preach to the people that a Christian drunkard or a Christian fornicator or oppressor or a Christian worldling needeth no Conversion Qu. 10. Ask them wether they say not themselves that Hypocrisie is a great aggravation of all other sin and whether God hath not made the Hypocrites and Vnbelievers to be the standards in Hell Luke 25. 51. And whether seeking to abuse God by a mock-religion do make such false Christians better than the poor Heathens and Infidels or much worse And whether he be not an Hypocrite that professeth to be a Christian and a servant of God when he is none nor will be And whether he that knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall not have the sorest stripes or punishment Luke 12. 47. Qu. 11. Ask them whether in their Baptism which is their Christening as to Covenant they did not renounce the flesh the world and the Devil and vow and deliver up themselves to God their Father their Saviour and their Sanctifier And whether all or most men perform this vow And whether a perjured Covenant-breaker against God is fitter for salvation than one that never was baptized Qu. 12. Ask them whether the holy nature of God be not so contrary to sin as that it is blasphemy to say that he will take into Heaven and into the bosome of his eternal delights any unholy unrenewed soul 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. Qu. 13. Ask them why it was that Christ came into the world whether it was not to save his people from their sins Mat. 1. 21. and to destroy the works of the Devil 1 Iohn 3. 8. and to purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2. 14. and to bring home straying souls to God Luke 15. and to be the way to the Father Ioh. 14. 6. And whether Christ save that soul that is not converted by him and saved from his sins Or whether it be the dead Image only of a Crucified Iesus that is all their Saviour while they will have no more of him Qu. 14. Ask them why they believe and were baptized into the Holy Ghost and whether a man can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven that is not born of the Spirit as well as of Water Iohn 3. 3 5 6. and that is not converted and begins not the world as it were anew in a teachable tractable newness of life like a little child Matth. 18. 3. And whether it be not a certain truth that If any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his Rom. 8. 9. Qu. 15. Ask them why Christ gave the world so many warnings of the damnableness of the Pharisees hypocrisie if Hypocritical Christians may be saved And what were these Pharisees They were the Masters of the Jewish Church The Rabbies that must have high places high titles and ceremonies formal garments and must be reverenced of all That gave God lip-service without the heart and made void his commands and worshipped him in vain teaching for doctrines the commandments of men and strictly tythed Mint and Cummin while love mercy and Justice were past by Who worshipped God with abundance of ceremonies and built the Tombs and garnished the Sepulchres of the Saints while they killed and persecuted those that did imitate them and hated the living Saints and honoured the dead They were the bitterest enemies and murderers of Christ on pretense that he was a blasphemer and a seditious enemy to Caesar and the common peace and one that spake against the Temple They were the greatest enemies of the Apostles and silencers of those that preached Christs Gospel and persecuted them that called on his name And had these no need of Conversion because they could say God is our Father when the Devil was their Father Iohn 8. 44. and that they were Abraham's seed And are not hypocritical Christians drunken Christians fornicating Christians carnal worldly infidel Christians the contradiction is your own persecuting Christians false-named hypocritical Christians as bad yea worse as they abuse a more excellent profession Mat. 15. 7 8. and 23. and 22. 18. and 6. 2 c. Luke 12. 1. Qu. 16. Doth not the Holy State of Heaven require Holiness in all that shall possess it Can an unholy soul there see and love and praise and delight in God for ever and in the Holy Society and employment of the Saints Rev. 21. 27. Is he not liker a Mahometan than a Christian that looketh for a sensual and unholy Heaven Qu. 17. What is the difference between the Church and the world Is not the Church a holy Society of Regenerate souls Yea the Church visible is those only that in Baptism vow Holiness and profess it Look these hypocrites in the face and see whether they do not blush when they repeat in their Creed I believe in the Holy Ghost I believe the Holy Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints who shall have the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting Ask them whether they mean Holy Adulterers holy worldlings holy perjured persons Ask them whether they mean a Communion of Saints in a Tavern in a play-house in a gaming house in a whore-house or a jesting canting stage-play Communion If the Church be holy be holy if you will be of the Church If it be a Communion of Saints make it not a Communion of swine and make not Saints and their Communion seem odious either for their infirmities or their crossness to your carnal interests or conceits Qu. 18. Ask them whether there be a Heaven and a Hell or not If not why are they pretended Christians If there be will God