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…

A third cause is the strength of engagements; their hearts are so wrapped ¹in them, so glued to them, as it is exceeding painful to get them loosened from them, they are so near and dear to a corrupt heart: As it is said of Esau, he looked on the Pottage, and it was so red; so they look upon their engagements, and they are so full of content; it is so grievous to be taken off from them, that they rather suffer their hearts to be taken off from God himself: when engagements have taken possession of the heart, then how hard is it to work any thing upon the judgements of men? it is hard to get the mind to view the truths of God, to get it to search into them, to consider of them; it is ready to close with the least objection against them, to catch hold of the least advantage to cast them off; and if truths be so clear as a man cannot but see them, as conscience for the present is over-poured with them, yet if the heart be ⟨p. 394⟩not taken off from engagements, it will fetch about again, to see if something may not be gotten against those truths, to break the strength of them; but where the heart is taken off from engagements, how easily do the truths prevail? how soon is the heart brought fully to close with them? 2 Sam. 22. 33. God, saith David, maketh my way perfect: the word is, He frees my way, Solvit, so it is translated by some, He frees it from snares; and this is a great mercy. Hence, Psalm 18. 32. Where this thanksgiving of David is again repeated, there the word is translated Dedit, He hath given my way to be perfect; this is a good gift indeed, for God to make a mans ways free and clear before him, to take off the temptations that did engage and ensnare his spirit; and then, as Verse 34. of that place in Samuel, He maketh my feet as Hinds feet: O how swiftly and powerfully then may the soul run in Gods ways, when it is thus freed! Psalm. 119. 44, 45. I shall keep ⟨p. 395⟩thy Law continually, for ever and ever, and I will walk at liberty. When the heart is at liberty, then it goes on continually, for ever and ever, in following after the Lord: but if there be any secret engagement in it, it will be weary, and one time or other will leave off: a man that is fettered, can neither go apace, nor continue long.