The Morning exercise [at] Cri[ppleg]ate, or, Several cases of conscience practically resolved

6. Labour to act that grace in especial manner, which is contrary to thy beloved sin: for instance, if passion be thy darling sin labour to act the grace of meekness, if excess the grace of temperance, if uncleanness the grace of chastity: let me tell you, where grace is helped by nature, upon the account of a mans temper and constitution, there a little grace will go far: but when grace is to be employed against nature, it had need to be strong and active: your Watermen in some cases take their ease, and their Boats will go of themselves, but when wind and tide is against them, then they must labour at the Oar, hic labour, hoc opus.

6. Labour to act that grace in especial manner, which is contrary to thy beloved sin: for instance, if passion be thy darling sin labour to act the grace of meekness, if excess the grace of temperance, if uncleanness the grace of chastity: let me tell you, where grace is helped by nature, upon the account of a mans temper and constitution, there a little grace will go far: but when grace is to be imploy'd against nature, it had need to be strong and active: your Watermen in some cases take their ease, and their Boats will go of themselves, but when wind and tyde is against them, then they must labour at the Oar, hic labor, hoc opus.

7. Keep a watch over thy heart, Prov. 4.23. Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life: so our Saviour, Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, ¹murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemy. Godliness is but a fancy till the heart be reformed:² we read in the book of Psalms of Israels turning unto God; when he slew them, then they sought him, and they returned, and enquired early after God, and they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer: but was their conversion right? no, Ver. 36. They did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongue, and whence was this? Ver. 37. Their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant: therefore mortify sin in its rise, in its first principle, lay the axe to the root, there is more sap in the root, then in the branches; there is more sin in the heart then in the life: one stroke at the root, of the tree, conduces more to the deadening of it, then many at the body, or the boughs, or any other part whatsoever.