Gods husbandry

And this desire being a true and settled desire,¹ must needs be seconded with endeavour. It is not a poor, faint, sluggish, wishing and woulding, by which a man (as it were betwixt sleeping and waking) doth think, twere well if I did, and sure I will, and I would if I could, as a sluggard lieth stretched in his bed, and faintly wisheth, O that I could arise! It is not (I say) such a feeble, powerless, avert, desire, as this (which is but (as one would say) the tenth part of the consent of the will, to the thing willed): but it is a desire so mighty, and effectual, as doth bring forth an endeavour. It makes a man put forth himself, to effect the thing desired. He wisheth to obey, as a resolute soldier wisheth victory, so as he will fight for it, and draw his weapon, and meet his enemy in the face, and hazard limb and life, and give and receive blows, and leave nothing undone, that his wit serves him to think of, for the achievement of victory. A coward also would fain divide the spoil, and feed himself with the fatness of a good booty: but his wishes do not disperse themselves ⟨p. 112⟩into his hands and legs, nor stir up his spirits and his limbs to be entering battle, and to join hand to hand with the foe: so a good mans desire of obedience, sets his head, and heart, and hand on work, to the attainment of obedience. He thinks; Ah that I could be good according to Gods commandment! And further he thinketh; What may I do to get power against such a sin? to attain strength to do such duties? And when he sees what is to be done, he sets about it, he calls upon himself, he calls upon God, he urgeth his own heart, he entreats the Lord Jesus for help, he blames himself, he condemns himself, he enforceth upon himself the remembrance of Gods commandments, Gods judgements,² Gods promises, and as David saith, he lifts up his hands to the Law of God which he hath loved. He is busy in labouring to obey, and a man that lives with him, may even perceive in him, and he, in himself, a strife this way. For in truth as there is a great difference betwixt lusting to be rich, and labouring for wealth: so betwixt a bare lusting to be good, and endeavouring after goodness. The sluggard would be content to take wealth, if he could find it under his foot, or if with little ado he could entreat it to fall into his lap;