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
by no means entertain an Imagination that at your own Pleasure you can work in your selves to will and to do but always acknowledge the necessity and Efficacy of the Grace of Christ and glorifie that Grace saying when you obey and labour it is not I but the Grace of God that is with me 4. Earnestly desire that your Hearts may be circumcised to love both the Lord himself and his Service likewise It is a Promise worth more and if made good to us will enrich us more than the Wealth of both the Indies Deut. 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumcise thy Heart and the Heart of thy Seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul that thou mayst live An Heart to love him is his own Gift and the Heart must be circumcised by himself before it will be brought to love him The Prophet speaks of the Foreskin of the Heart that must be taken away Now this Foreskin of the Heart is Carnal and Worldly Love together with Enmity against God and his Law Cry to the Lord according to his good Word of Promise to mortifie the one and to subdue the other And that he would give you a new Heart and Nature cause a new Light to shine that may manifest his glorious Goodness in the Face of Christ and so direct your Hearts into the Love of himself If he be truly loved he will be the more willingly obeyed and truly his Precepts are worthy to be loved too the better they are kept the more truly excellent are those that keep them And themselves are kept in more perfect Peace The Psalmist says My Soul hath kept thy Testimonies and I love them exceedingly Psal 119. 167. and no wonder for he had said before v. 165. Great Peace have they that love thy Law and nothing shall offend them Such a Lord such a Law deserves Love and Love will sweeten Service it will not count this Service tedious but mightily incline the Heart to Perseverance in its Duty 5. Let your Fear and Awe of the Lord's Majesty when you attend upon him be joyn'd with an Hope in his Mercy If Fear and Hope are thus joyned together as you will be the more encouraged in God so God will take the more Pleasure in you For the Lord takes Pleasure in them that fear him and in those that hope in his Mercy Psal â—47 11. The Mercy of God is magnified in his Word on purpose that Hope may be raised and rise still higher and higher This Lord on whom you ought to attend is rich in Mercy His merciful Kindness is great Psal 117. 2. He has Mercy not upon the account of Merit in Man but because he will have Mercy Rom. 9. 18. And how often is it said Psal 136. that his Mercy endures for ever Here is a large and firm Foundation for Hope to build on And if your Hope be not presumptuous but of a purifying Nature you may from such a merciful Lord confidently expect that Grace and those good things you need in time And when your short time is at an end the best things of all unto eternity I have done with the second Doctrine Doct. III. I come now to the third and last Doctrine which I principally design to insist on That Attendance upon the Lord should be without Distractien 'T is not only Apostacy from the Faith and the Practice of Religion which the Apostle bids us to take heed of which is a more gross departing away from God but he cautions against any Withdrawings of Heart from that Lord with whom we have to do Therefore in a time of Distress and Persecution he prefers a single State before Wedlock not that Marriage in it self considered has any thing of Sin in it for 't is honourable in all not that a single State in it self has any thing of Holiness but because the Cares that attend Marriage are apt to distract the Mind and to hinder the things that belong to the Lord from being cared for as they ought and might be Indeed in the Context there is a plain Intimation that 't is a great part of Christian Prudence so to order our secular Affairs and to make choice of such a Condition of Life as may be most subservient to our spiritual Designs and may least interfere with our main Business which is the Lord's Service that that may be done without Distraction They are pronounced to be the blessed ones who keep God's Testimonies and that seek him with the whole Heart Psal 119. 2. And since the whole Heart must seek him the Thoughts the Affections the all of the Heart must attend upon him nothing of the Soul must be absent or withdrawn The Prophet speaks of the Hearts engaging to approach unto God Jer. 30. 21. For who is this that engageth his Heart to approach unto me Saith the Lord. That the Heart may be thus engaged for God it must be disengaged from other things and all that is within it too must be engaged to approach to him When Moses and the Children of Israel were to go into the Wilderness to serve the Lord They went with their young and old with their Flocks and their herds there was not an Hoof left behind Exod. 10. 26. And when we go to serve our God we should go with our all No Power of our Souls should be exempted not so much as a Thought should be left behind In the handling of this Doctrine I shall First tell you what Distraction in attending upon God is Secondly What it is to attend upon the Lord without Distraction Thirdly Assign the Reasons why with such Care we should take heed of Distraction in serving him Answer in the fourth place some Cases of Conscience about these Distractions Fifthly make Application In the first place I am to tell you what Distraction in attending upon God is 'T is the first Step to the Cure to know our Disease and to have a right Sense of it Several things are here to be premised 1. Distraction is the Fault of the Heart That deceitful and wicked thing how many Faults has it And how often does it withdraw when we have to do with God flying as Jonah from his Presence and being any where but where it should be Indeed sometimes this Distraction does but too visibly and scandalously appear by unnecessary Whisperings by Salutations when Persons are in God's Sanctuary and Service by the wandring of the Eye and other irreverent Carriage and Behaviour in the time of Worship These when ordinarily allowed are plain Indications that the Heart is not in God's Work and which is worse cares not to be engaged therein And how blameworthy then is it It is the Heart which foolishly departs from the Lord. It is not so right and stedfast with him as it should be Psal 78. 8. A Generation that set not their Heart aright and whose Spirit was not stedfast with God has a Brand set
the Heart away from God and from the Duty that seems to be performed to him it hinders the stirring of holy Affections the acting of saving Grace and turns Religion into a meer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bodily Exercise and how can that be profitable to the Soul which is a great way off and so little regards what is done How can it be acceptable to God who is a Spirit and will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth The Church of Rome is for implicit Faith for blind Obedience and for Worship in an unknown Tongue How distracted must that Worship needs be How can the Peoples Thoughts be intent upon what they do not understand Too many Protestants in their Devotions mind what themselves say as little as if they did not understand the words they spake and truly the latter sin with greater aggravation because having means of better instruction their Duties are no better performed The Cure of Distraction in Religious Services is very difficult some think light of the Disease and imagine the Cure needless others are discouraged from striving against Distraction as if it were impossible to overcome them but nothing is too hard for the great Physician he can heal the Mind's Vanity bring the Heart into God's Presence he is able to cast down Imaginations and to hinder them from rising again and to bring Thoughts into Captivity and Obedience A Sense of my own Wandrings in those Ordinances I administer and engage in has put me upon a more serious study how to prevent them And I would be the first and best Follower my self of that Counsel which I give to others And if the Lord is served with greater Attention and Spirituality and if the Hearts of those who shall read this Treatise are more than ever in the Work of God and more benefited by doing it the great End is obtained which is designed by Nathanael Vincent The CONTENTS of the ensuing Treatise THE Context considered Page 2. The Text opened and divided p. 5. Three Doctrines raised p. 7. D. 1. The Children of Men ought to attend upon God ibid. Ten things supposed as pre-requisite unto Man's attending upon God p. 8. Ten things implied in this attendance upon him p. 22. Several sorts of attending upon God Distinction 1. Attendance upon God with the Lips and Body only and that which is with the Heart also p. 36. Dist 2. Attendance upon God which is voluntary and which is through constraint and forced p. 39. Dist 3. Attendance upon God