For the examination of our hearts touching this thought;1 after just trial it will be found among us, as the state of all sorts of families will declare: Among the poorer sort you shall see men labour from morning to Evening, and take great pains to provide for the world, but in the mean time where is the worship and service of God▪ where is prayer and thanksgiving, morning, and evening? Surely it is neglected, & the reason is because they think thus in their heart, so that I may have provision for the ⟨p. 83⟩world, it is no matter whether I serve God or not. Come to the rich mans house, & there you shall see them spend their time in eating, drinking, gaming, and such delights; but the worship of God is not regarded, for thus they think with themselves, If they may have their pleasure all is well. Come & reason with ordinary men, and exhort them to use the means of salvation, and show forth love unto religion sincerely: Their answer is, they will do as they have done, and as their forefathers did before them; they trust their souls are as good to Godward as the best: And for ought they see, none are worser then those that have so much preaching, and therefore they hope to be saved ⟨p. 84⟩though they do not follow it so much: And this also cometh from this evil thought. It is in vain to serve God. Mark also in those places where the Gospel is preached; If any seem to make more conscience of sin, and of serving God then others, they are made a by-word and a mocking stock, and their profession is turned to their reproach: which argues plainly that mans thought is this, It is a vain thing to serve God. Nay, take a view of the whole world, and you shall see every where, men give themselves to will-worship: No nation is so barbarous as to deny unto God all worship; but do they give unto him that which he commanded in his word? Nothing less: It is either the ⟨p. 85⟩mere invention of men, or altogether stained therewith: This is most evident with the Turk, the Jew, and the Papist: yea our common sort of protestants have their will-worship: for generally they content themselves with the mumbling over the words of the Creed, the Lords Prayer, and ten Commandments, persuading themselves that by the bare rehearsal of the words, they have sufficiently served God. Now would we know the cause hereof;
For the examination of our hearts touching this thought;1 after iust triall it will be found among vs, as the state of all sorts of families will declare: Among the poorer sort you shall see men labour from morning to Evening, and take great paines to prouide for the world, but in the meane time where is the worship and seruice of God▪ where is prayer and thanksgiuing, morning, and euenning? Surely it is neglected, & the reason is because they thinke thus in their heart, so that I may haue prouision for the ⟨p. 83⟩world, it is no matter whether I serue God or not. Come to the rich mans house, & there you shal see them spend their time in eating, drinking, gaming, and such delightes; but the worship of God is not regarded, for thus they thinke with themselues, If they may haue their pleasure all is well. Come & reason with ordinary men, and exhort them to vse the meanes of saluation, and shew forth loue vnto religion sincerely: Their answer is, they will doe as they haue done, and as their forefathers did before them; they trust their soules are as good to Godward as the best: And for ought they see, none are worser then those that haue so much preaching, and therfore they hope to bee saued ⟨p. 84⟩though they doe not follow it so much: And this also cōmeth frō this euill thought. It is in vaine to serue God. Marke also in those places wher the Gospel is preached; If any seeme to make more conscience of sinne, and of seruing God then others, they are made a by-word and a mocking stock, and their profession is turned to their reproach: which argues plainely that mans thought is this, It is a vaine thing to serue God. Nay, take a vew of the whole world, and you shall see euery wher, men giue themselues to will-worship: No nation is so barbarous as to denie vnto God all worship; but doe they giue vnto him that which he commanded in his word? Nothing lesse: It is either the ⟨p. 85⟩meere invention of men, or altogether stayned therewith: This is most euident with the Turke, the Iew, and the Papist: yea our common sort of protestants haue their will-worship: for generally they content themselues with the mumbling ouer the words of the Creede, the Lords Prayer, and tenne Commandements, perswading themselues that by the bare rehearsall of the words, they haue sufficiently serued God. Now would wee know the cause hereof;
- 1Examination for this thought.
