He that is pressing into the Kingdom of God, commonly finds many Things in the Way that are against the Grain; but he is not stopped by the Cross that lies before him, but takes it up and carries it: If there be something that it is incumbent […] him to do as he is one that seeks Salvation, that is cross to his natural Temper, and is irksome to him on that Account, or something that he can't do without Suffering in his Estate, or that he apprehends will look odd and strange in the Eyes of others, and expose him to Ridicule and Reproach, or any Thing that will offend a Neighbour, and get his ill Will, or something that will be very cross to his own carnal Appetite, he'll press through such Difficulties: Every Thing that is found to be a Weight that hinders him in running this Race, he casts from him, though it be a Weight of Gold or Pearls; yea, if it be a Right Hand or Foot that offends him, he'll cut them off; and won't stick at plucking out a Right Eye with his own Hands. These Things are insuperable Difficulties to those that are not thoroughly engaged in seeking their Salvation; they boggle exceedingly at them; they are stumbling Blocks that they never get over. But it is not so […] with him that presses into the Kingdom of God: those Things that, before he was thoroughly roused from his Security, he used to stick at, and was wont to have long Parlyings and Disputings with his own Conscience about, and set carnal Reason ⟨p. 140⟩to work to invent Arguments and Pleas to excuse himself from, he now sticks at no longer; he has done with this endless Disputing and Reasoning, and presses violently through all Difficulties; let what will be in the Way, Heaven is what he must, and will obtain, not if he can without Difficulty, but if it be possible. He meets with Temptation; the Devil is often whispering him in his Ear, setting Allurements before him, magnifying the Difficulties of the Work he is engaged in, telling him that they are insuperable, and that he can never conquer them, and trying all Ways in the World to discourage him; but still he presses forward: God has given and maintains such an earnest Spirit for Heaven, that the Devil can't stop him in his Course; he is not at Leisure to lend an Ear to what he has to say.
He that is pressing into the Kingdom of God, commonly finds many Things in the Way that are against the Grain; but he is not stop'd by the Cross that lies before him, but takes it up and carries it: If there be something that it is incumbent 〈…〉 him to do as he is one that seeks Salvation, that is cross to his natural Temper, and is irksome to him on that Account, or something that he can't do without Suffering in his Estate, or that he apprehends will look odd and strange in the Eyes of others, and expose him to Ridicule and Reproach, or any Thing that will offend a Neighbour, and get his ill Will, or something that will be very cross to his own carnal Appetite, he'll press through such Difficulties: Every Thing that is found to be a Weight that hinders him in running this Race, he casts from him, though it be a Weight of Gold or Pearls; yea, if it be a Right Hand or Foot that offends him, he'll cut them off; and won't stick at plucking out a Right Eye with his own Hands. These Things are insuperable Difficulties to those that are not thoroughly engaged in seeking their Salvation; they boggle exceedingly at them; they are stumbling Blocks that they never get over. But it is not so 〈…〉 with him that presses into the Kingdom of God: those Things that, before he was thoroughly roused from his Security, he used to stick at, and was wont to have long Parlyings and Disputings with his own Conscience about, and set carnal Reason ⟨p. 140⟩to work to invent Arguments and Pleas to excuse himself from, he now sticks at no longer; he has done with this endless Disputing and Reasoning, and presses violently through all Difficulties; let what will be in the Way, Heaven is what he must, and will obtain, not if he can without Difficulty, but if it be possible. He meets with Temptation; the Devil is often whispering him in his Ear, setting Allurements before him, magnifying the Difficulties of the Work he is engaged in, telling him that they are insuperable, and that he can never conquer them, and trying all Ways in the World to discourage him; but still he presses forward: God has given and maintains such an earnest Spirit for Heaven, that the Devil can't stop him in his Course; he is not at Leisure to lend an Ear to what he has to say.
