confident should I be, methinks, to prevail with men, and to take them off this world, and bring them to mind the matters of another world, if I spake but to men that had life, and sense, and reason! But when we speak to dead men, how should we be regarded! O how sad a case are these souls in, that are fallen under this fearful judgment of spiritual madness and deadness! To have a blind mind, and a hard heart, to be sottish and senseless, lest they should be converted, and their sin should be forgiven them.

6. Christ and salvation are made light of by the world, because they are wholly enslaved to their sense, and taken up with lower things. The matters of another world are out of sight, and so far from their senses, that they cannot regard them; but present things are nearer them, in their eyes, and in their hands. There must be a living faith to prevail over sense, before men can be so taken with things that are not seen, though they have the word of God for their security, as to neglect and let go things that are still before their eyes. Sense works with great advantage, and, therefore, doth much in resisting faith where it is. No wonder, then, if it carry all before it, where there is no true and lively faith to resist, to lead the soul to higher things. This cause of making light of Christ and salvation, is expressed here in my text One went to his farm, and another to his merchandise." Men have houses and lands to look after; they have wives and children to mind; they have their body and outward estate to regard, therefore they forget that they have a God, a Redeemer, a soul to mind; these

matters of the world are still with them. They see these, but they see not God, nor Christ, nor their souls, nor everlasting glory. These things are near at hand, and therefore work naturally, and so work forcibly; but the other are thought on as a great way off, and, therefore, too distant to work on their affections, or be at the present so much regarded by them. Their body hath life and sense, therefore if they want meat, or drink, or clothes, will feel their want, and tell them of it, and give them no rest till their wants be supplied, and, therefore, they cannot make light of their bodily necessities; but their souls, in spiritual respects, are dead, and, therefore, feel not their wants, but will let them alone in their greatest necessities; and be as quiet when they are starved and languishing to destruction, as if all were well, and nothing ailed them. And, hereupon, poor people are wholly taken up in providing for the body, as if they had nothing else to mind. They have their trades and callings to follow, and so much to do from morning to night, that they can find no time for matters of salvation. Christ would teach them, but they have no leisure to hear him: the Bible is before them, but they cannot have time to read it: a minister is in the town with them, but they cannot have time to go to inquire of him, what they should do to be saved and when they do hear, their hearts are so full of the world, and carried away with these lower matters, that they cannot mind the things which they hear. They are so full of the thoughts, and desires, and cares of this world, that there is no room to pour into them the water of life: "The cares of the world do choke the word, and make it

become unfruitful:" "Men cannot serve two masters, God and mammon; but they will lean to the one, and despise the other :" "He that loveth the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Men cannot but set light by Christ and salvation, while they set so much by any thing on earth: it is "that which is highly esteemed among men, that is abominable in the sight of God." O this is the ruin of many thousand souls! It would grieve the heart of any honest Christian, to see how eagerly this vain world is followed every where, and how little men set by Christ, and the 'world to come; to compare the care that men have for the world, with the care of their souls; and the time that they lay out on the world, with that time they lay out for their salvation. To see how the world fills their mouths, their hauds, their houses, their hearts, and Christ hath little more than a bare title. To come into their company, and hear no discourse but of the world; to come into their houses, and hear and see nothing but for the world, as if this world would last for ever, or would purchase them another. When I sometimes ask the ministers of the Gospel how their labours succeed, they tell me, "People continue still the same, and give up themselves wholly to the world; so that they mind not what ministers say to them, nor will give any full entertainment to the word, and all because of the deluding world." And O that too many ministers themselves did not make light of that Christ whom they preach, being drawn away with the love of this world! In a word, men of a worldly disposition, judge of things according to worldly advantages, therefore Christ is slighted; "He is

despised and rejected of men, they hide their faces from him, and esteem him not, as seeing no beauty or comeliness in him, that they should desire him."”

7. Christ and salvation are made light of, because men do not soberly consider of the truth and weight of these necessary things. They suffer not their minds so long to dwell upon them, till they procure a due esteem, and deeply affect their heart; did they believe them, and not consider of them, how should they work! O when men have reason given them, to think and consider of the things that most concern them, and yet they will not use it, this causeth their contempt.

8. Christ and salvation are made light of, because men were never sensible of their sin and misery, and extreme necessity of Christ and his salvation; their eyes were never opened to see themselves as they are; nor their hearts soundly humbled in the sense of their condition: if this were done, they would soon be brought to value a Saviour. A truly broken heart can no more make light of Christ and salvation, than a hungry man of his food, or a sick man of the means that would give ease: but till then our words cannot have access to their hearts. While sin and misery are made light of, Christ and salvation will be made light of: but when these are perceived to be an intolerable burden, then nothing will serve the turn but Christ. Till men be truly humbled, they can venture Christ and salvation for a lust, for a little worldly gain, even for less than nothing: but when God hath illuminated them, and broken their hearts, then they would give a world for Christ; then they must have Christ or they die; all things then are

loss and dung to them in regard of the excellent knowledge of Christ. When they are once pricked in their hearts for sin and misery, then they cry out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" When they are awakened by God's judgments, as the poor jailor, then they cry out, "Sirs, what shall I do to be saved?" This is the reason why God will bring men so low by humiliation, before he brings them to salvation.

9. Men take occasion to make light of Christ by the commonness of the Gospel; because they hear of it every day, the frequency is an occasion to dull their affections; I say, an occasion, for it is no just cause. Were it a rarity, it might take more with them; but now, if they hear a minister preach nothing but these saving truths, they say,-" We have these every day." They make not light of their bread or drink, their health or life, because they possess them every day; they make not light of the sun because it shineth every day; but Christ and salvation are made light of because they hear of them often. "This is," say they, "a good, plain, dry sermon." Pearls are undervalued where they are common; they loathe this dry manna: "The full soul loathes the honey-comb; but to the hungry every bitter thing is sweet."

10. Christ and salvation are made light of, because of this disjunctive presumption; either that he is sure enough theirs already, and God that is so merciful, and Christ that hath suffered so much for them, is surely resolved to save them; or else it may easily be obtained at any time, if it be not yet so. A conceited facility to have a part in Christ and