Secondly, As God is great that we draw nigh to, so the duties of Gods worship are great duties they are the greatest things that doth concern us in this world, and it is a sign of a very carnal heart to slight the duties of Gods Worship, to make account of them as little matters: Carnal hearts ordinarily, the things that concern their businesses in the world they think great matters; Oh I may not neglect that, I may not neglect that, I may not neglect such a business, or I may not neglect to visit or gratify such a friend; but now for the worship of God it is good indeed, but whether it be done or not it is no great ma•ter therefore they can put off prayer▪ if they have any business the time of prayer must pay for it; they can put off that ⟨p. 45⟩upon any slight occasion, they do not account the duties of Gods worship great matters; My brethren I beseech you learn this lesson this morning, to account the duties of Gods worship great matters, they are the greatest things that do concern you here in this world; for they are the homage that you tender up to the high God, as you heard, and those things wherein God communicates himself in his choice Mercies, now being such great matters there is cause that we should prepare. For that one thing of prayer, saith Luther, it is a great work, and a difficult work, and therefore there had need be preparation for it: Business of great consequence we make preparation for, indeed if a business be a slight business we can fall upon it on a sudden, you make not preparation to go in a Poa• in the Thames, but to go a voyage you make great preparation. Now if men and women would but understand the duties of Gods worship to be great, they would see a necessity to make a preparation; Many men for want of preparation to duties they lose a great part of the time, when they come to perform a duty of Worship in prayer, they spend half the time that is convenient to be spent in prayer before they begin to pray; and so in hearing the word, they are a long time before they can settle themselves to attend to the word, or in any other kind of Worship; I say a great deal of time in the worship is spent ordinarily before we can get our hearts to close with the worship; now that is a sore and a great evil to lose any part of the time of Worship:
Secondly, As God is great that we draw nigh to, so the duties of Gods worship are great duties they are the greatest things that doth concern us in this world, and it is a sign of a very carnal heart to slight the duties of Gods Worship, to make account of them as little matters: Carnal hearts ordinarily, the things that concern their businesses in the world they think great matters; Oh I may not neglect that, I may not neglect that, I may not neglect such a business, or I may not neglect to visit or gratifie such a friend; but now for the worship of God it is good indeed, but whether it be done or not it is no great ma•ter therefore they can put off prayer▪ if they have any business the time of prayer must pay for it; they can put off that ⟨p. 45⟩upon any slight occasion, they do not account the duties of Gods worship great matters; My brethren I beseech you learn this lesson this morning, to account the duties of Gods worship great matters, they are the greatest things that do concern you here in this world; for they are the homage that you tender up to the high God, as you heard, and those things wherein God communicates himself in his choice Mercies, now being such great matters there is cause that we should prepare. For that one thing of prayer, saith Luther, it is a great work, and a difficult work, and therefore there had need be preparation for it: Business of great consequence we make preparation for, indeed if a business be a slight business we can fall upon it on a sudden, you make not preparation to go in a Poa• in the Thames, but to go a voyage you make great preparation. Now if men and women would but understand the duties of Gods worship to be great, they would see a necessity to make a preparation; Many men for want of preparation to duties they lose a great part of the time, when they come to performe a duty of Worship in prayer, they spend half the time that is convenient to be spent in prayer before they begin to pray; and so in hearing the word, they are a long time before they can settle themselves to attend to the word, or in any other kind of Worship; I say a great deal of time in the worship is spent ordinarily before we can get our hearts to close with the worship; now that is a sore and a great evil to lose any part of the time of Worship:
