do not overwhelm the souls of men; that the greatness of the subject
doth not so overmatch our understandings and affections as even to
drive men besides themselves, but that God hath always somewhat
allayed it by the distance; much more that men should be so blockish
as to make light of them. O Lord, that men did but know what
everlasting glory and everlasting torments are: would they then hear
us as they do? would they read and think of these things as they do?
I profess I have been ready to wonder, when I have heard such
weighty things delivered, how people can forbear crying out in the
congregation; much more how they can rest till they have gone to their
ministers, and learned what they should do to be saved, that this
great business might be put out of doubt. Oh, that heaven and hell
should work no more on men! Oh, that everlastingness work no more! Oh,
how can you forbear when you are alone to think with yourselves what
it is to be everlastingly in joy or in torment! I wonder that such
thoughts do not break your sleep, and that they come not in your mind
when you are about your labor! I wonder how you can almost do anything
else! how you can have any quietness in your minds! How you can eat,
or drink, or rest, till you have got some ground of everlasting
consolations! Is that a man or a corpse that is not affected with
matters of this moment? that can be readier to sleep than to tremble
when he heareth how he must stand at the bar of God? Is that a man or
a clod of clay that can rise or lie down without being deeply affected
with his everlasting estate? that can follow his worldly business and
make nothing of the great business of salvation or damnation; and that
when they know it is hard at hand? Truly, sirs, when I think of the
weight of the matter, I wonder at the very best of God's saints upon
the earth that they are no better, and do no more in so weighty a
case. I wonder at those whom the world accounteth more holy than
needs, and scorns for making too much ado, that they can put off