18. Part 3, Chapter 2. Distractions
CHAPTER II.
DISTRACTIONS IN PRAYER.
We are now to proceed to other cases of conscience, arising in the incessant carrying on of the weighty duty of prayer. The second case now to be handled is, touching distractions, or impertinent thoughts, which disturb and molest us in prayer; wherein, demand will be made of three things.
1. The causes. 2. The cure or remedy thereof.
3. The success of such prayers, wherein such distractions are found.
First. The causes of such distractions are either such as are more general or more particular. The more general causes are two.
1. Satan, that enemy to prayer, the author of all confusion, and so of this confusion of the spirit in prayer; that fowl who steals away what is spoken to the heart by God in the word, is busy to steal away the good motions of the Spirit, stirring us up to speak to God in prayer. Satan is at hand to tempt, when we are in hand with prayer. If we will draw near to God in prayer, we may expect the tempter to approach some way or other to disturb us, by sinister, subtle suggestions. We must resist the devil in such like distracting motion, when we are drawing nigh to God: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” “Draw near to God,” etc. If we will pray with all manner of prayer, we had need be armed against such wily assaults of Satan, as tend to annoy us therein. When the Apostle and his company were to go to prayer, the devil in his instrument, the maid possessed, makes a disturbance with her impertinent speeches; so is there, if the devil can help it, something or other shall be set on work to breed distraction, or occasion disturbance to us in prayer, or he himself will be suggesting something to molest us.
2. The unregenerate part of man. When at any time we should do any good, whether it be to pray, or the like, evil will be present with us: “When I would do good, evil is present with me.” That sink of natural corruption will then especially cast out its unsavory smells, when so raked into by holy, humble acknowledgments and deprecations; this dunghill will then be sending out its vapors, even when the heart is heated and warmed in prayer by the spirit. When a commanding power of grace is stirring the heart, the unregenerate part will be raising mutinies: “I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind.” Paul found it so, and who does not find it so in continual experience? If the Spirit does break any long silence in the heart, and will be speaking, corruption will talk as loud as the Spirit, and if it can, drown the voice of the Spirit, that the heart may not distinctly hear what the Spirit does teach the heart to speak to the Lord. The flesh will be lusting against the Spirit, so that we cannot speak to God, or do any service for him, in so free and spiritual a manner as we (as regenerate) do desire. All evil thoughts rise out of that inward spring, and disturb us in prayer: “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts,” etc. The unregenerate part, in the best, savors not such a spiritual way of God, as is the earnest exercise of ourselves in prayer, that begets that natural slipperiness in spiritual things; whence it is that good motions are not so rooted, and dwell not so long with us. This would be breeding and feeding a disposition in the best, to be soon satisfied with spiritual things, and so to abate the earnest pursuit after the same. The strength of this natural bias will too often show itself in the saints, that whilst their spirits are carried out with some might of the hand of the Spirit of God towards the mark in prayer, this draws the mind away, and the deceitful heart of many will be slyly flinging something or other in the way to cause a rub, and to slack or divert the straight course of a regenerate man’s prayer.
More particular causes of such distractions in prayer, are these:—
1. Natural hypocrisy of heart; want of soundness in the feet of our affections, will make us go crippling and stumbling, even in this plain, even way of prayer; and a small push will turn us aside, and cause the mind and heart to divert from the holy way, in which they were going: “Lest that which is lame, be turned out of the way.” “As the legs of the lame, so is a parable in a fool’s mouth.” A fool’s mouth cannot, will not utter spiritual things so closely and concisely, but will be intermingling impertinences; so this sinful guile, (which indeed is but folly,) does take place. Where ruling hypocrisy does possess a man, he is very fickle and unstable, he is in and out, off and on, in every thing he says or does: now he will be as one speaking or doing well, and now again the contrary. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. So is it in part, where tyrannizing hypocrisy domineers over any poor soul, it will cause many diversions, and much unsteadiness in the mind in the best services. Where the spirit is hypocritical, there will the heart and mind be constantly gadding, and far off, when the lips are near God in seeking him: “Thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins.” And “They draw near me with their lips, but their hearts are removed far from me.” When the heart is divided, surely the mind will be so too. That part of man which is not for God, will never be long with him, but ever starting from him in any ordinance, and so in this. Though the heart, as sincere in part, put the mind upon thinking of suitable things to the prayer in hand, yet the heart, as wily and guileful also in part, will be employing the mind in other thoughts also; and so far as there is division of mind, there is a distracted mind, or a mind drawn diverse ways.
