Sinners , take heed of these riches , take heed of these pleasures ; these substances and these shadowes , which your hearts are set upon ; they will not only be as clogs to keep you down from ascending heavenward , but as clouds to hinder you from looking thither . It may be they appear as bright clouds , but a bright cloud will hide the Sun out of sight , as well as a black .

2. By deadning the sense ; they can neither see nor feel : they see not the excellency , nor can feel their need of Christ , who are drunken with these worldly vanities : they who altogether live by sense , are without sense of any but the present things : they can make a shift to [ live ] without Christ ; the less of Christ the better for their turns . Christ and the things of Christ are the only things that stand in their way ; are their way to poverty not to wealth , to reproach and shame not to honour : they can well enough want Christ while they live , but what need they may have of him after this life , that enters not into their hearts ; they are so busy with what they find here , that they look not so far as the grave , much less beyond it .

'T is hard dealing with such hearts , but when you find them alone ; retired and withdrawn from the world ; and how long may we wait ere we meet with such a season ? find them in a croud , among their carnal friends and companions , find them among their Sheep or Oxen , or at their pleasures , and the noise of these will so drown all that can be said , that its like to make as deep impression , as a showre upon a stone : cry out in their eares , fire , fire , throw Death and Hell in their faces , it moves them not so much , as to draw forth such a question , What may I do to escape ?

We never will come to Christ till we see we need him ; and we never see our need of Christ , till being withdrawn from the hurries of this World , we have leisure to sit down and consider .

How seldom do carnal hearts ask , What use is there of Christ ? wherefore is he come ? what want would there be of him if there were no Christ ? If God that spared not his Son , but gave him a ransome for the world , had spared all this cost , it had been all one to them ; they could have liv'd as merrily , and as plentifully here however , and that 's all they mind or regard .

Or if they have any sense of their need of Christ at all , it is so little , that it will do nothing to the perswading them after him : the wound is not so deep , but the name of a Saviour will skin it over . Seldome does it rise so high as to wring out such a serious question , What may I do that Christ may be mine ?

How many Houses , and Markets , and Shops , and Companies may we come into , ere we hear any such question ?

Go into the Field , where Men are busy a plowing and sowing or reaping , and there you may hear them enquiring , how may I keep off the Birds , or how may I keep out the Beasts from hurting my field ! when will it be rain ? or when will it be like to be fair weather ! Come into the Market , where men are buying and selling and trading , and there you may hear them asking , how goes the price of Corn , or of Cattel ! where are the best Commodities ! where is the best choice ! Come into the houses where they are eating and drinking or working , and there you may hear them enquiring , what must we have for the next meal , what for to morrow , &c. But oh how seldom do we hear amongst them all , any such questions , How is my Soul provided for ! how , how doth my soul prosper ! No , no , when the world is gotten into the heart , there 's no sense of Souls or the concernment of them : where the world is in the heart Death and Hell may be there too , and never regarded .

Could we once make men deeply sensible , how great their need of Christ is , what they are without Christ ; in what slippery places they stand , in what jeopardy they go daily , what a dreadful gulf of woe and misery , the wind and tide of their worldly prosperity , are carrying them down into , and how suddenly they may be swallowed up in perdition and destruction , and what miserable comforts their past pleasures , and plenty will then be to them ; were they sensible , that nothing but Christ , and a part in him would stand them in any stead , to save them from that gulf ; that the casting anchor on that rock of ages , would alone secure them from splitting on those fatal rocks , from perishing by those tumbling waves and billows , that are hurrying them down to the lake beneath ; were they sensible , that t is Christ only that can secure them from these dangers , their need would be argument enough to drive them to him . But being drunken with the pleasures of sin , whilest this wine is in , the wits are out , they will not consider , they do not perceive the danger they are in . When the Prodigal , Luk. 15. had spent all that he had in his riotous living , when his whole stock was wasted , and not an husk left , then he had time to consider , and bethink himself what a case he was in ; and the pinching sence of his necessitous state , to which his folly had reduced him , this brings him to his wits again ; he comes to himself , and then away he will to his father . If you had met him a little before ; in his cups , and amongst his whores , if you had found him at his riotous table , and in the heat of his lust , and should there have preach'd to this Prodigal , Friend this life will not last alwaies , t will be thy wisest course to consider in time what thou dost . Be sober be temperate , run from these Harlots , and return to thy Father ; how would he have laughed and scoffed at such a sermon ; at least the next cup would have wash'd it off his heart : but when his hunger and thirst preach thus to him , Get thee home to thy Father , then away he goes .

