The fourth (and last) volume of discourses, or sermons, on several scriptures

¹Thirdly, To evince the greatness of this Work, consider it is a Work that must be carried on against many Encounters and strong Oppositions that a Christian will certainly meet with; within are strong Corruptions, without are strong Temptations; you have a treacherous and deceitful Heart within, and this Traitor holds Intelligence and League with your great Enemy the Devil without: You are sure to meet with Difficulties, Affronts and Discouragements from a peevish ill-conditioned, World in which you live: Never any yet could scape free to Heaven without meeting with these Things. And doth not all this call upon you to work and strive for Salvation? Is it a time to sit still when you have all this Opposition to break through, so many Temptations to resist, so many Corruptions to mortify, Satan that old Serpent to repel, and make him become a flying Serpent? Doth not all this require a morose Constancy, and a kind of sour Resolvedness to go thorough the ways of Obedience, notwithstanding all Opposition? These great Things are not to be achieved without great Pains and Labour; ⟨p. 77⟩and therefore, if you resolve to do no more than a few heartless Wishes, no more than a few more heartless Duties will amount to, never raise your Expectations so high as Salvation; for let me tell you, Salvation will not be obtained at such a rate as this; no, there must be great Strugglings and Labour, with earnest Contendings, if ever you intend to be saved.

¹Thirdly, To evince the greatness of this Work, consider it is a Work that must be carried on against many Encounters and strong Oppositions that a Christian will certainly meet with; within are strong Corruptions, without are strong Temptations; you have a treacherous and deceitful Heart within, and this Traitor holds Intelligence and League with your great Enemy the Devil without: You are sure to meet with Difficulties, Affronts and Discouragements from a peevish ill-condition'd, World in which you live: Never any yet could scape free to Heaven without meeting with these Things. And doth not all this call upon you to work and strive for Salvation? Is it a time to sit still when you have all this Opposition to break through, so many Temptations to resist, so many Corruptions to mortify, Satan that old Serpent to repel, and make him become a flying Serpent? Doth not all this require a morose Constancy, and a kind of sour Resolvedness to go thorough the ways of Obedience, notwithstanding all Opposition? These great Things are not to be atchieved without great Pains and Labour;