Page:The works of the Rev. John Wesley, M.A., late fellow of Lincoln-College, Oxford (IA worksofrevjohnwe3wesl).pdf/326

 become an easy prey to any enemy that assaults us.

8. * But suppose we are aware of this snare of the devil, we may be attacked from another quarter. When fierceness and anger are asleep, and love alone is waking, we may be no less endangered by desire, which equally tends to darken the soul. This is the sure effect of any foolish desire, any vain or inordinate affection. If we ''set our affection on things of the earth'', on any person or thing under the sun, if we desire any thing but God and what tends to God, if we seek happiness in any creature, the jealous God will surely contend with us: for he can admit of no rival. And if we will not hear his warning voice, and return to him with our whole soul; if we continue to grieve him with our idols, and running after other gods, we shall soon be cold, barren and dry, and the god of this world will blind and darken our hearts.

9. But this he frequently does, even when we do not give way to any positive sin. It is enough, it gives him sufficient advantage, if we do not ''stir up the gift of God which is in us'': if we do not agonize continually to enter in at the strait gate: if we do not earnestly strive for the mastery, and take the kingdom of heaven by violence. There needs no more than not to fight, and we are sure to be conquered. Let us only be careless or ''faint in our mind'', let us be easy and indolent, and our natural darkness will soon return, and overspread