MAKING LIGHT OF CHfIST, 591 to lead the soul to higher things. This cause of making light of Christ and salvation is expressed here in my text. One went to his farm, another to his merchandise. Men have houses and lands to look after: they have wife and children to mind: they have their body and outward estate to regard ; therefore they forget that they have a God, a Redeemer, a soul to mind : these matters of the world are still with them. They see these, but they see not God, nor Christ, nor their souls, nor everlasting glory. These things are near at hand, and therefore work naturally, and so work forcibly; but the other are thought on as a'great way off, and therefore, too distant to work on their affections, or be at the pres- ent so much regarded by them. Their body bath life and sense, therefore if they want meat, or drink, or clothes, will feel their want, and tell them of it, and give them no rest till their wants be supplied, and therefore they cannot make light of their bodily ne- cessities; but their souls, in spiritual respects, are dead, and there- fore feel not their wants, but will let them alone in their greatest necessities, and be as quiet when they are starved and languishing to destruction, as if all were well, and nothing ailed them. And hereupon poor people are wholly taken up in providing for the body, as if they had nothing else to mind. Theyhave their trades and callings to follow, and so much to do from morning to night, that they can find no time for matters of salvation: Christ would teach them, but they haveno leisure to hear him: the Bible is be- fore them, but they cannot have while to read it: a minister is in the town with them, but they cannot have while to go to inquire of him what theyshould do to be saved, And when they do hear, their hearts are so full of the world, and carried away with these lower matters, that they cannot mind the things which they hear. They are so full of thethoughts, and desires, and cares of this world, that there is no room to pour into them the water of life. The cares of the world do choke the word, and make it become un- fruitful ; Matt. xiii. 22. Men cannot serve two masters, God. and 'mammon; but they will lean to the one, and despise the other; Matt. vi. 24. He that loveth the world, the love of the Father is not in him; 1 John ii. 15, 16. Men cannot choose but set light by Christ and salvation, while they set so, much by any thing on earth. It is that which is highly esteemed among men that is abominable in the sight of God; Luke xvi. 15. 0, this is the ruin of many thousand souls! It would grieve the heart of any honest Christian to see how eagerly this vain world is followed every where, and how little men set by Christ and the world to come ; to compare the care that men have for the world, with the care of their souls ; and the time that they lay out on the world with that time théy lay out for their salvation ; to seehow {
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