quietly or safely, but must deliver it up to a Stronger than himself: So that he that could kill his Neighbour, or otherwise get the Power over him, might take his Goods also; and by such means, the World would soon become a Den of Thieves.

After I had fully discours'd upon these, and exhorted all in general to Submission and Obedience to Our Most Gracious King, that (under Him) we might lead a quiet and peaceable Life in all Godliness and Honesty, according to the Apostle's excellent Precept, 1 Tim. 2. 2; I then concluded with this particular Admonition to the Condemn'd Prisoners.

And You, who are (and that most deservedly) under these melancholy Circumstances: You, who have been so far from living such an honest and godly Life, as the Scripture commands, that on the contrary, You have abandon'd Your selves to the Commission of the heinous Crimes, which have brought You under this sad Condemnation, yea, within the dismal Prospect of an untimely and shameful Death: Consider how much those your Crimes have been offensive to the Majesty of Heaven, dishonourable to your Profession of Christianity, injurious to Your Neighbours, and hurtful to Your own Souls, which You have by them polluted and defil'd, and tainted with the most dangerous Poison: Consider well, That now the Time is coming (It is near at hand) when You must account for all your Faults; unless You do truly repent of them.

And now, as this Work of Repentance (wherein I have been daily instructing You) is great, and your Time to perform it in, short; so be Ye advis'd to use Your utmost Endeavours in a fervent and constant Application to GOD for his Mercy and Grace; that by the powerful Operation thereof, and the Merits and Mediation of Christ, being endu'd with a lively Faith, You may become New Creatures; and so be acceptable to GOD, (our Heavenly Father) and obtain the Pardon of your Sins, and the Eternal Salvation of your Souls.

On the Lord's Day, the 23d of January , I preach'd to them (both in the Forenoon and Afternoon) upon part of the Epistle appointed for that Morning-Service, viz. Rom. 12. 19. Dearly Beloved, Avenge not Your selves, but rather give place to Wrath: For it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay it, saith the Lord.

Which Words, with their Context, having first explain'd in general, I then apply'd my self in particular to examin and consider the Import or Meaning of this Phrase, Give place to Wrath; shewing, That it may be construed,

And that we may learn therefrom;

1st, To refrain from all angry Thoughts and Desires of Revenge, when provok'd, tho' it be never so much against Flesh and Blood, and the Bent of our corrupt Nature, to which Vengeance is sweet.

2dly, To bear patiently with Injuries, as it becomes Christians.

3dly, To commit our Cause to GOD, to Whom Vengeance does belong, as Himself asserts his Right herein, Deut. 32. 35.

Upon these I enlarg'd, and further shew'd,

1st, That by the Precept in the Text we are not debar'd from seeking Redress (for this we may lawfully do in Case of Injuries) at the Hand of those whom GOD has appointed to do Justice and decree Judgment; to whose impartial Determination we ought to refer our Matters, and (by no means) take it upon us to be our own Judges therein.

2dly, That as we are bound by the Law of GOD not to revenge Injuries our selves, but (as much as possible) bear with the Persons that offer them to us, and commit our Cause to GOD's Justice and his Ministers; so are we so much the more oblig'd to keep our selves from doing any Wrong to them that do us none.

Lastly, That this Doctrine being fully agreeable to Natural Reason, as well as Scripture, it must needs follow, that those who have offended in this Case, when they come to consider it impartially, cannot but be convinc'd of the Necessity of undoing (as far as they can) all the Evils they have done; that repenting of them in time, while in this World, they may have no Cause to repent of their Impenitence to all Eternity (and that to no purpose) in the next.