The black devil or the apostate Together with the wolf worrying the lambs. And…The blacke devil or the apostate Together with the wolfe worrying the lambes. And…

1. For their Speediness. Before they are sent, they should not run at all: after they are sent, they cannot run too fast. We may say of these Messengers, as it was proverbed of the Lacedemonian• Turpe est cuilibet fugere, Laconi etiam deliberasse. Go• grant, all our consciences may witness with our selves, what Paul speaks of his unretarded execution ¹of Christs message. When it pleased God to send me to preach his Son among the heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood. To adjure their posting alacrity to this business, the Apostles were charged to salute no man by the way: much less should the burying our dead friends, or taking leave of our living friends, procrastinate our course. Prou. 10. ²26. As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to them that send him. Isaiah 40. 31. But ³they that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength: they shall mount up with wings as Eagles: they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk & not faint. It is so, or it should be so: our diligence should tread upon ⟨p. 8⟩the heels of our calling for haste; and we should make use of the first handsel of time. In limine offendisse ominosum, odiosum. To stumble at the threshold, is a bad heed, and a worse sign.

1. For their Speedinesse. Before they are sent, they should not runne at all: after they are sent, they cannot runne too fast. VVe may say of these Messengers, as it was prouerb'd of the Lacedemonian• Turpe est cuilibet fugere, Laconi etiam deliberasse. Go• grant, all our consciences may witnesse with our selues, what Paul speakes of his vnretarded execution ¹