worketh also in you that believe It concerns us to take heed what we hear and how We should be forward to be made acquainted with God's Truth and Will and neither should be held in unrighteousness for to hear what God speaks and not to mind it but to act quite contrary is disobedience with an high aggravation 3. Attending upon God implies returning and yielding our selves unto God Man is naturally Contentious and struggles hard about this point and will not yield that God should direct and rule and that 't is reasonable that he in all things should submit and obey Man till he is instructed and enlightned from above will be still murmuring and disputing against his Duty and will not come to God though God is Light and can shine into his Mind though Divine Goodness can satiate Man's Soul though the Lord has supream and sufficient Authority to Command the Conscience and to lay the whole Man under obligation to Obedience But when we attend upon God indeed we hearken to his Call to return and we return at his Call There cannot be a right Attendance without sincere Conversion and this Conversion is Man's yielding of himself to his Lord. Rom. 6. 12 13. Let not sin reign in your mortal Bodies that ye should obey it in the Lusts thereof neither yield ye your Members as instruments of unrighteousness unto Sin but yield ye your selves unto God as those that are alive from the Dead and your Members as instruments of Righteousness unto God The Body must be yielded that the Holy Ghost may Consecrate it to the Lord's Service that Eyes and Mouth and Hands and Feet and all may be at God's Beck and ready to fulfill his Pleasure And especially the Heart must be yielded nay the whole heart else returning is but feigned Jer. 3. 10. Her treacherous Sister Judah hath not returned to me with her whole heart but feignedly saith the Lord. The Soul must consent to have all its powers renewed and sanctified that with them all it may give Attendance upon God the Heart without any reservation must yield that God should work out of it whatever is offensive that he should work in it that which is pleasing in his sight 4. Attending upon God implies seeking and desiring after God Isa 26. 9. With my Soul have I desired thee in the Night yea with my Spirit will I seek thee early The bent of the very Soul was towards God and the desires are kept up in vehemency both Night and Day The Lord humbles himself to behold things done in Heaven yet he looks down upon the Children of Men upon Earth to see if there be any that understand and seek him And if he seeks after these seekers how ready is he to be found of them The Command is that we should seek the Lord and his strength and his Face evermore Psal 105. 4. God is to be sought unto for himself when the all-sufficient Jehovah gives himself to any he gives infinitely more than if he gave them many thousand such Worlds as this is His strength is of absolute necessity to secure us from evil and to assist us in the doing of good and the shining of his Face makes our work easie and pleasant it makes our Life and even Death it self comfortable No wonder therefore when God said Seek ye my Face one of his Attendants heard presently as the Eccho answers the Voice said Thy Face Lord will I seek Psal 27. 8. To seek to any else is vain 't is seeking for Water in a broken Cistern that can hold none Men of low degree though never so great a multitude are vanity and Men of highest degree are a ly Psal 62. 9. But God's Power Mercy and Truth are an evident proof that he is forward and sufficient to satiate the Souls of all that charge their Souls to wait only upon him and to have their expectations from him 5. Attending upon God implies waiting upon him in his own House and Sanctuary Every Christian's House should be an House of Prayer but the place of publick assembling to Worship should be highly prized and frequented for the work sake that is performed there The living the true the eternal God is here publickly owned and acknowledged and so is the only Mediator Jesus as also the Holy Ghost whose Aid and Grace is all in all as to the efficacy and success of those Ordinances which are administred Saints that have seen God's Power and Glory in his Sanctuary it is no marvel that their Souls thirst for God for the living God and that 's the Language of their Hearts When shall we come and appear before God Psal 42. 2. As the Sanctuary was next to the holiest of all so the House of God on Earth is as it were the Suburbs of the City of God in Heaven The Sanctuary is the place where the Light of holy and heavenly Doctrine shines Here the Psalmist understood the end of the ungodly and that all their prosperity was but a Dream and Image being abused by themselves to further and hasten their destruction for they are quickly cast down from their greatest height and brought into Desolation as in a moment and utterly consumed with Terrors Psal 73. 17 18 19 Here also he understood how good God is to Israelites indeed when he does afflict them his Rod guides them purges their Hearts he upholds them with one hand when he corrects them with another he makes earthly things more contemptible in their Eyes and sets their Affections more upon himself who is their Portion for ever In the Sanctuary Believers are quickned strengthened comforted and settled And this one thing they desire of the Lord and that they seek after that they may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of their life that they may behold the Beauty of the Lord his Holiness and Grace in Christ with the admirable Harmony of all his Attributes and that they may perpetually be enquiring in his Temple until being guided unto Death and brought safe to Glory they are past all danger Psal 27. 4. 6. Attending upon God implies not only keeping the way of his Ordinances and Institutions but minding his Dispensations and the manner of his dealing with us The Ordinances of the Gospel are from Heaven and not of Men. Men have no right to institute who have no power to bless Mens Inventions in Religion though often followed with great eagerness are found unprofitable and vain to them that have been Zealous for them But the Ordinances which the Lord himself has appointed he is ready to own and make effectual to them that attend upon him in the use of them so that they shall have reason to say they have sought the Lord and have found him and have tasted and seen that he is gracious Ordinances are Feasts with which Saints are entertained called by the Prophet Feasts of fat things full of Marrow and of Wine on the Lees-well refined Isa 25.
of their Father they will do He is an hater of God and so are they All wicked Men are alienated from God and Enemies in their Minds by wicked works they dislike him and his Service they get out of his ways and turn aside out of his paths and say Cause the holy One of Israel to cease from before us Isa 30. 11. they care not to hear to think of this holy One they cannot abide to walk in his holy ways Now if love to God be the first and great Command how great a sin must the hatred of God be called and how unfit are they to be admitted hereafter into his glorious Presence and Kingdom who now say unto God depart from us Most worthy they are to be sent away from him with his Curse and to be sentenced to that everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels whom they resemble in hating of God and with whom they have joyned in rebelling against him 2. They are to be reproved who account Attendance upon God needless The Mind of Man appears to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 void of Judgment in determing what things are mainly to be minded Things that are vanity and vexation of Spirit what pains are taken to get them what care is taken to keep them The one thing needful is neglected as if it were the only thing unnecessary The Heathen Poet cryed out O curas hominum O quantum est in rebus inane The Care of Man about empty things how injudicious is it Time can be found for every thing but the making provision for Eternity and yet the providing for Eternity is the main thing to be done in time and time was given chiefly for the doing of this Are these to be our great enquiries What shall we eat and drink and wherewith shall we be cloathed and adorned How shall we heap up wealth and gratifie our selves with sensual pleasures How shall we live plentifully our selves and leave abundant substance to Posterity Certainly there are matters of far greater importance and necessity to be regarded The truly grand Enquiries are of another Nature How shall sin be pardoned and the Wrath of God appeased How shall the Heart be changed and made a new one and the Soul that is so precious saved How shall God be attended on and served and glorified so as to be enjoyed and eternal blessedness attained in the Enjoyment of him Attendance upon God is no more to be accounted needless than eternal happiness is needless than the loss of a Soul more valuable than the whole World is to be esteemed a small matter 3. They are to be reproved who look upon attendance on God as a weariness and grievous In following and trudging after Mammon they are unwearied How swift and many are the steps in the way to Earthly Delights and Treasure They rise up early sit up late rack their Wits grow Lean with Care for the things of the World and they are not grudging at all this Toil and Labour But when they come to wait upon God time moves very slowly a quarter seems longer than an hour Duties are tedious to them they are loth to begin and assoon as they have begun they do not wish for Communion with God or that they themselves might be better'd but that their Duties were at an end The Prophet is very sharp against them who despised the Table of the Lord and look'd upon the fruit and meat of it contemptible and they said behold what a weariness it is Mal. 1. 12 13. God is weary of such unwilling Services as yours are Isa 1. 13 14. Bring no more vain Oblations they are a trouble to me I am weary to bear them And as he is weary of your services so he quickly may be weary to bear you and he may count it a comfort to be rid of you Ezek. 5. 13. Thus my anger shall be accomplished and I will cause my Fury to rest upon them and I will be comforted and they shall know that I the Lord have spoken it in my Zeal when I have accomplished my Fury in them We read of some that were weary of Sabbaths the Ordinances then administred were to them no priviledges and when will the Sabbath be gone was their Language Amos 8. 5. but ver 7. the Lord swares he would not forget their works and he threatens ver 11. to send a Famine in the Land not a Famine of Bread nor athirst for Water but a Famine of hearing the words of the Lord And how unlikely were they ever to be saved from whom even the means of Salvation were taken away 4. They are to be reproved who are sinfully ashamed or afraid to attend upon God Some Ages are so degenerate that Religion grows exceedingly out of fashion and contempt of God and prophaneness is the thing that is al-a-mode When great Men think it below them to be good and Policy contemns Piety when the vilest Men are exalted and wickedness grows into credit when Judgment is turned away backward and Justice standeth afar off when Truth is fallen in the Streets and Equity cannot enter and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a Prey Isa 59 14 15. then this fear and shame that I am speaking against is apt to prevail But why should any be ashamed to own themselves Servants to the greatest and best of Lords Is not he glorious in Holiness Are not his Precepts concerning all things to be esteemed right Are not all those ways false that lead from him Has he not said Those that honour me I will honour and those that despise me shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2. 30. Christ will be ashamed of them at the great day who are ashamed of him and of his Word before a perverse and wicked Generation And why should any be afraid to attend upon that mighty Lord who does according to his Will in the Armies of Heaven and among the Inhabitants of the Earth and all the Inhabitants of the World are reputed as nothing before him Dan. 4. 35. Attenders upon God should banish the fear of Man for God has evil Men and evil Angels in a Chain and his sincere Servants under his own keeping Those who are afraid of Man that shall dye forget the living God and their Duty towards him and how able he is to protect them in the faithful discharge of it 5. They are to be reproved who attend upon God that they may cover and cloak their wicked and worldly and selfish designs They put on a form of Godliness but 't is the better to hide their wickedness They are for external Worship but when they seem to seek after God most of all they are nothing at all but self-seekers and Religion is most unworthily made subservient to secular Interest Thus the Birds of Prey when they soar highest towards Heaven have their Eyes still downwards towards the Earth to see what they may seize on there But what abominable Hypocrisie
to make the highest earthly Enjoyments despised in comparison Thus the innumerable Multitude of Stars though never so glittering before do all disappear at the Sun rising Undistracted Attenders fix their Eye on God and the more the invisible God is seen the more all visible things will vanish into nothing The Psalmist had cast his Eye upon the prosperity of the wicked and began to admire it he comes into the Sanctuary of God and looking upon God he now wonders at his own Folly in admiring so poor a thing as a worldly happiness and the Temptation that was so strong is overcome Safety from the most dangerous Enemies is of the Lord they whose thoughts are upon his Name find it a strong Tower Satan and Mammon are less able to beguile them and the lustings of the Flesh become weaker and weaker against the Spirit and as they find sin more and more destroyed so they may behold the last Enemy Death without a Sting and the Grave as having lost its Victory 6. Attenders without distraction have most approbation from their own Consciences Conscience is a Monitor unto Duty and a diligent observer how 't is performed It will condemn Laziness it will commend labour of Love it will upbraid the Evil and Slothful with their vain Oblations but to the undistracted Attendant it will say Well done good and faithful Servant And how much Joy and Peace is there in the Testimony of a good Conscience 2 Cor. 1. 12. and we find a condemning and an approving Conscience compared together the condemning Conscience is the forerunner of God's Condemning and the approbation of the Conscience is the forerunner of God's Absolution 1 John 3. 20 21. If our heart condemn us God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things Beloved if our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God Duties come off with great comfort when we have been intent and affected when God has been attentive to us when we behold his Face shining and find his Hand open and Conscience bears us witness that we have been seriously and the Lord has been graciously minding what we have been doing 7. Attenders without distraction are most beneficial to others They have the most publick Spirits and all do fare the better for that interest they have in Heaven which they daily improve for all How much is the Church of God beholding to them who will not hold their Peace day or night who will give the Lord no rest until he make Jerusalem a praise on the Earth Isa 62. 6 7. When the wickedness of Israel had made a great breach for the Wrath of God to break in upon them to consume them Moses attends upon God and intercedes with such intention and concernedness and fervency that the Wrath of God is appeased and the ruine prevented though it was at the door Psal 106. 23. Therefore he said that he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach to turn away his Wrath lest he should destroy them Whole Nations reap the benefit of such undistracted and prevailing Intercessions The Apostle tells us that Elias was a Man of like Passions with others yet he was so intent and servent in Prayer that he opened Heaven and fetch'd Rain from thence and the Earth brought forth her fruit and an end was put to a terrible Famine which had lasted for several Years together Jam. 5. â—8 The effectual fervent Prayer of a righteous Man avails much he prevails for others as well as for himself Lot was a righteous Man and vexed his righteous Soul because of the Sodomites unlawful Deeds 2 Pet. 2. 8. yet his Deliverance from Sodom's Flames is ascribed unto Abraham's intercession Gen. 19. 29. And it came to pass when God destroyed the Cities of the Plain that God remembred Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the Cities wherein Lot dwelt Saints should pray harder one for another and pray for them that are without with more earnestness that greater Multitudes may be called out of the World and brought into the Church and secured from the Perdition of ungodly Men. Undistracted Attendants upon God are Pillars to bear up what else would fall into ruine The Church the Nation in which they live the whole World is beholding to them as well as particular Persons for whom they are concerned and whom they bear upon their hearts before the Lord. I have done with the Reasons of the Doctrine In the fourth place I am to answer some Cases of Conscience about these Distractions in attending upon God that so Difficulties which are apt to perplex the Mind in this matter may be removed And CASE I. is this Whether the Thoughts cannot be off from God in the least when we attend upon him but there must be a culpable and sinful Distraction To this I answer 1. In all our holy Duties there should be a constant overawing sense of God upon our Spirits from the beginning to the end of them Slavish fear alienates the heart from God but Filial Reverence keeps the heart close to him That part of the Duty is lost in which the sense of God is banished 2. Something else besides God may be thought of in Duties and yet this is not Distraction To think of our sins when we confess them is our Duty and to recollect the circumstances by which they have been heigtned and rendred more exceeding sinful Isa 59. 12. For our Transgressions are multiplied before thee and our sins testifie against us for our transgressions are with us and as for iniquities we know them Our Wants also we ought to think of and the necessity of having them supplied and the all-sufficient Jehavah is sufficient to supply all needs whatsoever be the Wants never so great and many and the Persons that apply to him never so vast a Multitude The Blessings we desire ought also to be thought of Others also which we pray for may be in our Minds when we are before God with their Distresses under which we would fain be helpful to them by our Supplications on their behalf It was not Distraction in the Apostle but matter of thanksgiving to the Lord that when he was at the Throne of Grace Timothy was in his thoughts and remembrance 2 Tim. 1. 3. I thank God whom I serve from my fore-fathers with pure Conscience that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day 3. Our Thoughts must not run out so much upon the matter of our Duties but that there must be a quick and continual return to God the Object whom we worship We must not so much be thinking what we are praying for but we must ever be minding him whom we are praying to The Psalmist says Psal 142 2. I poured out my complaint before him I shewed before him my trouble He thought of his trouble but had also a sense he was before God who he
