another may use the same language, till the worship of God be universally neglected, our churches forsaken, and preaching and praying be wholly laid aside. What a strange way of arguing and acting is this! You sin in eating, and drinking, and trading, and all your worldly employments, as well as in the service of God; but you do not leave them off, because of the imperfections which attend every action. Now, if sin were an excuse for your neglect in the one instance it were equally so in the other. "But does not Solomon say, that the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord?" Yes; but he says too, that "the ploughing of the wicked is sin ;" and consequently, for the same reason that you would omit praying, you must neglect ploughing, or any other necessary employment. Consider a little, whither this temptation would lead you. If you look abroad into the world, you will see many instances of those, who have cast off fear, and restrained prayer before God, after some considerable degree of strictness in outward religion. They have forsaken the assembling of themselves together, and never attend either to public or private devotions. Take notice of them, and tell me whether they be better since they omitted these duties. Are they less worldly or profane than they were? Or is not the reverse of this dreadfully notorious? This would be your character too, if you were to hearken to those suggestions of the Devil: under a pretence of avoiding one sin, you would soon commit a thousand. The best way to be superior to such painful distractions, is not to leave off duty, but to pursue it more vigorously than ever; and look up to Christ for righteousness and strength.

When the prophet reproves the people, he says not, Bring no more oblations, but, "bring no more vain. oblations." He does not exhort them to put away their doings, but," the evil of their doings."

"All this may be very right," says another," and real Christians may be comforted by it; but it is nothing to me. I fear that all my religion is hypocrisy, for I cannot think that any servant of God was ever so much troubled with wandering thoughts as I have been." If you were indeed singular in this, and were informed by the people of God, that when employed in his service, from the time they begin till they conclude, they never know what it is to have their minds wander for a moment, you would have particular cause for dejection; you might then fear, not only that you were less than the least of all saints, but that you had not any title to that name, since your duties are constantly disturbed and polluted, while theirs are always composed, and pleasing to God. But this is not fact; what you complain of is common to every Christian. You may think yourself the chief of sinners, and there is no danger in that; for few think worse of themselves than they deserve. But, concerning this particular, I can venture to assure you, that no temptation has taken you, but such as is com mon to men; yea, to the dearest of the children of God. But can you in the midst of all say, that you have watched and prayed against these spiritual enemies, and that it is your grief that you can perform these duties no better? Be of good comfort. You remember Christ's gracious apology for his disciples, after their most unseasonable drowsiness; "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak ;" and he will make the same apology for you. Your complaints are a

favourable symptom, as they imply, that you are conscientious with respect to your thoughts and your duties. This is not the character of a hypocrite. He may be solicitous that his services may be performed with external decency; but he pays no attention to his thoughts, nor feels any grief because of their va nity. He may, indeed, complain of it to men, but he never sincerely confesses and laments it before God in secret. It is not so much the being of those vain thoughts, as the lodging of them in our hearts, which is the wickedness that you have reason to deprecate. If they come, (and come they will, in spite of every caution,) yet, if you do not invite them, or if you give them not liberty to stay, or take not delight in them, but, on the contrary, hate them with perfect hatred, account and oppose them as your enemies, God will not be strict to mark iniquity, but will pity and pardon your infirmities.

"How can I take comfort," says another, "when I am more troubled with wandering thoughts now than ever I was? I fear that I am getting worse, or I should obtain a greater victory over these evils?"

You may be more troubled on account of wander. ing thoughts in your duties than you formerly were; but this does not imply, that they are at present more numerous. You had as many, or more, several years ago; but you did not then perceive them; or at least, feel them as a burden. Your present complaints, therefore, are a sign of increasing knowledge, and tenderness of conscience, and are a cause of rejoicing, rather than despondency. If you be more troubled with vain thoughts now than you used to be, it may be because you are growing more spiritual. VOI.. I.

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You are, perhaps earnestly striving to get further from under the power of sin, and the tyranny of Satan; and therefore they are giving you greater opposition. Satan but little disturbs wicked men ; for he knows it to be for his interest in general, to keep every thing quiet. If, therefore, you perceive sin to be more busy with you than formerly, it may be only its dying convulsions; and if you resist it steadfastly in the faith, you may have the happiness of keeping it under for ever. I say you may keep it under, for you cannot expect to eradicate it, and to be entirely exempted from wandering thoughts in this world. You have a promise, indeed, that sin shall not have dominion over you; but it is not said that it shall not give you trouble. We are not conquerors, but warriors here'; and therefore the more vain thoughts assault you, the more do you pray and fight against them, in assurance that your labour shall not be in in the Lord. Tuk ain

But," says another, "if these distractions so much disturb my religious duties, would it not be advisable for me to desist from them for the present, and return to them afterwards rather than go on amidst such confusion?" non est)

910 By no means; this would only be yielding to temptation, and making one sin an excuse for another. Besides,do you consider what inducement you would give to your spiritual enemy to distract you on another occasion? When he finds that he can drive you from "the service of God, by disturbing your thoughts, you may be sure that you will never want such disturbances. So that if you defer a duty because you are unfit for it to-day, it is probable you will be more

unprepared for it to-morrow. Persevere, therefore; determine to keep your holds let principalities, and powers, and spiritual wickedness, oppose you how they will; for if you resist the devil, he will certainly flee from you. Should these distractions prevail so far, that you cannot, proceed in words and outward expressions, go on by sighs and tears, rather than immediately desist. If you cannot speak, weep out your devotions. The spirit, you know, makes intercessions with groanings which cannot be uttered. At the same time, remember that it is not the length of a duty, but its sincerity, and the strength of affection in it, which is regarded by God. We may be too long, and spoil the duty by our tediousness. A short fervent ejaculation is better than tedious babbling. Therefore, when you pray, use not vain repetitions as the Heathen do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. As God is in heaven, and thou upon earth, let thy words be few.sport

"But," says another," if good thoughts occur to my mind in the season of duty, and my heart dwell much upon them, is it not right to pursue what is thus accidentally suggested?" albinon

God's Spirit never works in a disorderly manner, so as, when we are attending to one duty, agreeably to his command, to call us away to another. Though the thoughts, therefore, which intrude upon us, may be good, yet, because they are unseasonable, there is reason to suspect that they may come from that lying spirit, who we know can transform himself into an angel of light: and this seeming goodness only makes the temptation more dangerous. If the sug