tions will not, indeed, be entirely cured in this life: but as a man who knows not how to swim, may gradually learn that art, so as to keep himself by degrees longer and longer above water; so here improvements may be continually made. It is possible to be more and more freed from distractions, and more and more to rise above those troublous waves. Observe the nature of distraction. It is the wandering of the heart from God. Some indeed manifest this in public worship by the wandering of the eye, the irreverence of their outward behavior, unnecessary whispering, and salutations; but I would rather dwell on the root of the evil-the wandering of the heart. In the midst of a solemn prayer, the heart will be dwelling on an earthly business, or pursuing a vain pleasure. It will be engaged in thoughts of doing good on a subject foreign to the prayer then offering up with the lips, or be led aside to circumstances relating to the subject of our prayer.* There is a contest often carrying on in the Christian's breast, during worship, of which the mere formalist is wholly ignorant. His end is gained, his conscience is satisfied, if he has appeared in the house of God, or if he has repeated his prayers-he thinks this a meritorious service, and is well pleased with himself. Not so the watchful Christian. It is his continual internal struggle to worship God in spirit and in truth. He knows the task of raising an earthly mind to heavenly things. He strives not only against worldly thoughts, but also against good thoughts which often come thus unseasonably to hinder him in atending to the present duty. In carrying on this contest, e finds the power of a carnal mind continually sinking im to the dust. He repels idle and wandering thoughts, e labors against inattention, and, perhaps, after all, he has ained but a transient moment of devotion, and he returns * A converted female among the liberated Negroes in Sierra Leone escribes this very expressively.-She said, "Wicked thing trouble e much; me want to do good, but my wicked heart will no let me. y heart run away all this week; run all about." When asked hat she meant by her heart running all about, she replied, "Supse me pray, my heart run to my country; to Sierra Leone; all out; and then me can't say no more but Jesus Christ have mercy me, poor thing! O my bad heart. Me tink sometimes me have o hearts; one want to do good but th humbled saying, bles him It is of the h may jud sult and and yet and littl earthly overwh To so little els single ho the serv during t what stra God! An speaking, take notic can obser few that There dering th the neare comfort while ou crease gu and distra We make monness; pronounce fully"* that come public wo God. Sol place of ri It is an or no faithful Wick umbled, abased, and depressed, smiting his breast, and aying, "God be merciful to me a sinner." Nothing humles him more than the defects of his prayers. It is well when we are deeply affected by this wandering f the heart, and mourn on account of it. But if the writer ay judge from his own experience, how often do we inult and dishonor God by a slight and perfunctory service, nd yet retire from worship with little brokenness of heart, nd little contrition! How would such conduct towards an arthly superior, when reflected on in sober moments, verwhelm our minds with shame and confusion of face! To some, almost the whole of their prayers is, at times, ttle else but one continued distraction; they have not a ngle holy thought really offered up to God in any part of e service; and, alas! if the thoughts of most Christians aring their worship were expressed with their prayers, hat strange petitions would be found to be offered up to od! An old writer justly observes, "thinking is the mind's eaking, and the Heart-searcher can, and does more easily ke notice when the mind thinks impertinently, than we n observe when the tongue speaks so." There are but w that make a real business of prayer. There is great evil in these distractions. The more wanring the heart is, the more wearisome the duty; while e nearer we come to God, the more warmth, and life, and mfort we enjoy. The work of prayer not only ceases ile our hearts wander, but distracted "confessions" inease guilt; distracted "petitions" only ask for a denial; d distracted "praises" tend to stop the current of mercy. e make light of distractions on account of their commness; but God greatly condemns them. A curse is nounced on those who do "the work of the Lord deceity" or negligently. God declares, "I know the things t come into your heart, every one of them." Sins in olic worship must be peculiarly offensive to the holy 1. Solomon says, with marked emphasis, "I saw the ce of righteousness, that iniquity was there." t is an awful character described by David, "There is faithfulness in their mouth, their inward part is very kedness, their throat is an open sepulchre, they flatter with their tongue."* Observe, too, how this sin agrees to Ezekiel's description: "They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people-for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after covetousness."