The works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel College in Cambridge, now preacher…The vvorks of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, now preacher…

But there is a difference (ye know) between the coldness of a Living man, and the coldness of a Dead man. Take a dead man, and if he be cold, 'tis not all your fires will put warmth into him, or your Aqua-vitae, or your chafing and rubbing of him, or your warm beds that will make him warm. But now, take a man that is cold, and Living; and if ye chafe him, or bring him to the fire, or lay him in a good warm bed; he recovers his warmth again. And so 'tis with a godly heart, though cold, yet bring it unto the Ordinance, either Publicly, or Privately, and it recovers its warmth again: and hath it not been even so with some of you?

But there is a differance (ye know) between the coldness of a Living man, and the coldness of a Dead man. Take a dead man, and if he be cold, 'tis not al your fires wil put warmth into him, or your Aqua-vitae, or your chafing and rubbing of him, or your warm beds that will make him warm. But now, take a man that is cold, and Living; and if ye chafe him, or bring him to the fire, or lay him in a good warm bed; he recovers his warmth again. And so 'tis with a godly heart, though cold, yet bring it unto the Ordinance, either Publickly, or Privatly, and it recovers its warmth againe: and hath it not been even so with some of you?

It's true, A Dead man is Stiff. But have you found your selves in a way of sin, an evil way; and are ye so stiff therein, as ye will not be put out of your way, no not by admonition? then ye are stiff indeed. There are two men that are out of their way, (suppose) The Traveller, and the Thief: The Traveller is out of his way: and if you come to him and say, Sir, you are much out of your way: He hearkens to ye, and he thanks ye, and he returns into his way ⟨p. 16⟩again. But if ye come to a Thief and say, Sir, you are out of your way, He laughs, and scorns, and comes not into the way. So, there are some indeed, that are out of their way; and if you do come to them and tell them, that they are out of their way; they will bless, and praise the Lord for your admonition, and labour to return into their way again. But some there are, that if ye tell them, that they are out of their way, they will rather scorn and jeer at it; What have you to do to meddle with me? what have you to do to meddle with my ways? meddle with your own matters. These men are stiff, they are stiff indeed; why? because they are dead; they are stiff in the way of their sin, and they will not be stirred out, no, not by Admonition, why? because they are dead. But I appeal to ye, whether is it thus with ye or no? Don't ye say rather, I praise the Lord, though sometimes, (yea many times) I am out of the way, and in the way of sin; yet I can rejoice in an Admonition, and bless the Lord for an Admonition: Yea, this I can speak, though my heart be sometimes very cold, yet I have found heat, and warmth recovered again, either under a Public, or under a Private Ordinance: Well then, be of good comfort, thou art not dead; though thou mayest be asleep, yet thou mayest be among the living.