3. It hangs upon our hearts , and about our necks : The world hath gotten hold of our hearts , and there it will keep its hold while it can . It s gotten so much within us , and hath so twisted and twined it self about our affections , that it will be very hard getting it off .

We cannot close with Christ , but we must break with the world ; we must be divorc'd from this , ere we can be married to our second husband : worldlings see what work Christ makes , in those hearts where he gets possession ; he whips out the buyers and sellers and their merchandise out of his Temple : he changes the customes , and pleasures , and business of the heart , Its dealings and its delights : Its love and its labour must be no longer bestow'd , and consum'd upon meat , and drink , and money , and mirth ; he hath other delights for it , and other work to keep it doing .

These things must be minded in their place , and in their season , but they must keep their place : Stand off Farms and Oxen , stand off Lands and money , keep your distance , get you down and take the lower room , give this man place who is more honourable then you all . Christ and the world contend for the place , which shall sit uppermost , and go foremost in the soul : Christ will not come in to be an Underling , he will have the chief room , the chief respect and esteem ; he will have the command of all that is in the house : herein stands Christianity , or our conversion to Christ , in surrendring up the Throne to Christ ; 't is not the question , whether thou canst find a corner in thine heart to entertain Christ in , but who sits in the Throne , who hath the government of thy soul , who hath the right hand within thee ; Canst thou say to the Lord Jesus , Sit thou on the right hand , let all thy foes be made thy foot-stool ?

All sinful pleasures , all sinful gains , must depart , and come no more where Christ dwells ; and those which are lawful must come under , and be brought into subjection to him ; no more sensuality or carnal mirth , no more covetousness or oppression , no more pride or self-exalting , away with these , cast them out , and never take them in for ever , if thou meanest that Christ shall take up his habitation in thee : And no more zeal for the lawful concernments of this life ; no more pleading business against Religion , no more pleading safety against duty , no more pleading credit against conscience , no more pleading gain against godliness , preserve and improve thy estate , maintain thy credit , provide for thy safety , follow thy business , thou mayest , and thou must ; but bring all under , make all to stand aside , and give place to Christianity and Conscience : Christ will be no underling , he resolves for the Throne , where ever he dwells .

And the world that hath already gotten the Throne , is loath to become the foot-stool ; 't is who shall be King , 't is who shal be God , that the great Contest is about ; and the world that hath King'd it so long , knows not how to be content to be a subject ; it sees it must come down if Christ come in , there cannot be two Kings in one Kingdome , it must come down , this pride must come down , this credit , these pleasures , this carnal mirth , this covetousness must be laid in the dust , if Christ set footing here . And therefore it does all it can to resist Christ ; stops the ears , blinds the eye , turns away the heart from hearkening to him .

Christ stands at the door and knocks ; Christ cryes and calls , Come unto me , open to me . Christ promises and offers , Come and I will receive you , open and I will come in unto you , and dwell with you .

If the soul begins to listen to the call of Christ , the world steps in , and objects , What dost thou mean simple soul ? What art thou doing ? whither art thou going ? hearken to Christ , hearken to this Word , hearken to this Conscience , and what then shall become of me ? What shall become of thy estate ? what shall become of thy esteem ? what shall become of thy liberty ? what shall become of all thy love , and friendship , and pleasure thou hast in the world ? art willing to be poor ? art willing to be in bondage ? art willing to be in reproach and disgrace ? open that door once , let Christ in , have any thing to do with Conscience , and thou art undone ; all that ever thou hast , all that ever thou lovest in all the world , must thenceforth become strangers to thee . Hast thou not given [ me ] thy heart ? have not I lyen in thy bosome ? hast thou not cherished me , and cared for me as thine own soul ? and have not I deserv'd thy care , and respect ? have not I been thy food , and thy rayment , and thy joy , and all the comfort of thy life ? What wilt thou be when I have left thee , when thy estate hath left thee , thy pleasures have left thee , thy friends have left thee ?