which is ordinary and which is extraordinary p. 41. Dist 4. Attendance which is secret in the Closet private in the Family and publick in the Congregation p. 45. Dist 5. Attendance upon God on his own Day and upon other Days p. 50. Dist 6. Attendance upon God in a time of Liberty and in a time of Persecution p. 54. Reasons assigned why the Children of Men ought to attend upon God which are nine p. 56. Use 1. Of Reproof applied to eight sorts of Persons p. 67. Use 2. Of Exhortation to all to attend upon God and backt with nine Arguments p. 77. Use 3. Of Direction how God is to be attended upon in nine particulars p. 90. Use 4. Of Consolation to them that in due order attend on God five grounds of Comfort p. 104. D. 2. In attending upon God we should look upon him as the Lord and serve him accordingly p. 109. How God is the Lord shewed in ten particulars p. 111. What influence and effect the apprehensions of God's being the Lord should have upon us when we attend upon him in eight particulars p. 126. Use 1. Of Reproof four sorts of Persons concerned p. 135. Use 2. Of Advice in five things p. 140. D. 3. Attendance upon the Lord should be without distraction p. 143. What distraction in attending upon God is p. 145. Four things premised When the Heart may be said to be distracted in attending upon the Lord this shewed in eight particulars p. 148. What 't is to attend upon the Lord without distraction shewed in nine particulars p. 158. Reasons produced why with such care we should take heed of distraction These of two sorts Eight Reasons drawn from the Evils of distraction in attending upon God p. 166. Seven Reasons more from the benefit of attending upon the Lord without distraction p. 173. Several Cases of Conscience answered relating to distraction in attending on God Case 1. Whether our Thoughts cannot be off from God in the least when we attend upon him but there must be a sinful distraction Answered in three particulars p. 180. Case 2. Whether it be distraction and withdrawing from God at all to think of our Worldly Affairs Answered in three particulars p. 182. Case 3. Whether the best of Men while in this World can be totally free from distraction in Holy Duties Answered in three particulars p. 184. Case 4. Whether a true Believer may not sometimes perform Duties so distractedly as to reap no benefit at all by them Answered in three particulars p. 185. Case 5. What Distractions are they which are mercifully overlookt and hinder not the success of our Duties Answered in six particulars p. 188. Case 6. What course are Melancholick Persons to take in their attendance upon God when distraction arises from the prevalency of that Distemper Answered in five particulars p. 192. Case 7. What are those Distractions that make our attendance upon God altogether unacceptable to him and unavailable to our selves Answered in five particulars p. 196. Use 1. Of Caution against the Causes of Distraction Eight Causes specified p. 200. Use 2. By way of Expostulation about the unreasonableness of Distraction p. 218. Use 3. Of Direction Nine Remedies prescribed against Distraction in attending upon God p. 221. Particular Duties mentioned How Reading the Scripture may be with less distraction p. 233. How with less distraction you may attend on the Word preached p. 237. How with less distraction you may call upon the Name of God in Prayer p. 241. How with less distraction you may Communicate at the Lord's Table p. 245. Use 5. Of Terrour to Sinners and Hypocrites all whose attendance upon God is full of allowed distraction p. 250. Use 6. Of Comfort to Believers who desire to do still better and with less distraction to attend upon God p. 253. THE CURE OF DISTRACTIONS IN ATTENDING upon GOD. 1 Cor. 7. 35. lat part That you may Attend upon the Lord without Distraction THE Apostle Paul had a great and fervent zeal for the honour of God that he might have such attendance as he Commands and which most rightfully appertains to a Lord so great and good unto whom both Heaven and Earth do owe all Service and Obedience The Apostle also manifests an extraordinary care of the Souls of Men that they might not fail to give that Attendance which is enjoyned them as their Duty and is also their advantage honour and security The thoughts the hearts the endeavours of
all should run this way as to a matter of the mightiest importance and concernment Here if we are undistractedly serious and sincere all is safe and that both throughout time and to Eternity But if Attendance upon God be either neglected or negligently given though we are never so intent and industrious about other things our Souls and all our labour will be lost together In this Chapter a little before the Text the Apostle admonishes the Corinthian Saints of the shortness of time of the transitoriness of this present World and then informs them what kind of Attendance upon himself God required and expected from them 1. His Admonition concerning Time is startling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Time is contracted to a little space An allusion here is to Sails which are no longer spread but bound up when the Ship is just come to the Harbour The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also signifies to wind up a Body in Grave clothes that it may be fit for the Sepulchre Time is thus ready to be wound up continually and to be buried as it were in Eternity compared with this 't is but as a drop to the whole Ocean and this very drop is ever wasting Time is a short thing in a continual Flux and every moment growing shorter Other things are of the less value because they can be enjoyed but a little while the Epithet Temporal or lasting only for a season being added to the greatest Wealth the highest Pleasures nay to Diadems and Kingdoms makes them fall in the esteem of a discerning Judgment But the worth of Time is enhanced by the brevity of it The day of Salvation the accepted time in which we and our attendance upon God may be accepted of cannot extend beyond the limits of the time of life Now we must make Peace with God work out our own Salvation and provide for Eternity this must be done now or never There is not a moment of time but is too good to be lost there is Service and work enough to do in it and to lose all our time is everlastingly to lose our selves 2. The Apostle speaks of the Worlds transitoriness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fashion of the World passes away Mammon is but a sorry Master and really is unworthy of that numerous attendance and mighty respect which is given to him Sin has made man foolish and the world vain And 't is an undeniable argument of Man's Folly that a vain World is so much minded which is so apt to fade and change As Scenes in a Comedy or Tragedy alter and quickly I borrow a similitude from what I am far from approving the last Act comes and the Play is at an end so this World is continually varying Now there appears one and a little after quite and clean another Face of things The Face of the Sky is not more mutable than the state of humane Affairs And thus 't is likely to be to the World's End when the Earth and the works that are therein shall be burnt up That God whom Christians attend upon is unchangeable and so is his love to them and the inheritance they expect hereafter is incorruptible and fadeth not away But they themselves are Strangers and Pilgrims in this World and should behave themselves as Passengers that are travelling towards a better World And as for their Enjoyments by the way they should love them as being about to leave them Joy should be moderate in the fruition of them and when they are taken away Sorrow should not be excessive nor transgress the Bounds of Grace and Reason 3. The Apostle as a Man well acquainted with the Court of Heaven directs Believers Attendance upon the Lord who dwells and reigns there He is very careful not to cast a Snare upon the Corinthians nor to impose upon Conscience what God does not Papal Authority is Audacious and Antichristian and makes bold to Command and that upon the highest Penalty what the Lord never required But the Apostle abhors spiritual Vsurpation He would have all observe what God called them to and in every condition to abide with God and to attend upon the Lord without Distraction In the words take notice 1. Of the Lord with whom we have to do The Eyes of Servants are to their Masters and the Eyes of Worshippers should be to the Lord whom they adore and if they had a greater respect to this holy One what an influence would it have upon their Lives and Services The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord in the New Testament is put for Jehovah in the Old The God whom Christians acknowledge is the Lord Jehovah who has his Being of himself and has Dominion over all 2. Observe what this Lord requires and calls for and that is attendance upon him The Greek word which the Holy Ghost uses is very significant and emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implies access unto God and abiding with him and being sit for and well-pleased with both the one and the other 3. Who are to attend upon the Lord All Men do owe Homage and Service to him which is their Honour and Interest to pay But those who are his own Children and People are by special obligations and favour called to this duty and priviledge of attending upon their God and they have a new Principle and Nature which inclines them to it 4. Here is a direction as to the manner of attending on the Lord it must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without distraction Plutarch calls that Studium sapientiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the study of Wisdom without Distraction when nothing is able to call away the Mind and make it cease that study In attending upon God there must be intention in the mind a full bent of the heart with strength of affection and desire not to be diverted much less to be extinguished All other business comparatively must be lookt upon as trivial attendance upon the Lord must be with the greatest seriousness I raise three Doctrines from the words First The Children of Men ought to attend upon God this the Text plainly supposes Secondly In attending upon God we should look upon him as the Lord and serve him accordingly Thirdly Attendance upon the Lord should be without Distraction Doct. I. I begin with the first of these Doctrines The Children of Men ought to attend upon God The Heaven of Heavens is his Throne and he is attended on by thousands and ten thousands of glorious and holy Ones who minister unto him and stand before him And yet upon Earth which is his Footstool he calls for Attendance too for he rejoices in the habitable parts of the Earth and his delights are with the Sons of Men who understand him and themselves so well as to seek after him He requires continually to be waited on Hos 12. 6. Therefore turn thou to thy God keep Mercy and Judgment and wait on thy God continually Injunctions to wait are reiterated with the
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
with their Tongues for their Heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Had they not felt God's Hand he had not heard their Voice had not peril been extream they would not have run to this Rock for refuge had not enemies prest hard upon them they would not have cryed to this high Redeemer for deliverance But their cries were lies and flatteries As soon as the danger was in their apprehension over their naughty Hearts started aside like deceitful bowes and they soon returned to their corrupt way In Attending upon God let not Affliction Conviction and fear of punishment be the only cords that hale you to your Duty The more there is of God's Servants wills in his work the more acceptable and well-pleasing is the Service III. There is an Attendance upon God which is ordinary and extraordinary 1. An Attendance upon God which is ordinary As we are ordinarily to be employed in the works of our particular Callings so the works of our general Calling as we are Christians must in no wise be neglected As we have Bodies to feed and to cloath and some business about the World to mind and manage So we have Souls to look after and a God to serve and this is the main business of all To work out our Salvation with fear and trembling is that which should always be upon our Hearts That Man may truly say Diem perdidi I have lost a day if a day is gone and nothing at all of this work done Mary is commended who heard and heeded Christ's word and according to the direction of it minded the one thing needful and chose the good part which could not be taken away from her Whereas Martha is taxed and reproved for being careful and troubled about many things Luke 10. 41 42. All the Lord's Servants are to be Attendants in ordinary Religion is to be the constant business of their lives as being of greatest concern and most worthy of their time and labour 2. There is an Attendance upon God which is extraordinary When he goes out of the common way and course of his Providence his Servants ought to follow him and as He acts extraordinarily in a way of Judgment or of Mercy They are to do something extraordinary in the Duties they have such a signal and loud Call to Acts of severity are styled God's strange Acts Isa 28. 21. The Lord will rise up as in Mount Perazim that he may do his work his strange work and bring to pass his act his strange act Affliction is said to be strange either because his ordinary course is otherwise Kindness and Mercy is that which he delights in shewing or it may denote Judgments that are unusual and that have something more than ordinary of terror and instruction When the Lord is thus raised up out of his holy Habitation and comes forth to visit and punish Iniquity there should be great preparation to meet him Amos 4. 12. Because I will do this unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel There should be deep Humiliation before him 1 Pet. 5. 6. Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time There must be strong cries unto him for pitty favour and a spirit suited to his dealings Psal 18. 6. In my distress I called upon the Lord and cryed unto my God he heard my Voice out of his holy Temple and my cry came before him even into his Ears Sin must be forsaken with more than ordinary sorrow and hatred as that which has provoked the Lord to be so very angry and Righteousness must be followed after with greater zeal and diligence Isa 26. 9. When thy Judgments are in the Earth the Inhabitants of the World will learn Righteousness On the other side when God does act extraordinarily in deliverance and salvation Songs suitable to Deliverance should be loud the Heart should be exceedingly well tuned to praise his Name His Attendants should call upon their Souls and all that is within them to bless him Psal 103. 1. Love should be extraordinarily ardent unto God the deliverer when extraordinary deliverance has been wrought And he that is so mighty to save should be both feared and believed in together Exod. 14. 31. And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians and the People feared the Lord and believed the Lord and his Servant Moses I might also add that when Falls have been foul and scandalous sins have been committed then there should be extraordinary contrition and supplication unto God for Pardon Healing for Establishment by his Spirit and for the Joy of his Salvation When David an eminent Saint and Prophet was of a sudden turned black as Hell and become a Monster of Ingratitude Impurity and Cruelty he comes unto God being awakened by Nathan's Ministry with great shame and brokenness of Heart Psal 51. 16 17. he implores mercy begs Ease and the healing of his wounded Conscience He cries for a clean Heart and a right Spirit and being sensible of his own weakness nay treacherousness and unfaithfulness to himself he intreats that the Lord would undertake for him and by his own free Spirit continually uphold him IV. There is an Attendance upon God which is Secret in the Closet Private in the Family and Publick in the Congregation 1. An Attendance upon God that is Secret in the Closet Our Lord was much in Prayer alone by himself sometime a great while before Day and sometime he continued in it all Night He commands and urges secret Prayer upon every one of his Disciples Mat. 6. 6. But thou when thou prayest enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut thy Door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly God sees in secret and hears even whisper'd Confessions and Petitions And when 't is said that He is in secret it seems to intimate a special gracious presence that is vouchsafed to them that are often alone with him In this secret Attendance upon God we may use a greater 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freedom of Speech and tell him all that we fear and feel and ayle and desire Secret Duties which Man can take no notice of have not those motives which are very prevalent with Hypocrites who lov'd to Pray standing in the Synagogues and in the Corners of the Streets where two Streets met that those in the one Street and in the other might behold their Devotions and applaud them God is pleased to listen and hearken after Prayer and there is not the closest homeliest Corner where there is a sincere Supplicant but God is really there to fulfil and grant the desire and to support the burthen'd if not to remove the burthens that are groaned under Psal 38. 9. All my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee As according to Solomon A gift in secret pacifieth
