An antidote against distractions, or, An endeavour to serve the church, in the daily…An antidote against distractions, or, An indeavour to serve the church, in the daily…

And not only the dullness, but the deceitfulness of our corrupt nature furthers ⟨p. 71⟩our distractions. For though the heart be deceitful from the beginning to the end of the year, yet her prime and subtled sleights are showed in the service of God; where she is put hard to it to shift hard for her self, and therefore useth her finest notions and sliest fetches to evade the presence of God, ¹and powerful influences of the holy Ghost. Like some subtle Thief, that joins himself to the unwary Traveller, and gives him pleasant company a while, till when he watches his time he draws him with him out of the way, and takes his purse; before he is aware he is in a wood, and his purse is gone. Even so, the heart of man takes on to be very willing to prayer, or other good duties, and goes with us a while; but ere we have stepped twenty sentences into our work, this deceitful heart turns us aside, brings us to feed upon ashes, and binds up the faculties, that we cannot deliver our souls, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? Isa. 44.20. Now is it not an hell upon earth to live with such a heart, to cross a man in the midst of his greatest business, disappoint him in his highest expectations, and make him lose his labour, if not his soul?

And not only the dulness, but the deceitfulness of our corrupt nature furthers ⟨p. 71⟩our distractions. For though the heart be deceitful from the beginning to the end of the year, yet her prime and subtled sleights are shewed in the service of God; where she is put hard to it to shift hard for her self, and therefore useth her finest notions and sliest fetches to evade the presence of God, ¹and powerful influences of the holy Ghost. Like some subtil Thief, that joyns himself to the unwary Traveller, and gives him pleasant company a while, till when he watches his time he draws him with him out of the way, and takes his purse; before he is aware he is in a wood, and his purse is gone. Even so, the heart of man takes on to be very willing to prayer, or other good duties, and goes with us a while; but ere we have stept twenty sentences into our work, this deceitful heart turns us aside, brings us to feed upon ashes, and binds up the faculties, that we cannot deliver our souls, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?