There is indeed one mortal disadvantage to which all preaching is subject; that those who, by the wickedness of their lives, stand in greatest need, have usually the smallest share; for either they are absent upon the account of idleness, or spleen, or hatred to religion, or in order to doze away the intemperance of the week; or, if they do come, they are sure to employ their minds rather any other way, than regarding or attending to the business of the place.

The accident which happened to this young man in the text, hath not been sufficient to discourage his successors:  But because the preachers now in the world, however they may exceed St Paul in the art of setting men to sleep, do extremely fall short of him in the working of miracles; therefore men are become so cautious as to choose more safe and convenient stations and postures for taking their repose, without hazard of their persons; and, upon the whole matter, choose rather to trust their destruction to a miracle, than their safety.  However, this being not the only way by which the lukewarm Christians and scorners of the age discover their neglect and contempt of preaching, I shall enter expressly into consideration of this matter, and order my discourse in the following method: 

First: I shall produce several instances to shew the great neglect of preaching now amongst us.

Secondly: I shall reckon up some of the usual quarrels men have against preaching.

Thirdly: I shall set forth the great evil of this neglect and contempt of preaching, and discover the real causes from whence it proceedeth.

Lastly: I shall offer some remedies against this great and spreading evil.

First: I shall produce certain instances to shew the great neglect of preaching now among us.

These may be reduced under two heads.  First, men’s absence from the service of the Church; and secondly, their misbehaviour when they are here.

The first instance of men’s neglect, is in their frequent absence from the church.

There is no excuse so trivial, that will not pass upon some men’s consciences to excuse their attendance at the public worship of God.  Some are so unfortunate as to be always indisposed on the Lord’s day, and think nothing so unwholesome as the air of a church.  Others have their affairs so oddly contrived, as to be always unluckily prevented by business.  With some it is a great mark of wit, and deep understanding, to stay at home on Sundays.  Others again discover strange fits of laziness, that seize them, particularly on that day, and confine them to their beds.  Others are absent out of mere contempt of religion.  And, lastly, there are not a few who look upon it as a day of rest, and therefore claim the privilege of their cattle, to keep the Sabbath by eating, drinking, and sleeping, after the toil and labour of the week.  Now in all this the worst circumstance is, that these persons are such whose companies are most required, and who stand most in need of a physician.