By the Croft ®f Chrift. 99 i. If indeed the worldbeCrucified to you , what meaneth your eager purfuit after it ? Are not your thoughts contriving for it , andyour wit and intereft all improved for it ? Are not thofe taken for your chief friends , that further your advance- ment or worldly Ends ? and thofe for your chief enemies that binder it molt ? Is it not in your mind in the night when you awake , and in the day when you are alone ? Do you not rife earlyer for your worldlybufinefs , then for prayer orany holy exercife ? Ask your family whether you do not otter call them up towork then to pray ? and whether you drive themnot on harder to your own fervice then to Gods ? and whether you ex- amine them not ftri &lyer about your bufinefs then about the matters that their falvationdoth depend upon ? and whether you benot more deeplyoffended with them for trolling your com- modity , then for finning againfl God ? Ask your neighbours whether you talknot with them many hours of worldly vanities, for one hoursferious difcourfe about the life to come ? What a fair do poor men make to be rich , or to live in force content to the flefh, and what a ftir do rich men make to be richer or to keep that they have ; andyet have they the face topretend that they are Crucified to the world ? 2. If you are dead to the world , how comes it to pafs that it bath fo powerful an influence uponyour judgements ? and that you changeyour minds as your carnali Intereft doth change ? and can fet your fails to any wind that is like todrive you to the harbour (as you call it , but indeed upon the fands) of your worldly ends. What would you not give in tróublefom times to know certainlywhich will be the prevalent fide ? that you might refolve what fide totake your felves; and perhaps what Religion to be of, or to feem fo to be ? Among all the Books that are written , if there were but one that taught the art of growing rich, or a Direetory for obtaining dignities and honours in the world, how eagerly would you buy it, and howdiligently would you read it ? more diligently then you read the Bible or any Bookof that nature. If pre4 chers did teach you the way of profperity and advancement and could tell you how to be all great and honourable in this world , O how early would you come to the Congregation ? how attentively would you hear ? how retentively would you remember ? and how faithfully would 0 2 you
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