2. The difficulty of it will appear again if we consider, the will is far more corrupted than any other faculty of the soul. The under- standing is much blinded, but the will is more depraved and averse from God. The mind of a carnal man hath a little light, which is apt to suggest some good motion. As Job's messenger said, ' I alone am escaped to tell thee ; ' so may conscience say, I alone am escaped out of the ruins of the fall to suggest some good motion to thee. But now the will doth more abhor and refuse good than the understanding is ignorant of it ; there is some light in the understanding, but there is
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242 A TREATISE OF SELF-DENIAL. [BoOK I.
nothing but sin in the will. !Many a man is often convinced, his un- derstanding is gained before he is converted ; they see better things, see what is good, before they choose them. Tlie last fort Christ gains in the heart is the will of man.
3. Consider, the will is not subdued by all the methods and external arts of grace which God useth to gain the soul. The Lord makes a challenge in Isa. v. 3, 4, ' Judge between me and my people, what could be done more for my vineyard than I have done ? ' What could God do more than to provide a Christ, a gospel, a gracious covenant ? and yet all this doth not gain with man. There we have thie highest motives to allure us, the strongest arguments to persuade us, the greatest terrors to affright us, yet the soul will not yield. Oh, what sweet motives have we to come in to God : the offer of Christ ; the promise of heaven and glory ! God outbids all the world. What will you have more ? You have my Son to die for you, my grace to help you, heaven to reward you. God hath contrived a sweet plot of grace, but the will of man slights all. The devil, he cannot bid so fair for your lieart, yet men give up their souls to him. He cannot promise you everlasting glory. Can Satan give you such recompenses as God ? The world cannot assure you of everlasting happiness. You may die, or these things may fly away from you. The devil was never buffeted for you ; he endured no agonies, shed no blood for you ; he seeks to undo you all he can, therefore ' Come to me,' says Christ. But the sum of all is in Mat. xxiii. 37, ' I would, but you would not.' When God comes with external offers, with fit accommodation of means, with all necessary circumstances and methods of grace, yet the sinner turns back. Christ renews messengers, yet the proud will of man saith, ' I will not : ' Ps. Iviii. 5. ' They will not hearken to the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely.' All the charms of grace will not prevail, they stop their ears ; Christ's blood may stand as cheap as common blood for all this, if God did not come in with an act of power. Nay, further, if he should threaten and inflict judgment, yet all will not work to soften the heart and subdue the will of man, with- out an almighty efficacy and influence. The greatest terrors are of no force. Judgment may break the back, but not the heart. Pharaoh was crossed again and again, God multiplies plague upon plague, yet his will stood out — ' 1 will not let the people go.' When God knocks upon us by the hammer of judgment, yet it will not break the flint and the rock and adamant that is in our will. The bad thief had one foot in hell, yet he blasphemes still. Not only the standers-by, but one of the thieves derideth Christ on the cross.
4. When the will is in part renewed and cured, yet still it is apt to lecoil and return back again to its old bondage. How often do the children of God complain of weariness, deadness, and straits, continual reluctation of the flesh : Gal. v. 17, ' The flesh lusleth against the spirit, so that you cannot do what you would.' A child of God cannot do what he would ; when his will begins to be set towards heaven, it is very much broken and distracted ; Kom. vii. 18, ' To will is present with me ; but how to perform that which is good, I find not.' When we are gone out of Sodom, we are apt to look back again. And this will be our condition till we come to heaven : the flesh will rise up in arms
Book I.] a treatise of self-denial. 213
against every holy motion, and our fetters hang upon us, till we come into Christ's arms. We are not only at first conversion like a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke ; but afterward still we find there is an unruly will, not fixed with obedience to the will of God.
Secondly, To give you motives and arguments to enforce this kind of self-denial.
1. The soul is never renewed till the will be tamed and subdued to God. The soul can never be said to be regenerated till the will be renewed. The new creature begins in the mind, but is never perfected till it come to the heart, till we ' put off the old man with his lusts,' Eph. iv. 22, 23. Till our natural inclinations be altered — till grace be placed in the centre of the heart, corruptions will recoil. When the bird's wings are broken, then it can fly no longer ; so when once the will is broken, then the sinner is subdued, and taken captive by grace. The mind is only the counsellor, the will is the monarch ; till this be done, you cannot look upon yourselves as new creatures.