esh being suitable to it, though in itself infinitely more toilsome,
seems easy and plain, but the way after the Spirit seems strait, narrow,
toilsome, and laborious. Though there be infinitely more room in the way
to life, because it leads to that immense universal good, it expatiates
towards the All fulness of God, yet to the flesh how narrow and strait is
it, because it cannot admit of these inordinate lusts, that have swelled
so immeasurably towards narrow and scanty things! The true latitude of the
way of the flesh is not great, for it is all enclosed within poor, lean,
narrow, created objects, but because the imagination of men supplies what
is wanting really, and fancies an infinite or boundless extent of goodness
in these things, therefore the sinner walks easily, without straitening to
his flesh,--it is not pinched in this way of fleshly lusts. But, alas! the
spirit is wofully straitened, fettered, and imprisoned, though it be not
sensibly bound.

What is the reason, then, that so many walk in the way to death but
because their flesh finds no straitening, no pressure in it? It is an easy
way to their natures, because suitable to the corruption that is in them,
therefore men walk on without consideration of what follows. It is like a
descent or going down a hill, and so easy to our flesh. On the other hand,
the way of life, after the Spirit, is an ascent upward, and it is very
difficult to our earthly and lumpish flesh. Our spirits by communion with
and subjection to the flesh, are made of an earthly quality, near the
element of the flesh, and so they bow naturally downward, but if once they
were purified and purged, and unfettered by the spirit of God and restored
to their native purity, they would more easily and willingly move upward,
as you see the flame doth, and till this be done in you, we cannot expect
that you will willingly and pleasantly walk in these pleasant walks after
the Spirit; your walk will never be free and unconstrained in the paths of
godliness. You may, from some external motives and impulses, move upward
for a season, in some particular duties of religion, as a stone cast up,
but as that impression is not from an inward principle so it will not be
constant and durable, but you will fall down to your old bias in other
things, and move quite contrary, when the external impression of fear or
favour, of custom or education, or such like, wears out. But the true
Christian hath a spirit within hi