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…

6. The more grace, the more spiritual and invisible sins are observed and resisted. Small grace discerns and mortifies the filthiness of the flesh; but strong grace sees and hates the filthiness of the spirit, and so perfects holiness in the fear of God. Gross sins are left at first, but more refined sins, spiritual wickedness in heavenly employments, these are work for riper graces afterwards. Hence the strong Christian usually with ease, can avoid oppression, cruelty, uncleanness, drunkenness, and the like; but the weak Christian hardly conquers spiritual pride, passion, unbelief, distractions, and such like; a little mote more troubles the eye, than much dirt molests the hand; so an holy tender heart is more troubled with these undiscerned sins, than another man with greater crimes.

6. The more grace, the more spiritual and invisible sins are observed and resisted. Small grace discerns and mortifies the filthiness of the flesh; but strong grace sees and hates the filthiness of the spirit, and so perfects holiness in the fear of God. Gross sins are left at first, but more resined sins, spiritual wickedness in heavenly imployments, these are work for riper graces afterwards. Hence the strong Christian usually with ease, can avoid oppression, cruelty, uncleanness, drunkenness, and the like; but the weak Christian hardly conquers spiritual pride, passion, unbelief, distractions, and such like; a little mote more troubles the eye, than much dirt molests the hand; so an holy tender heart is more troubled with these undiscerned sins, than another man with greater crimes.

7. The more grace, the stronger resolutions you will put on against them, and resolution breaks the heart of them. The poor Country-man going to his Market; at every door in town almost, there is a snare laid for him; here one calls him in, and there another: but he resolved in the morning, not to spend a penny, and thereby he breaks through and avoids them all: Alas! his who•e weeks earning had gone at a clap, and he should have had nothing, but repentance to feed on, the week following: Even so, when thou comest into an holy Ordinance, the souls Market, where the soul hath much business; here one thought stands and beckons, and there lies another, and at the door of every verse and sentence, a suggestion stands; but if thou hast firmly resolved at the beginning of the duty, by God's grace, I'll not stir from my God, from my work one jot, thou wilt not heed nor exchange a word with these vain follies: For alas! if thou shouldst, the whole gain of thy duty would be eaten up, and the end of thy duty, would be the beginning of thy grief.