Gods husbandry

If thou be willing, now the waters are stirred, now the Spirit of God is come down in this ordinance, now thou mayest be put into these waters, and now thou shalt be made whole. If thine answer be, that thou art willing, then I say unto thee, make it appear that thou art so in very truth, and that thou dost not only say thou art so: for many a mans words and meaning are far distant each from other: many a man affirmeth with loud voice, and open profession of speeches, that he is willing to receive that grace which he is not willing to receive.

If thou be willing, now the waters are stirred, now the Spirit of God is come downe in this ordinance, now thou mayest bee put into these waters, and now thou shalt bee made whole. If thine answere bee, that thou art willing, then I say vnto thee, make it appeare that thou art so in very truth, and that thou dost not onely say thou art so: for many a mans words and meaning are farre distant each from other: many a man affirmeth with loud voyce, and open profession of speeches, that hee is willing to receiue that grace which hee is not willing to receiue.

There is a faint motion of the will, which is rather an act of the understanding convinced, that one should be willing to get a thing, than any true and earnest working of the will towards that thing; and this kind of willingness must men take for a true being willing. But herein they do much deceive themselves; for a man may be enforced to acknowledge, that he ought to be willing to get such or such a thing, and withal, find in himself some slothful wishes to have the same, and yet be destitute of that steadfast and fixed resolution of the will, which is indeed the motion of the will required to be in us, if we will receive good from the Lord. But how shall it be made manifest whether a mans willingness be settled or overt, well grounded or shallow? Surely he that indeed bendeth his will to any thing, will be contented to devour the pains of seeking and striving after it, as he that would be rich ⟨p. 40⟩in good carriest will labour for riches. But he whose will is a little weakly stirred towards wealth, but yet doth give it self over unto ease and pleasure, after he hath affirmed that he would be wealthy, shows, that his will is not settled upon wealth, by taking his ease, and following his pleasure, rather then that he will cross himself in these things to get wealth. It is even so in things spiritual for this matter, as it is in things temporal: he that weakly wisheth to be upright, but hath not his will soundly carried after uprightness, after his seeming to be willing, discovereth his unwillingness, by refusing to do that by which he might be made upright. But if thou wouldest indeed be made sincere, as a sick man would be made whole, thou must be content to take that physic, though troublesome in working, which will purge out thy predominant hypocrisy, and beget sincerity in the stead thereof.