Circumftances: But may be well affur'd, that where they have not Indulg'd nor given way to their Wanderings by the Confent of their Wills, God will not Condemn them for their Weakness: He will neither Reject our Prayers for them Here, nor fhall they rife up in Judgment against us Hereafter.

But then Fourthly, When our Wanderings Have the Confent of our Wills, that is, When we give way to them, when we approve and indulge and Cherish them, as we always must be reckon'd to do when we conceive no Indignation against them, but can give up our Minds to them, and contentedly pursue them, and delightfully entertain our felves with our own Vain Imaginations in the time of our Prayers or any of our Divine Services, what was at firft but the Infirmity of Nature, does now become Wilful Sin: Because though our Heart may fteal away from us into the World e're we are aware, yet we may recal it again if we will, and may choose whether we will fix our Minds, and dwell on Foreign or Forbidden Objects. And the Mischiefs of fuch Wilful or Careless Diftractions and Wanderings are very Great, and of moft pernicious Confequence to us.

I fhall inftance but in two of their pernicious Confequences:

1. Such an Habitual and Cuftomary Carelefnefs and Wandering of Heart in Prayer, cheats us of our Prayers, leaving nothing in

their ftead but mere Empty Words, which are utterly Ufelefs and Infignificant to us. Our Religious Services are appointed to be the Means and Inftruments of our Salvation, by which we are to recommend ourselves to God's Favour, and (by the Merits and Interceffion of our Saviour,) to obtain the Pardon of our Sins for the Time Paft, and his Grace and Affiftance for the Time to come; But by fuch fuperficial and heedless Performances we defeat the gracious Ends he thereby defign'd us, and render our Services utterly Unacceptable to him, and Useless to ourfelves. God is a Spirit, and will be Served in Spirit and in Truth. When our Prayers are only the Service of the Tongue, without the Service of the Heart, they can at the best but return Empty into our own Bosom. pfal. xxxv, The Heathens themselves never expected 13. Good, but only Evil, from fuch Heartless Sacrifices: for this I take to be the Moral Meaning of what we are told concerning them, that if at any time their Sacrifice was found to have an Imperfect Heart, or a Heart in any wife Tainted or Unfound, they thought fuch Sacrifice above all Others difpleafing to God, and Ominous to themselves. And it is obfervable to this purpose, what Strabo the Heathen Geographer tells us of a Lib. 15, Perfian People, who when they had by their Religious Rites confecrated their Sacrifices, they ate all the Flefh of them themselves,

faying, "That the Gods had the Souls of "their Sacrifices; for that it was the Souls, " and not the Bodies, that were regarded by "Them." And fhall not We be condemn'd out of the Mouths of Heathens, if We will offer unto our God Heartless Sacrifice, the Sacrifice of Fools? Fools indeed, that because we can Cheat the World and Ourselves with Words and Outward Shews, think therewith to impose upon God alfo: Fools, that whilft we are thus mocking God, all the while confider not that we Do Evil; but still go on as if we pleafed him, by being Prefent in If. xxix. Body, though Abfent in Spirit-Drawing nigh unto him, and honouring him with our Lips, whilft our Heart is far from him. When This is the Cafe, Men may utter many Words in form of Prayer, upon their Bended Knees, but do not Pray at all.

13.

But 2dly, A Bare Inacceptance is not all: Those Religious Services, which are the only Means we have to obtain the Bleffings of God, and atone his Difpleasure for our Of fences, when fo carelefly and contemptuously perform'd, do only farther Provoke him against us. Such Faint Formal Lifelefs Prayers, not only bespeak a Denial, but bring a Curfe upon us instead of a Blessing; and one of the Heaviest Curfes that could befall us, when our very Prayers are turned into Sin. For can there be a greater Affront to Almighty God, than whilft we are in his Houfe,

folemnly

olemnly Bowing ourselves before the High God, and lifting up our Hands to Him, to the High and Holy One who inhabiteth Eternity, to fuffer our Hearts to be roving after every little Vanity? What Opinion must we have of God? Do we believe him to be really Préfent amongst us? Do we acknowledge him to be Omnifcient? Do we know that he fpies out all our Ways, and that all Inward Windings and Turnings, and moft fecret Motions of the Soul, are not hid from his all-feeing Eye, and yet think fit to let every little Trifle take place of him, even at the time that we are making our Addreffes and Petitions to him?

Whatever we may think or profefs, fuch Formal Pharifaical Services argue an utter Contempt of God: Whilft we pretend to Adore him, we really Mock and Affront and Defpife him. And to Him who feeth the Heart, fuch Worship muft appear but like the Soldiers Mock-Worship of our Saviour, that Bowed the Knee before him, but at the fame Mat.xxvii. time Spat in his Face.

This then is the Cafe of Wilful, or Carelefs and Habitual Diftraction in Religious Duties. But even Involuntary Wanderings, fuch as will sometimes steal in upon the Best of Men by the Infirmity of the Flesh, tho we Hope and Believe that they shall not be charg❜d to our Future Account, yet even These also are a great Unhappiness, and very R 2 mischievous

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mischievous to us: They dull and flatten our Spirit, and take off the Edge of our Devotion, and rob us of our Spiritual Joys, which would be a Comfort and Refreshment to our Souls, and would help to kindle New Flames in us. They greatly Difcourage us, and abate our Faith and Trust and Confidence in God, which makes us come with lefs Satisfaction and Pleasure to our Prayers; And the more they prevail, fo much the lefs Available and Effectual they make our Prayers to us.

Now if these be the fad Confequences of Loose and Wandering Thoughts in Prayer, we have great Reason to Watch against them, and to use our Utmoft Care and Diligence, as far as is poffible, to Avoid them.

And I question not but that there are Means to be used in this Cafe, that may in fome good measure Help us, provided we be but Faithful to ourselves in the Use of them. I fhall Adventure to propofe Some, which I conceive to be the chief Helps we have against Distractions; though as they may in feveral Men arife from fome particular Causes, they may require very different Rules and Methods of Cure. I now therefore proceed

IIId and Laft General, wherein I am to confider their Caufes; and what Remedies, or Helps, are to be had against them.