it Phil 4.13 I can do all things through Christ. God and his servant can do any thing SECT VIII THe eighth cause of distractions in holy duties is A beloved sin When the soul hath espoused some bosome lust the thoughts be you never so busie will be warping towards it though God himself look on Ier. 4.14 O Ierusalem wash thy heart from wickedness how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee When wickedness is in the heart vain thoughts will be in thy duties they will enter yea they will lodge within thee A beloved sin is like a byass on the bowl though you throw it out never so streight yet the byass will draw it off that way do what you can so is a beloved sin unto the soul aim you with utmost skill yet there is a secret load stone in it that attracts the heart and makes that prayer to end in hell that began in heaven Either sin and you must be at a distance or God and you will The soul that is in league with sin dare not come at God dare not look at him dare not think on him and what must that man think on in a duty that dare not think seriously on God As that penitent Father speaks in his confessions An unmortifi'd soul like the husband of a scolding wife had rather be any where than at home and makes many a sad bargain abroad because he hath no comfort at home with his wife so such an heart chooses to be thinking of any thing rather than God alas matters are not straight between them the poison of sin is in him and he hugs that abhominable thing which God hates the Thief had rather go forty miles another way than come near the Judge God is an offended Judge to a wilful sinner and he cares not for ever coming near him Hence Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience He that comes to God with a true upright honest heart being sprinkled from an evil conscience may draw near to God in full assurance of faith whereas guilt clouds clogs and distracts the soul. So that you see both the guâ—lt and power of a bosom sin furnish us with too much cause of distractions Sin That would have all the heart and God He will have all or nothing It 's such an offering that is a whole burnt-offering that the Lord delights in As no subject is capable of two contrary qualities in the intense degree as heat and cold may be both in the same hand but not in their intense degrees so the heart of man cannot entertain Christ and corruption light and darkness except the one be loved and served superlatively above the other Psal. 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me God first stops his ear above and then the sinners mouth below that regards iniquity that likes loves approves or gives it rest and quiet in the soul. Indeed God neither regards him nor doth such a soul regard God He must love God that is lively in his service Iob 27.10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty will he always call upon God will he always he may now and then send a thought that way in his special need but not always there 's difference between converse and communion One may have converse or traffick with a stranger upon occasion but communion is with a friend there 's visits of pure kindness an hypocrite may have some converse or trading with God for necessaries but sweet communion constant calling on God and serious duties he can never enjoy and follow that loves any sin before the chiefest Good The Remedies against a beloved sin are briefly these two 1. Consideration sit down and think what real good this sin hath ever done thee Think what hurt it hath done thee and others and what fruit but shame and death it brings to any Thy dearest sin is but sin which is the worst thing in the world and its masks and disguises being laid aside more ugly than the devil more horrid than hell it self And think the more thou lovest it the more God hates it and his rage and jealousie is increased with the increase of thy desires Think how many prayers it hath lost thee how many mercies it hath poison'd to thee how many smiles it hath clouded besides what unutterable sufferings it hath inflicted upon Christ and is preparing for thee in hell Consider that thou maist have as much joy happiness and true comfort without it and all converted sinners confess that Jesus Christ hath been better to them than all their sins and if you may have as good injoyments or better to have Christ with them and Heaven after them will not make them worse 2. Supplication Kneel down and pray with faith in the uprightness of your hearts for strength from above All the strength of Heaven is engag'd by prayer He that heartily sets himself against his sin by prayer cannot but dislike it and when it is truly disliked its heart is broken Augustine complains that when he in his unconverted estate begged a divorce from his sin his heart was afraid lest God should hear his prayers Beware lest your hearts secretly cry Spare when your tongues openly cry Lord kill and crucifie my corruption but do thou bonâ fide pull on earth and the Lord will bono Spiritu pull from Heaven and rent thy sin and soul asunder Otherwise as the Poets tell us of Hippomanes that running with Atalanta for victory he conquered by throwing golden apples down which Atalanta stooping to take up lost the prize so Satan seeing the soul running heaven-ward in God's service will throw down the gilded temptations of a beloved sin stop it in its carreer and hazard the prize of eternal glory SECT IX A Ninth cause of Distractions in the Worship of God is Satan And this he doth sometimes more remotely by throwing in some cross business before Duties whereby the soul is unhinged some body or Letter with business just before prayer or some passionate distempering passages in the family whereby to lay matter ready for our discomposure and wandrings in the following duties Sometimes he approaches nearer and by presenting and occasioning objects to our senses in God's Worship draws off the heart He can stay One long from the Congregation that Another may be distracted in observing him coming in and so wounds two and sometimes twenty at a blow Satan is not idle when this and that child are restless and unquiet in the family whereby perhaps all in the family lose the passages that would most profit them He can create a further distraction by every pillar and part of the structure and every person in the congregation and can be content you read sentences on the walls to hinder and divert your sâ—uls from the sentences in the pulpit
be busie too If we had only an Idol to serve the body were enough but God is a spirit and cannot be conversed with without the spirit yea and the whole spirit also Fond man that thinks with his narrow soul to deal with God and somewhat else who alone is immense and beyond our greatest capacity He must be taken up and goe out of the world in a sense that will get into Heaven The soul on the lip and the soul in the ear do rid work in the service of God 3. It is sweet work Psal. 138.5 Yea they shall sing in the wayes of the Lord for great is the glory of the Lord mark shall sing their spirits shall neither droop nor step aside He that attends on the Lord hath a most sweet imployment now the mind useth not to straggle at most rare musick or under an enchanting song Alexanders great soul yet is said exilire è convivio under the charms of Musick O the gracious presence of God! his sweet smiles and blessed love-tokens that can transport Angels sure they may ingage the heart of man and sufficiently fill it Read the Canticles and say then Is not converse with God an Heaven upon Earth and how far is Heaven from distracted thoughts sad and severe things afflict the mind It would flit from such subjects but sweet imployment ingages all the heart next dwelling in Heaven is the soul flying to Heaven in an Ordinance Our dryest Duties yield us least comfort The nearer the Sun the warmer More close to God more sweet you 'l find him and never more joyfull than in the House of Prayer SECT III. THe third reason is taken from the Nature of our Condition and that is this 1. We cannot live without God In him we live as to our natural life every 〈◊〉 is fetcht from Him so in our spiritual life the life of the soul is He that made it A world without a Sun is dark a body without a soul is dead but a soul withont God is dark is dead is damned It s true men feed and sing and make a shift without God in the World but he that lives truly lives by faith the other life Beasts live they eat and drink and work but know not God but if you will define the life of a soul God must be in the beginning in the midst and in the end of it 2. Our only way of communion with God is in an Ordinance This is the River the streams whereof make glad the heart Were a City besieged by mortal enemies round about and no relief to be conveyed but by the River that waters it how fatal to the City would the stopping of that River be that City must starve or yield The ordinary supplies that a Christian cannot be without come swimming down from Heaven through the Ordinances of God Distractions stop the River hinder Prayer from ascending to God hinder instruction from descending into the heart intercept commerce and starve the soul. The zeal of the Iews was eminent this way of whom Iosephus relates that when Pompeys Souldiers shot at the thickest of them in the siege of Ierusalem yet amidst those arrows did they go and perform their rites as though there had been peace why thy Prayer is the Embassador Distractions cut off the feet and Prov. 26.6 He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet and drinketh damage A wandring Prayer is a message by the hand of a fool and that man is like to drink damage that useth it A man is a poor thing without God and God is not ordinarily met with but in an Ordinance 3. All our strength and Heart is too little for this business All our understanding too little to apprehend his rare perfections All our affections too weak and shallow to love imbrace and delight in him hence Mark 12.33 we are obliged to love and so to serve the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength that is with every faculty of the soul and with the utmost strength of every faculty Now if it be hard enough to climb the hill unto God with wings how shall we ascend with these weights about us or think to please with half an heart when the whole is too little for he is a great King and his name is dreadfull among the Heathen when all the water in the pool will but turn the Mill that Miller is a fool that by twenty Channels lets out the Water other wayes The intense and earnest heart is little enough to converse with God all the water in our Pool will but turn the Mill. What then can the remiss heart bring to pass and how unlikely are we to obtain with the great God with the negligent approaches of a trivial spirit with a little part of a little heart SECT IV. THe fourth Reason is taken from the Nature of Distractions 1. They divide the Heart and disable it wholly now a divided heart can do nothing at all Hos. 10.2 Their heart is divided now shall they be found faulty If one heart divided from another make a fault much more faulty is one heart divided within it self Hence it comes to pass that Satan offers as the false Mother did about the living Child 1 King 3.26 Let it be neither mine nor thine but divide it If he cannot block your way to the presence of God and make good his claim to the living Child as She would have done then with might and main he furthers all imaginable diversions to part the Soul and cryes Lord let it be neither thine nor mine but divide it well knowing that as the Child so the heart while intire is a living and lively heart but divide it and destroy it As he that runs at once after two Hares catches neither so two businesses at once spoils both He that thinks to treat the Creator and the creature at the same time enjoyes neither of them And thus the vain heart of man by over-doing undoes it self and reaching at two matters spoils them both 2. These Distractions frustrate the Ordinance and cause the great name of God to be taken in vain Instead of forcing the Hearers these do but beat the air and cannot reach the Heart of God because they never reach your own And this is one of the follies of a roving heart that it consumes as much time in a sensless as in a serious Duty and yet doth nothing in it brings nothing to pass And so the Holy God stands over the heedless sinner with Iobs words Job 16.3 When shall Vain words have an End I am weary with this tinkling Cymbal either pray in earnest or pray not at all hear in earnest or hear not at all As good not at all as never the better The service of God requires a man not a shadow yea all a man and more than a man our
1.2 His delight is in the Law of the Lord and then it follows in that Law doth he meditate day and night When prayer is your delight and not your task then you will dwell therein with complacence Psal. 43.4 Then will I go unto the altar of God unto God my exceeding joy Children are subject to look off their books because they delight not in them but when they are playing they do hoc agere But now when thy love is cool and weak thou lovest Christ and that 's all alass there 's little heart to him the soul comes heavily to him and having little delight and heavenly complacence in him is most easily drawn off with any distraction for where the treasure is there will the heart be also where God and Christ are a man's treasure his heart is with them He wakes and travels and cares but his heart is with them he runs through his business with all the haste that may stand with good speed that he may retreat to his heart which he left with God and then holy duties are the rest of his soul. And where the world or sin are a mans treasure his heart is with them also he reads and hears and prays but his heart is away the least noise business or whisper can fetch him away alas his love is cool and a drop of water will quench a spark of fire The Remedies of this weakness of love to Christ and his Ordinances are 1. Know him better and meditate more on his real excellencies Ignoti nulla cupido Cant. 5.9 What is thy Beloved more than another beloved Why ver 16. His mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether lovely or as the Heb. all of him is delights And then mark the reply chap. 6.1 We will seek him with thee The pure and orient Sun is no more than a glow-worm to the blind nor the fairest face than a Skeleton It is the eye that must affect the heart Come then open the eye of Faith and gaze on this heavenly object sit down and meditate who and what he is open but the sacred Cabinet of his Attributes every box full of most sweet perfumes each of his offices pregnant with true and transcendent comfort His actions his passion his words his works and above all his heart as full of Heaven as ever it can hold and full for thee the breast full running into the open mouth of faith the Fountain opened for thy sins and uncleanness The treasures of his grace free for thy supplies what heart can freez under such discoveries Nay stay and look at him on the cross calling thee arms stretched out to embrace thee heart opened to let thee in and deny him thy love if thou can And if once your hearts be inflamed with his love no small businesses shall keep you from his presence nor distract you in it 2. Get