whom sullen age hath weaned from airy pleasures, whom wayward fortune hath condemned to sighs and groans, whom sad diseases have beslaved to drugs and diets, let them consume the remnant of their wretched days in dull devotion: let them afflict their aching souls with the untunable discourses of mortality; let them contemplate on evil days, and read sharp lectures of their own experience. For me, my bones are full of unctuous marrow, and my blood of sprightly youth. My fair and free estate secures me from the fears of fortune's frown. My strength of constitution hath the power to grapple with sorrow, sickness, nay the very pangs of death-and overcome. 'Tis true, God must be sought; what impious tongue dare be so basely bold to contradict so known a truth? and by repentance too! What strange impiety dare deny it? or what presumptuous lips dare disavow

it? But there's a time for all things, yet none prefixed for this, no day designed, but, at any time soever. If my unseasonable heart should seek him now, the work would be too serious for so green a seeker. My thoughts are yet unsettled, my fancy yet too gamesome, my judgment yet unsound, my will unsanctified. To seek him with an unprepared heart is the highway not to find him; or to find him with unsettled resolution is the next way to lose him; and indeed it wants but little of profaneness to be unseasonably religious. What is once to be done, is long to be deliberated. Let the boiling pleasures of the rebellious flesh evaporate a little, and let me drain my boggy soul from those corrupted inbred humours of collapsed nature, and when the tender blossoms of my youthful vanity shall begin to fade, my settled understanding will begin to knot, my solid judgment will

begin to ripen, my rightly guided fancy will be resolved both what to seek, and when to find, and how to prize. Till then, my tender youth, in her pursuit, will be disturbed with every blast of honour, diverted with every flash of pleasure, misled by counsel, turned back with fear, puzzled with doubt, interrupted by passion, withdrawn by prosperity, and discouraged with adversity.

TAKE heed, my soul: when thou hast lost thyself in thy journey, how wilt thou find thy God at thy journey's end? Whom thou hast lost by too long delay, thou wilt hardly find with too late a diligence. Take time while time shall serve. That day may come, wherein

Thou shalt seek the Lord, but shalt not find him. Hos. v. 6.

Isaiah, lv. 6.

Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. Heb. xii. 17.

He found no place for repentance, though he sought it with tears carefully. Thou fool, this night will I take thy soul from thee.

Revel. ii. 21.

I gave her a space to repent, but she repented not; behold therefore I will cast her.

His Soliloquy.

O MY Soul, thou hast sought wealth, and hast either not found it, or cares with it; thou hast sought for pleasure, and hast found it, but no comfort in it. Thou soughtest honour, and hast found it, and perchance fallen with it: thou soughtest friendship, and hast found it false; society, and hast found it vain :

and yet THY GOD, the fountain of all wealth, pleasure, honour, friendship, and society, thou hast slighted as a toy not worth the finding! Be wise, my soul, and blush at thy own folly. Set thy desires on the right object; seek wisdom, and thou shalt find knowledge, and wealth, and honour, and length of days; seek heaven, and earth shall seek thee; and defer not thy inquest, lest thou lose thy opportunity. To-day thou mayest find him, whom to-morrow thou mayest seek with tears, and miss: yesterday is too late, to-morrow is uncertain, to-day is only thine. Ay, but, my soul, I fear my too long delay hath made this day too late: fear not, my soul; he that has given thee his grace to-day, will forget thy neglect of yesterday; seek him therefore by true repentance, and thou shalt find him in thy prayer.