A saint or a brute the certain necessity and excellency of holiness, &c. ...…

And therefore I may boldly say, that you have thrown away your wits, and laid by your Reason as to the principal use of it, if you have forgot, or have not chiefly sought the One thing necessary. Where were your wits when a lump of flesh was preferred before immortal souls? and when the trouble and dung of a transitory world, was more esteemed then God and endless Glory? Where were your wits when you might have had Christ, and Life in him, and his pardoning, healing, sanctifying grace, and you had no mind of him, and were not sensible of your necessity, and past him by with as much neglect, as if you could have been saved without him? When you might long ago have made sure of Heaven; and now you are even ready to drop into Hell, and stay but for a Fever, or Consumption, or some other disease to cut the thread, and turn the key, unless a speedy sound conversion shall yet prevent it. What have you done in all your life-time, that should make a wise man judge you Reasonable? Is that your Reason to be penny wise and pound foolish; to be wise to do evil, and to have no knowledge to do good? Jerem. 4. 22. To run up and down for I know not what, and to leave that undone that you were created and redeemed for? Can you think that it is Reasonable to make such ado for the air of dying mens applause, and to be well thought of, or to live like Gentlemen, or to the contentment of a fleshly mind, when you know that you are just ready to pass out of this world into an endless life of Joy or Torment, (yea certainly of torment, if you thus hold on)? Where all these things will afford you no relief or benefit; but the memory of your course will be the fuel of your misery: Can that man be wise that damns his soul? Can he deserve the name of a sober man, that will sell his salvation for so short, so small, so filthy a pleasure as sin affordeth? Is he worthy the name ⟨p. 34⟩or reputation of a wise man, that hath not wit enough to scape eternal fire? nor wit enough to forbear laying hands upon himself, and doing all this against his own soul? What think you, is not the case here plain enough?

And therefore I may boldly say, that you have thrown away your wits, and laid by your Reason as to the principal use of it, if you have forgot, or have not chiefly sought the One thing necessary. Where were your wits when a lump of flesh was preferred before immortal souls? and when the trouble and dung of a transitory world, was more esteemed then God and endless Glory? Where were your wits when you might have had Christ, and Life in him, and his pardoning, healing, sanctifying grace, and you had no mind of him, and were not sensible of your necessity, and past him by with as much neglect, as if you could have been saved without him? When you might long ago have made sure of Heaven; and now you are even ready to drop into Hell, and stay but for a Feaver, or Consumption, or some other disease to cut the thred, and turn the key, unless a speedy sound conversion shall yet prevent it. What have you done in all your life-time, that should make a wise man judge you Reasonable? Is that your Reason to be penny wise and pound foolish; to be wise to do evil, and to have no knowledge to do good?