Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest

V.

Lastly, The sinfulness of our Nature is a Burden in this respect, that it will damp all the activity of our Graces, the liveliness of our Graces, now the Saints of God make it to be the joy of their Souls to be active and stirring for God, but now this Corruption that we carry about with us damps all: as now a candle, if it were in a Coal-pit a Mine, there would come a damp that would make the Candle burn dim, so the Graces of Gods Spirit, in the best of us all, are but as a Candle in a Coal-pit, thy heart is like a Coal-pit, and God hath set up a Candle, some Grace in thy heart that shines there, but now though Christ takes care that all the damps of thy Corruption shall not put out thy Candle, yet God sometimes dims this Candle that it doth not shine sometimes, takes away the beauty, liveliness, and activity of thy Graces, that though thou hast some life and burnings, yet thou burnest but dimly before others with whom thou dost converse. I do not now speak of the stirring of sin, the working of sin, that is the next thing that I shall open, how that is a Burden to the Hearts of the Saints; as for instance, you know that the Scripture tells us that the flesh fights against the Spirit, and the spirit fights against the flesh, there is a continual fighting by this Corruption against all that is good, now that there should be Corruption in the Heart that continually fights against God, that is a more fearful thing, so it is in thy Heart. Now to be always in a fight or a combat it is a fearful thing, we count it a great burden that there should be Wars and Rumours of Wars within our gates, I but, there is a greater war in thy Heart. It is a thing that was not thought possible ⟨p. 91⟩ever to be in England, that there should be found such a Generation that should endanger their lives to make them and their posterity slaves, and yet for this they fight, who doth not see but the victory will be this in the Conclusion. But I will show you a worse thing then this in every of your Hearts, there are such Corruptions in your Hearts, as put your Souls to fight to mischief your selves; to bring your selves to be slaves to the Devil, this is in your Hearts, though indeed some are not sensible of this; and what is the reason that if corruption be a Burden that some people eel it not?