Human nature in its fourfold state ... In several practical discourses

But may not the soul answer? Wretched and vile carcass am I now driven back into thee! O that thou hadst lain for ever rotting in thy grave! Had I not torment enough before? Must I be knit to thee again, that being joined together as two dry sticks for the fire, the wrath of God may the more keenly burn us up? It was by caring for you, I lost myself. It was your back and your belly, and the gratifying of your senses, which ruined me. How often was I ensnared by your ears? How often betrayed by your eyes? It was to spare you, that I neglected opportunities of making peace with God, loitered away sabbaths, lived in the neglect of prayer, went to the house of mirth, rather than to the house of mourning; and that I chose to deny Christ, and forsake his cause and interests in the world; and so am fallen a sacrifice to your cursed ease. When at any time my conscience began to awake, and I was setting myself to think of my sins, and the misery I have felt since we parted, and now feel; it was you that diverted me from these thoughts, and drew me off to make provision for thee, O wretched flesh. By your silken cords of fleshly lusts I was drawn to destruction, over the belly of my light and conscience: but now they are turned into iron chains, with which I am to be held under wrath for evermore. Ah! wretched profits! ah! cursed pleasures! for which I must lie for ever in utter darkness. But no complaints will then avail. O that men were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!

But may not the soul answer? Wretched and vile carcase am I now driven back into thee! O that thou hadst lain for ever rotting in thy grave! Had I not torment enough before? Must I be knit to thee again, that being joined together as two dry sticks for the fire, the wrath of God may the more keenly burn us up? It was by caring for you, I lost myself. It was your back and your belly, and the gratifying of your senses, which ruined me. How often was I ensnared by your ears? How often betrayed by your eyes? It was to spare you, that I neglected opportunities of making peace with God, loitered away sabbaths, lived in the neglect of prayer, went to the house of mirth, rather than to the house of mourning; and that I chused to deny Christ, and forsake his cause and interests in the world; and so am fallen a sacrifice to your cursed ease. When at any time my conscience began to awake, and I was setting myself to think of my sins, and the misery I have felt since we parted, and now feel; it was you that diverted me from these thoughts, and drew me off to make provision for thee, O wretched flesh. By your silken cords of fleshly lusts I was drawn to destruction, over the belly of my light and conscience: but now they are turned into iron chains, with which I am to be held under wrath for evermore. Ah! wretched profits! ah! cursed pleasures! for which I must ly for ever in utter darkness. But no complaints will then avail. O that men were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!