The gallants burden A sermon preached at Pauls Cross, the twenty nine of March,…The gallants burden A sermon preached at Paules Crosse, the twentie nine of March,…

Come then beloved, to Jesus Christ: behold him with the eyes of Faith, standing on the Battlements of Heaven, and wafting you to him: come freely, come merrily, come with speed; come betimes, least when you would, you cannot for want of direction, dare not for want of acquaintance with him: he that comes not till the last gasp of extremity, knows not how to come, because he begins but then. How prone are our feet to forbidden paths? the Flesh calls, we come▪ Vanity calls, we flock: the World calls, we fly: Let Christ call early and late, and either we not come, or unwillingly, or late, or with no purpose to stay. How justly may he take up that complaint against us, that against the Jews: after all my Promises, assurances, real performances of Mercies;¹ You will not come unto me, that you might have life: Perhaps, when we are weary of sin and sin of us, then let God take us; he will none of the Devils leavings. Some would come, but for some impediments; that either Child's Portion to be made up; such a House to be builded, such a Ground to be purchased: this same But, mars their coming, as he in the Gospel, But for burying his Father; and that other, But for bidding his Friends farewell: so, But for Mammon, and that we cannot be rich with a good Conscience; But for Pleasures, that we cannot be wanton, yet nourish the hope of salvation: But for these (veruntamens) But's, they would come, (S•d v•x sunt ⟨image 36⟩usi, qui carnere nisi,) we have all one But, one exception or other, to keep us from our Christ: yet Paul counts all these but dross, but dung: And if any thing seem fairer in thine eye then Christ, (Detur digniori) give thy soul to the worthier: We can extremely affect no earthly thing▪ but the Devil (at one time or other) will bring it into opposition with Christ, as the Moon and the Sun, to see which of them shall be eclipsed. Alas, how ordinary (yet how vile is it (Post-ponere Christum bonibus, qui nos •qua•it angelis;) to set Christ after our Oxen, that hath made us equal to the Angels: yet all those Friends, whom we so trust, shall soonest fail us, and at our most need run from us, as Vermin from an house on fire. Give me leae to show you this indignity offered to Christ by a metaphor; familiar comparisons give the quickest touch, to both understanding and conscience.