the God of Love Our Lord presses our reconciliation to our Brother before we offer our Gifts unto God Mat. 5. 24. Go thy way first be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy Gift Whilst thou refusest to be reconciled to thy Brother how canst thou expect that God should be reconciled to thee Mat. 6 15. But if ye forgive not Men their Trespasses neither will your Father forgive your Trespasses As Charity thinks no evil so Uncharitableness thinks nothing else It is severe in censuring forward to judge not fearing what is threatned to be it self judged Mat. 7. 1. It hopes and believes nothing that is good it bears and endures nothing that it pronounces to be bad or in the least injurious to it Nay sometimes in Prayer instead of the acting of Grace uncharitableness will be expressed before the Lord himself there are most unseemly Complaints impious Imprecations and Desires vented that Divine Wrath may fall upon those whom the passionate are angry with But if they were so severely punished that offer'd strange fire before the Lord and fire come forth from the Lord and consumed them those that offer this hellish fire of furious and revengeful desires may well fear the vengeance of that fire that is eternal If you give way to this sinful anger you give way to the Devil and in this Chariot he will drive furiously your Hearts away from God in the Duties you perform but the more meek and composed and sedate your Souls are the Holy Ghost will the more delight to dwell in them and to vouchsafe his assistance to you 5. Another cause of distraction is the prevalency of infidelity Faith is a coming to God by Christ Jesus Unbelief is a rejecting of this Mediatour and the Hearts departing from the Lord Take heed of unbelief as that which strikes at Religion in the very root and blasts and withers all the Fruits of it Doubt not of the being of God who gives being to all things that are and who gave and upholds you in yours to this day Doubt not of his all-seeing Eye who fills Heaven and Earth with his presence Doubt not of his being ready to be found all the true seed of Jacob are witnesses for God that they have sought his face and that they have not sought him in vain Isa 45. 19. Doubt not of the promises in the Word which thousands of Saints have found accomplished unto their strengthning supply and satisfaction Doubt not of the Threatnings which have so often taken hold of them who have boldly ventured upon the sins threatned so that they have been forced to say Verily he is a God that judges in the Earth and like as the Lord of Hosts thought to do unto us according to our ways and according to our doings so hath he dealt with us Zech. 1. 6. If unbelief has place in you and the great truths of the Gospel are questioned or not firmly assented to how can you be serious in any Religious Service How distracted must your thoughts needs be when you question whether the Lord has any regard what you do or how you do it This unbelief the great spoiler of your Performances the Father of Lies endeavours to promote He will indeed inject unbelieving thoughts into Hearts that have much Faith and Grace But as Bernard well says Latrat solum cum suggerit mordet cum ad consensum trahit Satan does only bark when he does suggest he bites when he gains the Hearts consent Oh never entertain such Injections never give the least consent that they should lodge in you Look upon them as errant falshoods which an Enemy pesters you with out of a pernicious design firmly believe the quite contrary truths that that Belief may influence your Spirits and make you more serious when you are before the Lord. 6. The workings of spiritual pride in the heart are another cause of distraction which you are to beware of It was a good observation of Augustine that other iniquity discovers it self in the doing of evil Superbia vero bonis operibus insidiatur ut pereant Pride lies in wait as it were about your good Works to spoil the doing of them that they may be lost labour This sin shews it self several ways and upon all occasions is apt to stir to puff up and swell the Mind with high and touring thoughts and imaginations The Pharisee fasted twice a Week which implies Prayer and other Exercises of Religion Luk. 18. 12. hereupon he became self-conceited and pride hindred his justification for he placed his confidence in his own righteousness What a dangerous distraction is that when these thoughts are fixed in thy Heart that by thy Prayers and other Duties thou canst make an atonement for thy sins which can indeed be made alone by the satisfaction and intercession of the Lord Jesus When the Heart is enlarged in Prayer and good expressions come with great fluency from the Lips how apt is he that prays to have high Conceits of himself and of his Performances His Mind is prone to wander and to think what others think of him and is sinfully pleased in the imagination that they are mightily pleased and taken with him thus Pride draws off the Soul from God to contemplate its own excellent Gifts and others Admiration of them Enlargements in holy Duties are very encouraging and comfortable when we are humble under them when we acknowledge the Spirits Grace in them and though never so much enlarged despair of acceptance but in Christ alone But when these Enlargements are so advanced and put into Christ's place that we reckon those Blessings owing to enlargements which are the fruit of Christ's merit and purchase here is distracting Pride which draws off from Christ and is very displeasing to the Father Such Thoughts as these How well do I pray How broken for sin do I appear How fervent in Spirit do I seem What credit and applause shall I get by this Performance What a choice and precious Saint shall I be accounted Such Thoughts are apt to hover about an enlarged heart but if they are not kept out with an utter detestation of them the Heart will be distracted with hellish Pride how heavenly soever the expressions of the Mouth are And as you are to take heed of the Workings of Pride so of every other sin which does easily beset you If when you are confessing any fleshly or worldly Lust it stirs in you and your Hearts have some regard to it and delightful Thoughts about it this will distract your Prayer and deafen God's Ear. Oh 't is an ill thing to have the Heart resolve to spare the sin which the Hypocritical Tongue does cry aloud that it may be slain That sin which your Constitutions Callings or the Times in which you live make you most prone to commit Satan may in a special manner endeavour to invigorate that it may be a great distraction and disturbance to you in your
less will your Thoughts be drawn away from him 6. Be very poor in Spirit A pressing sense of your spiritual Necessities will make you very intent and serious in begging Supplies from above for 't is from thence alone you can be supplied They that are pinched with Poverty how much do they think how poor they are They have such a smart feeling of their Needs they can scarce think of any thing besides The condemned Malefactor when he cries for a Pardon and has hopes to speed surely the apprehension of his danger makes his Words and his Thoughts to go together When the Man almost famished asks for Bread no doubt his Mind is very much upon that Bread which may prevent his starving Be you but sensible how great the Needs of your Souls are and that 't is the Father of Spirits only who can give you the mercy and grace which you need and the more of sense you have the less distracted will you be in your Applications to him Our Lord pronounces the poor in Spirit blessed Mat. 5. 3. their Petitions come from an inward sense of their want and of the worth of Blessings and being earnest Petitioners they shall be successful ones You that feel your guilt and fear Divine Wrath must needs think of a Pardon and the desirableness of it when you ask for it You that are sensible of your Maladies how intent will your Minds be upon the Lord the healer of his People And you will have little list to think of something else when you are begging to be cured True poverty of Spirit will constrain to an undistracted seeking of that Gold tried in the fire to enrich you and that white Raiment to cover you Rev. 3. 18. without which you must needs be wretched and miserable because you will be poor and naked 7. Let Conscience be very tender vigilant and faithful Such a Conscience will be very helpful to prevent distraction or quickly to put an end to it It will observe and fetch home the Truant and straying Thoughts and bring them to your Duties * I distinguish between a tender Conscience and a scrupulous one for a scrupulous Conscience is a great cause of distraction for Scruples are most apt to run in and pester the Mind when holy Duties are performing Conscience acts in God's Name by his Authority and urges Obedience to his Laws and much insists if it be truly enlightned and faithful upon the right manner of obeying Conscience takes strict notice of the whole Soul and all the actings of it and this Officer of God especially does this in the Souls approaches to the Lord a sense of being under God's Eye makes the faithful Consciences Eye more strict and ready to spy all faults that they may presently be amended In holy Duties such a Conscience will be very busie it will earnestly protest against vain and distracting Thoughts and it will say What make such thoughts here when God and his Work ought only to be minded The presence of evil when good is doing such a Conscience cannot brook with Patience it stirs up the lustings of the Spirit against those of the Flesh that the Law of the Mind may prevail more against the Law in the Members Rom. 7. 23. If Conscience is asleep in your Performances how sorry and sinful will they be The Heart will be dead the Thoughts will be gone far away no holy Affections will be stirring Pray hard for a good Conscience a Conscience not only purged by the Blood of Christ from all the guilt which by dead Works you have contracted but also by the same Blood healed of its Sleepiness Stupidity and all other faults of it And that Conscience may more effectually check your Hearts from roving and trifling in attendance upon God look before you with the Eye of strong and steddy Faith and see as far as Death and Judgment and into Eternity and then do you judge whether for your carelesly performed Duties your Lord will say Well done true and faithful Servants The Apostle having lookt as far as his own and also the World's last Day wherein the Heaven shall pass away with a great noise the Elements melt with fervent heat and the Earth and the Works therein shall be burnt up rationally infers that Christians Conversations should be very well ordered Duties of Godliness most undistractedly and seriously performed Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of Persons ought ye to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness 2 Pet. 3. 10 11. 8. Another Remedy against Distraction is growing in Grace and in the knowledge of Christ 2 Pet. 3. 18. This will keep you from being led away by errour and will make you more stedfast in Duty as well as Truth When Grace shall be perfected in Glory distraction will be perfectly cured and here on Earth the Cure is advanced as Grace is augmented The more Grace you have you will set the higher value upon Communion with God and this will fill your Hearts with holy Zeal and Indignation against every thing that may divert your Minds and be an obstruction to this Communion The more Grace you have the more you are filled with the Spirit and when you pray in the Holy Ghost your Prayer will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in-wrought Prayer Jam. 5. 16. How much of the Heart and Soul will be therein And the same Spirit in hearing and other Ordinances will keep your Hearts with God when they are about to turn to the right hand or to the left Isa 30. 21. The more Grace you have the more your Treasure will be in Heaven and you are told Mat. 6. 21. Where your treasure is there will your hearts be also Now that there may be an increase of Grace Christ must be better known for 't is from him that the first Grace is derived and all additional degrees of it Study him more and understand his fulness who fills all in all Eph. 1. 23. Desire with the Apostle that you may know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his Death Psal 3. 10. If you conform to the Death of Christ and are crucified and dead to the World and the World to you the things of the World will appear without form and comeliness and will be less able to distract your Minds and ensnare your Affections And if you feel the Power of Christ's Resurrection your Hearts and Thoughts will rise with him and at what a rate will you seek those things that are above The Angels when here on Earth they are doing what God commands them and are in Heaven still as to their Thoughts and as to the Happiness they enjoy You should be heavenly when about your earthly business but especially when you are attending upon the God of Heaven And the more experimentally you understand Christ risen the less will things on Earth be minded and the higher will
