purifie your Hearts ye double-minded So Psal 24. 3 4. Who shall ascend into the Hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place He that hath clean Hands and a pure Heart The Gospel strictly commands good works without these Faith is dead and vain and Love is only a seeming Fire The Apostle speaks with great vehemency Tit. 3. 8. This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works Our Lord owns them for his near and dear kindred who are doers of his Father's Work and Will Mat. 12. 50. He stretched forth his Hand towards his Disciples and said behold my Mother and my Brethren For whosoever shall do the Will of my Father which is in Heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother Attenders upon God must not allow themselves in the doing of Evil Fellowship with the unfruitful works of Darkness and Fellowship with God are inconsistent 1 Joh. 1. 6. If we say we have Fellowship with him and walk in Darkness we ly and do not the truth Unless there be a living to God serving of him in Ordinances is of no account with him And as Hands must be cleansed so the Hearts of Attenders on God must be pure The Heart must not defile it self by regarding any iniquity so as to be unwilling to have it subdued Psal 66. 18. If I regard iniquity in my Heart the Lord will not hear me Regarded iniquity will cry so loud for a denial that Prayer will find no Audience The Heart must not pollute it self by love to the World for if this love prevail there can neither be any true love to the Father nor any Interest in the Father's love 1 Joh. 2. 15 Love not the World neither the things that are in the World if any Man love the World the love of the Father is not in him The Heart must consent to the crucifixion of all the affections and lusts of the Flesh It must not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 double-minded on and off with God but steddy and right with him It s resolution must be to be holy still and its desire to be still holy more and more to have holiness perfected in the sear of God 6. Our Attendance upon God must be with Humility Fear and Faith without wrath and doubting Humility becomes the very Angels for all their excellency is derived and they are charged with possible folly Job 4. 18. 't is owing to the Election and confirming Grace of God that some Angels stood when others being left to the freedom of their own Will apostatized How humble should the Children of Men be who are fallen by their Iniquity The best of Saints have reason to be low in their own Eyes considering how many Talents they owed before they were satisfied for and paid by their Surety and how apt they are still to trespass It may be said of the strongest Christian stand he could not stand he would not were he not upheld by the Lord 's free and mighty Spirit But an humble Sense of our Worthlesness and ill-deserving should not hinder the acting of our Faith in Jesus when we come before the Lord. Our great Redeemer has bought us with a Price and he has bought all things for us We our selves are his Purchase and so is all that Grace we need and all that Glory we hope for God has made a Covenant with Christ and has promised to give us to him for his Inheritance and Possession Psal 2. 8. Ask of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy Possession And to be Christ's Inheritance and Possession implies our being separated from the World our being secured our being made fruitful and our eternal continuing to be enjoyed by him and to enjoy him Promises of all and especially of the best Blessings are made to us for Christ's sake and he will see to the making of them good because the accomplishment of them is so much for the Father's Glory as well as our truest Welfare All this may exceedingly strengthen and raise our Confidence and Hope when we attend on God Doubts concerning our speeding should be look'd upon as unreasonable when we come in such a prevailing Name as Christ's unto his Father and our Father his God and our God and we ask only for things agreeable to his Will 1 John 5. 14 15. And this is the confidence we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his Will he heareth us and if we know that he heareth us we know that we have the Petition we desired of him And as Faith is opposed to doubting so to wavering James 1. 6 7. But let him ask in Faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a Wave of the Sea driven with the Wind and tossed For let not that Man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. He is the wavering Man whose Mind hangs doubtful and unresolved between God and the World Christ and Satan Sin and Holiness Such an Attender upon God who is more inclined to serve other Lords shall certainly be rejected Finally The Apostle forbids not only Doubting but Wrath also 1 Tim 2. 8. I will therefore that Men pray every where lifting up holy hands without Wrath or Doubting The Wrath of Man worketh not the Righteousness of God nay it causes an abounding in Transgression The Leaven of Anger and Malice is diligently to be searched for and purged out as that which if it remains will prove us carnal 1 Cor. 3. 3. For whereas there is among you Envying and Strife and Divisions Are ye not carnal and walk as Men Civil Discords Church-Divisions unruly Passions should be avoided with Care and Fear we should be full of Holy Love to all our Brethren ready to forgive the greatest Injuries and Enemies forward to pursue and promote Vnity and Peace whenever we attend upon Him who has called himself the God of Love and Peace 7. Our Attendance upon God should be with Gladness and Delight and a sense how good 't is for us to approach his presence Where the Will of God is best done and that is in Heaven there is the greatest Joy in the doing of it The chearful joyful Servant is a Credit to his Work honours his Lord and is a great Eye-sore to the evil one for Satan is very much afraid lest the Attenders upon God being full of Gladness others should be induced to try that Work and Service which these find so exceeding comfortable Hypocrites that go no further than the out-side of Religion count it wearisome because they do not understand it But as God takes pleasure in the Vpright so the Upright find the truest Pleasure in God and in his Ways The Psalmist speaks upon very good ground Psal 32. 11. Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye Righteous
