Heaven taken by storm - Watson - X - Chapter 17

Required reading
Heaven taken by storm by Thomas Watson (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 17 (Take heed of hindrances to offering violence).

My summary
Now Watson encourages us to take heed of those things which will hinder violence for heaven:

We are told to take heed of:
(i) unbelief;
(ii) puzzling thoughts about election;
(iii) too much violence after the world;
(iv) indulging any lust;
(v) despondency of spirit;
(vi) a supine, lazy temper;
(vii) consulting with flesh and blood;
(viii) listening to the voice of carnal friends;
(ix) setting up abode in the lowest mark of grace;
(x) the opinion that it is not so hard to get the kingdom.

What grabbed me
I liked Watson's advice against lust: 'Take heed of indulging any lust. Sin lived in will spoil all violence for Heaven. Sin enfeebles; it is like the cutting of Samson's hair, and then the strength departs. Sin is aegritudo animi, the soul's sickness. Sickness takes a man off his legs and so dispirits him that he is unfit for any violent exercise. A sick man cannot run a race. Sin lived in, takes a man quite off from duty, or makes him dead in it. The more lively the heart is in sin, the more dead it is in prayer. How can he be earnest with God for mercy, whose heart accuses him of secret sin? Guilt breeds fear, and that which strengthens fear, weakens violence. Adam, having sinned, was afraid and hid himself, Gen. iii. 10. When Adam had lost his innocence, he lost his violence. Therefore lay the axe to the root; let sin be hewn down; not only abstain from sin in the act, but let the love of sin be mortified, and let every sin be put to the sword. Many will leave all their sins but one: save one sin and lose one soul. One sin is a fetter; a man may lose the race as well by having one fetter on his leg as if he had more. I have read of a great monarch, that, fleeing from his enemy, threw away the crown of gold on his head that he might run the faster. So, that sin which you wore as a crown of gold, throw it away that you may run the faster to the heavenly kingdom.'

Work tirelessly to eradicate all sin.

Next week's reading
Read Chapter 18 (Directions on how to promote offering violence) and 19 (Conclusion: What shall we do).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.