considering what precious Souls all are intrusted with and how full of Enemies and Snares this World is in which we live But the Lord alone is he of whom Safety is Psal 18. 31. Who is God save the Lord and who is a Rock save our God Sincere attenders upon God are very dear to him they are called his peculiar Treasure Exod. 19. 5. Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my Covenant then shall ye be unto me a peculiar Treasure above all People They are called his Jewels Mal. 3. 17. They shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a Man spareth his own Son that serveth him Nay he that toucheth them toucheth the apple of his Eye Zech. 2. 8. Therefore he will keep them as the apple of the Eye he will hide them under the shadow of his wings Psal 17. 8. When you attend upon God you repair to a Rock of Salvation to an high Tower of defence With his favour he will compass you as with a Shield Psal 5. 12. He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you may securely trust for his truth shall be your buckler Psal 91. 4. In the hollow of his hand you shall be hid and the same hand shall beat down all your Enemies that design your Destruction You shall dwell on high your place shall be the munitions of Rocks Isa 33. 16. No Rock so high so firm as God no Munition so safe the Refuge is eternal When David says Vnto thee will I cry O Lord my rock be not silent to me Psal 28. 1. 'T is signified that this Rock can hear and answer and help abundantly and afford abundant matter for thanksgiving Psal 18. 46. The Lord liveth and blessed be my Rock and let the God of my Salvation be exalted 6. That God whom you attend upon can abundantly satisfie the very Soul of Man When the Soul has wearied it self with seeking satisfaction from the Creature and is sorrowful because its labour has been in vain God can say and do what Creatures cannot Jer. 31. I have satiated the weary Soul and I have replenished every sorrowful Soul The Negative Happiness is considerable in being secured from Evil and Misery but positive Blessedness is more in being satisfied and delighted with Divine Goodness Psal 65. 4. Blessed is the Man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy Courts we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy House even of thy holy Temple That rich Man in the Gospel speaks as if he had like Nebuchadnezzar the Heart of a Beast rather than the Soul of a Man When he says Soul thou hast Goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat and drink and be merry Luke 12. 19. This was but sorry provision for an immortal Soul that was just ready to be required at his hand to leave all these things behind it and to go into Eternity Attenders upon God find that in him with which their Souls are satisfied indeed They are satisfied with his Mercy and Love in Christ They are satisfied in Christ's Sacrifice and the Satisfaction he has made for Iniquity They are satisfied when they perceive themselves changed more and more into the Image of God and what a Satisfaction is it to converse above and to sit in heavenly places Eph. 2. 6. And hath raised us up together and hath made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus And what a Satisfaction is it at present to be assured of a far fuller Satisfaction hereafter Psal 17. 15. As for me I shall behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness 7. Attend upon God for he has long waited that he might be gracious to you How has that Scripture been fulfilled Isa 13. 18. And therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you He has stood at the door and has knock'd for entrance and though that has been denied him he has not gone away as he might in just Anger but behold he stands at the door still Rev. 3. 20. If you hear his voice and open the door he will enter and dwell with you and he and his Benefits shall be yours It is well for sinful Man that God is Patient and Long-suffering he does not cease calling at Man's first Deafness to his call he does not cease offering Grace Mercy and Life upon Man's first refusing to accept what is offered He told the old World that his Spirit should not always strive with Man Gen. 6. 3. yet 't is added his days shall be an hundred and twenty years All that time the Long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the Ark was a preparing 1 Pet. 3. 20. to see if the Disobedient would return to him The Lord comes year after year to the barren Fig-tree seeking Fruit but he found none whereupon he says Cut it down why cumbereth it the ground Yet upon Intercession made he is prevailed with to spare it longer to see if means that were used might be effectual to make it fruitful Luke 13. 6 9 The Apostle tells that the Lord is long suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3. 9. Oh repent of your forgetting God and your duty towards him days without number attend and seek unto him in Sincerity who has had many a long look for you and has waited so great a while for your return 8. Consider seriously how God is attended upon in Heaven and what an Honour it is to you to wait upon him He has thousand thousands that minister unto him ten thousand times ten thousand that stand before him Dan. 7. 10. He has Angels that excel in strength who surround his Throne that are ready to do his Commandments hearkening to the voice of his word Psal 103. 20. The Seraphims worship him with covered faces to shew their great reverence of God and how they are ravishingly overcome with the brightness of his Majesty and they cry out one to another Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth as well as Heaven is full of his Glory Isa 6. 2 3. These Angels are Spirits these Ministers likened to a flame of fire Psal 104. 4. How Sublime and Spiritual are their Praises How ardent their Love to the Lord whom they praise and serve And yet the Lord is said to humble himself when he takes notice of such Attendants as these 'T is certainly an high Honour that is done you when you are admitted into the presence of such a glorious Majesty he that sits upon a Throne of Grace and is so ready to pitty pardon heal help and save is the blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords
abundantly more Eph. 3. 20. Who can conceive how beneficial waiting upon God is That passage is both encouraging and amazing Isa 64. 4. For since the beginning of the World Men have not heard nor perceived by the Ear neither hath the Eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him 3. God is ready to cover a multitude of Infirmities in them that sincerely attend upon him He mercifully observes how willing their Spirits are when their Flesh is weak and cannot keep pace with their renewed Minds When our Lord was in an Agony his Disciples could not watch with him one hour but were fallen asleep yet he himself graciously excuses it Matt. 26. 41. The Spirit indeed is willing but the Flesh is weak and passes it by He takes notice of the Lustings of the Spirit against the Flesh the Strivings of Grace against Sin and Corruption and passes by the Lusting of the Flesh against the Spirit the Strivings of Sin against Grace The Lord does not enter into Judgment with his Servants nor deal in Rigour with them but he expresses Fatherly Tenderness and Compassion towards them Psal 103. 13. Like as a Father pittieth his Children so the Lord pittieth them that fear him We are directed to beg for the Forgiveness of Trespasses daily which shews that as the Disciples of Christ daily offend so their Heavenly Father is ready to grant forgiveness daily to them Nay Iniquity cleaves unto our holiest things our best Dâ—ties should and might be done a great deal better These Infirmities then are much to be lamented more and more striven against and seeing our selves compassed about with them we should banish all Self-confidence and look into Jesus that in him we may find acceptance and certainly the Righteousness of Christ the Son of God and the Father's love in him will cover the greatest multitude of bewailed Infirmities and Offences 4. It may be also Comfort to Attenders upon God to think whom they have attending upon them Saints on Earth have the Angels in Heaven to be their Guardians Christ is signified by Jacob's Ladder the Angels of God are said to ascend and descend upon the Son of Man John 1. 51. 'T is owing to our Lord Jesus that Believers have the Benefit of the Angels Ministry and the Apostle signifies that all of them are thus employed for the Saints Protection and Security Heb. 1. 14. Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them that shall be heirs of Salvation The reprobate and evil Angels resist Attenders upon God but the elect and good Angels are their Friends These Angels that excel in strength How do they rejoyce when any repent and are converted And they have a Charge over Converts to keep them in all their ways Psal 91. 11. and when 't is added v. 13. Thou shalt tread upon the Lion and the Adder the young Lion and the Dragon thou shalt trample under feet It may be intimated that Satan's Force and Fury and Subtlety shall be ineffectual and that by his Temptations he shall not prevail But though Angels attend the Servants of God they are not wholly trusted to the Angelical Care The Lord himself is their Keeper The Father and the Son come to them and make their abode in them and will secure their own Mansions till they are out of the reach of Enemies and past all danger 5. Sincere Attendance upon God shall attend upon him after another and better manner in another World They shall be sitted for and admitted into the presence Chamber of the King of Glory In Heaven there will be no need of the Sun or of the Moon to shine in it for the Glory of the Lord does lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof Rev. 21. 23. and Rev. 22. 3. And there shall be no more Curse but the Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it and his Servants shall serve him They shall serve him so as never in the least to disserve him they shall do his Will and nothing at all contrary to it there will be a Perfection of Delight and Rest and Peace in the Obedience they shall yield when they rest not day and night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Rev. 4. 8. and Rev. 5. 13. Blessing and Honour and Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever All God's sincere Attendants are now advanced to Priestly nay to Kingly Dignity therefore they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2. 9. Christ has loved them and washed them from their sins in his own Blood and has made them Kings and Priests unto God and his Father Rev. 1. 5 6. But hereafter they shall inherit and possess the Kingdom prepared for them they shall all of them be actually crown'd with a Crown of Life and Righteousness And Oh what a joyful sight will it be to behold the Lord and all his Saints glorified together with him Col. 3. 4. When Christ who is our Life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in Glory Thus of the first Doctrine Doct. II. The second Doctrine is this In attending upon God we should look upon him as the Lord and serve him accordingly When God pronounced his own Laws with his own Mouth upon Mount Sinai He thus begins I am the Lord Exod. 20 2. and this was to awe Israel into Obedience We read Deut 6. 4. Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. No other Lord is his equal no Commands to be regarded like his Commands None so worthy of service as He He must have attendance who or whatever is neglected Psal 89. 6 7. Who in Heaven can be compared to the Lord who among the Sons of the Mighty can be likened unto the Lord The mightiest Monarchs upon Earth the highest Angels in Heaven are infinitely below him therefore it follows God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of his Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him Holy David cries out Psal 8. 1. O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the Earth who hast set thy Glory above the Heavens He worshipped and praised him as the highest Sovereign who excelled all things on Earth and whose Glory the Heaven though full of it was not able to contain and when he says our Lord 't is intimated that he was truly his Servant and Subject and that he gloried in subjection to him In the handling of this Doctrine I shall First Shew you how God is the Lord. Secondly Manifest what influence and effect the apprehension of his being Lord should have upon us when we attend upon him Thirdly and Lastly make Application In the first place I am to shew you how God is the Lord. His Majesty may amaze us when we think or speak of his Dominion we should
be struck with godly Fear Thus was the Psalmist Psal 104. 1. O Lord my God thou art very great thou art cloathed with Honour and Majesty who coverest thy self with light as with a Garment Psal 96. 4 6 9. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised he is to be feared above all Gods Honour and Majesty are before him Strength and Beauty are in his Sanctuary O worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness fear before him all the Earth Now that you may the better understand with whom you have to do when you attend upon God You must know 1. God is Lord Creator of whom are all things The Man of God Moses with wonder and adoration cries out Psal 90. 2. Before the Mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the Earth or the World even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God The Lord was before all and he was all of and in and to himself from Eternity The Father is of himself alone the Son is necessarily and eternally of the Father and the Holy Ghost as necessarily and eternally from both the Father and the Son And these Three are that one living and true God whom Christians believe in and in whose Name they are baptized But though God necessarily is yet Creatures are not so but have their being at his pleasure Rev. 4. 11. Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created It is the Lord whose Word of Power and Command brought all things out of nothing at first Heb. 11. 3. Through Faith we understand that the Worlds were framed by the Word of God Though some have imagined that Angels were created and many of them fell long before this visible World was made in Scripture there is not sufficient ground for such an Imagination It is probable those excellent Creatures were made the first day when 't is said Gen. 1. 1. In the beginning God created the Heaven The Heaven may take in the highest Heaven and the Host of Angels there Oh what a powerful Word was that which commanded Angels to be which before were nothing and gave them Spiritual and Immortal Natures indued with such mighty Strength and Understanding And when the Lord laid the Foundations of the Earth and stretched the line upon it these glorious Angels called Morning Stars sang together and all these Sons of God shouted for joy Job 38. 4 5 7. This Lord Creator did but say Let there be Light and there was Light The Sun the Moon the Stars the Earth and Seas and all their Hosts were what his Word made them And Man who was to have Dominion over this lower World God did make in his own Image his Body indeed was formed of the Dust of the ground but to shew that his Soul was not of earthly Original God is called the Father of Man's Spirit he breathed into his Nostrils the Breath of Life and Man became a living Soul Gen. 2. 7. This great Creator whom we attend upon made all things very good Gen. ◠31. and though Sin entring into the World spoiled much of his Workmanship he can easily new make what Sin has marred and he can easily and will certainly destroy those who are finally unwilling to be made new Creatures 2. God is Lord Preserver of what himself has made The word of his power sustains all things Heb. 1. 3. it continues things in those beings into which at first it brought them Psal 148. 5 6. Let them praise the name of the Lord for he commanded and they were created He hath also established them for ever and ever He hath made a Decree which shall not pass The same Lord who called things out of nothing by his word hinders their returning into nothing by the same word of command Psal 33. 9. For he spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast There is so much power exerted in upholding the Creation that the Preservation of the Universe is rightly called a continued Creation of it If God should totally draw back his supporting hand all the Luminaries in Heaven would presently lose their Light the Earth and Seas would become a Chaos of Confusion nay Men and Angels and all things else would immediately lose their beings and become nothing As the Creation so the Preservation of all things is of the Lord alone Neh. 9. 6. Thou even thou art Lord alone thou hast made Heaven the Heaven of Heavens with all their Host the Earth and all things that are therein the Seas and all that is therein and thou preservest them all How worthy is he to be worshipped by the Host of Heaven and by the Sons of Men the Inhabitants of the Earth God is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almighty or All-sufficient and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Mamma a Pap or Breast all Creatures from the mightiest to the very meanest do hang and depend upon God as Children do upon the Breasts that he may nourish and sustain them And if God thus upholds all things surely he will not fail to preserve his Church and Saints they may with Confidence attend upon him for defence no Humane nor Hellish Force shall prevail against them 3. God is Lord Proprietor and Possessor of Heaven and Earth So Melchizedek called the most high God when he blessed Abram the Father of the Faithful Gen. 14. 19. Blessed be Abram of the most high God the Possessor of Heaven and Earth Psal 24. 1. we read The Earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof the World and they that dwell therein All Persons and things are properly God's own and he may do with them what he pleases By Creation the Lord began and by Preservation he continues to be the Proprietor of all things Propriety is the ground of Power and Power of Government now a most absolute and universal Propriety and Power the Lord does rightly challenge to himself he is accountable to none not to be resisted by any none can stay his hand or say to him What doest thou It was a good answer that Elihu made to Job Ch. 33. 12 13. God is greater than Man Why dost thou strive against him For he giveth not an account of any of his matters It is a wise part to attend upon God who has a Propriety in us and in all things besides and all things are really in his Hands and Possession so that he can with-hold or bestow them according to his own Will If God be for us he can make all things for us if he be against us nothing shall be for our help and benefit There is nothing which we need but a superabundance of it is in God's hand The Possessor of Heaven and Earth has the Blessings of Heaven and Earth to give forth Every Beast of the Forest is his and the Cattle upon a thousand Hills Psal 50. 10. All Sheep and Oxen yea and