2. Distrustful care for outward things. Thence is the mind as a meteor, pendulous and wavering; now up, now down; now turning this way, now that, keeping no certain course in this, or in any other way of God. As that care of his about his inheritance, distracted his mind in hearing God speak to him, (whence that interruption of Christ in his preaching): “Master, (said one then,) bid my brother divide the inheritance.” So does the like cause work a like effect in our speaking to God in prayer. It is a sad and dangerous character of a thorny professor, when constantly as any seed of the Word is shooting up in any ordinance, such thorny distempers and distractions spring up with it. Yea, when they commonly overtop the same, and good things in prayer, hearing, meditation, etc., come thereby to be choked and stifled in our minds or hearts; when the mind is in a manner drunk with cares of this life, it will go on reeling and staggering in the choicest paths of God; or if from such a worldly spirit, we make rash and sudden irruptions unto prayer from heat of worldly business, when the mind but then was reeking hot, and sweating in them, the steam and savor thereof will surely annoy us in prayer so soon after. Our business, which we talked with so earnestly but then, will be calling after us again, as having somewhat more to say to us. The vessels of our minds will taste too much of that strong liquor, which can hardly be emptied out so soon. As it is with a man not thoroughly waked from sleep, his head is most apt to be filled with fumes, and his tongue to speak impertinently; so is it here, when we are not thoroughly roused from carnal occasions and thoughts about them; our minds will be full of impertinent thoughts. And as other dreams come from the multitude of business, so from such like busyings of the mind, we shall pray but dreamingly and distemperedly. When we have been so intently studying such a point respecting the world, we shall not so soon be drawn to think so intently and fixedly on better subjects.
3. Discontent with our present condition. As discontented Jonah, how is his prayer stuffed with distempered expressions springing from distempered thoughts. Grace and discontent pulled Rachel’s spirit divers ways; now tumultuous thoughts against her husband, now envious thoughts against her sister, and now better motions of the spirit to counter-work the same; so that she in that case might be said to be in great wrestlings in prayer also. Discontent is a mutinous distemper, and will be casting tumults, even in our best times of praying: “All the days of such afflicted ones are evil.” Discontent, as a mighty vapor in the heart that is long pent in, will at length be breaking out, and will cause earthquakes in the heart of long continuance, which will strangely vary the motions of the heart this way and that way, and ofttimes rend it. It will make a man mentally, ever wandering, and so liable to all sorts of temptations, at all times, and in the best ordinances: “As a bird wandering from her nest, so is a man wandering from his place.” Discontent taking off the mind from its basis and center of quiet submission to God’s mind and will, the mind knows not where to fix. A discontented Christian is neither pleased with himself, nor any thing he has or does, no, not with his very praying; and no wonder then if so distempered in it. The ground of discontent is distrust; and what is of a more wavering nature than that? It makes a man like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest so long as such blasts are upon his mind. It makes the workings of his mind like the waves of the sea, very independent, and sometimes thwarting each other: “Nothing wavering;” that is, nothing doubting or distrusting, which is indeed the wavering of a troubled sea wave.
4. Inordinacy of affection, whether of desire, or fear, or love, or joy, or grief, or anger, etc. The Lord Christ when about to raise Tabitha, would put out the minstrels and the mourners, which made a confused noise; for no good could be done unless these be stilled. There is no raising up of a dead spirit in prayer, unless all such inordinacies be excluded. Such inordinacies in the heart will hurry the mind with them, and make that inordinate too. If they give respite to the mind to be busied a little in any ordinance, yet they cannot spare or forbear its service long. They carve out so much work for the mind, that it can scarce have leisure for more spiritual employment. Yea, the very mouth and tongue, which should be in any ordinance as the pen of a ready writer, shall be ever and anon jogged by them; yea, they will be inditing, suggesting, and inserting ever and anon their matters, whilst the spirit of a sanctified Christian is inditing the more weighty messages of the soul to be despatched to heaven by this sure and speedy messenger, prayer; and it is well, if through the tumultuous noise of these distempers, the mind be not so disturbed, that men sometimes in prayer speak nonsense. And as in feverish distempers, the patients’ thoughts are slippery and incoherent, and their discourses accordingly as full of impertinencies: so amidst those feverish distempers of the soul. Inordinacies of affection are the soul’s diseases, and a Christian sick of such diseases, will be followed ever and anon with impertinencies of thoughts in best services.
