is an emblem of the state of the
fleshly soul after death. As you did abase your spirits to the service of
the flesh here, and all your ploughing, and labouring, and sowing was
about it, the seed which you did cast in the ground was fleshly lusts,
earthly things for the satisfaction of your flesh, so you shall reap of
the flesh corruption, death, and destruction that shall make your immortal
spirits mortal and corruptible, and subject them to death and corruption
with the body, as far as they are capable, it shall deprive them of all
that which is their proper life and refreshment, and separate them
eternally from the fountain of blessedness, and banish them out of heaven
unto the fellowship of devils. And O, that corruption of the incorruptible
spirit is worse than the corruption of the mortal flesh, _corruptio optimi
pessima_!

Now, whoever of you is thus far undeceived as to believe your danger and
misery, and to discern that inbred delusion of your hearts, be not
discouraged utterly, there may be hope of recovery when you see your
disease. I say, if you see that hell is at the end of your way, then know
that he who sent that voice to call you off that way of death, he leaves
you not to your own wits to guide you into the right way, but he follows
with a voice behind you, saying, "Here is the way, walk in it," turn not
out of it to the right hand or left. And this voice sounds plainly in the
word, and it is nothing else but the sound of the gospel,--that blessed
sound that invites and allures you to come to Jesus Christ, "the way,
truth, and life," the true way to the true life. All other ways, all other
lives have no truth in them, it is but a cloud, a fancy that men apprehend
and lay hold on. But come to this way and it will truly lead thee to the
true life, eternal life. If you fly unto him out of the apprehension of
your danger, you have a clear way to come to God, and as plain a way to
attain life and peace. Being in Christ, you have assurance of not falling
into condemnation. He is such a way as will hold you in, and not suffer
you to go out of it again to the way of death. And therefore he will give
you a Tutor, a Guider, and Director in this way to life and peace, and
that is the Holy Spirit, to lead in all truth, and to guide your feet in
the way of his commandments. So that in this new and living way of Christ,
you shall have both light of the word to know where to walk, and life of
the Spirit to make you w