The Breastplate of Faith and Love

²Sometimes a man is ignorant of some particulars, and he hath a desire to obey God in all things, here the will is accepted for the deed, though he be not come to that degree of perfection as others are: but as men apply it commonly it is amiss, for when a man thinks I have a good purpose to do this, but I cannot pray, I cannot be so strict in looking to my actions and speeches, here the complaint is not right: for if ye stir up your selves, and do the utmost you can do, the deed will follow the will, there is no such impediment here but that you may remove. Therefore our answer is, that the reason why you cannot do, is not because of such impediments that you cannot remove, but because your will is not yet right, which the Schoolmen call an imperfect will; it is but such a will as the Wise Man speaks of concerning the sluggard, he willeth and lusteth, and hath not: and what's the reason? If it were a full, a complete and perfect will, it would draw action with it, he would not be a sluggard any longer, but he would draw forth his hands to do somewhat to bring his desires to pass, but indeed he hath but light wishings and no more. And so it is with men in christianity, they are as Solomons sluggard, they wish they had such sins mortified, that they had such graces, ⟨p. 203⟩they wish they could attain such a measure of faith & love, but they take no pains:² no man hath height of grace without pains; do you think to get the greatest excellency in the world without pains? It is true, the Lord must do it, but yet he doth it by your selves, you are agents in the business: Therefore do not say I wish well and desire well, for if you would do your uttermost that you ought to do, if your will were full and complete, and desires right and strong, you would do more, you would excel more in grace, you would amend your lives more, you would have your lusts more mortified: therefore let not this deceive you. I should press this further, but we will come to the last thing, because I would conclude this point with this time, and that is,

²Sometimes a man is ignorant of some particulars, and hee hath a desire to obey God in all things, here the will is accepted for the deede, though he be not come to that degree of perfection as others are: but as men apply it commonly it is amisse, for when a man thinkes I have a good purpose to doe this, but I cannot pray, I cannot be so strict in looking to my actions and speeches, here the complaint is not right: for if yee stirre up your selves, and doe the utmost you can doe, the deede will follow the will, there is no such impediment here but that you may remove. Therefore our answer is, that the reason why you cannot doe, is not because of such impediments that you cannot remove, but because your will is not yet right, which the Schoolemen call an imperfect will; it is but such a will as the Wiseman speakes of concerning the sluggard, hee willeth and lusteth, and hath not: and what's the reason? If it were a full, a compleate and perfect will, it would draw action with it, hee would not be a sluggard any longer, but hee would draw forth his hands to doe somewhat to bring his desires to passe, but indeede he hath but light wishings and no more. And so it is with men in christianity, they are as Salomons sluggard, they wish they had such sinnes mortified, that they had such graces,