Twenty sermons preached at Oxford before His Majesty, and elsewhere

Sol. True, Soft and Fair goes fairly in the way. In this case,¹ though thou go but softly, thou mayst come to thy journeys end; but the doubt remains still, there is a question whether thou art in the way, or not. Happy are we if we are, although we can but halt and limp on, in this way: although this should be no ground for us to content our selves therewith. We must not trifle in the ways of holiness. It's that concerns our life, and must be seriously thought on, and that speedily too. Mat. 5.25. Agree with thine Adversary quickly while thou art in the way with him. God is thine Adversary, unless thou agree with him speedily; his patience will break forth into his fury. Psal. 2.12. Kiss the Son lest he be angry, and thou perish from the right way. Thou hast no assurance of thy life, thou mayst be snapped off, whilst thou thinkest it time enough to repent and return. As long as we go out of the way of repentance, we are in the way to Hell, and the farther a man goes in a wrong way, the nearer is he to Hell, and the greater ado to return back: and in this regard Soft and Fair may go far; but 'tis far out of the way, far in the way to perdition and destruction. As long as we are out of the right way to Heaven and happiness, we are in the path, that leads directly to the Chambers of death.

Sol. True, Soft and Fair goes fairly in the way. In this case,¹ though thou go but softly, thou mayst come to thy journeys end; but the doubt remains still, there is a question whether thou art in the way, or not. Happy are we if we are, although we can but halt and limp on, in this way: although this should be no ground for us to content our selves therewith. We must not trifle in the wayes of holiness. It's that concerns our life, and must be seriously thought on, and that speedily too. Mat. 5.25. Agree with thine Adversary quickly while thou art in the way with him. God is thine Adversary, unless thou agree with him speedily; his patience will break forth into his fury. Psal. 2.12. Kiss the Son lest he be angry, and thou perish from the right way. Thou hast no assurance of thy life, thou mayst be snapt off, whilst thou thinkest it time enough to repent and return. As long as we go out of the way of repentance, we are in the way to Hell, and the farther a man goes in a wrong way, the nearer is he to Hell, and the greater ado to return back: and in this regard Soft and Fair may go far; but 'tis far out of the way, far in the way to perdition and destruction. As long as we are out of the right way to Heaven and happiness, we are in the path, that leads directly to the Chambers of death.