Babylons downfall a sermon lately preached at Westminster before sundry of the honourable House…

3. Consider your present opportunity. Opportunity once lost, is never recovered. My words shall know no flattery, never did England see a Parliament more fitted for the service and work of God, then this now is. A quiver so full of chosen and polished shafts for the Lords work. I have often thought that God would deal by our present Parliamentary assembly, as Sampson did deal with the Jaw-bone, wherewith he had slain heaps of the Philistines, which when he had done, he threw it away; but afterwards thirsting, and being ⟨p. 22⟩like to dye for want of water, God sent him back to his Jaw-bone again, and tells him that he would cleave that, and open a fountain of water to him from thence. So hath God used this great Parliamentary ordinance for the slaying of many Philistines, but, in these latter times, this Jaw-bone of ours hath been thrown away, and despised in the eyes of the world; and it may be now God will open a fountain of water from hence, that we may all be revived, and live thereby. Wherefore then let all those that are of this honourable assembly, think; It may be God hath raised me up to this time, all the while I was at the University, God was laying in of abilities in mine education for this occasion; and shall I lose this opportunity, Oportunitas indicat virum, opportunity shows the man, and makes the man, and sometimes hath the casting voice for mans eternity.

3. Consider your present oportunity. Oportunity once lost, is never recovered. My words shall know no flattery, never did England see a Parliament more fitted for the service and work of God, then this now is. A quiver so full of chosen and polished shafts for the Lords work. I have often thought that God would deale by our present Parliamentary assembly, as Sampson did deale with the Jaw-bone, wherewith hee had slaine heaps of the Philistines, which when hee had done, hee threw it away; but afterwards thirsting, and being ⟨p. 22⟩like to dye for want of water, God sent him back to his Jaw-bone againe, and tells him that he would cleave that, and open a fountaine of water to him from thence. So hath God used this great Parliamentary ordinance for the slaying of many Philistines, but, in these latter times, this Jaw-bone of ours hath beene throwne away, and despised in the eyes of the world; and it may bee now God will open a fountaine of water from hence, that wee may all be revived, and live thereby. Wherefore then let all those that are of this honourable assembly, think; It may be God hath raised mee up to this time, all the while I was at the University, God was laying in of abilities in mine education for this occasion; and shall I lose this oportunity, Oportunitas indicat virum, oportunity shewes the man, and makes the man, and sometimes hath the casting voyce for mans eternity.