having though it cost dear So on the contrary wandring thoughts being a curse are worthy preventing though it cost us tears to God yea many tears and much pains with our own hearts 3. The Lord hath threatned to punish these wandring thoughts which carry away the heart in his worship and make it only a bodily exercise without spirit and life with a secret but sure blasting of inward spirituall good that as God hath but a shadow and outside of worship so they shall have but a shadow and shew of spirituall wisdom and prudence Isa 29.14 Therefore the wisdom of the wise shall perish and the understanding of the prudent shall be hid Therefore why Because they have drawn neer to God with their mouths and have removed their hearts farre from him They gave God a body without an heart therefore he will give them a body without an heart the shape of wise men without wisdom and prudence a suitable judgement What is the reason that Christians are so much shadows and shews of Christians rather then substance and truth when they should come to bear injuries and wrongs to forget and forgive they can do it no more then other men when they should expresse their dependance upon God and submission unto God in willing and chearfull parting with comforts and friends when God will have it so they can no more do it then other men they hold comforts fast as if they should part with God and all when they part with them and they hold friends fast and will not let them go as if friends were made more to serve one another then to serve God and when friends and comforts are gon they grieve as if all their joy were gone When they should bear quietly the crosse and grieving passages of Gods providence as those who have learned in whatsoever state they are to be content knowing they are in heavines if need be they cannot bear but carry themselves as untamed heifers that would rather shake off the yoke then bear it they have the shew of these graces in their profession but they want that measure of substance the reason is because their service of God is more in shew then substance therefore they are Christians more in shew then substance As we spend our Sabbaths so will our week daies be spent and as we perform holy duties so will our conversation be Is it not a heavy judgement to be inwardly worse then we think our selves or others think us to be to be unable to use grace when we have most need to exercise it yet thus hath God threatned to afflict us and he will make his Word good if we suffer our thoughts to wander in his service Quest By what means may we prevent wandrings in Gods worship Answ First labour the increase of grace Heb. 13.9 It is good that the heart be established with grace i. e. with gâ—acious knowledge of old and well known truths which the Apostle opposeth to new and strange doctrine And when the Apostle would direct the people of God to keep their own stedfastnes yea though the errour of the wicked took course to draw them away He gives them counsell to grow in grace 2 Pet. 3.17 18. Which places do shew that grace is of an establishing setling nature and so indeed it is for 1. It is contrary to vanity and inconstancy being the nature of God who is stable and firm alwaies one and the same 2. It sets the soul in order puts every faculty into its place and sets it about its own proper office and so it doth establish 3. It doth establish as it is the work of the free or liberall spirit Psal 51.12 David praieth that God would establish him with his free spirit grace doth establish a man as it is the work of the free spirit because it maketh a mans spirit free and liberall like to the spirit of God to sleight earthly things in comparison and to minde heaven and heavenly things earthly things do unsettle they are themselves changeable and do change the thoughts and affections pitched upon them Let a man pitch his thoughts and heart upon his nearest friends he hath in the world to whom nature society interchange of love Christianity hath bound him yet his thoughts and affections placed upon these nearest friends shall change and not alwaies contitinue one and the same because they change and are not alwaies the same therefore the thoughts pitched upon them do change also spirituall and heavenly things are of the nature of the spirit and heaven steady and stable immoveable unchangeable therefore will establish the affections pitched upon them Now the more grace we have the more we shall minde heavenly things and so be the more established 2. Labour the increase of thy reverence and high esteem of the worship of God According to thy thoughts of the worship of God so much-what will thy thoughts be in it Psal 48.9 We have thought of thy loving kindnes oh God in the midst of thy Temple They professe their thoughts were busied about Gods loving kindnes in his Ordinances why so because of their high thoughts thereof ver 2 3. beautifull for situation the joy of the whole earth is mount Sion God is known in her palaces for a refuge And herein were they helped by the report of their fathers ver 8. as we have heard so have we seen in the City of the Lord of hosts they had seen Gods mighty presence and protection in and about his own Ordinances but they had also heard so and that before they had seen it To help our reverence of Gods worship it is good to talk with ancient Christians that have lived long before us to hear what they will say we may be helped by their experience when we have none or but little of our own and if we have experience of the worth of the Ordinances we may be further helped by their experience 3. Prepare our selves aforehand Prov. 18.1 Through desire a man having separated himself intermedleth with all wisdom if a man have a desire to meddle with matters of wisdom and would do it as becomes such occasions and as may be for profit he will first separate himself not passe immediately from common and triviall matters to matters of wisdom but he will have some time betwixt the leaving off of the one and taking to the other If we passe from our callings to Gods worship without separating our selves how is it ordinarily possible but that we should have the same thoughts in Gods worship that we bad in our callings There are some separating duties that do prepare unto others as examination meditation praier and they do prepare by stirring up the grace of God and providing an heavenly assistance to begin with us in the duty If thou canst not alwaies have separating time betwixt other occasions and Gods worship Yet have some separating thoughts ere thou enter upon the duty thou art not fit else to meddle
yea so change her into care that she would have hindred Mary also yea and charged it as a neglect upon our Saviour himself that he did not relieve her in this immoderate care Luk. 10.40 Master dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone bid her therefore that she help me her immoderate care made her think that Mary had too little care and our Saviour also Is not the reason rendered why cares immoderate do unfit us for Gods worship Luk. 21.34 Take heed that your hearts be not overcharged with surfeting and drunkennes and cares of this life Immoderate cares are to the soul as a surfet of drink too much drink unto the body the body is overcharged with it and so unfit for occasions so the soul is over-burdened with immoderate cares therefore unfit for a farther weight of Gods worship Why do cares choak the seed of the Woâ—d Matth. 13.22 but because they choak the soil draw away the strength of the heart and affections When we are about our callings and enjoy the comforts of this life we lose our hearts in love and delight and if they have the strength of our joy and desire God cannot have it also No man saith our Saviour can serve two masteâ—s for he will love thâ— one and hate the other Matth. 6.24 Ye cannot serve God and mammon If these worldly good things have the best of our love God cannot also have it If we be at any time busied about the worship of God our hearts will go after our covetousnes the good things we have coveted will have our thoughts and affections when God should have them 2. We bestow too much time upon our callings Psal 127.2 It is vain for you to rise early to sit up late shewing that ordinarily our care is to gain all time for our callings and occasions hardly can we spare time daily for the worship of God and when the Sâ—bbath doth approach all the time that we can any way get we lay hold of lest God should have too much no time will be allowed for preparation not only so long as light will permit men will they be labouring about their callings on saturday night but so long as sleep will suffer them when we are counselled Ephes 5.16 to redeem the time part of the meaning is out of the hands of our callings unlesse we can prove that they do not take up too much time Luk. 14.18 19. The foundation of their refusing to come to the supper the ordinances of God was this they could not spare time from their callings We bestow too much pains and labour about our callings too much spend the vigour and strength of our bodies that they become unfit to serve our souls in the worship of God What means our sleepy praiers every night in our families but the over-wearying of our bodies What means our sleepy Sabbaths but the overtiring of our bodies on the week daies 3. We cannot be fit to worship God without preparation because of Satans continuall main endeavour to make us unfit for Gods worship Satan is more Gods enemy then ours because God stands more directly opposite unto him then we do God is the greatest good Satan is the greatest evil What is more opposite to the greatest good then the greatest evil We have somewhat like Satan therefore he is not so great an enemy unto us God is altogether unlike him and contrary to him therefore he is an utter enemy to him so that though Satan will endeavour to unsit us for our own callings yet chiefly for Gods worship for that doth most concern Gods glory and in that he doth more immediately and fully oppose God When did Satan put that thought into Judas heart of betraying Christ but when the passeover did approach And experience tells the godly that they have never more confusion of thoughts then when they desire to meditate and to fit themselves thereby for praier 4. Unpreparednes of heart doth weaken the worship of God performed by us as it doth hinder the breathing and working of the spirit in our hearts If the spirit assist us not we shall but weakly worship God therefore it is said to help our infirmities in praier and so in other duties Rom. 8.26 Whereas the burden of duty is too heavy the spirit of God doth help to lift the burden If the soul come unpreparedly the spirit of God will not ordinarily assist 1. Because a lesser breathing of the spirit is neglected and will the spirit lay out more when lesser is not prized and improved The spirit of God doth allwaies move and provoke the soul unto all the will of God and therefore unto preparation if men therefore come without preparation they come wâ—th neglect of the spirits motion unto preparation and if lesse of the spirit be not improved will he be lavish of more assistance 2. The spirit will not ordinarily assist the unprepared heart because it is out of the way and road of the spirit the spirit of God is a spirit of promise Eph. 1.13 and is therefore conveighed to the soul in a way oâ— promise but the unprepared heart is out of the way of promise and therefore out of the way of the spirit Indeed the spirit of God will sometimes meet an unprepared heart in a duty but it goeth out of the ordinary way at such a time as it must do when we are out of the way the spirit of God must first come out of its ordinary way to us ere we can get into our way but the effect of the spirit meeting a soul unprepared is to make it ashamed of unpreparednes and more watchfull thereunto for time to come 3. Unpreparednes of heart doth weaken our worshiping of God as it doth give advantage to Satan to interrupt and hinder us in the same To what end serves preparation is not this a main end to prevent impediments in worship and Satan the master of them When the Apostle 1 Pet. 5.8 would have us be vigilant upon this ground that Satan walketh about seeking whom he may devoure doth he not give us to understand that the more carelesse we are the more advantage Satan hath against us and the more watchfull we are the lesse harme can he doe us This was our Saviours counsell to his three disciples in the garden in the very houre of temptation watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation implying that it is not sufficient for the preventing of Satans temptations to performe dueties unlesse we adde watching that we be fit to performe them It is not dueties that weaken Satan but dueties performed in the power of the spirit Gal 5.16 walke in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh so much as we expresse the spirit we oppose sin and Satan The devil makes great advantage of dueties of mens hearing reading praying Into whom doth he enter with the unclean spirit but into the house that is