I know thou lovest me ; thou lovest to be rich , and to be great , and to be at thy ease , and thy liberty , as thou lovest thy life : I know I have thy heart , and thou art loath to leave me . I , but therefore consider , and take heed ; if thou hearken to Christ once , if thou meddle too far with Religion , and wilt be dealing for another world once , then farewell this .

But canst thou find in thine heart to leave me ? have I been a Wilderness to thee , or a Land of darkness ? hath it not been well with thee ? hast thou wanted any thing ? hast thou not been full and abounded ? hast thou not flourished and prosper'd ? hast thou not had thy belly full of meat , and thy belly full of mirth , and thy bones full of rest , and thy heart full of ease and content ? what hast thou wanted whilest thou imbracedst my love ? and canst thou now find in thine heart to part ? look to thy self ; what day thou strikest hands with Christ , thou must shake hands with all the world . Look for no more favour from me ; thou dost not know when thou art well , when thou hast enough ; but henceforth , if thou take this course , thou shalt have little enough ? If Christ carry thee , he shall carry thee naked , thou shalt leave all thy good things behind thee ; and look for it , I have not been so great a friend , but now I 'le be as great an enemy ; I 'le persecute thee , and plague thee , and vex thee ; and if I may no longer sleep in thy bosome , I 'le stick in thy sides ; if I may no longer be the treasure of thine heart , I 'le be a dart in thy liver .

But consider , be advised foolish soul , let us not part thus ; stay , stay with me , go not after thou knowest not what ; forsake not an old friend for a new ; believe it , the old is better ; if thou wilt be wise , stay as thou art , and mind thy present commodity ; lay by the thoughts of the other world , let hereafter take care for it self , never stand amuzing thy self about thou knowest not what , I have not been so good to thee , but I will be better to thee then ever ; come let 's take our fill of love , eat , drink , and be merry ; gather , keep , lay up what 's before thee , and cast away care : And thus it wooes , and flatters , and bewitches it into a neglect of Christ so long , till it hath smitten the soul under the fift rib , and stab'd it to death , and drown'd it in perdition and destruction .

4. It will help men to excuses for their neglect of Christ . Men are asham'd to play the Fools , but they would have something to say for 't , to stop mouths withall ; to stop the mouth of Conscience , to stop the mouths of Men , to stop the mouth of their Judge , if it be possible , Luk. 14. 18. Those that were invited to come to Christ , it s said , they all began to make excuses ; they were asham'd to say , they would not come , that had been too gross ; but they excuse themselves , we cannot come , Ruth 4. 6. The Kinsman of Ruth , that had the offer of redeeming the Inheritance of his deceased Kinsman , answered no , I cannot redeem it , lest I mar mine own Inheritance . He would not say , I will not redeem it ; no , an excuse must be found out , I cannot redeem it , I should mar mine own Inheritance , if I redeem my Brothers . So these here , they do not say I will not , but I cannot come . Why , what 's the matter you cannot come to Christ ? what excuse have you ? whence have you your excuse ? Oh the world furnishes them with an excuse ; I have a Farm , sayes one , I have Oxen to look to , sayes another ; I have a Wife to mind , sayes a third , I pray thee have me excused , I cannot come .

Christians , have your hearts never made this use of the world , to make it your excuse for your neglecting Christ , and your souls ? it hath hindred you many a time from coming to Christ , and then excused you for not coming . How many prayers hath it lost you ? how many Sabbaths hath it lost you ? the loss of these may be the loss of Christ , the loss of your souls : How much of these spiritual advantages hath the world lost you ? and when they are lost , when you have lost a praying time , or hearing time , lost a Sabbath , or a Sermon , or a Sacrament , this must serve for an excuse , I was busie , and could not come .