send one man to Heaven and another to Hell to so vast so amazing a difference of states if there be no great difference between them here If Holiness no more differenced Christians from others than saying a sermon or saying over a prayer doth difference one from an Infidel where were the Iustice of God in saving some and damning others what were Christianity better than the religion of Antonine Plato Socrates Seneca Cicero Plutarch if not much worse Go into London streets and when you have talkâ— with living prudent men then go to the Painters shop and see a comely picture and to the Looking-glass and see the appearances of each passenger in a glass and to the Periwig shops and see a wooden head with a Periwig upon the bulk and you have seen somewhat like the difference of a Holy Soul and of a dead and dressed formal hypocrite Psal. 23. 27. Qu. 19. Ask them whether Kings and all men make not a great difference between man and man the loyal and the perâ—idious the obedient and the disobedient And whether they difference not themselves between a friend and a foe one that loveth them and one that robbeth beateth or would kill them And shall not the most Holy God more difference between the righteous and the wicked Mal. 3. 17 18. Qu. 20. But if they are dead in every
flesh instead of making it a sacrifice for our sins Mat. 16. 23. What think you should move us to undertake a calling so contrary to our fleshly ease and interests Do we not know the way of Ease and Honour of Wealth and Pleasures as well as others And have we not flesh as well as others Could we not be content that the cup of reproach and scorn and slander and poverty and labours might pass from us if it were not for the will of God and your salvation Why should we love to be the lowest and trodden down by malignant pride and counted as the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things and represented to Rulers whom we honour as schismaticks disobedient turbulent unruly by every Church-usurper whom we refuse to make a God of Why give we not over this preaching of the Gospel at the will of Satan that is for the everlasting suffering of your souls under the pretense of making us suffer Is not all this that you may be converted and saved If we be herein besides our selves it is for you Could the words of the ignorant or proud have perswaded us that either your wants and dangers are so inconsiderable or your other supplies and helps so sufficient that our labours had been unnecessary to you God knoweth we should have readily obeyed the silencing sort of Pastors and have betaken us to some other land where our service had been more necessary Let shame be that hypocrites reward who taketh not the saving of souls and the pleasing of God for a sufficient reward without Ecclesiastical Dignities preferments or wordly wealth I have told you our motives I have told you our business and the terms of our undertaking It is God and you sinners that next must tell us what our entertainment and success shall be Shall it be still neglect and unthankful contempt and turning away your ear and heart and saying we have somewhat else to mind Will you still be cheated by this deceiving world and spend all your daies in pampering your guts and providing for that flesh that must lie rotting very shortly in a grave Were you made for no better work than this May not we bring you to some sober thoughts of your condition nor one hour seriously to think whither you are going What! not to one awakened look into the world where you must be for ever Nor one heart-raising thought of the everlasting Glory Not one heart-piercing thought of all your Saviours love nor one tear for all your sinful lives O God forbid Let not our labour be so despised Let not your God your Saviour and your souls be set so light by O let there be no profane person among you like Esau who for one morsel sold his birth-right Poor sinners We talk not to you as on a stage in customary words and because that talking thus is our trade We are in as good earnest with you as if we saw you all murdering your selves and we are perswading you to save your lives Can any man be in jest with you who believeth God who by faith foreseeth whither you are going and what you lose and where the game of sin will end It is little better to jest with you now in Pulpit or in private than to stand jesting over your departing souls when at death you are breathing out your last Alas with shame and grief we do confess that we never speak to you of these things as their truth and weight deserve nor with the skill and wisdom the affection and fervency which beseemeth men engaged in the saving of poor souls But yet you may perceive that we are in good sadness with you For God is so What else do we study for labour for suffer for live for Why else do we so much trouble our selves and trouble you with all this ado and anger them that would have had us silent For my own part I will make my free confession to you to my shame that I never grow coâ—d and dull and pittiless to the souls of others till I first grow too cold and careless of my own unless when weakness or speculative studies cool me which I must confess they often do We never cease pittying you till we are growing too like you and so have need of pitty our selves When through the mercy of my Lord the prospect of that world of souls which I am going