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remove the Caufe of our Wanderings, and prove the best Preservative against Distracti

ons.

13.

Thus have I pointed out some of the Chief Caufes of our Distractions, and have ventu red to Prescribe Something by way of Cure: I do not mean a Perfect Cure, which is not to be expected whilst we live in the Body. I fear the Beft we have to hope for against them, is fuch an Incompleat Victory over them, as the Children of Ifrael had Over the Canaanites; they brake their main Strength, brought them into Subjection, and kept them at an under, that they could not greatly Harm them; but they could never fo clearly Drive them out, nor Destroy them, Josh. xxiii. but that Some ftill remained to be Snares to them, and Scourges in their Sides, and Thorns in their Eyes: So when we have done our Beft, Many of these Infirmities will still remain, to annoy, and vex, and disturb us: God fo permitting it, that the Best of Men may have Reason to Humble themselves before him, and finding their own Weakness may become more Watchful; and yet not Truft in themselves, but Fly to Him for Help. For except the Lord keep the City, the Watchman waketh but in Vain: Without God's Help, our Endeavours will prove too Weak and Ineffectual. I fhall therefore add in the

6th and Laft Place, That we fail not to Pray to God against them. God

trick.

God has promis'd to give his Holy Spirit · to thofe that Ask him: And the Apostle tells us, that the Spirit helpeth our Infirmities, and maketh Interceffion for us. Since there

fore our own Strength is Small, and our Weakness no where more Vifible than in this Particular, let us not be wanting to ourselves in imploring the Divine Affiftance, when we may have it for Asking.

When we first come into the House of God, before we begin our Prayers, or enter upon any part of Divine Service, we may fall down upon our Knees, and "humbly Dr. Pa-befeech Almighty God, that he would "fill us with fuch an awful Senfe of his Di"vine Majefty, that Nothing else may in"terpofe itself whilft we are in his Prefence. "That he would fix our Inconftant Thoughts " in a stedfaft Attention on his most Holy "Word. That he would inspire us with "Devout Affections to fhew forth his Praife, " and render Thanks for all his Benefits. "That he would excite in us fuch fervent "Defires of those things we are to Pray for, "that we may find ourselves better difpos'd "by these our Addreffes to him, to every "Chriftian Duty as long as we Live, thro' "Christ our Lord.

Or elfe more briefly, in the Words of the Devout Pfalmift.

"Make me a Clean Heart, O God; And "quicken thou me with thy Free Spirit;

"Let the Words of my Mouth, and the "Meditations of my Heart, be Now and evermore acceptable in thy Sight, O Lord σε my Strength and my Redeemer.

This is a Proper Preparative for our Devotions, and may prove a good Preservative against Diftractions. However, fuch is the Weakness and Corruption of our Nature, that it hardly can be fufficiently Antidoted. So that after all we may find reafon enough at the End of our Prayers, before we arife from our Knees, "humbly to beg of God "that he would forgive us the Defects of

the Duty we have been upon, and Accept "our Imperfect Services; not weighing our "Merits, but Pardoning our Offences, for "his Sake who offer'd up himself a Perfect "Sacrifice, and ftill maketh Interceffion for us. -To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghoft, be all Honour and Glory, World without End.

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SERMON X.

The Wisdom of this World; and its Infufficiency to make us Happy.

I

PROV. IX. 12.

If thou be Wife, thou shalt be
Wife for thyself.

T was wittily observed by one of the greatest Obfervers of this laft Age, "That "of all the Gifts that God has given "to Men, there are none of them in which "his Providence has pleased All in the Di"ftribution,

+

"Atribution, except only in Good Underftanding, which every one has to his Mind *." His Obfervation will, I believe, generally hold: For how Few do we find there are, that are well contented with their Portion of Power or Preferment, Riches or Honour? But as for Intellectual Gifts, Good Understanding and Wisdom, Parts and Sense, there are as Few that do not think, they have a very fufficient Share: Though it should seem from Men's Different Conduct, that there is Nothing more Unequally diftributed amongst the Sons of Men. What ftrange Delufion then is this, that where Men Want Moft, they should think they are Leaft Wanting; and where they do really Want, think they have abundance?

We are all agreed in the Main: Every one defigns to be Wife; and to be Wife for himself too. Self-Intereft and Advantage is the Common Scope of all Men's Actions. Whatever may be pretended, or fet forth to View, yet generally SELF fome way or other lies at the Bottom: Moft Men's Designs begin and end There; All commonly Cen

* Nulla res æquabiliùs inter Homines eft diftributa, quàm Bona Mens: Eâ enim Unufquifque ita abundare fe putat, ut ne quidem illi qui maximè inexplebiles Cupiditates habent, & quibus in nullâ unquam aliâ re Natura fatisfecit, meliorem Mentem quàm poffideant, optare confueverin artefius de

Methodo.

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