increasing till it issue in glory John 4. 14. But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a Well of water springing up into everlasting Life And as all sorts of Life are from God so all sorts of Death he has power to inflict All Afflictions and Plagues when this Lord sends them do say Here we are The King of Terrors Death is God's subject and says I am ready to strike young or old high or low few or many as the Lord of all does give me Commission and Command And the second Death at God's righteous pleasure opens its everlasting doors to receive and eternally to swallow up all that he sentences thither Isa 5. 14. Therefore Hell hath enlarged her self and opened her mouth without measure and their glory and their multitude and their pomp and he that rejoyceth shall descend into it Such a Lord the effects of whose love and anger are felt not only in this World but also in the other and indeed run parallel with Eternity should certainly be attended on with a great dread of offending him with the exactest care in every thing to please him 7. God is a Lord obeyed by the whole Creation but only Men on earth and Devils and damned Spirits in Hell These greater lights the Sun and Moon that rule the day and night are perfectly ruled by their Maker and rise and set at his command And to shew that he can stop the Sun in its swift motion at Joshua's intreaty he commanded it to stand still in Gibeon and the Moon in the Valley of Ajalon Josh 10. 12. Nay in the days of Hezekiah he makes the Sun to move backward and to return no less than ten degrees by which it had gone down Isa 38. 8. All the Stars of Heaven he calls by their names and they observe their courses according to his Ordinances The Sea does ebb and flow according to his appointment and keep within the bounds that he has set it when it roars and is most tempestuous The Storms and Winds fulfil his word and if he do but say to them Peace be still presently there is a great calm He calls for the Thunder and the Lightning and how terrible is the Voice of the one and the flashing of the other The Thunder is silenced and the Lightning extinguished at his pleasure All Creatures that glide through the Air or slide through the Ocean that feed and grow upon the Earth in their way and manner obey their Maker and Preserver's Will Fye Oh Fye upon Apostate Angels and Men that they should be the only Rebels Look upward downward on the right hand and on the left and the many Thousands of Creatures which your Eyes behold are so many instances of Obedience to God Why Oh why should not all we be ready to yield our utmost Service 8. God is a Lord who over-rules them that rebel against him though they break his Commands they cannot get from under his power but he can check restrain disappoint and destroy them at his pleasure The Seed of the Woman has been hated by the Serpents brood and they that have been born only after the Flesh have been strongly inclined to persecute such as have been born after the Spirit Gal. 4. 28 29. Now we Brethren as Isaac was are the Children of Promise But as then he that was born after the Flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now And so 't is likely to be still When Heathen Emperors and Kings were Converts to the Christian Faith the Prince of Darkness did not turn and change He always was and is and will be full of Malice against Christ the Head and against his true Members And those who are of their Father the Devil the Lusts of their Father they will do and they that are Saints must expect find their Hearts set against them and as far as they can their hands too But that Lord who is with his People is greater infinitely than the evil one 1 John 4. 4. Ye are of God little Children and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the World As Satan's Subtlety is nothing to God's Wisdom as his Power is small to God's Almightiness so his Wrath though never so great is a little and contemptible thing when the Love which God bears to his People is believingly considered The mightiest Men whom Satan employs to run down the Church of the living God shall never affect their wicked purpose the Church triumphs over her most surious Enemies looking unto her Mighty Helper Psal 46. 5 6 7. God is in the midst of her she shall not be moved God shall help her and that right early The Heathen raged the Kingdoms were moved They stirred up themselves with their united force and in their rage they would have devoured the Israel of God but He uttered his Voice and the Earth melted All these Enemies were dispirited and came to nothing and no wonder for it follows The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge Selah Well may the voluntary Subjects of such a Lord attend upon him with forwardness and Faith since he has such an absolute uncontrolable Dominion over all his and their Enemies 9. God is a Lord infinitely above and better than any other Lords whatsoever As he is infinitely superior to all in Majesty and Greatness so also in Mercy and Goodness The whole Earth is full of Divine Goodness Psal 145. 9. The Lord is good to all and his tender Mercies are over all his works It is special and peculiar Kindness which is shewn to his Saints Psal 103. 11. As the Heaven is high above the Earth so great is his Mercy towards them that fear him What are other Lords if compared with God As for Mammon who has most of Mankind to be his Vassals his delights are low his Riches uncertain his all is Vanity Satan is a cruel Lord he is a Lyar who deceives a Murtherer who destroys all whom he can keep under his Power and Dominion And the Wages which Sin does give to them that serve it is eternal Death and the more diligent they have been in the Service of Sin and the more laborious Workers of Iniquity Hell will be so much the hotter their Sorrow and Misery so much the greater Are such Lords as these comparable to the Lord Jehovah whose Strength whose Love is everlasting What care does he take of all that are truly his Servants How mild and gentle is his Government His Kingdom is Righteousness and Peace and Joy It was a Pious Ejaculation of one of the Ancients Da Domine quod jubes O Lord give that which thou commandest His Servants are by himself created in Christ Jesus unto the good works in which he has commanded them to walk He teaches them by his own Spirit to do his Will Psal 143. 10. Teach me to do thy Will for
unworthy to be saved nay unwilling to be saved till thou didst make him willing in the day of thy Power 4. When we look upon God as Lord we should exceedingly dread his Wrath and value his Loving-kindness The Rebukes of such a mighty Lord when provoked must needs be terrible Psal 18. 7. Then the Earth shook and trembled the foundations also of the Hills moved and were shaken because he was wrath Exod 15. 6 7. Thy right hand O Lord is become glorious in Power thy right hand O Lord hath dashed in pieces the Enemy and in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee thou sentest forth thy wrath which consumed them as Stubble And as the Anger of God has all evils in its power to inflict on those who are so fool-hardy to provoke it so his loving-kindness is ready to open the treasures of his goodness How bountiful is his love to his beloved ones The Psalmist having meditated on it justly stands amazed at it and cries out How excellent is thy loving kindness O God! Psal 36. 7. It transcends all created love if all the love that is in Men and Angels were united together it would not be so much compared with the love of God as the light of a Gloworm is to the Sun shining forth in its Noon-day Glory And as the love of God is so excellent in it self transcendently excellent also are the acts and beneficial effects of it If the wrath of a King be as the messengers of death Prov. 16. 14. what is the wrath of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords If in the light of the King's Countenance is life and his favour is as the Cloud of the later Rain Prov. 16. 15. the favour of the blessed and only Potentate must needs be infinitely more refreshing and better than life it self It is from this Lord that every Man's Judgment comes He ministers Judgment at present good and evil is dispenced by his hand and 't is he that will pass upon all the final Sentence of Absolution or Condemnation at the last day What care then should there be to have his Wrath appeased by a Mediator what fervency of Spirit in sueing for peace and reconciliation Solomon tells that many seek the Rulers Favour but certainly Divine Favour is much more desirable because every man's Judgment is from the Lord Prov. 29. 26. 5. When we look upon God as Lord we should trust in him for deliverance from other Lords who have had the Dominion over us He can work whatsoever and in whomsoever he pleases and none shall be able to hinder The Psalmist was sensible of sins force and power he was weary of sins Dominion he cries unto God to deliver him from the Reign of all the sins he knew and those sins which were secret and concealed from his view he begs that he might be convinced of them and throughly cleansed from them Psal 19. 12 13. The Lord can turn the Heart perfectly to hate the sin that was most of all beloved and the strength of sin is gone when once 't is hated and as the hatred grows stronger and stronger sin becomes weaker and weaker daily Saul was a proud self-confident Pharisee a furious Persecutor the Lord meets him and stops him in his persecuting Rage he humbles him works in his Heart Faith in Christ against whom he had such a mighty and seemingly invincible prejudice of a Wolf he turns him into one of the Sheep of Christ nay into a zealous and careful Shepherd of the Flock so that he preached that Faith which once he endeavoured to destroy Gal 3. 23. The Lord can subdue Iniquity where it has born the greatest sway If he speaks the word of power down go all strong-holds reasonings that before were thought strong are seen to be absurd imaginations vain high things and thoughts are brought into Captivity and Obedience 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into Captivity every thought to the Obedience of Christ The very Prince of the Devils Beelzebub himself the Lord can easily dispossess He cast him out of Heaven and surely he can cast him out of the Heart also If the Lord speak the Word Satan falls like Lightning How sudden and remarkable is his Downfall If he charge this unclean Spirit to come out he must presently quit his Habitation and if he command him to keep out he must enter no more Mark 9. 25. He rebuked the foul Spirit saying unto him I charge thee to come out of him and to enter no more into him When the Lord by the preaching of the Gospel made himself known in the World how were Heathen Idols destroyed 1 Thes 1. 9. Ye turned to God from Idols to serve the living and true God And whatever Worldly Enjoyments have been idolzied he can shew the Vanity of them and mortifie inordinate Affection to them He is jealous of his Honour likes not to have his Throne usurped we are to trust in this Lord and to desire he would take unto this his great Power and Reign in us and that no opposite Lords may be any longer served 6. When we look upon God as Lord we should be careful to know his Will and always forward to do it That is one of the first Inquiries of a true Convert Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. 6. Man's Will till renewed by Grace is foolish perverse wicked and perniciously inclined He wills that which is to his own Woe 'T is but reason that such a Will should yield to the Will of God who is wise holy and good Who ever acted according to the Will of God and saw cause to repent of it And sure I am that they who do contrary to the Will of God must repent of it in this World or too late in the next We find that Wisdom is very much placed in knowing the Will of God Eph. 5. 17. Wherefore be ye not unwise but understanding what the Will of the Lord is And Happiness is placed in the doing of it Joh. 13. 17. If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them We should approve our selves better Servants if we did but mind more our Lord and Master's Will In Temptation we should consider what is the Will of God and then the Tempter would be withstood When earthly Treasure is laid before us to draw our Hearts to covet it we should remember 't is the Will of the Lord that our Heart and Treasure should be in Heaven Whatever Duty we are setting about towards God or Man we should inquire how would God have this Duty to be done What acceptable Service then would God have from us And what Blessings should we be to those whom we are related to and converse
with Lord shew me thy Will and let my Will in all things and at all times be determined by thine This is becoming Language and every Soul should sincerely speak it He is the most eminent and perfect Christian who stands most perfect and compleat in all the Will of God 7. When we look upon God as Lord we should never quarrel or murmur at any thing he is pleased to do to us or with us Arbitrary Power is very much affected by the Potentates of this World though it would be much more truly great in them to do as they ought than to do as they please Arbitrary Power is justly challenged by the Lord the universal Sovereign He may do whatever he pleases and it will please him to do nothing but what becomes his own Wisdom Goodness and other glorious Excellencies A mighty Monarch who had walked in Pride at length was so abased that he acknowledged and honoured this highest Lord of all and he says All the Inhabitants of the Earth are reputed as nothing and he doth according to his Will in the Armies of Heaven and among the Inhabitants of the Earth Dan 4. 35. The Dispensations of Divine Providence must not fall under our Censure He that reproveth God will ill answer for it 'T is sinful Boldness to strive with him and say What dost thou As if he had not done so well as he might 'T is more becoming with obedient Patience and Submission to cry out Oh the Depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his Judgments and his Ways past finding out Rom. 11. 33. and Psal 145. 17. The Lord is righteous in all his Ways and holy in all his Works When under his severer Dealings with us we charge him with Rigour and want of Care we do but charge God foolishly His Understanding is infinite Psal 147. 5. therefore he is not liable to the least Mistake His Bowels are tender and he can never become Cruel 'T is inconsistent with his Justice to lay upon any Man more than is right that he should enter into Judgment with God Job 34. 23. He is so gracious that he afflicts when his People need and t is good for them to be afflicted That Man spake very ill who said I do well to be angry Whatever the Lord does to his People he does wisely justly faithfully how then can their Fretting and Impatience be justified It would be far better for them to cease their Contention and Disputing and to answer as Job at last did Job 40 4 5. Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my Hand upon my Mouth once have I spoken but I will not anwer yea twice but I will proceed no farther 8. When we look upon God as Lord we should long to behold his Glory in his Kingdom It was the Desire of Moses Exod. 33. 18. I beseech thee shew me thy Glory It is but little that the Saints see of the King of Saints in comparison of what they shall see They know but in part and how should they long that that which is perfect may come and that which is in part may be done away 1 Cor. 13. 10. The Earth is the Lord's Footstool and here we behold but some Footsteps and Shaddows and have a darker Discovery of him but the Heaven is his Throne and when we come to stand before his Throne how bright will be his Majesty in our Eyes How glorious his Holiness How will his Face be all Light and Love And how ravishing will the fullest Sense of that Love be It should be our Care by a continual Increase of Purity in Heart to be fitted for this beatifical Vision of the Lord of Glory Mat. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in Heart for they shall see God And this Vision should the more longed for because it will be transforming When we behold the Lord's Glory we shall partake of it when we see him we shall to our eternal Excellency and Satisfaction be like him 1 Joh. 3. 2. Beloved now are we the Sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is In the last place follows the Application USE I. shall be of Reproof Well may the Mouth of his Messengers be full of Reproof since the Lord that sends them is so generally disregarded Several sorts of Persons are worthy Reprehension 1. They are to be reproved who say with Pharaoh who is the Lord that we should obey his Voice How many are there who will not acknowledge they owe him any Service or if they do acknowledge it they are so wicked and unrighteous that they will not render what they cannot but confess is due to him How many say Our Lips are our own who is Lord over us Psal 12. 4. who is he that would give laws to our Tongues and put them under a Bridle They say also our Members are all our own and therefore we will employ them as we please though that employing is abusing and abasing of them to be Instruments of Unrighteousness unto Sin Our Time also is our own and therefore we will pass it according to our own Pleasure as if Time were a thing of no Value and to have it well or ill with them to Eternity were a matter of meer Indifferency They that now cry Who is the Lord When they stand as they all must before his Judgment Seat he will make them know who he is How terrifying will his Looks be How heavy will his Hand be felt They would not obey the Scepter of his Word and he will break them with his Iron Rod and dash them in pieces like a Potter's Vessel Psal 2. 9. 2. They are to be reproved who have a greater Reverence for Man than for God who is the sovereign Lord of all They dare not displease great Men but the great God they make bold to offend Men whom they depend upon they are careful to keep in with but that God in whose Hand their Breath is and whose are all their Ways they do not glorifie Dan. 5. 23. They depend upon this Lord for their Being and Blessedness and all things Their Life is continued only during his Pleasure all things that they have are of his bestowing and if ever they are blessed 't is God must make them so and yet the Favour and Anger of this God are contemned in Comparison of the Love and Hatred of Man How many will comply with the Lusts of Men that will not conform to the Will of God Mens Inventions are regarded more than God's Institutions Thus the Statutes of Omri were kept and all the Works of the House of Ahab and Israel did walk in their Counsels Mic. 6. 16. when they rejected the Counsel of God against themselves and cast the Laws of Jehovah behind their Backs But how poor a thing is Man's
