A very sad thing

It is a very sad thing for Christians to be weak:

1. it exposeth us to dangers;
2. it abateth our consolations and delight in God, and taketh off the sweetness of wisdom’s ways;
3. it maketh us less serviceable to God and man, to bring less honor to our Master, and to do less good to all about us.

We get small benefit in the use of the means of grace.
We too easily play with the serpent’s baits, and are ensnared by his wiles.
A seducer will easily shake us, and evil may be made to appear to us as good, truth as falsehood, sin as duty; and so on the contrary.

1. We are less able to resist and stand in an encounter;
2. we sooner fall;
3. we hardlier rise;
4. and are apter to prove a scandal and reproach to our profession.

We less know ourselves, and are more apt to be mistaken as to our own estate, not observing corruptions when they have got advantage of us.

We are dishonorable to the gospel by our very weakness, and little useful to any about us. In a word, though we live to less profit to ourselves or others, yet are we unwilling and too unready to die.