immersed in the concerns of this
life, and are so intense in the pursuit of the pleasures, gain, and
honours thereof, as their way doth manifestly witness them to be sunk
into the deep oblivion of God, and desperate inconsideration of their
precious and immortal souls. But in the third place, besides these who
are hurried into such a distraction with the cares of this life, that
they, as natural brute beasts made to be destroyed, are never at leisure
to consider either the nature and necessity of their noble souls, or to
converse with the notion of a Deity. Thou may perceive a company of
self-deceiving speculatists, who make broad the phylacteries of their
garments, and boast of some high attainments in religion; yea, would
have others look upon them as arrived at the very porch of heaven, and
advanced to a high pitch of proficiency in the ways of God, because they
can discourse a little of the mysteries of salvation, and without ever
diving farther into the depth and true nature of religion, dream
themselves into a consideration of being saints, and conclude themselves
candidates for glory.

This is that heart-moving object which presents itself to thy eye and
observation this day. This is that deplorable posture, wherein thou
mayest perceive most men at the very point of perishing eternally, who
are within the pale of the visible church, some dancing themselves
headlong in all haste into the lake of fire and brimstone, some so much
concerned in things which have no connexion with their happiness, as to
drop unconcernedly into the pit, out of which there is no redemption;
and others dreaming themselves into endless perdition: and all of them
unite in a deriding at, or despising the means used, and essays made, in
order to their recovery.

But if his servants, in following their work closely, seem to have
gained a little ground upon men, and almost persuaded them to be
Christians, Satan, to the end he may make all miscarry, and counterwork
these workers together with God, and poison poor souls by a perversion
of the gospel, beyond the power of an antidote, hath raised up,
instigated and set on work a race of proud rationalists, for they are
wiser than to class themselves amongst those poor fools, those base
things, those nothings, to whom Christ is made all things, to whom
Christ is made wisdom that he may be righteousness, sanctification, and
redemption to them; nay, they must be wise men after the flesh, wise
above