to hath any powerful operation on my self O then I could spend and be spent for others No words are too earnest no labour too great no cost too dear the frowns and wrath of malignant opposers of the preaching of Christ's Gospel are nothing to me But when the world of spirits doth disappear or my soul is clouded and receiveth not the vital illuminating influences of Heaven I grow cold first to my self and then cold to others Come then poor sinners and help us who are willing at any rate to be your helpers As we first crave Gods help so we next crave yours Help us for we cannot save you against your wills nor save you without your consent and help God himself will not save you without you and how should we We know that the Devil is against us and will do his worst to hinder us and so will all his ministers by what names or titles soever dignified or distinguished But all this is nothing if you will but take our parts your selves I mean if you will take Christs part and your own and will not be against your selves Men and Devils cannot either help or hinder us in saving you as you may do your selves If God and you be for us who shall be against us And if you will help us give over striving against God and Conscience give over fighting against Christ and his Spirit take part no more with the world and the flesh which in your Baptism you renounced set your hearts to the message which we bring you Allow it your man-like sober thoughts search the Scripture and see whether these things which we speak be so or not We offer you nothing but what we have resolvedly chosen our selves and that after the most serious deliberation that we can make We have many a time looked round about us to know what is the happiness of man And had we found better for our selves we had offered better to you If the world would have served our turns it should have served yours also and we would not have troubled you with the talk of another world But it will not I am sure it will not serve your turns to make you happy nor shall you long make that sorry self-deceiving shift with it as now you do But if you will not think of these things if you will not use the reason of men alas what can we do to save your souls O pitty them Lord that they may pitty themselves Have mercy on them that they may have some more mercy on themselves Help them that they
point save carnal interests ask them why they are Preachers or Priests And if Conversion and Holiness be a needless thing what use they themselves are of and why the Country must be troubled with them and pay them tythes and owe them reverence When these twenty Questions are well answered conclude that you may be saved without Conversion But if poor soul thou art fully convinced and askest What should I do to be converted The Lord make thee willing and save thee from hypocrisie and I will quickly tell thee in a few words 1. Give not over sober thinking of these things till thy heart be changed Psal. 119. 59. 2. Come to Christ and take him for thy Saviour thy Teacher thy King and he will pardon all that 's past and save thee Iohn 1. 12. and 3. 16. and 5. 40. 1 Iohn 5. 11 12. 3. Believe Gods love and the pardon of sin and the everlasting joyes of Heaven that thou maist feel that all the pleasures of the world and flesh are dung in comparison of the Heavenly delights of Faith and Hope and holy Love and peace of Conscience and sincere obedience 4. Sin no more wilfully but forbear that which thou maist forbear Isa. 55. 7. 5. Away from Temptations occasions of sin and evil company and be a Companion of the humble holy heavenly and sincere Psal. 119. 115. 63. 6. Wait on Gods spirit in the diligent constant use of his own means Read hear meditate pray Pray hard for that grace that must convert thee wait thus and thou shalt not wait in vain Psal. 25. 3. and 37. 34. and 69. 6. Pitty O Lord and perswade these souls Let not Christ's blood his doctrine his example his spirit be lost unto them and they lost for ever Let not Heaven be as no Heaven to them while they dream and dote on the shaddows in this world And O save this land from the greater destruction than all our late plagues and flames and divisions which our sins and thy threatnings make us fear O Lord in thee have we trusted let us never be confounded Having thus contributed my endeavour in this Preface to the furtherance of the design of this excellent book I must tell thee Reader that I take it for an honour to commend so masculine a birth unto the World The Midwife of Alexander or Aristotle need not be ashamed of her office Who the Author of this treatise was how he preached how he lived how he suffered and for what and how he died his Life and Letters lately printed fully tell you and I earnestly commend the reading of them to all but especially Ministers not to tell them what men have been here forbidden to preach Christ's Gospel and for what nor what men they are that so many years have done it but to tell you what men Christ's Ministers should be But say not He kill'd himself with excessive Labour and therefore I will take warning and take my ease For 1. He lived in perfect health all his days notwithstanding his labours till after his hard and long imprisonment 2. It was not the greatest labours of his times of liberty that hurt him but his preaching 6 or 7 or 8 times a week after that he was silenced because he could not speak to all his people at once O make not an ill use of so excellent an example Say not like Iudas What need this waste His labour his life his sufferings his death were not in vain The ages to come that read his Life and read this little popular treatise and his Call to Archippus shall say They were not in vain And though he was cut off in the midst of his age and his longer labours more elaborate writings thus prevented take thankfully this small but methodical warm and serious tractate Read it seriously and it cannot be but it must do thee good I am one that have lookt into books and sciences and speculations of many sorts and seriously tell thee as a dying man that after all my searches and experience I have found that Philosophical enquiries into the Divine Artifices and the Nature of things hath among a greater number of uncertainties a great many pretty pleasant probabilities which a holy soul can make good use of in admiring God may find us a lawful kind of sport but in the moralities which Atheists count uncertainties the knowledge of God and our duty and our hopes the doctrine and practice of Holiness Temperance Charity and Iustice and the diligent seeking joyful hopes of life everlasting is all the true Wisdom the Goodness the Rest and Comfort of a soul whatever be our play this is the satisfying certainty the Business and the beatifying improvement of our lives I have done when I have sought to remove a little scandal which I foresaw that I should my self write the Preface to his Life where himself and two of his friends make such a mention of my name which I cannot own which will seem a praising him for praising me I confess it looketh ill-favouredly in me But I had not the power of other mens writings durst not therefore forbear that which was his due Had I directed their pens they should have gone a middle way and only esteemed me a very unworthy servant of Christ who yet long to see the peace and prosperity of his Church and should have forborn their undeserved praise as other men should have done their slanderous libels But if the Reader get no harm by it I assure him the use I made of it was to lament that I am really so much worse than they esteemed me and to fear lest I should prove yet worse than I discern my self who see so much sin and weakness in my betters and much more in my self as to make it the constant sentiment of my soul that PRIDE of mens GREATNESS WISDOM and GOODNESS is the first part of the DEVILS IMAGE on mans soul and DARKNES is the second and MALIGNITY the third Râ— Baxter TO THE UNCONVERTED Reader READER HOw well were it if there were no more unconverted ones among us than those to whom this is directed Vnconverted persons how many are there but how few unconverted Readers especially of such Books as this before thee A Play or a Romance better suits the lusts and therefore must have more of the eye of such what will cherish the evil heart is only grateful not what will change it How many are there to whom this is directed who will not know that they are the men and how little hope is there that this excellent Treatise should reach its end with those who apprehend not themselves concern'd in it Art not thou one of them Art thou a Convert or art thou not yet in thy sins What is sin What is Conversion It may be thou canst tell me neither and yet a Convert thou sayst thou art But to what purpose is it then like to be for the servant of God to
the unreasonable and inanimate creatures had speech and reason they would cry out under it as a bondage unsufferable to be abused by the ungodly contrary to their natures and the ends that the great Creatour made them for It is a passage of an eminent Divine The liquor that the drunkard drinketh if it had reason as well as a man to know how shamefully 't is abused and spoiled it would groan in the barrels against him it would groan in the cup against him it would groan in his throat in his belly against him It would fly in his face if it could speak And if God should open the mouth of the creatures as he did the mouth of Balaam's ass the proud mans garments on his back would groan against him There is never a creature but if it had reason to know how 't is abused till a man is converted 't would groan against him The land would groan to bear him the air would groan to give him breathing their houses would groan to lodge them their beds would groan to ease them their food to nourish them their cloaths to cover them and every creature would groan to give them any help and comfort so long as they live in sin against God Thus far he Methinks this should be a terrour to an unconverted soul to think that he is a burden to the creation Luke 13. 7. Cut it down why cumbereth it the ground If the poor inanimate creatures could but speak they would say to the ungodly as Moses to Israel Must we fetch you water out of the rock ye rebels Numb 2. 