Gospel-worship, or, The right manner of sanctifying the name of God in general and…

3. In the Third place, That which I would answer to this Question is this, If any one perform a duty of Worship in that sincerity and strength that he is able to do it, though he be not prepared as he ought, yet it is better to do it than to neglect it. It is true, some do perform a duty in a mere formal way, and ⟨p. 60⟩to satisfy their consciences, or to cloak and cover there sins and the like; perhaps they may so perform it as it might be better to be unperformed than to perform it as they do, but if you do endeavour to the uttermost of your strength to do it, though you be not prepared as you do desire, yet it is better to do it than to omit the doing of it, and you will find it so, for one duty doth prepare for another. Though it be not done as I desire it should be done, yet the doing of it as well as I can at this time will help me to do it better at another time, that is certain: as one sin doth prepare the heart for another sin, so one duty prepares the heart for another; as now, suppose a man commits a sin, and he hath a conscience that is enlightened that doth hinder him from committing his sin with that full strength that he would do it; many a man hath a mind to sin, but through the enlightening of his conscience he cannot sin with that delight as he would, because his conscience flies in his face and doth interrupt him, but yet for all this through the strength of his corruption he will break through to that sin; now though at first they cannot commit that sin with that delight and freedom as they do at other times, yet if their corruptions be so strong as to break through the light of their consciences, the next time they come to the committing of that sin they will commit it with more freedom and ease a great deal.

3. In the Third place, That which I would answer to this Question is this, If any one perform a duty of Worship in that sincerity and strength that he is able to do it, though he be not prepared as he ought, yet it is better to do it than to neglect it. It is true, some do perform a duty in a meer formal way, and ⟨p. 60⟩to satisfie their consciences, or to cloak and cover ther sins and the like; perhaps they may so perform it as it might be better to be unperformed than to perform it as they do, but if you do endeavor to the uttermost of your strength to do it, though you be not prepared as you do desire, yet it is better to do it than to omit the doing of it, and you will find it so, for one duty doth prepare for another. Though it be not done as I desire it should be done, yet the doing of it as well as I can at this time will help me to do it better at another time, that is certain: as one sin doth prepare the heart for another sin, so one duty prepares the heart for another; as now, suppose a man commits a sin, and he hath a conscience that is enlightened that doth hinder him from committing his sin with that full strength that he would do it; many a man hath a mind to sin, but through the enlightening of his conscience he cannot sin with that delight as he would, because his conscience flies in his face and doth interrupt him, but yet for all this through the strength of his corruption he will break through to that sin; now though at first they cannot commit that sin with that delight and freedom as they do at other times, yet if their corruptions be so strong as to break through the light of their consciences, the next time they come to the committing of that sin they will commit it with more freedom and ease a great deal.