Gospel-worship, or, The right manner of sanctifying the name of God in general. And…

Secondly, Every time thou goest to prayer, thou that art most troubled with such vain thoughts, renew thy resolutions against them; I have been troubled with vain thoughts heretofore, and am afraid, if I look not to it, that I shall lose this prayer also; and therefore O Lord, here I renew my resolutions to set against them in this prayer with all my might; it is very much that may be done by strong resolutions, and especially if thy strong resolutions be renewed resolutions; for an old resolution begins to grow weak; a man that hath resolved upon a thing a great while ago, it hath little power over him: but now when a man hath resolved upon a thing but this morning, and just at the time when he is going about it, now he doth resolve upon it, and set himself upon it, and doth resolve through the grace of God, that what soever difficulty he meets withal, whatsoever it cost him, that he will go through this work, I say that resolutions renewed have a great deal of power; and you cannot imagine what a great deal of power the renewing of resolution against vain thoughts will have, if they were renewed every time thou goest to prayer, until thou gettest power over thy thoughts; do but make trial of this; thou hast lost many a prayer by vain thoughts; and thou hast been troubled for them, and yet they come again; do but try for this week; as I remember I said in the point of passion and anger, that we should resolve with our selves, well, whatsoever falls out this morning, I am resolved I will bear it; so bethink thy self how many prayers thou hast lost by vain thoughts; and now renew thy resolutions, and Covenant with God, that for this prayer, I will set my self against them, whatsoever pains I take, I will b sure yet withal to look up to Gods grace to assist me, I will ⟨p. 288⟩be sure this prayer to keep my heart close to what I am about; and perhaps that will help you a little; but yet some vain thoughts will come for all that; then the next night renew them again; and the next morning renew them again; and that till thou comest to a habit of keeping thy heart close to the duty, though now thou feelest thy heart so wild, that thou thinkest it is impossible to bring it into order, but certainly by such a means, thy heart will be brought into order.

Secondly, Every time thou goest to prayer, thou that art most troubled with such vain thoughts, renew thy resolutions against them; I have been troubled with vain thoughts heretofore, and am afraid, if I look not to it, that I shall lose this prayer also; and therefore O Lord, here I renew my resolutions to set against them in this prayer with all my might; it is very much that may be done by strong resolutions, and especially if thy strong resolutions be renewed resolutions; for an old resolution begins to grow weak; a man that hath resolved upon a thing a great while agoe, it hath little power over him: but now when a man hath resolved upon a thing but this morning, and just at the time when he is going about it, now he doth resolve upon it, and set himselfe upon it, and doth resolve through the grace of God, that what soever difficultie he meets withall, whatsoever it cost him, that he will goe through this work, I say that resolutions renewed have a great deale of power; and you cannot imagine what a great deale of power the renewing of resolution against vaine thoughts will have, if they were renewed every time thou goest to prayer, untill thou gettest power over thy thoughts; do but make tryall of this; thou hast lost many a prayer by vaine thoughts; and thou hast been troubled for them, and yet they come againe; do but try for this weeke; as I remember I said in the point of passion and anger, that we should resolve with our selves, well, whatsoever fals out this morning, I am resolved I will beare it; so bethink thy selfe how many prayers thou hast lost by vaine thoughts; and now renew thy resolutions, and Covenant with God, that for this prayer, I will set my selfe against them, whatsoever pains I take, I will b sure yet withall to look up to Gods grace to assist me, I will