Sermons preached on several occasionsSermons preach'd on several occasions

This corrupt Nature makes the World such a dangerous Snare to Men: for it blinds their Minds so as not to see the Dross of Earthly Things, and the Glory of Heavenly. St. John expresses the tempting Objects of the World by the vicious Affections that are drawn out and fastened upon them. All that is in the World is the Lust of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life; for the Lusts of Men put a Gloss upon them, and make them pernicious. The Poison is ⟨p. 226⟩not in the Flowers but in the Spider, that turns the Extraction from them into its own Nourishment. Accordingly St. Peter speaks of the Corruption in the World through Lust. ¹The vain Heart is more deceitful than the vain World: for not only Reason that instructs the Wise, but Experience that instructs Fools, affords sufficient Conviction, that all things here below are Vanity and Vexation: there is none so low, none so exalted in the World, but finds it so. By tasting a sprig of Wormwood, the Bitterness is perceived as truly as by drinking a strong Infusion of it. The World with all its Varieties is a multiplied and perpetuated Vanity; it affords no solid Satisfaction: the setting down a thousand Cyphers makes no Sum. But the carnal Heart is so enchanted with the false Lustre and seeming Pleasures of the World, that by changing one Vanity for ⟨p. 227⟩another, it seeks and expects Satisfaction. This verifies the Observation of the wise Preacher, The Heart of the Sons of Men is full of ²Evil, and Madness is in their Hearts while they live, and after that they go down to the Dead. What a prodigy of Madness is it for Men to catch at a shadow of Happiness, to seek for that which they are uncertain to find; and if they do find, they are certain to lose; and to neglect substantial Felicity, which if they sincerely seek, they shall obtain, and if they obtain, they shall enjoy for ever!

This corrupt Nature makes the World such a dangerous Snare to Men: for it blinds their Minds so as not to see the Dros of Earthly Things, and the Glory of Heavenly. St. John expresses the tempting Objects of the World by the vicious Affections that are drawn out and fastn'd upon them. All that is in the World is the Lust of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life; for the Lusts of Men put a Gloss upon them, and make them pernicious. The Poison is