the more thou talkest of it unto them thou conversest with the more it will administer Grace to the Hearers The second Duty is hearing the Word preached And that you may hear the word with less distraction 1. Look beyond Preachers unto that God who sends them and speaks to you by them Look beyond the earthen Vessels unto the Treasure which they bring and upon the Word that is preached as the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ who is the Image of God 2 Cor. 4. 4 7. Preachers of the Gospel are Christ's Ambassadors and they are sent to treat with you about Peace with God and by them God beseeches you to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5. 20. How beautiful should you count the Feet of them who preach the Gospel of Peace and bring glad tidings of good things Rom. 10. 15. Such Tidings are too good distractedly and heedlesly to be heard And he that sends them is too great to be thus contemned When you sit before the Ministers of Christ and the Stewards of the Mysteries of God remember what our Lord himself says Luke 10. 16. He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me 2. Apprehend who are ready if you hear distractedly and without care to catch away the Word from you as soon as 't is spoken Evil Angels are compared to the Fowls of the Air who hover about the Sower to devour the Seed as soon as it is sown Luk. 8. 5. These evil Spirits are fitly compared to Fowls for they are many and how do they come flocking into our Religious Assemblies 'T is desirable to have Souls come flying to Christ as Doves to their Windows but it may startle us to understand that Devils came flocking into Churches to catch away the Word which is preached there These Enemies as they are many so as Fowls they are above us and consequently not so easie is it to resist them How many Sermons have these evil Angels stolen And the Sermons they have stolen they have them to shew against heedless Hearers at the Day of reckoning 3. Make a Covenant with your Eyes that your hearing may be the less distracted and more attentive Fix not your sight upon any alluring and ensnaring Objects or any thing which may divert you And as your Eyes must be turned away from beholding Vanity that you may be quickned in the way of your Duty so be sure to keep your Eyes waking If sleep locks up the Senses how fast must the Heart the mean time be barr'd against the Word of God! Eutichus a Church Sleeper is an Example upon Record sinking down with sleep while Paul was preaching he fell down and was taken up dead Act. 20. 9. They that sleep at a Sermon scandalously reject and despise the word preached Satan is a most wakeful Witness against them and his Arms are the Cradle in which they are rockt 4. Beg that the Lord himself would open your Hearts to attend to his Word It was he who opened the Heart of Lydia and then she attended to those things which were spoken by Paul Acts 16. 14. 'T is the Lord that makes way for the Word into the Mind that it may be heeded and understood and he makes way for the Word into the Heart that the Heart may be changed and cleansed thereby Joh. 15. 3. Now are ye clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you 'T is dreadful to provoke the Lord so as to be like unto provoking Israel to whom Moses speaks thus Deut. 29. 4. The Lord hath not given you an Heart to perceive and Eyes to see and Ears to hear unto this Day And it will be worse if you love to have it thus still O think thus that distracted hearing may cause the word of Life to become deadly to you and God may judicially and yet justly harden your Hearts lest you should see and hear and understand and convert and be healed Isa 6. 10. 5. Let the word preached be mixt with Faith and received with Love The Apostle tells us that the Word preached did not profit the hearers of it not being mix'd with Faith in them that hear'd it Heb. 4. 2. Commands will be heeded and obeyed that are indeed believed to be of God Threatnings and Promises that are most firmly credited cannot but be minded and have a mighty influence The Word also is to be received in the Love of it that you may be saved The design of this Word is your deliverance from sin and misery your Peace your Purity and Perfection your eternal Redemption and Glory and therefore it commends it self exceedingly to your Aflections A sincere love to the Word will command the Thoughts of the Heart and hinder the Word from being disregarded 6. Remember that the Word which you hear is your Life There is a carelesness of life in heedlesness and distraction in hearing the Word of God Deut. 32. 46 47. Set your hearts unto all the Words which I testifie among you this Day for it is not a vain thing for you for it is your Life Prov. 7. 2. Keep my Commandments and live and my Law as the Apple of your Eye Isa 55. 3. Incline your Ear come unto me hear and your Soul shall live and I will make with you an everlasting Covenant even the sure Mercies of David And further to fix your attention to the Word preached be all of you perswaded that you who are now in the Sanctuary must shortly stand at the Judgment-Seat of Christ and the Word which he has spoken the same shall judge you at the last day Joh. 12. 48. Then you must render an account of your Stewardship and how all your Talents have been improved and you must be judged and receive according to your Works And sure I am that the Sentence which will then be pronounced whether it be of Absolution Come ye Blessed or of Condemnation Go ye Cursed cannot but be heard without distraction Both the one and the other of these Sentences must needs be heeded by all upon whom they are passed the one being so very comfortable and the other so terrible and confounding A third Duty which I shall insist on is Prayer now that you may with less distraction call upon the Name of God 1. Consider whose Name it is you are taking into your Mouths Deut. 28. 58. That glorious and fearful Name THE LORD THY GOD. A Name which should never be in the Lips without the profoundest Reverence in the Heart The Gods that made not the Heavens and the Earth shall perish from the Earth and from under these Heavens But the Lord is the true God he is the living God and an everlasting King at his Wrath the Earth doth tremble and the Nations shall not be able to abide his indignation Jer. 10. 10 11. This God whom you pray to is infinitely more above you than the greatest Emperour is above the meanest Worms
whatsoever they have a mind to as if the Heart-searchers Eye had neither Sight nor Jealousie 1. The Duties of such whose Hearts thus run away from God are not steps towards Heaven but towards Hell If they hear the Word of God they understand it not the Gospel is hid from them and the God of this World blinds them 2 Cor. 4. 34. If they attain to some kind of knowledge of the truth they hold it in unrighteousness Sin grows stronger by their very Duties its power not at all impaired by them for thinking by their Duties to make some amends for their sins they are the more emboldned to commit iniquity When they have done their heartless Services God is the more angry with them Thus the Jews of old chusing their own ways and their Souls delighting in their Abominations and having no delight in God or in his ways the hatefulness of their Sacrifices is thus expressed Isa 66. 3. He that killeth an Oxe is as if he flew a Man he that sacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut off a Dogs Neck He that offereth an Oblation as if he offered Swines Blood he that burneth incense as if he blessed an idol Not only by impenitency and hardness of Heart but by heartless Duties the performers of them treasure up unto themselves Wrath against the Day of Wrath. 2. When terrible Calamities force sinners to cry with some earnestness for relief their Cries may be altogether in vain God may justly be as heedless of them in their distress as they were impiously heedless of him in their Devotions Thus he threatens when distress and anguish cometh upon them then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me nay which is worse he says I will laugh at their calamity I will mock when their fear cometh Prov. 1. 26 27 28. They deserve to be mockt at in their misery all whose Duties were a mocking of God to his very face The Prophet speaks to the same purpose Zach. 7. 13. Therefore it is come to pass that as he cryed and they would not hear so they cryed and I would not hear saith the Lord of Hosts And if he be deaf many times to sinners cries on Earth and will afford them no help Certainly in Hell he will be utterly regardless of their Miseries No Prayers are heard no Petitions are granted that come from that place of wo Luk. 16. 24. 27. 3. When Sinners and Hypocrites are in Hell what bitter Reflections will they have upon their Distractions and Negligencies in the Service of God here on Earth How terribly will Conscience reproach and lash them because in their Day they knew not the things that concerned their Peace Most wretched and self-destroy'd Fools Conscience will call them because it was no more in their Thoughts to fear and escape eternal vengeance because they were so eager after things on Earth which now can be enjoyed no more as to neglect the everlasting bliss and glory of the Heavenly Kingdom They that will not do their Duty to God now without distraction shall be forced without distraction to think of their misery to eternity The greatness of their woe will immoveable fix their Thoughts upon it When a Sinner in outer darkness shall thus reflect upon himself and his unconceivable deplorable and desperate case Oh what flames what terrours and agonies do I suffer What poysoned Arrows of the Almighty are within me How glorious is his power in my destruction How righteous though intolerable is his Indignation And what I do suffer I must suffer without any hope at all of any ease or end The undistracted thinking of all this cannot but make Hell to be out of measure hellish Knowing now the terrours of the Lord let all be perswaded to take heed of trifling with an holy and jealous God and of doing his Work negligently who will so severely punish all evil slothful and unprofitable Servants USE VI. Shall be of encouragement and comfort to Believers who would fain do more and better than they do and with less distraction serve the Lord. They should indeed go with a low Sail because of their leaky hearts which are so born down and hindred by indwelling sin when they are attending upon God and yet that they may not be quite cast down let their Eye be upon these grounds of Consolation 1. Let the Saints know that 't is from that Grace which is within them that their Distractions are burthensome to them As it is by the softness of the Heart that the remaining hardness of it is felt so it is by the Grace in the Heart that its Wandrings are perceived and being perceived become matter of trouble The Apostle speaks by way of encouragement 1 Cor. 10. 13. There hath no temptation taken you but such as common So say I Thy Distraction which is thy burthen is so far from proving thou hast no Grace that 't is common to all gracious Souls while Militant in this World and 't is part of their Militancy to be conflicting with distracted Thoughts and the stronger they grow in this conflict they are the more successful God has the renewed Will it consents to the Law of God that it is good and desires more undistractedly and with delight to do whatever is required 't is only remaining Flesh that is otherwise inclined The Apostles Reflection upon himself and what he did was not altogether without comfort Rom 7. 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord so then with the Mind I my self serve the Law of God but with the Flesh the Law of Sin 2. God will not impute those Distractions to Believers which they desire so truly and earnestly to be freed from 'T is a good Rule Non imputantur si violenter importantur They are not imputed if they are violently brought into the Heart and their stay and abode there is not allowed of The Man that labours under the Palsie his Head his Hands do shake against his Will he does not shake either himself but wishes both were more steddy The Saints Distractions are against their Wills they do not willingly distract themselves the Lord does not call them Hypocrites for these and they miscal if they call themselves by that Name because their Hearts do sometimes start away from Duty against the Will and Purpose of them What Saint on Earth could stand if God should mark such iniquities and miscarriages as these Psal 130. 3. 3. Christ's Satisfaction and Intercession may comfort Believers under their Distractions and all their Infirmities Our Lord by suffering Death has made compleat satisfaction as for their other Iniquities so for the sins of their holy things God is so well pleased in the Son of his Love that very faulty and imperfect Duties being by him presented are well taken Oh what a difference is there between a Duty as it comes from us and as it has its defects covered with
THE CURE OF DISTRACTIONS IN Attending upon GOD In Several SERMONS Preached from 1 Cor. 7. 35. That you may attend upon the Lord without Distraction By NATHANAEL VINCENT M. A. Minister of the Gospel Psal 27 8. When thou saidst seek ye my face my heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus non vocis sed Cordis auditor Cypr. Primum argumentum compositae mentis existimo◠posse consistere secum morari Seneca Epist 2. LONDON Printed for Brabazon Aylmer at the Three Pigeons over against the Royal-Exchange in Cornhill 1695. To the Truly Honourable Sir WILLIAM ASHURST Kt. AND Alderman of the City of London Much Honoured SIR I Did not Address to you when you were like the Rising Sun and made the Chief Seat in this City where you were deservedly placed to shine with more than ordinary Lustre when you discovered and were severe against the Works of Darkness and your Influence was so benign and kind for the Sustentation and Benefit of London but now you have run your Course so well and have set without the least Cloud nay with so much Clearness and Glory I make this Dedication to you desiring your serious Perusal of a Treatise the Subject of which is of such great importance And indeed now you have quitted the Chair and have less of publick Business to manage and may have more leisure to retire into your Self and from Company and from Civil Affairs this Cure of Distractions in Religious Duties knocks at your Door the Author desiring it may be helpful to your Meditations and Devotion 'T is a great Respect and Honour that is due to the God's on Earth so Magistrates are called and Inferiours should apply to Them accordingly with a great sense of their distance With what Reverence then are we to approach the Supream Majesty The Lord of Hosts the King of Glory Our highest Apprehensions are infinitely below him And the best of Saints do rather wish to Worship him than perform any thing that is worthy of the Name of Worship Among the many Faults in Holy Duties there is one that will never be quite mended in this World and that is Distraction but yet more and more help may be still attained against it And these Sermons mhich I now present you with I hope with a Blessing from Heaven may contribute somewhat and be successful this way If Religious Duties were but well done every thing else would be done the better for it is from God alone that we have ability to do as we ought in any matter whatsoever The Lord gives Wisdom and Grace most liberally to them who most sincerely seek him And such as have most help from God will best perform their Duty towards Man and both Church and State will find them the most useful Members Religion is certainly the truest Policy The Wisdom of this World says the Apostle and of the Princes of this World comes to nought but Godliness in the power of it makes Men better in every Capacity and Relation How does it alter and amend Persons Families Nations where 't is encouraged and prevails Righteousness and Peace Joy and Love are found to be the blessed effects of true Religion It tames the fierceness and subdues the malignity of corrupt Nature And makes Man to look something like what he was in the state of Innocency All that wish well to this City and Nation must needs desire that God may be better served and that Men by his Service may be better'd How happy should we be if People were all Righteous Violence then would be no more heard in our Land nor wasting and destruction within our Borders our Walls would be called Salvation and our Gates Praise and the Lord himself would be to us an everlasting Light and our God our Glory I wish that all Lord Mayors for the future may follow your Example and endeavour to suppress Wickedness and may never be ashamed of Holiness which is the Glory of God and is most unreasonably