The excellency of holy courage in evil times by Jeremiah Burroughs

Thirdly, When you come to present your selves before God in his Ordinances, come with hearts panting after strength: as when you come to the Word, Prayer, or Sacraments, bethink your selves beforehand, I come before the Lord that I may get this dull heart of mine quickened in such and such a particular, I find my heart unserviceable in such a particular. Now my heart presents it self before God, and pants after God to be fitted for service in such a particular; it is much may be done when we come to the presence of God panting for help from God in such particulars.

Thirdly, When you come to present your selves before God in his Ordinances, come with hearts panting after strength: as when you come to the Word, Prayer, or Sacraments, bethink your selves beforehand, I come before the Lord that I may get this dull heart of mine quickned in such and such a particular, I find my heart unserviceable in such a particular. Now my heart presents it self before God, and pants after God to be fitted for service in such a particular; it is much may be done when we come to the presence of God panting for help from God in such particulars.

Fourthly, Observe the beginnings of Gods coming into your hearts, and acknowledge them, and improve them, and follow them, many times God is coming into the heart, and because God comes not in fully as much as they would at first, they take no notice of the beginnings of the work of God to embrace them, and improve them: There are a great many sparks have fallen upon your hearts, if they had been gathered together, they might have been a flame by this time, but because God did not come in with a flame all together, they did not regard that; you said, what can a spark do upon my heart? if you had improved that little you might have had more by this time.

Fourthly, Observe the beginnings of Gods coming into your hearts, and acknowledg them, and improve them, and follow them, many times God is coming into the heart, and because God comes not in fully as much as they would at first, they take no notice of the beginnings of the work of God to imbrace them, and improve them: There are a great many sparks have fallen upon your hearts, if they had been gathered together, they might have been a flame by this time, but because God did not come in with a flame all together, they did not regard that; you said, what can a spark do upon my heart? if you had improved that little you might have had more by this time.