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

It may be you pick some good thing from some Sermons, or from some good book, but presently you forget them, you do not make it your own by Meditation, it slips out of your memory again, and so doth you no good: but if you would be careful to add unto it, you would grow stronger in the inward man then you do. And here is the misery of us that are spiritual Builders▪ other Builders when they have built a house, the owner looks to it himself, and keeps it in reparations: but when we have done what we can to build up in the inward man, and think that you will put to your hands your selves; when we are to further the work of grace, you begin to pull down your buildings again your selves by your ignorant and loose lives, That is by following your pleasure, your sporting and gaming, and profaning the Lords day. Therefore you must labour to grow in ⟨p. 71⟩knowledge if you will grow strong in the inward man.

It may be you pick some good thing from some Sermons, or from some good book, but presently you forget them, you do not make it your own by Meditation, it slips out of your memory again, and so doth you no good: but if you would be careful to adde unto it, you would grow stronger in the inward man then you do. And here is the misery of us that are spiritual Builders▪ other Builders when they have built a house, the owner lookes to it himself, and keepes it in reparations: but when we have done what we can to build up in the inward man, and think that you will put to your hands your selves; when we are to further the work of grace, you begin to pull down your buildings again your selves by your ignorant and loose lives, That is by following your pleasure, your sporting and gaming, and prophaning the Lords day. Therefore you must labour to grow in ⟨p. 71⟩knowledge if you will grow strong in the inward man.

The second means to be used, if you would grow strong in the inward man is this: you must be diligent in the use of all means, as the wise man saith, The hand of the diligent maketh rich: so where there is much diligence in the use of the means of grace, there is much strength in the inward man: no men get spiritual strength, but they that are diligent, And therefore this is the reason that men are not strong in the spiritual strength, because like the sluggard you are not diligent in the use of the means. That is, you take no pains for grace, and therefore it is that you get no increase. for according to the proportion of your pains, so is the inward man strengthened, And as you use them more diligently, so you find the strength of them more operative and powerful: for it is in the soul as it is with the body: If you be not diligent and careful to feed the body, it will wither and consume away, and grow weak, so if you feed not the soul diligently, and use the means constantly, you will breed weakness in the soul, and the more remiss and secure you are in the performance of holy duties, the weaker you are.