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

3. There must be frequency in the practice of it. God and their Souls must not grow strangers. Things that are not used, contract Rust; as a Key seldom turned in the Lock, turns with difficulty: so it will not stand with your spiritual Welfare to omit Duty long. Much spiritual Exercise keeps the Soul in Health, and sweet; as the oftener they drain the Well, the sweeter the Water is. By running and breathing your selves every day, you are the fitter to run in a Race; so the oftener you come into God's Presence, the greater Confidence and Freedom and Enlargement it will bring. The way to be fervent in Prayer, or in any holy Exercise, is to be frequent. Rest breeds many Distempers, which are prevented by Exercise. The Right Arm is bigger and stronger than the Left, and fuller of Spirits; Why? because it is most agitated, and in exercise: so the oftener you are with God, the more full of Life, Strength, and spiritual Enlargement. The Field of the Sluggard is overgrown with Thistles. You grow barren, raw, sapless, and lose the choiceness of your Spirits, ⟨p. 95⟩and the savouriness of your Thoughts, when you are seldom with God. The soul runs out of repair, when you pray but now and then. And therefore a Christian indeed cannot be long out of God's Company; there is a strong bent in his Heart towards God. Can a Man love God, and be a stranger to him? is it possible? Briefly, there are so many Necessities, so many frequent Impulses, and Excitations of Grace, that it cannot be imaginable that a Man be a Christian, and neglect Worship. Certainly if we did not want a Heart, we could never want an Occasion to come to God, either for our selves, Children, Friends or Relations. God hath left the more Wants upon the Creature, that he may the oftener hear from him. The Throne of Grace was erected for a time of need, Heb. 4.16. Many Needs are left upon us, that we may have continual recourse to God; many Doubts to be resolved, many Graces to be strengthened, many Corruptions to be mortified. A Christian in good earnest, will be sensible of these things. It is true, it is not expressly set down in Scripture, how often we should pray, meditate, read, or perform other Duties. In these Days of the Gospel, God trusts Love, which is a Grace that is wont to keep the Heart open and free.

3. There must be frequency in the practice of it. God and their Souls must not grow strangers. Things that are not used, contract Rust; as a Key seldom turned in the Lock, turns with difficulty: so it will not stand with your spiritual Welfare to omit Duty long. Much spiritual Exercise keeps the Soul in Health, and sweet; as the oftner they drain the Well, the sweeter the Water is. By running and breathing your selves every day, you are the fitter to run in a Race; so the oftner you come into God's Presence, the greater Confidence and Freedom and Enlargement it will bring. The way to be fervent in Prayer, or in any holy Exercise, is to be frequent. Rest breeds many Distempers, which are prevented by Exercise. The Right Arm is bigger and stronger than the Left, and fuller of Spirits; Why? because it is most agitated, and in exercise: so the oftner you are with God, the more full of Life, Strength, and spiritual Enlargement. The Field of the Sluggard is overgrown with Thistles. You grow barren, raw, sapless, and lose the choiceness of your Spirits,