5. Any spirit of lust. This makes Christians of good hopes, as clouds which are driven hither and thither of contrary winds. Jude calls those lascivious professors, clouds carried about of winds, also wandering stars; their minds cannot be fixed and intent in any duty of piety. They do not, cannot keep in the right ecliptic line, but wander from that constant course which Jesus Christ the Sun of Righteousness constantly kept. That wildfire will be burning, whilst the incense of prayer is offering and burning. As with the boiling pot, the scum will be rising up, together with the meat therein; so, even when a Christian’s heart is or should be boiling up good matter in prayer. Such a filthy scum as this will be rising up in the spirit together with it. Or as it is said of the harlot, “She watcheth her times to call and entice passengers to her, which were going right So these panders in the soul, will be inveigling and enticing the mind and heart, to withdraw the same from their intent going on in prayers, or any other good way of God, to the end that they may be nought with them. As it is said of that old hag and harlot, concupiscence; a man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed; so is it here, in this daughter of that mother of fornications; it will be enticing the soul, and drawing it from any way of God, and then tempt it.
6. A spirit of error. This makes Christians also like clouds, as Jude speaks of erring persons. Unclean opinionists, they are or will be dreamers, as Jude’s phrase is, “These are filthy dreamers,” dreaming continually in every thing they say or do. Their thoughts will be incongruous in their best employments. As persons benighted, are aptest to wander from any right path wherein they were going; so is it with a mind benighted with darkness of error; that mind will hardly keep on its way in prayer or any other ordinance long, but will have its sinful vagaries. Or as a man whose head is filled with wine or strong drink, his head being giddy, goes reeling along. So with Christians besotted with error, their giddy brains will not suffer them to be solid, exact, and intent in their thoughts in the good ways of God; they will be stumbling with their feet, and stammering with their tongue, making at best but rude and broken work of it in their prayers and performances. Such persons are ever unstable souls:
“They beguile unstable souls.” Their very minds are unstable in any thing that is good. They are vain in their imaginations. Belial, the spirit of confusion of mind, heart, and way, is where a spirit of error dwells.
7. Family contention. It is a continual dropping. It will make breaches into the very spirit also of the other yoke-fellow; yea, divide and distract in prayer as well as other services. To orderly dwelling together of Christian yoke-fellows, this is joined, “That your prayers be not hindered,” neither by distempering your spirits who are to join in prayer, nor by distasting the Lord, so as he will not give a ready answer thereto. It is hard for him who is in the family to mind the cases of each one therein, but in minding the contentions therein, some distempered thoughts will be arising in him. If the very repetition of an offensive matter passing betwixt two friends, is so apt to breed a fresh distance, by renewing the former apprehensions of the offensiveness thereof; as “He that repeateth a matter separateth chief friends,” then in the best men, and in the best duties, it is a wonder if reminding and rementioning family contentions, there be not found some distempered moving and musings.
8. Spiritual sluggishness, and .slightness of heart. When heart and mind are of a drowsy temper, it is of a dreaming temper, full of impertinent fancies, even when to be employed in prayer, or the like; yea, if both body and soul be not in a waking and watching plight, the soul will be apt to be hurried with impertinencies and temptations. “Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.”
