Some important truths about conversion, delivered in sundry sermons, / by Increase Mather, D.D.…

Again the World is another Enemy, which doth greatly hinder mens Salvation. Worldly Incumbrances are a marvellous Impediment; hence is that Heb. 12.10. Let us lay aside every Weight. What are these weights but worldly Incumbrances? If a man hath weights tied about his legs, these will hinder him from making any great progress in his way: So it is here, worldly Incumbrances are as weights which hinder from going forward in the way to Salvation. There are the reputed good things of the World, and in these there is a temptation and a snare to the Soul; e.g. worldly gain & profit is an heavy snare, & that which hindereth the Salvation or many a Soul. Some that have bid fair for Heaven, yet have fallen short at last, because of this: some that have ⟨p. 244⟩wrought much and long about their Salvation, yet have not been able to work it out by reason of this snare. We read in the Gospel, of a man that came to Christ to know what he should do that he might have Eternal Life: He was willing to work, that he might be Saved: He came with a Legal Question, and with a Legal Spirit: Christ Suiteth his Answer according to the Enquirer, and tells him of observing the Commandments of the Law. The man professeth, that he had been diligen• in keeping these for many years: Christ then toucheth him where his greatest wound & snare was, namely, his inordinate love to earthly things, and to try him, the Lord bids him forsake all his worldly possessions to follow him; but then the man g•e•h away with a sad heart, seeing that he must either miss of Eternal Salvation, or lose the World, and of the two, chooseth rather to part with Eternal Life, then to part with his Worldly gain: Hereupon Christ said, How hardly shall they that have riches, enter into the Kingdom of God: It is easier for a Camel to go through a needles eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God, Luke 18.24, 25. It is an hard matter for any man to be saved; but for a rich man much ⟨p. 245⟩more hard than for others; were it not that with God all things are possible, it would not be possible for such an one to be saved. So for the pleasures of the World, they are a great snare and hindrance to Salvation. A man must forsake these so far as they stand in opposition to the will of God, but it is hard so for to do: How hard is it for a carnal heart to forsake the pleasures of sin?