fear him all ye the Seed of Israel See also Psal 105. 3 4. Glory ye in his holy Name let the Heart of them rejoyce that seek the Lord Seek the Lord and his Strength seek his Face evermore And as the word of God calls for this so the Providence of God seconds his Precepts The dispensing of mercies calls upon us to attend the Father of them with our Praises And afflictions should quicken us in our seeking God he requires this Psal 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me And he reckons upon it that he should hear from his People when his chastning was upon them Hos 5. 15. I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my Face in their affliction they will seek me early 3. God sees whether there be an attendance upon himself and after what manner and that with a jealous eye And this is another strong reason for our attending on him The Lord looks down from Heaven upon the Children of Men to this very end that he may see if there be any that understand and seek God Psal 53. 2. so that he very strictly observes how Mens Hearts are affected towards him and his Service and he cannot but be very much displeased with the whole Race of fallen Man because Rom. 3. 10 11. There is none Righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God The Lord takes notice how Days and Weeks and Months and Years go over Mens Heads and yet that God from whom they have their all they seek not to for any thing neither return they any thanks to him how much soever they receive from him And those who attend upon God he observes the manner how they do it and heartless Duties doing the work of the Lord deceitfully provokes and kindles the Fire of his Jealousie Mal. 1. 14. Cursed be the deceiver who having a Male in his Flock voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing The second Commandment which directs us as to Divine Worship makes mention that the Lord is a jealous God He cannot endure to have his Service neglected as if there were no profit or reward in seeking him He cannot endure a negligent Service As if he were an Idol as if he had Eyes but did not see or take notice who they are that mock him God's Omniscience and all-seeing Eye struck a great awe upon the Apostle it made him draw near to God and it made him very serious when he had to do with him Heb. 4. 13. Neither is there any Creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened unto the Eyes of him with whom we have to do 4. Man's necessities should constrain him to attend upon God Sin has made the Children of Men in the worst sense poor and needy they fancy themselves rich and dream of fulness but behold 't is only a dream for they are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Now for the supply of their needs 't is in vain to have recourse to any but God The broken Cisterns can hold no Water and cannot furnish them with any that run to them but there is enough in the Fountain of living Waters for all that repair to it An experienced attender upon God knew how to be furnished with every thing Psal 57. 2. I will cry unto God most high unto God who performeth all things for me And the Apostle speaks with a most reasonable confidence Psal 4. 19. My God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus The one thing needful is alone from God and from him are all things else His Kingdom and Righteousness he bestows on them that seek him and all things else shall be added Matt. 6. 33. Man has beggar'd himself as to the true Riches he is a meer Bankrupt In him that is in his Flesh dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7. 18. and that which is born of the flesh is flesh wholly carnal till there be a regeneration by the Spirit How shall Man who is so very evil be made truly good All true Grace and Goodness is from God who is therefore called the God of all Grace 1 Pet. 5. 10. and 't is through Christ that 't is all communicated Therefore every good thing in Believers is said to be in them in Christ Jesus Philem. ver 6. Man has need to come to God for he has ruined himself and 't is the Lord alone to whom Salvation belongs Man has destroyed himself in God is his help found Hos 13. 9. Those whom the Lord saves not must needs perish 5. Man's Obligations to attend upon God are still increasing The Lord causes his Sun to arise upon the evil as well as the good upon the unrighteous as well as the righteous Matt. 5. 45. He is kind to the unthankful and the evil Luke 6. 35. God's Bounty calls for a return of Duty and should quicken Man to seek the Lord who is so abundant in Goodness In God's hand Man's breath is and every time he breaths God saves his Life from God's hand he receives whatever he has How strictly is Man engaged to acknowledge God in all to serve him and to glorifie his Name Even those that are bad have experience of the riches of Divine Goodness and Forbearance and Long-suffering and though this goodness is but common yet offers are made to them of special Grace All the day long the Lord stretches forth his hand to the disobedient and gain-saying and in that hand are no less than the good things of Time and of Eternity The wickedest and worst of Men if they consent to leave their wicked ways and to have their wicked hearts changed and come to God they shall graciously be accepted be abundantly pardoned and have the best things bestowed on them God is ready to give Grace to them that have none and to give more Grace where he has already wrought it 6. Promises are precious that are made to attenders upon God and threatnings are terrible against Contemners of God who refuse to attend upon him Thus the Lord works upon those two great commanding things in the Soul of Man his Hope and his Fear that he may have Service from him If we draw near to God he promises to draw nigh to us James 4. 8. and his approaches to his People are the manifestations of his Pitty and Power for their help and supply the communications of that Grace which may be suitable and sufficient in the time of need He says not to the Seed of Jacob seek ye me in vain Moses supposes Israel apostatizing from their God by Idolatry and his anger waxed hot against them and themselves scattered among the Nations Yet says he If from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if thou seek him with all
thy heart and with all thy soul Deut. 4. 29. Gracious words to the same purpose are sent in a Letter to the Captives in Babylon Jer. 29. 11 12 13. For I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end then shall ye call upon me and ye shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you and ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart On the other hand the God of truth and justice breathes out threatnings and wrath against them that despise him that instead of seeking him turn their backs upon him and forsake him Isa 1. 24 28. Thus saith the Lord the Lord of Hosts the mighty one of Israel Ah! I will ease me of my adversaries They were a burthen to him which at last he grew weary to bear and revenge me of my Enemies and the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed Sometimes God promises and threatens in the same breath that he may prevail with Man to come to him and make him afraid to refuse 1 Chron. 28. 9. The Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts if thou seek him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for ever So Ezr. 8. 22. The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him And the promised good and the threatned evil being thus presented together to our view our Hearts are the more likely to be affected with the dreadfulness of the one and with the desirableness of the other 7. The time will not last much longer in which God will be attended upon Life is short and Death which puts an end to Man's Life in this World will bring the Season of Mercy and Grace to a full period There is no passing through that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great gulph which is fixed in the other World Luke 16. 26. Prayers in Hell have no Audience but a Denial though but a drop of Water is asked Nay as the rich Man could not prevail for any ease for himself so neither for a Messenger to be sent to his surviving secure and sinful Brethren to prevent their coming into the place of Torment Our Lord by his Spirit in the Patriarchs went and preached to the Spirits in Prison but it was before they came to that Prison even when the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. When we read that admonition Seek the Lord while he may be found and call ye upon him while he is near Isa 55. 6. there is a plain Intimation that quickly it may be impossible to find him and that to call upon him may be too late and to no purpose Despair hereafter will stop Sinners Mouths and utterly discourage their crying unto God Then they will rather call to the Rocks and Mountains to fall upon them and hide them from the Face of him that sits upon the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. 