particular preparation then it cannot be performed well at all where there is no preparation as in the unregenerate there is not And can they be fit for heaven that are not fit for Gods service What fit for wages and not fit for work They that partake in the inheritance of heaven have it among them that are sanctified Act. 26.18 and what is it to be sanctified by faith in Christ Jesus but to be set apart unto God and his service to be purified for Christ zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 Change of place will not change the dispâ—sition of the soul no not heaven it self could an unregenerate man come thither no more then a man comming from hell and relating his experimentall knowledge of the torments there would change the soul Luk. 16.31 If therefore men be unfit for the service of God here they will be much more unfit for the service of God in heaven where more perfection and continuall worshipping of God is required 2. To reprove the usuall and ordinary generall and common unpreparednes of Gods people unto Gods worship It is not the fault of some particular Christians onely but of all the people of God generally and their fault it is not at some particular times onely but ordinarily No one thing I am perswaded the godly are more failing in then in preparing themselves for Gods worship They cannot be ignorant that it is a way of Gods command and a way of promise therefore of advantage and benefit unto them therefore in neglecting it they sin against Gods soveraignty and their own good Do not the practices of Gods severall servants in Scripture cast shame upon them Nay do not their own consciences reprove them when they are out of temper in holy duties and cannot finde God Do not their consciences whisper to them and tell them that they may thank their unpreparednes Nay doth not the thing it self deeply reprove them and take away all excuse what come unprepared to Gods worship Suppose that God would not at all hide himself when his people come unprepared to his worship and they were sure of so much yet were it their fault to come unprepared should not they suit themselves according to the presence they come unto and the work they go about Doth not reason teach as much Can we without fault lesse prepare for eternall waies for waies that concern Gods glory and our good most then for other matters Gods worship is an eternall way though this and that particular worship of God be not eternall yet some worship of God is eternall and shall remain with us for ever in heaven and all the worship of God doth tend more to Gods glory and our good then any thing else yet we prepare more for any thing else More particularly we are to be reproved for sundry things that tend to our unfitting to the worship of God 1. The godly do not remember the sabbath in the week day That remember which the Lord hath prefixed before that commandement rather then any other doth imply as a necessity of speciall remembrance of that so an easines to forget that a difficulty to remember it or else the Lord would not have set this remember before it And if the godly consider they shall finde that the Sabbath comes seldome into their mindes the week thorow though it be the most solemne day in the week and of more weight then all the dayes in the week 2. The godly do not ordinarily keepe up their watch and so advantages for grace are overslipped and sinne is committed through carelessenes which doth exceedingly unfit the heart for Gods worship sinne makes grace unto the performance of duty as a knife to cut without an edge 3. They do not spiritualize their callings and earthly businesses by going about them in the strength and wisdome of the spirit of God and propounding Gods glory as their aime and end and making some spirituall use of passages therein by meditation often raising up their thoughts and desires to heaven so that they grow earthly and carnall like the occasions they meddle with and so unfit for heavenly and spirituall worship 4. The times of their vacancie from their callings and of libertie they spend in empty and unprofitable wayes letting loose their thoughts and speeches unto vain and empty things which tend to no profit and so the heart is more empty whereas if the people of God would but season the times of their repast and recreation with some sprinklings of good discourse as salt or winde up the same with some good discourse or with prayer or with some heavenly thoughts their bodies would be more fit for Gods worship and their spirits not the more unfit 5. The people of God do their worldly occasions unto the utmost period of time on the Saturday night that sleepe will allow them to take and doe not improve their time that day that they might get their occasions dispatched and have some time to prepare their hearts Herein I perswade my self the godly that use our Saturday markets do exceedingly faile in that they do come home so late not through necessity of busines but carelessenes much time is spent on that day which they can give no good account of when they come to recollect themselves Nothing but sleepe doth part the Lords day and their dayes with them beside ordinary duties Will sleepe change the frame No surely but as they left with the world last when they went to sleepe so they shall meet with that first when they awake in the morning That which may the more reprove the godly is the consideration of a treble cause of this unpreparednes 1. The difficulty of it it is an harder matter to prepare the heart then to performe a dutie for the godly do not ordinarily neglect duties but they ordinarily neglect to prepare their hearts were it as easie to prepare the heart as to performe duty they would doe that as well And if difficulty hinder is not spirituall sloth the cause and what more lothsome then to neglect that which might exceedingly tend to Gods glory and their good for want of taking a little paines 2. A second cause why the godly doe no more prepare themselves is an opinion that a little preparation will serve for if they did not thinke a little would serve if they were perswaded that God would not take a little well they would prepare more And if this opinion did spring from meere ignorance because they know no better it were lesse matter but it doth spring from heedlessenes and carelessenes because they do not attend to and consider of the light they have for did they but consider the command of God the practice of the servants of God and their own practice in other matters they cannot but know that a little preparation will not serve 3. A third cause is confidence in duties done did they thinke duties would do them no good without preparation they would
him in another Not be confident or proud for though they have found God much in an Ordinance yet they may misse him in the next Where they least expect to finde God there many times they finde him most therefore not be discouraged and on the other side where they are most confident to finde God they many times misse him trust not Ordinances therefore but the God of Ordinances in all 2. Set awork thy faith in the promise the condition whereof thou hast in thy heart Psal 10.17 Thou wilt prepare the heart thou wilt bow thine ear these two go together if God do prepare the heart he will bow the ear he will do thee good thou maiest believe it thy preparation is an earnest a pledge thou maiest thereby help thy faith Thus did Manoahs wife comfort him when he was afraid they should die because they had seen an Angel of God Judg. 13.22 23. If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have accepted a sacrifice at our hands nor have shewed us such things as these so if God had not intended thee good in his worship he would not have accepted thy preparation 3. Thou must difference the different effects of Gods presence or else thou maiest wrong God as well as thy self to say he was not with thee when yet he was Not onely are there more manifest and evident fruits of Gods presence in duties as much liberty of spirit much joy peace assurance of faith but also there are more inward and reserved fruits of his presence as sense of want sorrow for want desire of enjoyment willingnes unto further duties to finde that which we want in some in the former God is with us and we know he is with us in the later God is with us but we know not so much an instance of the later we have in the two Disciples going to Emaus Luk. 24.16 Their eies were holden that they could not know him yet afterward when they did know him they remembred that they had sufficient evidence of his presence even when they knew him not ver 32. did not our hearts burne within us when he talked with us by the way and opened to us the Scriptures Whence was that fire in their hearts but from the spirit of Christ conveighed in his word Yet till they knew him they made no account of this The godly cannot see God in Ordinances though present because sometimes their eies are altogether pitched upon those more evident fruits of his presence sometimes also they stumble upon the presence of God sleight make no account of such fruits as are put forth sense of many failings in duties makes them think God was not there whereas that sense is from God in the Ordinances who is the father of lights CHAP. III. Of the fourth hinderance of instant worshipping of God Wearines AMOS â— Part of the 5 vers When will the new moone be gon and the sabbath TWo things are in the verse whereof the words read are a part 1. A desire 2. The reason Their desire is that the new moon and sabbath were gon laid down interrogatively to shew the greater vehemency and earnestnes of it When will the new moon be gon and the sabbath they thought the time long that they continued their stay was a burden unto them when a mans dâ—sire meets with hinderance his greife takes place so the new moon and sabbaths were matter of greif and burden unto them and they were weary of them because they hindred for present their civill commerce The reason of their desire that the new moon and sabbath were gon is that they might sell corne that they might follow their worldly occasions wherein they would oppresse We have to do with the first particular Their desire that the new moon were gon and the sabbath ended Why what was the matter that they had enough and too much of the new moon and sabbath Why did they stand in their way for buying and selling Ans At every new moon or in the beginning of every moneth they had a great solemnity speciall sacrificing to God Numb 28.11 a solemne feast day Psal 81.3 wherein they were wont to heare from God by the prophets for when the Shunammitish woman would go to the prophet for her dead son her husband disswaded her from the ordinary unseasonablenes of the time Wherefore wilt thou go to day it is neither new moon nor sabbath 2 Kings 4.23 A signe the people did communicate with the prophets in the counsels of God in the new moons and sabbaths and speciall seasons and times appointed for that purpose And whether here be meant the weekly Sabbath or by this generall name be intended all the Sabbaths or dayes of rest mentioned Levit. 23. it comes all to a reckoning in regard of their exception for in the weekly Sabbath and day of atonement or humiliation they might do no worke Levit. 23.3.28 and on the other Sabbaths or dayes of rest feast dayes they might do no servile worke Levit. 23.7 which is expounded in case of the passeover which was one of the feasts Exod. 12.16 no manner of worke shall be done save about that which every man must eat no worke might be done but about providing meat for the feast they might not do any worke of service or labour about their callings as plowing and sowing buying and selling They therefore wish the new moon and Sabbath gon that they might sell corne because that was forbidden worke in those times and seasons they are therefore weary of them and gladly would be shut of them could they sanctifie these holy daies or performe fervent and hearty worship to God in the same when all their desire was that they were gon whence we have just occasion to lay ground for handling a fourth hindrance of our earnest worshipping of God N. Wearines hinders our earnest worshipping of God When the worship we performe is a burden to us we do but weakly performe the same This people being weary of the new moon and Sabbath instead of setting their hearts upon solemne worship of God therein performed they set their hearts upon the end of the same they do not say O when will the new moon and Sabbath come or O that they would stay long but when will they be gon no daies so long as those daies of solemne worship in them the sunne seemes to stand still or to go back they passe not away fast enough and if the end of these solemne services have all the heart what shall God have in the performance of them This God complains of both in preists and people Mal. 1.13 That they had said of his worship What a wearines is it and that worship is poorely performed which is but a weary worship Though some take this place otherwise yet this sense suits well with that despising of Gods name blamed vers 6.7 for what a man thinks meanly of he will be weary of and what did their offering of