look'd upon as matter of Disgrace to any Man Sir You are descended from Religious Ancestors and Religion is that which does truly ennoble your Blood and Family An increase of this Nobility and of all other Blessings is wisht to your self and Yours By Honoured SIR Your Most Humble Servant Nathanael Vincent TO THE READER Reader IT is a Subject of the highest consequence and in which all are concerned that I Discourse of in this Treatise and I design some relief against that which is the general Complaint of serious Christians who would fain offer to God more Spiritual and well pleasing Sacrifices but are hindred by the remaining Sin and Vanity of their own Minds They are called indeed the Habitations of God through the Spirit but these Habitations are haunted with distracting Thoughts and vain Imaginations to their great grief and disturbance The Work and Service of the God of Heaven is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 principal business every one has to do in this World and though no Duties are to be slightly done to Man which are done for the Lord's sake yet in attendance upon himself and in those Duties which more immediately we perform to him an holy Awe becomes us our Hearts should be immoveably fixed and we should exert the utmost Vigour of our Spirits To trifle with a Jealous God whose All-seeing Eye strictly observes the whole we do and wherein soever we fail is to despise him to his Face and to act to the great peril of our own Souls Our God says the Apostle is a consuming fire and Nadab and Abihu the Sons of Aaron sound him so to their cost and sorrow when they offer'd strange fire such as he commanded them not We must do what God commands and as he commands else what we call our Religious Duties will be look'd upon by him as acts of Disobedience The Mind of Man ever since the first Man parted from God is notoriously fickle and wavering being unsetled by Sin it roves up and down the Earth from one Vanity to another but how hardly is it brought back to God! And though it is engaged to approach near to him yet if it be not narrowly watched in the twinkling of an Eye it starts back and is gone away from him To keep our Hearts with all diligence is our Duty but they will not be held in from wandring by our most careful Custody It is the Hand of that God alone by which the whole Vniverse consists and is kept from dissolution that can fix the Mind of Man and hinder its being distracted in his Service There is a great deal of Pains taken in the World to little purpose All things says Solomon are full of labour Man cannot utter it and yet he affirms that there is no profit under the Sun But 't is lamentable to think that in the Church there should be so much labour in vain Distraction of Mind keeps
in the Lord for with the Lord there is Mercy and with him is plenteous Redempption and he shall redeem Israel from all his Iniquities 9. Man must not think to divide his Service between God and Mammon Our Lord himself tells us that no Man can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other ye cannot serve God and Mammon To mind the World as if it were the most desirable thing and to serve the Lord only for the World's sake this is hateful earthlimindedness and Hypocrisie When the Children of Israel assembled themselves before God only for Corn and Wine their Cries were but howlings in his Ears Hos 7. 14. If we would attend upon God we must come out from the World Conformity to the World and walking after the course of it must cease The most desirable good things of it must be contemned in comparison with God and the better and enduring substance We shall never look and aim at so as to obtain the things that are unseen and eternal unless the Eye be shut against the things that are seen and temporal 2 Cor. 4. 18. Not but that Attenders upon God may and ought to mind their secular business which their particular Callings lead them to Christians are cautioned against idleness as great disorderliness and are commanded and exhorted by our Lord Jesus Christ with quietness to work and to Eat their own Bread 2 Thes 3. 11 12. This notwithstanding must ever be remembred that the things of this World are to be regarded so far as God has commanded that they must be begg'd of him they must be kept used and improved for him they must not be liked for themselves but so far as God is enjoyed with them and in them And in the greatest abundance of them this should be the Heart's Language which came from the Heart and Mouth of Luther Noli his satiari Lord I will not be put off with such things as these The Lord is my Portion saith my Soul and I have looked and longed and wait for thy Salvation 10. Man must consent to cast away whatever may separate between the Lord and him And what that is the Prophet plainly tells us Isa 59. 1 2. Behold the Lord's Hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither his Ear heavy that it cannot hear but your Iniquities have separated between you and your God and your Sins have hid his Face from you that he will not hear Separation from God is the Hell of Hell and this Hell upon Earth Sin is the cause of Sin is that which provokes the Lord to be angry with Man and with his Soul to hate him to behold him afar off so that he is not admitted unto his Favour or unto Fellowship and Communion with him To talk of Fellowship with God and to walk in this darkness of Sin is to lie to others and to deceive our selves This middle Wall of Partition must be thrown down else there can be no drawing nigh to God Jam. 4. 8. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you Cleanse your hands ye sinners purifie your hearts ye double-minded The Hand must not practise and work wickedness the Heart must not regard and like it The more the Heart is desirous of Purity the fitter it is to attend upon the Lord to serve him and to see him Therefore you read Mat. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God and 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty In the second place I am to tell you what is implied in Man's Attendance upon God This Attendance is of large extent and takes in all the Service he Commands In Scripture 't is expressed sometimes by following of God sometimes by waiting upon the Lord and in the Text by Attending I shall explain what this is in several particulars 1. Attending upon God implies enquiring of God He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only Wise the Father of Lights from whom all true Wisdom and every good and perfect gift comes down Jam. 1. 17. The Wisdom of this World and of the Princes of this World however 't is magnified as the most profound Policy cannot secure them that are most excellent this way but they and their Wisdom come to nought and perish together but spiritual Wisdom which is hidden from the prudent of the World and is the especial gift of God is ordained to the Glory of them that have it 1 Cor. 2. 6 7. Wisdom to Salvation and everlasting Glory deserves the name of Wisdom sound Wisdom it may well be called Prov. 2. 6 7. For the Lord giveth Wisdom out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding he layeth up sound Wisdom for the Righteous he is a Buckler to them that walk uprightly Our inquiry must be of God for Wisdom of this Nature He gives it to all that desire and ask it and that liberally without upbraiding Jam. 1. 5. He upbraids not any with their former hatred of knowledge or contempt of Wisdom neither does he upbraid them with their natural dulness and unaptness to learn but both instruction and also the very heart and ability to receive it are from him Prov. 20. 12. The hearing Ear and the seeing Eye the Lord hath made even both of them The Psalmist thus desired to attend upon God all the days of his life that he might enquire in his Temple Psal 27. 4. They are well counselled and are led safe to Glory who have God to be their guide even unto death and still follow on to know the Lord. 2. Attending upon God implies hearkning and heeding what God speaks Psal 85. 8. I will hear what God the Lord will speak and what Attention does such a speaker deserve who speaks from Heaven and whose Word shews the way to Heaven who speaks peace and publishes glad-tidings of great Salvation When Lydia her heart was opened that she attended unto those things which were spoken of Paul Acts 16. 14. She heard Paul's Voice but believed the Lord spake by him to her and she regarded the message accordingly We attend upon God in the Ministry of the Word when our Eye looks beyond the Ministry unto the Lord himself and our Ear is attentive that we may understand his Truths which are to be believed his Precepts that are to be obeyed Now the Word comes with a Divine Power and Efficacy when God is heard speaking in the Word 1 Thes 2. 13. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing because when ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of Men but as it is in truth the Word of God which effectually
is there in Man by Nature to commend him to God The Apostle charges the whole World as guilty before God and proves Heart and Tongue and Hands and Feet of Man to be corrupt and that the way of Peace he knows not Rom. 3. 17. Why should such a Wretch be look'd upon and graciously called upon to return Here is indeed Eternal Misery that Man is in danger of for Divine Mercy to prevent Here is a great deal of Sin for the justifying Righteousness of a Mediator to cover Here are Heart-Plagues for Christ the Physician of Souls to heal Here is Stubbornness and Obstinacy in evil for the Spirit of Grace to overcome Here are innumerable wants for the All-sufficient God to supply But not the least jot of meritorious Worthiness Will the Lord admit such as we are indigent worthless vile Let us wonder that he will do it and keep no longer at a distance from him 2. Remember God refuses to be attended upon by multitudes of fallen Creatures which at first were better than Man We read that Man was made a little lower than the Angels Psal 8. 5. so that the Angels were in degree higher than Man in their first Creation Now a great Host of these Angels sinned and when they sinned they were not spared 2 Pet. 2 4. as soon as they fell into Sin they were thrown down and fell into Hell The Lord calls not to the Apostate Angels to repent of sin and return to himself There is no Throne of Grace for them to come to no Mercy offered the door of hope is lock'd up and fast barr'd against them for ever Our Lord took not on him the Nature of Angels Heb. 2. 16. The good Angels were indeed confirmed in their good State in their original Integrity by the Son of God who is the Head of all Principality and Power Col. 2. 10. But the Son of God redeemed and recovered not so much as one of the bad Angels but they are all in Chains of darkness reserved unto Judgment These reprobate Angels are of very great Capacity they excel in strength yet the Lord will accept of no service at their hands He forces them against their wills to be subservient to his purposes and pleasure but Worship and Obedience from them he admits not of But he calls after Man to return though fallen by his iniquity Hos 14. 1. He puts words into Man's Mouth and tells him what he should say and what he himself is ready to hearken to and grant Hos 14. 2. Take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously So will we render the calves of our lips This great difference which Grace does make between fallen Man and fallen Angels should be a mighty Inducement and Encouragement to Man to give most ready attendance upon God 3. 'T is the great endeavour of your Spiritual Enemies to hinder your attendance upon God or to disturb you in it Which shews they are well aware how beneficial this attendance if serious would be and they envy you the benefit of it 'T is Wisdom ab horte doceri well to mark and to receive some instruction from an Enemy What Satan urges you to pursue you may conclude is of little worth his Malignity is such that he will not truly consult your interest And since he uses so many Methods and so much Subtlety to stave you off from God you may reasonably argue that in coming to God lies your Duty and your Blessedness The Enemy of our Salvation has false glasses through which he misrepresents the Lord and his Service to us Sometimes he represents him as so High that he minds not what we do whether it be good or evil Sometimes he sets him forth as so indulgent that any careless Duties will please him and neglect of his Service will not much if at all provoke him Sometimes he sets before Man's Eyes God's Wrath and Jealousie and says that delays to serve him have rendred him unintreatable and that to seek him is now too late and in vain Thus he would obstruct Man's attendance on his Maker for he knows that the Lord is good to them that wait for him to the Soul that seeketh him Lam. 3. 25. and those that are far from God shall perish Psal 73. 27. But if by all these ways he cannot hinder attendance upon God he will endeavour to disturb them that do attend Zach. 3. 1. And he shewed me Joshua the high Priest standing before the Angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him How busie is Satan about us when we come to appear before God! He endeavours to fill the Mind with vain Imaginations to thrust violently the World into the Heart to make indwelling sin active to hinder the actings of Grace He endeavours to batter Faith to beat down Hope and to damp holy and spiritual Affections He cannot endure the Soul should meet with God in Duties he is troubled at its Communion with God and being bless'd with Spiritual Blessings But all this should but quicken your desires and diligence in seeking for what you seek after you may conclude is highly worth finding 4. How empty are all things that are apt to draw you away from attending upon God! The Egyptians of old were derided by the Poet because they made Gods of every thing O Sanctas Gentes quibus hoc nascuntur in hortis Numina The very Herbs and Plants that grew in their Gardens were deified And truly among many that are called Christians a multitude of things that are very mean and low are idolized Some make Idols of their Garbs by affecting and being proud of them Some idolize their earthly Treasures and sensual Pleasures by loving those more than God 2 Tim. 3. 4. Some make their Belly their God and how many Meat-offerings and Drink-offerings are sacrificed to this base Deity by the Wine-bibbers and riotous eaters of flesh How low is Man fallen How has he lost his Dominion over the Creature They make him not only their Slave but their Worshipper But pray bethink your selves and take notice what things they are that thus captivate and draw you away from God Such is the immensity of God that the whole World compared with him is not so much as the smallest Dust to the Globe of Earth not so much as a drop of Water to the whole Ocean And as the Being of God transcends all other Beings so his goodness excels all created goodness So that our Lord speaking in the highest sense affirms That there is none good but one that is God Matt. 19. 17. What then are the good things of this World which Sin has brought a Vanity nay a Curse upon and which are used by Satan as his great Baits to catch inconsiderate Souls that they may be lost and ruin'd 5. Be prevailed with to attend upon God who is the strongest Rock the surest Refuge Safety is desirable
