A treatise of delighting in God from Psal. xxxvij. 4. Delight thy self also…

Instead of that apply your self with so much the more earnestness to the proper course of remedy; and therein you must know your own labour and diligence; your contentions with your self must have a great place: Otherwise it would never have been said,¹ Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain that are ready to die. And give all diligence to add to your faith virtue, ²&c. Such things would never have been charged as duty upon you if you had nothing to do. You must expect to be dealt with as a sort of creatures capable of understanding your own concernments; not to be hewed and hammered as senseless stones that are ignorant of the artists intent, but as living ones to be polished and fitted to the spiritual building, by an hand that reasonably expects your own compliance and co-operation to its known design. ⟨p. 223⟩Unto which design though you must know you are to be subservient and must do something; yet you must withal consider you can be but subservient, and of your selves alone can do just nothing.

Instead of that apply your self with so much the more earnestness to the proper course of remedy; and therein you must know your own labour and diligence; your contentions with your self must have a great place: Otherwise it would never have been said,¹ Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain that are ready to die. And give all diligence to add to your faith vertue, ²&c. Such things would never have been charg'd as duty upon you if you had nothing to do. You must expect to be dealt with as a sort of creatures capable of understanding your own concernments; not to be hewed and hammered as senseless stones that are ignorant of the artists intent, but as living ones to be polished and fitted to the spiritual building, by an hand that reasonably expects your own compliance and co-operation to its known design. ⟨p. 223⟩