arguments that the most are weary of Gods service some whereof will fall upon some and others upon others and one or other upon the most 1. That comming after the beginning of Gods worship and going away before the end of it which I blamed heretofore as an act of despising of Gods worship will prove wearines in this place Were it matter of delight Gods worship then the more of it the more delight the sooner men come the longer they stay the more delight if men come with the first and stay with the last they shall have more delight but if it be a burden the lesse of it the more delight Were man to go to a delightfull recreation they would be there with the first and stay with the last upon this ground lest they should lose part of their delight let not men say they have many hinderances when they should come and they have many things to hasten them when they should go home for delight would break thorow hinderances and make a man forget what would take him off Do not men forget their meat and sleep when they are about pleasant occasions And were the worship of God delighfull men would forget their occasions at home till the worship of God be ended 2. That allowance of the forenoon only on the Lords day to the worship of God and reservation of the afternoon by some which is a clipping of the Kings coin of heaven for the Sabbath is the Lords day in a speciall respect all the dayes of the week are Gods in respect of creation and end but the Sabbath is the Lords as the Kings coin is his it bears the Lords image of holines it is an holy day set apart from common use unto Gods worship to take away the afternoon of that therefore is to clip the Kings coin yea though a man should spend so much time in private reading as he is wont to spend in publike worship seeing therefore there is such variety of Gods Ordinances such convenient time of rest and refreshing between the forenoon and afternoon exercise and due and timely finishing of the afternoon exercise what but wearines doth keep men from it Nay many do take so liberally of Gods good creatures on that day which most will have on that day more then any other though it be fit for very few bodies that their bodies are made unfit to performe Gods service Suppose the day be cold or rainy as it doth sometimes fall out on that day and it may be to try whether that will keep men away would not delight break thorow will not men do the like for their callings and recreations 3. That hasty hearty and full speech of the world and worldly occasions on the Lords day in some when the service of God is finished morning and evening as if the Sabbath were a market day a day of bargening paying receiving rather then of worshipping of God or seeking the good of the souls of men If the Sabbath be holy then nothing must be spoken or done that day but what is directly holy or done directly for an holy end to further Gods worship to helpe our hearts Were not men weary of holy duties would they so soon be gotten to earthly occasions would they be so hot and fervent in the same would there not be some remembrance of the duties newly past but that men lay aside a burden when they finish them 4. The neglect of all private duties by some on the Lords day If they were not tired with and weary of Gods publike worship would they not pray in their families speak something of the word they have heard though it were the lesse the Sabbath being appointed only for holy duties But if a man should go from family to family how few should he finde that pray on the Lords day night or speak any thing of the word preached but spend the time in idle talking a signe they have enough of Gods service are tired therewith 5. The haste that some make out of the house of God into the alehouse wherein they can sit longer then at the worship of God All these things which fall upon the most some or other of them do shew what weary service God hath generally performed and consequently weak service 2. The weak service God hath done him by his own people for it is weary service as appeares 1. In that they are not so willing of the approach of the Sabbath that light is not so pleasant unto them they think it comes too soon could wish it would stay a little longer 2. Their hearts are not so chearfull in Gods service nay many times the Lords day is the saddest day in the week they are more merry before it comes and when it is gone then in it 3. They give too much way to wandring thoughts and affections in holy duties they are not so unpleasant and burdensome to them they do not strive against them 4. Secret wishings and desires that the Sabbath were gone to the end they might go about other occasions 5. Too much gladnes of the end of the Sabbath too much ease and rest in their hearts these things shew how weak service God hath because so weary 3. Their sin that take course to weary soul and body so as to make them unfit for Gods worship for they take course to weaken his worship they that overcharge their bodies with surfeting and drunkennes that overtire them with labour that suffer their affections to run at their will upon earthly things do take course that God might have but poore service to do God but poore service is a sin but to take course that God may have but poore service is a double sinnne that argues we are willing he should have but weak service or at least are carelesse of the strength of his worship 2. To reprove 1. Our generall wearines of Gods worship If we consider it it may shame us 1. A signe we have lost Gods creation Is it likely that God would make creatures on purpose for his service and make them so that it should be a burden to them when it was in his power to make them otherwise Thou art weary of the word of prayer canst rest no where dost continually wish the minister had done oh be ashamed God did not make thee thus thou hast lost his image wiped off his spot should a father take paines and be at cost with a childe to learn him the skill of some trade and he should have lost it when he should come to exercise it would he not be ashamed thou hast lost the skill of serving of God which God gave thee wherein he was at more paines and cost then in making the rest of his creatures Me thinks this should make men hang down their heads for shame when they finde themselves weary of Gods worship they were sometimes fit to do Gods service but now unfit 2. There is no matter of wearines in Gods worship for it
to chuse his apostles the next day And in the place where our text is when he was presently to be betrayed by Iudas and apprehended by the souldiers he prayed and prayed again and had no sleep in his eies though his disciples were so sleepy that they could not hold open their eies When Paul was to depart on the morrow and the disciples to see his face no more he continued his speech untill midnight without any drousines If we will spend the night in holy duties there must be something beside the bare duties to keep us awake some awaking necessity or speciall occasion it will not be sufficient that we are loth to spend the day there must be some circumstance which will so stirre the the affection that it will stirre and disease the body Nor is it good to put off family duties till late at night unlesse we think God will be served with sleeping instead of praying These instrumentall causes I have been speaking of are over ruled by the principall cause God to punish such sinnes as these 1. Idlenesse in our particular callings Is it not just with God that they who are drousie in the occasions that concern their bodies should be drousie in the matters that concern their soules 2. Overmuch labour in their callings Is it not just with God that they who spend too much paines upon their own callings should spend too little upon his service too much upon their bodies and too little upon their soules 3. Heartlesse worship of God when men bring God a body only and take no care to bring the soul it is just with God they should not give so much as a body but rather sleep 4. Pride in spirituall abilities Is it not just with God that they who are conceited of strength should expresse weaknesse as they do that sleep and shall we think the Devil hath his hand out of this sleeping It is sure we oppose him in Gods service more then elsewhere therefore he will oppose us most He helps men to over-weary themselves in the week whereby they are unfit for the Sabbath He helps them to chuse the Saturday night to spend till late in triviall occasions for ordinarily of all dayes in the week men chuse Saturday night and Sabbath night for occasions of least moment the worst chosen time in tâ—e week for Saturday night they should be preparing them selves and Sabbath night considering how they have spent the Sabbath a signe the Devils hand is in the choise He suggests unto men that there is no benefit in watching no danger in sleeping he helps men that are naturally heavy to settle themselves easily to hang down their heads and shut their eies as furtherances He can if God permit cast an heavinesse upon a man He is compared to the fowls that picke up the seed and is not this our way shutting up the soul by sleep stopping the eare Quest How doth sleep hinder our earnest worshipping of God Ans We need not go farre to know that sense and experience doth teach every man the nature of sleep doth answer this question why is death compared to sleep but because they agree in somethings a sleeping man hath no more use of his senses then a dead man they are for the time bound up and suspended from their use if a man be in a fast sleep so that he cannot worship God at all For though the soul be able to worship God without the body as appeares by the working of the phansie in sleep and the separation of the soul from the body in heaven yet in those duties wherein the soul must be helped by the body as in all outward worship with others it cannot worship God if the body be asleep for herein the soul is directed by the eye and by the eare what part of worship to set about when to begin and when to make an end what order and decorum to keep for in publike duties we are so to worship God as not only God may be glorified by us and we bettered in our soules but also others may be edified in their worshipping of God which they cannot be by the works of our soules any farther then they appeare and break out in our bodies the actions whereof do flow into the eyes and eares of others If our sleep be not fast but rather a slumbring a drousines and heavines our service of God is marred for our bodies are unto our soules in this case as an hollow trunk stopped in the midst our eyes do but half see and our eares but half heare the sight dies in the eye and sound in the eare they come not to the soul there is no distinct understanding of the worship in hand much lesse any affection moved but a man in respect of hearing praying singing is like unto that man in a dream spoken of Isa 29.8 He dreameth he is eating and behold he awaketh and is hungry he dreameth he is drinking and behold he awaketh and is thirsty so men think they pray but when they a wake they know not what is prayed they think they heare but when they awake they know not what is spoken Vse The application of this point shall be first to them whom God helpeth against this sinne of sleeping in time of his worship they are waking and watchfull lively and stirring in holy duties sleep doth not then trouble them their duty is 1. To be thankfull unto God it is a mercy and a mercy denied unto many others Hereby we are kept from sinne and from much sorrow of heart which befalls others of the godly hereby we have that advantage to worship God and get good to our soules that others want It is not because thy heart is better or thy body better by nature then others nor because thou hast more grace or hast better improved grace then others but as Christ saith in case of knowledge To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdome of God so say I to you it is given to wake and watch in holy duties it is nothing of your own but Gods free gift be thankfull therefore It is no small mercy to do God lively service hereby our good is the more abundant the more sensible 2. Take heed of despising or hardly câ—nsâ—ring them that aâ—e very heavy in Gods worship though they sinne yet do not thou sinne also rather mourn thou that God should have such poor service and pity them that lose they know not what good who knows what a man loseth when he sleepeth a sermon while or prayer while If Peter had watched and prayed he had not so denied his master nor the disciples had fled and left their master for our Saviour bad them watch and pray that they might not enter into temptation had they watched and prayd they had not been so overcome of temptation who knows what the young man might have gotten for his soul by Pauls last Sermon had he not slept 3.