8. If Man attend not upon God how much evil will he do and whither will he go If God has no Service from him Sin and Satan will have a great deal Those who are not well employed in holy Duties are likely to be very ill employed in the unfruitful works of Darkness The Nature of Man is so depraved that it has a mighty propension to wickedness And were it not for the Grace of God which does either change corrupted Nature or chain it what a universal running out would there be into all Excess of Riot and with what greediness would Iniquity be committed But if God be not attended on and sought unto and proud scornful Sinners had rather he would keep his Grace to himself than bestow any of it upon them he may justly leave them to the perverse bent of their own Nature and how will Sin abound then how will a wicked Heart be perpetually sending forth polluted Streams Jer. 6. 7. As a Fountain casteth out her Waters so she casteth out her wickedness The Lord punishes neglect of himself and of his Service this way He leaves Men to themselves and 't is a very righteous and proper punishment Psal 81. 11 12. But my People would not hearken to my Voice and Israel would none of me so I gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own Counsels And Man being thus left to follow the counsels of a Carnal Mind and to fulfil the Lufts of a wicked Heart what a Child of Hell may he quickly become and what haste may he make thither he may ripen apace for ruine and be suddenly destroy'd and that without remedy 9. Attendance upon God is not profitable to God in the least but Man has the benefit and advantage by it He was a Man of eminent goodness whose Soul said unto the Lord Thou art my Lord my goodness extendeth not to thee Psal 16. 2. But though David's goodness extended not to God to draw near to God was good for David Saints and Angels by their highest Services can add nothing to the Lord whom they serve Their sublimest praises are an acknowledgment that they have their all from him and in him The better we are the better Obedience we yield but the Lord is not bettered by our best Obedience It is highly reasonable we should attend upon God for though he can receive nothing from us yet he is ready to give himself and all things to us if we seek him diligently He consults our interest in his Commands to come to fear to love and cleave to him Deut. 10. 12 13. And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God and to walk in all his ways and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul to keep the Commandments of the Lord and his Statutes which I command thee this day for thy good Man's good you see is aimed at and that in fearing of God and keeping his Commandments it may be well with Man for ever Deut. 5. 29. I come in the last place to the Application of the Doctrine the Uses of it may be several USE I. Shall be of Reproof Many sorts of persons deserve reprehension and need it 1. They are to be reproved who are haters of God and hate to attend upon him 'T is prodigiously unreasonable that the gracious God who fills the Earth with his goodness Psal 33. 5. and is most worthy of the Love of all should be hated by any yet though strange 't is too true that God is hated by many nay by most of the Children of Men. Most are of their Father the Devil and the lusts
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
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
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.
33. 31. There is a Greediness after Gain no hungring and thirsting after Righteousness Iniquity though so hateful and hurtful is regarded in the Heart but there is no regard unto God there How can there be a worse Distraction than for the Heart to forsake Fullness and Goodness it self and to embrace and fix upon meer Emptiness and Evil In this Distraction there is Phrenzy in the highest Degree 7. The Heart is distracted when carnal self and interest in attending upon God is the great end designed The end is that which directs an action and the eye and heart of him who acts is upon the end which he pursues If the end be wrong the action cannot be right Without a sincere aim no religious Duty can sincerely be performed Now if we look no higher than our carnal selves in those Services we pretend to do for God our selfish design will be in our Thoughts and distract them Acceptance with God and the Enjoyment of him will not be at all minded The Captives in Babylon were blamed in their Fasting and Mourning that God was not in their Eye his Approbation his Glory not regarded Zach. 7. 5. Did ye at all fast unto me even unto me They minded returning to Canaan more than returning to God and to their Duty If indeed we are truly selfish God will not be angry with us for there is an inseparable connexion between God's Honour and our truest interest When we seek and eye him most we most truly eye and seek our selves God has the highest Honour from us when we look for the highest Happiness in him and love him for himself and delight in him and bless and magnifie him to eternity But when God himself is not our end but his Service is made use of that we may the better bring about our earthly and worldly designs and projects Our Duties then are Hypocrisie and Distraction Such were those whom the Prophet so severely taxed Jer. 12 2. Thou art near O Lord in their Mouths and far from their Reins They gave good words but their Hearts were far off from that God to whom they spake It was outward Prosperity and Plenty which they sought and this Plenty and Prosperity was most wickedly abused 8. The Heart is distracted when the worship performed is Will worship of Man's Invention not of God's Institution How can there chuse but be Distraction if there be a wandring out of the Way in which he has appointed us to serve him The Jews of old were very culpable in this respect Isa 29. 13. Their Fear towards me says God is taught by the Precepts of Men When Man aspired to be like unto God in Wisdom he deprived himself of the Knowledge of God and grew unacquainted with his Will so that he is utterly unfit to be his own Instructer in Religion there is a necessity of a Revelation from Heaven that God may be known and the right way of serving him may be understood The vilest Impurities the greatest Cruelties have been practis'd under the Name of Devotion when Man has been contriving how God should be served Nay Will-worship is condemned by the Apostle though there be never so great a shew of Wisdom and Humility and neglecting of the Body Col. 2. 23. The Will of God is to determine what Worship pleases him not the Will of Man and whatever Mortifications and Austerities some may fancy God allows an honour and satisfaction to the flesh as long as the Lusts of it are not fulfilled Worship that is not of God's Institution is meer distraction labour to no purpose unless it be to ill purpose When God is represented by Images he is grosly misrepresented the Glory of him who is an incorruptible Spirit is changed When other Mediators in Heaven are made use of besides that great High Priest who is passed into Heaven Jesus the Son of God worship becomes carnal sinful and the mind of the Worshipper instead of drawing near to God is distracted and drawn away from him In the second place I am to tell you what it is to attend upon the Lord without distraction 1. To attend without distraction is to set God just before us and our selves just before God When our Eye is fixt upon his Eye and we behold him looking most stedfastly upon us He searches the Hearts and weighs the Spirits of the Children of Men. Nothing can escape his finding out for he knoweth the Secrets of the Heart Psal 44. 21. Doth not he see my ways says Job not only the ways of the Feet but the ways and Workings of his very Soul were open to God's View We are all here present before God says Cornelius Acts 10. 33. I have set the Lord always before me says David Psal 16. 8. This is undistracted Attendance when the Lord is still kept in our view and we keep and behave our selves as just under the inspection of the all-observing Eye of his Holiness 2. To attend without distraction is to have right apprehensions of God whom we attend upon God is a Spirit and as such he must be apprehended when we worship him that we may worship him in spirit and in truth and that our Conceptions of him may be spiritual and sutable unto his Nature As he is without Passions which Men are subject to so without those bodily parts which Men have Indeed metaphorically Eyes and Hands and Feet and Heart are in Scripture ascribed unto God but by these is signified his Knowledge his Working his Accesses and Departing his Will and Pleasure We must take heed of entertaining gross Idea's and Images in our Minds concerning God Act. 17. 29. We ought not to think says the Apostle that the Godhead is like unto Gold or Silver or Stone graven by art or Man's device Such kind of Representations are very improper of him who not only fills the Earth but the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him Our worship is distraction and the heart is drawn away from God unto a meer Vanity and Idol if God is conceived in the likeness of any Creature How severely are the Gentiles censured and how dreadfully were they punished and left to their vile Lusts and Affections to dishonour their own Bodies because they glorified not God as God but changed his Glory into the Image of corruptible Creatures Rom. 1. 21 22 23. Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned professing themselves to be wise they became Fools and changed the Glory of the incorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible Man and to Birds and fourfooted Beasts and creeping things In our Attendance upon God we must think of him as an incomprehensible Spirit of infinite Wisdom Power Truth Holiness Mercy and Goodness ready in Christ to receive returning Sinners but full of displeasure against those that go on still in their Trespasses God must be believed to
