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

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 ⟨p. 102⟩against them. Earliness and eagerness in the ways of God are the two things principally opposed by the god, and men of this world. 'Tis the galloping passenger at whom the dogs of the town most bark, and whom they most pursue. All that travel Heavenward have the wind in their faces, though the happiness of their journey's end infinitely more than countervails for the greatest both industry and opposition.

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 encumbring body of death that will hinder thee from doing even what thou art a doing; a long garment that hindreth 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, imployments, injoyments, that must be regarded together vvith thy Soul: These are as so many places, at vvhich vve must call in, as vve 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 ingagement in them; the world more frequently bewitching from God, than admonishing us of God; too often proving as birdlime to the vvings of our affections to hinder their slight Heavenvvard. And many also are the retarding discouragements that all the people of God must meet vvith all in their course to Heaven: As they have the tide of nature against them, so they have the vvind of opposition from men and devils