their sleeping when they should not and an intimation of punishment by present disquiet Sleep on now what could they now sleep No if you mark the following words behold the houre is at hand and the sonne of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners rise let us be going behold he is at hand that doth betray me How could they both sleep and rise and be going A signe our Saviour did intend to speak ironically i. e. to mock at their restlesse condition so bidding them to sleep that they might well perceive he intended no such matter which is the bitterest kinde of reproof jestingly to bid a man to doe a thing when he knowes he cannot doe it to make a rest of a mans trouble So when God shall cast men into restlesse coâ—ditions and they shall apprehend God bids them sleep now when yet they cannot sleep i. e. doth not pity their want of rest but rather mock at their misery as Prov. 1.26 how heavy will it be before Christ did thus bitterly reprove them their sleeping brought a confusion upon their hearts Mark 14.40 They knew not what to answer they had no excuse for themselves How much more when the godly are in affliction will it trouble and God shall then lay it home to their hearts 2. Consider that proverb of Solomon Chap. 23.21 Drousines shall cloath a man with raggs Is it not true spiritually as well as bodily Were not the Disciples ragged and uncomely when they fled from their Master and Peter especially a man of a poor torne and distracted soul when he denied his Master with swearing and cursing In like manner drousy Christians are ragged Christians of distracted spirits of uncomely conversations How can it be otherwise when they sleep out those Ordinances wherein they should put on the Lord Jesus How did Dalilah get God from Sampson but by getting him asleep and in his sleep causing him to break his Covenant with God by cutting off his locks So whilst men sleep in holy duties God goes from them and they are not awaâ—e for thus the way of intercourse between God and them is shut up 3. Hath not the spirit of God some respect to this sleeping in that Scripture-phrase which the godly have occasion to make use of in their afflictions finding somewhat suitable thereto in the providence of God Psal 44.23 Awake why sleepest thou oh Lord God sometimes doth no more for his people in affliction in their apprehension then a man asleep we call and cry desire others to call and cry for us times and daies doe passe over our heads yet God sleeps still he doth nothing for us our afflictions doe continue Doth not this suit our dealing with God we sle p in his service therefore he sleeps in our occasions When we are in affliction and none can help us but God and we cannot perceive that God doth take any course for us Now in Scripture God is said to sleep and when we finde it so have we not just cause to consider whether we have not slept in Gods service And if so God will not awake till we be humâ—led for that sin As therefore â—e would have God wake and â—tirre about in our troubles when no body else can doe us good let us take heed of sleepâ—ng Prov. 28.9 He that turneth â—way his ear from hearing the Law â—ven his praier shall be abominaâ—ion doe not men turne away their ear from hearing the Law when they sleep in time of the preaching of the Word If God therefore will not come neer their praiers he will sleep as it were in their afflictions when they pray to him Quest How may we be helpâ—d against sleeping in time of Gods worship Answ Somewhat must be done Before In time of the worship of God After The things to be done before are these â— Allow thy self conveni nt sleep the night before the Lords day doe not then abâ—iâ—ge thy self that thy body should have cause to complain thou hast done it wrong therefore it must make bold with God Nor take too much that also will make thee lumpish 2. Moderation in diet feeblenes and faintnes thorow want of food will cause sleep so also will fullnes therefore doe thou so order thy fasting or feeding as experience tells thee will best conduce to thy waking 3. Moderation in weekly labour i. e. when we manage them with dependance upon God for wisedom strength and blessing Psal 127.2 So the burden somnesse in measure is â—aken away and our bodies have not that vexatious toil whereas if we think to carry our occasions with the strength of our own abilities the whole burden will lie upon us so shall we be overwearied and unfit to wake on the Lords day 4. Pray before thou come for Gods quickning spirit to thy soul that quickned will quicken thy body 5. Love not sleep It is a phrase the holy Ghost useth Prov. 20.13 It is one thing to take our naturall rest in time convenient another thing to have an affection to drouse and slumber when we should otherwise be imployed so we shall bring our selves to an habit and custom of droâ—sinesse which will not be shaken off on the Lords day The things to be done in time of Gods worship are 1. Intention of soul and attention of body intend thy thoughts and affections to the Ordinance in hand and attend with eies and eaâ—s carelesnesse is the mother of drousinesse Prov. 19.15 2. Disease thy body If thou finde thy self drousy and shalt soule thy self to ease thou shalt increase thy drousines 3. Desire them that wake to watch over thee and chase away thy heavines by their freequent stirring of thee 4. Lift up an ejaculation to heaven in midst of thy heavines â—rom the bitternes of thy heart â—nd inward opposition of thy â—ullnes that help may come â—rom heaven though there be â—one upon earth The things to be done after Gods worship are 1. Family repetition of the word so should men discern how they wrong God his worship themselves and theirs when they finde all lost by sleep 2. Secret calling of our selves â—o account how we have spent â—he Sabbath so it would appear how ill sleeping becomes that day and the duties of it 3. Renew our godly sorrow for this sinne It worketh repentance change both in heart and life 2 Cor. 7.10 It is a work of the new man therefore doth mortify the deeds of the old man it is a fruit of the death of Christ therefore will dead this sinne of sleeping 4. Burden thy thoughts and affections with it the week thorow so shalt thou be weary of it on the Lords day but if it lie light the week thorow it will be no burden on the Lords day Object Here come old age in the last place to plead its infirmity Answ 1. Nature is infirm by age and so is corruption 2. There are promises of bringing forth fruit in age Psal 92.14 of renewing the youth as the
for silver and the needy for a paire of shoes and sell the refuse of the wheat It was not likely that they were so profane as to say so but they said so in their thoughts which whispering the Lord heard and so reports them these were wandring thoughts evil in themselves thoughts of deceit of falshood of oppression of injustice and that in the Sabbaths Thus wicked Jezebel 1 King 21.8 9 10. calls upon the Elders of Iesreel to proclaime a fast and in it to busie their thoughts about false witnesse and murther two men must come in and witnesse that Naboth blasphemed God and the King and then he must be carried out and stoned these things their thoughts must be busied about as the maine end of their fasting Our Saviour chargeth the Pharisees that they did devoure widows houses and for a pretence or cloke to hide it make long prayers in their prayers their thoughts did busie themselves about hiding their oppression and cruelty the main end of their praying Thoughts in themselves evil in time of Gods worship are most evil 1. Because they argue deepe hypocrisie for they are directly contrary to God yet covered over with shew of love to God To colour over great hatred of God with show of love is great hypocrisie 2. Great injury is done to God for in the very time that we should do service to him in a speciall manner we do speciall service to the devil 3. Deepe dishonour is put upon holy duties as if they had fellowship with sinne and could complie with it which doth indeede destroy their nature why else are these thoughts evil in themselves admitted when holy duties are in hand 4. Our spirits are specially poisoned hereby more then if we had them at another time because a greater curse goeth with them in that they abuse a time of blessing The devil is therefore the worst creature being corrupted because he was the best creature in creation and times of greatest blessing perverted are times of greatest curse Let a man abuse the sabbath time of prayer time of hearing with unclean drunken oppressing thoughts he shall be more accursed from God then if he had the same unclean drunken oppressing thoughts at another time and in other occasions for the sinne is aggravated from the time occasion and so the curse increased which well considered of would make us take heed how we spend the sabbath how we carry our selves in holy duties lest suffering sin to be stirred we become deeply accursed 2. A second sort of wandring thoughts in Gods worship are taken up about things lawfull and good in themselves and they are either Earthly good things Or spirituall good things 1. Wandring thoughts about earthly good things in Gods worship are such thoughts as are imployed about our particular callings or provision for our selves and children or about our pleasures and recreations thoughts warrantable and lawfull yea necessary at other times but now wandring thoughts because the minde is in other imployment God peremptorily saith that on the sabbath day we shall do no manner of work Exod. 20.10 If our hands rest and our thoughts be working is that no work Thoughts are as properly the labour and work of the minde as actions and doings are the work of the body Isa 58.13 God forbids us to finde our own pleasure on his holy day and do we not finde our pleasure by our thoughts Thoughts will frame the acting and enjoying of any pleasure or recreation If thoughts about earthly good things holden in time set apart for God are wandring and so sinnefull then in like manner such thoughts had in duties set apart for God are wandring and therefore sinfull When God complains of the Jews by the Prophet that their hearts went after their covetousnes in time of hearing the Word what doth he mean bâ—t that they were busy in thoughts and affections about worldly things which they so much desired though their bodies were absent from them 2. Wandring thoughts in Gods worship about spirituall good things are either such spirituall things as are impertinent and of a divers kinde from the duties in hand or such spirituall things as are pertinent of the same kinde and agreeable to the duty in hand Wandring thoughts in duty impertinent and of divers kinde are such as these When a man in time of hearing the Word hath thoughts of praier or of some Sermon thâ—t he heard at such a time in such a place how good it was and usefull unto him when a man in praier hath thoughts of preparation unto praier thoughts of meditation thoughts of hearing the Word Spirituall thoughts pertinent and of the same kinde with the worship in hand are not alwaies to be accounted wandring and sinfull thoughts As for example a man is hearing the Word of God and some thoughts come into his minde suitable to what is spoken some place of Scripture to the