The saints everlasting rest

3. As thy heart will be loitering, so will it be diverting. It will be turning aside like a careless servant, to talk with every one that passeth by: when there should be nothing in thy mind, but the work in hand; it will be thinking of thy calling, or of thy afflictions, or of every bird, or tree, or place thou secst, or of any impertinency, rather than of heaven. The cure here is the same with that before; to use watchfulness and violence with your own imaginations, and as soon as they step out, to chide them in. Drive away these birds of prey from thy sacrifice, and strictly keep thy heart to the work thou art upon.

4. Lastly, Be sure also to look to thy heart in this, that it cut not off the work before the time, and run not away through weariness, before it have leave. Thou shalt find it exceeding prone to this. Thou mayst easily perceive it in other duties: if in secret thou set thyself to pray, is not thy heart urging thee ⟨p. 373⟩still to cut it short? Dost thou not frequently find a motion to have done? Art thou not ready to be up, as soon almost as thou art down on thy knees? So it will be also in thy contemplations of heaven; as fast as thou gettest up thy heart, it will be down again; it will be weary of the work; it will be minding thee of other business to be done, and stop thy heavenly walk, before thou art well warm. What is to be done in this case also? Why the same authority and resolution which brought it to the work, and observed it in the work, must hold it to it, till the work be done. Stick to the work till thy graces be acted, thy affections raised, and thy soul refreshed with the delights above; or if thou canst not obtain these ends at once, ply it the closer the next time, and let it not go till thou feel the blessing. Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord, when he comes, shall find so doing.