The divine life in three treatises

So when a soul hath cast up his accounts, and hath renounced a worldly and sensual felicity, and hath fixed his hopes and resolutions upon Heaven, and is resolved to cast himself upon Christ, and take God for his only portion, this secret habitual resolution will do much to keep him constant in the way, though his thoughts and talk be frequently on other things: Yea when we are thinking of the creature, and feel no actual thoughts of God, it is yet God more than the creature that we think of: For we did beforehand look on the creature as Gods work, representing him unto the world, and as his talents which we must employ for him, and as every creature is related to him: And this estimation of the creature is still habitually (and in some secret less-perceived acts)) most prevalent in the soul. Though I am not always sensibly thinking of the King, when I use his Coin, or obey his Law, &c. yet it is only as his Coin still that I use it, and as his Laws that I obey them. Weak Habits cannot do their work without great carefulness ⟨p. 227⟩of thoughts: but perfect habits will act a man with little thoughtfulness, as coming near the natural way of operation. And indeed the imperfection of our Habitual Godliness doth make our serious thoughts and vigilancy and industry to be the more necessary to us.

So when a soul hath cast up his accounts, and hath renounced a worldly and sensual felicity, and hath fixed his hopes and resolutions upon Heaven, and is resolved to cast himself upon Christ, and take God for his only portion, this secret habitual resolution will do much to keep him constant in the way, though his thoughts and talk be frequently on other things: Yea when we are thinking of the creature, and feel no actual thoughts of God, it is yet God more than the creature that we think of: For we did beforehand look on the creature as Gods work, representing him unto the world, and as his talents which we must employ for him, and as every creature is related to him: And this estimation of the creature is still habitually (and in some secret less-perceived acts)) most prevalent in the soul. Though I am not alwaies sensibly thinking of the King, when I use his Coin, or obey his Law, &c. yet it is only as his Coin still that I use it, and as his Laws that I obey them. Weak Habits cannot do their work without great carefulness ⟨p. 227⟩of thoughts: but perfect habits will act a man with little thoughtfulness, as coming near the natural way of operation. And indeed the imperfection of our Habitual Godliness doth make our serious thoughts and vigilancy and industry to be the more necessary to us.