An antidote against distractions, or, An endeavour to serve the church, in the daily…An antidote against distractions, or, An indeavour to serve the church, in the daily…

¹3. And is there no hardship in attending upon sin? Is it an easy thing to serve the Devil? Wise Solomon saith, Prov. 13.15. The way of Transgressors is hard. Our love to it blinds our eyes, or else he serves an hard service, that dances attendance on any sin; The Lascivious man swallows many difficulties, perhaps weeks and months together, to continue the ⟨p. 55⟩pleasure of an hour. How many dark nights doth the Drunkard walk, and hard words endure, and hard shift make to feed that senseless lust! who would digest the life of a covetous worldling? hard fare, hard work, hard journeys, for what may be consumed in two hours; to say nothing of the life of the envious, the ambitious, the malicious man, whose daily bread is mingled not only with sweat, but gall and bitterness; and yet who hears them complain of difficulty, or throw off their designs for hardness. And is it not far better to conquer difficulties for Heaven than Hell, and venture upon hardship for Christ and thine own soul, than for Satan and thy damnation? especially when Love to the service of God would make this yoke as easy, as transgressors labour is to them.

¹3. And is there no hardship in attending upon sin? Is it an easie thing to serve the Devil? Wise Solomon saith, Prov. 13.15. The way of Transgressors is hard. Our love to it blinds our eyes, or else he serves an hard service, that dances attendance on any sin; The Lascivious man swallows many difficulties, perhaps weeks and months together, to continue the ⟨p. 55⟩pleasure of an hour. How many dark nights doth the Drunkard walk, and hard words indure, and hard shift make to feed that sensless lust! who would digest the life of a covetous worldling? hard fare, hard work, hard journeys, for what may be consumed in two hours; to say nothing of the life of the envious, the ambitious, the malicious man, whose daily bread is mingled not only with sweat, but gall and bitterness; and yet who hears them complain of difficulty, or throw off their designs for hardness. And is it not far better to conquer difficulties for Heaven than Hell, and venture upon hardship for Christ and thine own soul, than for Satan and thy damnation? especially when Love to the service of God would make this yoke as easie, as transgressors labour is to them.