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
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
as some though God may answer such requests out of his superabundant mercy yet such a man can look for nothing Though a distracted prayer may receive something yet it cannot expect any thing from God when a mans supplication is a provocation there is little hope He that puts treason into his petition has little reason to hope for a good answer How an heart may be said to be divided in a duty these waies 1. When all the heart is not ingaged therein as when understanding or conscience without the will or affections This opens a door unto distractions Eph. 6.6 Doing the Will of God from the heart with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men Half an heart can do nothing with God A man may as well with one eye observe the stars and with the other measure the Earth at the same time as at once dispatch affairs with God and man Hereby both businesses are spoiled Conscience of God hinders from any discreet and serious contrivance of any thing in his presence and tampering with the world provokes God and hinders the affairs above Our Lord Christ is most peremptory in that case Ye cannot serve two Masters the one will be over-served ye cannot serve God and Mammon 2. The heart may be said to be divided when it is unfixed and indeterminate wavering and unsetled A duty to God is shooting at an hairs breadth if a man be uncertain and unsteady how shall he hit the mark Psal. 57.7 O God my heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Now the work is likely to go on You cannot it seems so much as sing a Psalm or give the Lord praise without this fixedness of heart As you have seen the Needle in a Compass waver up and down perpetually till it point towards the North then it is fixed and standeth still so until the soul be composed and bent directly towards God it wanders and trifles everlastingly 3. The heart is divided by Hypocrisie Iames 4.8 Purifie your hearts ye double minded As he speaks to open sinners to cleanse their hands so to close Hypocrites to purifie their hearts that is be sincere An Hypocrite is a man of two hearts and both little worth one good one is worth a thousand pair of double hearts Hence holy David Psal. 86.11 Unite my heart to fear thy Name else I shall have one heart to move me towards thee and another heart to fetch me back again One heart for God another for Baal and so shall halt between them 4. The heart is divided when you perform not his service with all your might and strength Ier. 48.10 Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently loosely that unbends his bow that unstrings his heart in the Lord's service He that is studying with all his might the least noise or word distracts him and troubles himâ— he cannot admiâ— or abide the least diversion So he that is intent with all his might in God's service cannot give room for the least by thought No I am before the Lord and I can do but little but I 'le do what I can Psal. 103.1 Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name And this leads us to the Remedy for this Cause The Remedy for a divided heart is get sincerity and seriousness And indeed the soul that is sincere is serious The real Beggar begs in good earnest he cries he weeps he heeds not the playing of the children the barking of the doggs not he his wants pinch him his stomach pulls and craves nothing but meat will please him There 's musick perhaps within and company without but all 's one to him he is not concerned therewith he 's hungry in good earnest and therefore still he cries for bread So it is with the upright and serious heart he is really and deeply prest down with sin and needy of grace and comfort he sees the reality of invisible things he fears the anger of God and feels his broken bones therefore let the Devil or the world distribute what they can or suggest what they will he plyes this 〈◊〉 must have paâ—don and graceâ— and the light of the Lord's countenance It is not the stirring of a feather can unhinge him for he is in good earnest Ier. 30 21. For who is this that hath engaged his heart to draw nigh to me saith the Lord. Where sits that man that gives a heart to God the Lord cryes who O let every one that hears or reads this cry out Lord it is I and when the heart the whole heart is engaged in a duty then work goes on There 's a vast difference between the pleading of an Orator and the pleading of a Malefactor The former hath perhaps a more smooth elegant and starcht discourse but he handles it with a light finger a friend a fee would take him off but the Malefactor that pleads for his life he sweats he cryes he begs the Judge interrupts him but he goes on the Jaylor stops his mouth but he will proceed all the Court cannot distract his mind from his business his heart is wholly in it And so it is with a sincere and serious Saint He can truly say Lord thou hast more of my heart than ever any creature in the world had my heart is fixed I am set upon this affair The great matters I am about I neither can live nor dare die without them and therefore blame me not to be busie It is the dear prayer that prevails the prayer that costs us dear SECT XII THE Twelfth Cause of wandring Thoughts in God's Worship is an opinion that there is no great evil in them which partly proceeds from that Notion that thoughts are free or at least that no sin is really sin except it be voluntary and these are without consent partly from our being used to greater sins which do widen the conscience to digest these lesser ones without any staying And partly from the commonness of them being the snares wherein we are most frequently taken and the oftener they walk thorow the heart the less strange are they there the more familiar they are the more apology we have for them and so usually it becomes no sin that we have a mind unto And now when there is bred in the soul an opinion that there is no evil or next to none therein the heart is pleased with thâ—â— and merrily playes with those baits till by the hidden hook it 's caught in the hidden snare of the Devil To rectifie this mistake 1. Somewhat must be granted The evil in these wandring thoughts is not so great as in many other sins these do not vastare conscientiam lay the conscience waste as some others especially these roving thoughts as are rather injected than contrived the matter whereof is good not evil and which are short and sorrowed for But
