4 '5 2 How may we cure Difßrat=lio .ns Serm. 19. Apofile biddeth us pray without ceafing,and we cannot do it w hì'e1} we pray; he is alra4;er to God and his own heart, who finds it not daily, this is an incurable vanity, though we often repent of, yet'ds not a- mended, a mijery that God would leave upon our natures, to hunble us while we are in the World, and that we may long for Heaven ; the An_ gels and ble ffedSpririts there are not troubled with thofe things,inHea- ven there is no complaining of wandring thmtghts,there God it all in all they that are there have but one ObjeEt to fill their underftandings,one Objett to give contentment to their dcfres, their hearts cleave to God infeparably by a per fed l.ve, but here we are cumbred with much fer- ving, and much work, begets a multitude of thoughts in us, Pfd. 94 i i. The Lord knows the thoughts of men that they are but vanity. W hen we have fumtned up all the traverfes, reafonings, and difcourfesof the mind, we may write at the bottom this as the total fum, here nathimt. but vanity. 3. Another caufe is praEtical i3theifm, we have little fettle of things that are unfeen and lye within the vail, in the World of fy,irits; things that are feen have a great force upon us, offer it no`, to the Governour, faith the Prophet Mal. r.8. God is a far oft, both from our fight and apprchenfon, fenfes bind attention : if you (peak to a man your thoughts are fetled ; and you think of nothing elfe, but in fpeaking to God you have not like attention b:caufe you fee him not,Exod. 32. r. íL14° uA gods to go .before us : Aye that we would have a vifible God, whom we may fee and hear, but the true God being a Spirit, and an it viftble Power,all the fervice that we do him,is a taskperformed more out ofcuficme than a1T E/ion, in a flight perfund ory way. q . Strong and orm.orti fled lofts, which being rooted in us, and ha_ viug the Soul at moll command will trouble us, and diftrac`l:us when we go about any duty; each man bath a mind, and can fpend it unwea- riedly as be is inclined, e ither to Ccvetotsfnefs, ,An bition, or Sen fuali ty, for where the trcafore ie, there will the heart be, Matih. 6. 20. fit but the Covctetts man about the world, the Voluptuous man about his plea- /tires, and the strabitioata man about his honours, and prefrrn,ents, and will thcyfufcrthcir thoughts to be taken off? furely no but fet either of the fe about holy t hinds, and patently thefe Tufts will be interpofing, .EzFk 3 3.23 t .their heart goeth after their Covetoufnefst the fins to which a man is moll addicted, will ingrofs the thoughts, fo that this is one fign by which a man may know his reigning fan, that which interrupt-shim molt in holy duties, for when all other lulls are kept out, Sathan will N flue to let the darling fin a work to plead for him ;,if a man be ad- dieted
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