10. Thy food would say Lord must I nourish such a wretch as this and yield forth my strength for him to dishonour thee withal No I will choak him rather if thou wilt give me Commission The very air would say Lord must I give this man breath to set his tongue against Heaven and scorn thy people and vent his pride and wrath and filthy communication and helch out oaths and blasphemy against thee No if thou wilt but say the word he shall be breathless for me His poor beast would say Lord must I carry him upon his wicked designs No I will break his bones I will end his dayes rather if I may have but leave from thee A wicked man the earth groans under him and hell groans for him till death satisfies both and unburdens the earth and stops the mouth of hell with him While the Lord of Hosts is against thee be sure the Hosts of the Lord are against thee and all the creatures as it were up in arms till upon a mans conversion the controversie being taken up between God and him he makes a covenant of peace with the creatures for him Iob 5. 22 23 24. Hos. 2. 18 19 20. III. The roaring Lion hath his full power upon thee 1 Pet. 5. 8. Thou art fast in the paw of that Lion that is greedy to devour in the snare of the devil led captive by him at his will 2 Tim. 2. 26. This is the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience Eph. 2. 2. His drudges they are and his lusts they do He is the ruler of the darknes of this world Eph. 6. 12. that is of ignorant sinners that live in darkness You pity the poor Indians that worship the Devil for their God but little think that 't is your own case Why 't is the common misery of all the unsanctified that the Devil is their God 2 Cor. 4. 4. Not that they do intend to do him homage and worship they will be ready to defy him and him that should say so by them but all this while they serve him and come and go at his beck and live under his government His servants you are to whom you yield your selves to obey Rom. 6. 16. Oh how many then will be found the real servants of the Devilâ— that take themselves for no other than the children of God He can no sooner offer a sinful delight or opportunity for your unlawful advantage but you embrace it If he suggest a lie or prompt you to revenge you readily obey If he forbid you to read or pray you hearken to him and therefore his servants you are Indeed he lies behind the curtain he acts in the dark and sinners see not who setteth them on work but all the while he leads them in a string Doubtless the liar intends not a service to Satan but his own advantage yet 't is he that stands in the corner unobserved and putteth the thing into his heart Act. 5. 3. Iohn 8. 44. Questionless Iudas when he sold his master for mony and the Caldeans and Sabeans when they plundered Iob intended not to do the Devil a pleasure but to satisfie their own covetous thirst yet 't was he that acted them in their wickedness Iohn 13. 27. Iob 1. 12 15 17. Men may be very slaves and common drudges for the Devil and never know it nay they may please themselves in the thoughts of a happy liberty 2 Pet. 2. 19. Art thou yet in ignorance and not turned from darkness to light why thou art under the power of Satan Act. 26. 18. Dost thou live in the ordinary and wilful practice of any known sin Know that thou art of the Devil 1 Iohn 3. 8. Dost thou live in strife or envy or malice Verily he is thy father Iohn 8. 40 41. Oh dreadful case However Satan may provide his slaves with divers pleasures Tit. 3. 3. yet it is but to toll them into endless perdition The Serpent comes with the apple in his mouth Oh but with Eve thou seest not the deadly sting in his tailâ— He that is now thy tempter will be one day thy tormenter Oh that I could but give thee to see how black a master thou servest how filthy a drudgery thou dost how merciless a tyrant thou gratifyest all whose pleasure is to set thee on work to make thy perdition and damnation sure and to heat the furnace hotter and hotter in which thou must burn for millions of millions of ages IV. The guilt of all thy sius lies like a mountain upon thee Poor soul Thou feeleâ—t it not but this is that which seals thy misery upon thee While unconverted none of thy sins are blotted out Act. 3. 19. they are all upon the score against thee Regeneration and remission are never separated the unsanctified are unquestionably unjustified and unpardoned 1 Cor. 6. 11. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Hâ—b 9. 14. Beloved it 's a fearful thing to be in debt but above all in Gods debt for there is no arrest so formidable as his no prison so horrible as his Look upon an enlightned sinner who feels the weight of his own guilt and oh how frightful are his looks how fearful are his complaints His comforts are turned into Wormwood and his moisture into drought and his sleep departeth from his eyes He is a terrour to himself and all that are about him
mixture into the cup of his indignation shall be thine only drink Rev. 14. 10. When thou shalt draw in flames for thy breath and the horrid stench of sulphur shall be thine only perfume In a word when the smoak of thy torment shall ascend for ever and ever and thou shalt have no rest night nor day no rest in thy conscience no ease in thy bones but thou shalt be an execration and an astonishment and a curse and a reproach for evermore Ier. 42. 18. Oh sinner stop here and consider If thou art a man and not a senseless block consider Bethink thy self where thou standest why upon the very brim of this furnace As the Lord liveth and thy soul liveth there is but a step between thee and this 1 Sam. 20. 