Puritan Wisdom

"The fish is not weary with swimming, but man is quickly weary.  It is because the fish is in his element and the man is not.  Observe this, when a man's spirit is in this kind of temper, let him be busied about earthly things, wherein earthly advantage comes in, no difficulties will hinder him, no wind or weather.  He will rise in cold mornings and go abroad, do anything in the world.  Oh!  What difficulties will men endure in storms at sea, and hazards there and troubles at land, and sit up late, and rise early, and toil themselves, and complain of no weariness or difficulties.  But, let them come to spiritual things, to soul business that concerns God and their spiritual estates.  Every little difficulty puts them aside and discourages them.  Every mole hill is a mountain in their way.  I would do so and so, but it's so hard, and 'tis tedious to rise in the morning, especially in cold winters.  It is very hard and difficult to read and pray.  And so he complains of the difficulty of these things." -- Jeremiah Burroughs, A Treatise of Earthly-Mindedness, 12-13.