But, brave soul, pray tell me what the things are that discourage thee, and that weaken thy strength in the way.

“Why, the amazing greatness of this my enterprise.  I am now pursuing things of the highest, the greatest, the most enriching nature, even eternal things; and the thoughts of the greatness of them drowned me:  for when the heat of my spirit in the pursuit after them is a little returned and abated, methinks I hear myself talking thus to myself:  Fond fool, canst thou imagine that such a gnat, a flea as thou art, can take and possess the heavens, and mantle thyself up in the eternal glories?  If thou makest first a trial of the successfulness of thy endeavors upon things far lower, more base, but much more easy to obtain, as crowns, kingdoms, earldoms, dukedoms, gold, silver, or the like, how vain are these attempts of thine, and yet thou thinkest to possess thy soul of heaven.  Away, away! by the height thereof, thou mayest well conclude it is far above, out of thy reach; and by the breadth thereof, it is too large for thee to grasp; and by the nature of the excellent glory thereof, too good for thee to possess.  These are the thoughts that sometimes discourage me, and that weaken my strength in the way.”

Answer.  The greatness of thy undertakings does but show the nobleness of thy soul, in that it cannot, will not be content with such low and dry things as the base-born spirits that are in the world can and do content themselves withal.

And as to the greatness of the things thou aimest at, though they be, as they are indeed, things that have not their like, yet they are not too big for God to give; and he has promised to give them to the soul that seeketh him; yea, he hath prepared the kingdom, and laid up in the kingdom of heaven the things that thy soul longeth for, presseth after, and cannot he content without.

Art thou got into the right way?  Art thou in Christ’s righteousness?  Do not say, Yes, in thy heart, when in truth there is no such matter.  It is a dangerous thing, you know, for a man to think he is in the right way, when he is in the wrong.  It is the next way for him to lose his way; and not only so, but if he run for heaven, as thou sayest thou dost, even to lose that too.  O this is the misery of most men, to persuade themselves that they are right, when they never had one foot in the way!  The Lord give thee understanding here, or else thou art undone for ever.  Prithee, soul, search when it was thou turnedst out of thy sins and righteousness into the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  I say, dost thou see thyself in him; and is he more precious to thee than the whole world?  Is thy mind always musing on him; and lovest thou to be walking with him?  Dost thou count his company more precious than the whole world?  Dost thou count all things but poor, lifeless, empty, vain things, without communion with him?  Doth his company sweeten all things; and his absence imbitter all things?  Soul, I beseech thee be serious, and lay it to heart, and do not take things of such weighty concernment as the salvation or damnation of thy soul without good ground.