purpose or some place of Scripture inlightned to a man beyond what light the Minister giveth to it or something come to minde a man hath heard before to the same purpose A man also joins in praier with others and besides the thoughts of what is praied he hath other like thoughts of his own if these like thoughts do clear the duty in hand to the understanding do increase attention and affection to what is in doing they are not wandring thoughts but they are conserving thoughts thoughts that keep up and keep close the attention and affection to Gods worship and do prevent the weakning and wasting of the same and they are the work of the enlarging and establishing spirit which can at the same time suggest new thoughts and make them helpfull to us But if these pertinent and like thoughts do carry away the attention and take it wholly up that what is in hand is neglected and the thoughts loâ—e the present duty and are long before they can recall themselves and finde the duty then ordinarily they are the work of Satan and corruption working as an Angel of light doing evil but in such a way as may not be discovered for who would suspect good thoughts in duty of the very same kinde to come from Satan and corruption I say if these like thoughts do carry away the attention they are ordinarily evil for God may and sometimes doth as experience proves so take up the thoughts and affections with something in the Word and praier that is suitable to the necessity of the soul that it can minde nothing else for the present but as the soul hath dwelt upon some matter of sorrow and been deeply humbled thereby so God will have a man dwell upon some matter of comfort till the heart be greatly refreshed thereby but this is more then ordinary we may not neglect any part of worship but God may imploy us about some part if he will this act is not voluntary or deliberate but the soul is carried thereto by the power of
good go forward and would have our communion with God in holy duties furthered we must look to our thoughts for they are the beginning 2. Our thoughts are the rise and well-spring of all evil No evil is at any time in tongue or life but was first in thought Such breakings out in tongue as men are ashamed of did first make a gap in the thoughts Actuall sins in Scripture are called inventions Eccles 7.9 God made man upright but he hath found out many inventions the first apostasy and fall of our parents was a finding out of many inventions Psal 99.8 He took vengeance of their inventions Actuall sins the sins of the outward man are therefore called inventions because f you follow any sin to the fountain and spring you shall finde it was an invention it began in a device an imagination Art thou aware that the furthest sin goeth the worse and would'st thou stop it in the beginning then look to thy thoughts regard them if any anger swearing lying come into thy tongue they will be first in thy thoughts and if thou wouldst keep them out of thy tongue thou must regard thy thoughts 3. Little dost thou or any man know to what one thought may grow be it good or evil behold saith the Apostle Iam. 3.5 how much a little fire kindleth a thought is but a spark yet a spark of fire that will kindle wonderfull much if not quenched there To see the stream and spring of some river a man would hardly believe that so great a stream came from so small a fountain The greatest good and evil that ever was in the world was at first but a little thought Thoughts therefore are to be regarded yea chiefly to be regarded If a good thought come into thy heart and thou cherish it and the spirit of God move upon it thou canst not tell what may proceed from it If an evil motion come into thy heart and thou let it go without controll and the Devil be suffered to hatch it it will grow to a monster of sin 4. Thou maiest sin in thought and not sin in word or deed but thou canst not sin in word or deed but thou must first sin in thought Sin in thought is more easily and suddainly committed and more independently then in word or deed therefore thoughts are chiefly to be looked unto Many will blesse themselves from such and such sins in life which others runne into and they look carefully to their steps not considering they may commit the same sin in their thoughts which they give liberty unto though not in life and therefore they should look first to their thoughts 2. Generall and common carelesnes of thoughts in Gods worship is to be reproved Is it not a fault for men to be careles how they worship God who is so great and so good so great that none is like him so good that he gives us rain from heaven and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with food and gladnes yea giveth us his statutes and ordinances he hath not so dealt with all his people Is it not carelesnesse in Gods worship to be carelesse what we think therein whether good or evil whether impertinent good or pertinent Thus they rob God of a part of their soul who hath made all requires all and deserves all That there is a common carelesnesse in men of thoughts appears in that they do not set their thoughts in order when they come to Gods worship but rather bring that with them which may distract them viz. thoughts of meeting with such and such and speaking with them about some worldly busines and when they are there suffer their eies to wander and rove and to delight themselves with variety of objects They that take no care of their eies take no care of their thoughts for the eies do feed the thoughts the thoughts depend upon the eies God out of his care of his glory and our good spirituall temporall and eternall hath appointed his worship is it not our great sin to be carelesse of it Our own thoughts will in time accuse us and passe this reproof upon us when it shall be an evil day of affliction with us or when the word shall be a light in our mindes and a terrour in our hearts Time of sicknes is a time of thoughts then our hands and feet are bound onely our thoughts are at liberty which will then toil and busy themselves about our wandring in good duties and thereby vex and torment us The more carelesse we have been of our thoughts in Gods worship the more carefull will our thoughts be to disquiet us for conscience must and shall do its office and there is more matter of disquiet 3. The particular carelessenes of Gods people of their thoughts in Gods worship is particularly to be reproved their mindes are in part sanctified they know the weight of Gods worship the worth of good thoughts the evil of wandring thoughts how comfortable the one leaves the heart and how sad the other yet they take but little care to keep their minde close to Gods worship I speak not of that infirmity which doth follow necessarily upon the remainings of corruption and is common to all the godly some wandring thoughts in good duties but I speak of their carelessenes and negligence to prevent wandring thoughts whereupon follows store and abundance of them The former is their sin because unavoidable wandring thoughts are the fruits of our sin our first voluntary Apostasy from God but this is an addition of sin to sin an increase of sin not only a neglect of Gods worship but also a neglect of our first injuring of God and his worship by our fall For were we sensible of our sinfull frame of minde that doth as necessarily and naturally send out wandring thoughts as the fire doth heat were we troubled that we have brought upon our selves a necessity of wandring and roving from God in his worship we would take care that this originall corruption should not be fruitfull I appeal to the consciences of the godly do not your thoughts accuse you for carelessenes of your thoughts in Gods worship Were there nothing else to convince the godly of the carelessenes of their thoughts in Gods worship and their fault therein this were sufficient the fruit of their wandring thoughts What makes Sabbaths so wearisome to the godly but this that they cannot keep their thoughts to God the more the day and our thoughts suit the more contentment and delight therein and the lesse out thoughts and the day suit the more wearisome the day will be What makes the ordinances so unprofitable the hearts of the godly are not affected in the word in praier because of these wandring thoughts as the thoughts are taken up about any thing so the affections do work if the thoughts be but sleighty the affections will be but sleightly moved if the thoughts be deeply possessed with a thing the affections are strongly
with wisdom 4. Accustom our selves to meditation so we shall get a skill of thinking well Meditation in its nature is the composing setling and congealing of our thoughts It is to our roving sluent mindes as a damme to running water when much water is gathered together the damme makes it there to stand So when many thoughts are gathered together in the soul meditation makes them there to stand keeps them from running out again The nature of it being a setling of the minde the effect of it must needs be so and the use of it frequently must needs perfect the effect more and more settle our mindes When Paul desired to have a good conscience alwaies the means he used was to exercise himself therein so Paul to Timothy 1 Tim. 4.7 Exercise thy self unto godlines the way to gain the trade and skill of godlines is to exercise our selves therein ver 15. Mâ—ditate on these things give thy self wholly unto them that thy profiting may appear unto all If Timothy would be busied wholly in stirring up the gift of God all should see his profiting So if we would give our selves to meditation be much in it it would apparently settle our mindes It is made the property of a blessed meditating man to bring forth fruit in season Psal 1.3 Why so because he is as a tree planted by the rivers of waters As a tree planted by the rivers of waters cannot want fitnes to bring forth fruit in season bâ—cause it hath abundance of nourishment So the meditating soul cannot want fitnes to bring forth fruit in season good thoughts in holy duties because it is planted amongst Gods springs the fulnes of the assisting spirit 5. Adde to these watchfullnes wandring thoughts will not be prevented without watching Watch 1. Thy minde it needs watching for it is nimble therefore will soon be gone and go far in a little time 2. Watch thine eie a rolling eie a wandring heart if thou give libertie to thy eie that will set the minde at liberty Job 31.1 I have made a Covenant with mine eies why should I think on a maid the eie depends on the minde else why should he make one Covenant to binde them both So he argues I have made a covenant with mine eies why should I think It might be said though the eie be bound by covenant yet the minde is at liberty The answer is that the eie is the servant of the minde made to help that therefore in binding the eie the minde is bound for if it cannot have the help and service of the eie it hath not full liberty if the minde should not be bound why should the eie to which it serves 3. Watch thy ears when thou art hearing or praying the Devil will cause some sound or other to draw away thy ear he is that cunning charmer that labours to inchant our ears he will make us think that we hear some pleasant melody of our profit or pleasure or honour