86 The Saints Infirmities. 3xtth a;o II Cor. 9.24, ¡s men,that force feeke, and are willing to gee to heaven, but take no paines for it;thefe leek, faith Chrift,to enter,but (hall not be able to get in:but others llrive and contend with all their power; and fuch mull be our ftrife if we wil get into hea- ven. The difference betweene the wife Virgins and the foolifh lay in this , that the wife were more diligent than the other. Formali protef- fors may contend,but it is but for a fit, they are Toone weary of this contention, they leave o rowing, and fuffer the boate to goe down the itreame:but we mull flrive until we get thevieto- ry,and run with St.Pau1 until' we get the prize. And what made him to do fo'vrhy he confidered two things,firfl,he look't on the Crowne, an in- corruptible Crowne. Secondly, he was loath to run in vaine,and lofe all his' labour : fo the reafon why we doe not contend, is becaufe we doe not confider thefe two things, namely, the Prize and Crowne of reward, and that elfe we (hall but lofe our labour-; and therefore we mill f rive : Ifwee be remiffe, it is an argument that we have a name to live,but are dead. And therefore confider it,there mull be a ftrik and a combate : and there will be that,by reafon of that originali corruption that is in us : We have:continual' work with our own Hearts; the flefh is ready to have the firfi hand in every bufineffe, if w e doe not refill it : we hall excee- dingly goc down the wind ,ifwe doe not flrive, and that hard:For when there is an infufed habit as grace is,and a corrupt nature contrary to it,na- ture
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