That which men pretend and complain of herein, is the difficulty of the work. They can as they suppose preserve their present station, but to press forward, to grow in grace, to thrive in their affections, this is too hard for them. But this complaint is unequal and unjust, and adds unto the
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guilt of their sloth. It reflects upon the words of our Sa- viour, that his ' yoke is easy, and his burden light ;' that his ' commandments are not grievous.* It expresseth unbelief in the promises of God, tendering such supplies of grace as to render all the ways of wisdom easy, yea, mercy and peace. It is contrary unto the experience of all who have with any sincerity and diligence engaged in the ways of gospel obedience. And the whole cause of the pretended difficulty lies in themselves alone ; which may be reduced unto these two heads :
1. A desire to retain some thing or things, that is, or are, inconsistent with such a progress. For unless the heart be ready on all occasions to esteem every thing as loss and dung, so as we may win Christ, the work will be accom- panied with insuperable difficulties. This is the first prin- ciple of religion, of gospel obedience, that all things are to be despised for Christ. But this difficulty ariseth not from the thing itself, but from our indisposition unto it, and unfitness for it. That which is an easy pleasant walk unto a sound and healthy man, is a toilsome journey to him that is diseased and infirm. In particular, whilst men will retain an inordinate respect unto the world, the vanities, the pleasures, the profits, the contentments, of it; whilst self-love, putting an undue valuation on our persons, our relations, our en- joyments, our reputations, doth cleave unto us, we shall labour in the fire when we engage in this duty; or rather we shall not at all sincerely engage in it ; wherefore the apostle tells us, that in this case we must cast off ' every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us,' if we intend ' to run with joy the race that is set before us ;' Heb. xii. 1.
2. It is because men dwell continually upon the en- trances of religion in the first and lowest exercise of grace : some are always beginning at religion, and the be- ginning of things are always difficult. They design not to be complete in the whole will of God, nor to give all graces their perfect work. They do not with use habituate grace unto a readiness in all the actings of it, which the apostle commends in them that are perfect or complete; Heb. v. 14. Hence he calls such persons babes, and carnal, compara- tively unto them that are strong men and spiritual. Such persons do not oblige themselves unto the whole work, and
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all the duties of religion, but only what they judge neces- sary unto them in their present circumstances. In parti- cular, they do not attempt a thorough work in the mortifica- tion of any sin, but are hewing and hacking at it, as their convictions are urgent or abate, the wounds whereof in the body of sin are quickly healed. They give not any grace its perfect work, but are always making essays, and so give over.
Whilst it is thus with any, they shall always be deluded with the apprehensions of insuperable difficulties, as to the growth of their affections in spirituality and heavenliness. Remove these things out of the way as they ought to be removed, and we shall find all the paths wherein we are to walk towards God to be pleasantness and peace.
This is the first cause whence it is, that there may be af- fections truly spiritual and graciously renewed in some per- sons, who yet do not thrive in an assimilation and con- formity unto heavenly things. Men take up with their pre- sent measures ; and thereon pretend either necessary occa- sion, or discouragements from difficulties in attempting spiritual growth in the inward man. But they may thank themselves, if as they bring no honour unto Christ, so they have no solid peace in their own souls.
2, As the evil proceedeth from folly, so it is always the consequent of sin, of many sins, of various sorts. Let us not dwell on heartless complaints, that we do not find our affections lively and heavenly ; that we do not find the inward man to thrive or grow. Let us not hearken after this or that relief or comfort under this consideration, as many things are usually insisted on unto that purpose. They may be of use, when persons are under temptations, and not able to make a right judgment of themselves. But in the course of our ordinary walking with God, they are not to be attended, nor retired unto. The general reason of this evil state, is our own sinful carelessness, negligence, and sloth, with perhaps an indulgence unto some known lust or cor- ruption. And we do in vain seek after refreshing cordials, as though we were only spiritually faint, when we stand in need of lancings and burnings, as nigh unto a letliargy. It would be too lon<r to give instances of these sins, which fail not effectually to obstruct the thriving of spiritual af-