And seeing thou
tellest me that I run so softly, and that I shall go near to miss of
glory, this also shall be through grace to my advantage, and cause
me to press the more earnestly towards the mark for the prize of the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus. And seeing thou dost tell me
that my sins are wondrous great, hereby thou bringest the
remembrance of the unsupportable vengeance of God into my mind if I
die out of Jesus Christ, and also the necessity of the blood, death,
and merits of Christ to help me; I hope it will make me fly the
faster and press the harder after an interest in him. And so all
along, if he tell thee of thy deadness, dulness, coldness, or
unbelief, or the greatness of thy sins, answer him and say, I am
glad you told me; I hope it will be a means to make me run faster,
seek more earnestly, and be the more restless after Jesus Christ. If
thou didst but get this art, so as to outrun him in his own shoes,
as I may say, and to make his own darts to pierce himself, then thou
mightest also say, Now do Satan's temptations, as well as all other
things, work together for my good.
OBJECTION. But I find so many weaknesses in every duty that I
perform, as when I pray, when I read, when I hear or attempt any
other duty, that it maketh me out of conceit with myself; it maketh
me think that my duties are nothing worth.
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