§ 14. What is now to be done? Wilt thou do it, if I tell thee? Wouldst thou not say in a like case, "What should I do with a servant that will not work? or with a horse that will not travel? Shall I keep them to look at?" Then faithfully deal thus with thy heart; persuade it to the work; take no denial; chide it for its backwardness; use violence with it. Hast thou no command of thy own thoughts? Is not the subject of thy meditations a matter of choice, especially under this conduct of thy judgment? Surely God gave thee, with thy new nature, some power to govern thy thoughts. Art thou again become a slave to thy depraved nature? Resume thy authority. Call in the Spirit of Christ to thine assistance, who is never backward to so good a work, nor will deny his help in so just a cause. Say to him, "Lord, thou gavest my reason the command of my thoughts and affections; the authority I have received over them is from thee; and now behold, they refuse to obey thine authority: Thou commandest me to set them to the work of heavenly meditation, but they rebel and stubbornly refuse the duty. Wilt thou not assist me to exercise that authority which thou hast given me? O send down thy Spirit, that I may enforce thy commands, and effectually compel them to obey thy will!" Thus thou shalt see thy heart will submit, its resistance be overcome, and its backwardness be turned into cheerful compliance. § 15. (2.) Thy heart will also be likely to betray thee by trifling, when it should be effectually meditating. Perhaps, when thou hast an hour for meditation, the time will be spent before thy heart will be serious. This doing of duty, as if we did it not, ruins as many as the omission of it. Here let thine eye be always upon thy heart. Look not so much to the time it spends in the duty, as to the quantity and quality of the work that is done. You can tell by his work, whether a servant hath been diligent. Ask yourself, "What affections have been yet exercised? How much am I yet got nearer to heaven?" Think not, since thy heart is so trifling, it is better to let it alone: for, by this means, thou wilt certainly banish all spiritual obedience; because the best hearts, being but sanctified in part, will resist, so far as they are carnal. But rather consider well the corruption of thy nature; and that its sinful indispositions will not supersede the commands of God; nor one sin excuse for another; and that God has appointed means to excite our affections. This self-reasoning, self-considering duty of heavenly meditation, is the most singular means, both to excite and increase love. Therefore stay not from the duty, till thou feelest thy love constrain thee; any more than thou wouldst stay from the fire, till thou feelest thyself warm; but engage in the work, till love is excited, and then love will constrain thee to further duty.