And yet seeing through the malice of the devil and our own corruption we are, even at our best, apt to fall into this foul infirmity, let us with 1all care and diligence look to our hearts when we perform this duty, and earnestly desire the Lord to tie them fast unto himself in the bonds of his fear, that they may not, in this holy exercise, slip aside and depart from him. And if we find our sinful flesh so sluggish and secure, so worldly and earthly-minded, that it dulleth our devotion, and stealeth and carrieth, every hand while, our hearts away after things impertinent, if not worldly and carnal: I think it a good course, in our private prayer, to repeat that again in which we were distracted, labouring in our repetition to call our hearts back to join with our voice; seeing hereof cometh a double benefit: first, that we shall have our suites more powerfully offered unto God, when as they are propounded in this hearty manner. And secondly, hereby we shall tame the flesh, and make it not so eager to interrupt us in these holy duties, when as the spiritual part imposeth upon it this punishment by way of revenge, for its sloth and worldliness, to make it to continue so much the longer at this exercise, unto which naturally it is so backward and averse; and not to feed it self upon any worldly thoughts, wherein it wholly delighteth, till it have first waited on the Spirit, and suffered it, without interruption, to refresh it self with this heavenly breakfast. Let us meditate also on that glorious presence before whom we stand, who looketh not so much to the phrase of our words, and the well-running stile of our speech, as to the discourse of our souls and hearts; which being so full of distractions and senseless ravings and rovings from the matter; one while speaking to God, and (as it were) with the same breath, and in the middest of a sentence breaking off, and speaking to the world; jumbling, and confusedly mingling things spiritual and carnal, heavenly and earthly, holy and profane; how can it be but ugly and mis-shapen in his sight? being like Antic-work, consisting of monstrous compositions, wherein the body of a bird, and the tail of a serpent; the face and fore-part of a man, and the hind-part ⟨p. 227⟩and legs of a beast, or the tail of a fish are joined together?
And yet seeing through the malice of the diuell and our owne corruption we are, euen at our best, apt to fall into this foule infirmity, let vs with 1all care and diligence looke to our hearts when wee performe this duty, and earnestly desire the Lord to tye them fast vnto himselfe in the bonds of his feare, that they may not, in this holy exercise, slip aside and depart from him. And if wee finde our sinfull flesh so sluggish and secure, so worldly and earthly-minded, that it dulleth our deuotion, and stealeth and carryeth, euery hand while, our hearts away after things impertinent, if not worldly and carnall: I think it a good course, in our priuate prayer, to repeate that againe in which wee were distracted, labouring in our repetition to call our hearts backe to ioyne with our voyce; seeing heereof commeth a double benefit: first, that wee shall haue our suites more powerfully offered vnto God, when as they are propounded in this hearty manner. And secondly, hereby we shall tame the flesh, and make it not so eager to interrupt vs in these holy duties, when as the spirituall part imposeth vpon it this punishment by way of reuenge, for its sloth and worldlinesse, to make it to continue so much the longer at this exercise, vnto which naturally it is so backward and auerse; and not to feed it selfe vpon any worldly thoughts, wherein it wholly delighteth, till it haue first waited on the Spirit, and suffered it, without interruption, to refresh it selfe with this heauenly breakfast. Let vs meditate also on that glorious presence before whom we stand, who looketh not so much to the phrase of our words, and the well-running stile of our speech, as to the discourse of our soules and hearts; which being so full of distractions and senselesse rauings and rouings from the matter; one while speaking to God, and (as it were) with the same breath, and in the middest of a sentence breaking off, and speaking to the world; iumbling, and confusedly mingling things spirituall and carnall, heauenly and earthly, holy and profane; how can it be but vgly and mis-shapen in his sight? being like Anticke-worke, consisting of monstrous compositions, wherein the body of a bird, and the taile of a serpent; the face and fore-part of a man, and the hind-part ⟨p. 227⟩and legs of a beast, or the taile of a fish are ioyned together?
- 1Jer. •2. 40. Psal. 86. 11.
