A fourth volume containing one hundred and fifty sermons on several texts of Scripture…

Lust will not suffer God to have his due. The love of Pleasures cannot brook constant exercise in Religion; and the World is a great Encroacher: and Pride is all for the Public where it may be seen; in private Duties it is slight, or nothing. As a Mill stands still when the Wind blows not; so when the Wind of Popular Applause ceaseth, a proud Man cannot spread his Sails, or do any thing for God and Conscience: Thus it draweth away the Heart from Duty. Then it draws away the Heart in Duty: Observe it, and you will find it by constant Experience; the main Lust will surely be discovered by the working of the Thoughts; when you come to pray, or in your solemn Duties, that which your Thought is most taken up with, discovers the main Lust: Ezek. 33.31. They come unto thee as the People cometh, and they sit before thee as my People; and they hear thy Words, but they will not do them: for with their Mouth they show much Love, but their Heart goeth after their Covetousness. The Devil loveth to affront Christ to his Face, and therefore takes advantage of the chief Lust which occupies and possesses the Heart, to cast up Mire and Dirt even in God's presence: Therefore Lust hinders, poisons, or perverts Duty. All that Men do in Religion, if Lusts remain in force, is either to promote Lusts, or to conceal a Lust; to hide other Sins, or to feed a Lust: and therefore we had need to deny it as it is Lust.

Lust will not suffer God to have his due. The love of Pleasures cannot brook constant exercise in Religion; and the World is a great Encroacher: and Pride is all for the Publick where it may be seen; in private Duties it is slight, or nothing. As a Mill stands still when the Wind blows not; so when the Wind of Popular Applause ceaseth, a proud Man cannot spread his Sails, or do any thing for God and Conscience: Thus it draweth away the Heart from Duty. Then it draws away the Heart in Duty: Observe it, and you will find it by constant Experience; the main Lust will surely be discovered by the working of the Thoughts; when you come to pray, or in your solemn Duties, that which your Thought is most taken up with, discovers the main Lust: Ezek. 33.31. They come unto thee as the People cometh, and they sit before thee as my People; and they hear thy Words, but they will not do them: for with their Mouth they shew much Love, but their Heart goeth after their Covetousness. The Devil loveth to affront Christ to his Face, and therefore takes advantage of the chief Lust which occupies and possesses the Heart, to cast up Mire and Dirt even in God's presence: Therefore Lust hinders, poisons, or perverts Duty. All that Men do in Religion, if Lusts remain in force, is either to promote Lusts, or to conceal a Lust; to hide other Sins, or to feed a Lust: and therefore we had need to deny it as it is Lust.