Some are so carried away by the stream of evil company, that they are possessed with hard thoughts of a godly life, by hearing them speak against it! or at least, they think they may venture to do as they see most do, and so they hold on in their sinful ways: and when one is cut off, ⟨p. 97⟩and cast into hell, and another snatched away from among them, to the same condemnation, it doth not much daunt them, because they see not whither they are gone; poor wretches, they hold on in their ungodliness, for all this; for they little know that their companions are now lamenting it in torments. In Luke xvi. the rich man in hell would fain have had one to warn his five brethren, lest they should come to that place of torment. Its like he knew their minds and lives, and knew that they were hasting thither, and little dreamt that he was there, yea, and would little have believed one that should have told them so. I remember a passage that a gentleman, yet living, told me he saw upon a bridge over Severn. †A man was driving a flock of fat lambs, and something meeting them, and hindering their passage, one of the lambs leapt upon the wall of the bridge, and his legs slipping from under him, he fell into the stream; the rest seeing him, did, one after one leap over the bridge into the stream, and were all, or almost all drowned; those that were behind, did little know what was become of them that were gone before; but thought they might venture to follow their companions; but as soon as over the wall, and falling headlong, the case was altered. Even so it is with unconverted carnal men. One dieth by them, and drops into hell, and another follows the same way: and yet they will go after them, because they think not whither they are gone. Oh, but when death hath once opened their eyes, and they see what ⟨p. 98⟩is on the other side of the wall; even in another world, then what would they give to be where they were!
6. Moreover, they have a subtle malicious enemy, that is unseen of them, and plays his game in the dark; and it is his principal business to hinder their conversion; and therefore to keep them where they are, by persuading them not to believe the scriptures, or not to trouble their minds with these matters; or, by persuading them, to think ill of a godly life, or to think that its more ado than needs, and that they may be saved without conversion, and without all this stir:
Some are so carried away by the stream of evil company, that they are possessed with hard thoughts of a godly life, by hearing them speak against it! or at least, they think they may venture to do as they see most do, and so they hold on in their sinful ways: and when one is cut off, ⟨p. 97⟩and cast into hell, and another snatched away from among them, to the same condemnation, it doth not much daunt them, because they see not whither they are gone; poor wretches, they hold on in their ungodliness, for all this; for they little know that their companions are now lamenting it in torments. In Luke xvi. the rich man in hell would sain have had one to warn his five brethren, lest they should come to that place of torment. Its like he knew their minds and lives, and knew that they were hasting thither, and little dreamt that he was there, yea, and would little have believed one that should have told them so. I remember a passage that a gentleman, yet living, told me he saw upon a bridge over Severn. †A man was driving a flock of fat lambs, and something meeting them, and hindering their passage, one of the lambs leapt upon the wall of the bridge, and his legs slipping from under him, he fell into the stream; the rest seeing him, did, one after one leap over the bridge into the stream, and were all, or almost all drowned; those that were behind, did little know what was become of them that were gone before; but thought they might venture to follow their companions; but as soon as over the wall, and falling headlong, the case was altered. Even so it is with unconverted carnal men. One dieth by them, and drops into hell, and another follows the same way: and yet they will go after them, because they think not whither they are gone. Oh, but when death hath once opened their eyes, and they see what ⟨p. 98⟩is on the other side of the wall; even in another world, then what would they give to be where they were!
6. Moreover, they have a subtle malicious enemy, that is unseen of them, and plays his game in the dark; and it is his principal business to hinder their conversion; and therefore to keep them where they are, by persuading them not to believe the scriptures, or not to trouble their minds with these matters; or, by persuading them, to think ill of a godly life, or to think that its more ado than needs, and that they may be saved without conversion, and without all this stir:
- †M. R. R••••y, of Shrewsbury, upon Acham-bridge.