if we keep not our ears stopped with attention thickned with watchfullnes 4. Watch thy affections 1. That they be affected and moved with the duty in hand dead affections make a wandring minde if what is thought on do not affect the minde will think of something else that may affect this is one reason of wandring thoughts because present thoughts do not affect the minde doth naturally serve the affections the more they are delighted the more content the minde hath for it hath its ende if duties in hand delight not the minde will wander till it hath found matter of delight 2. Watch thy affections that they continue as they begin if they be affected A bowe continuing bent doth carry the arrow levell to the mark but if it slip the arrow wanders So if our affections continue in that vigour and life wherein they begin they will keep our mindes steady but if our affections tire and wax weary our mindes will rove Though by watchfulnes we cannot wholly prevent wandring thoughts yet we shall in part prevent them hereby we shall more easily discern them and resist them this is a way of command therefore a sure way Ob. But when we have used all means still we shall be troubled with wandring thoughts Answ True therefore when we have done God the best service in his Ordinances that is attainable these three things must allwaies follow 1. Sense of our failings 2. Recourse unto the Lord Jesus for renewment of repentance and pardon and increase of power 3. Confidence of Gods acceptance in and through Christ of what he enableth us unto CHAP. IIII. Of the third hinderance of instant worshipping of God unpreparednes PSAL. 57.7 My heart is fixed oh God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise THis verse doth afford us an help and means to the better praising of God i. e. fixednes firmnes or preparation of heart and soul which gives us just ground to speak of another hinderance of our earnest worshipping of God viz. unsetlednes loosenes and unpreparednes of heart N. God cannot so well be worshipped without a fixed or prepared heart unpreparednes of heart doth weaken our worshipping of God What is said of thanksgiving which is one part of Gods worship is true of all for there is the same reason of one and of all Preparation of heart doth commend all thanksgiving even unto God himself and in like manner doth it commend all other parts of worship and the want of it doth discommend the worship performed and therefore discommend it because it doth weaken it for had the worship its full and due strength and worth without it how should the want thereof discommend But this is clear in the Text ver 8. That worship that is performed with a sleepy drousy body is a weak worship but the Psalmist here makes the awaking of the body to be the fruit and effect of the preparation of the heart awake my glory awake lute and harp I my self will awake early why so My heart is prepared the heart prepared and thereby awaked will awake the body To worship God therefore without a prepared heart is to worship him with a drousy body because with a drousy heart and therefore weakly Three things will fully manifest the truth of this point 1. The command of God for preparation see it both in ordinary and in extraordinary worship God requires preparation unto ordinary worship A generall command that reacheth unto all parts of ordinary worship expressely is the fourth Commandement There are foure things in that which do call for preparation 1. Remember the Sabbath day and he that setteth down no particular time when we should remember it means all time a signe there is somewhat more in that day then in other daies that we must remember it more then any other yea then all other surely for some end we must remember it 2. Keep it holy and ver 11. The Lord sanctified it there is a difference between this and other daies we
may and must spend them in our own occasions but we must keep it holy as a day set a part for his glory and how shall we keep the day holy if we our selves be unholy 3. It is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God as in Revel 1.10 The Lords day he hath reserved it for himself the six daies are our daies allowed us for our occasions and shall we make no difference between Gods day and our own If the King will have the coronation day kept as his day If a Landlord will have his marriage be kept as his day we difference the same by change of apparell and shall we not difference Gods day from other daies by change of spirit 4. Six daies thou shalt labour and do all thou hast to do and ver 11. In it thou shalt do no manner of work What is this but a charge to prepare when we are commanded to get all our earthly occasions dispatched ere that day come And if it be a difficulty so to do yet we must labour and take pains for that end and if we must have none of our occasions to do on the Lords day which are lawfull all the six daies much lesse must we have our sinfull occasions to do on that day which are never lawfull Another generall place is Eccl. 5.1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God It is spirituall worship chiefly that is performed in Gods house therefore it is a spirituall foot that is here chiefly meant and the foot of the soul is the inclination or disposition of the soul for all the faculties of the soul do move and work by the dispositions thereof good or evil by them we walk towards God and converse with God Phil. 3.19 20. The Apostle speaking of the wicked saith they minde earthly things but of the godly he saith their conversation is in heaven i. e. as men by the help of their feet carrying them from place to place do converse amongst men so the godly by means of their understanding do walk to heaven though they live here upon earth do converse with God The feet of the soul must be kept when we goe into the house of God then our minde will and affections must be in speciall compasse and under speciall command and that will not be without preparation we have them not at a beck As the Scripture doth plainly command in generall that we prepare unto all the worship of God so doth it plainly command preparation in particular parts of Gods worship For hearing the Word of God Jer. 4.3 Break up the fallow ground of your hearts and sowe not among thornes The ground the heart must be prepared by the plow of repentance the very inwards of the heart must be fastned and opened thereby and the weeds plucked up by the roots Luke 8.18 Take heed how you hear it must be done with caution not with carelesnes he doth not say you need not heed how you hear but take heed how you hear For praier Eccles 5.2 Be not rash with thy mouth nor let thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God we must not rush upon praier nor rashly pour out words in that duty but be well advised and ponder well what we say For singing psalms be filled with the spirit and then sing Ephes 5.18 19. For the passover the paschall lamb was not to be killed till the fourteenth day of the moneth Exod. 12.6 but it was to be taken up on the tenth day ver 3. What was this but to prepare them The paschall lamb was set apart foure daies before the celebration of the passeover So in regard of the Lords supper 1 Cor. 21.28 Let a man examine himself and so let him eat not first eat and then examine himself The like command we may finde for extraordinary parts of Gods worship When the people were to hear the Word from Gods own mouth he commanded Exod. 19.10 11. That they should be sanctified two daies together Go sanctify the people to day and to morrow and be ready against the third day Joel 2.15 16. Sanctify a Fast and how shall the people be fitted Sanctify the Congregation When God was about to bring inexpressible evil upon his people and would set them an effectuall way to prevent it he bids them prepare to meet him meet him but not without preparation Amos 4.12 The like command lies upon vows which are the companions of extraordinary speciall praier Eccles 5.4 5 6. The summe of this first argument to prove that the want of preparation doth weaken the worship of God is this To want that which God hath commanded as an help to his worship ordinary and extraordinary is to weaken that worship But to want preparation is to want that which God hath appointed as an help to his worship ordinary and extraordinary therefore to want preparation is to weaken that worship 2. The examples of the servants of God agreeable to this command Psal 26.6 I will wash mine hands in innocency so will I compasse thine Altar oh God David alludeth to a command injoined to the Priests who served at the Altar viz. to wash their hands and their feet when they went to do the service of the Tabernacle Exod. 30.18 19 20. This no doubt was exemplary to the people to teach them with what preparation they should worship God and David saith he will wash his hands in innocency i. e. put away the evil of his doings and then come to worship God as Isa 1.15 16. God excepted against their duties because their hands were full of blood cruell hands and must be washed 2 Chron. 35.6 It was Iosiahs command that the Priests should prepare themselves and sanctify their brethren against the passeover what a pithy letter did Hezekiah write to his Subjects to fit them for the passeover 2 Chron. 30. A letter of instruction shewing them how they should prepare themselves a letter of exhortation pressing them thereto a letter of consolation shewing the benefits that would thence flow and vvhen he perceived the peoples hearts vvere prepared yet they vvanted some ceremoniall preparation he vvas not satisfied but praied to the Lord to heal them Notable vvas Jacobs care to fit his family for a day of extraordinary thanksgiving Gen. 35.1 2. and if he were so carefull to prepare many surely he was not carelesse of one of himself He said to his household Put away the strange Gods that are amongst you and be clean and change your garments put away the strange Gods more open and grosse sins be clean from more secret sins change your garments the frame of their hearts from earthly to heavenly Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 20.3 When he was in danger set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a Fast turned his face from other occasions and set it towards that great occasion From this argument we may reason thus To neglect that which the servants of God have practised as a way of due
