consider that those whom you think least needed for to do it, did so: their diligence should stir you up. You know that Jacob wrestled with God all night; Gen. 32.24. and so should you wrestle with him with strong prayers: Christ himself spent many nights in prayer:1 look upon the prayers of David, the fastings of Daniel; a•ove all others, look upon Paul, you may see him in watching, in prayers and in fastings often;2 he had a continual strife with his heart, to bring his body, that is, the deeds of his body, into subjection, I keep under my body (saith he) and bring it into subjection, 1 Cor. 9.17. My body, that is, the sinful lusts of my body, must be brought ⟨p. 236⟩down; I must go through fighting till I have the victory, else I shall be a cast-away; I shall else have only an outward show, but yet be nothing accounted of with God. Consider this, if a little diligence will not serve the turn, add more; if prayer will not do it, add fasting to it.3 As there are some devils that will not be cast out without fasting and prayer; so also are there some sins. Make the plaster fit to the disease. Complain not with the sluggard, who puts his hands in his bosom, and doth nothing at all; or doth not proportion his labour to the work. Less labour would serve the turn, if our souls were as dry wood, but they are as greenwood; there must be much blowing ere they will be kindled. It is hard to get our souls to good duties, hard to keep them on the wing; we must continue in prayer, and that instantly too. Men are ready to give over,4 and to sit down, but you must continue. Eph. 6. We must watch thereunto with perseverance; there must every day be a new winding up of the soul; there is a spring of sin in us, so there must be a spring of holy duties, we must do them constantly: you have daily new crosses, and impediments, therefore you must mend your pace in the way to heaven, and be more diligent; you must be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, and not slothful. Rom. 12.11. Do your own work, up and be doing, and the Lord shall be with you, 1 Chr. 22.16. God will deal with you as he did with the Eunuch, ⟨p. 237⟩he was reading of the Scripture, and God sent Phillip to him for to teach him, Act. 8.26. &c. So Cornelius, he was praying, and God sent his Angel to him first, and afterward Peter, Act. 10.
consider that those whom you thinke least needed for to do it, did so: their diligence should stir you up. You know that Iacob wrestled with God all night; Gen. 32.24. and so should you wrestle with him with strong prayers: Christ himselfe spent many nights in prayer:1 looke upon the prayers of David, the fastings of Daniel; a•ove all others, looke upon Paul, you may see him in watching, in prayers and in fastings often;2 he had a continuall strife with his heart, to bring his body, that is, the deeds of his body, into subjection, I keepe under my body (saith he) and bring it into subjection, 1 Cor. 9.17. My body, that is, the sinfull lusts of my body, must bee brought ⟨p. 236⟩downe; I must go thorow fighting till I have the victory, else I shall be a cast-away; I shall else have onely an outward shew, but yet bee nothing accounted of with God. Consider this, if a little diligence will not serve the turne, adde more; if prayer will not doe it, adde fasting to it.3 As there are some divels that will not be cast out without fasting and prayer; so also are there some sinnes. Make the plaister fit to the disease. Complaine not with the sluggard, who puts his hands in his bosome, and doth nothing at all; or doth not proportion his labour to the worke. Lesse labour would serve the turne, if our soules were as dry wood, but they are as greenwood; there must be much blowing ere they will bee kindled. It is hard to get our soules to good duties, hard to keepe them on the wing; we must continue in prayer, and that instantly too. Men are ready to give over,4 and to sit downe, but you must continue. Eph. 6. We must watch thereunto with perseverance; there must every day be a new winding up of the soule; there is a spring of sin in us, so there must be a spring of holy duties, we must doe them constantly: you have daily new crosses, and impediments, therefore you must mend your pace in the way to heaven, and bee more diligent; you must be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, and not slothfull.
- 1Luk. 6.12.
- 22 Cor. 11.27.
- 3Matth. 17.21.
- 4Rom. 12.12.