Help against Divine Anger Nay here the mightiest Man can be no Security Job 9. 13. If God will not withdraw his Anger the proud Helpers do stoop under him And those whom the Lord does undertake to comfort why should Man that shall dye dismay them Isa 51. 12 13. I even I am he that comforteth you Who art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of a Man that shall dye and of the Son of Man which shall be as Grass And forgetest the Lord thy Maker that stretched forth the Heavens and laid the Foundations of the Earth His Power may well make the Fury of Oppressors contemptible But God's Power is irresistable as his Wrath is intolerable 3. They are to be reproved who prefer the worst Lords before the greatest and the best of all The true God is certainly the best Lord and Sin and Satan are the worst that can be served and yet how few has the former how many Servants have the later The Lord's Government is most gracious the Paths he requires us to walk in are Pleasantness and Peace Prov. 3. 17. But the Ways of Sin are quite contrary No Peace saith my God to the wicked Isa 57. 21. Whatever Sin in the beginning may seem its End is bitter as Wormwood sharp as a two-edged Sword and they that serve it their Feet go down to Death and their Steps will quickly take hold of Hell Shall I shew you the manner of Sin and Satan's Reign Their Vassals are put upon Cruel Hard Service and they must stick at nothing If the fulfilling of their Lusts call for it the Estate must be wasted Health must be endangered Repute and good Name must be disregarded Posterity must be beggared Life it self must be shortened and the precious Soul lost for ever rather than sin not be gratified and served Sin has a Law and what Command does it impose upon those that are subject to it Its Injunctions are such as these Fight against God and slight the Wrath of the Lord Almighty Mind neither thy Duty nor thy Safety Pursue Vanity and Vexation of Spirit but care not for the truest and eternal Blessedness Be sure to please thy Flesh and seek thy self and mind thy Carnal Interest though thou art in the worst Sense undone thereby Go on impenitently and securely in thy Wickedness till thou fall into Hell Flames Do all this and dye and damn thy self unto Eternity What hard sayings are these Yet Thousands and Millions hear and obey them It is amazing that those who have reasonable Souls should act so void of all sound Reason as to refuse his Service who commands them to be wise and safe and good and should chuse to be Fools and to be miserable 4. They are to be reproved who have begun to serve the Lord and afterwards forsake his Service and revolt from him These revolters shew a great Zeal and Forwardness in Religion many of them for a time they seem to have escaped the pollutions of the World and to have got the Victory over it and to have overcome the evil One but being again entangled and overcome themselves by Mammon and Satan they are a credit to these Masters and to their false and pernicious ways but they are a great dishonour to Religion and to the Author of it the Lord of Glory These revolters discover an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God which is so much caution'd against Heb. 3. 12. and if without Faith 't is impossible to please God how much must he needs be provoked by infidelity and with what Torments will their unbelief at last be confuted and punished together These Revolters quench a great deal of Light which has shined into them this aggravates the works of darkness unto which they return though they have under Conviction felt the Terrors of the Lord yet they venture more than ever to incense him in a special manner they grieve the Spirit of God and deeply wound their own Spirits But these Wounds are not felt at present their Consciences are seared Satan has fuller and faster possession of them fulness of sin quickly follows and the last state with them is worse than the first Mat. 12. 45. USE II. Shall be of Advice in these particulars 1. Hearken to the Lord inviting and calling you all to his Service There is room in his House for many Thousands more than are there and there is plentiful and abundant provision for their entertainment In my Father's House says the Prodigal when he came to himself there is Bread enough and to spare Luke 15. 17. Christ's Sacrifice of himself can put away multitudes of sins more than as yet have been pardon'd And though Millions of empty and lost Souls more come to him out of his fulness they may be all replenished and secure under the shadow of his wings His Messengers say to you Come himself says Come his Spirit says Come your Wants which none but he can supply speak aloud to you to go to him keep therefore no longer at a distance He is most ready to receive you graciously and to communicate grace of all sorts to you 2. Behold how willing this Lord is to pass by all past disobedience upon your believing and repentance The Apostle Paul was not upbraided with his persecuting Rage and Hellish Fury when once he submitted himself to the Lord and laid down his Weapons wherewith he had fought against God The Grace of our Lord says he was exceeding abundant with Faith and Love that is in Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 1. 14. and v. 15 16. he tells us that he the chief of sinners obtained Mercy that the greatest sinners hereafter may hope and expect Mercy upon their believing and Conversion Howbeit for this Cause I obtained Mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a Pattern to them who should hereafter believe on him to Life Everlasting Whatever your Rebellions have been if now you be willing and obedient All shall be forgotten and forgiven Scarlet and Crimson Sins shall become white as Snow and Wool Isa 1. 18 19. 3. See where your Righteousness and Strength lies Jesus Christ the righteous is the Righteousness of them that do believe His Obedience and Sufferings can satisfie for and cover all your Disobedience and 't is through him alone that you attain the free Gift of Justification of Life He became obedient to Death even the Death of the Cross Psal 2. 8. and 't is by the Obedience of this one the second Adam that all as many can believe in him are made righteous Rom. 5. 19. And as in the Lord you have Righteousness so in him you have Strength too His Power must rest upon you else no good will be done by you Through his Strength all things may be done but he himself says without me ye can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. Never think by good Works to satisfie for bad ones The best Works have much amiss in them And
upon them that we may take heed of being like them 2. Distraction is a Fault that is most easily incurred as the Leaves of some Trees waver with the least stirring of the Wind so the Mind of Man is apt to waver and discover its natural Instability when Corruption stirs within or Satan endeavours to put the Heart into Disorder How far may the Heart if it be not strictly watched start of a sudden as far as the East is from the West nay as far as Earth is from Heaven 'T is natural to the Soul to lift up it self to Vanity This is intimated plainly by the Psalmist when he describes the acceptable Attendant on God to be one that hath not lift up his Soul to Vanity Psal 24. 4. By Vanity we may understand Idols which are called by that Name or the Vanities of this World which the Heart is so prone to gad and rove after even when Duties of the greatest Importance are performing and which ought to be performed with the greatest Fixedness of Thought and Seriousness imaginable 3. The longer the Distraction is it is the worse A Heart which is truly good and honest may be seized on by Distraction before it is aware The evil one may step into the Chariot and begin to drive it away from God deceitful Sin may suddenly arise in the Soul and begin to disturb and defile it But when this is quickly observed and the wakeful Conscience checks the Heart and the upright Heart is glad of the Admonition and presently checks it self and immediately returns to its Lord and to its Work and Duty Satan misses his Aim and the Duty shall not be lost The Soul which follows hardest after God may sometimes stumble but if assoon as 't is down 't is up again and runs the faster This running will not be in vain But when Distraction continues for a great while it argues the Conscience is not so vigilent and faithful as it should be in that it does not correct these vagrant Thoughts which come into the Mind There is a Fault also in the Heart that it can so patiently endure such vain Guests to lodge in it for so long a time before they are turned out of doors The Psalmist says that his Spirit made diligent Search Psal 77. 6. A Spirit that does so will quickly take notice of these roving Imaginations and there is an endeavour to thrust them out assoon as they are found out But if there is a Carelessness and too great a Connivance at these Wandrings though the Soul may not be quite dead in Sin yet there is much of a Spiritual Lethargy and Sleepiness which is the Image of spiritual Death 4. If Distractions in holy Duties are ordinarily allowed of they argue the Heart not right with God When the Heart is constantly absent from Ordinances and does not care to be better inclined and disposed to them when it willingly is at Mammon's and Satan's Command even then when the Body draws nigh to God and there is a Lip-honour and Service given to him this argues plainly that the Heart is unrenewed and remains alienated and estranged from the Lord. The Heart must needs be still carnal and wicked and Enmity against God that is like the eyes of Fools in the End of the Earth Prov. 17. 24. When things above should be sought and Heaven should be minded These things being premised I shall tell you what Distraction in attending upon God is in in these Particulars 1. The Heart is distracted in this Attendance when its Thoughts are impertinent and vain These kind of Thoughts may well be called Legion for they are many They are like the Motes in the Sun or the Bubbles in the Water on a rainy Day innumerable These Thoughts hover about the Minds of the best when they engage in holy Duties and will presently intrude if they are not kept out with a very strict Guard But where they are entertained they draw off the Heart from the Work in hand and the Lord sees it and is displeased Psal 94. 11. The Lord knoweth the Thoughts of Man that they are Vanity and Impertinency is not the smallest part of this Vanity Vain Man is compared to a wild Ass's Colt Job 11. 12. The Silliness of that Creature and its Frisks and Motions to little purpose are a fit Representation of the Mind of Man and of its foolish Sallies and Vagaries in the Lord's Service Who has not reason to cry out with the Psalmist Psal 69. 5. O God thou knowest my Foolishness and my Sins are not hid from thee If in the Performance of holy Duties the Tongue should fall a talking of some other matter and idle and vain Discourse should proceed out of the Lips this would be a scandalous Distraction that others might take notice of Now thinking is the Minds speaking and the Heart-searcher can and does more easily take notice when the Mind thinks impertinently than we can observe when the Tongue speaks so 2. The Heart is distracted when in religious Duties its Thoughts are wicked and vile Our Lord who well knew what is in Man tells us Mat. 15. 19. Out of the Heart of Man proceed evil Thoughts These are the first bad Offspring and the greatest Wickedness that is acted begins with them How great was Man's Wickedness upon Earth When God saw that every Imagination of the Thoughts of his Heart was only evil continually Gen. 6. 5. If Thoughts are evil continually they don't cease to be evil when Duties of Religion are engaged in When proud Thoughts or wanton filthy Thoughts or worldly Thoughts or envious malicious and revengeful Thoughts or any other wicked Imaginations have place in the Heart These as Swarms of noisome Flies corrupt Mens Services and make their Sacrifices unto God to become abominable By these the Mind does not only wander from God but is alienated and estranged from him The Heart is in Hell while the Eyes are looking up to Heaven and the Tongue is speaking to the God that dwells there When a Man with an Heart full of such sinful Thoughts approaches unto God how loathsome must he needs be unto his pure and piercing Eye The Lord beholds and knows him afar off Psal 138. 6. And indeed what Fellowship can there be between Holiness and Pollution It s much more unbecoming and dangerous for such an one to approach the Presence of God than it would be for the foulest Leper with the nastiest Garments to come before the greatest Emperor upon the Face of the Earth 3. The Heart is distracted in attending on God When hellish Injections are entertained Satan sheweth his deep and inveterate Enmity against God in these blasphemous Injections and he creates a very troublesome Disturbance to us in the Lord's Service he has fiery Darts whereby he does endeavour to cause Hell Fire in our Consciences by dispairing Agonies and Horrours And blasphemous Thoughts are like fiery Bombs which he shoots into our Souls to put
us into Disorder in our Duties and utterly out of Frame Sometimes this wickedly bold and foul and wretched Spirit will give the vilest Names to the blessed God which are given to the worst of Men. Sometimes he will say that divine Favour and Fury are both contemptible and as if he were a mere Idol that 't is not in him to do good or to do evil Zeph. 1. 12. whereas indeed penal Evils are all from him Amo. 3. 6. Shall there be evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it And the Psalmist tells Psal 33. 5. He loves Righteousness and Judgment the Earth is full of the Goodness of the Lord. Sometimes Satan will deny the Providence of God and say how doth God know And is there Knowledge in the most high As if he did not regard Men or their Ways but that all things in this World fall out either according to blind Chance or fatal Necessity whereas the Psalmist with great Force and Evidence of Reason argues Psal 94. 9 10. He that planted the Ear shall he not hear He that formed the Eye shall he not see He that teacheth Man Knowledge shall not he know Nay sometimes this evil one though himself believes a God and trembles before him yet will inject atheistical Thoughts and confidently deny the very Being of a God that he may discourage all Religion and Application to him Whereas the Heavens declare the Glory of the Lord and as the Light of the Sun is evident so it is evident there is a God by whom that Sun was made and all things visible besides Finally this lying Spirit will bear in with great Violence blasphemous Falshoods against the Word and Gospel of Jesus Christ Christ was manifested to destroy the Works of the Devil and the Devil will endeavour to hinder the Word of Christ from being believed though God himself did bear witness to the Truth of this Word both with Signs and Wonders and with divers Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own Will Heb. 2. 4. and miraculous Operations of Grace cease not to this Day When a blind Mind is made to see when an Heart of Stone is turned into an Heart of Flesh when the dead in Sin are made alive to God and Righteousness is their Practice and their Conversation is in Heaven all this shews a divine Efficacy in the Word and its divine Authority and most certain Truth These hellish Injections must by no means have an undisturbed Abode in the Mind for if they have they will cut the Sinews of all religious Endeavours They will damp the Affections dead the Heart and eat out all manner of gracious Inclinations and Purposes These blasphemous Injections shew that there is a Devil for even Nature as bad as it is will rise against some vile Thoughts which he casts in and he is an Enemy to God to Righteousness to the Souls of Men and as great a Lyar as an Enemy therefore he is not at all to be credited but his Wickedness and Falshoods to be abhorred 4. The Heart is distracted when though its Thoughts are good they are unseasonable A good Thought becomes a bad one when 't is entertained at a time that is not proper for it If when we are confessing Sin a Thought good for the matter of it arises that is utterly alien that draws the Mind away from thinking of Sin and that has no Tendency to humble and break the Heart for it This Thought by its Unseasonableness becomes evil If when we are Petitioning for Mercy a good Thought should intrude and make us forget what we are doing and we neither mind what we are asking nor to whom we are speaking A good Thought in this Case causes a sinful Distraction Solomon says that every thing is beautiful in its time Eccles 3. 11. A Word spoken in due season how good is it And as Words so Thoughts are the better the more seasonable they are If the subtle Serpent cannot divert the Mind from the Duty performing by bad Thoughts he will endeavour to do it by good ones If when hearing the Word preached we fall a reading the Scripture to our selves or our Minds are upon a Piece of a Sermon hat we heard at another time and the Truths that are propounding and the Duties that are pressing are not at all regarded Alas we are but too much like the very high way ground and the Seed is catched away assoon as sown 5. The Heart is distracted when the Mind and Judgment are so carnal and perverted as to esteem earthly things above spiritual and eternal When our Lord says The Light of the Body is the Eye Mat. 6. 22. He intimates that what the Eye is to the Body the Judgment is to the Soul and indeed to the whole Man If the Judgment be rectified and apprehends things aright the actings of the Soul will be the better but if the Judgment be darkened and does not discern between Truth and Falshood between good and evil between Substance and Shaddows the Soul must needs wander away from God and lose it self quickly When the Judgment is perverted there is a very wicked Distraction of Mind for the Judgment gives Sentence against God and for the Creature as if a Portion in this Life were more worthy to be chosen and secured than an Inheritance that is eternal It was said to the rich Man in Hell Son remember thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things Luke 16. 25 They are called his good things because his mistaking Mind apprehended them to be the good things indeed and the best things of all were not in his Judgment so good as these How can the natural Man chuse but be distracted in all his Duties he performs to God since his darkened Mind thinks such Duties unprofitable and that the things of God are Foolishness 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are Foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 6. The Heart is distracted when the Will and Affections withdraw from God and fasten upon Vanity A false Judgment being past no wonder that a foolish Choice is made This is an ill distraction indeed When the Biass of the Will turns away from God and it refuses to be subject to him though the best Lord and cares as little to enjoy him as to obey him The Lord observed and complained of this Psal 81. 11. My People would none of me He offered no less than himself to them who is so infinitely desirable who was so alsufficient and able to fulfil their Desires in whom the truest Delight was to be found yet this greatest and best Offer was contemned And when the Heart and Affections are thus denyed to God how are they bestowed Pleasures are loved more than God and even in his House and when there is an external Service yielded the Heart goeth after its Covetousness Ezek.