with Lord shew me thy Will and let my Will in all things and at all times be determined by thine This is becoming Language and every Soul should sincerely speak it He is the most eminent and perfect Christian who stands most perfect and compleat in all the Will of God 7. When we look upon God as Lord we should never quarrel or murmur at any thing he is pleased to do to us or with us Arbitrary Power is very much affected by the Potentates of this World though it would be much more truly great in them to do as they ought than to do as they please Arbitrary Power is justly challenged by the Lord the universal Sovereign He may do whatever he pleases and it will please him to do nothing but what becomes his own Wisdom Goodness and other glorious Excellencies A mighty Monarch who had walked in Pride at length was so abased that he acknowledged and honoured this highest Lord of all and he says All the Inhabitants of the Earth are reputed as nothing and he doth according to his Will in the Armies of Heaven and among the Inhabitants of the Earth Dan 4. 35. The Dispensations of Divine Providence must not fall under our Censure He that reproveth God will ill answer for it 'T is sinful Boldness to strive with him and say What dost thou As if he had not done so well as he might 'T is more becoming with obedient Patience and Submission to cry out Oh the Depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his Judgments and his Ways past finding out Rom. 11. 33. and Psal 145. 17. The Lord is righteous in all his Ways and holy in all his Works When under his severer Dealings with us we charge him with Rigour and want of Care we do but charge God foolishly His Understanding is infinite Psal 147. 5. therefore he is not liable to the least Mistake His Bowels are tender and he can never become Cruel 'T is inconsistent with his Justice to lay upon any Man more than is right that he should enter into Judgment with God Job 34. 23. He is so gracious that he afflicts when his People need and t is good for them to be afflicted That Man spake very ill who said I do well to be angry Whatever the Lord does to his People he does wisely justly faithfully how then can their Fretting and Impatience be justified It would be far better for them to cease their Contention and Disputing and to answer as Job at last did Job 40 4 5. Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my Hand upon my Mouth once have I spoken but I will not anwer yea twice but I will proceed no farther 8. When we look upon God as Lord we should long to behold his Glory in his Kingdom It was the Desire of Moses Exod. 33. 18. I beseech thee shew me thy Glory It is but little that the Saints see of the King of Saints in comparison of what they shall see They know but in part and how should they long that that which is perfect may come and that which is in part may be done away 1 Cor. 13. 10. The Earth is the Lord's Footstool and here we behold but some Footsteps and Shaddows and have a darker Discovery of him but the Heaven is his Throne and when we come to stand before his Throne how bright will be his Majesty in our Eyes How glorious his Holiness How will his Face be all Light and Love And how ravishing will the fullest Sense of that Love be It should be our Care by a continual Increase of Purity in Heart to be fitted for this beatifical Vision of the Lord of Glory Mat. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in Heart for they shall see God And this Vision should the more longed for because it will be transforming When we behold the Lord's Glory we shall partake of it when we see him we shall to our eternal Excellency and Satisfaction be like him 1 Joh. 3. 2. Beloved now are we the Sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is In the last place follows the Application USE I. shall be of Reproof Well may the Mouth of his Messengers be full of Reproof since the Lord that sends them is so generally disregarded Several sorts of Persons are worthy Reprehension 1. They are to be reproved who say with Pharaoh who is the Lord that we should obey his Voice How many are there who will not acknowledge they owe him any Service or if they do acknowledge it they are so wicked and unrighteous that they will not render what they cannot but confess is due to him How many say Our Lips are our own who is Lord over us Psal 12. 4. who is he that would give laws to our Tongues and put them under a Bridle They say also our Members are all our own and therefore we will employ them as we please though that employing is abusing and abasing of them to be Instruments of Unrighteousness unto Sin Our Time also is our own and therefore we will pass it according to our own Pleasure as if Time were a thing of no Value and to have it well or ill with them to Eternity were a matter of meer Indifferency They that now cry Who is the Lord When they stand as they all must before his Judgment Seat he will make them know who he is How terrifying will his Looks be How heavy will his Hand be felt They would not obey the Scepter of his Word and he will break them with his Iron Rod and dash them in pieces like a Potter's Vessel Psal 2. 9. 2. They are to be reproved who have a greater Reverence for Man than for God who is the sovereign Lord of all They dare not displease great Men but the great God they make bold to offend Men whom they depend upon they are careful to keep in with but that God in whose Hand their Breath is and whose are all their Ways they do not glorifie Dan. 5. 23. They depend upon this Lord for their Being and Blessedness and all things Their Life is continued only during his Pleasure all things that they have are of his bestowing and if ever they are blessed 't is God must make them so and yet the Favour and Anger of this God are contemned in Comparison of the Love and Hatred of Man How many will comply with the Lusts of Men that will not conform to the Will of God Mens Inventions are regarded more than God's Institutions Thus the Statutes of Omri were kept and all the Works of the House of Ahab and Israel did walk in their Counsels Mic. 6. 16. when they rejected the Counsel of God against themselves and cast the Laws of Jehovah behind their Backs But how poor a thing is Man's
