The divine life in three treatises

Quest. 14. Do not the constant Prayers of all that have but a show of godliness contradict the doctrine which I am contradicting? Do you not beg of God to melt and soften and bow your hearts, and to make them more holy, and fill them with light, and faith, and Love, and hold you close to God and duty! In a word, do you not daily pray for effectual grace, that shall infallibly procure your desired ends? I scarce ever heard a prayer from a sober man but was orthodox in such points, though their speeches would be heterodox.

Quest. 14. Do not the constant Prayers of all that have but a shew of godliness contradict the doctrine which I am contradicting? Do you not beg of God to melt and soften and bow your hearts, and to make them more holy, and fill them with light, and faith, and Love, and hold you close to God and duty! In a word, do you not daily pray for effectual grace, that shall infallibly procure your desired ends? I scarce ever heard a prayer from a sober man but was orthodox in such points, though their speeches would be heterodox.

Quest. 15. Do you not know that there is an enmity in every unrenewed heart against sanctification till God remove it? Are we not greater enemies to our selves, and greater resisters of the Holy Ghost, and of our own conversion and sanctification and salvation, then all the world besides is? woe to him that feeleth not this by himself. And is it likely that we that are enemies to holiness should do more to our own Sanctification, then the Holy Ghost? Woe to us if he conquer not our enmity.

Quest. 16. Is it probable that so great a work as the destroying ⟨p. 108⟩of our dearest sins, the setting our hearts and all our hopes on an Invisible glory, and delighting in the Lord, and forsaking all for him, &c. should come rather from the choice of a will that loveth those sins, and hateth that holy heavenly life, then from the spirit of Christ? sure this is much above us.