communion with Christ in his Ordinances As he said on another occasion Ioh. 4.10 If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is thou wouldest have asked and he would have given thee living water So I say if thou knewest what communion is with Christ thou wouldest ask after prayer and long for such opportunities Why what is communion with Christ Why for thy spirit to flie up into heaven among the celestial spirits and for Christ's Spirit to descend into thy heart And this makes an heaven upon earth 't is inexperience in this that makes us cool to Christ and holy duties strangeness makes company burthensome A King and a beggar a scholar and a clown cannot make company of one another So when there is a distance between God and the soul there is little longing for his Ordinance nor true delight in it Communion with Christ increases love and love to him promotes communion Cant. 8.1 O that thou wert my brother saith the Spouse the son of my mother there 's ardent love when I should find thee without I would kiss thee there 's communion yet should I not be despised If you did but see his power and glory your soul would be filled as with marrow and fatness and your mouth would praise him with joyful lips Psal. 63.2 5. One beam of his holiness love or mercy would so charm your hearts that you would be loth to part and long to meet again for how can it choose but transport a finite heart to see and feel the sweetest properties of the infinite God displayed before and graven on it When Moses was in near communion with God on the Mount no thinking of meat no cares about his tents below but there he is swallowed up and is content to melt in that Sun of light and heat and come down no more easie to count his distractions in the Mount O who can see the face of God and not be ravished therewithâ— who can behold the beauty of the Lord and not chuse to dwell in his presence all the days of a mans life 'T is communion with Christ Iesus that will warm your love to him and when the King brings you into his chambers you will be glad and rejoyce in him you will remember his love more than wine 3. Believe verily that you can be no where better no where so well as in an Ordinance this will content and please your minds in the Lord's service when you can be no where better for what company can be better than God's The chiefest Good must needs afford the choicest company who can impart such rare delights and sweet content as he can and where doth he communicate himself as in an Ordinance Say the world knocks at door and would have thee away can vanity entertain you like felicity can the world produce higher pleasures than he that made it Would sin come in and steal your hearts away can the chiefest evil create thee sweeter entertainment than the chiefest Good No no you are best where you are If the world could find you such another Deity somewhat might be yielded or give you security like God of the reality satisfaction and duration of its toys quarter-contents but alas there 's no shew for this you are best where you are I am conversing with the Lord of heaven and earth who can reward or ruin me in a moment I am sucking at the breast of the chiefest Good I am in the next employment to heaven in a corner of heaven I cannot look off yonder lovely One I will not leave I must not come down And this experience would enamour you of an Ordinance and deliver you from diversions in it you will sit down under his shadow with great delight when his fruit is sweet to your taste SECT VII THe seventh cause of wandring of the thoughts in the worship of God is want of watchfulness Matth. 26.41 Watch and pray are most necessary companions else shall we fall into temptation In those sad times of plague the faithful Guard stands at the City gates
my prayer is not the beginning of my punishment Though these be but small like the Sand yet being many as the Sand how can I stand under them I am ashamed yea even confounded for these reproaches of my duties Nay then saies God that hearkens behind the curtains all this while Is Ephraim my dear Son is not he a pleasant child I will remember him I will have mercy upon him When thou art ripe for Hell in thy own eyes then art thou ripe for grace and glory in the eyes of God No man shall ever be overborn with a sin he hates Go my blessed Spirit that hast melted him and mend him that hast softened him strengthen him he that laments his sin shall never languish under it The sacrifice of a broken heart doth please him though the sacrifice of a broken Christ alone doth satisfie him 2. Dispositively grief at heart doth help forward the cure of distractions and that by softening the heart and so fitting the same for the impressions of God's will When the Wax is melted you may turn and mold it which way you will So when the soul is melted by grief for these sins God Almighty may easily be heard and his counsel will be taken And also this godly sorrow as was before observed doth so afflict and make a mans heart to ake and smart that he will take some pains to prevent the like anguish again When they knock at door you 'l say O these are they that cost me dear at such a time non emam tanti poeniteo I feel yet the sad impressions of my late affliction for them I found a pardon no easie enterprize nor Repentance so pleasing a potion to brew for it again I would not for all the world much less for one vain thought or two nor for a thousand worlds together be under that anger of God nor feel one drop of his scalding indignation which I have perceived for these offences O Sirs where godly sorrow is in the power of it what carefulness doth it work what zeal what indignation yea what revenge It makes sin lye like a Mountain upon the soul musters up all the aggravations of sin and sets them home on the heart O to sin in an Ordinance against such a God! in the midst of my greatest business after such conviction vows and promises of exactness before him To offend both Father Son and Holy Ghost at a clap heart of stone dost not melt yea to offend the Angels of Heaven which holy spirits turn away their faces at our vanities in the Assemblies yea and offend the Angels upon Earth God's Ministers while that which cost them most serious pains is spoken to the air to wound my own soul in the act of curing it and increase guilt when I am getting it cleared to play the Hypocrite before the face of God the Judge of Heaven and Earth O wretched man that I am O my sin is exceeding sinful lend a tear O rend an heart O thou most high A broken heart today will be a good preservative against a wandring heart to morrow SECT III. III. ENgage the holy Spirit of God in thine assistance Joh. 15.5 Without me ye can do nothing Supernatural work cannot be done without supernatural help You may and ought to do what a man can do that is compose your selves and guard your senses but you cannot do that which only a God can do that is fly up and fix your hearts in Heaven Rom. 8.26 We cannot pray for any thing for matter as we ought for the manner but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us The Greek word signifies the Spirit over and above steps in and helps or as others makes vehement intercession for us We climb up the Ladder as well as we can towards Heaven but alas it wavers no stability till the Holy Ghost hold it at the top and draw and lift us up and then we get a sight of Heaven And you have resolved belike and been secure of a good frame but Prov. 28.26 He that trusteth to his own strength is a fool you have found no fixedness or liveliness in your spirits without the assistance of God He that prayes aright must pray in the Holy Ghost Jude v. 20 This also quickens and hears the soul whereby there is no room or leisure for distracted thoughts Hereby the soul is carried streight up to God and staies at nothing on this side Heaven yea by the Spirit 's blessed assistance Every thought is brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. O blessed frame when every thought is captivated to obey Christ there is none can deal with our spirits but the Spirit of God When the Word comes in the hand of the Spirit there is no avoiding it Then the reading one Chapter can convert as that Ioh. 1. did the learned Iunius yea of one verse as that 1 Tim. 1.15 did Mr. Bilney yea one sentence can comfort the heart as that Isa. 57.15 did the afflicted conscience of one that nothing else could satisfie thereby the soul is carried up as Mr. Tilleman the Martyr was in his devotions so that he saw or heard no body till after long search and great noise his persecutors took him up from his knees The heart is so carried upward to God that all the world looks as inconsiderable as a mote or atome at that time and not worth the thinking on And is entertained with that sweet content that it cannot wish to be any where else and therefore a by-thought is as unâ—welcom as base company to him that is busie with Nobles Beg therefore of God with earnest importunity at the entrance of every Ordinance for his holy Spirit and he hath said Luk. 11.13 He will give his Spirit to them that ask him Say Lord if thy Spirit go not with me let me go no further For as the Intercession of Christ is absolutely necessary for your acceptance so the Intercession of the Holy Ghost is necessary for your assistance The Spirit it self also making intercession for us with sighs that cannot be uttered Promise your heavenly Father that you will never willingly disoblige or grieve away his Spirit again Art thou dead cry Quicken me and I will call upon thy Name Is thy heart roving cry Unite my heart to fear thy Name Humbly plead his promise that he will put his Spirit and fear into your hearts that you shall never and if never then not in his solemn Ordinance depart from him and observe the gracious gales of the Spirit and when they clash not with the Rules of his holy Word lay hold on them and fall to duty It 's best rowing below when the wind blows fair above When thy heart is warm and in ure then do the business throughly And beware of grieving him between times let there be a coherence between prayer and practice let your whole life be of a piece lest he withdraw when you have most need of
him And remember that to grief the Spirit oft is the way to quench the Spirit and to quench the Spirit oft is the way to do despite to the Spirit That is a rare expression Gal. 5.25 If ye live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit how far is this phrase from vulgar apprehension or feeling To live and walk by the conduct and quickening of the Holy Ghost this is the life of a Saint And then he that walks in the Spirit prays also in the Spirit and watches thereunto Ephes. 6.18 Whereby those airy darts of the Devil that would conquer the strength of a man are crush'd and chas'd away by the strength of a God SECT IV. IV. BElieve the Presence of God The eye of the Master makes the Scholar busie If his eye be off the Scholar the Scholar's eye is off his book Psal. 16.8 I have set the Lord alwaies before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved Else your hearts will be moved and removed too upon every motion And therefore Faith which doth realize invisible things and presentiate an invisible God is of great use in every holy duty Heb. 11.6 He that cometh to God must believe that God is He must as fully believe that God is present as if he were visible that thou art incompassed and involved in the presence of God If thou go forward he is there if backward thou mayest perceive him on the left hand there he doth work though thou canst not behold him he hides himself on the right hand that thou canst not see him Yet he knoweth the way that thou takest Job 23 9 10. This his common presence but then in an Ordinance there he is in the midst of his people there he looks over Heaven and Earth as nothing and to this man looks he that 's poor and contrite and trembles at his Word and therefore when you pray you must not only speak as speaking of God but to God It 's sleighting a Prince when we deliver a Petition and look another way we bid our children look at us when they speak to us and so should we at God who is not far from every one of us in his Ordinances There he is with his Host about him and though 't is above us to determine whether his Angels are imployed to conduct his Word to us or our Prayers to him yet it s certain that they attend the great Iehovah and never more willing than in an Ordinance being transported with joy at a sinners conversion and most pleasantly feasting on our poenitential tears It 's true God is alwaies and every where with thee with those more common Attributes of Immensity Power and Providence but in his Worship there he is also present by his grace mercy holiness and efficacy His common presence may be compared to the Sun in a cloudy day it is in the Sky we have great benefit by it we should die without it but his special Ordinance Presence is like the Sun breaking out of a cloud in a Summers morning that discovers atomes warms our bodies and refresheth our spirits Even so the common presence of God upholds the world in him we live move and have our Being and the belief that God is every where should perswade us to sin no where But now the special presence of God in his Worship that like the Sun breaking out inlightens the mind warms the heart and melts the most rocky soul. Hereby God doth as it were shine directly upon us so that to trifle or sin before him is a crime intolerable The name of every place where God is rightly worshipped is Iehovah Shammah the Lord is there Thy closet the Lord is there between thy chair and thee and canst thou shift from him thy bed-chamber the Lord is there between thy bed-side and thee and canst thou turn from him by the fire-side with thy family the name of that place is Iehovah Shammah and wilâ— thou sleep In the Assembly the Lord is there and what are all the Gallants there in comparison of him O therefore hear and look at God and pray and look at God meditate and look at God sing Psalms and still look at God It was Hagar's saying Gen. 16.13 Have I also here looked after him that seeth me And she called the Name of the Lord that spake to her Thou God seest me O call the Name of the Lord that speaks to thee and the Lord to whom thou speakest Thou God seest me Keep thy eye upon him as he keeps his eye upon thee find a fairer object and gaze and spare not but while there is none in Heaven or Earth desirable like him let nothing in Heaven or Earth distract thee from him The lively sense of thisâ— will charm the heart exceedingly and we steal from duty because we see no One there It 's said Prov. 20.8 A King that sitteth in the Throne of Iudgement scattereth away all evil with his eyes that is his very countenance should read such a Lecture of Justice Temperance Chastity and Piety that every spectator should fear to do otherwise O then how should the presence of God so inchant the soul with that holiness goodness and sweetness therein that not one thought could be spared from so lovely an object The full and clear vision and fruition of this presence of God doth so eternally ravish and content the soul in Heaven that they would not look off the face of God for a thousand worlds no though all the Kings of the Earth in their greatest triumph should pass by Heaven gates and the Earth's utmost glory with them A glorified soul is so full of the presence of God that it would not spare one minut's look to see it all It is said of one Theodorus a Martyr that in all his tortures he smiled and being askt his reason answered that he saw a glorious youth wiping the sweat off his face whereby he was infinitely refreshed If thou couldest but see by the eye of Faith the blessed face of God smiling on thee and with the handkerchief of his love wiping thy sweat and tears away thy heart would be glad and thy glory rejoyce and thou wouldst say Lord it 's good yea it 's best for me to be here Go not willingly from him without a sight of him Moses had few distractions when he saw God face to face The actual faith of a Saint ingages the actual presence of God Drexelius tells us of a vision of an holy man and behold in the Temple an Angel at every man's elbow that was at prayer He that prayed with malice in his heart his Angel wrote his petitions in Gall he that prayed coldly his prayers were written in the water he that prayed with distractions his suits were written in sand and he that prayed in faith his Angel wrote his petitions in Letters of Gold The moral whereof at least is good
