' and when itlifteth: You are therefore to.lay your felves in the wayof the Spirir,c~U in its aid, whic_h ,otdinarily comes when fouls 'do thetr duty: Holy performances are (as it were) the walk ofthe Spirit., the air where he breaths' :. and be fure he is. moH:·Iikely to be found in · his oVv~n way,and walk ; but you cannot expeCt hi1n in ~he neglea of plain duty: Try this way, put God to't~ plead ·his ptomife, you cannot think to be.war-m,if you run frotn the fire: If~you have. not an appetite to pray~ yOil mufl: pray for an appetit~; for negiefr., .or omif– fion of a.duty, never fits, but alwaies unfits for .p. duty: If you'll heed your trifling fpirits, and accept every ex:. cufe which they make, you fl\all never pray : If you play ·rhe truant one time, you'll have lefs mind togo to God the next titne; g~ilt .makes you afr~id, and yoti dare not come near that God whom you have wrong– ed; as Adam run·fromGod, and Peter would thruft . Chrifl: fromhim., when con!Cious of guilt. H~wdare you·IookGod jn the fac~, ~ho~ you h,ave flighted ? Befides,you'll find that neglect ofduty, cloth not make the nextperfonnance more eafie, but more difficult.··lt will (as one faith) require more time and pains for you to tune your Inftrument,. than for another t0 play his leffon : ·And is it not mor,e likely God !hould come to you,,)n pains-taking, than total omiffion? Do you not read in the Pfalms,how <?ften David begun faintly,and ended triutnphaptly? ,Try the Lord, and fee if he be not better than you expett. 7. Obj. 'I, but (faith a poor foul) I meet with temp– tations when I go to God in fecret ; Satan affaJ,1lts tne, _ I am titnorous, · and dare not be alone, or in the dark, but a111 'ff~ighted~ \ _, , AnflP. 'Tis a fign theduty is good, becaufe fo bad a fpirit oppofeth it: the<moreSa.tan feesa quty i.s for the fvuls advantage, the more dilig~nt . he is to hi.nder the performance; but mu~ ~at~n be gratiqed rather 0 tband ' . 0
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