we are engaged in holy Ordinances how uncomely would this be How inexcusable should we be How much displeased would the Lord be 8. To attend without distraction implies refusing to be diverted from attending upon God without great necessity Indeed since the Lord will have mercy and not sacrifice he will excuse our attendance when unavoidable necessity and the Mercy he requires us to shew does divert us from it but Hearts that are truly gracious are troubled when they are thus diverted When our Lord admonishes his Disciples to pray that their flight might not be in the Winter nor on the Sabbath-Day Mat. 24. 20. he plainly intimates that to be disturbed on the Sabbath and to be hindred from engaging in Ordinances ought to be lookt upon as a very great Affliction Carnal Minds are glad of occasions that seem to justifie their omission of Holy Duties but sanctified and renewed hearts are otherwise minded they are sensible that Worship and Duty is owing to the Lord and that he is not benefited but they by giving it The Farm the Merchandise and things of that nature cannot hinder their coming to the Marriage Supper They are deaf to the perswasions of carnal Relations and Friends who would draw them off from Exercises of Religion They know that time was given them not that chiefly they should mind things temporal but those things that are invisible and eternal To be far from God is the way to perish 't is good 't is pleasant 't is safe to be near him Psal 73. 27. To be diverted from attending on the Lord is to be diverted from the most blessed thing on earth Psal 65. 4. Blessed is the Man whom thou chusest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy Courts we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy House even of thy holy Temple 9. To attend without distraction implies abiding with God and perseverance in his Service The undistracted attendant is stedfast in the Lord's Covenant his Bonds and Cords are Bonds and Cords of love and why should any say Let us break these Bonds asunder and cast away these Cords from us They were good words and they that spake them were as good as their word Jer. 50. 5. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward saying Come and let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten This perpetual Covenant should be kept in everlasting remembrance and there is good reason for it Psal 25. 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies He that attends without distraction ceases not to be an Attendant but perseveres in his Lord's Service he takes care to have his Loyns girt about for spiritual Labour his Light burning for he is waiting and expecting his Lord's coming An ancient Father wished when Christ came that he might find him aut precantem aut praedicantem either Praying or Preaching Every Christian should have a wish of this nature that he may be found either praying hearing or practising what he hears Blessed are those Servants whom the Lord when he comes shall find so doing Luke 12. 43. In the third place I am to assign the reasons why with such care we should take heed of distraction in the Lord's Service And these Reasons shall be of two sorts The first sort shall be drawn from the evil of distraction The second sort shall be drawn from the benefit of attending without distraction The first sort of reasons shall be drawn from the evil of distraction and the evil of this I shall make manifest and apparent 1. In distraction there is great irreverence and contempt of God Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God says the Psalmist Psal 10. 13. There is no reason he should do it nay there is all the reason in the World to the contrary that he should adore and serve him The wicked contemn God by running away from him and a total neglect of his Service but his Attendants contemn him when they make their addresses to him if instead of offering spiritual Sacrifices they offer Affronts to God and there is a special offensiveness in so doing therefore he protests that such Service were a trouble to him that he was weary to bear them that his Soul hated them Isa 1. 14. If a Man should address an earthly Potentate and instead of speaking to the King should ever and anon talk to some inferiour Person that stood by instead of hearing the King should turn his Eye and his Ear away from him and not mind a word he should say Royal Majesty would look upon this as an Affront insufferable But thus in distracted Duties the King of Glory is treated the Mind is upon the Creature and this and that and t'other worldly affair when the Tongue is speaking to the Creatour and what he speaks the Ear many times hears not and the Heart is farther off from heeding Thus what would not be done to a Governour is done to the highest and best and greatest King whose dreadful Name all the Earth should stand in awe of 2. In distraction there is a taking of God's Name in vain the third Commandment is broken the Transgressors whereof the Lord says he will not hold guiltless Exod. 20. 7. This may be called the first Commandment with threatning as the fifth is said to be the first Commandment with promise For though in the second Commandment mention is made of the Mercy of God and of his Jealousie yet the one is provoked by them that hate God the other is promised to them that love him and keep his Commandments so that Commandments in the general are mentioned not this particular Commandment specified To what purpose is a Duty performed where distraction is allowed The Name of God is not hallowed but profaned when it sounds from the Lips but the heart thinks not of nor sanctifies him whose Name it is When distraction prevails all Ordinances are engaged in vain nay there is not only a missing of that benefit that is promised unto serious Engagers but guilt is contracted and by such distracted Duties the distance becomes greater between God and the performers Bernard complains Aliud canto aliud cogito I sing and pray one thing and think another And afterwards Vae mihi quoni am ibi pecco ubi peccata emendare debeo I commit faults wo is me even in those Duties by which my faults should be amended It was well he said Wo is me Because of these distractions else God would have said Wo to thee because of them And indeed where they are not minded nor bewailed the case is woful God takes it amiss and is very much displeased that such Hypocrites take his Name into their Mouths 3. In distraction there is a slighting of Jesus the Advocate and Mediatour Our Lord's Heart and Soul was in the Work of our Redemption he was forward to undertake
behold this self-same that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you And as I said before this Carefulness is an ingredient in every acceptable Duty The distracted Attendant has little care that God may be pleased he cares not that Ordinances in the truest in a spiritual sense be beneficial to him God's Anger therefore remains and abides upon him nay he grows more angry because of his negligence Ordinances leave him as they found him not at all more safe or better nay the Word not being a Saviour of Life to Life proves a Saviour of Death to Death 2 Cor. 2. 16. 'T is sad to have the means of Salvation ineffectual to Salvation but 't is worse by these very means of Salvation being distractedly used to have Destruction promoted Thus have I made apparent those Evils that are in Distraction The second sort of Reasons shall be drawn from the benefit of attending upon the Lord without distraction The benefit of such kind of Attendance I shall make manifest 1. Attenders without distraction their Hearts are right with God he is in Christ well pleased with them and with their serious Services That which the Lord chiefly minds and calls for it is their care to give to him and that is their very heart The Lord rejoyceth in the habitable parts of the Earth and his delights are with the Sons of Men Prov. 8. 31. The Sons of Men that seek him and whose Hearts are perfect with him As the wicked Man himself is hateful so the Sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord because he never offers his Heart God is not in his Thoughts even when he is offering Sacrifice to him but the Prayer of the upright is his delight Prov. 15. 8. The Heart-searcher sees how his heart and his words agree together The Lord is very much pleased to behold the Thoughts called off from other things because He 's preferr'd before them all to behold the Mind fixed upon himself and the Soul with great vigour desiring his Grace his Strength and his Salvation as that which is most worthy to be longed for That 's the Language of Heaven to such an one Cant. 2. 14. Let me see thy Countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely 2. Attenders without distraction draw very near to God And if 't is so good to draw near to him it follows then the nearer the better There are some whom the Lord beholds afar off those whose proud and hard hearts were never truly humbled for sin their iniquity is a Wall of Partition between God and them When the Spouse of Christ her self was given to sleep though her heart waked and was loth and lazy in too great a degree in the seeking of her Lord she complains thus My beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone I sought him but could not find him I called him but he gave me no answer Cant. 5. 6. But undistracted attendance shews great diligence vehemency of desire and truth in the inward parts and God is nigh to them that call upon him in truth he is nigh to them not in some things only but in all that they call upon him for Deut. 4. 7. God is nigh as one reconciled as one nearly related as a most compassionate and ready helper as a sure Shield and Buckler as a full and all-sufficient Fountain from whom whatever is needed may be derived 3. Attenders without distraction know still more of God they come to be more intimately acquainted with him and that acquaintance is of all other the most high and beneficial Job 22. 21. Acquaint now thy self with him and be at peace thereby good shall come to thee To understand the Secrets of Nature to understand humane affairs and how they may be most prudently ordered To understand the Ordinances of Heaven the Motions and Influences of the Sun and Moon and Stars are pieces of knowledge very desirable but to know the Lord himself is a Wisdom far beyond all other Now the undistracted Attendant follows on to know the Lord and gives up himself more intirely to his Service and God will manifest himself to such an one in a more peculiar way Psal 25. 14. The Secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant And their knowledge shall not be only notional but to their great satisfaction it shall be experimental When others only hear of God by the hearing of the Ear they shall taste and see that he is gracious Psal 34. 8 9 10. Oh taste and see that the Lord is good blessed is the Man that trusteth in him Oh fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him The young Lyons lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing 4. Attenders without distraction have most of the Grace of God and greatest strength from him The Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gives Grace that is greater than the greatest earthly things or he gives more Grace Jam. 4. 6. still more and more he is ready to communicate and most of all to them that are most humble and that draw nearest to him such as are bent upon it to seek the Lord and his Strength and his Face evermore shall not seek him his Face or Strength in vain Holy David who was a sincere seeker declares the good success he had Psal 138. 3. In the day when I cryed thou answereast me and strengthnedst me with strength in my Soul and as the strength of God did rest on him so the Face of God did shine upon him to his great Consolation Psal 25. 5. ◠His Glory is great in thy Salvation for thou hast made him most blessed for ever thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy Countenance The undistracted Attendant thrives amain he grows rich in Faith rich in Assurance rich in Experience He increaseth with the increases of God he grows up into him in all things who is his Head and approaches still nearer to the measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ And where there is the most of Grace usually there is the most of Peace and Joy perfecting Holiness in the fear of God and the Comforts of the Holy Ghost commonly keep pace and go hand in hand together 5. Attenders without distraction are most victorious over their spiritual Enemies being strong in the Lord and in the power of his Might the power of the Enemies of their Salvation can prevail but little The nearer any approach unto God the farther they come out from the World and they are the more fortified against it both on the right hand and on the left the less do they mind the world's honour or dishonour evil report or good report from it 2 Cor. 6. 7 8. They are not afraid of the World's terrour and whatever the World offers to them they see enough in God
were broken and were rather chattering than Supplications Isa 38. 14. Like as a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter I did mourn as a Dove mine eyes fail with looking upward O Lord I am oppressed undertake for me CASE VII What are those Distractions that make our attendance upon God altogether unacceptable to him and unavailable to our selves To this I answer 1. Distractions make our Duties of none effect for which there is no concernedness that God observes them as long as Man can take no notice of them How can it be expected that the Lord should have any gracious regard to them who have no regard to him or to his all observing Eye They that mind the praise of Men and not the praise of God and if Men do but approve and applaud they are not troubled though God does not commend but condemn them the praise of Men is all the reward they are likely to have Mat. 6. 5. Verily I say unto you they have their reward 'T is an argument of a carnal heart and that Duties are lost when Distractions are not unwelcome or disliked but the Heart is quiet enough with them If this be the ordinary frame and temper of the Heart to make nothing of heartless performances as long as Man cannot see the Heart to be absent 't is a sign that hypocrisie reigns and alass Hypocrites go to Hell through the Sanctuary they tread the broad road praying hearing receiving all along till they fall into eternal Condemnation 2. Distractions make Duties of none effect that are pleaded for as if there were nothing of sin or provocation in them The worse the Duties are many times the Performers think them to be the better they eye not their own Hearts and observe not their Deviations and Wandrings they rest in the external Service as if God would be pleased with the Work done and not mind the manner how We read of some that were bold to expostulate with God because they had fasted and he took no notice of it and yet there was good reason for his disliking what they did because when their Voice was heard on high their Hearts were inclined to strife debate and wickedness Isa 58. 3 4. The Scribes and Pharisees contented themselves with an outside righteousness they minded not that their Hearts should be serious and sanctified in their approaches to God but this righteousness of theirs our Lord pronounces insufficient and we must go beyond it or we cannot go to Heaven 3. Distractions make Duties of none effect that come from prevailing and allowed earthlimindedness How can a devoted Servant of Mammon whose Heart worships Mammon give acceptable attendance on God His Covetousness after which his Heart goes proves him an Idolater Eph. 5. 5. and his Service is most abominable dissimulation Let the Sin be what it will that is beloved and there is a resolution still to love and hide and spare it that sin will so distract and draw away the Heart from God that no Duty that is done can please him If we cover our sins we shall not prosper in our Services If we hide our iniquities in our Bosoms because they are dear to us God will hide his Face and refuse to hear us when we cry to him Isa 59. 2. 4. Distractions make Duties of none effect which hinder all manner of holy and spiritual affections and desires after God How can the Lord accept of a Service when the Heart is dead and cold as a stone and altogether senseless and unconcerned that it is so In such an heart there is no desire to know the Lord and his ways no inclination to become like to him or to enjoy any fellowship with him The Apostle says Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably Heb. 12. 20. Those Distractions that altogether hinder the acting and exercise of any grace whatsoever so that there is no Faith no Love no godly Sorrow no hungring and thirsting after righteousness certainly hereby also the success of Duties must be hindred 5. Distractions make Duties of none effect which though reproved are not striven against but sloth and negligence and formality in attendance upon God are allowed of Abundance of Idleness was the sin of Sodom and abundance of Idleness is to be found in many a Professour even then when engaged in Duties of Religion Such bestow no labour upon their Hearts they do not stir up themselves to take hold of God when they call upon his Name Isa 64. 7. As Vinegar to the Teeth and smoak to the Eyes is very offensive so is the sluggard to him that sends him How then must the Lord needs be displeased with the slothful attendant and slight his negligent Service Will such Service be rewarded No no so far from that that it will be severely punished He that took no pains to improve his Talent is called a wicked and slothful Servant Mat. 25. 26 and v. 30. the Sentence is past upon him Cast ye the unprofitable Servant into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth In the last place follows the Application And here I shall First Caution you against the Causes of Distraction Secondly Expostulate with you about these Distractions Thirdly Direct unto Remedies against Distractions Fourthly Insist upon several particular Duties and shew you how you may with less Distraction perform them Fifthly Speak Terrour to Sinners and Hypocrites Sixthly Conclude with Comfort and Encouragement to Saints who would fain do better and with less Distraction attend upon the Lord. USEI Shall be of Caution against the Causes of Distraction If we would be delivered from the effect we must find out and remove the cause Health and Ease are in vain hoped for while no care is taken to remove the Causes of sickness and pain Serious in holy Duties we shall never be whilst we allow and cherish the Causes which make our Hearts rove and wander from God Now the great Causes of Distraction which I am to warn you against and you are to take heed of are these 1. I enter a Caveat against corrupted Nature This is the Cause of Causes if you trace up any sin to its original you will see that to be original sin Corrupted Nature never did any Duty well has no care at all to do any thing better Though the first Adam died several thousand Years ago yet in a sense he lives to this Day he walks and haunts and troubles his whole Posterity and though this old Man is Crucified with Christ yet he is not quite dead in any Believer while the Believer lives upon the face of the Earth and the evil that remains in him will shew it self present with him when he would do that which is good Rom. 7. 21. We may truly cry out Mystery of Iniquity the great corruption of Nature the Mother of wickedness and abominations of the Earth As sin is from hence so this is the grand obstruction of the serious Service of