An Antidote AGAINST DISTRACTIONS OR An Indeavour to serve the Church in the daily Case of WANDRINGS in the Worship of GOD. By Richard Steele M. A. and Minister of the Gospel Judges 16.15 How canst thou say I love thee when thy heart is not with me Psalm 119.10 With my whole heart have I sought thee O let me not wander Basil. con 9. de Oratione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bernard de inter Domo c. 29.33 Non cogitando cogito cogitata recogito eadem iterum iterumque replicare non cesso in choro sum corpore in aliquo negotio mente Aliud canto aliud cogito psalmodiae verba profero psalmodiae sensum non attendo vae mihi quoniam ibi pecco ubi peccata emendare debeo LONDON Printed for Elizabeth Calvert at the Black-spread Eagle in Barbican 1667. TO THE Most Holy TRINITY THese first fruits I humbly lay at thy blessed footstool being ambitious of no other Patron but Thy self for Thou alone canst attest the sincerity of my aim herein which will plead with Thee for the imbecillities thereof Thou alone art the right Author of every valuable line and word in this ensuing Tract The Errata's only are mine but the Honour 's Thine Thou hast the strongest hand and truest heart to protect both the Writing and the Writer from all the malicious or unkind usage that we may meet with Thy approbation chiefly I humbly crave and then I am sure to have all good men on my side Against Thee Thee only have I offended by my Distractions and done these evils in Thy sight and therefore am bound to seek the destruction of them in all the world for Thy sake Thou hast so infinitely obliged the unworthy Writer of these lines that he rejoyces in this opportunity to tell the world That there is none in Heaven or Earth to be compared to Thee Thou only canst make my Indeavours herein succesful and bring that to the heart which I could only present to the ear or eye Vnto Thee therefore do I dedicate both this and my self with this earnest Prayer That this Essay may both please Thee and profit thy Church That Thou wouldest take this Rod into Thy hands and therewith whip these buyers and sellers out of Thy Temple That Thy great Name may hereby be magnified though the Writers were never known To Thy heavenly blessing do I most humbly recommend this mean work and worthless workman with a Resolution to remain while I have any Being Thine own Richard Steele To the serious Reader especially the first Hearers thereof Christian Reader YOU have here an Antidote against the most common distemper of God's people in his Worship My own disease caused me to study the cure the general complaint of good people against these Egyptian Flies moved me to preach it and the common good of God's Church not without solicitations thereto hath now perswaded me to publish it Be not offended that so much is written of so minute a point greater Tracts of the Fever Stone or Tooth-ach whereby they might be certainly cured would not be thought too long by such as are sick thereof Indeed this had never seen the light but that the disease is so general and that so few if any that have throughly and on purpose handled it However this may serve as the Learned L. Verulam hath it to awake better spirits and to do the Bell-ringer's office who is first up to call others to Church This being my first Essay riper Judgements will I believe observe divers defects and superfluities therein but Candour is a common debt which we all owe one to another and one poor mite may be accepted by men when two mites can please Christ himself It is my Request To you especially that were the first Hearers hereof that ye be not Hearers or Readers only but Doers of the Word The world knows you have been constant hearers let the world see that you are careful doers The indubitable truths and duties that I have still laid before you will undoubtedly convert you or else undoubtedly condemn you and therefore I beseech you in the bowels of Christ that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain For now I live if ye stand fast in the Lord. And my earnest request for you is that Divine Power may accompany Divine Precepts If you reap any benefit let God have all the praise and put the poor Instrument into some corner of your prayers I have chosen a dialect and phrase familiar for the advantage of the matter rather than the applause of the Writer being contented to be ranked among those qui non secundum artem scripserunt sed secundum gratiam you will excuse the unevenness of the stile and other imperfections when you understand that I had more studies than books in the composing hereof being distant from my Library and variously distracted in the writing about Distractions But my aim being a solid cure not a starcht discourse I have chosen a Divinity dress and not preached my self who am the chief of sinners but Christ Iesus my Lord the chief of Goods and my self Your Servant for Iesus sake R. S. May 10. 1667. The Contents CHAP. I. Sect. 1. THe Text propounded page 1. Sect. 2. An Observation Sect. 3. The words of the Text opened 6. The Doctr. It is a Christians duty to attend upon the Lord without Distractions 7. Sect. 4. A Distraction described 8. CHAP. II. Sect. 1. The kinds of Distractions distinquished 1. From the Fountain of them 12. 1. The Devil ibid. 2. The Mind 14. 3. The Fancy ibid. 4. The â—â—tward Senses 16. Sect 2. 2. By the Master whereof they consist 18. Being Good Bad Indifferent 19. Sect. 3. 3. By the Adjuncts of them 21. CHAP. III. Sect 1. That it is our duty to attend upon the Lord without Distractions Proved 1. From the Possibility of it by four Arguments 25. Sect 2. 2. From the Necessity of it 29. 1. To the Being of a Duty ibid. 2. To Comfort in a Duty 30. 3. To the Prosperity of a Duty 31. 4. To Communion with Christ in a Duty 32. CHAP. IV. Sect. 1. Reasons of the Doctrine 1. From the Nature of God His 1. Greatness 35. 2. Holiness 36. 3. Omniscience 37. Sect. 2. 2. From the Nature of his Worship Being 1. Reasonable 40. 2. Spiritual 41. 3. Sweet 42. Sect. 3. 3. From the Nature of our Condition here 1. We cannot live without God 43. 2. Our only way of communion is by Ordinances ibid. 3. All our heart and strength is too little for this work 45. Sect. 4. 4. From the Nature of Distractions 1. They divide the Heart 46. 2. They frustrate the Duty 47. 3. They contract more Guilt 48. CHAP. V. Sect. 1. Objections answered 1. About its Impossibility 50. Sect. 2. 2. About its Difficulty 53. Sect. 3. 3. From their Commonness 58. Sect. 4. 4. From Gods accepting the will for the deed 61. CHAP.
hands to God in the Heavens The elevation of the hands signifies nothing without lifting up the heart with them If prayer be the lifting up of the heart what are words without the heart A man may spend the same time and the same words in a serious and in an heartless Duty and yet the latter stand for nothing for want of intenseness and attention Isa. 64.7 There is none that calleth on thy name because none stirreth up himself to take hold on thee If a man come to the service of God and do not excite and stir up his soul to exercise grace as a man will blow a dull fire his faith zeal and humility if he do not blow them up but suffer his Heart to run at randome the holy God counts all the rest as a Cypher without a figure it stands for nothing 2. It is necessary to comfort in the Duty The service of God is a most sweet pot of ointment of a most refreshing odour The gracious soul is refreshed therein as in a bed of Spices Distractions are the dead flies Eccles. 10.1 that dropping into this sweet ointment cause it to send forth a stinking savour displeasing to God and unpleasing to the soul. Where can the soul be better than with God what sweeter company than that which Angels keep or pleasant imployment than conversing in Heaven till a sort of wandring thoughts arise and like a black cloud quite hide the sweet beams of that Sun of Righteousness from the soul and then your comfort is gone The sweetness of musick consists in its harmony when the strings are out of tune or untuneably toucht it is but a harsh sound there is no musick wandring thoughts are like strings out of tune there is no musick in that Duty the Holy Ghost goes away and likes it not and the soul likes it not is weary of it there is no sweetness in that Duty It is a tried Maxime The more seriousness the more sweetness the neerer to God the warmer and merrier is the soul which inward comfort is some reward to the heart of a Christian when his particular suit is denyed so that IN keeping of Gods Commandments there is a great reward The choicest of the Spirits sealing comforts are bestowed in the lively service of God 3. It is necessary to the prosperity of a Duty Psal. 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my Prayer In Gods service the soul should be regarding God alone If I regard a Corruption instead of Christ If wâ—en some vain object presents it self I turn my back on God to treat with vanity the Lord will not hear me nor regard me We read 1 Sam. 1.13 of that gracious Hannah that she spake in her heart only her lips moved not her voice was not heard yet this wordless prayer did the business Lip-labour if no more is but lost labour The sweating and labouring of the heart prevails The Lord our God hath a book of remembrance for them that think on his name while he turns the deaf ear to them that cry Lord Lord and do not inwardly adore him In short thus saith the Lord God Ezek. 14.4 Every man Child or not Child that setteth up his Idols in his heart and cometh to the Prophet sits demurely before the Preacher I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his Idols He that sets his heart on vanity vanity shall be his recompense If he will not affect his own Heart he shall never affect mine He that withdraws his Heart in asking will find the Lord to withdraw his Hand in giving what he asks 4. It is necessary to communion with Iesus Christ in a Duty Which though it be a Riddle to unregenerate men yet is the very business and next end of the Worship of God which if you lose that Duty is lost Jesus Christ calls Cant. 2.14 O my Dove let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely Now if when he waits thus to be gracious you wait not for his grace and watch for the blessed appearances of the Holy Ghost you will lose that happiness you 'l lose your labour and at length your souls How are you troubled that you are abroad when some good customer comes to your shop It troubles you when that is bestowed with another that was intended for you O Sirs the spirit of God is a good Customer and when he comes and you are away you are absent to your loss and therefore keep at home the next time How unmannerly would it be for the Subject to knock at his Princes Chamber and knowing he is within and waits for him step away about some frivolous trifle when he hath done The Prince appears opens his royall door and calls but the Clown is gone How fairly may he shut his door against such a guest and make him dance attendance long enough before he see his face Ah how seldome do we see the face of God in an Ordinance or much endeavour it Psal. 63.8 My soul followeth hard after thee The Hebrew is glued to thee That soul and that alone that follows hard after God by the earnest intenseness of zeal and love that cannot be content without him that heart shall cleave to him and have rare communion with him Thus you may plainly see that to attend on the Lord without Distraction is a Duty which is the Third Point to be handled CHAP. IV. Reasons why we ought to Attend on the Lord without Distraction SECT I. THe fourth Point is to shew the Reasons for the Doctrine and Duty of Attending on the Lord without Distraction And they are drawn 1. From the Nature of God 2. From the Nature of his Worship 3. From the Nature of our condition 4. From the Nature of Distractions The first reason is taken from the Nature of God each of his Attributes plead for this especially 1. The greatness of God The greater the Personage the greater the Reverence and the more solemn your attendance is Hence Elihu cryes Job 37.19 Teach us what we shall say to him for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness It is a bold adventure to speak to him what is it then to trifle with him wilt thou speak to God nay pray to God and not so much as look that way when thou speakest to him This is to put on him the robes and title of a King and use him like a slave A Prince may converse with two or three of his servants at a time but its Impudence for a servant to talk to two or three Princes at a time The great Iehovah can speak with thee and a thousand more and do all your errands at a time but alas thou art too poor a worm to entertain the great Iehovah and other matters at once We are his
spirits and Gods spirit also Those that tremble at the prophane mans taking Gods name in vain should make a Conscience lest they do it themselves lest They be damned for their Oaths and You for your prayers because you wrong Gods Majesty under the pretence of serving him and so affront him with more solemnity 3. They contract more sin upon the Soul We read Levit. 10.1 That Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron took either of them his Censer and put fire therein and put incense thereon and offered strange fire before the Lord. And the Lord took it in high disdain and with strange fire consumed them Sins of Ordinances are often extraordinary sins as Sacriledge is a greater sin than plain theft because it is a purloyning of what is consecrated so a sin in worship hath this aggravation that its in a place and presence and business that is set apart for communion with God Hence it comes to pass that many of Gods â—hildren have had grievous pangs and â—errour of Conscience on their death-bed for ordinance sins He that should be scoring out his sins and instead of that scores on more makes his sin exceeding sinfull O what need then have we to pray Psal. 119.39 Turn away mine eyes from beholding Vanity and quicken thou me in thy way And these are some of the Reasons that confirm and inforce this Practical Doctrine That we should attend upon the Lord without Distractions and so you have the fourth general Head CHAP. V. Objections Answered SECT I. BUT because there is no Duty so clear that our sinfull hearts will embrace if any shew of contradiction can be produced I shall wipe away all Possible Objections against this Duty which is the Fifth general Head to be handled It is impossible thus to Attend on God without distractions Such is the Variety of objects such the imbecillity of our Nature such the weakness of our Graces such the suddenness and swiftness of a thought that none but Angels can do this You press impossibles it can never be Though this objection hath been prevented before yet seeing it recurs again I answer 1. Perfection herein is impossible in this life not but that a prayer or other Ordinance may be attended with that intenseness as to exclude every wandring thought that would step in but to be perfectly free in every Duty from them is rather to be wished than hoped for in this life That Angelical perfection is Reserved for Heaven This Evangelical perfection may be here attained which is the prevalence of grace against them and not only a will but a watch and an endeavour to be utterly rid of them 2. And in this sense there is no divine precept impossible Though our Lord Jesus saith Joh. 15.5 Without me ye can do nothing yet the Apostle finds Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through him that strengtheneth me If all things then why not this Though it were impossible ex parte Rei in its self yet is it possible ex parte Dei with Gods help we are prone to think that we can compass easie things by our own strength and that difficult things are too hard for God Have you ever tryed to the utmost what God and you can do could you not have heard a Sermon better if a naked sword had hang'd by a single twist over your bare heads and have prayed more cordially if you had seen every word you prayed written down by the hand of God The same circumspection that keeps a Distraction out of one sentence might were you faithful therein keep it out of two or ten or twenty and he that can be temperate for a day might be temperate every day if he did his best 3. It is a mixture of cowardize and sloth that makes it impossible It is an argument of a slothful heart to say There is a Lyon in the way O there is a Lyon in the streets Prov. 26.13 yet if there were a Lyon in the way to Heaven thou must rather run upon him than run from God There is a worse Lyon will meet you in the way to Hell No no it s not the danger without but the dulness and slothfulness within that Creates the impossibility How many hundreds out of fearfulness and idleness have restrained Prayer before God till being soundly awaken'd they set about prayer and found it both feasable and delightful Religion in the power of it is a work of pains If you will not sweat for Heaven you must never have it try but the next duty with your best Diligence and you shall find it possible to the power of Grace which looks impossible to the strength of Nature SECT II. Obj. 2. It is difficult if it be not impossible yet it s very hard It s a lesson for the upper form in the School of Iesus Christ. We mean schollars need not attempt it because we cannot attain it as good to sit still as rise up and fall This is too hard for us Answ. 1. This argues the excellency of it the more hard the more honourable and therefore this should rather whet than dull thy courage If you except all hard points out of the practice of piety you will leave but few to be practised It is the idle Schollar that skips over the hardest words of his lesson but the rod must fetch him back unto them neither must you expect that God will take any notice of your easie duties if you turn off the hard he could have servants enough to do his easie work but Religion must go all together and almost Christianity will not serve the turn 2. The way to Heaven is hard and this you were told at first Mat. 7.14 Because strait is the Gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life If you like it not let it alone but see you exchange for the better To get a Kingdom is not easie its easie to lose one Who gets a race without sweating or a victory without bleeding or Heaven without striving Hence Mr. Latimer to one that objects against the duty he was pressing which was that Landlords should send for their Tenants and end differences among them that this were a good work indeed but marvellous hard O saith he my friend It is an hard matter to be a Christian. Heaven was never gotten yet without violence and there is no new way found of coming there But if Christ Iesus had not done harder work than this for thee thou must never have come there 3. And is there no hardship in attending upon sin Is it an easie thing to serve the Devil Wise Solomon saith Prov. 13.15 The way of Transgressors is hard Our love to it blinds our eyes or else he serves an hard service that dances attendance on any sin The Lascivious man swallows many difficulties perhaps weeks and months together to continue the pleasure of an hour How many dark nights doth the
that a man hath and not according to that he hath not Answ. 1. This axiom and Scripture were never intended as a pillow for the lazy but a support to the weary nor to exempt us from our duty but to comfort us under our weakness What Parent will accept this answer from a negligent Child or what Master will be content of this excuse from a slothful servant offer it now to you Governour and imagine not it will pass with God which would be counted a mockery with men 2. God never accepts the Will for the Deed when the Deed may be done when the Idem cannot be paid the Tantundem shall serve yea and so far as the Deed can be done the will without it is but a mockery unto God But wherein an upright heart hath done its utmost in the use of all means and would do more this will is accepted for the Deed even as if thou hadst perfectly obeyed And so that Scripture cited is express in the case of charity It is accepted according to that a man hath So that a man must give according to that he hath or else his willing mind stands for nothing Now have you done your utmost against Distractions can you do no more If Death stood at the end of the Duty you could double your watch Plead not this till you have done your best 3. It is far from the quality of grace to sit down content in any defect or sin or to vouch the mercy of God to secure the soul in any transgression who when he is drest in his richest garments of mercy Exod. 34.7 Yet will not by any means clear the guilty No it is the Genius of true Grace to be restless under his deâ—ects if he cannot be rid of them to rowle up the stone though it tumble still upon him and cry out and roar under those diseases that are uncurable After the Apostle had told us Rom. 7.19 The good I would I do not but the Evil that I would not that I do He lyes not down and resolves to let it run but fights and strives and cryes O wretched man that I am Vers. 24. Si dixisti sufficit periisti If thou once sit down be content and say I 'le strive no more thou givest the field The Spirit withdraws with tears and Satan goes away with triumph 4. The Great Iehovah is so far from being content with such a frame that he hath plainly cursed all such as do the work of the Lord negligently or deceitfully Jer. 48.10 Though you neglect not the work of the Lord yet if you do it negligently you are in danger of the curse Every Distraction is a neglect in each wandring you deal deceitfully with God and for every of these in a Duty Gods Law pronounceth a Curse And is the Divine Curse inconsiderable with you who could digest an hundred curses though pronounced at your door by a provoked neighbour O how much more intolerable is it to be obnoxious to an hundred Curses from Heaven justly deserved and infallibly inflicted if Repentance prevent not It is not the work of the Lord will excuse you Nadab shall perish with his strange fire as well as if he had offered nothing at all Take heed of forgiving your selves when God forgives you not A negligent Duty is abomination to God And thus you have the most material Objections answered which is the fifth Point handled CHAP. VI. The Causes of Distractions with their Remedies SECT I. VVE shall now proceed unto the more Practical part of this Subject namely to find out and summ up the causes of this Epidemical Disease which is the Sixth Point to be handled The First Cause of Distractions in Gods service is Secret Atheism There is an Atheism of the Head Atheism of the heart and Atheism of the Life In the first The Fool hath said in his Head There is no God Psal. 14.1 Mark it is not He hath thought in his heart but says it by rote to himself rather as what he would have than what he doth believe And of him this is truly said That the speculative Atheist is the greatest Monster in the world except the Practical And our late Divisions by the help of our corrupt Natures have proselyted a considerable number to this desperate Opinion As if the different opinions about the ebbâ—ng and slowing of the Sea should render it doubtful whether the Sea did ebb and flow or the disputes about the manner of Vision should call our Sight it self into question You would think it a fond conclusion to say Because Philosophers argue much about the sensitive and vegitative Faculties of the Soul that there is no rational Soul at all in that these very velitations and debates do argue a rational Soul by and with which these points are disputed even so it is notorious madness to conclude from the variety and diversity of Opinions about Religion and Government that there is no God seeing you are supported by him while you dispute and argue about him Atheism of the Heart is whereby the Fool saith also in his Heart There is no God that is either secretly questions or but coldly assents to the existence of God or heartily wishes there were none at all And it is worth observation of both these that they are such as are obnoxious to the Divine Majesty by some misdemeanor The Felon wishes there were no Judge at all and even these are forced in some pangs to acknowledge him at some fright by thunder under some horrour of Consciâ—nce or in the point of death they are forced to give Iehovah his due And they also in any sudden fright or great extremity use to cry out O God O Lord as earnestly as others Atheism of the Life that 's described Tit. 1.14 They profess that they know God but in works they deny him Now both these latter do breed of the first and this last is most visible in our Distractions For if thou didst as verily believe God present in an Ordinance as he that sits next thee durst thou trifle so egregiously as thou dost The Minister looks at you and you dare not talk if you saw him that looks at you from Heaven you durst not straggle And therefore the more or less strong our belief is of God the more or less lively are we in our applications to him Oh the patience of God! that he can indure the Worm to doubt of him yea implicitely to deny him and not demonstrate himself by a Thunderbolt But the Countrey-man's ignorance of the Primum Mobile doth not nullifie it no more doth the Athiests Infidelity degrade the Primus Motor the Majesty of Heaven Heb. 11.6 He that cometh unto God must first believe that he is The Remedy of this Cause is Humbly to read the Scripture which is the most clear certain and convincing way to work Faith herein Prayer and the Bible have convinc'd more than
Bell hard to be raised and as these have a greater unhappiness so they have need of more pains to fit them for God's service The occasions of some men will give them time enough to set their hearts in order to state their souls condition and chafe themselves into an holy heat and for them to come with cold and dead hearts into Religious duties cannot be answered The occasions of others are so urgent and continual that they have much ado to redeem time for Prayer but can hardly set apart time for a set and formal Preparation especially when a man is surprised with an holy duty or in prayer at meals or the like and therefore one Last may as soon fit all feet as one particular Rule suit with every good Christian. Answ 4. The least measure of Preparation that is necessary for the ordinary worship of God is That the heart be recalled and recollected out of the world and made apprehensive or sensible of the Nature of that God and weight of that work that you are about which if you can attain in a minute or are of necessity straitned or surprized you will be welcome to Heaven but if you can easily order your time or not easily order your hearts and remand your thoughts you venture on your peril and if God be not merciful and you penitent you will carry away a curse instead of a blessing And so I conclude this Answer with Heb. 12.28 29. Let us have grace not only a gracious habit but a gracious frame whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire Think it not much therefore to keep or get an heart prepared for the Worship of God When Ringers set not in together there 's little but jangling in that Peal but when they start all together there 's sweet musick and so it is when all the Congregation set â—out and take wing at once it 's Musick for Heaven whereas the heart that is unready for the duty mostly rings discords in it and spoils the harmony And indeed this unpreparedness of the soul doth make the duty ungrateful to the Worshipper When a friend comes upon you and you are unready no provision or rooms in readiness how comparatively unpleasing is his visit and distracted his entertainment when as to him that keeps a constant table or hath made set preparation the sight and conversation of his friend is very sweet So it is between our God and us when the rooms of the soul are prepared and at our gates ready are all manner of pleasant fruits new and old laid up for our beloved how can we welcome our Maker on his own cost into our souls whereas Christ himself hath but cold welcome and distracted entertainment in an unprepared soul. Lift up therefore thy heart in the porch of a duty with Psal. 119.37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken me in thy way SECT IV. THe fourth cause of Distractions in God's Worship is Luke-warmness He that is intense in any thing hath few thoughts to spare Distractions are but the idlings of the heaâ—t he that runs looks at nothing but the goal though he meet passengers or pass by Palaces he is in earnest and stops at nothing it is he that walks at leisure that turns his eye to every trifle and descants on every object he 's not in haste at all Even so the zealous Soul though he forgets not those things that are behind yet reaching forth to the things that are before presseth towards the mark he hath business in hand that concerns Eternity he cannot stand to whisper with every passenger nor trifle with every object It is the luke-warm heart that is prone to that He can pray to God and dress himself at once he can hear God and talk with men speak about heaven and contrive about the earth and in a word serve God and Mammon at a time Good Iacob was little troubled with wandring thoughts Hos. 12.3 4. when he had by his strength power with God yea he had power over the Angel and prevailed for he wept and made supplication Tears are the