y and lumpish to
be led after him; they drive slowly, and take very much pressure and
persuasion to any duty; whereas we should accustom ourselves to willing
and ready obedience upon the least signification of his mind. Yea, and
which is worse, we often resist the Holy Ghost. He draweth, and we hold
beloved sins;--he pulleth, and we pull back from the most spiritual duties.
There is so much perverseness and frowardness yet in our natures, that
there needs the almighty draught of his arm to make it straight, as there
is need of infinite grace to pardon it.

Now, my beloved, if you have in your desires and affections resigned
yourselves over to the guidance of this Spirit, and this be your real and
sincere endeavour to follow it, and in as far as you are carried back, or
contrary, by temptation and corruption, or retarded in your motion, it is
your lamentation before the Lord,--I say unto you, cheer your hearts, and
lift them up in the belief of this privilege conferred upon you: you "are
the sons of God"--for he giveth this tutor and pedagogue to none but to his
own children. "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, are the sons of
God." Suppose you cannot exactly follow his motions, but are often driven
out or turned back, yet hath not the Spirit the hold of your heart? Are
you not detained by the cord of your judgment and the law of your mind?
And is there not some chain fastened about your heart which maketh it
outstrip the practice by desires and affections? You are the sons of God.
That is truly the greatest dignity and highest privilege, in respect of
which, all relations may blush and hide their faces. What are all the
splendid and glistering titles among men but empty shows and evanishing
sounds in respect of this? To be called the son of a gentleman, of a
nobleman, of a king, how much do the sons of men pride themselves in it?
But, truly, that putteth no intrinsic dignity in the persons
themselves,--it is a miserable poverty to borrow praise from another, and
truly he that boasts of his parentage, _aliena laudat non sua_, he
praiseth that which is another's, not his own. But this dignity is truly a
dignity, it puts intrinsic worth in the person, and puts a more excellent
spirit in them than that which is in the world, as is said of Caleb, and,
besides, it entitles to the greatest happiness imaginable.

Sermon XXXVI.

Verses 14, 15.--"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they
are the so