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
God That depravation of humane Nature which is derived from the first Adam makes the Heart of Man deceitful above all things as well as desperately wicked and for such an Heart in holy Duties to act treacherously and to start aside from God like a deceitful Bow is indeed but to act like it self An Heart totally carnal is so estranged from God that it will never come near him you should therefore value the promise of a new Heart and a new Spirit Ezek. 36. 26. and beg earnestly that what is promised may be given to you and though your Hearts are indeed renewed the renovation is but imperfect there is much of the old nature still remaining and this if you are not very vigilant will catch away your thoughts while you are worshipping the Lord and bring a damp and coldness upon your Hearts Original Corruption has seised upon all the Powers of your Souls and makes all of them averse from attending upon God The Imagination is strongly inclined to wander far off and the Heart and Affections but too apt to follow If a free vent be but given to a sinful and vain imagination the product and off-spring of it will be distracting thoughts without number like the Locusts Frogs and Flies that fill'd the Land of Egypt and with these Religious Duties will be corrupted and rendred unacceptable Solomon tells us that when Man fell from original uprightness he sought out many inventions Eccles 7. ult and all these Inventions were but Distractions from God and ways of departing from him a seeking and trying to find satisfaction and felicity elsewhere which is indeed to be found in the Lord alone Let this truth sink deep into you that your Hearts naturally care not for the Lord's Service and if it be engaged in they are very apt to be careless therein Cry to Heaven that you may be more renewed in the Spirit of your Mind that the old Man may be more compleatly put off and the new Man more fully put on The less your Hearts are renewed and sanctified the more you are likely to be distracted the more there is of corruption in you it will the more discover it self in the Duties of Religion which you do perform 2. A Caution is to be given you against your great Adversary Satan He catches the Word of God out of the Heart he draws away the Heart from the Word and every other Duty The Spirit of the Lord helps our infirmities and assists us in Prayer This evil Spirit resists us in our Supplications He himself confesses that he walks too and fro in the earth and goes up and down in it Job 1. 7. His business is to perswade the Children of Men to the doing of evil to hinder the doing of good or to hinder the good that is done from being well done Who is the Man that this bold Enemy will not set upon since he tempted Christ himself who is God and Man If he perswaded our Lord to worship the Devil no wonder if he perswades us not to worship God or to be heartless in the worship of him Where is the place in which we may be safe and free from his Temptations since he got into Paradise it self and tempted and prevailed over our first Parents there In secret Prayer he is ready to disturb us he is busie in the Sanctuary that Ordinances there may be lost and our engaging in them may be for the worse and not for the better He set upon Judas and entred into him while he was with Christ himself at the Table Joh. 13. 27. Great reason we have to watch and pray against this Tempter and to say to him The Lord rebuke thee Zach. 3. 2. Can you imagine that when you are about to draw nigh to God Satan will not draw nigh to you He will present objects and lay baits for your Senses thereby to divert your Minds from the Work of God and not only will he tempt you objectively but by injection too Though he cannot look into the Heart yet he can cast a great company of evil thoughts into it he makes strange impressions upon the Fancy sometimes endeavouring to please it sometimes to terrifie and affright it that either the one or the other way the Mind in Duties may be distracted You had need to be well aware of this subtle and sedulous Enemy and to look unto your compassionate High-Priest who intercedes for you with the Father to succour you against the Tempter When Satan would interrupt you with this and the other trifle reply to him You have to do with the great God about business of the greatest and highest consequence and it would shew both a neglect of God and a slighting of your own Souls to be diverted The Builders of Jerusalem's Walls as they wrought in the Work with the one hand so in the other hand they held a Weapon Neh. 4. 17. When you are about the Work of God you should have on the Armour of God that you may stand against the Devil's wiles the shield of Faith the breast-plate of Love and Righteonsness the Helmet of Hope and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Satan's force is too weak for such weapons as these 3. A Caution also is highly needful against Mammon as one of the principal causes of Distraction The Service of Mammon justles out the Service of God or so distracts it that it is justly accounted no Service at all As this World is vain in many other regards so in this respect that sin hinders the end of it from being attained Instead of being led up unto God per scalam creaturarum by the Creatures which he has made we are by them drawn away from him instead of admiring God in the Creature we admire and affect the Creature and forget God The World being present and visible takes the Senses of Men and their Fancies and to walk after the sight of the eye is the way that the heart very well likes Eccles 11. 9. And hence it is that the invisible God and the things which are unseen tho of eternal excellency and continuance are totally disregarded or but slightly pursued by the most of Men. How are Men since the Fall become Children in understanding Meer toys and trifles are of great account with them Husks are coveted but that which is indeed Bread they have no hunger after Isa 55. 2. Wherefore do ye spend your Money for that which is not Bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your Soul delight it self in fatness Here is a plain intimation that diligent hearkning and serious Service of the Lord was hindred by minding things which could not satisfie These are things which the Flesh purveys for that the Lusts of it may be fulfilled these are the things that Satan puts a varnish upon that they may be the more ensnaring and bewitching so
that here lies the great danger least while God is near in the mouth the World fill the heart and steal it from him There are three things in reference to the World which distract thousands of Hearts and cause millions of Duties to be in vain The one is Love to the World the other is care about it and another is Fear concerning it Of all these you are to beware with the greatest vigilancy and concernedness 1. Take heed of Love to the World If the World has your Love it will have your Thoughts at command and it will not fail to shew its power and to command your thoughts off from God when you attend upon him They that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lovers of Pleasures more than lovers of God will think of Pleasures rather than of God That Rich Man in the Gospel while he was alive had Moses and the Prophets as well as his Brethren he was an Israelite in Name called himself a Child of Abraham and profest himself a Worshipper of the true God but all his worship was heartless his heart was intoxicated with sensual Delights and his Purple and fine Linen and sumptuous fare which every day was provided for him Luk. 16. 