best charms to chase away Distractions While you sweat and weep and pray wandring thoughts will flee away As there can be no reason given for any sin call'd therefore folly so for this in special for if the holy work you are about be worth the consuming of your time which passes in every duty and is most precious sure it's worth the spending your pains and diligence He that loseth his time in the duty and loseth his soul by his luke-warmness in the duty makes a mad man's match For if the Sermon Prayer Chapter be not worth thy labour never attempt it and if it be never shrink nor be indifferent about it When you see a man freez at his work it invites a passenger to entertain him with talk And a frigid attender upon God tempts the Devil himself to tempt him Wherefore the Apostle Rom. 12.11 directs us to be fervent in spirit while we are serving the Lord not drowsie but fervent in spirit or boyling hot as the word signifies The busiest flies will not meddle with the scalding hony though the sweetness entice them yet the heat affrights them The base flies of thy distractions will not molest thy heart if it keep boyling hot in the service of God A warm and weeping Prayer is the right Holy Water that scares away the devil Now the best remedy against this Luke-warmness is 1. Consideration and 2. Practice 1. Consideration of the ineffectualness of a frozen duty which seldom reacheth the Heart of God when it reacheth not our own That the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent only take it by force that such duties neither please God nor our selves they mock God and rather deceive than delight us That some Prayer or Sermon must be thy last and perhaps this present may be it That it is an irrational thing to bring a dead Sacrifice to a living God That one serious and lively duty does you more good and leaves a more sweet blessed and active frame upon the soul than an hundred heartless services and in short That the Majesty whom you serve loves Adverbs and narrowly observes the How 's and Why 's of Sacred Worship That it is not a vain thing that you are about for it is your life Deut. 32.47 2. Practice is the other remedy To cure this luke-warmness in God's service frequent those Lights that are burning as well as shining Let 's go to Dedham said the Godly in that time to fetch fire when famous M. Rogers was there If you cannot hear a warming Divine then read them and be sure to have some Books for the rouzing and â—eating of your heart as others for clearing and instructing your judgment unless the work of Sanctification be perfect already in your heart
and affections while it remains imperfect in your mind and judgment Associate also with zealous Christians borrow some of their heat and lend them some of your light and be not ashamed to talk of God Heaven and a Soul when you are together we lose the benefit of mens graces for want of broaching those blessed Vessels of grace you converse with Especially read the Scripture which will inflame thee and mold thee being rightly used into its blessed nature I have known some that before their private duties would meditate on a verse in the Psalms Canâ—icles or the like and then run hot and lively into the presence of God And chose rather to be frequent and fervent than long and roving in a duty Shorter prayers may sometimes inflame when long ones tire the spirits and that way the antient Christians in Egypt used to take And lastly do as holy David did that carried such a nature as thou dost be ever calling to God as He who is at it eight or nine times in Psal. 119. Quicken me in thy way quicken me and I will call upon thy name and if He had need thus to fetch fire from Heaven how much more have We Q. Were it not better to omit the duty than attempt it with such a dull heartless frame as this A. 1. Omission of a duty will never fit us for the better performance of a duty Luther was used to say The oftner I neglect the more unfit I am this is nothing but a shift of the Devil 2. If thou dost endeavour with thy utmost strengthâ— and sincerity though thou be dull it 's better than to leave it undone for as one sin prepares for another so one duty prepares for another Fall therefore to work and then God is engaged to help thee never think neglects will mend it one sin never cures another By the upright use of these means you will find the holy Ghost as it were stretch himself on your cold hearts and infuse life and heat into you And when you are soaring aloft in the Spirit that cunning marksman cannot shoot and fetch you down by his distracting Arrows SECT V. THe fifth cause of Distractions in God's Worship is Worldly mindedness An heart in earth and an heart in Heaven are far asunder As long as the Lark soareth upward she sings without danger of the Net but stooping to gaze on the Foulers deceitful Glass she is quickly ensnared So is it with us while we live aloft we are safe but when the heart stoops down and grows worldly through the false glass Satan puts upon it then are we taken in these snares Ezek. 33.31 With their mouthes they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousness Their faces look one way but they row another their eyes are up towards heaven their hearts set on the earth and grasping two affairs they prosper in neither How should he set his affections on the things above that hath set them chiefly on things below when as these two are directly opposed Col. 3.2 How should the Soul that Bird of Paradise flie up to heaven in a duty when it is not only weighed down with the lead of natural corruption but intangled in the lime-twigs of earthly mindedness they can never write on their duties Holiness to the Lord that stamp upon their coyn God with us Hence it comes to pass that the heart is loth to come to an Ordinance and then longs to goe out again how heavily do they go to Church how lightly to the market for here the heart goes with them and there it 's left behind and being forc'd into a duty because its treasure is in the world the heart hastens to be there again and sicut piscis in arido is out of its element when in an Ordinance We read of the world set in a mans heart Eccles. 3.11 and of an heart set on the world Ps. 62.10 Now how should God have any of such a heart No no he that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth there he can rest without weariness of that he can discourse without distractions but when he should turn to God and flee to heaven this care knocks at door and that business whispers him in the ear and there the carcase is left but the heart is gone The Prophet Hosea 4.11 tells us that whoredome and wine and new wine take away the heart It were very unlikely that any man in the heat of those sins should pray or hear or meditate aright and it is much what as likely for an heart that is taken away with the cares of this world and drowned therein to converse with God without innumerable wandrings Mistake not it is not the world but worldly mindedness that is taxed not the increase of riches but the heart set upon them And so no doubt a poor man may have his part of distractions through his want of worldly things as well as the rich through his abundance He may have many a distracting thought what to do for the world as the rich hath what to do with the world And thus we see those things which were given for our welfare prove our snare and what should hire us to serve God keeps us from him Which shews what good reason the wise man had to crave neither riches nor poverty but convenient comforts seeing the weight of the world distracts one sort and the want of the world another sort in the very immediate service of God Howbeit for the most part the heart that is fullest of the world is emptiest of God Now the best remedy against worldly mindedness is Mortification O get a chip of Christ's Cross Gal. 6.14 whereby the world will be crucifi'd to you and you to the world So was Paul As saith one of the Antients Paul and the world were like two dead bodies that neither embrace with delight nor part with grief from each other You must be dead I say dead to the world if you mean to live to God or live with him A drunken prayer and a worldly prayer are alike devout Therefore Love not the world nor the things of the world for so long the love of the Father is not in you and if you love him not how should you pray to him It would be an ill favoured sight to behold all this Congregation in their work-day cloaths here how unpleasing a sight to God is it to see us all with our work-day hearts Now that you may be rid of an earthly heart faithfully make use of these directions 1. Get faith to believe the report God hath given of the world that all that is in it is but the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life a poor vain thing not able to give the soul a breakfast this all that have tasted it and Christ also do aver and canst thou
find that in it which none ever found will it do more for thee than ever it did for any Believe its vanity upon God's Word ere thou try it by thy sad experience Get faith to suck vertue out of Christ's death to vanquish it For this is our victory 1 Ioh. 5.4 that overcometh the world even our faith Lay thee down with Christ in the grave by faith and say then What is the world Get faith to believe that eternal happiness which being once seen by that piercing eye would so disgrace the world that all the comforts of it would not weigh a straw in comparison of it If a man lived in the Sun what a poor mote would the whole earth look He that lives in Christ in Heaven by faith sees all the glories of the earth with a disdainful eye and cries Vanity of vanities all is vanity 2. You shall be helped against this disease by deep consideration of the folly and misery of such a frame of heart It 's folly for all that is gotten of the world with the neglect of the soul invasion of holy duties or by a carking worldly heart comes to thee in wrath will sink thee deeper in hell or if thou repent is most commonly some way consumed vix gaudet tertius haeres thy grand-child will rue it If we could penetrate the method of God's providence usually those losses you have in this beast or the other house or the like are the just value of what you have gotten by immoderate care hard dealing with others or unseasonable contrivance when your heart should have been better employed And then the misery of worldly-mindedness that it pierceth the heart through with many sorrows Sorrow and pain in getting sorrow and care in keeping sorrow and grief in losing The heart is never at perfect rest A man would not use his horse as a worldling doth his heart gives it no quiet or ease and all this to no purpose at all Hab. 2.13 The people labour in the very fire and weary themselves for very vanity and may not the consideration hereof be an effectual means to hate this humour and when it is once hated it is more than half discharged 3. Have recourse to God by prayer and therein see and bewail thy former madness solemnly vow to restore their right to every man thou hast wronged rather part like Zacheus with half thine estate than with thy whole soul and body and earnestly cry to the Lord to encline thy heart to his testimonies and not unto covetousness Psal. 119.36 Intreat your heavenly Father to give you an heavenly heart and if it come not at first asking it 's a gift worth going for again humbly tell him by vertue of that Covenant wherein you promised to forsake the world which you are now resolved to stick to his Majesty is bound to give you a mortifi'd and heavenly heart and you will never leave him till you have obtained it 4. Charm your hearts from worldly thoughts when you go to the worship of God Prov. 16.1 3. The preparation of the heart is from the Lord Commit thy ways to him and thy thoughts shall be established The Heathen left their shooes at the Temple doors to intimate that all earthly affections must be left behind you when you go to speak with God Do as that great States-man used who would lay off his Gown wherein he administred his Office when he went to worship God and say Lie there Lord Cecil implying he would take none of the cares of his Office into the presence of God So when you go to prayer reading or hearing lay aside the world and say Lie there house ye fields lie there lie there my cares till I have done with God So Abraham left his servants and asses Gen. 22.5 below the hill and took up nothing but an holy heart and the materials of his Sacrifice with him thither Keep still an eye upon your hearts and both watch and pray lest ye enter into temptation SECT VI. THe sixth cause of Distractions in the Worship of God is Weakness of love to Iesus Christ and consequently to his Ordinances Love unites the soul to its object as Faith is the bond of our mystical so Love is the bond of our moral union with Christ. The more love to Christ the more life in his service Cant. 8.6 Set me as a seal upon thy heart as a seal upon thy arm for love is strong as death Were your love more strong it would seal up both soul and body and unite them firmly unto Jesus Christ. Love marries the heart and eye to the object hence 't is there is not a distracting thought in heaven for there love is perfect they see and love and sing and praise and see enjoy and love for ever and ever The three Disciples Matth. 17.4 had but an half-quarter glimpse of that state but their love to their dearest Lord and his presence was so heightned that the world was forgotten Ierusalem below and all their friends and fellow-Disciples forgotten and they undone to abide there And if we could by the eye of faith see him that is invisible and perfectly love him O how hardly could we spare a by-thought in his presence and service no all the world would be forgotten comforts and crosses all sleep together while God and our soul were conversing in an Ordinance Whence is it that most men can work and care perpetually and no distractions divert them discourse their business most orderly without one alien thought drive on a bargain an hour together and think on nothing but what 's pertinent to their present business Why they love what they are about they like it well and so tongue and heart go together are wholely taken up therewith The jovial knot like their company and nothing shall distract them the servant comes about necessary business the master fumes that they will not let him alone the child comes and then the wife but he frets he rages And why all this why he loves his company 't is his delight his heaven Even so the Soul that hath a strong love to a precious Christ and his Ordinance-presence doth most heavily bear a distracting thought The devil cannot pluck him from Christ but the soul smarts and when there is this smart at parting that soul will part but seldom You have sometimes seen a sucking child that loves the mother and the breast most dearly how loth is it to leave it while it is hungry how eagerly and angrily it seeks and cries and catches hold again Here 's love Christ Iesus is the spring of all happiness and his Ordinances are his breasts and he that loves the Lord Jesus with all his soul and all his strength there he lies and sucks at the breasts of consolation This business knocks at door that trifle tempts him yet there he sticks and frowns away all his temptations His love is ardent Psal.
