Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

Thirdly, Upon this humiliation and strait of soul, there ensues a deliberation, a standing (as the King of Babylon did, Ezek. 21.21.) at the parting of the way, to make a true enquiry. Lo! saith the afflicted soul in a self-parley, here is the way of life, and there of death, this is the way everlasting, and that's the way of time; If you live after the flesh, you must dye, but if you mortify ⟨p. 74⟩the deeds of the body, you shall live, if you sow unto the flesh, you must reap corruption, if unto the spirit, life everlasting. O my soul! be not deceived; God and sin, Christ and Belial, heaven and hell, cannot mix together. Say then, O my soul, what wilt thou have? the mess of pottage, or the birthright, the pleasures of sin, or those at Gods right hand, the worlds trinity of lusts, or communion with the blessed Trinity in heaven? Thus the soul sits down and casts up the cost; sin on and burn in hell for ever, turn to God and shine in eternal glory, spare thy lusts and damn thy soul, slay thy lusts and save it. Oh! what a fearful cheat is sin? it proffers a profit or a pleasure, and asks a soul; it holds out a moment or two, and would have eternity in pawn for it; it tickles the sense, and stabs the conscience; it courts and flatters like the strange woman, and leads down to hell and death. Such deliberations as these make way for resignation; an indeliberate resignation is but a flash and away, but a deliberate one is fit to endure.

Thirdly, Upon this humiliation and strait of soul, there ensues a deliberation, a standing (as the King of Babylon did, Ezek. 21.21.) at the parting of the way, to make a true enquiry. Lo! saith the afflicted soul in a self-parley, here is the way of life, and there of death, this is the way everlasting, and that's the way of time; If you live after the flesh, you must dye, but if you mortifie ⟨p. 74⟩the deeds of the body, you shall live, if you sow unto the flesh, you must reap corruption, if unto the spirit, life everlasting. O my soul! be not deceived; God and sin, Christ and Belial, heaven and hell, cannot mix together. Say then, O my soul, what wilt thou have? the mess of pottage, or the birthright, the pleasures of sin, or those at Gods right hand, the worlds trinity of lusts, or communion with the blessed Trinity in heaven? Thus the soul sits down and casts up the cost; sin on and burn in hell for ever, turn to God and shine in eternal glory, spare thy lusts and damn thy soul, slay thy lusts and save it. Oh! what a fearful cheat is sin? it proffers a profit or a pleasure, and asks a soul; it holds out a moment or two, and would have eternity in pawn for it; it tickles the sense, and stabs the conscience; it courts and flatters like the strange woman, and leads down to hell and death. Such deliberations as these make way for resignation; an indeliberate resignation is but a flash and away, but a deliberate one is fit to endure.