hell ever since thou didst come into the world.  Why, I beseech thee, put a little stop to thy earnest race, and take a view of what entertainment thou art like to have, if thou do in deed and in truth persist in thy course.  “Thy ways lead down to death, and thy steps to hell.”  It may he, indeed, the path is pleasant to the flesh, but the end thereof will he bitter to thy soul.  Hark! dost thou not hear the bitter cries of them that are newly gone before thee, saying, “Let him dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame!” Dost thou not hear them say, “Send one from the dead, to prevent my father, my brother, my father’s house, from coming to this place of torment!” Shall not these mournful groans pierce thy flinty heart?  Wilt thou stop thine ears and shut thine eyes?  And wilt thou not regard?  Take warning, and stop thy journey before it be too late.  Wilt thou he like the silly fly, that is not quiet unless she be either entangled in the spider’s web or burnt in the candle?  O sinner, sinner, there are better things than hell to be had!  There is heaven, there is God, there is Christ, there is communion with an innumerable assembly of saints and angels!

The poor, carnal, ignorant world miss of heaven, even because they love their sins and cannot part with them John 3:9, 20.

The poor ignorant world miss of heaven, because they stop their ears against convictions, and refuse to come when God calls.  Prov. 1:  24-29.

The poor ignorant world miss of heaven, because the god of this world hath blinded their eyes, that they can neither see the evil and damnable state they are in at present, nor the way to get out of it; neither do they see the beauty of Jesus Christ, nor how willing he is to save poor sinners. 2 Cor. 4:  2, 3.

The poor ignorant world miss of heaven, because they defer coming to Christ until the time of God’s patience and grace is over.  Some indeed are resolved never to come; but some again say, “We will come hereafter;” and so it comes to pass, that because God called and they did not hear, so “they shall cry and I will not hear,” saith the Lord.  Zech. 7:  11-13.

The poor ignorant world miss of heaven, because they have false apprehensions of God’s mercy.  They say in their hearts, “We shall have peace, though we walk in the imagination of our heart.”  Deut. 29:  19-21.

The poor ignorant world miss of heaven, because they make light of the gospel that offers mercy to them freely, and because they lean upon their own good meanings and thinkings and doings.  Matt. 22:  1-5; Rom. 9:  30, 31.

The poor carnal world miss of heaven, because by unbelief, which reigns in them, they are kept for ever from being clothed with Christ’s righteousness, and from washing in his blood, without which there is no remission of sin nor justification.

Blush, sinner, blush!  Ah, that thou hadst grace to blush.