+ God has ever shown himself to be jealous respecting those things which concern his immediate worship. Thus we find Nadab and Abihu punished with death for offering strange fire before the Lord. Lev. x. 1, 2. We read that Uzziah was smitten with death for touching the Ark of God. 2 Sam. vi. 6. The directions respecting his worship under the Mosaic dispensation were very minute and particular, which, among other things, may teach us the need of great attention in our approaches to God, and the regard which God pays to all our worship. Indeed, as one observes, "it is evidently a gross insult to the glorious God, when praying to him, to quit him in the midst of our prayers, as if we were conversing with an inferior, and to make vain excursions on every side." Another thing which should teach us the sinfulness of distraction is, they bear the stamp of hypocrisy. It was the reproach of the ancient Church, "Ephraim compasseth me about with lies." Is not this a true description of much of the worship of Christians? You would not like that any fellow Christian should know what was passing in your heart luring your prayers; but is it not a small matter to be judged of man's judgment? "He that judgeth me is the Lord." Alas! when we look back on the distractions of our rayers (and the writer continually and deeply feels in his wn prayers the prevalence of that evil which he has been escribing,) have we not reason to fear that few ever really ray? are we not compelled to acknowledge, how seldom hey that pray oftenest, do pray; and what short prayers he best make, many words, perhaps, and but very little rayer? These things should lead us more to value the octrines of free justification through the blood of Christ; ore deeply to prize, and more earnestly to ask for the aid the Holy Spirit; more to depend on the Savior's interssion; and more to long to be in that blessed kingdom Ps. v. 9. + Ezek xxxiii. 31. Hosea xi. 12. & contendi man;" a grace, th Remen Know you selves to see this, sufficient on your For farth have from of the H Send cially wh This is a against t of suitab "My sou to thy w right spi 66 ence, an tend aga come the Deter devil, and there we shall serve our God without weariness or wanering. Some hints that may, by the help of God, assist you to void distractions, will now be mentioned. There may be an infirmity arising from the state of odily health, or constitution, and the like, of which timid d anxious Christians, who are most apt to be troubled by eir wanderings of prayer, should not lose sight in judgg of themselves. Preston observes, "one may aim at a ark and do his best, and yet be hindered either by the lsy in his arm, or by one who jogs him when about it." at the general cause of our distractions is the power of tan, and the remaining strength of corrupt nature. hough the Christian is born again of God, he has two ntending parties within-" the old man," and "the new n;" and distractions mainly arise from the weakness of ace, the strength of sin, the temptations of Satan. Remember, first of all, your entire dependence on God. ow your own weakness. "We are not sufficient of ourves to think any thing as of ourselves;" but while you this, know your Savior's strength, that his "grace is ficient for you;" and these things being duly impressed your mind, in his strength seek to overcome this evil. - farther directions, as to the assistance which you may e from God, I refer you to the chapter on the assistance che Holy Spirit. Send up fervent petitions for Divine assistance, espcly when you first find that your heart is wandering. s is an effectual help. It engages the power of God inst the power of Satan and sin. The Psalms are full uitable expressions that may be used with advantage. y soul cleaveth to the dust, quicken thou me according y word. Create in me a clean heart, O God, renew a t spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy prese, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me." Thus conagainst your spiritual enemies, and you must overthem. etermine to strive against wanderings. "Resist the , and he will flee from you."+ Are you not in general Cry unto God, 'Lord, wilt thou suffer thy slave to abuse thy before thy face, while he is on his knees for a blessing?"" Seek to gain a spiritual mind. "To be spirituallyminded is life and peace.' or a twig from this evil tree, while we take away a parWe are only cutting off a leaf ticular distraction. wickedness, that thou mayest be saved! How long shall "O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?" Till the heart be washed from sin, by the blood of Jesus, and by the grace of his Spirit, vain thoughts will be sure to lodge, or take up an abode in you, and to mingle with all you do. The heavenly-minded Christian, whose heart is continually with God, finds it comparatively easy to keep it more closely ixed on him, in the particular act of prayer. But if you re under the full influence of the carnal mind, it is utterimpossible that you can offer spiritual worship. "You must be born again." Such want an entire new heart. When they gain that, they may the better hope to attend on the Lord without distraction. the Lord all the day long," and then there will not be "Be thou in the fear e difficulty which you find in fixing your thoughts, and ying your mind on God, during the act of prayer. T Men of the world are not distracted about their worldly siness, but will pursue it with all fixedness and inten Jer. xxx. 21. Jer. iv. 14. + Lam. iii. 41. Ps. lxxxvi. 11. || John iii. 7. See Owen's Grace and Duty of being spiritually-minded. tion of r we thank bro |