The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…

for they be spiritual and we be carnal, and a little thing God knows, will make a great stir in our fleshly harts, to draw them from heavenly things, and therefore unless we take great heed to examine our harts, and watch over our selves that we walk purely & holily all the six days long, and to cast out and discharge all affairs of this life on the one side, the sin committed on the other side, the business omitted will hale and pull our thoughts, that no attention can be given to matters of religion; no constant or settled meditation of any heavenly thing can take place; we must therefore stop out all distractions and encumbrances, & raise up our harts against deadness and dullness, which will make us heavy and dull, and slow to any good thing, by a wise managing and finishing our outward affairs, and a godly and religious ordering and preparing our harts, if ever we will comfortably & profitably spend the Lords day, in the Lords work. Then again besides these needless lets, which through our own weakness we pull upon our own heads, there be hindrances enough on every side, which do we what we can with all the industry in the world, we shall never be able wholly to prevent, but they will set upon us. As in what family shall one come but he shall see idleness and sleepiness, and foolishness manifold ways, & who that knows himself any whit at all, doth not feel that he is readier to follow ill example, & be led by ill company, then to be led by Gods commandment, especially when no positive law will take hold upon him, for the breach of Gods commandment. And then we have the devil as a Lion continually seeking to devour our souls, & to hinder us in all things he can from religion, and in the best there ⟨image 77⟩be such strong lusts, such a love of the pleasure and commodity of this world, that unless we be strongly guarded and defended, will break in upon our harts, and disorder the rank of our affections.

for they be spirituall and we be carnall, and a little thing God knowes, will make a great stirre in our fleshly harts, to draw them from heauenly things, and therfore vnlesse wee take great heede to examine our harts, and watch ouer our selues that we walke purely & holily all the sixe daies long, and to cast out and discharge all affaires of this life on the one side, the sinne committed on the other side, the businesse omitted will hale and pull our thoughts, that no attention can be giuen to matters of religion; no constant or setled meditation of any heauenly thing can take place; we must therefore stop out all distractions and encombrances, & rayse vp our harts against deadnesse and dulnesse, which will make vs heauie and dull, and slow to any good thing, by a wise managing and finishing our outward affaires, and a godly and religious ordring and preparing our harts, if euer we will comfortably & profitably spend the Lords day, in the Lords work. Then againe besids these needlesse lets, which through our owne weaknesse we pul vpon our owne heads, therbe hindrances enough on euery side, which doe wee what wee can with all the industrie in the world, we shall neuer be able wholy to preuent, but they will set vpon vs. As in what family shall one come but he shall see idlenesse and slepinesse, and foolishnesse manyfold wayes, & who that knowes himselfe any whit at all, doth not feele that he is readier to follow ill example, & be led by ill company, then to be led by Gods commandement, especially when no positiue law will take hold vpon him, for the breach of Gods commandement. And then we haue the diuel as a Lion continually seeking to deuoure our soules, & to hinder vs in all things he can from religion, and in the best there