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

The first hinderance is this, when you spend your ¹strength upon other things and not in the strengthening of the inward man: therefore you must be wise to take away those things that you spend most of your time about, and set them for the strengthening of the inward man; This is the reason you grow not: all your time and affections are so after the things of the world, and how you may grow strong in that; that you cannot mind heavenly things.

The first hinderance is this, when you spend your ¹strength upon other things and not in the strengthning of the inward man: therefore you must be wise to take away those things that you spend most of your time about, and set them for the strengthning of the inward man; This is the reason you grow not: all your time and affections are so after the things of the world, and how you may grow strong in that; that you cannot minde heavenly things.

1. 11. Hind.

Again you hinder the growth of the inward man, when you set your mind & affections upon base and vile things, this hindereth the growth of the inward man: such a man is a weak man in grace. As for example, A man that hath money to bestow at market, if when he shall come there, he shall bestow it upon baubles and not upon the things he was sent to buy, this man were a foolish man, especially he knowing that he shall be called to an account for it how he hath laid it out: even thus and much more foolish are men, when they spend their time on their pleasure and lusts which are base things, and not in strengthening the inward man, they forsake a great prize that would enrich them, but because they want knowledge, that is, they are weak in the inward man, They are not able to judge of spiritual things. Therefore never brag of your strength except it be the strength of the inward man, and take heed of neglecting the time. Paul would have the gathering for the poor before he came, that that might not hinder him from strengthening of the inward man, though that was a holy work. It was a good speech of one after he had spent much time in writing about controversies, at last concludes, I have (saith he) spent a great deal of time, but not in strengthening the inward man; the Devil hath beguiled me, but he shall never go beyond me any more, that time that I have I will spend to another end. It were wisdom in you to do the like. You that have spent and do spend your time upon trifles, and baubles, that is, about your lusts, conclude that now for your time to come you gather your strength, and bend all your labours and pains to this end for the strengthening of the inward man, and say with your selves, we had a prize in our hands, that is, we had much time, whereby we might have strengthened the inward man, but we had no heart, that is we were befooled, because we did not know the excellency of the inward man, But we will do so no more; The time now that we have shall be how we may be strengthened in the inward man, and grow in favour with God.