19. That which the Soul takes pleasure in how will it be revolved in the Mind Sports and Pastimes Garbs and Ornaments Journies for diversion and delight Feasts and Mirth and Musick if the Heart is foolishly fond of such sorry things as these how will they possess the Soul and that in the very House of God and when his Ordinances are administred They will be present to the imagination though really absent and an imaginary satisfaction will be taken in them and in the mean while the Lord himself will be forgotten and Communion with him slighted They that are greedy after gain their hearts will be upon their gain while their Bodies are before the Lord. Covetousness commands the Thoughts and extinguishes holy Desires while the Tongue is speaking heavenly words the Mind will be projecting and contriving how to get the Wealth of this World as if to be rich towards God were but a poor thing in comparison The earthly heart pleases it self with the Thoughts of what it has and with the Hopes of getting more of the World that for the flesh more abundant provision may be made Oh suffer not the World to have your love and friendship if you are friends to the World and over familiar with it it will have the more easie and ready access into your hearts at any time and that without the least check Familiar Friends you know make bold to come into your door without knocking for admission 2. Take heed of Care about the World How do these solicitous cares about earthly things distract and divide the Mind When the Kingdom of God and his righteousness should be sought there is a taking thought for Food and Raiment and things of that inferiour nature Our Lord knew the evil of these Cares and therefore uses a great many words to disswade from them He tells us that our heavenly Father clothes the Lillies of the Field and feeds the Fowls of the Air which have neither Storehouse nor Barn and much more will he provide Bread for his Children to eat and Raiment wherewith they may be clothed and they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of little Faith that make any doubt of it Mat. 6. 30. If Cares about such things prevail they may cause gross omissions of Duty or if Duties are done they may miscarry in the doing there may be such an anxious solicitousness about this earth and the affairs of it that Heaven and the God of Heaven may be hardly thought of Worldly care is one of the things that chokes the Word and it will choke Prayer also it will hinder the Word from being fruitful and Prayer from being successful You have leave to cast all your care upon God who cares for you 1 Pet. 5. 7. And if banishing distrust in God and eagerness after the the World you are careful for nothing in it you may then by Prayer and Supplication with thanksgiving make your request known unto God Phil. 4. 6. and he will make it known to you that this is the very best course you can take for all manner of supplies 3. Take heed of fear concerning the World Our Lord says why are ye so fearful O ye of little Faith There is great reason for Faith in God no reason for fear what the World can do to you Be not distracted by fear of worldly losses those shall not befal you but when God sees them best for you and they shall turn to your truest gain Be not distracted by fear of the Worlds hatred and the effects of it the Grace and Joy of the Holy Ghost can be an hundredfold better even at present than any worldly comfort that Man can deprive you of If an enraged World can keep you off from the Lord's Service he will have but little from you Be not afraid therefore of their terrour neither be troubled but sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts ◠Pet. 3. 14 15. and he has promised to be a Sanctuary to you The fear of the Lyons Den could not scare Daniel from the Throne of Grace but he prayed and gave Thanks as he was wont before his God If this present World cannot command your love nor care nor raise your fear you will be mightily fortified against one very great cause of Distraction in Religious Services 4. Another cause of Distraction which I must caution you against is Passion and Uncharitableness Passion has a strange and mighty force to transform the whole Soul into it self so that if this prevail not only Grace shall be under a dark Eclipse but even Judgment and Reason and common Prudence shall seem to be altogether banished Passion imbitters or rather invenoms the whole Heart of a Man diffusing it self all over so that all is under the power of it Passion has a monopoly of the thoughts and fixes them upon Injuries received nay though they are but imaginary injuries yet being supposed real how intent is the Mind upon them Perhaps Revenge though so contrary to the Nature of Christianity is wish'd for and meditated Patience indeed possesses the Soul but Passion catches the Soul away so that 't is possest no longer all the Powers and Faculties of the Soul are disturbed and most disorderly employed Passion rises and lies down with the Passionate Man and is a very bad Companion all the day long and when Duties of Religion come to be performed there is so much anger in the heart against Man that God's anger is not feared nor seriously deprecated neither is his love valued or with any earnestness desired As the furious Man abounds in transgression so his attendance upon God abounds in Distractions and these Distractions being the overflowings of wrath and bitterness and hatred how displeasing and abominable must they needs be unto
your Hearts rise and ascend after him 9. Ever commit the keeping of your Souls to God himself in well-doing 1 Pet. 4. 19. Apprehending how liable you are to distraction in his Service intreat that he would undertake for you He that spans the Heavens and in his Hand does hold the Winds so that they stir not in the least against his Will certainly is able to keep your Hearts undistracted in your Duties and close to himself The Lord makes and searches and new makes and fixes the Heart of Man and none of this is to be done by any power less than his When David's Soul followed hard after God he acknowledged it was the Lord's own right hand which upheld him Psal 63. 8. Call in help from Heaven against distraction if you would be helpt effectually The Christian not only when he is leaving the World but when he is engaging in any Religious Duty should say with the Psalmist Psal 31. 5. Into thy Hands O Lord I commit my Spirit He and he alone can keep it in a serious and composed frame USE IV. Shall be of Counsel as to some particular Duties which I shall insist on and shew you how they may with less distraction be performed And there are four Duties which at present I shall speak of The first is Reading the Holy Scriptures The second is Hearing the Word Preached The third is The Duty of Prayer The fourth is Communicating at the Lord's Table Of these in order I begin with Reading the Holy Scriptures and that these may be read with less distraction 1. Be firmly perswaded of the Scriptures Divine Authority and Verity When you take the Bible to look into it remember 't is a Book of God's own making you have in your hands The Writers of it were but his Penmen they wrote not their own but God's Mind and Will and were moved and inspired by the Holy Ghost To be distracted and regardless of what you read is to contemn God in disregarding his Word Mind what you read for the Scripture can make you wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. You may securely trust to his Word its light is infallible 't is certain in its Promises and Threatnings 't will by all be found true to eternity The word of the Lord endures for ever 1 Pet. 1. 25. 2. Believe the Scriptures perfection and sufficiency as a means most full and plain to guide you to everlasting blessedness Here you are faithfully warned to flee from the Wrath to come and from sin which does deserve it and here you may find God's Counsel by which you may be guided safe to Glory Psal 73. 24. You need not be distracted and doubtful in your own Minds as if in the Scriptures God's Mind was declared only in part Man's additions are needless nay impious Prov. 30. 6. Add thou not unto his Words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a Liar and Mens Traditions are vain Heed the Word of God as that which enlightens the Eyes converts the Soul rejoyces the Heart as that which is profitable for Doctrine Reproof for Correction instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. 3. Look upon the Scriptures as much directed to you in particular and laying an obligation upon you as if they had dropt from God out of Heaven into your hand The word forbids sin in you as well as in any other in the World the Commands of it reach you as truly as if you had heard the Lord calling to you by Name to yield Obedience The offers of the Gospel are really made to you and upon acceptance the Blessings offered are your own if they are refused how can you ecape the Wrath of him who from Heaven speaks to you for your good Heb. 12. 25. That such a particular application should be made is signified by Solomon whose word is as a Goad and a Nail fastned to stir you up to your Duty and to settle you in it Prov. 22. 