in tempore orationis grandia postulemus saepius impetremus impedire sestinat improvidas mentes Chrys. in Matth. Hom. 16. * Satan cares not how heavenly our words be if our thoughts be earthly While of vain thoughts * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * The high-way-ground-hearers had the word taken from them by the devil that is by such wandring thoâ—ghts aâ— he immediately casts in Mr. Angier p. 148. * Nam ipsum advertere examinare istas cogitationes evagari est Itaque te babeas quosi eas nod aspicere digâ—â—â—is Alvarez * Luther * It is said Gen. 15.11 when the fouls did light Abraham drove them away not when they were sitting or feeding upon the carkasses but as soon as ever they lighted We must not give place to these thoughts no not for a moment Mr. White of vain thoughts §. 10. Vain thoughts out of Duties * Hereby holy Thoughts become tedious and painful for we strive against two natures one that sin hath brought and another that Custome hath wrought Mr. Angier p. 141. * Sed cùm sâ—â—mens ad studium orationis erexerit earum rerum imagines reverberata patitur quibuâ— libenter prius otiosa premibatur Greg. in Job l. 10. c. 16. * Hence cogitatio à cogendo quia voluntas cogit memoriam ut proferat materiam cogit etiam intellectum ad formandum Bern. Ep. de vlt. Solit. * The greatest Good and Evil that ever was in the world was first but a little thought Mr. Angier p. 171. * Quod agunt hominibus dicta eadem Deo cogitaâ—iones Bern. formul hon vitae See Mr. Bolton's discourse of true happiness p. 126. * Sicut enim vipera à filiis in venire adhuc positis occiditur ita nos occidunt cogitationes nostrae intra nos enutritae Bern. de modo bene vivendi Ser. 29. * Quia eâ—im semper cogitamus exquirâ—nda sunt nobis bona ne mala cogitemus Greg. in 1 Reg. c. 14. §. 11. XI A divided heaâ—t * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Nostram ad Dâ—um orationâ—m non syllabarum numeris absolveâ—c nos oportet sed sincerâ potius animi voluntate Basil. conc 9. de oratione * Gregor Nazidnz tells of his Sister Gorgonia being sick of an incurable disease prostrated her self at the Altar minantem se non prius Altare dimissuram quam nacta esset sanitatem And cryes out O honestâ—m impudentiam â— And she went whole away § 12. XII An opinion of no great evil in them * Non feci si seci non malè feci si maleè non multum malè si multum malè non malâ intentione Bern. * Nay in some respects the more involuntary any sin is the more strong and natural it is and the more natural the more horrible as a natural thief is worse than a deliberate thief who sometimes steals and in this respect involuntary sins may be worst of all Shepherd Select cases * Aquin. 22 ae q. 154. act 5. * Tu qui dicis peccatum parvum velim scire quoties tale peccatum admittis si tot parvulas plagas in corpore aut maculas soissuras in vestibus fieri velis August * The least infirmities do break the first covenant of works and hence you do not only deserve but are under the sentence of death and curse of God by the most involuntary accidental infirmity according to that Gal. 3.10 Mr. Shepherd select cases * Though to live in the greatest sin may consist with the form of Godliness yet to live in the least may not with the power thereof Cap. 7. The Evil of Distractions §. 1. They are sins against the first Table * It would be an heinous offence among the incense offered to God to have put brimstone The prayers are thine â—incense but thy distractions are brimstone that stink in his nostrils Chrys. Hom. 73. in Matthew * God forbids us to find our pleasure on his holy day Isa. 58.13 And do we not find our pleasure by our Thoughts Mr. Angier p. 125. §. 2. Distractions are heart-sins * Non est reuâ— nisi mens sit rea A principle in Law * Outward sins are majoris infamiae Inward sins are majoris reaâ—ûs As bleeding inward kills §. 3. Distractions are sins in the special Presence of God * Oras loqueris ad sponsam legis ille tibi loquitur Hieron ad Eustoch tom 1. p. 142. * Ihi pecâ—a ubi nescis esse Deum Bern. de mod bene viv Serm. 19. * A greater curse goeth with an evil thought in God's service than if it were another time times of blessing perverted are times of greatest curse Mr. Angier p. 123. §. 4. Distractions are sins about the most serious business * Claudatur contra adversarium pectus soli Deo pateat nec aliud habeamus in corde aliud in voce quasi sit aliud quod magis debeas cogitare quam quod cum Deo loqueris Cyprian de Orat. Domin * Consider what a prayer is worth every thing is worth according to what we can have for it why a man may have grace and glory for a â—ervent prayer If you should sell that for a trifle when another had thousands for the same wouldest thou not befool thy self Mr. White of vain thoughts p. 80. §. 5. Distractions are sins of Hypocrisie * Nec cum Psalmum dico attendo cujus Psalmus est Idcirco magnam injuriam Deo facio cùm illum precor ut meam precem exaudiat quam ego qui fundo non audio deprecor illum ut mihi intendat ego verò nec mihi nec illi intendo Bern. Med. c. 8. * Thy wandring duties Satan keeps as bills of Indictment against the great day what is good in them he layes before thee now to quiet thy conscience but miserable comforters are those which pacifie the conscience but purifie it not Mr. White p. 86. §. 6. Distractions alienate the heart from duties * In this sense they are a curse for what is a curse but separation from God think then when wandring thoughts come to us in holy duties the curse comes and when they stay with us the curse stayes Mr. Angier p. 186. * Mr. Bruen of Bruen-stapleford Cestr. §. 7. Distractions affront the Majesty of God * Videtur enim deridere Deum sicuti si alicui homini loqueretur non attenderet ad ea quae ipse proserret Aquin. 22 ae q. 83. art 13. * Divinum auxilium est implorandum non remissè nec mente huc vel illuc evagante eo quod taliâ— non solum non impetrabit quod petit sed etiam magiâ— Deum irritabit Basil. Instir ad rit perfect §. 8. Distractions hinder the benefit of Ordinances * What is the reason that Christians are so much shadows rather than substance when they come to forgive injuries depend on God c. but because their service of God is
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
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
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
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