$2 The Ways of Xfdom, S E R M. 2dly, It muff be acknowledged that dif i. III. culty and pain, in certain inftances, attend `'Y"' the firft entrance upon a religious and vir- tuous courfe of life. When men have aban- doned themfelves to profligate wickednefs, and a long cuftom of finning hath ftrength- ened their pronenefs to it, it cannot be ex- pefted it fhould be eafy for them to break it off at once and praftice the contrary virtues. We fee that habits of any fort are with dif- ficulty unlearned and difufed, efpecially thofe which are founded on a propenfity of nature and bias of the mind. The fcripture there- fore reprefenteth repentance and mortification as painful, exprefing them by rending the heart, plucking out the eye, and cutting of the hand ; yet even the very beginnings of reformation are not without pleafure; the firft purpofes which a man formeth of doing his duty yield him fatisfac`tion, efpecially lince there is hope of a happy iffue if they be heartily purfued ; and we are not left to ftruggle alone with our weaknefs, but affured that the fuperior aids of divine grace will be granted to them that afk. But every ftep of our progrefs in the paths of holinefs will bring an increafe of delight fufficient to re- compenfe all the toil and uneafinefs which attend
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