The crucifying of the world

receive them not without fear; Think with your selves, [What a snare is here now for my soul? Though it be good in it self, and as it comes from God, yet what an advantage hath the Deceiver here against me! How easily may such a carnal heart as mine be enticed to the inordinate love of these, and to be more remiss about higher and greater things, and to be forgetful or insensible about the matters of my endless state! How many men of worldly wisdom, yea how many that seemed Religious, have been thus deceived, and perished before me? Yea this is the common road to hell! And is it not time for me then to look about me!] The old Christians were so jealous of the world, and afraid of being mortally poisoned by its delights, that they sold what they had, and gave to the poor, and voluntarily thrust themselves into poverty, as thinking it better to go poor to heaven, then to say in Hell, that once they had riches: I commend not any extreme to you, for indeed I have ever thought that its greater self-denial to devote and use our riches for God, then at once to cast them away or shut our hands of ⟨p. 166⟩them; and that he is a better steward that improveth his Masters flock, then he that rids his hands of it, out of an injurious fear of his Masters austerity. But yet I must say that the other extreme is more common and more dangerous. And they that out of excess of fear, betook themselves to poverty and to wildernesses, were in a far better case then many that seem now to be zealous professors, and yet are looking after the pleasures, and riches, and glory of the world! I have many a time wondered at some eminent professors, that are as constant and seraphical in the outside of duty, even to admiration, as almost any I know, and yet as closely and busily grasping at the world, and labouring to be rich, as if they were the wretchedst worldlings on earth. I have oft wondered how they can quiet their consciences, and how they make shift so constantly to delude such knowing souls. The Country sees them drowned in earth, and the generality of their godly friends lament them, as mere hypocritical earthworms;

receive them not without fear; Think with your selves, [What a snare is here now for my soul? Though it be good in it self, and as it comes from God, yet what an advantage hath the Deceiver here against me! How easily may such a carnal heart as mine be enticed to the inordinate love of these, and to be more remiss about higher and greater things, and to be forgetful or insensible about the matters of my endless state! How many men of worldly wisdom, yea how many that seemed Religious, have been thus deceived, and perished before me? Yea this is the common road to hell! And is it not time for me then to look about me!] The old Christians were so jealous of the world, and afraid of being mortally poysoned by its delights, that they sold what they had, and gave to the poor, and voluntarily thrust themselves into poverty, as thinking it better to go poor to heaven, then to say in Hell, that once they had riches: I commend not any extream to you, for indeed I have ever thought that its greater self-denyal to devote and use our riches for God, then at once to cast them away or shut our hands of