position shows: "But wisdom is before him that hath understanding." "They are sheep for the slaughter of judgment," whose trade and way that is, there mentioned, "Thou art near in their mouth, but far from their reins." When their mouth makes the godliest mention of God in prayer, (or the like,) of God's nearness to them, yet even then he is far from their hearts and thoughts.

2. Such distractions as are despised in the person's eyes in whom they abound, he is careless of them. This verifies that "he that despiseth his ways shall die;" be they the ways of his mind, or heart, or lip, or life, if he never regard whether they be regular or irregular, he is a child of death. When such words get up, grow fast, yea, and overgrow his better things, and he regards it not, surely, such a professor's end will be miserable: "The sluggard's vineyard is covered over with nettles, and yet a little sleep,” etc.

3. Such as notwithstanding which, yet the heart is quiet. It breaks not his sleep, it molests not his ease, nor is he so much as willing that such spiritual mischiefs and evils should disquiet him; he is all for ease, and will not have that disturbed: "Yet a little sleep," etc. Such Such a one's case is sad. God regards not him nor any thing he says, but eyes him as a loathsome sluggard fit for ruin.

4. Such as overcome the soul, and by degrees eat out the very motions and dispositions to prayer, or any other good work. The sluggard had his desires, but even his desires, too, are overcome with such distempers: "The desire of the sluggard killeth him, for his hands refuse to labor."

2. There are some other distractions in prayer,

which may stand with hopeful successes of the prayers annoyed by them: as,

1. Such distractions in prayer as are strongly resisted, prayed against, and bewailed. Though sometimes by their violence they captivate us, so that as he said, "The good we would do we cannot, because of that present evil." "And this part of the law of our members rebelleth against the law of our minds;" is quite cross to the bent of our spirits, as spiritual, whence with Paul, we are ready to cry out, "Wretched men that we are, who shall deliver us from the body of this death?"

2. Such as are frequently overcome, so that notwithstanding that opposition of the Spirit in us by the flesh, yet the flesh has not its will of us: "The Spirit lusteth against the flesh;" namely, so as to put it to the worst.

3. Such as at the first rising of them do amaze and appall the heart; and so satanical, and not

ours.

4. Such as are mainly occasioned from bodily distempers, melancholy, unwonted drowsiness, sickness, pains, etc., in which case he pities us as a father his children, remembering our frame, that "we are but dust," as in sick Hezekiah's chatterings, etc.

5. Such as are occasioned by some outward occurrence, as the disturbance occasioned at that prayer and fasting, so by sudden outcries, accidents, etc.

CHAPTER III.

GOOD THINGS SUGGESTED IN PRAYER.

A THIRD case of conscience about prayer, now to be considered of, is touching things materially good, which are suggested in prayer, how they should be discerned to be, or not to be delusions.

Before we lay down the marks of differencing these motions materially good, from those which are SO formally, we must premise that such good things for the matter of the motions may be suggested and raised up in the spirit of a Christian, when praying to God, and yet not spring from the Spirit of God. Even such like motions may be raised from our own natural spirits, as far as they are carnal, and likewise they may be cunningly propounded by Satan. And because this to some may seem strange, that good motions should be suggested to God's people, or to others, whilst exercised in so good a work, and yet the same not to come from a good spirit, let us evince it a little from Scripture examples and grounds.

That such motions may come from our own hearts, as they are carnal, will appear by the character of man's heart in itself considered, and as far as natural: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." Surely, if the heart could not play such a cheat as this, that speech would be too hyperbolical. When David sought God in and about his soul, he had experience of such seemingly friendly counsels to do this or that, to take this course

for his succor and that, whereby the Lord's displeasure might be removed; but by his complaint of them, it appears he found them deceitful counsels; he is weary of such heart-counsels, saying, "How long shall I take counsel in myself?" When David was in so sad a case, one might think sad musings and thoughts being so suitable to his case, need not be suspected to be sinful; yet David perceived that those he had were tainted, and therefore chides his soul for them: "Why art thou so sad, O my soul?" When Asaph was crying to God in prayer in that sad condition, he had motions in his mind then, propounding grounds of comfort whilst he sought God; for he says, "I sought God, my soul refused to be comforted." Again, at the same time, he had other motions crossing the former, and persuading that it was not for such a wretch as he, who had lost God's favor, to take hold of comfort; and these motions prevailed against the other; for he says, "I sought the Lord, my sore ran, and my soul refused to be comforted." Both motions had their probable grounds of equity and truth, but could not be both from a good principle. He had also in his prayer many thoughts of God's past mercies to him, yet other motions and inquisitions are made in and by his spirit, which make him but the more troubled and overwhelmed amidst his complaints: "I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed." True it is, that the thoughts of God's mercies, together with the serious musings of our vileness and unworthy walking, they work kindly, when they humble us, and break our hearts; but it is never of God that they should overwhelm us, as

these did this good man. The like might be said of such motions demanding, "will the Lord cast off forever?" "Is his mercy clean gone forever?" Though he does cast off, and his mercy be gone to sense at present, yet is it so forever? Was there any hurt in these? Yea, verily, Asaph's own conscience being judge afterwards: "And I said, this is mine infirmity." David has motions in his heart which put him upon that: "Lord, make me to know my end,” and it was materially a good thought which he expresses: "Man at his best estate is vanity." Yea, but David's heart was too hot within him; it was distempered heat against the prosperity of the wicked at which he was troubled, and these were but the sparklings of that wildfire; he does as good as pray to hasten his own end; but he corrects himself presently: "But now, O Lord, what wait I for?" etc. He thinks it more needful to exercise faith and patience, than to be so hasty and discontented. Job uttered many things (out of the abundance of his troubled heart) before the Lord, which were materially good, but his heart did but carry him away in sundry of them. A heart transported by a distemper, may make religious motions, and put upon religious expressions. The spirit of good Moses, that man of God, suggested things considerable, and put him upon uttering the same before the Lord in prayer: "Have I conceived this people?" etc. "Whence should I have flesh to give them?" etc. "I am not able to bear this people alone;" yet verily, it appears that his spirit was not regular and spiritual therein, but carnal: "If thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee." The spirit of the disciples moved them to pray as is mentioned: