196 The Soutes efrtEluallcallingtoChrife. of this condition, ifever you meane to get mer. cie to your foules,but if youwill lofeyour foules, whocan helpe it? goe to the proofe, make the word good to your confciences ; doe I delire Chri(t for himfelfe ? No,there is no fuchmatter, therefore yeeld it before heaven andearth, Idid never yet attaine to this found delire ; this is formethingyet,nowyou feeyour wants. $, Prafr?ice. Secondly thenobferve the difficultieofgetting thisdefire,you tut& not thinke that this delre is an eafie matter to attaine, the foule fliould often reafonwith it felfe, how dangerous is it to want this defire ? without it I am undone for ever ; as altohow hard a matter is it to get this, it is be yondall the power that God hathbeflowed upon me,thething is wonderfirll hard and difficult,per fwade one another of the thing, and fay,you and I,neighbour,thought itwas an eafiematter toget this delire, wee thought it was nothing to fay fo, and profeffefo, and refolve fo, but this is nota deliire, to talke, and will, and promife, it is ade- ceit. Delire is another-gefTe matter thanwe ima gine, it is noeafie matter to defirearight; who will not fay, hee doth delire ?everyman can doe that,yet noman hath gooddell re almofl; a reran may have abilitie toknow, and undorftand wife- ly, and difpute judicioufly ofChrif} aid grac;, and yet never get a delire after Chrift andgrce. It is a great matter toknowwhat we fhoulddoe, it isharder to what wee know, and harde(i ofall toget adelireto dowhat we ought. There- fore confider of it ; isthe worke fo heavie, and the
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