3. Thou knowest not when thou liest down but thou maist be in before the morning thou knowest not when thou risest but thou maist drop in before the night Darest thou make light of this wilt thou go on in such a dreadful condition as if nothing ailed thee If thou puttest it off and sayest this doth not belong to thee look again over the foregoing Chapter and tell me the truth are none of those black marks found upon thee Do not blind thine eyes do not deceive thy self see thy misery while thou maist prevent it Think what 't is to be a vile cast-out a damned reprobate a vessel of wrath into which the Lord will be pouring out his tormenting fury while he hath a being Rom. 9. 22. Divine wrath is a fierce Deut. 32. 22. devouring Esay 33. 14. everlasting Mat. 25. 41. unquenchable fire Mat. 3. 12. and thy soul and body must be the fuel upon which it will be feeding for ever unless thou consider thy ways and speedily turn to the Lord by a sound conversion They that have been only singed by this fire and had no more but the smell thereof passing upon them Oh what amazing spectacles have they been Whose heart would not have melted to have heard Spira's outcries to have seen Chaloner that monument of justice worn to skin and bones blaspheming the God of Heaven cursing himself and continually crying out O torture torture torture O torture torture as if the flames of wrath had already took hold of him To have heard Rogers crying out I have had a little pleasure and now I must to Hell for evermore wishing but for this mitigation that God would but let him lie burning for ever behind the back of that fire on the hearth and bringing in this sad conclusion still at the end of whatever was spoken to him to afford him some hope I must to Hell I must to the furnace of Hell for millions of millions of ages Oh if the fears and fore thoughts of the wrath to come be so terrible so intolerable what is the feeling of it Sinners 't is but in vain to flatter you this would be but to toll you into the unquenchable fire know ye from the living God that here you must lie with these burnings must you dwell till immortality die and immutability change till Eternity run out and omnipotency is no longer able to torment except you be in good earnest renewed throughout by sanctifying grace VII The Law dischargeth all its threats and curses at thee Gal. 3. 10. Rom. 7. Oh how dreadfully doth it thunder It spits fire and brimstone in thy face Its words are as drawn swords and as the sharp arrows of the mighty It demands satisfaction to the uttermost and cries Justice Justice It speaks bloud and war and wounds and death against thee Oh the execrations and plagues and deaths that this murdering-piece is loaded with read Deut. 28. 15 16. c. and thou art the mark at which this shot is levelled O man away to the strong hold Zech. 9. 12. away from thy sins haste to the sanctuary the City of refuge Heb 6. 18. even the Lord Jesus Christ hide thee in him or else thou art lost without any hope of recovery VIII The Gospel it self binds the sentence of eternal condemnation upon thee Mark 16. 16. If thou continuest in thine impenitent and unconverted estate know that the Gospel denounceth a much sorer condemnation than ever would have been for the transgression only oâ— the first covenant Is it not a dreadful case to have the Gospel it self fill its mouth with threats and thunder and damnation To have the Lord to roar from mount Sion against thee Ioel 3. 16. Hear the terrour of the Lord He that believeth not shall be damned Except ye repent ye shall all perish Luke 13. 3. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light John 3. 19. He that believeth not the wrath of God abideth on him John 3. 36. If the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Heb. 2. 2 3. He that despised Moses law died without mercy Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy that hath trampled under foot the son of God Heb. 10. 28 29. Application And is it true indeed is this thy misery yea 't is as true as God is Better open thine eyes and see it now while thou maist remedy it than blind and harden thy self till to thy eternal sorrow thou shalt feel what thou wouldest not believe and if it be true what dost thou mean to loyter and linger in such a case as this Alas for thee poor man how effectually hath sin undone thee and depraved thee and despoiled thee even of the reason to look after thine own everlasting good Oh miserable Caitiff what stupour and senselesness hath surprised thee Oh let me knock up and awake this sleepâ—r Who dwells within the walls of this flesh Is there ever a soul here a rational understanding soul Or art thou only a walking ghost a senseless Iump Art thou a reasonable soul and yet so far brutified as to forget thy self immortal and to think thy self to be as the beasts that perish Art thou turned into flesh that thou savourest nothing but gratifying the sense and making provision for the flesh Or else having reason to understand the eternity of thy future state dost thou yet make light of being everlastingly miserable which is to be so much below a brute as it is worse to act against reason than to act without it Oh unhappy soul that wast the glory of man the mate of Angels and the image of God! that wast Gods representative in the world and hadst the supremacy amongst the creatures and the dominion over thy makers works Art thou now become a slave to sense a servant to so base an idol as thy belly for no higher felicity than to fill thee with the wind of mans applause or heaping together a little râ—fined earth no more suitable to thy spiritual immortal nature than the dirt and