The crucifying of the world

I Shall now take the freedom to come a little nearer you, and close with you upon the main of my business. Poor worldlings! I come not hither to beat the air, nor to waste an hour in empty words: but it is Work that I come upon. An unpleasing Work to flesh and blood; even to take away your profits, and pleasures, and honours from you! to take away the world from you, and all that you have therein! Not out of your Hands, but out of your Hearts! Not against your wills, (for that is impossible) nor by unresistible force (I would I could do that) but by procuring your own consent, and persuading you to cast them away your selves. I cannot expect the consent of your flesh, and therefore I will not treat with it; but if yet you have any free use of your reason in matters of this nature, look back upon the Reasons that I have before laid down, and tell me whether you see not sufficient cause to forsake this world, and betake your selves to another course of life, and look another way for your felicity? This then is the upshot of all that I have been saying to you, and this is the Message that I have to you from God; to require you presently to renounce this world, and unfeignedly to despise it, and proclaim war against it, and to come over to him that is your rightful Lord, and will be your true and ⟨p. 125⟩durable Rest. What say you! Will you be divorced from the world and the flesh this day▪ and take up with a naked Christ alone, and the Hopes of an heavenly felicity which he hath promised? Will you bring forth that Traitor that hath had your hearts and lives so long, and let him die the death? Shall the world this day be Crucified to you, and you to it? I am to let you know, that this is the thing that God expecteth, and nothing less will serve the turn, nor will any worldly kind of Religiousness bring you to salvation. This world and flesh are enemies to God, and you have been guilty of High Treason against his Majesty by harbouring them, and serving them so long. And I am moreover to let you know, that God will have them down, one time or other: Either by his Grace, or by his Judgement▪ Had you rather that Death and Hell should make the separation, then that saving grace should do it? Will you still hide it as sugar under your tongue? Will you obstinately cleave to it, when you know its vanity, and the mischief that such contempt of God will bring?

I Shall now take the freedom to come a little nearer you, and close with you upon the main of my business. Poor worldlings! I come not hither to beat the air, nor to waste an hour in empty words: but it is Work that I come upon. An unpleasing Work to flesh and blood; even to take away your profits, and pleasures, and honours from you! to take away the world from you, and all that you have therein! Not out of your Hands, but out of your Hearts! Not against your wills, (for that is impossible) nor by unresistible force (I would I could do that) but by procuring your own consent, and perswading you to cast them away your selves. I cannot expect the consent of your flesh, and therefore I will not treate with it; but if yet you have any free use of your reason in matters of this nature, look back upon the Reasons that I have before laid down, and tell me whether you see not sufficient cause to forsake this world, and betake your selves to another course of life, and look another way for your felicity? This then is the upshot of all that I have been saying to you, and this is the Message that I have to you from God; to require you presently to renounce this world, and unfeigedly to despise it, and proclaim war against it, and to come over to him that is your rightful Lord, and will be your true and