s, but rather that they return and live. But men take
such pleasure in sin that they will die before they will return. The
Lord Jesus was content to be their physician, and hath provided them a
sufficient plaster of His own blood: but if men make light of it,
and will not apply it, what wonder if they perish after all? This
Scripture giveth us the reason of their perdition. This, sad
experience tells us, the most of the world is guilty of. It is a most
lamentable thing to see how most men do spend their care, their time,
their pains, for known vanities, while God and glory are cast aside;
that He who is all should seem to them as nothing, and that which
is nothing should seem to them as good as all; that God should set
mankind in such a race where heaven or hell is their certain end, and
that they should sit down, and loiter, or run after the childish toys
of the world, and so much forget the prize that they should run for.
Were it but possible for one of us to see the whole of this business
as the all-seeing God doth; to see at one view both heaven and hell,
which men are so near; and see what most men in the world are minding,
and what they are doing every day, it would be the saddest sight that
could be imagined. Oh, how should we marvel at their madness, and
lament their self-delusion! O poor distracted world! what is it you
run after? and what is it that you neglect? If God had never told them
what they were sent into the world to do, or whither they were
going, or what was before them in another world, then they had been
excusable; but He hath told them over and over, till they were weary
of it. Had He left it doubtful, there had been some excuse; but it is
His sealed word, and they profess to believe it, and would take it ill
of us if we should question whether they do believe it or not.

Beloved, I come not to accuse any of you particularly of this crime;
but seeing it is the commonest cause of men's destruction, I suppose
you will judge it the fittest matter for our inquiry, and deserving
our greatest care for the cure. To which end I shall, (1) endeavor the
conviction of the guilty; (2) shall give them such considerations as
may tend to humble and reform them; (3) I shall conclude with such
direction as may help them that are willing to escape the destroying
power of this sin.

And for the first, consider: It is the case of most sinners to think
themselves freest from those sins that they are most enslaved to