Is not this the truth of your case, sirs? You would not burn in hell, but you will kindle the fire by your sins, and cast yourselves into it; you would not be tormented with devils forever, but you will do that which will certainly procure it is despite of all that can be said against it. It is just as if you would say, "I will drink this ratsbane, or other poison, but yet I will not die: I will ca•• myself headlong from the top of a steeple, but yet I will not kill myself: I will thrust this knife into my heart, but yet I will not take away my life: I will put this fire into the thatch of my house, but yet I will not burn it." Just so it is with wicke• men, they will be wicked, and they will live after the flesh, and the world, and yet they would not be damned. But do you not know that the means do lead unto the end? and that God hath, by his righteous law, concluded that ye must repent or perish? He that will take poison, may as well say plainly, I will kill myself, for it will prove no better in the end; though perhaps he loved it for the sweetness of the sugar that was mixed with it; and would not be persuaded that it was poison, but that he might take it and do well enough; but •s is not ⟨p. 73⟩his conceits and confidence that will save his life. So if you will be drunkards, or fornicators, or worldlings, or live after the flesh, you may as well say plainly, we will be damned, for so you shall be unless you turn. Would you not rebuke the folly of a thief or murderer, that would say, I will steal, or kill, but I will not be hanged, when he knows that if he does the one, the judge in justice sees that the other be done? If he say I will steal and murder, he may as well say plainly, I will be hanged; and if you will go on in a carnal life, you may as well say plainly, we will go to hell.
Is not this the truth of your case, sirs? You would not burn in hell, but you will kindle the fire by your sins, and cast yourselves into it; you would not be tormented with devils forever, but you will do that which will certainly procure it is despight of all that can be said against it. It is just as if you would say, "I will drink this ratsbane, or other poison, but yet I will not die: I will ca•• myself headlong from the top of a steeple, but yet I will not ki•l myself: I will thrust this knife into my heart, but yet I will not take away my life: I will put this fire into the thatch of my house, but yet I will not burn it." Just so it is with wicke• men, they will be wicked, and they will live after the flesh, and the world, and yet they would not be damned. But do you not know that the means do lead unto the end? and that God hath, by his righteous law, concluded that ye must repent or perish? He that will take poison, may as well say plainly, I will kill myself, for it will prove no better in the end; though perhaps he loved it for the sweetness of the sugar that was mixt with it; and would not be persuaded that it was poison, but that he might take it and do well enough; but •s is not ⟨p. 73⟩his conceits and confidence that will save his life. So if you will be drunkards, or fornicators, or wordlings, or live after the flesh, you may as well say plainly, we will be damned, for so you shall be unless you turn. Would you not rebuke the folly of a thief or murderer, that would say, I will steal, or kill, but I will not be hanged, when he knows that if he does the one, the judge in justice sees that the other be done? If he say I will steal and murder, he may as well say plainly, I will be hanged; and if you will go on in a carnal life, you may as well say plainly, we will go to hell.
