Know that the greatest work of Reformation, Repentance, and the comfort of a mans spiritual condition, it lies mainly in the Will: the greatest work and the greatest difficulty lies here, Brethren. If you look at it as a matter of ease, that thou canst do it with the turning of a hand, and make wash-work of it, thou never knewest it, and thou shalt never attain it: It's one of the Devils greatest delusions whereby he cozens thousands, to persuade men it's an easy matter to be Religious: No, […] know it, unless you find it the greatest work in the world, you will never find endeavours suitable, nor success answerable for the comfort of your own souls. Oh therefore that every man would go home convinced and persuaded, God hath helped me to temper my tongue, and to keep my hands, the Lord hath given me an enlightened Judgment, a reformed life, but Oh the difficult work is behind, this wretched heart of mine, the hardness of that, the impossibility of that! conclude it therefore, and resolve upon it, it will cost me hard work, and unless the Lord enable me, and set in mightily and constantly upon my soul, the work will never be done: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, Jer. 17. 9. there is no hope of it, as it were, the hand, and eye, and tongue may be reformed, but the heart is desperate, who can know it? who can mend it? who can overpower it? If thou hast found it easy, nay, if thou didst never stand amazed at the difficulty of the work about thy heart to get that severed from thy sins, thou never hadst the right discerning of it to this day. Paul cried out of the Body of Death, Rom. 7. last, who shall deliver me from it? not from the eye, or the hand, but from the heart, ⟨p. 346⟩the will of Pride, the will of Uncleanness, the will of […], and here he is at a stand, at an amaze with himself, who shall deliver me!
Know that the greatest work of Reformation, Repentance, and the comfort of a mans spiritual condition, it lies mainly in the Will: the greatest work and the greatest difficulty lies here, Brethren. If you look at it as a matter of ease, that thou canst do it with the turning of a hand, and make wash-work of it, thou never knewest it, and thou shalt never attain it: It's one of the Devils greatest delusions whereby he cozens thousands, to perswade men it's an easie matter to be Religious: No, 〈…〉 know it, unless you find it the greatest work in the world, you will never find endeavors suitable, nor success answerable for the comfort of your own souls. Oh therefore that every man would go home convinced and perswaded, God hath helped me to temper my tongue, and to keep my hands, the Lord hath given me an enlightened Judgment, a reformed life, but Oh the difficult work is behind, this wretched heart of mine, the hardness of that, the impossibility of that! conclude it therefore, and resolve upon it, it wil cost me hard work, and unless the Lord enable me, and set in mightily and constantly upon my soul, the work will never be done: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, Jer. 17. 9. there is no hope of it, as it were, the hand, and eye, and tongue may be reformed, but the heart is desperate, who can know it? who can mend it? who can overpower it? If thou hast found it easie, nay, if thou didst never stand amazed at the difficulty of the work about thy heart to get that severed from thy sins, thou never hadst the right discerning of it to this day. Paul cried out of the Body of Death, Rom. 7. last, who shal deliver me from it? not from the eye, or the hand, but from the heart, ⟨p. 346⟩the will of Pride, the wil of Uncleanness, the will of 〈…〉, and here he is at a stand, at an amaze with himself, who shal deliver me!