Secondly. The remedies of such distractions in prayer. Let but diligent heed be taken, and proper endeavor used against each of the former occasions and causes thereof, and it will help to redress the same. Espy out and bewail the secret guile of the heart, rid your heart of distrustful cares, of discontent and inordinacy of affection; banish the spirit of lust and of error from your souls, beware of family contention, and spiritual or corporal supineness, and you will in a good measure get rid of distractions in prayer. But yet for our better help herein,—
1. Make conscience of holy and due preparation of ourselves unto prayer. Moses must come alone to God, and leave the flocks. Jacob ferries over all belonging to him on the other side of the river, before he wrestles with the angel. Abraham leaves the servants and the asses at the foot of the hill, when about to go to sacrifice to the Lord. David had got his heart into a very serious and fixed frame, for that praising part of his prayer; and yet as thinking that. all too little, says, he will yet rouse himself up to that work: “O God, my heart is fixed, my heart is fixed, I will sing and give praise; I myself will awake early.” So good Deborah rouses up herself again to pour out praises to the Lord: “Awake, awake Deborah, awake, utter a canticle.” A gracious heart should think itself never enough awaked to such holy work, experience of saints will prove it; and when they can by grace get their minds and hearts a little sequestered to consider seriously of the work they are going about, and of God and Christ before whom they come, and of themselves who are to come before the Lord, and the like, before they actually address themselves to solemn prayer; how intently, and spiritually, and strongly they are wont then to be carried through the duty, and all other times, when they more suddenly and inconsiderately set upon prayer, how unprofitably they are wont to spend such a time; and how many hurries of spirit, this way and that way, they are cumbered with, and much ado to make any thing of it at. such times.
2. Spiritual wisdom is another help. Godly wisdom will choose places for prayer, which are freest from any distracting occasion. Hence Christ so often repairs to the mountain to pray. Wisdom will seasonably discern a deluding, cheating thought, yea, though it come with its painted face, wearing iii view the very livery of our heavenly Father; and much readier will it express other thoughts, which would slyly withdraw our minds by little and little from the present business of our souls. “Wisdom is before him that hath understanding, whilst the fool’s eyes are wandering in the corners of the world.” The wise Christian keeps his eye from gadding after vain objects, and keeps it rather intent upon wisdom’s works and ways. “The heart of the wise is at his right hand,” the instrument of action. He has his heart and spirit at an holy beck, to be employed as wisdom shall direct; as there is need of the exercise of thoughts, or desires, or grief, or joy, or fear, or anger, in an holy war or work, a truly wise Christian has them at hand to do their several homage to the Lord, being thereto commanded by his spirit. “The wise man’s eyes are in his head.” The truly wise Christian has the ready and seasonable use of the eyes of his mind and understanding; holy thoughts and apprehensions are not to seek when the Lord calls for the use thereof, as in prayer or the like; but they are then active, and so ready to keep out worse or unjust thoughts. A wise Christian being also privy to his own inability to keep his heart close to God, betakes himself to the Lord, as did the Psalmist: “Unite my heart to fear thy name.” He would have the Lord to keep his heart close to any part of his fear or worship, that it wander not therefrom. Intruders cannot get in unseen, and unnoticed, whilst this watchful grace is employed, as they will in darker places. This skilful pilot at the helm, by keeping its eye upon God’s compass, avoids many wrong courses, and much leeway in a gracious Christian’s prayer; which other unwise Christians make.
3. Watchfulness, which is the seasonable and practical use of that holy wisdom upon every occasion. This will be examining such a knock at the door of the heart, while the spirit is talking with God in prayer. Those godly church officers described, with their eyes before and behind, and within also, to observe all without, and as well also within themselves, go on uninterrupted in the worship of God, as though their cry was but one and the same, continued night and day: “They rest not night nor day, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which is, and was, and is to come.” This pondering the path of our feet, is a help to going right in the way of God without diversions from it, or stumbling in it. “Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left;” the former is the means to the latter. A good watch at the city gates, the outlets and inlets of suggestions to the mind, or motions from it, will keep us from these distractions, and help rid them of such vagrants as they are. Such holy careful oversights of the banks, will prevent the dividing of the streams and issues of our minds (even our thoughts) that they run in no other channel and way than is meet for them. When we go to prayer, we are assaying by the ladder Jesus Christ to climb up to heaven, and this holy care of our feet keeps them from slipping, and us from falls: “Look to thy foot when thou goest into the house of God,” namely, to worship God in prayer or otherwise. When we go to pray, we go spiritually to plow, and this holy minding of our work, and our hand helps to keep us in our right furrow.
