Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

To help you in this work I will lay down some means, by the use of which you may be strengthened. But before I come unto the particulars it will not be amiss to stand upon the general, That is to persuade you a little, to desire to be strong: for if you could but bring your hearts unto this, but desire to be strengthened, it will be a great ⟨p. 68⟩means to move us to prevail against whatsoever may seem to hinder us from it. I say if you did but desire it, that is if you did but know the excellency of the Inward man, it would work a holy desire in you, and a true desire will let no means escape that will further a man. This is the same means that Christ useth to his Disciples when he would have them in love with faith, If you have faith saith he, but as much as a grain of Mustard seed, you shall be able to remove mountains. That is if you did but know the excellency of this grace of saith you would desire it, and if you did but desire it you would never rest till you had got it; so if you did but prize grace and the worth of the Inward man at a high rate, you should be sure to gain it. Therefore you know the promise in the 5. of Matthew, Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after vighteousness ¹for they shall be satisfied. Therefore if you would but bring your hearts unto this frame as to hunger after the strength of the Inward man, you shall have it, or if you can but bring your hearts to this temper as to desire and seek after the strength of the Inward man, you shall find it; as in Prov. 2. 7. If thou searchest for her as for silver, and diggest for her as for hidden treasure then thou shalt find her. ²That is, if thou didst but esteem the Inward man as men do silver, and prize it, as a rich treasure at a high rate, Then the effect would follow you, shall find it. So then if you will desire salvation, and happiness, and the strength of the Inward man, you shall have it, for you will never thrive in grace until you have a desire to thrive: grace will not grow till there be a desire wrought in the soul, for when men do not delight in the inward man, they never grow in grace and holiness. That is they are not as trees planted, that bring forth seasonable fruit, but are barren; do what you will to it, the soul is naught, for the spirit hath not yet tilled the heart, and sown in it the first beginning of the seed of grace which is an earnest desire after it.