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,…

Whiles the Day is slothfully spent, Night brings no rejoiceful ease to either spirits or corps: The Day of thy life worn out in the well disposed hours of a religious obedience, thy body shall rest in a perfumed Grave, and thy soul in the bosom of Abraham, when Night comes: but whiles pride, surfeits, oppressions, wantonness, have shared the Day, the Night comes with no less suddenness then sorrow; thy rest shall be unrest, neither easier then smoke and thorns, and flames, nor shorter then the eternity of all these can make it: Oh then, what folly, madness, self-enmity is this, to play out our short Day, and howl under the pressure of working torments for an everlasting Night.

Whiles the Day is slouthfully spent, Night bringes no reioycefull ease to either spirits or corpes: The Day of thy life worne out in the well disposed houres of a religious obedience, thy body shall rest in a perfumed Graue, and thy soule in the bosome of Abraham, when Night comes: but whiles pride, surfets, oppressions, wantonnes, haue shared the Day, the Night comes with no lesse suddennesse then sorrow; thy rest shalbe vnrest, neither easier then smoake and thornes, and flames, nor shorter then the eternitie of all these can make it: Oh then, what folly, madnes, selfe-enmitie is this, to play out our short Day, and howle vnder the pressure of working tormentes for an euerlasting Night.

We are come to the last fruit that I shall gather you from this Tree,¹ and it grows on three branches: the whole body of it, being applied to the manner, not the matter of the Question: the matter is first satisfied, The Morning comes, & the Night; the manner is now touched: If ye will ask, enquire, return and come. You ask in derision, keep the Cloth, but reject the Fashion: Ask ⟨p. 24⟩still, but to repentance: Let your demands manifest your desires of resolution: If ye will ask, and needs be acquainted with your sorrows, Enquire, with humility, reverence, faith: Return from your sins, by repentance, and come home to God by obedience, (Triplex ex arbore fructus) here is a threefold fruit from this Tree; whereon let your souls feed, and then depart to refresh your bodies.