A THIRD cause of I'oving thoughts is an incumbrance of worldly cares. It is no wonder that man can enjoy no privacy with God in a duty, who hath so many from the woi-ld knocking at his door to speak with him, when he is speaking to God. Religion never goes in more danger than when in a crowd of worldly business. If such a one prays, it is not long before something comes in his head to take him off. ' Isaac went out to meditate, and behold the camels.' The world is soon in such a one's sight ; he puts forth one hand to heaven in a spiritual thought, but soon pulls it back, and a worldly one steps before it, and so makes a breach upon his duty. ' Dreams,' Solomon tells us, ' come from a multitude of business,' and so do dreaming prayers : they are made up of hete- rogeneal, independent thoughts. The shop and barn are unfit places for prayer; I mean the shop and barn in the heart. I have read of one who was said to be a walking library, because he left not his learning with his books in his study, but carried them about him, wherever he went, in his memory and judgment, that had digested all he read, and so made them his own. And have we not too many walking shops and barns, who carry them to bed and board, church and closet? And how can such pray with a united heart, who have so many sharers in their thouglits? O, holy soul! get thee alone, if thou wouldst have Christ give thee his love. Knowest thou not thou hast a modest husband ? Indeed, he gives the soul not his embraces in a crowd, nor the kisses of his lips in the market. Jacob sends away his company to the other side of the river, and then God gave him one of the sweetest meetings he had in all his life : let him now pray even a whole night, if he will, and welcome. Now, Christian, for thy help against these, —
Section I. — Labour to keep thy distance to the world, and that sovereignty which God hath given thee over it in its profits and pleasures, or whatever else may prove a snare to thee. While the father and master know their place, and keep their distance, so long children and servants will keep theirs by being duti- ful and officious ; but when they forget this, the father grows fond of the one, and the master too familiar with the other, then they begin to lose their autho- rity, and the others to grow saucy and under no command : bid them go, and it may be they will not stir ; set them a task, and they will bid you do it yourself. Truly thus it fai-es with the Chinstian : all the creatures are his servants, and so long as he keeps his heart at a holy distance from them, and maintains his lordship over them, not laying them in his bosom which God hath put under his feet, Psa. viii., all is well ; he marches to the duties of God's worship in a goodly order. He can be private with God, and these not be bold to crowd in to disturb him. But when we grow too fond of them, alas ! how are we pestered with them ! We read of no undutifulness of Hagar toward her mistress while a servant ; but when Sarah gives her into Abraham's bosom, and admits her to share with herself in conjugal privileges, truly then she begins to jostle with her mistress, and carries herself saucily to her; yea, and Abraham himself, who would not have hesitated to have put her away before, yet now he hath taken her into his bed, can hardly persuade his heart to yield to it, till God joins with Sarah in the business, bidding him hearken unto his wife. Thus, Chris- tian, use the world as a servant, which it was made for, and you may go to prayer, as Abraham up the mount, leaving his servants below ; thou shalt find they will not have that power to disturb thee ; but let either the profits or pleasures share with Chi-ist in thy conjugal affection, and thou wilt find thy heart loth to send this Hagar away, though at the request of Christ himself Either use the world as if thou usedst it not, or you will pray as if you prayed not. If thy heart be to the world, thou canst not keep thy thoughts from driving thither : then, and not till then, will tliy prayer ascend like a pillar of incense, when there is a holy calmness on thy spirit, and tliis boisterous wind of inordinate affections to the world be laid. I must not take thee off from diligence in thy worldly
g50 PRAYING ALWAYS, ETC.
calling ; this never spoils prayer ; only watcli thy heart that thou prostitute it not to the wanton embraces of it. That is the pui'e metal which bends this way and that way, but returns to its straightness again. That heart hath heaven's stamp upon it which can stoop and bend to the lowest action of his worldly calling, but then returns to his fitness for communion with God.