An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…

And further, God hath a time to make all carnal men ashamed Obs. 2 ⟨p. 332⟩of their sacrifices. We will a little raise up our meditations somewhat higher, from this, They shall be ashamed of their sacrifices. All sacrifices, not only superstitious and idolatrous but all other sacrifices that come short of the rule will at length cause shame. As carnal men that tender up many services unto God, and that lay such weight upon their services, as to lay their claim to Heaven and interest in God upon their sacrifices, God hath a time to make them ashamed of all these sacrifices. Al now, when God shall discover the vanity of their prayers, if God should but show to us all and to the whole company here, each others hearts in time of prayer, when we have been offering up that sacrifice unto God, and we have seemed to be very devout in our prayers, yet Oh the vanity of our hearts, Oh the vile thoughts, unclean, wicked, ungodly, foolish thoughts that have run up and down thorough our hearts in the time of our prayers! If God should write our prayers before us and interline our prayers with all our vain thoughts, and then bid us read our prayers, and bid others read our prayers interlined with such vain thoughts, would we not be ashamed of our sacrifices? the best sacrifice that ever we tendered up to God in all our life we would be ashamed of it. God hath a time (except all be pardoned in Christ and covered in him) to make men that lay such weight upon their prayers, to show them such an ugly form and fashion of them, as to make them ashamed of them.

And further, God hath a time to make al carnal men ashamed Obs. 2 ⟨p. 332⟩of their sacrifices. We will a little raise up our meditations somewhat higher, from this, They shall be ashamed of their sacrifices. All sacrifices, not only supersti••ous and idolatrous but all other sacrifices that come short of the rule will at length cause shame. As carnal men that tender up many services unto God, and that lay such weight upon their services, as to lay their claim to Heaven and interest in God upon their sacrifices, God hath a time to make them ashamed of all these sacrifices. Al now, when God shal discover the vanity of their prayers, if God should but shew to us al and to the whol company here, each others hearts in time of prayer, when we have been offering up that sacrifice unto God, and we have seemed to be very devout in our prayers, yet Oh the vanity of our hearts, Oh the vile thoughts, unclean, wicked, ungodly, foolish thoughts that have run up and down thorough our hearts in the time of our prayers! If God should write our prayers before us and interline our prayers with all our vain thoughts, and then bid us reade our prayers, and bid others reade our prayers interlined with such vain thoughts, would we not be ashamed of our sacrifices? the best sacrifice that ever we tenderd up to God in al our life we would be ashamed of it. God hath a time (except al be pardoned in Christ and covered in him) to make men that lay such weight upon their prayers, to shew them such an ugly form and fashion of them, as to make them ashamed of them.