The blessedness of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /The blessednesse of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /

Is it impossibly to apply your thoughts to what you meet with suitable to your case, in your attendance upon preaching, reading, or discourse? Have all such words a barbarous sound, in your ear, can you not consider what sense is carried under them? What they import and signify? can you not bethink yourself; do the doctrines of God, and Christ, and the life to come, signify something or nothing? or do they signify any thing worth the considering, or that tis fit for me to take notice of?

Is it impossibly to apply your thoughts to what you meet with suitable to your case, in your attendance upon preaching, reading, or discourse? Have all such words a barbaro•s sound, in your ear, can you not consider what sense is carried under them? What they import and signify? can you not bethink yourself; do the doctrines of God, and Christ, and the life to come, signifie something or nothing? or do they signifie any thing worth the considering, or that tis fit for me to take notice of?

And yet to proceed a little further with you,

I pray you once more demand of yourselves, and put your consciences closely to it; whether, when they have told you (as no doubt they will) that such things deserve your consideration, it be impossible to you, to use your considering power thus, and employ it even about these things. Do but make this easy trial, and then say, whether it be impossible; See if you ⟨p. 273⟩cannot select one hour on purpose, wherein to it down by yourselves alone, with this resolution. Well, I will now spend this hour in considering my eternal concernments. When you have obtained so much of your self: set your thoughts on work (you will find them voluble and unfixed, very apt to revolt, and fly off from things you have no mind to) but use your authority with your self. Tell your soul (or let it tell it self) these things concern thy life. At least, taking this prepared matter along with thee (that hou mayst not have this pretence thou knowest not what to think of) try if thou canst not think of these things, now actually suggested, and offered to thy thoughts; as namely,