yea, many strong men have been slain (that is, kept out of heaven) by
her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of
death." Soul, take this counsel, and say, 'Satan, sin, lust, pleasure,
profit, pride, friends, companions, and every thing else,--let me
alone, stand off, come not nigh me; for I am running for heaven, for
my soul, for God, for Christ--from hell and everlasting damnation! If
I win, I win all; and if I lose, I lose all! Let me alone for I will
not hear.' _So run_.

THE SEVENTH DIRECTION.--In the next place, _be not daunted, though
thou meetest with ever so many discouragements in thy journey
thither_. That man that is resolved for heaven, if Satan cannot win
him by flatteries, he will endeavor to weaken him by discouragements,
saying, 'Thou art a sinner,' 'thou hast broken God's law,' 'thou art
not elected,' 'thou comest too late,' 'the day of grace is past,' 'God
doth not care for thee,' 'thy heart is naught,' 'thou art lazy,' with
a hundred other discouraging suggestions. And thus it was with David,
where he saith, "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the
goodness of the Lord, in the land of the living." As if he should say,
'The devil did so rage, and my heart was so base, that had I judged
according to my own sense and feeling, I had been absolutely
distracted. But I trusted to Christ in the promise, and looked that
God would be as good as his promise, in having mercy upon me, an
unworthy sinner; and this is that which encouraged me, and kept me
from fainting.'

And thus must thou do when Satan, or the law, or thy conscience, do go
about to dishearten thee, either by the greatness of thy sins, the
wickedness of thy heart, the tediousness of the way, the loss of
outward enjoyments, the hatred that thou wilt procure from the world