The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

That which men pretend, and complain of herein, is the difficulty of the Work. They can as they suppose preserve their present Station, but to press forward to grow in Grace, to thrive in their Affections, this is too hard for them. But this Complaint is unequal and unjust and adds unto the guilt of their Sloth. It reflects upon the Words of our Saviour, that his Yoke is easy, and his Burden Light, that his Commandments are not grievous. It expresseth Unbelief in the Promises of God, tendering such Supplies of Grace as ⟨p. 268⟩to render all the ways of Wisdom easy, yea, Mercy and Peace. It is contrary unto the Experience of all who have with any Sincerity and Diligence engaged in the ways of Gospel Obedience. And the whole cause of the pretended Difficulty lies in themselves alone; which may be reduced unto these two Heads.

That which men pretend, and complain of herein, is the difficulty of the Work. They can as they suppose preserve their present Station, but to press forward to grow in Grace, to thrive in their Affections, this is too hard for them. But this Complaint is unequal and unjust and adds unto the guilt of their Sloth. It reflects upon the Words of our Saviour, that his Yoke is easy, and his Burden Light, that his Commandments are not grievious. It expersseth Unbelief in the Promises of God, tendring such Supplies of Grace as ⟨p. 268⟩to render all the wayes of Wisdom easy, yea, Mercy and Peace. It is contrary unto the Experience of all who have with any Sincerity and Diligence ingaged in the wayes of Gospel Obedience. And the whole cause of the pretended Difficulty lyes in themselves alone; which may be reduced unto these two Heads.

First, A Desire to retain some thing, or things, that is, or are inconsistent with such a Progress. For unless the Heart be ready on all Occasions, to esteem every things as Loss and Dung, so as we may win Christ, the work will be accompanied with insuperable Difficulties. This is the first Principle of Religion, of Gospel Obedience, that all things are to be despised for Christ. But this Difficulty ariseth not from the thing it self, but from our Indisposition unto it, and unfitness for it. That which is an easy pleasant Walk unto a found and healthy Man, is a toilsome Journey to him that is diseased and infirm. In particular, whilst Men will retain an inordinate respect unto the World, the Vanities, the Pleasures, the Profits, the Contentments of it; whilst Self-Love, putting an undue Valuation on our Persons, our Relations, our Enjoyments, our Reputations, doth cleave unto us, we shall labour in the Fire when we engage in this Duty; or rather we shall not at all sincerely engage in it; wherefore the Apostle tells us, that in this case, we must cast off every weight, and the Sin that doth so easily beset us, if we intend to run with Joy the Race that is set before us,