356 DIRECTIONS AND PERSUASIONS Your flesh is pleased with your sin: but is your con- science pleased ? Does it not tell you sometimes, that all is not well, and that your case is not so safe as you make it to be ? And should not your soul and con- science be pleased before that corruptible flesh ? Again, is not your flesh preparing for its own displea sure also? It loves the bait; but does it love the hook? It lovés the strong drink and sweet morsels ; it loves its ease, and sports, and merriment ; it loves to be . rich, and well spoken of by men, and to be somebody in the world: but does it love the curse of God? Does it love to stand trembling before his bar, and to be judged to everlasting fire? Does it love to be tor- mented with devils for ever? Take altogether: for there is no separating sin and hell: if you will keep one, you must have the other. If death and hell be pleasant to you, no wonder then if you go on in sin : but if they be not, then what if sin were ever so plea- sant, is it worth the loss of life eternal? Is a little drink, or meat, or ease, is the good word of sinners, or the riches of the world, to be valued above the joys of heaven ? Or are they worth the sufferings of eternal fire ?.. These questions should be considered before you go any further, by every man that bath reason to consider, and believes he has a soul to save or lose. Well, the Lord here swears that he has no pleasure in your death, but had rather that you would turn and live. If yet you will go on, and die rather than turn, remember, it was not to please God that you did it: it was to please the world, and to please yourselves. And if men will damn themselves to please themselves, and run into endless torments for delight; what re- medy but they must take what they get by it, and repent in another manner, when it is too late !
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