The saints everlasting rest

1. Thou shalt find thy heart as backward to this, as to any work in the world. O what excuses it will make! what evasions it will find out! and what delays, when it is never so much convinced! Either it will question, whether it be a duty or not; or, if it be so to others, yet whether it be so to thee? It will take up any thing like reason to plead against it; or, if thy heart have nothing against the work, then it will trifle away the time in delays, and promise this day and the next, but still keep off; or lastly, if thou wilt not be so baffled with excuses or delays, thy heart will give thee a flat denial, and oppose its own unwillingness to thy reason; thou shalt find it draw back with all the strength it hath. I speak all this of the heart so far as it is carnal; for so far as it is spiritual, it will judge this work the sweetest in the world.

But take up the authority which GOD hath given thee, command thy heart; if it rebel, use violence with it; if thou be too weak, call in the Spirit of Christ to thine assistance; he is never backward to so good a work, nor will deny his help in so just a cause: GOD will be ready to help thee, if thou be not unwilling to help thyself. Say unto him, "LORD, thou gavest my reason the command of my thoughts and affections; the authority I have received over them, is from thee, and now, behold they refuse to obey thine authority; thou commandest me to set them to the work of heavenly meditation, but they rebel and stubbornly refuse the duty; wilt thou not assist me to execute ⟨p. 371⟩that authority which thou hast given me? O send down thy Spirit and power, that I may enforce thy commands, and effectually compel them to obey thy will."

And thus doing, thou shalt see thy heart will submit; its resistance will be brought under; and its backwardness will be turned to compliance.