4. Holiness and heavenliness of heart. The nature of prayer is a lifting up of the heart; the more elevated that is, therefore, the more fitted to pray aright. Who is more free from distractions in prayer than Christ, the holy one of God? Who go on more straight in their holy course without any digressions, than those heavenly spirits described in Ezekiel 1:9? A heavenly heart is so much in heaven at other times, and on other occasions, that it will be very loathsome to it to be then in earth, when solemnly exercised in heavenly discourse with God. Holy things and thoughts are made so natural to such a soul, and so familiar to it, that they will more easily be spoken with, and more readily be speaking with us in prayer. God has such a one’s heart, and therefore his eyes will be fixed and intent upon this, or any other way of his: “My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.” Such a heart is filled with spiritual materials, and when well warmed in this, or other like holy exercises, it will boil up little else but good matter, as he said: “My heart boileth up (so it is in the Hebrew,) good matter;” and such a one’s tongue will be also as the “pen of a ready writer,” not often making so much as a wry dash, in presenting the soul’s occasions before the Lord. As a well-built ship, deeply and richly laden, keels not so much, nor makes not so many lurches, and is not put to so many tacks, to recover and keep its course, but will ho nearer the wind, even when it is scant, and keep a straighter course than other vessels. So with a well-composed, well-principled heart; it will steer a straighter course, freer from digressions and distractions in prayer. Or as a person that has his pocket filled with pieces of silver, and here and there a brass farthing possibly amongst it; if he be to trade for wares, will mostly pluck out silver; whereas another, that has most brass money in his purse, and very little silver, will hardly pull out any other than brass. So when spiritual and heavenly-minded Christians are to trade with God in prayer, they present little else to the Lord than what is spiritual and suitable to their work in hand: “Out of the good treasure of their hearts, they bring forth good things;” good thoughts as well as words; whereas a more worldly- minded Christian, in prayer, presents little else but what savors of the world, especially in his thoughts. It is said of the spiritual person: “The law of God is in his heart, none of his steps shall slide.” No, not so oft or much slip, in this or any other path of God. God himself is more engaged to keep such a heart from wandering from any of his commandments which is devoted to him. Hence that plea of his: “With my whole heart have I sought thee, O let me not wander from thy commandments.”
5. Holy zeal. When there is an holy ardency of indignation against the least evil and impenitency arising in prayer, it is a means to redress the same. When Christians do not barely fall out with any such evil, but abhor it, hate evil as hell, then will they more immovably cleave to this or any other good, for they are joined there: “Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good,” or be glued to that which is good, so as not to be stirred from it. A zealous suppliant espying any such impertinency in prayer, presently falls foul of it, cries out upon it, pursues it with exclamations, censures it in all its aggravations, and so gains more intentness of spirit, and seriousness of lively affections in the duty than before. Zeal is bold and courageous, and will not basely yield to any such intruder, but thrust them out of doors, looking at them as attended with a whole crowd of other like disturbers, ready to press in at their heels, if once permitted entrance into the soul of a Christian exercised in prayer. As cutting, cropping off unprofitable sprouts, putting forth here or there, upon their first appearance, causes the tree to grow the straighter, and to bring forth more seasonable fruit; so when by zeal, we cut off impertinences at their first appearing, we bring forth more seasonably the fruits of every praying grace and disposition. And when they were sitting in that weighty discourse, there was charge given to handle that turbulent messenger roughly at the door, to prevent his Master’s coming in at his heels. So when at this pious conference with God, any such unseasonable motions are zealously repulsed, it prevents more sad disturbance in the duty. Though Abraham’s zeal could not hinder the fowls from lighting upon his sacrifice, yet it will not suffer them to rest there, but drives them away. Zeal also will make a godly Christian remove all causes and occasions of disturbance. As Paul, out of his zeal, uses means to cast the devil out of the possessed maid, which occasioned that disturbance daily to them when they went to prayer: “As we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed, cried, and Paul being grieved in spirit, said to the spirit, Come out of her.”
6. Peace of conscience and calmness of spirit. If noise without, disturb and distract us in prayer, much more will clamorous noise within. The heart in hurries of conscience unpacified in the blood of Christ, in a horrible pit, hath not its goings established: “He brought me out of the horrible pit, and established my goings.” When God brought David out of the pit, then, and not till then, were his goings established; then did his mind and heart take more fixed and straight steps in the ways of God. If the blood of Christ does not speak such good things as further us in prayer, the blood of Abel, or the guilt of sin, will speak that which will startle us and stumble us whilst at prayer; and the poor soul will be more taken up with listening to these cries, and with perplexed thoughts, what answer to make to such pinching objections thence, than be able to hold out its attentions to what he was to speak further unto the Lord. When Asaph was so beset with fears about his main estate, his prayers were rather reasonings with inward cavils raised from his own infirmity of unbelief, than distinct requests. When the heart is shackled with such binding griefs and fears, it cannot go, much less run so sturdily in this, or any other way of God, but will be blundering and staggering in mind and heart; whereas peace and joy in God free us for a steady and speedy motion in this or any other way of God: “I will run the way of thy Commandments, when thou hast enlarged my heart.”