and the dangerous passenger for all his importunity is stopp'd and turn'd again Why perhaps the plague comes with him and therefore the Halbard salutes his breast he comes not there the neglect of this care would soon lay waste the land So if any stragling thought perhaps with the plague in it shall enter at pleasure into the soul especially while the Lord's service is in hand no wonder that soul lies waste Lord have mercy may be written on that door 1. The neglect of watchfulness before holy duties causes distractions and that is by not heeding to order your affairs with discretion for God's service When you involve your selves in too much business too much for your head too much for your time or too much for your strength then worldly thoughts will get place you cannot help it Or when men are unadvised in their business in not chusing a fit time for duties and thereby your business and God's shoulder one another and neither is done well And therefore we are commanded 1 Pet. 4.7 to watch unto prayer As Satan watches to cross and indispose us by throwing some diverting and cooling occasions so is it our wisdom to counter-watch him Indeavour to time your businesses and especially your duties It is the character of a good man Psal. 112.6 that he orders his affairs with discretion and renders every thing beautiful in its time For its a true observation that an indiscreet ordering of Saturdays business hath great inâ—luence into the unprofitableness of the Sabbath's Ordinances 2. Neglect of watchfulness in holy duties Our hearts so far as unregenerate are fetch'd into holy duties as a prest souldier into the field he is brought in against his will no principle of courage or love to his country he had rather be digging or idling at home Now such a souldier what trust can you repose in him if he be not watch'd he steals away at every lanes end and in the midst of the battel you shall be sure to miss him a constant eye must keep him or you lose him 'T is just so with our naughty hearts if there be not a predominant principle of grace 't is not choice but use that brings them in they would rather be carking or trifling about any thing than busie in prayer and therefore if you neglect to watch them at every turn no sentence end but they will steal away For prayer without watching is but a meer complement Where the tongue goes one way and the heart another that 's a complement and such is a watchless duty It is said the Nightingale in her sweetest notes is apt to fall asleep to prevent which she settles her self on a bough with a thorn at her breast that when she begins to nod that sharp monitor may awake her The holiest Saint is apt to nod and steal away in the midst of his solemnest duties if God's Spirit do not aurem vellere quicken his watch Christ's own Disciples even just after a Sacrament were overtaken for want of this Matth. 26.40 What could ye not watch with me one hour And if they fell asleep at prayer for want of watching how can you keep close to God without it that have neither so good a monitor without nor so good an heart within 3. Neglect of watchfulness after duties causes distractions in the next that follow people use to let loose their hearts when the Duty ends and unlace themselves for ease and then their thoughts take liberty Which our deceitful hearts fore seeing no cords will bind them to a good behaviour in the very duties themselves whereas were there a constant watch kept up after our duties were done and conscience made of our thoughts all the day long we should contain our hearts in better order while God's worship lasts The fore-sight and especially fore-tastes of liberty approaching sets the soul madding thereupon and we cannot keep it in Besides Religion is concatenated hath a dependance one thing upon another and it is unsufferable to take and leave where we will If vain thoughts lodge with you at other times they will visit you at your business and if they be entertained when you have a mind they will press in when you have no mind The Remedy against this neglect is To be throughly convinc'd of the absolute necessity of constant watchfulness Prov. 4.23 Keep thy heart with all diligence as a castle is kept from scaling an house from robbing or a Jewel from defacing so the Criticks and all these are kept constantly one hours negligence would hazard any of them And then with all diligence Heb. with all keeping or as some above all keeping The eye we watch from harm all the day the vitals we defend and guard with constant care we know that a touch there is mortal but above all keeping keep the soul Be perswaded that watchfulness is as necessary as prayer you think without prayer you shall go to hell and I aver that without watchfulness you cannot go to heaven Mans life in this sense is a continued Ordinance Hos. 12.6 wait on thy God continually not only at thy prayers but at thy plough while on your knees you are waiting on God and when you rise from your knees you are going to wait on him in your calling and an unbecoming thought is displeasing to him every where he is sensible of an affront in the kitchen as well as in the parlour and hates vanity all the day long 1 Pet. 4.7 Be sober and watch unto prayer Sober and watch as if they that do not watch are mad To watch unto prayer is duty as well as to watch in it He that watches not to duties doth not do his duty a wise Christian should have always something in store for God work and look at God eat and drink and talk and still look at God and at the soul This is to wâ—lk with God all the day long As the careful Bee must needs leave her hive and fly abroad but she dwells no where else she lights on this â—lower and then on that exhausts their sweetness deflowers them and gets away she never rests till she return to her hive there she rests and enjoys her self So an holy heart must needs out into the world and business must be done but he rests at nothing till he return to the enjoyment of God again no flower gives him content no business no company satisfies but he retires to God looks at him and is lightned and steps out again This Sirs this is the Religion of Religion I know it 's hard but it 's possible the ice is broken for you and the way is trodden Act. 24.16 Herein do I exercise my self to have always a conscience void of offence It 's my daily trade and business to keep my soul that I neither offend God nor man If you will make a trade on 't you may do it God never calls for duty but helps in
's the meaning of Salem In Salem also is his tabernacle and his dwelling place in Sion Psal. 76.2 The unkindness offered is very great as if you should earnestly importune some noble friend to accompany and help you in some arduous affair and he comes to go with you once and again and still when you should come along and promote your own business you steal away about some trivial matters and leave your noble friend in the lurch This is the very case you humbly imporâ—une the holy Spirit of God to help you in the service of God and he most graciously comes to help you but one distraction or other charms away your heart and the Holy Ghost is left alone And thus the Holy Ghost is so oft sinned against till at length he is sinned away And thus you see the evil of Distractions which is the seventh Point to be handled CHAP. VIII The Cure of Distractions SECT I. AND if there be such great evil in these Distractions and evil effects of them what shall an upright heart do to be rid of them I say an upright heart that inquires for means to use them and craves a plaister not to look at but to apply to his sore And art thou thus resolved that readest these lines For us to spend our skill and you your time without full purpose to practise is labour in vain Nay it will harden your hearts here and increase your condemnation hereafter You will deceive your selves and disappoint us if you rest in hearing without doing what you hear Well then are you resolved unfeignedly to take the Lord's counsel for the destruction of your distractions Stop a little and resolve And now let me put that question to you Ier. 30.21 Who is this that hath ingaged his heart to approach unto me saith the Lord Who is this who will do it who is thus well advised that hath ingaged not only made a proffer but ingaged and that his heart to approach unto God and where in this Congregation doth that man sit or stand that out of a deep sense of the hatefulness and hurtfulness of this sin doth now ingage his heart and soul to use all means against it and that in the uprightness of his heart The Lord your God sees who yields and cries out through grace I am resolved Well on that condition I proceed to Direction I. Dispel the Causes fore-mentioned and use the Remedies prescribed against them and here if you be in good earnest you will look back and review them and the helps adjoyned and beg of God as you read them In this Lord pardon and help thy Servant A man of small skill may easily stop the symptoms of diseases as the present pain in the teeth or the like but he is an Artist that removes the causes of them and it is more easie to turn off two or three of these vain thoughts than to heal the soul of the Thought-evil in the causes thereof If these remain Atheism unpreparedness lukewarmness worldliness and the like in the heart all the rules and receits under Heaven will never cure you of Distractions For there will still spring up continual supplies from these corrupt causes as the lopping of the boughs will still have new sprouts coming until the â—ooâ— be stocked up and therefore with faithfulness and resolution set upon all those Remedies that have been prescribed Beg of God to dry up the spring else your damming up the streams will do no good When the causes are dispelled the cure is wrought And here is a plain discovery of an Hypocrite in heart if some light easie receit will help him in any case he may set to it but if he must go about and take pains if the way of cure be any whit intricate or difficult then he throws it up never will go to the bottom of his business Whereas the upright heart doth but desire to know what to do what is God's method and way and then long or short hard or easie he never disputes he demurrs not but falls to work he knows every inch he goes he gets advantage and IN keeping of God's Commandments there is great reward The speediness of his cure he desires but the soundness of it he insists on and counts no trouble in the cure like the evil of his sin Are you resolv'd in this else 't is to no purpose to proceed To stumble at the threshold presages But if we be clear thus far I proceed SECT II. II. BEwail your former failings in this respect this will divers waies conduce to your amendment 1. Morally being an Argument that you really dislike the sin and the condition of God's pardon thereof The ordinary Lord have mercy doth herein fall short of pardon because it is not spoke in tears If God did but see a man grieve for his sin a little ado a few words should get forgiveness The Publican had but a short peccavi nor David upon his dreadful fall but they were words that were felt they were heart deep they swum in tears each word fetcht a drop of blood from the heart And God was well pleased with them in Christ. When Antipater had written a large Letter to Alexander against his Mother Olympia his answer was dost thou not know that one tear from my Mother's eye can wash away all her faults so one penitential tear from a believers eye can perswade much with God in Christ for the pardon of his wandrings But the most imbroidered phrases without this Christian grief work not with God at all Lachrymarum lingua disertissimè loquitur If Christ Jesus himself did sue for pardon for an impenitent sinner he would not be heard But when your conscience is toucht and the heart melts and bleeds for your faults herein now saith God I see yonder man cannot live with a wandring heart and therefore he shall live without it I 'le never see him drown'd in his distractions that is thus drowned in tears about them if he really dislike them I 'le really dispel them And then again till their guilt be pardon'd our tear are usually desperate like a wicked spend-thrift while hopeless of a discharge from all treasures up sin unto sin till that dreadful pay-day come the day of Judgement Whereas when sin this sin is truly grieved for the Holy Ghost doth ever bring a pardon in one hand and a plaister in another at the same time to clear the guilt and cure the disease O saies the soul I am defiled I am wounded in my flight to Heaven I am disappointed in my affairs my God is angry I have sinned just then when I should have scored out my sins I have sinned against my remedy and how shall I be cured O was there ever such a rotten backsliding heart such a Cain-like vagabond cursed frame what place but Hell is fit for that heart that cannot rest in Heaven Ah Lord I wonder that the end of
