A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…

3. Many by beginning betimes in the morning of their day have done more work than thou a delayer canst now accomplish. They should provoke thee to a holy jealousy. They setting forth for Heaven in the morning, have travelled further in that morning, than thou hast done in that long Summer's day wherein thou hast been slothful. What a shame is it that some should be green-headed Saints, and thou a grey-headed Sinner? Julius Caesar (as Suetonius reports) reading that Alexander had conquered the world in his youthful age, profest his shame, that he, who was so much older than Alexander, should come so far behind him in obtaining victorious glory: This fired Caesar with noble Emulation to exceed him. Envy is ever bad; but Emulation may be holy. Envy is a trouble for another's Eminency, but Emulation is a troubling of our selves for not arriving to another's commendable excellency.

3. Many by beginning betimes in the morning of their day have done more work than thou a delayer canst now accomplish. They should provoke thee to a holy jealousie. They setting forth for Heaven in the morning, have travelled further in that morning, than thou hast done in that long Summer's day wherein thou hast been slothful. What a shame is it that some should be green-headed Saints, and thou a gray-headed Sinner? Julius Caesar (as Suetonius reports) reading that Alexander had conquered the world in his youthful age, profest his shame, that he, who was so much older than Alexander, should come so far behind him in obtaining victorious glory: This fired Caesar with noble Emulation to exceed him. Envy is ever bad; but Emulation may be holy. Envy is a trouble for another's Eminency, but Emulation is a troubling of our selves for not ariving to another's commendable excellency.

4. In this thy day of working, and in thy working, thou art but a slow worker. Thou hast a great journey, and art a slow sluggish passenger. Thou hast a load of Corruption that presseth thee down. Thou Sailest against the tide of corrupt nature. Thou hast an encumbering body of death that will hinder thee from doing even what thou art a doing; a long garment that hindereth and hampereth thee, when thou endeavourest to be speediest in thy course for Heaven. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, so that thou canst not do the thing that thou wouldst. There are many Thieves in thy Candle of time, which daily wast it; Sleeping, Eating, Drinking, Visiting, being visited, and a great many other worldly avocations, employments, enjoyments, that must be regarded together with thy Soul: These are as so many places, at which we must call in, as we are in our journey; and the dispatching of every errand in every one of these places vvill take us up much time. Hard it is for our hearts to be preserved from too deep en engagement in them; the world more frequently bewitching from God, than admonishing us of God; too often proving as birdlime to the wings of our affections to hinder their slight Heavenward. And many also are the retarding discouragements that all the people of God must meet with all in their course to Heaven: As they have the tide of nature against them, so they have the wind of opposition from men and devils