7. Faith is a help against distractions in prayer. That preserves from wavering in mind or heart in prayer: “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering,” especially if a Christian stir up himself to act and exercise his faith in such promises wherein the Lord undertakes for his poor servants to help them against such distractions: “With supplications will I lead them in a straight way wherein they shall not stumble.” “Thou shalt hear a word behind thee saying, This is the way, walk in it, when thou turnest to the right hand or to the left;” and so be speedily set to rights in mind or heart in God’s ways, when at any time starting aside: “They shall mount up with wings as eagles;” soar aloft with winged thoughts and affections in God’s holy ways: “And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and to keep my judgments and do them;” his spirit shall keep his people’s minds and hearts intent and attent in his ways.
8. The fear and awe of God. Which as it helps to make thorough work in the things of God: “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” It makes us full of holy jealousy lest we should come short of what God requires of us in it; or instead of pleasing him therein, carry it so as to displease him. And as other fears call in, and confine all the thoughts to be exercised about the objects which are in their view as matters of dread; so in this holy fear, lest we should sin against the Lord in our approaches to him, it fastens the mind to attend to that end. This is a jealous grace, and therefore will be suspecting every impertinent thought, and examine it, and awaken the soul to take speedy order with it. Hence is it, that by the fear of God, men come to depart from all manner of evil of sin.
9. Lastly, the love of God, of Christ, and of the duty itself. Love itself is glue, and a bond, a very strong, engaging, and endearing tie; it is an overcoming, delightful affection, so that the mind will not so soon wander from its pleasing objects and actings. Love of God and good is so unsatisfied an affection, that the exercise of all the thoughts in their utmost intentness, at such praying times, seems unto love too slender, short, and narrow for its employments. Hence that speech of love: “Thou hast been my help, and in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.” “My soul followeth hard after thee.” David professes, “I love the Lord.” “Truly, Lord, I am thy servant, thy servant.” “I will call upon the name of the Lord.” Love makes him wholly for God, and that in a way of prayer also; so in love to the duty of prayer itself; if David can say, “I have chosen the way of truth,” he can also say, “I have stuck to thy testimonies.” If the soul make choice of prayer as a lovely ordinance, it will not be loose in it or from it, but cleave close to that holy exercise when called to it. As love of Christ will constrain Paul to speak of Christ, so others also may have soul-benefit: “The love of Christ (says he) constraineth me.” This works the like holy attention to the work of holy speaking to God in the name of Christ. As it is with the burning-glass, by it the scattered beams of the sun being more united, come to kindle upon combustible matter; so it conies to pass, through this grace of love, that the scattered thoughts, like beams of the mind, are so gathered and kept in one, and so set and fixed upon the heart’s desires expressed in prayer, that our hearts come to be even fired and inflamed spiritually. It is an active means to compose and compact the good thoughts and stirrings of the mind and heart, which are suitable to the expressions in prayer, but to scatter and remove impertinent and unsuitable moons and workings of our spirits therein.
Thirdly: The success of prayers, which are pestered with distractions. I answer:—
1. Some kind of distractions in prayer, do sorely undermine, if not wholly overturn its saving issue. These are of four sorts.
1. Such as are constant and commanding distempers, usually and in a manner con5tantly carrying all gainsaying motions before them, yea, such distractions as are universally overspreading, as the duty of prayer, so all other duties. These argue ruling hypocrisy, and an unregenerate estate. When the eyes of the mind of any person, which is to have to do with any of the ways of wisdom, are so constantly and prevailingly wandering in the corners of the earth, that person is a fool, a natural man: “The eyes of the fool are in the ends of the earth;” namely, when he should have to do with wisdom, as the opposition 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 be 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 one’s case is sad. God regards not him nor any thing be 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 Jaw 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 fçme, 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.