Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest

Secondly, This is that which is as a heavy weight that presseth them down in every holy Duty, so in that 12. of the Hebrews, Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the Race that is set before us. ⟨p. 88⟩He speaks here of original sin, the sin of our Nature especially, it is a weight that lies upon our hearts in the performance of holy Duties, when we are striving to get our hearts up to God. This corruption of Nature keeps them down. I remember the story of that good man, that going abroad saw a Bird fluttering up, and when it had got up, it fell down again, and then it would flutter up, and then come down again, and he looking wistly upon it, saw a stone tied to the Birds Leg, and upon that the good man begins to weep, just so, saith he, it is with me, I would fain get up to God, fain would have communion with God, and sometimes I am getting up to God, but straightway there is a weight that pulls me down. Do not you find it thus? You that are conversant with God; you that get sometimes alone in Duty to God, and you would fain have your hearts raised to God, but how are your Hearts brought down again, and not only in these private Duties, but after public Duties, a day of fasting and Humiliation sometimes, Oh at night your Hearts are up, and now you resolve you will Live above the World. And above all these things here below, and you will live more to Gods Glory, but how are your Hearts brought down again by this corrupt Nature that is in you.

Secondly, This is that which is as a heavy weight that presseth them down in every holy Duty, so in that 12. of the Hebrews, Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the Race that is set before us.