A saint or a brute the certain necessity and excellency of holiness, &c. ...…

And as to the manner of my admonition, if One thing be needful, I hope you will allow me to be as plain and serious as I can, about this One: And my first address to you shall be for trial.

And as to the manner of my admonition, if One thing be needful, I hope you will allow me to be as plain and serious as I can, about this One: And my first address to you shall be for tryall.

And I shall make it now my earnest request to you, that you ⟨p. 21⟩•ill bethink you how much you are concerned, to compare your •arts and lives with this passage, and judge your selves by the Word of God that is now before you: And for your own sakes •• it seriously and faithfully, as passengers that are hasting to the ••eat Assize. What say your Consciences, Sirs, to this Question? Have you indeed lived in the world as men that believe that One thing is necessary? Hath this One had your chiefest care and labour, and have you chosen rather to neglect all other things then •is? Look behind you, and judge of the course that you have taken by the light of this one text. I do not ask you Whether you have heard that One thing is Necessary: nor whether you have talked of it, and confessed it to be true: nor whether you have been called Christians by your selves and others, and have come to Church, and forborne those sins that would have most blemished your honour in the world: This is nothing to the question: Thus many thousands do, that were never acquainted with the One thing Necessary. Nor do I ask you, Whether you have used to allow God half an hours lip-service or formal drowsy prayer at night, when you have served the world and ••esh all day? Nor whether you have been Religious on the by, and given God some lean devotion which cost you little, and which your flesh can spare without any great diminution or deiment in its ease, and honour, and profit, and sensual delights: Nor whether you run to some kind of duties of Religion, to make all whole, when you come from wilful reigning sin; and so make Religion a fortress to your lusts, to quiet your Consciences while you serve the flesh: I confess such a kind of Religiousness as this, the world is acquainted with: But this is unanswerable to the Rule before us.