Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

When our Spirits readily retreat from God in worship upon every giddy motion, 'tis a kind of repentance that ever we did come near him, and implies, that there is a fuller satisfaction, and more attractive excellency in that which doth so easily divert us, than in that God to whose worship we did pretend to address our selves: 'Tis as if, when we were petitioning a Prince, we should immediately turn about, and make request to one of his Guard; as though so mean a person were more able to give us the boon we want, than the Sovereign is.

When our Spirits readily retreat from God in worship upon every giddy motion, 'tis a kind of repentance that ever we did come near him, and implies, that there is a fuller satisfaction, and more attractive excellency in that which doth so easily divert us, than in that God to whose worship we did pretend to address our selves: 'Tis as if, when we were petitioning a Prince, we should immediately turn about, and make request to one of his Guard; as though so mean a person were more able to give us the boon we want, than the Soveraign is.

2. Consideration by way of motive. To have our Spirits off from God in worship, is a bad sign. It was not so in Innocence. The heart of Adam could cleave to God; the Law of God was engraven upon him; he could apply himself to the fulfilling of it without any twinkling; there was no folly and vanity in his mind, no independency in his thoughts, no duty was his burden; for there was in him a proneness to, and delight in all the duties of worship: 'Tis the Fall hath distempered us; and the more unwieldiness there is in our Spirits, the more carnal our affections are in worship, the more evidence there is of the strength of that revolted state.

(1.) It argues much corruption in the heart. As by the eructations of the Stomach, we may judge of the windiness and foulness of it; so by the inordinate motions of our minds and hearts, we may judge of the weakness of its complexion. A strength of sin is evidenced by the eruptions and ebullitions of it in worship, when they are more sudden, numerous, and vigorous than the motions of grace. When the heart is apt like tinder to catch fire from Satan, 'tis a sign of much combustible matter suitable to his temptation. Were not corruption strong, the Soul could not turn so easily from God when it is in his presence, and hath an advantageous opportunity to create a fear and awe of God in it: Such base fruit could not sprout up so suddenly, were there not much sap and juice in the root of sin.