us
Christ, notwithstanding his provocations above many of them? What will a
king then think of his crown and dominions, when he reflects on them? What
will the poor persecuted Christian then think of all the glory and
perfection of this world, when he looks back upon it? O know, poor foolish
men, what madness is in venturing your souls for trifles! Ye run the
hazard of all greatest things for a poor moment's satisfaction. Ye will
repent it too late, and become wise to judge yourselves fools, when there
is no place to mend it.

But this privilege is no more necessary than it is precious. Your souls
are now kept captive under that sentence of everlasting imprisonment. Ye
are all prisoners, and know not of it. What will ye give in ransom for
your souls? Your sins and iniquities have sold you to the righteous Judge
of all the earth, as malefactors, and he hath passed a sentence of your
perpetual imprisonment under Satan's custody in hell. Now what will you
give to redeem your souls from that pit? How few know the worth of their
souls! And so they offer unto God some of their riches for them. Doth not
many of you think ye have satisfied for sins, if ye pay a civil penalty to
the judge? Many think their own tears and sorrow for sin may be a price to
justice, at least if it be joined with amendment in time coming. And so
men conceive their sins are pardoned, and their souls redeemed. But alas!
the redemption of the soul is precious, yea, it ceaseth for ever; all your
substance will be utterly contemned, though ye offered it. How few of you
would give so much for your souls! And yet though ye give it, it will not
do it,--ye must pay the uttermost farthing, or nothing. Your sorrow and
reformations will not complete the sum, no, nor begin it. "Though thou
wash thee with nitre, and take much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked
before me,"--yet there is still condemnation for thee. Though all the world
should convene about this matter, to find a ransom for man; suppose all
the treasures of monarchs, the mines and bowels of the earth, the coffers
of rich men were searched; nay, let the earth, the sea, the heavens, and
sun and moon be prized at the highest;--join all the merits of angels above
and men below, all their good actions and sufferings, yet the sum that
amounts of all that addition, would not pay the least farthing of this
debt. The earth would say, it is not in me; the heaven behoved to answer
so; angels and men might say, w