Four books on the eleventh of Matthew

Sixthly, The ease that a carnal heart hath, it is in his remissness in duty, in the remissness of his spirit, in his moderation that he pleads for, there lies his ease, but for the other, the extension of duty, that he pleads not for; you shall have a carnal heart plead for holy duties, but with moderation, we must be moderate, and if we do something that God requires, though we be not so hot and fiery as others, I hope it is well enough, doth not virtue consist in the middle way? As I like not the profaneness of some men, that are Swearers, and drunkards, & whoremongers on the one side, so I do not like your precise men on the other side, so that his ease lies in the remissness, in the lukewarmness of his spirit in holy duties. But now the ease of a gracious heart lies in the exactness of his spirit, to come to the very top of holy duties. It is with a gracious heart, as it is with many fowls, you shall have many fowls that fly, when they are low, they flutter, and it is a trouble to them to get on high, but when they are aloft, then it is no trouble to them; so it is with a gracious heart, to get up his heart, is some trouble to him, but now when he hath got up his heart, then he is in his element, there he can fly swiftly, when he hath got up into the highest region, there he gets the most ease. It is quite otherwise with a carnal heart, when he pleads for moderation, this virtue of moderation that he pleads for, it is not a middle of participation, the middle in which virtue consists; it is not a middle that doth participate of a degree of both the contraries, but a denying of the extremes of both, as the true virtue of liberality consists not between prodigality ⟨p. 666⟩and covetousness, but denies the extremes, of both, it will have nothing to do with either of both the extremes, but that which a carnal heart cal• for in moderation, is the mixture of both extremes together, and so makes up a religion of the mixture, as thus, there is open profaneness, that is one kind of extreme, and there is deadness of spirit the other way, that that is opposite unto the open profaneness in wickedness of many people that of drunkenness, and uncleanness and the like they will none of this, And then there is the Strictness of power and life in the ways of God in the other way;

Sixtly, The ease that a carnal heart hath, it is in his remissness in duty, in the remissness of his spirit, in his moderation that he pleads for, there lyes his ease, but for the other, the extension of duty, that he pleads not for; you shal have a carnal heart plead for holy duties, but with moderation, we must be moderate, and if we do somthing that God requires, though we be not so hot and fiery as others, I hope it is wel enough, doth not vertue consist in the middle way? As I like not the profaneness of some men, that are Swearers, and drunkards, & whoremongers on the one side, so I do not like your precise men on the other side, so that his ease lyes in the remissness, in the lukewarmness of his spirit in holy duties. But now the ease of a gracious heart lyes in the exactness of his spirit, to come to the very top of holy duties. It is with a gracious heart, as it is with many fowls, you shall have many fowls that fly, when they are low, they flutter, and it is a trouble to them to get on high, but when they are aloft, then it is no trouble to them; so it is with a gracious heart, to get up his heart, is some trouble to him, but now when he hath got up his heart, then he is in his element, there he can fly swiftly, when he hath got up into the highest region, there he gets the most ease. It is quite otherwise with a carnal heart, when he pleads for moderation, this vertue of moderation that he pleads for, it is not a middle of participation, the middle in which virtu consists; it is not a middle that doth participate of a degree of both the contraries, but a denying of the extreams of both, as the true virtue of liberality consists not between prodigallity