wandring, as they will inevitably be without fuch an Intention.

Thirdly, A Diffolute, and Unconftant Practice of holy Duties, mightily conduceth to weaken and fcatter our Thoughts in them. When we do not observe Conftancy, and Affiduity in our Devotions, we lofe much of the holy Fervour, and facred Temper, which otherwise we should be happy in.

To omit our Prayers, or other holy Duties, twice perhaps for having perform'd them once; or to be devout, and worship God by starts and fits, and not in a regular and conftant Courfe, hath a very ill Influence upon our Thoughts. 'Tis true we may have Avocations; fo that fometimes we fhall not be able to obferve our ufual Hours of Devotion. But alafs! we often make that an Hindrance, which fhould be none: And by not being conftant in keeping our Times and Seafons for holy Duties, but being drawn aside by every Vanity, Vifit, or Trifle, our Thoughts become vain, idle, and wandring, when we come to do our Duty. The Sacred Temper is worn off; the Mind is out of that Frame of Devotion in which it was left by the laft Performance; and God is provoked to withdraw his Aids from fuch inconftant Devoto's. This is a Matter very well worth

our Notice and Obfervation; and lets us fee the Inconvenience and Danger of miffing Prayers, or other holy Duties, but once, without a reasonable Ćause.

IV. In this Cafe alfo, too much Liberty given our Senfes is of very evil Influence: And therefore we must be very watchful over them, if we would prevent the Aberrations of our Minds, when we are imploy'd about holy Duties.

What is the Reafon that our Devotion is no more than Lip-fervice? That our Hearts are fo far from God, when we are in his more immediate Prefence? That inftead of being influenced with the Love of God, humbled to the Duft with a Sense of his Greatnefs, rais'd up with Admiration of his Excellencies and Perfections, our Thoughts are engag'd either in foolish and filly, or wanton and impure Speculations? Why 'tis because we do not carefully guard our Senses; but give them an offenfive Liberty, by which means the Church of God is many times made a Theatre, or Exchange. What is it that Men come into the Prefence of God for? Is it not the greatest Honour, and Priviledge of a Poor Creature, to come into the Prefence of his Creator? Is it not for most weighty and important Ends that he comes there? Is it not in order to Reconciliation

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conciliation with God, Pardon of his Sins, the Divine Affiftance, and in the End the eternal Salvation of his Precious Soul? Are thefe little, and trifling Things? Are they not the greatest Concerns that can be? Surely they are. And therefore thofe who walk, whisper, talk, gaze, laugh,

when they are imploy'd about Holy Things, do much betray their Stupidity and Folly, and their mean and irreligious Senfe of the greatest Things in the World.

;

And befides, they can never think to please God by fuch a Sacrifice of Fools but do indeed greatly provoke him thereby. There cannot be a clearer Argument of the Vanity and Profaneness of a Man's Mind, than an unferious and loofe Deportment in the Worship of God; to which nothing adminifters more than a careless Liberty given our Senfes. For 'tis certain if we would have our Thoughts kept fteady and intent, we muft diligently keep our Senfes. And he that would preferve his Soul from Wandring, must never be fo oddly at leifure in his Devotions, as to gaze on this or t'other Thing, or Perfon that hath fine Clothes, or a ftrange Face, or fuffer any of his Senfes to be triflingly imploy'd.

This then is alfo a Rule neceffary to be obferv'd, in order to the avoiding this kind of evil Thoughts, viz. Wandring Thoughts

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Thoughts in the Worship of God; which are often very troublesome, and uneafy to our Souls; and many times render our Sacred Performances fruitless too.

V. In the next Place, it may be obferv'd, That to wandring and vain Thoughts in the Worship of God, doth very much conduce a pompous Multitude of Ceremonies, fuch as there is in the Church of Rome, which is quite beyond the Bounds of Gravity, and Decency.

But, thanks be to God, we of the Church of England are in no Danger of having our Thoughts thus drawn afide. Because thofe few Ceremonies which are obferv'd in it, are appointed in great Wifdom and Difcretion: And there is not the leaft Thing in all our Liturgy, that is apt to excite one vain, or wandring Thought in any Man's Mind: But all is fo uniformly ordered and difpofed, as greatly tends to the Increase of Piety, and Advancement of true Devotion. This must be acknowledged by all fober and impartial Men, fo that I need only mention this particular.

But yet there is one Thing, which I think to be here worth our Notice, and which very much conduceth to the Prevention of wandring Thoughts in the Worship of God. And that is an Uniformity

formity of Action in the Divine Service. My Meaning is, that we should kneel when others kneel and ftand, when they ftand, (as the Church in the Rubricks appoints) and obferve an Harmony in our outward Deportments, as well as inward Devotions: And this will be a means of preferving our Thoughts from flying off. Whereas when this Perfon kneels, and another ftands up, a third fits down, a fourth leans, &c. this is apt to beget in us an improper Variety of Thoughts, and to make our Minds wandring.

VI. Covetousness, and Worldly-mindednefs, neceffarily makes our Thoughts vain and wandring, while we are about holy Things. In this cafe efpecially it's true, that No Man can ferve God and Mammon. We can no more have our Thoughts Heavenly and Earthly, Spiritual and Carnal at the fame time, than we can look upward and downward at once. Covetousness therefore, and World mindedness must needs be avoided, if we would escape Wandring Thoughts. For how can fuch a Man pray, or ferve God in any tolerable manner, who hath all the while his Heart and Affections fet upon the World? How can he attend upon the Ordinances of God, without Interruption, whofe Mind is at home, about his Riches, Farms, or his F 4 Merchan