If thou wouldst believe that every word spoken by thee or to thee is written with what care and conscience wouldst thou pray and hear And be sure there is one among you that takes notes of all who will give to every man according to his works whom to see and feel in an Ordinance will quit you from Distractions SECT V. V. LAY a Law upon your senses Beg of God to sanctifie them as they are all Pensioners to Satan by nature and comploâ—ment so bring them all into Covenant with God that ye may be sanctified in soul and body and spirit Give them to him use them for him Is is said Prov. 17.24 The fools eyes are in the ends of the Earth Any new face that comes in any antick garb any noise about every head that moves every leaf that stirs commands the eyes and heart of a fool but that while Prov. 4.25 Let thy eyes look straight on and let thine eye-lids look straight before thee Compose thy eyes in that devout and heavenly posture that whatever falls out thou mayest hoc agere keep to thy business without wavering For the heart is used to walk after the eye Job 31.7 To the undoing of the soul. It is a precept among the Rabbins that if a Jew be at prayer though a Serpent come and bite him yet he must not stir till he hath done his duty Satan that old Serpent will be nibling at thy heel with one vain suggestion or other but go thou through with thy business and let God alone with him In Prayer then fix thy eyes Heaven-ward and let nothing divert them till the prayer be done This will shew that thou wouldst lift thy heart thither if thou couldst and will prevent many an impertinent distraction that comes in by the eye If any deride thee for this doubt thou not of good company Psal. 123.1 Unto thee do I lift up my eyes O thou that dwellest in the Heavens Let your ears be as good as stopt to every thing besides your work And the lifting up your craving hands will not be unprofitable to this end for you will find them to flagg when the heart knocks off from its business whereby you may be advertised to come in again Lam. 3.41 Let us lift up our hearts WITH OUR HANDS unto God in the Heavens And let your prayers be vocal if it may be for the voice both helps to fix the thoughts and raise the affections the want whereof we discern in meditation In hearing of God's Word let the eye be chained to the Preacher with the greatest attention and reverence as if you saw an Angel in the Pulpit or Christ himself And beware lest your needless complements to men be interpreted a neglect to God 'T is small manners to be complementing the Kings Servants in his Presence chamber till you have done your homage to the King Do your work with God 't is time enough to perform your civilities to men when that is done Look then to God from him is thy expectation with him is thy business Luk. 4.20 The eyes of all them that were in the Synagogueâ— were FASTENED on him And therein also let your ears be only open Heaven-ward Lord to deal with thee I am come and thou shalt have all my soul and body and all And here I cannot but digress a little but it is to cure a more criminal digression which is that frequent Abuse of Whispering and talking to one another in the service of God which except it be upon such instant indispensable business as cannot be ordered before or after the Ordinance is a sin in an high degree and that 1. Because it brings a guilt and distraction upon two at once If a vain thought there be so evil as you have heard how criminal then is this that involves you both yea perhaps occasions a distraction to twenty more that observe you And the guilt of all their vain thoughts on that occasion will be charged on your account according to the equity of that Law Exod. 21.23 2. Because this hath more of Affront in it Thy heart testifies to God's face that thou dost despise his presence Who but an impudent Renegade would while the King is laying down terms of mercy and honour to him be talking and laughing with his companions at some uncouth Courtier that comes in and who but an implicit Atheist shall be whispering with his neighbour about any thing while the King of Heaven and Earth is treating with him about Eternity You hold it no piece of good manners while any man is speaking to you especially if he be your superiour to neglect him so far as to turn from him to discourse another nay if the most necessary business call you away you apologize for your diversion and crave pardon And shall you dare while your Maker is in conference with you to confront him with an open parle with others This is an high affront if you consider it well 3. This hath more offence in it An offence to the Preacher that hath taken much pains to prepare that which you will not take pains to hear or else imply it is not worth the hearing An offence to the Congregation that sees it who must needs if they fear Godâ— be troubled at so publick a fault An offence to the Angels that while they stoop down to look into the mysteries opened in the Church see you sleight them so notoriously An offence to your own souls that perhaps in that moment miss of what would most have done them good O therefore Christian Reader mourn for thy misbehaviour this way and amend it for time to come lest God refuse to treat with thee that triflest thus in thy treating with him Remember it 's work enough for a poor man to converse with a great God He needs no other business to fill his hands And then in Meditation you must also compose your senses There shut your eye and ear and sequester your self wholly to the contemplation of things invisible The least sight or sound will here distract Any thing yea nothing will throw us off the hinges in this duty indeed it is said of Isaac Gen. 24.63 That he went forth in the field in the evening-â—ide to meditate And in that kind of meditation where the rise and subject matter is sensible there the senses must be active and busie but I think in other cases the outward senses may stand aside and let the soul alone without them we are never more sensible than when we use no outward sense at all And lastly in communicating at the Lord's-table there fix both your eyes on the sacred elements until the eye have affected the heart to feel what Christ felt to die in his death and looking on him whom you have pierced you mourn for him with a superlative sorrow And then look at those sacred signs with an eye of Faith till virtue come from that brazen Serpent to cure your sin-stung
to me that see and am contracting for an eternal and glorious house and state Alas what tast it there in these rotten things 2. The more grace the clearer will be your eye of faith to behold the Majesty of God with whom you have to do and the reality of the things about which you treat for faith is the evidence of things not seen and makes the soul as real as the body and Heaven as real as the world and the day of Judgement as real as the present day And how undistractedly would a man pray that saw the world on a flame or himself dropping into another world 3. The more grace the tenderer will be your conscience and so sooner smart and more oppose these enormities the tender eye cannot bear what the brawny hand can A distraction in a duty more troubles a tender conscience than the total omission of it doth another A little sin isâ— no little sin where there is a great deal of grace O keep your conscience tender with all the caâ—e and skill you can A little wedge makes way for a greater and a little thief can let a greater in Blessed is the man that feareth alway and he that hath a soft heart is alwaies hard to sin 4. The more grace the more affections to things above Col. 3.2 Set your affections on things above and where there is much affection there is little distraction A heavenly mind is all in all Isa. 26.8 9. When the desire of the soul is to the remembrance of Godâ— when with thy soul thou hast desired him in the night then with thy spirit within thee thou wilt seek him early He that hath his usual conversation in Heaven will not easily have his heart from thence in prayer It 's a clear case where the treasure is there will the heart be also A mind above will no so easily have thoughts below Where is that man that can say Psal. 119.20 My soul breaketh for the longing it hath to thy Iudgements at all times He whose heart breaks for the presence of God will break his heart when he slips from him And he that cryes O when shall I come and appear before God will not privately wish when shall I have done and take leave of him 5. The more grace the more disposed frame will the heart be in for the service of God And it is indisposition to an Ordinance that lets in distractions there as an instrument out of tune hath divers jarring strings and still one or other slips and spoils the melody a distraction is a string slipt that spoils the musick a tuned and disposed heart would prevent it much The flock of sheep that 's indisposed and unwilling to drive start out of the way into every Lanes end one this way and another that and just so is it with an unwilling heart one thought starts this way another that and it 's a piece of skill to drive them through O but a willing heart an heart prepared and ready to every good work it flies up quite an end and delights its self in the Lord The Law of God is in his heart none of his steps then shall slide Psal. 37.31 6. The more grace the more spiritual and invisible sins are observed and resisted Small grace discerns and mortifies the filthiness of the flesh but strong grace sees and hates the filthiness of the spirit and so perfects holiness in the fear of God Gross sins are left at first but more resined sins spiritual wickedness in heavenly imployments these are work for riper graces afterwards Hence the strong Christian usually with ease can avoid oppression cruelty uncleanness drunkenness and the like but the weak Christian hardly conquers spiritual pride passion unbelief distractions and such like a little mote more troubles the eye than much dirt molests the hand so an holy tender heart is more troubled with these undiscerned sins than another man with greater crimes 7. The more grace the stronger resolutions you will put on against them and resolution breaks the heart of them The poor Country-man going to his Market at every door in town almost there is a snare laid for him here one calls him in and there another but he resolved in the morning not to spend a penny and thereby he breaks through and avoids them all Alas his whoâ—e weeks earning had gone at a clap and he should have had nothing but repentance to feed on the week following Even so when thou comest into an holy Ordinance the souls Market where the soul hath much business here one thought stands and beckens and there lyes another and at the door of every verse and sentence a suggestion stands but if thou hast firmly resolved at the beginning of the duty by God's grace I 'le not stir from my God from my work one jot thou wilt not heed nor exchange a word with these vain follies For alas if thou shouldst the whole gain of thy duty would be eaten up and the end of thy duty would be the begining of thy grief 8. The more grace the more business ye will find you have to do with God in his Ordinances little grace hath little to do and much grace hath much to do he hath alwaies business with God special earnest business Psal. 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that I may dwell in the house of the Lord and why to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his Temple O I have somewhat to inquire after I am to do something by this duty and therefore cannot trifle He that comes to visit his friend in a complement he talks he walks he trifles and goes home again but he that comes upon business he is full of it He is like Abraham's honest and faithful Servant Gen. 24.33 And there was meat set before him to eat but he said I will not eat till I have told mine errand I have great business with the Lord about the Church and about my soul and I will not eat nor talk nor think nor dally about any thing till I have told mine errand or heard my Maker's errand unto me And for this end it 's a rare thing to carry somewhat alwaies on the spirit to spread before God an heart pregnant with some needful request or matter whereof to treat with God Psal. 45.1 My heart is inditing a good matter and then my tongue shall be like the pen of a ready Writer O then I shall go merrily on in his service when I have matter prepared in my heart And indeed as the Mariner sees further new stars the further he sails he loseth the sight of the old ones and discovers new so the growing Christian the further he sails in Religion he discovers new wants new Scriptures affect him new tryals afflict him new business he finds with God and forgetting those things that are behind he watcheth after those things that are before and so finds every day new
