Beams of divine light breaking forth from several places of holy Scripture, as they…Beames of divine light breaking forth from severall places of holy Scripture, as they…

Now if we would practise this duty,¹ we must labour to avoid the hinderances. The main hindrances of this consideration are

Now if we would practise this duty,¹ we must labour to avoid the hinderances. The maine hindrances of this consideration are

1. 1Hinderances of consideration.

1. The ra•e of lusts,¹ that will not give the judgement leave to consider of a mans ways, but they are impetuous, commanding, and tyrannous, carrying men (as we shall see in the next clause) As the horse rusheth into the battle: We see many carried to Hell that never enjoyed themselves: but are alway under ⟨p. 104⟩some base pleasure, when the Devil hath filled them with one pleasure, then they project for another, and never take time to say, What have I done? Oh the tyranny of original corruption! If we had in our eye, the vile picture of out nature, that carries us to things present, to profits, and pleasures, and gives us not liberty and leisure to bethink our selves, would we do as we do? Alas we see some men so haunted with their lusts, that they cannot be alone, they cannot sleep, and when they are awake they must have music, as that King when he had massacred a world of men, he could not be quiet a whit, conscience raged so. When men follow their pleasures, they rob them of themselves. Therefore they are said in Scripture to be mad men, and fools without wit, they are so taken up with the rage of their lusts that they have not liberty to enjoy themselves, they have no time for consideration.