by no means entertain an Imagination that at your own Pleasure you can work in your selves to will and to do but always acknowledge the necessity and Efficacy of the Grace of Christ and glorifie that Grace saying when you obey and labour it is not I but the Grace of God that is with me 4. Earnestly desire that your Hearts may be circumcised to love both the Lord himself and his Service likewise It is a Promise worth more and if made good to us will enrich us more than the Wealth of both the Indies Deut. 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumcise thy Heart and the Heart of thy Seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul that thou mayst live An Heart to love him is his own Gift and the Heart must be circumcised by himself before it will be brought to love him The Prophet speaks of the Foreskin of the Heart that must be taken away Now this Foreskin of the Heart is Carnal and Worldly Love together with Enmity against God and his Law Cry to the Lord according to his good Word of Promise to mortifie the one and to subdue the other And that he would give you a new Heart and Nature cause a new Light to shine that may manifest his glorious Goodness in the Face of Christ and so direct your Hearts into the Love of himself If he be truly loved he will be the more willingly obeyed and truly his Precepts are worthy to be loved too the better they are kept the more truly excellent are those that keep them And themselves are kept in more perfect Peace The Psalmist says My Soul hath kept thy Testimonies and I love them exceedingly Psal 119. 167. and no wonder for he had said before v. 165. Great Peace have they that love thy Law and nothing shall offend them Such a Lord such a Law deserves Love and Love will sweeten Service it will not count this Service tedious but mightily incline the Heart to Perseverance in its Duty 5. Let your Fear and Awe of the Lord's Majesty when you attend upon him be joyn'd with an Hope in his Mercy If Fear and Hope are thus joyned together as you will be the more encouraged in God so God will take the more Pleasure in you For the Lord takes Pleasure in them that fear him and in those that hope in his Mercy Psal â—47 11. The Mercy of God is magnified in his Word on purpose that Hope may be raised and rise still higher and higher This Lord on whom you ought to attend is rich in Mercy His merciful Kindness is great Psal 117. 2. He has Mercy not upon the account of Merit in Man but because he will have Mercy Rom. 9. 18. And how often is it said Psal 136. that his Mercy endures for ever Here is a large and firm Foundation for Hope to build on And if your Hope be not presumptuous but of a purifying Nature you may from such a merciful Lord confidently expect that Grace and those good things you need in time And when your short time is at an end the best things of all unto eternity I have done with the second Doctrine Doct. III. I come now to the third and last Doctrine which I principally design to insist on That Attendance upon the Lord should be without Distractien 'T is not only Apostacy from the Faith and the Practice of Religion which the Apostle bids us to take heed of which is a more gross departing away from God but he cautions against any Withdrawings of Heart from that Lord with whom we have to do Therefore in a time of Distress and Persecution he prefers a single State before Wedlock not that Marriage in it self considered has any thing of Sin in it for 't is honourable in all not that a single State in it self has any thing of Holiness but because the Cares that attend Marriage are apt to distract the Mind and to hinder the things that belong to the Lord from being cared for as they ought and might be Indeed in the Context there is a plain Intimation that 't is a great part of Christian Prudence so to order our secular Affairs and to make choice of such a Condition of Life as may be most subservient to our spiritual Designs and may least interfere with our main Business which is the Lord's Service that that may be done without Distraction They are pronounced to be the blessed ones who keep God's Testimonies and that seek him with the whole Heart Psal 119. 2. And since the whole Heart must seek him the Thoughts the Affections the all of the Heart must attend upon him nothing of the Soul must be absent or withdrawn The Prophet speaks of the Hearts engaging to approach unto God Jer. 30. 21. For who is this that engageth his Heart to approach unto me Saith the Lord. That the Heart may be thus engaged for God it must be disengaged from other things and all that is within it too must be engaged to approach to him When Moses and the Children of Israel were to go into the Wilderness to serve the Lord They went with their young and old with their Flocks and their herds there was not an Hoof left behind Exod. 10. 26. And when we go to serve our God we should go with our all No Power of our Souls should be exempted not so much as a Thought should be left behind In the handling of this Doctrine I shall First tell you what Distraction in attending upon God is Secondly What it is to attend upon the Lord without Distraction Thirdly Assign the Reasons why with such Care we should take heed of Distraction in serving him Answer in the fourth place some Cases of Conscience about these Distractions Fifthly make Application In the first place I am to tell you what Distraction in attending upon God is 'T is the first Step to the Cure to know our Disease and to have a right Sense of it Several things are here to be premised 1. Distraction is the Fault of the Heart That deceitful and wicked thing how many Faults has it And how often does it withdraw when we have to do with God flying as Jonah from his Presence and being any where but where it should be Indeed sometimes this Distraction does but too visibly and scandalously appear by unnecessary Whisperings by Salutations when Persons are in God's Sanctuary and Service by the wandring of the Eye and other irreverent Carriage and Behaviour in the time of Worship These when ordinarily allowed are plain Indications that the Heart is not in God's Work and which is worse cares not to be engaged therein And how blameworthy then is it It is the Heart which foolishly departs from the Lord. It is not so right and stedfast with him as it should be Psal 78. 8. A Generation that set not their Heart aright and whose Spirit was not stedfast with God has a Brand set