the fore-kin was a superfluitie therefore to be cut off so sin is a superfluity wee may well spare it and it must be cut off when wee come to heare the word if wee would be clean 2. The heart is then unâ—lean and prophaâ—e when it come to worship God not having laide aside earthly thoughts and affections these thoughts and affections are common not set apart untâ—o Gods worship therefore do defile the heart in Gods worship because they make it common when it should be set apaâ—t for God Common is as well opposed to holy as sinfull 1. Sam. 21.4 There is no common bread under my hand but hallowed common or ordinary bread in comparison of hallowed bread is unholy and so common ordinary thoughts and affections inreference to holy worship are prophane and unholy and make the heart a prophane vessel Nehe. 13.17 Nehemiah did contend with the Nobles because they did prophane the sabbath How did they prophane the sabbath viz. in suffering wares to be sold and tradesmen to be imploied in their trades on the sabbath-sabbath-day much more did they that were imploied in them prophane the sabbath and especially their hearts by intermedling with such occasions Isa 58. â—3 Thou shalt not do thine owne wayes nor finde thine own pleasure on my holy day the day and duties are Gods therefore the workes and word yea and thoughts and affections too must in a speciall manner tend to God upon that day This was shadowed by Gods command to Moses when he drew nigh to the bush where God did manifest himselfe in glory setting the bush on fire yet keeping it from being consumed put off thy shoes from thy feet Exod. 3 5. why For the place whereon thou standest is holy â—round Those shoes those affections whereby wee tread upon the earth converse with men and with earthly occasiâ—ns must be put off when wee come to Worship God else they will make our hearts unholy and uncleane because common 3. A third part of the unpreparednes of the heart is unaptnes or indisposednes suppose a man lie under one sin unrepented of and lay aside wordly thoughts and affections yet experience proves a man may be unwilling and backward to the Worship of God or may have an indifferencie or carlesnes of spirit that he could as well let it alone as do it a spirit of luke-warmenes that doth neither strongly incline to the Worship of God nor from it but stands in a middle way This unaptnes is not only a want of Grace without which a man wants a will for God works the will till God worke a will in a man to that which is good he hath none but also a want of readines in grace to be put in exercise in Gods worship by reason of spirituall sloth the case of the wise virgins who by reason of their slumbring had their lamps to trim when the bridegroom was comming ere they could be prepared the orbe of grace grew low and so their lampes of profession did burne obscurely they awaking and using the meanes got supplye of oyl from Christ and so their lamps recovered their brightnes and the want of that which Paul calls upon Timoâ—hy for 2. Tim. 1.6 Stir up the gift of God there are gifts and graces but they are like fire in the ash-heaps not fit to kindle and flame the ordinances of God being put to them because the ashes of security lye between grace and the ordinances of God unblowne away This we finde in Iacobs preparing of his family Gen. 35.2 First put away the strange gods that was all manifest and open sinne Secondly be ye clean i. e. from all ceremoniall pollutions Thirdly change your garments not onely put off those they had on but put on others The garments of the soule are the dispositions of the soule Isai 61.3 a garment of praise is opposed to a spirit of heavines a spirit of heavines is a sad or mournfull disposition a garment of praise on the contrary is a ioyfull and thankfull disposition We must change our garments put off our earthly and worldly dispositions thoughts desires cares about the world and not there rest but we must be clothed with heavenly thoughts affections graces have them in a readines to expresse themselves in the worship of God This is the wedding garment spoken of Matth. 22.2 for by the marriage feast there is meant all the ordinances of God word sacraments prayer for in all doth God give our soules liberall and honourable entertainment doth set all his dainties before us with great solemnity the wedding garment is our fitnes and disposednes unto the ordinances by reason of certain heavenly sutable dispositions in a readines in our soules appearing to Almighty God and in measure to the godly by our outward carriage and behaviour If we take Christ for the wedding garment as some do how doth he fit us for the ordinances but by imputing his righteousnes unto us which is our worth and communicating to us heavenly dispositions to make us meet They that put on wedding garments do first put off their ordinary common apparel and then put on comely pleasant apparel meet for such an occasion so when we come to the feast of Gods ordinances where God is the feast-maker and Christ the feast and Angels entertainers and attenders we must not onely put off our ordinary and common affections but we must put on such affections as are meet for the ordinances of God sanctified and holy affections for holy duties as reverence humility love repentance faith these in a readines do make the heart apt and disposed and these not put on by new care and diligence in use of meanes and dependencie upon Christ do make us unapt and indisposed and so unprepared If a man take not care to stirre up holy thoughts and holy affections when he cometh to the ordinances of God he hath an unprepared heart because his heart having no holy affections ready to meet and close with holy dueties hath no fitnes unto them because no present ready suitablenesse unto them It is one thing to have grace in the heart another thing to have it ready for exercise and so it is one thing to have a generall fitnes for the ordinances another thing to have a particular and present fitnes at this and that time for this and that ordinance A childe of God that hath grace in his heart hath a generall fitnes for the ordinances because the same holines that is in the ordinances is in his heart and they must needs fit one another but the same childe of God if his grace be not fit for exercise through some impediment at a particular time and in a particular ordinance may want a perfect and particular fitnes for that ordinance If this were not so a childe of God could never performe any duety unworthyly as to bring speciall judgements of siâ—knes â—eaknes and death upon them as the Corinthians did 1 Cor. 11 3â— for a
remember that we shewed our selves fools by making a sport of sin of Sabbath breaking of filthy speaking of cruell exercises as bear-baiting cock-fighting men quarrelling and the like Have we not gon merrily from the Church on the Lords day unto some unlawfull meeting and sinfull recreation 2. Adde hereto that we had no desire or delight in any good sin had not some of our will and joy onely but all of both Gods service had none at all no not a small measure It may be we forced our selves to pray to hear the Word and to do other good duties because our parents would have us or law did call upon us or we were ashamed to neglect the same but no will had we thereto Nay have we not spoken ill of praying going to Sermons making profession living strictly a signe what our will was to such courses It was that lay heavy upon Paul after his conversion that he persecuted the Church spake ill of them and did ill to them and that for well doing and that with zeal abundance of willingnes and delight 1 Cor. 15.9 I am not meet to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God Phil. 3.6 Concerning Zeal persecuting the Church he did not onely persecute them for well doing but he did it with zeal with an ardent affection This is the description of all unregenerâ—te men Tit. 1.16 They are unto every good work reprobate not onely doth God reject them and make no account of them when they come to doe any religious work but they also in their own natures are sit to reject and to cast away rather then to embrace and to do what is good and not some good works onely that are most difficult and spirituall but every good work 〈◊〉 Amos 3.10 They know not to do right saith the Lord they have neither skill nor will to do right 3. Adde to both the time spent in willing and cheerfull service of sin most of us have spent more time then we have to spend in the service of God vve know vvhat is past and that much is past but vve know not hovv little is to come Put all together Have vve vvillingly and cheerfully served sin vvhen vve had no vvill at all to good and that longer time for ought vve knovv then vve have to spend in Gods service and shall vve doe God vveak service What after vve have served sin vvith our strength shall vve allovv our selves in such poor service unto God as vve vvould not put off sinne vvith What considering that the time of sinnes service is past and therefore sure but the time of Gods service is uncertain because to come shall we proclaim to all the world that sinne was a better master then God by our more wearisome service of God then sin 2. Let us consider time present and therein two things 1. God hath put into us a principle of willingnes and cheerfullnes in his service a new nature which wants nothing but stirring up and improving and we should be more affectionate and lively in Gods service this appeares in that the Apostle calls upon Timothy 2 Tim. 1.6 to stirre up the gift of God there was an holy fire of grace in him which did but need stirring up were the ashes but blown from it it would flame Heb. 12.1 He calls upon the godly to lay aside every weight and the sinne that doth so easily beset them and runne with patience the race set before them there is in them an active and cheerfull disposition a joyfull running in the race of godlinesse were the cloggs of sinne and earthly cares and comforts removed Heb. 10.24 He calls upon them to provoke unto love and good works every one his Neighbour and every one his brother there is love in the godly which is a fountain of good works which needs only provoking and spurring on That the godly are no more cheerfull therefore in Gods service is carelessenes want of taking paines and doth not that make our sinne much greater 2. We do expect that God should willingly and cheerfully meet us and do us good in his ordinances if we want counsell comfort grace provision safety The godly have not onely prayed to God in case of their necessity but they have added their desire that God would not keepe silence but when they have spoken to him in prayer that he would speake again to them by his spirit word and providence when they have spoken their troubles that he would speake comfort when they have spoken their doubts that he would speake counsell when they have spoken their wants of grace that he would speake supply When God hath withdrawn himself from his people though seeking him in his Ordinances they have been exceedingly troubled Cant. 5.6 did not the spouse faint because shee could not finde her beloved when shee sought him Psal 44.24 doth not the Church thinke that God forgets her oppression and affliction forgets how ill matters goe with her because he doth not hear her prayers Nay have not the godly desired a speedy answer without delay Psal 143.7 Hear me speedily They have desired God to make haste and not to tarry Psal 70.5 make haste unto me make no tarrying which shews they desired that what God did for them he would do it cheerfully and willingly for slacknes is usually a signe of unwillingnes Nay when the occasion of their praying hath been some temporall outward affliction present they have begged the favour of God as if that had been the onely thing wanted Psal 80.3 It was salvation from enemies that the Church desired but shee especially prays again and again for the face of God to shine upon her cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved Psal 143. was penned by David in regard of the persecution of his enemies vers 3.12 yet he earnestly prays vers 6.7 that God would not hide his face that God would cause him to heare his loving kindnes in the morning which shews whatsoever God should do for them whether preventing of evil or removing of evil they desire God would do it lovingly and heartily and the love wherewith he doth it doth them more good then the mercy it self It is the frame of the heart of the godly thus to desire God cheerfully to meet with them in ordinances God must come off with every mercy cheerfully and give us his love more then the mercy and shall we come off heavily with the services we perform to him What equity is in this God must do our mindes and desires cheerfully and we his minde wearily do we more desire and value the Lords love then his mercies and will not the Lord looke more at our love then the duties we perform It argues too much self love too little love to God to desire all may come from God to us heartily but to let all go from us to God grudgingly 3. Consider the time to come and therein also 2. things 1. We looke for
