That ibemaycertainlyobtainfpirituallgracer, &c. 6o; for howfoeuer thefe heauenly treafures areinfinitlyof more value then this earthly trafh,yecwe may not onlyattaine un- to more certaine affuranceofthem, but alto compaffe them withmuch more cafe; for thoughwe haue neuer fo great a loue & delireofobtaining ihefe worldlyvanities, it helpeth vs notmuch to theirfruition; yea (as I haue fheweel) often- times too much delire after earthly things, frufirateth our hope,& hinderethvsfrom attaining vnto the thingsdefired; but (as one faith)a iufl li fe,tbhich za the °bay thatIeadeth to life t.Ffa verá vita eternal, rsalzaaiesprefent when e .euil;becaufeti ùiufhceitfelfe, cumvolamna ífwe effetluallydefire it,neit her is thereany thingmore requiredadefl,3r<ia tam ta thepe fellingofrighteoufnet, thentohaueaperfcllMiltoem- pplam,plenèvel- brace it ; and thereforewhatgreat labour is in-that, where towill !e °.FUga iR, &c. Auguí}. r alfo to obtaine?For whereas it may beobiecried that our Sa- epif..as.ad At uiour faith,that the wayto life eternall is (trait, and the gate mencarium, that entreth into itnarrow;thisdifficultieistobevnderilood Tom". in refpeét offlcfh and blood, which indeed is toogroffefor Muth.' t.to. this narrowpaffage; but ifwe lay afide the old man;with the Plalme 119.11. - groffecorruptions thereof, andbecome fpiritualiand holy in 31r3o ourminds,affecuions & a6uions,we fhall haueroome enough to enter.Againe,thisdiflïculty and flraitnes isonly at theEll fight whëwebehold this way afar off, wichoutany deliireto go into it;whereas ifwe come neerer hand, with a fullrefo. lution to enter into this narrowpaffage,we Thal find it open, , eafie andlarge enough ; euen as when being in abroad way, , and looking farrebeforevsvpon anarrow lane, we thinke it quiteclofed vp,and are ready (ifexperience helped vs not more then fight)to turnebacke,as beinghopclefí'e in finding anypaffage; but when we (till go forwardand-come neere vnto theplace, we find an eafieentrance for foure orflue to- gether,whichwe fuppofed was not large enough for one : fo although the way toheauen feemeth lirait to thòfe who look uponit with carnali eyes, yet this is not fo much in the nar- rownesofthepaffageitfelfe,as in the errorofourfight; for theywho approachvaro it find anopenpaffage, and being onceentred,do trauell forwardwith great delight.And ther- fore feeing this way is certaine, affuredlybringing vs to our lorneyes endofeternall happinea,andeafie alfo tochofe who trauell.
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