The crucifying of the world

Honourable, Worshipful, and all Well-Beloved; I beseech you hear me not, as if I speak but words of course to you, or read you but a formal Lecture. I mean as I speak, and I profess to the faces of you all, that either the world and flesh or you shall die. Kill it, or it will kill you; and Christ will destroy both it and you. Think not any more of a fleshly earthly minded man, that hath his affections on this world, as a tolerable sinner of the smaller size: I tell you, the Devil may as soon be saved, as a man that liveth and dyeth a sensualist. I mean not only the notorious Misers, or the infamous Drunkards, Gamesters or idle Gallants; but all men, even the most Civil or seemingly Religious, in whose hearts a worldly fleshly interest is predominant. If you are such, your Honours and Riches will not keep you from being fire-brands of hell. Down therefore with the world, and set up God alone in your souls.

Honourable, Worshipfull, and all Well-Beloved; I beseech you hear me not, as if I speak but words of course to you, or read you but a formal Lecture. I mean as I speak, and I prosess to the faces of you all, that either the world and flesh or you shall die. Kill it, or it will kill you; and Christ will destroy both it and you. Think not any more of a fleshly earthly minded man, that hath his affections on this world, as a tollerable sinner of the smaller size: I tell you, the Devil may as soon be saved, as a man that liveth and dyeth a sensualist. I mean not only the notorious Misers, or the infamous Drunkards, Gamesters or idle Gallants; but all men, even the most Civil or seemingly Religious, in whose hearts a worldly fleshly interest is predominant. If you are such, your Honours and Riches will not keep you from being fire-brands of hell. Down therefore with the world, and set up God alone in your souls.

I cannot but understand, that I am like to be an unwelcome Messenger to you, that come on such an ungrateful errand. If I came as the Levellers or Quakers, to cry down your pride and worldliness, with such mixtures of distraction as might make you laugh at me as a self-conceited fantastical person, perhaps it would trouble you less to hear me. For you look on them as histrionical actors. Quakers do but jest with you, or harden you by their vanity: But we are in good sadness, and God himself is in good sadness with you. We must have your worldly Interest out of the very hearts of you; Christ will have your heart blood for it, if he shall not have it.