316 OF SPIRITUAL MINDEDNESS. is an easy, pleasant walk to a sound and healthy man, is a toilsome journey to him that is diseased and infirm. In particular, whilst men will retain an inordinate, re- spect to 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 enjoyments, our reputations, doth cleave to us, we shall labor 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. Secondly. It is because men dwell continually upon the entrances of religion, in the first and lowest exer-. eise of grace, some are always beginning at religion, and the beginning of things is 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 to a readiness in all the actings of it, which the apostle commends in them that are perfect and complete. Heb. v. 14. Hence he calls such persons babes and carnal, comparatively to them that are strong men and spiritual. Such persons do not oblige themselves to the whole work, and all the duties of religion, but only what they judge necessary to them in their present circumstances. In particular, 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
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