praebeat sine impedimento Dominum obsecrandi miswritten for observandi as Beza thinksâ— But Erasmus sayes the oldest Translation was Domino observiendi after turned into observandi and by some obsecrandi (b) Some Copies read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acceptabâ—le This way the Arabick speaks ut confortemini quà m proximè secùndum Dominum But the truest is our own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deâ—ompositâ—m of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sedeo from which the Syriack differs little (c) Assidere apiè adhaerefcere Legh Assiduus in aliquo negotio Stephan (d) Indivulsè adhaerens Budaeus Quasi à latere alicujus nunquam discedens Stephan Ut sitis seduli more fidorum servorum qui à latere domini sui non discedunt Bez. è Syr. (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trabo immobilis inconcussus quietus qui distrahi nequit Budaeuâ— Stephan Usus est hac voce Plut. de Curiosit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellans â—ffiduum studium sapientiae nullis negotiis aliâ— mentem avocantibus (f) Ut fitis seduli erga Dominum vestrum cum honestate decorá non cogitantes de mundo Treâ—ull (g) Ut srequens sit oratio Sedulius Doct. § 4 The first general Head viz. The description of Distractions * Primum argumentum compositae mentis existimo esse consistere secum morari Senec. Epist. 2. :: The same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the Soul and a Butterfly because our wandring imaginations make our wavering spirits like wagling Butterflies puffed up and down with every blast of vanity Mr. Pagets Primmer * In the Sacrifices of the Law the Inwards still were offered to God the skin was for the Priest Psal. 90.8 * When King Ethelbert was at his Devotions news was brought of the Danes invasion at Essenden but he neither omitted nor abreviated his prayers he would hear no suit on Earth till he had made his requests in Heaven and afterwards he bravely vanquished them Dr T. Fuller Cap. 2. The second general Head viz. The kinds of Distractions §. 1. Their several Fountains * Eccles. 10.2 A wise mans heart is at his right hand i. e. His heart is ready and prepared to every good work Annot in loc * Non enim unquam dormitat vigil ille Synagoga suae Episcopus Amama ** Impetus Diabolici fortiores affectibus naturalibus Ioab could hinder David from weeping for Absolon not from numbring the people to which Satan stir'd him up D. Arrows Psal. 53.2 * Cùm reresupini jacemus in lectulo nihil tale cogitamus Sed cum venimus ad Orationem cogitationes avocant sine fructu efficiunt Chrys. de nat Dom. Hom. 17. (a) Non-nunquam verò quod egi in corpore hoc importunâ— verso in mente In corde enim servo dedepicta qua vidi feci torpeo abutili opere quoniam fagiâ—or illicit â— cogitatione Bern. denit Dom. cap. 30. * Heb. The walking of the soul. (b) Thus Praecedentia peccata sunt sequentium causa sequentia sunt praecedentium poena Aug. (c) Respexit ocusus sensum mentis evertit audivit auris intentionem inflexit inhalavit odor cogitationem impedivit oâ— libavit crimen retulit tactus contulit ignem adolevit Intravit mors per fenestram Fenestra tua est oculus tuus Ambr. de fug seculi c. 1. (d) There was once a contention between the Eye the Heart whether of them was the cause of Sin after long arguing it was concluded that the Heart was the Cause the Eye the Occasion The most vicious Sense and therefore soonest decays and made the seat of Tears (e) Si per auticam ejicias per posticam denuâ— solent irreper◠§. 2. The matter of Distractions Bernard makes three sorts of them Impertinent Worldly Sinful He compares the first to lutum simplex the second to limus that stick to the heart the third to coenum that are stinking and noysome in the sight of God Bern. de tr gen Cogit * Sunt enâ—m nonnullae cogitationes penitus ociosae ad vâ—m non pertinentes quas tam facilè abjicere quà m recipere facile possit anima dummodo sit secum habitans in corde suo assistens dominatori vniversae terrae Bern Serm. de tr gen cogit §. 3. The Adjuncts of Distractions * These are cogitationes onerosae quibus resistere vult tamen non potest sed velit nolit irruit in oculos mentis massarum pestilentia perstrepunt ranae in penetralibus cordis ejus Bern. lib. de Consc. c. 5. * Of these Mr. Capel thus While thy prayer comes out of a spiritual habit of grace be set on work at first by an actual intention of the mind a vertual intention may serve all along after though there be some roving thoughts I say may serve to make them currant at the Throne of Grace and in the Court of Conscience p. 121. * Cerenus writes of Theophylact a Patriarch of Constantinople that he kept 2000 horses fed with Dates and Almonds and watred them in Wine And being on a time while he was performing his Office in the Temple of Sophia told in his Ear that his Mare Phaâ—bante had foal'd he broke of his Service went home to see it and then came and set in again What was ill done by him in Person is not well done by us in spirit Cap. 3. Proves that it is our Duty to Attend on the Lord without Distraction §. 1. The possibility of it * Imperat mihi Deus ut praebeam illi cor meum quia imperanti Deo non sum obed eâ—s mihi sum rebellis contrarius idcirco plura machinatur cor meum uno momento quà m omnes homines perficere possunt uno anno Bern. med c. 8. * Compare Deut. 10.16 with Chap. 30.6 And so 1 Ioh. 2.27 28. §. 2. The necessity of it Read Gersons Distinction of Habitual Actual and Vertual Attention of the heart and consider it well Gerson de Oratione p. 612. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc. * Ubi Duo vel â—res congregati in nomin meo c. qui sunt isti Duo nisi anima corpus Ambros. de instit virg c. 2. ** 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Tunc Veraciter oramus quando alâ—â—nde non cogitamus Bern. de in t Domo c. 48. * Nequâ— enim agnosci potâ—riâ— Ã spiritu sancto spiritus inquinatus aut impeditus à liberoâ— nemo adversarium recipit nemo nisi comparem sùum admittit Tert. de orat p. 135. * Deus autem non vocis sed cordis auditor est sicut conspector Tert. de oratione p. 154. * As long as Moses hâ—ld up his hand Israel prevailed and no longer * Morn Lect. p. 467. * Curramus igitur non passibuâ— corporis sed affectibus sed desideriis quia non â—olum Angeli sed Angelorum Creator nos expectat Bern. Med.
me and heard not my dull prayers So I said Well then so will I cry the louder Luth. Colloq And when he found his spirit out of frame he would never give over praying till he had prayed his heart into that frame he prayed for * Birds wâ—ll not light nor stay on flaming Sacrifices M. White Where could a wandring thought get into that most zealous Prayer Dan. 9 19 * Tu non audiâ— orationem tuam Dominum vis audire precem tuam Chrys. de Nat Dom. Hom. 17. * Nihil enim nihil inquam precatione ignitâ sincerâ validius est Chrys. ad Phil. * Oâ—ationi lectio lectioni succedat oratio Hieron ad Laet. * Non si sâ—rmonem in longum extenderis in negligentiam frequenter lapsus mulâ—â— Diabolo subrependi facultatem dederis supplantandi â— abducendi cogitationem ab his quae dicuntur Chrys. Hom. 79. ad pop Antioch * Dicuntur fratres in Egypto crebras quidem habere orationes sed eaâ— tamen brevissimas raptim quodammodo jaculatas Ne per productiores moras evanescat atque hebetetur intentio Absit enim ab oratione mulâ—a locutio sed non desit multa precatio August Epist. 121. Oratio debet continuari quandiu devotio potest conseâ—vari Aquin. 22. 983. a. 14. §. 5. V. Worldly mindednesâ— * Adhaerere Domino indivulse non subiâ—de mâ—ndanis curis interpelli negotiâ—s aâ—ist ahi ut vix dum sinitâ spirituali iliâ actione in quâ jam versatus est statim ad terrena anxie curanda tâ—ansvolet carnalibus eâ—us ita se penâ—tus immisceat ac si Insidelis esset Mort. in 1 Cor. 7 35. * M. Willes of perilous times * See a plain instance hereof in that hearer Luke 11.13 14. * Curvasti quidem genua sed mens tua foris vagabatur os quidem loquebatur sed mens usuras cogitabat possessionem reditus supputabat Chrysost. Hom. 17. de Nat. Dom. * Water under a ship helps it but water in the ship drowns it * Chrysost. * Let not the world be your familiar friend familiar friends will come in without knocking M. White of Thoughts * When we shall have reigned hereafter many millions of years in Heaven what thoughts will remain of this little inch of time upon earth c. M. Bolton Discourse of true Happiness pag. 143. * Let their mony perish with them that esteem all the Gold in the world worth one days society with â—esus Christ. Galeacius to a Nobleman tempting him to Apostatâ—ze with a great sam of mony * Cogitatio omnis secularis carnalis abscedat nec quicquam tunc animus quam illud solum cogitat quod precatur Cypr. de Orat. Domin * Exemplum legimus de Quodam qui volens Rusticum conviacere de cordis instabilitate dum fiâ— Oâ—atio pollicitus est se daturum sibi Asinum si posset Orationem Dominicam nihil aliud actualiter cogitans persicere Qui mox ut aâ— orationem divoâ—tit securus de Asini lucro coepit distrahi in hanc cogitatio â—m si Sellam habiturus erat cum Asino qui tandem ad se reditus se redarguens instabilitatem sui cordis confessus est Gerson de Orat. p. 611. §. 6. VI. Weakness of love to Christ and his Ordinances * Dat miâ—ifraena Timor dat mâ—hi calcar Amor. Omnes igitur â—odâ— distractâ—ones men is fluctuationes in unum collige in solâ— Deo totum desiderium tuum fige ibi sit cor tuum ubi est thesaurus tuâ—s dâ—siderabilis â—â—ultumque amabilis Bern. de inter Domo c. 5. * Judge of the Divinity of the Jesuites Q. When is a man obliged to have actually an affection for God Ans. Any time before he die others at the point of death others at least every year in fine it 's sufficient if we hate him not Sirmond of virtue p. 16 19 24. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * He loves thee little O Lord who loves any thing with thee which he loves not for thee Nil preter te nisi propter te Aug. * Mouns de Renty said of himself that when ever he pronounc'd the name of God he tasted such a sweetness upon his lips as could not be expressed In vitâ § 7. VII Want of Watchfulness * Qui enim sic vigilans orat illius exauditur oratio hoc enim significat dicens Vigilate Orate ut primum vigilemus sic vigilantes oremus Origen Tract 35. in Matth. * Prov. 18.1 Through desire a man having separated himself seâ—keth and intermedleth with all wisdom * Clarissima soror audi quâ— dico Ante tempus orare est providentia Iâ— tempoâ—e constituto oâ—aâ—e est obedientia Tempus orandi praeterire est negligeâ—â—â— Bern de de modo benè vivendi Serm. 40. * Iâ—â—â—ssiâ—ax petitio est cum precatur Deum sterilis oratio Quia Deus noâ— vocis sed cordis est auditor Cyprian de Orat. Dom. * Bonum est sanctorum precibus frui sed quando ipsi seduli vigiles fuerint Chrys. in 1 Thess. * As men are out of prayer so will they be â—n prayer Morn Lâ—ct * Let us imagine a City not only begirt with a strait siege of bloud-thirsty enemies but also within infested with lurking Commotioners how much would it stand that City upon to stand upon its guard c. M. Bolton's discourse of true Happiness p. 146. * You see the Angels sent about God's messages to thâ—s earth yet never out of their heaven never without the vision of their Maker and so should you strive when you are up and down in your business yet be within sight of God D. Hall's Contemp. * It s a thousand times easier to keep the floud-gates shut than to drain the lower grounds when they are overflown Idem §. 8. VIII A beloved sin * Observe that some make a difference between a beloved sin and a reigning sin a beloved sin rules over our sins not over our graces a reigning sin rules over both * Gravi namque menâ— nostra orationis suae tempore confusione deprimitur si hanc aut sua adhuc operatio inquinâ—t aut alienae malitiae servaâ—us dolor accusat Greg. in Job l 10. c. 18. * Ita mala quae seci cogitationi meae suis imaginibus impressa in ipsa mea oratione me conturbant Caeterum quanto graviore tumulâ—u cogitationum carnalium premor tanto ardentius orationi insistere debeo Bern. de inter Domo c. 49. * Look as it is with a boyling pot the scum of it will be rising up together with the meat therein so is it in prayer M. Cobbet of Prayer p. 396. * Ille laudatur qui 〈◊〉 coeperit cogitare indida statim inâ—â—â— ficit cogitata allidit ad pâ—tram Pâ—tra autem est Christus Ovâ—d Met. 〈…〉 c. 11. §. 9. IX Satan * Diabolus cum sit astutas scil quoniam