A practical exposition of the Lord's-Prayer

Partly, in our selves. As in the Israelites going out of Egypt, the difficulty lay, not only in gaining the Consent of Pharaoh, (for he pursues after them when they were gone) but also in persuading the People to give their Consent; it was long ere Israel desired to be gone: So in our natural Condition, the Mind of Man is so depraved, that he thinks his Bondage to be his Freedom, and that there is no such merry Life, as to wallow in carnal Satisfactions; and our Affections are so far engaged to this sinful Estate, that we dote upon our Shackles, and are unwilling to hear of a Change. The first Step of coming out of this Kingdom of Darkness, is, when we find it to be a heavy Burden, and grow weary of the Devil's Government, tho it be but out of a Principle of Self-love. Isa. 26. 13. O Lord, other Lords besides thee have had dominion over us; but by thee only will we make mention of thy Name. Yea, but as soon as we begin to have any serious thoughts of that miserable State in which we are, Satan interposeth, dealing with us, as Pharaoh did with the Israelites. The Israelites complain their Bondage was very sore; what doth Pharaoh? He doubles the Burden. Exod. 5. 17. You are idle, &c. So that out of Bondage of Soul, they would not hearken to Moses. Just so Satan deals with us: When Souls begin to be serious, and to leave off fleshly and worldly Lusts, and to give up themselves to God, ⟨p. 204⟩that they may be directed in the way of Holiness, and obtain eternal Life, then he doubles our Burdens. Corruptions are never more stirring, than after some Conviction. Rom. 7. 9. When the Commandment came, Sin revived, and I died; not only as to a deeper sense of the Guilt of it, but as to its struggling for Life. The Bullock at the first yoking is most unruly; so we which are unaccustomed to the Yoke, when we begin once to take it upon us, there's a mighty backwardness. Fire at first kindling makes abundance of Smoke; so when Conviction is stirring, Corruption is more exasperated. The Devil is very jealous of the first Beam of Light which breaks into the Heart, and of every Ordinance which conveys it; therefore sets Corruptions at work, that it may appear to be a vain hope of ever escaping his Clutches: So Men are tired, and give over, and think it is to no purpose. But if Light increases to more Trouble, the Devil seeks to elude the Importunity of it by delay;