IV. Thus are their minds employed; and so vain are they in their imaginations, and dark in their understandings, that they not only believe them innocent, but persuade themselves they are good Christians all this while; and to rebuke them is worse than heresy. (Luke, viii. 14; Prov. i. 30, x. 17, xii. 1, xv. 14; Isa. lvii. 1-10; Jer. xvi. 19-21; Mat. vi. 7.) Thus are they strangers to the hidden life; and by these things are they diverted from all serious examination of themselves: and a forced zeal of half-an-hour's talk in other men's words, which they have nothing to do with, is made sufficient; being no more their states, or at least their intention, as their works show, than it was the young man's in the Gospel, that said, he would go, and did not. But alas! why? O there are other guests! What are they? Pharamond, Cleopatra, Cassandra, Clelia; a play, a ball a spring-garden; the park, the gallant, the exchange, in a word, the world. These stay, these call, these are importunate, and these they attend, and these are their most familiar associates. Thus are their hearts captivated from the divine exercise; nay, from such external affairs, as immediately concern some benefit to themselves, or needy neighbours; pleasing themselves with the received ideas of those toys and fopperies into their loose and airy minds; and if in all things they cannot practise them, because they want the means of it, yet as much as may be, at least to dote upon them, be taken with them, and willingly suffer their thoughts to be hurried after them. All which greatly indisposes the minds, and distracts the souls of people from the divine life and principle of the holy Jesus; but, as it hath been often said, more especially the minds of the younger sort: to whom the like divertisements (Jer. ii. 5,) (where their inclinations being presented with what is very suitable to them, they become excited to more vanity than ever they thought upon before,) are incomparably dearer than all that can be said of God's fear, a retired life, eternal rewards, and joys unspeakable and full of glory: so vain, so blind, and so very insensible are men and women, of what truly makes a disciple of Christ. (Rom. xiii. 11, 12; Matt. xv. 7-14.) O! that they would ponder on these things, and watch against, and come out of all these vanities, for the coming of the Lord, lest being unprepared, and taken up with other guests, they enter not into his everlasting rest.