss. What course then will you take for the time to come? Will you go on to trouble yourselves about many things, and neglect the one thing needful, as you have done? Dare you harbour such a purpose? or dare you stifle those thoughts and motions that would tend to better purposes? Or may I not hope that the light hath ashamed your sleepiness and works of darkness, and that you are grieved at the heart for the sinful negligence of heart and life, and resolved now to be new men? For God's sake resolve, sirs. What will you do? Waver not, but resolve! It is more than a thousand lives that lieth on your resolution. I come to you this day as the minister of the great Pastor of the flock, that spake these words, not only to acquaint you, if you know not, or to remember you if you know, that one thing is needful; but also with authority to command you in his name, to value it, to love it, to choose it, to seek it, and labour for it as the one thing needful. What say you, will you or will you not? This unspeakable mercy I offer you from the Lord. He is willing to put up at your hands all that is past, and to lay all your sins on the score of Christ, and freely to forgive you through the virtue of his blood, if you will now at last be

think you better, and come to Christ, and live as men that know what they have to do. If you will but see your former folly, and heartily bewail it, and set your hearts on the one thing needful, he will encourage you, and help you, and bid you welcome, and number you with his sons, though you have lived as his enemies. Though you have lived like swine and serpents, he will put you in his bosom, if you will but be washed and changed by his grace. Though you have set more by your worldly riches than by his glory, and have set more by the favour of mortal man, than by his favour, and though you have set more by your bellies, and your brutish pleasures, and little toys, than you have done by everlasting life, he will yet be merciful to you, and put up all these indignities at your hands, and take you into his dearest love, if you will but now become new creatures, and give your hearts to him that made them, and seek that first that is worth the finding, and lose not the rest of your lives and labour upon unprofitable things. What can you say against this offer? Is it not inconceivable and unspeakable mercy? O what would the damned give another day for such an offer? O what would you yourselves give another day for such an offer, if you now neglect it? What say you then, will you accept of this offer of mercy while it may be had, and close with grace, while grace would save you, or will you not? As ever you look for mercy in the hour of your distress when nothing but mercy can stand your souls in any stead, take mercy now while it may be had. Refuse' it not when it is offered you, as you would not be refused by it when hell and desperation would devour you. If you slight it because it is free, you slight it because it is great, and therefore greatly to be valued. Think not hereafter to have it at your beck, if you neglect it now when it seeks for your acceptance. Do not say, I will a little longer keep my sins, and a little longer enjoy my pleasures, for I can have Christ's offer at any time before I die. O little dost thou know what a stab such a trifling purpose may give to the very heart of all thy hopes and happiness! and how terribly God may make thee know how ill he taketh thy unthankfulness and contempt! and how dear one other week of sinful pleasure may cost thy soul! In the name of God I warn you, do not so despise everlasting happiness! Do not so trample on the blood of Christ, if you would be saved by it!

Do not abuse the Spirit of grace, if you would be sanctified by it! Play not any longer with the consuming fire, the wrath of a jealous and Almighty God! Jest not with damnation! Though grace be now offered you, it will not be at your command. Despise this motion, and you may be out of hearing before the next. What can you expect, if you will slight such mercy, but either that death should shortly bring you to your reckoning, or that God should leave you to yourselves, and give you up to the hardness of your hearts. And if you will needs choose the world, and fleshly pleasure, and God and glory shall be thus contemptuously passed by, you may take your choice, and see what you will get by it. But remember what an offer you had this day, and that heaven was once within your reach, and that it might have been yours for ever if you would.

But because I am loath to leave you so, I will try by some such arguments as the reason of man must needs approve, Whether yet you may not be brought to yourselves, and yield to grace that you may be saved. And they shall be the arguments that lie before you here in the text.

1. Remember, it is necessity that is pleaded with you in my text. One thing is necessary. Necessity, and your own necessity, is such an argument, as one would think of itself should turn the scales, and fully resolve you, and put you past any further deliberation or delay. If necessity, your own necessity, and so great necessity to so great an end, will not prevail with you, what will? Necessity is that ingens telum,' that natural reason taketh to be irresistible. Men think they may do almost any thing, if they can say necessity commandeth it. Omnem legem frangit, magnum illud humanæ imbecillitatis patrocinium,' saith Seneca. What is it that necessity seemeth not sufficient to justify with the most? And we will grant the argument to be undeniable, if it be from absolute necessity indeed, and if men will not dream that it is more necessary to be rich, or honourable, or to live, than to be holy, and to be blessed with God, and to please him that created them. Ubi necessitas incumbit, non ultra disputandum est, sed celerrimè et fortiter agendum.' Words signify nothing against necessity. Reason is but hindering, troublesome folly, when it pleadeth against necessity. Omni arte, omni ratione efficacior necessitas. Curt.' In worldly matters how quick-sighted,

how resolute, how active is necessity! What conquerable difficulties will it not overcome! what labour will it not endure, if it have but the encouragement of hope! And yet this necessity is indeed no true necessity at all. For that which is necessity but to my credit, or estate, or health, or life, can be no more necessary than is my credit, and estate, and health, and life itself. When men do but fancy a necessity where there is none, yet that will carry them through thick and thin. But O sirs, you have a real, undeniable necessity to be holy, and to set yourselves to the work of your salvation; such a necessity as is founded in your nature, and laid on you by your Maker, and as all the true reason in the world will confess, to be indispensable necessity.

• Faxis ut libeat quod est necesse.

Make no more words then, but resolve and stir when it is a matter that must be done. It is pity and shame that the amiableness of God and holiness will not prevail with you of themselves. But if you cannot yet perceive them to be delectable, acknowledge them to be necessary. Be ashamed that pretended necessity for the body should be more powerful with others, than real necessity for salvation is with you. Look upon almost all the travail and labour that is under the sun, and all the diligence that is used here in the world, and consider whether it be not a thousandfold smaller necessity than I am now pleading with you, that setteth almost all on work? The rich will not toil and labour, but will take their ease, because they think they are under no necessity; but the poor will labour, because they must. Though the command of God to rich and poor should make them equally diligent in their several callings, in obedience to their Creator; yet many thousands that labour all the year in obedience to their own necessities, would soon give it over and take ease, if they could but be well maintained without it, notwithstanding the commands of God. And the poor that reproach the rich for idleness, would be idle themselves if they were but rich. The tradesman followeth his trade, and the husbandman his hard labour all the year, and what reason will they give you, if you ask them why they do it, but this, We cannot live else. We must do it to maintain ourselves and families.' And is not the reason