Secondly, the vanity, and sinfulness of the mind appears in a loathness to entertain holy thoughts, to begin to set it self to think of God, and the things belonging unto our peace; even as loath they are to this as School-boys are to go to their Books, or to busy their minds about their lessons, their heads being full of play; so loath are our minds to enter into serious considerations, into ⟨p. 38⟩to sad solemn thoughts of God, or death, &c. Men are as loath to think of death, as thieves of the execution; or to think of God, as they are of their Judge. So to go over their own actions, in a review of them, and read the blurred writing of their hearts, and to commune with them, at night in the end of the day, (as David did, Psalm. 119. 59.) men are as loath to do this, as School-boys are to pierce their lessons, and the false Latins they have made, Job 21. Depart from us (say they in Job) unto God, from their thoughts they meant it, for it follows, we desire not ⟨p. 39⟩the knowledge of thy ways. They would not think of him, or know them by their good wills; and therefore our minds, like a bad stomach, are nauseated with the very scent of good things, and soon casts them up again, Rom. 1. 28. They like not to retain the knowledge of God: let us go and try to wind up our souls, at any time, to holy meditations, to think of what we have heard, or what we have done, or what is our duty to do, and we shall find our minds, like the pegs of an Instrument, slip between our fingers, as we are a winding them up, and to fall down suddenly again, ⟨p. 40⟩ere we are aware of it: yea you shall find, that your minds will labour to shun what may occasion such thoughts; even as men go out of the way, when they see they must meet with one they are loath to speak withal; yea men dare not be alone, for fear such thoughts should return upon them. The best shall find a gladness, for an excuse, by other occasions to knock off their thoughts from what is good: whereas in thinking of vain earthly things, we think the time passeth too fast, clocks strike too soon, hours pass away ere we are aware of it.
Secondly, the vanitie, and sinfulnesse of the minde appeares in a loathnesse to entertaine holy thoughts, to begin to set it selfe to thinke of God, and the things belonging unto our peace; even as loath they are to this as Schoole-boyes are to goe to their Books, or to busie their mindes about their lessons, their heads being full of play; so loath are our mindes to enter into serious considerations, into ⟨p. 38⟩to sad solemne thoughts of God, or death, &c. Men are as loath to thinke of death, as theeves of the execution; or to thinke of God, as they are of their Judge. So to goe over their owne actions, in a review of them, and read the blurd writing of their hearts, and to commune with them, at night in the end of the day, (as David did, Psalm. 119. 59.) men are as loath to doe this, as Schoole-boyes are to perse their lessons, and the false Latins they have made, Iob 21. Depart from us (say they in Iob) unto God, from their thoughts they meant it, for it follows, we desire not ⟨p. 39⟩the knowledge of thy wayes. They would not thinke of him, or know them by their good wills; and therefore our mindes, like a bad stomack, are nauseated with the very scent of good things, and soone casts them up againe, Rom. 1. 28. They like not to retaine the knowledge of God: let us goe and try to wind up our soules, at any time, to holy meditations, to thinke of what we have heard, or what wee have done, or what is our duty to doe, and wee shall finde our minds, like the peggs of an Instrument, slip betweene our fingers, as we are a winding them up, and to fall downe suddenly againe, ⟨p. 40⟩ere we are aware of it: yea you shall finde, that your mindes will labour to shun what may occasion such thoughts; even as men goe out of the way, when they see they must meet with one they are loath to speake withall; yea men dare not be alone, for feare such thoughts should returne upon them. The best shall finde a gladnesse, for an excuse, by other occasions to knocke off their thoughts from what is good: whereas in thinking of vaine earthly things, we thinke the time passeth too fast, clocks strike too soone, houres passe away ere wee are aware of it.