19 20. That thy trust may be in the Lord I have made known to thee this day even unto thee Have I not written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge 4. See the Lord himself just by you when you read his Word and hear him bidding you take heed how you read As he has magnified his Word above all his Name so he requires a special regard should be had to it He looks with approbation and pleasure upon that Man who trembles at his Word Isa 66. 2. but when he perceives instruction to be hated and that his Law is cast behind the Back he admonishes such forgetters of God to consider what this neglect will cost them if not repented of and he threatens to tear them in pieces so as that there shall be none to deliver Psal 50. 17. 22. 5. Lift up your Eyes to Heaven for instruction from the Spirit by whose inspiration the Scripture was given 'T is the Spirit of Christ who opens Mens Vnderstandings to understand the Scriptures Luke 24. 45. Be humbly sensible of your ignorance and proneness to error and mistake A promise is made to the humble and meek that God will guide them in Judgment so that they shall judge aright of things and he will teach them his way Psal 25. 9. Cry to the Lord to make you mind what you read and to profit by what you mind Desire Scripture knowledge that what you know may have a deep impression upon your Spirits may excite holy and gracious Affections and Resolutions in your Hearts and be mightily effectual unto the more thorow amending of your ways and doings 6. In all your ways seek for light from the holy Scriptures that every step you take may be rightly ordered Go not in any way which the word of truth calls a false way How well and wisely does he walk that can say with the Psalmist Thy Word is a Lamp to my Feet and a light unto my Path Psal 119. 105. When you go let this Word lead you and then when you sleep there is a promise to keep you and when you awake it will talk with you and be telling you what you must avoid believe and do that you may be blessed for ever The Commandment is a Lamp and the Law is light and the reproofs of instruction are the way of Life Prov. 6. 22 23. And as the Word talks to you so you should talk of the word you read it will fix it in your Thoughts and Hearts the better and make your Discourse more edifying to others Deut. 6 6 7. And these words which I command thee this Day shall be in thy heart and thou shalt diligently teach them to thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy House and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up The more the word is written in your Hearts the more Grace is there and
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
Christ's Righteousness and is so presented to the Father The Apostle tells us of the Glory of the Grace of God wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved Eph. 1. 6. When Christ was upon Earth the satisfaction he made was sufficient to make reconciliation for all sins and defects And now he is in Heaven he ceases not to intercede for Believers a thousand faults may be found in their best Duties but how absolutely faultless and prevailing is this Intercession of their Advocate 4. Many of those Duties which doubting Saints have thought to be nothing but Sin and Distraction God sees and owns the actings of Grace in He sees some Fire in the smoaking Flax which he will not quench though there is much that is offensive with it he sees some greenness in the bruised Reed though there is much that is dead and he will not break it Matt. 12. 20. His Eyelids try the Children of Men and he has a gracious regard to the actings of Grace and Faith though it be but as a grain of Mustard seed Christ Jesus is said to be quick of understanding in the fear of the Lord Isa 11. 3. He knows what Key will open every Heart and when he will open none can keep shut he can bring the most fearless and stupid to the fear of God And where the fear of God is in truth though it be in a lower degree he easily discerns it When a Well of Water is muddy at the top there is purer Water working up from the Spring at the bottom When the Heart is very much discomposed and distracted in Duty if under all these Infirmities there is a working and stirring of the Grace of God he will both observe and be well pleased with it He will not utterly reject a Duty when there is an hearty desire to do it well and an hearty grief 't is done no better 5. The Lord is ready to give a Blessing to those means which himself has appointed for the cure of these Distractions These means are effectual when the Spirit makes them so And is the Spirit of the Lord straitned Mic. 2. 7. What infirmity is too great for him to help What Heart too roving and unruly for him to settle The means must be used Cry for help that you may be helpt to cry hear the word with a desire to feel its power that you may hear it to better purpose Take encouragement from the mighty Spirit who is so ready to accompany God's Institutions He can fit you for your Duty and fix your Hearts in it and crown the doing of it with the Blessings which are promised And when your Hearts are fixed 't is but reason your Mouths should sing and give praise 6. When Militant Saints come to be triumphant their Distractions and Complaints because of them will be at a perpetual end In Heaven they shall be out of Satan's reach he shall resist them no more this World they will have left which so often troubled both their heads and hearts and will have exchanged it for a World that 's infinitely better their perfected Spirits will be perfect in their Operations nothing of imperfection will cleave to what the glorified Saints above are doing The Vision of God Face to Face will fix the Mind and Thoughts upon him eternally having once looked on they will never care to look off more Perfection of Holiness Love Delight and Joy must needs for ever hinder all even the least wandring None can in the least be weary of the Work that is done in Heaven it is so full of pleasure Rev. 4. 8 They rest not Day and Night saving Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come and full glad may they well be that such a pleasant Employment must never come to an end If all this Congregation with their Pastour can but get safe into the House not made with Hands eternal in the Heavens Oh what Thoughts and Apprehensions shall we have How shall we be fill'd with Joy and Wonder at what we shall then behold Being entred and swallowed up in the Joy of our Lord shall we not then cry out Ah! Ah! What a difference is there between this Heavenly Country and the most desirable earthly Inheritance The Sun is but a small Spark to that Light which we now see When we lookt upward we admired Heavens outside the Firmament with all its shining Luminaries but now we plainly see that Heaven is much more glorious within What an excellent Society is this innumerable Company of Angels that we are among How does every glorified Saint and Member of Christ resemble his Head being all fair and no spot remaining How pleasant is the Harmony where there is no Sin no Sorrow no Defect or Discord These Hallelujahs which we now joyn in how ravishing and transporting are they not like the distracted Services which we used to perform together in the Sanctuary We are all now fixt in this glorious place and shall go no more out Our Complaints are quite ended and never again shall we do in the least amiss We are indeed without fault before the Throne of God and we shall Live and Reign Triumph and Magnifie the Lord for ever Thus have I finished my Discourse concerning Distraction in attending upon God a fault whereof all are guilty most make nothing or very light of and very few mind to have it mended My design herein has been to do some Service to the Church of Christ that their Worship may be more pure and Spiritual being freed from those wandring Thoughts which both distract and defile it and that the Best of Lords may still have better and more acceptable Service from all of you and from my self also Whilst we are in this World truly this World is too much in us 't is suitable to our Senses and apt to intice and draw away our Hearts Let the Eye of Faith pierce through the Clouds and see Heavens Joy and Glory and then this Worlds Vanity will be the more apparent and how vain a thing 't is for you to be so thoughtful about it and eager after it When Faith has seen how God is attended upon by Saints and Angels above it may help to kindle in you an holy zeal and a vehement desire more to resemble those excellent Attendants and to serve the Lord more gladly and seriously here below Oh cry to have the Cure of Distractions carried on further towards compleatness Live as Strangers and Sojourners here on Earth not concerned about the things of it as others are Declare plainly that you are born from above and let your Hearts and Thoughts more and more ascend thither Carry your selves as fellow Citizens with the Saints and as those that are of the Houshold of God Let there be more of God more of Grace in all you do and speak in all the Powers of your Souls in all the Duties you perform And think with gladness and