A61386:228
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…
An antidote against distractions, or, An endeavour to serve the church, in the daily case of wanderings in the worship of God by Richard Steele M.A. and minister of the Gospel.An antidote against distractions, or, An indeavour to serve the church, in the daily case of wandrings in the worship of God by Richard Steele M.A. and minister of the Gospel.
London: printed for Elizabeth Calvert, 1667
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
5. These idle thoughts, at other times, provoke God to give us up to our own inventions. As that dreadful word, Hos. 4.17. Ephraim is joined to Idols, let him alone. Seeing he will be married to them, and forsake me, let him take them. If a man be resolved upon Idols or any other sin, God will not hinder him. So when he finds the heart joined, taken up, and pleased with vain thoughts; Good motions knock and wait, but are not accepted or heeded; come and knock again with double earnestness, How long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee? but are not regarded, sin and the heart are making merry within; come and try once ⟨p. 127⟩more, open now or never; And no answer, nay, now the Soul is joined to these things, let him alone. Sleep on now, and take thy rest. Trouble him no more in his vain inventions. So I gave them over, Psal. 81.12. To their own hearts lust, and they walked in their own counsels. If they choose Hell before Heaven, let them take it. My Spirit shall not always strive with man. And now when the Soul is given up to a vagabond frame, then thy weak purposes, and faint watchfulness over it stand for nothing, but are broken like Samsons cords; and a deluge of all manner of impertinences breaks in, and the Heart is prostituted to all temptations.
5. These idle thoughts, at other times, provoke God to give us up to our own inventions. As that dreadful word, Hos. 4.17. Ephraim is joyned to Idols, let him alone. Seeing he will be marryed to them, and forsake me, let him take them. If a man be resolved upon Idols or any other sin, God will not hinder him. So when he finds the heart joyned, taken up, and pleased with vain thoughts; Good motions knock and wait, but are not accepted or heeded; come and knock again with double earnestness, How long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee? but are not regarded, sin and the heart are making merry within; come and try once ⟨p. 127⟩more, open now or never; And no answer, nay, now the Soul is joyned to these things, let him alone. Sleep on now, and take thy rest. Trouble him no more in his vain inventions. So I gave them over,