A sermon preached before the king at White-Hall on March 22, 1667, being Easter-day…

But whatever Fruit we can promise our selves from Sin, it is all but vanishing and Transitory, The pleasures of Sin are but for a Season, Heb. 11. 25. the World passeth away, and the Lusts thereof, 1 John 2. 17. ⟨p. 25⟩Our Sin will Leave us nothing to keep Company with for ever, but a polluted Soul, and a Guilty Conscience. Now what a Folly is it for Men that are themselves Immortal, who must have a Being as long as there is power in God to preserve it, as long as there is Truth in God to make good the promises of Eternal Life to them that Serve him, and the threatenings of Eternal Death to them that Despise him, not to provide an Happiness of equal duration with themselves? to prefer the false and dying Comforts of the World, before the Pleasures which are at God's Right-hand for evermore? O let us learn by a sincere and serious Holiness of Life, to secure unto our selves the Mercies of an Everlasting Covenant, O let us Remember what a God we have to do withal, and Dread to provoke him, because his wrath is Eternal, Who amongst us can dwell with Everlasting Burnings? and resolve to serve him with Reverence and Godly fear, Because he will render unto them, who by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for Glory, and Honour, and Immortality, Eternal Life, Rom. 2. 7.

But whatever Fruit we can promise our selves from Sinne, it is all but vanishing and Transitory, The pleasures of Sinne are but for a Season, Heb. 11. 25. the World passeth away, and the Lusts thereof, 1 John 2. 17. ⟨p. 25⟩Our Sinne will Leave us nothing to keep Company with for ever, but a polluted Soul, and a Guilty Conscience. Now what a Folly is it for Men that are themselves Immortal, who must have a Being as long as there is power in God to preserve it, as long as there is Truth in God to make good the promises of Eternal Life to them that Serve him, and the threatnings of Eternal Death to them that Despise him, not to provide an Happiness of equal duration with themselves? to preferr the false and dying Comforts of the World, before the Pleasures which are at God's Right-hand for evermore? O let us learn by a sincere and serious Holiness of Life, to secure unto our selves the Mercies of an Everlasting Covenant, O let us Remember what a God we have to do withall, and Dread to provoke him, because his wrath is Eternal, Who amongst us can dwell with Everlasting Burnings? and resolve to serve him with Reverence and Godly fear, Because he will render unto them, who by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for Glory, and Honour, and Immortality, Eternal Life,