The excellency of a gracious spirit Delivered in a treatise upon the 14. of…The excellency of a gracious spirit Deliuered in a treatise upon the 14. of…

2 A second Reason, why that man ¹that follows the Lord fully, must needs follow him for ever, is, because at the first giving up himself to God, he was content to let go all other holds, and all other hopes in all creature-comforts whatsoever, and so to venture himself upon God, is to be content to be miserable for ever, if he find not enough in God to make him happy: he hath so let all other things go, as if he should fail here, he hath nowhither to retire, he hath reserved no way, no means for ⟨p. 308⟩to help himself by, if he should miscarry here; he hath laid all the weight of all his comforts, of all his hopes, of all his happiness upon the Lord; he hath no other prop that he doth or can expect any support by: there is a blessed necessity upon him to follow the Lord for ever, and this necessity the soul is glad of: and this is the reason why God in his first bringing a soul home to himself, useth so much means to take it off from all other things; namely, that it might follow him for ever. As it is reported of William the Conqueror, when he came to invade England, and had landed his Soldiers, he sent back his ships, that so they might have no hope of retreating back again, and so they were put upon a necessity of fighting it out to the utmost. Thus the Lord takes off the soul from all its former hopes and props, that it may have no lingerings after any thing but himself, but thoroughly sight the good fight of faith, & with resolution hold on its course to the ⟨p. 309⟩end. But it is otherwise with a false, unsound heart; though such a one may follow God in many glorious performances, yet it secretly reserves something in case of failing here; when it enters upon Gods ways, it is enlightened so far, as it thinks some good may be had here: yea, it hath a taste, it may be, of much sweetness in these ways, but dares not venture all upon them; he would be glad to have some thing to retire to, in case he should fail here; he reserves a back door, that he might turn another way, if this way should prove troublesome and dangerous; he enters upon Gods ways, not without some suspicions and jealousies, that possibly he may meet with such inconveniences as may make him to wish he had been more wise, and not put himself in too far;