Prayer: However it would make us more clofely apply ourfelves, and unite our Thoughts with more Refolution and Steddi. nefs to the Remaining Part of our Devotions.

3dly, The Outward Senfes are Inlets to the Mind, and present us with a Variety of Objects, which give Occasion to many Straggling Thoughts. We cannot therefore be fure of keeping our Thoughts at home, Intent on their proper Bufinefs, unless we fet a Guard upon our Outward Senfes, and keep them from roving and straying abroad. A Wandering Eye is always bringing in fresh Intelligence, and is fure to be attended with a Wandering Heart.

But now I am speaking of External Helps, I shall add, that the Praying Vocally, whe ther it be in Private Prayer, or joining with the Minifter in a very lowly and humble Voice, may very probably, at least when our Spirits begin to flag, add fomething to the Fervour and Intenfion of the Mind.

1

God indeed needeth not that we fhould by Words express our Minds to him: He understands and hears the Secret Wishes, and inutterable Groanings, and all the Silent Language of a Devout Heart, as well as the Words that we utter with our Lips. Hannah's Mental Prayer was accepted of God, though we are told, that he only spake in her Heart, but her Voice was not heard. But if we experimentally find, that the Pronouncing the Words of our Prayers, (fo as

may be done without Affectation, or Notice of Others,) does help to keep the Mind more Fixt and Steddy, This, of all the Remedies against the Evil of Diftractions, is the Eafieft to be Used:

4thly, Another Caufe of Loofe and Idle Thoughts, is the Want of Belief, or Want of Confideration of God's Omniscience and Omniprefence. Were it poffible for but Men to fee into our Thoughts, we should be much afhamed of them, and fhould have more Guard upon them, and should not allow ourfelves the Liberties that we do within our own Breafts.

A

But Men we are fure cannot See them, and we do not fufficiently Confider, that God does: If we did Confider it, and would poffefsiour Minds with a due Reverence of God, and his Prefence with us, we should Look better to them, and much more carefully than we do.

I

be recommend the Serious Sense

of God's Prefence amongst us, and Inspection over us, well imprefs'd on our Minds, as another good Prefervative against Di stractions.

God has promifed, that when we are ga thered together in his Name, he will be in the Midft of us; more immediately Prefent by his Grace and Mercy, and by his Holy Spirit, though his Prefence amongst

us

us is altogether Spiritual, no Shechinah, no Appearance of any Vifible Glory.

Let us then but thoroughly Believe and Confider This; or else by the Eye of Faith look up to Heaven, and there behold him as the Prophet Isaiah describes him, “SitChap.vi."ting on a Throne, High and lifted up, " and his Train filling the Temple, and the Seraphim crying One to another and fay"ing, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Chap.lxiii." Hofts, and looking down from Hea

ven, the Habitation of his Holiness, on us "that are Worshipping him here on Earth, " and we shall need nothing else to restrain us from wandering Thoughts, or to excite "us to Fervency and an Awful Reverence.

But 5thly, Of all the Caufes and Occafions of Distractions and Wanderings of Heart in Prayer, the greatest of all is Sin.

When a Man has given himself up to his Vices, and has let Sin get the Dominion over him, he may be perfonally Present at the Divine Offices, but his Heart is foon fled and gone after his feveral Haunts of Pleafure. He is no longer Master of himself, nor of his own Thoughts and Defires, which are before taken up and engag'd in the Service of divers Lufts and Pleafures. It is not Easy for fuch Men to recover themfelves out of the Snares of the Devil, who are taken Captive by him at his Will.

Prayer

Prayer is a proper Means for their Recovery,
but God is fo far from liftning to fuch pol-
luted Prayers, that their very Prayers them-
felves want his Pardon. Men do but Pro-
voke God by fuch Infincere Prayers, when
they Pray against their Sins, and at the fame
time hug them close to their Hearts; Re-
folving not to part with them, but would be
willing, if they could do it by their Prayers,
to Compound with God for them. And fo
it will be; Men can do nothing but Preva-
ricate with God whilft they will retain
their Sins: For what Truth, or Sincerity, or
Faithfulness can there be in Prayer, whilft
the Heart is fo Poffefs'd and Alienated from
God? There can be no Faithfulness in their Pfal.v.9.
Mouths, whilft their Inward Parts are very
Wickedness.

We only deceive ourselves, if we expect that God fhould hear that Prayer which goeth out of feigned Lips. We must be in earneft with God and Religion, if we will fave our Souls. We muft fet ourselves and strive against our Sins at the fame Time that we Pray against them: And when once we come to be Sincere and Hearty both in our Endeavours and in our Prayers, God will not reject them; though the First Beginnings of turning to God, may be with great Imperfection and Distraction, and with Inward Strugglings and Conflict of Spirit. But if we will perfevere faithfully, we shall be still getting Ground.

So

So long as we will continue in the Service of Sin, our Thoughts must be in Diftraction, Confufion, and Tumult; fill'd with Vain Hopes, Unreasonable Expectations, and a thousand Impatient Inclinations and Defires; flutter'd and hurried about by every Ruling Luft. Now whilft we are in this Confus'd Distracted Condition, it is not like ly that we should have our Faculties fo well at Command, as to bring them to attend closely upon any thing that is Good and Serious. But when we are come to a full Refolution, and are in good Earneft for Cafting off Our Sins, we fhall then be in Earnest in our Prayers; and God will then receive our Prayers, and answer our Requests: He will then affift us with his Grace, to ftrengthen us in the Inward Man, and to Create a Clean Heart, and Renew a Right Spirit within us. Then our Endeavours and Prayers, being united together, will mutually affift and help forwards each other; And as we strive more earncftly against our Sins, we shall Pray more Earnestly and Fervently against them. Then fhall we, by Degrees, recover the Peace and Tranquility of our Souls, and be able to Pray with Fixt and Compofed Thoughts, and Serve God with a Quiet Mind. For when Legion is caft out, we Mar. v.15. fhall foon return to our Right Mind, and fhall fee and experimentally find, that a Good Life, a Serious Regular Vertuous Life, will