A Minister is in the Town with them, but they cannot have while to go to enquire of him what they shall do to be saved: And when they do hear, their Hearts are so full of the World, and carried away with these lower matters, that they cannot mind the things which they hear. They are so full of the thoughts and desires, and cares of this World, that there is no room to pour into them the water of Life: The cares of the World do choke the Word, and make it become unfruitful, Mat. 13. 22. Men cannot serve two Masters, God and Mammon, but they will lean to the one, and despise the other, Mat. 6. 24. He that loveth the World, the love of the Father is not in him, 1 John 2. 15, 16. Men cannot choose but set light by Christ and Salvation, while they set so much by any thing on Earth; It is that which is highly esteemed among Men, is abominable in the sight of God, Luke 16. 15. Oh this is the ruin of many thousand Souls! It would grieve the Heart of any honest Christian, to see how eagerly this vain World is followed every where, and how little Men set by Christ, and the World to come: to compare the care that Men have for the World, with the care of their Souls; and the time that they lay out on the World, with that time they lay out for their Salvation: To see how the World fills their Mouths, their Hands, their Houses, their Hearts; and Christ hath little more than a bare Title: To come into their company, and hear no discourse but of the World; to come into their houses, and hear and see nothing but for the World, as if this World would last forever, or would purchase them another. When I ask sometime the Ministers of the Gospel how their labours succeed, they tell me, People continue still the same, and give up themselves wholly to the World, so that they mind not what Ministers say to them, nor will give any full entertainment to the Word, and all because of the deluding World: And, oh that too many Ministers themselves did not make light of that Christ whom they preach, being drawn away with the love of this World! In a word, Men of a worldly Disposition do judge of things according to worldly advantages; therefore Christ is slighted, Isa. 53. 3. He is despised and rejected of men, they hide their faces from him, and esteem him not, as seeing no beauty or comeliness in him, that they should desire him.
A Minister is in the Town with them, but they cannot have while to go to enquire of him what they shall do to be saved: And when they do hear, their Hearts are so full of the World, and carried away with these lower matters, that they cannot mind the things which they hear. They are so full of the thoughts and desires, and cares of this World, that there is no room to pour into them the water of Life: The cares of the World do choak the Word, and make it become unfruitful, Mat. 13. 22. Men cannot serve two Masters, God and Mammon, but they will lean to the one, and despise the other, Mat. 6. 24. He that loveth the World, the love of the Father is not in him, 1 John 2. 15, 16. Men cannot chuse but set light by Christ and Salvation, while they set so much by any thing on Earth; It is that which is highly esteemed among Men, is abominable in the sight of God, Luke 16. 15. Oh this is the ruin of many thousand Souls! It would grieve the Heart of any honest Christian, to see how eagerly this vain World is followed every where, and how little Men set by Christ, and the World to come: to compare the care that Men have for the World, with the care of their Souls; and the time that they lay out on the World, with that time they lay out for their Salvation: To see how the World fills their Mouths, their Hands, their Houses, their Hearts; and Christ hath little more than a bare Title: To come into their company, and hear no discourse but of the World; to come into their houses, and hear and see nothing but for the World, as if this World would last forever, or would purchase them another. When I ask sometime the Ministers of the Gospel how their labours succeed, they tell me, People continue still the same, and give up themselves wholly to the World, so that they mind not what Ministers say to them, nor will give any full entertainment to the Word, and all because of the deluding World: And, oh that too many Ministers themselves did not make light of that Christ whom they preach, being drawn away with the love of this World! In a word, Men of a worldly Disposition do judge of things according to worldly advantages; therefore Christ is slighted, Isa. 53. 3. He is despised and rejected of men, they hide their faces from him, and esteem him not, as seeing no beauty or comeliness in him, that they should desire him.