in spirituall actions because a man in them did come nearest to God and had most to do with him the fountain of comfort therefore the curse of sorrow is most found in spirituall actions because in them naturally a man is furthest from God and doth â—east expresse him And though the godly do finde much sweetnesse and comfort in holy duties more then in other actions yet they tast of the curse here more then elsewhere they finde more travill trouble and sorrow attending spirituall actions then any other the sweat of their browes and wearines of their bodies is not so troublesome as the pain of their hearts in holy duties their generall calling is more sorrowfull and bitter then their particular an harder matter to keep their thoughts close to good duties then to their particular callings their mindes are more vexed and their bodies more tired in good performances then with so much labour any where else If most disquiet from within and from without be found in spirituall actions then there is most cause of spirituall sloth This spirituall sloth that hinders our fervent performance of good duties is improved and increased sundry wayes 1. By ignorance of three things 1. Our necessity and want of spirituall actions we see not what need we have to pray much and hear much because we naturally want Gods favour grace apart in heaven and they that are renewed have but little grace much to do with it and much opposition against it yet know not what need they have of the increase of grace When our Saviour commandeth his Disciples Matth. 6.31 33. to take no thought saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or where withall shall we be clothed But first seek the kingdome of God and his righteousnes doth he not give us to understand that they and so we are more sensible of wants for our bodies then for our soules that we had need be called from the one unto the other 2. Ignorance of the worth and excellency of holy duties which have a worth above other actions inasmuch as they are commanded in the first place do require more expression of grace do more immediately concern God do bring more honour to him we do duties on Gods day and at other times because God commandeth them others do so and we are wont so to do but we look at them as mean work as poor imployment we do not see the hidden worth and excellency of them It is not in vain that the Lord saith Isa 58.13 they should call the Sabbath honourable It is one thing to keep the Sabbath and another thing to keep it as an high day a day of honour thinking our ordinary worldly thoughts words and works too mean and base for it we perform good duties but we know not the honour of them if we did we should not be ashamed of good speeches and actions as if they were matter of shame rather then honour 3. Ignorance of the benefit and good that redounds unto us by the performance of good duties as increase of our communion with God increase of his Image in us increase of peace and comfort increase of all other good things Why doth God so frequently use the argument from the benefit to move us unto performance of them but to declare our ignorance herein as well as to declare his bounty and to meet with our self-love and desire of our own good If we know experimentally the trouble and toil of good duties and not so well know our want the worth and benefit of them how should we but be backward unto them as disquieting us without any great necessity worth or benefit to countervail that disquiet 2. Spirituall sloth is improved and increased by false reasonings in our mindes For instance 1. Lesse frequencie in performing good duties and fervencie will serve the turne and if lesse will do what needs more Are not the hearts even of the godly apt to say what need we be so often in prayer and take so much paines with our hearts therein surely God is not so strict nor the way to heaven so streight Why doth the Apostle call for all diligence in the adding of grace to grace 2 Pet. 1.5 and in making our calling and election sure vers 10. but that we thinke a little will serve Why doth our Saviour call the way to heaven a strait gate and narrow way Maâ—th 7.14 and command us to strive to enter in Luke 13.24 but that we are not easily possessed that so much paines is required in good duties as indeed there is especially others do cry out of them as prodigalls that take much paines in hearing praying and are not backward to say that they hope to get to heaven with lesse adoe and if lesse will not serve God helpe them That there is no need of so much paines in good duties they undertake to prove by experience others say they have done well others have done well in times past and do well now that take not so much pains spend not so much time in good duties labour not so much with their hearts were not such and such honest men were they not well thought of of the Church of God are they not gon to heaven dare you think otherwise yet they were not forward strict and precise as some they went on fairely and made not so great a noise and stirre in religion Are not such and such now well thought of you would be loath to think they do not fear God that they shall not go to heaven yet they do not so much as keep company with the godly you can discern in them no great labour and pains-taking for heaven one may therefore do well and get well to heaven where nothing will be wanting without so much adoe the labour then is well spared so saith sloth spare what one can but reason grounded upon experience saith a man may do well without so much labour therefore spare it This reasoning is false for suppose some have gotten to heaven and shall get to heaven that are not so diligent in good wayes and so shall do well in the end yet they do not so well in the way Who knows what smart their sloth costs them in life in time of sicknes in the houre of death who knows what peace comfort grace what heaven upon earth they deprive themselves of who knows how God in Ordinances would raise them up to heaven and come down from heaven unto them were they more carefull to take pains Nor do they so well in the end they shall have lesse grace and glory in heaven lesse of God and so be lesse happy They shall have a crown but not be set with pearls they shall sit in thrones but not so near the King of Kings as others they shall be filled with the rivers of Gods pleasures but their vessells shall not be so able to contain as others 2. There is no profit in performing good duties we
shall fare no otherwise no better in performing them then if we neglected them Job 21.15 What profit should we have if we pray unto him We say in our proverb as good sit for nought as work for nought this keeps men from the work and labour of prayer a conceit there is no profit in it they see no good come of it they that pray much and spend much time in religious exercises are as poor in the world as much despised and afflicted as any yea and more Mal. 3.14 Ye have said it is vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinances and walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts They are not ashamed to say that it is vain to serve God an unprofitable way and they undertake to prove it by their own experience they have kept Gods Ordinances and have mourned for their failings yet have found no benefit things have gon no better with them Jer. 44.17.18 they speak their mindes fully since they left off burning incense to the Queen of heaven they wanted all things and were consumed with famine and sword but when they did burn incense to the Queen of heaven they had plenty of victuals were well and saw no evil so the godly have times of temptation wherein carnall reason assisted by Satan doth prevail to make them think and say all their sincerity is in vain and the pains they have taken in Gods service Psal 73.13 Verily I have clensed my heart in vain and washed mine hands in innocency he thought that neither the purity of his heart nor innocency of his conversation was to any purpose he should be never the better for it Nay because the more they pray and walk in the use of Gods means sometimes the worse matters are with them in providence are they not ready to reason from sense that there is no benefit in precisenes and strictnes This is a false reasoning Psal 19.11 There is reward and great reward If so small a matter as a cup of cold water given for Gods sake shall not go unrewarded how much lesse greater matters Gods righteousnes is ingaged Heb. 6.10 He may as soon cease to be righteous as leave unrewarded the labour of his peoples love 3. So much pains and care about good duties will hinder the particular calling and so the benefits of this life and bring poverty And though the godly do not expressely say so as others will yet would they not take more pains about good duties if they did think it would not hinder their particular calling and profit which they are so sensible of This is a false reasoning for though carefull and fervent performances of duties may take up more time yet if it bring a double blessing what losse will there be That it is thus we may see in the case of the Iewes Hag. 1.2 They did not refuse to build the Temple and therein to take care of the Lords worship but they were carelesse of it and for carelessenesse he doth reprove them This people say the time is not yet come the time that the Lords house should be built at present they wanted opportunity and hoped they should have opportunity afterward but would not try whether opportunity would serve See how this carelessenes of Gods service did redound to the frustrating of all their care about their own occasions vers 6. ye have sown much and brought in little he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bagge with holes their labour did not prosper they were not the richer for their sowing and labouring they looked for much and it came to little vers 9. I did blow upon it I called for a drought Why because my house is wast and ye run every one to your own house Their too much care of their own occasions and carelessenes of Gods service got them nothing but it lost them much Chap. 2.16 17. When one came to a heap of twenty measures there were but ten when one came to the presse fat to draw out fifty vessels there were but twenty When come doth not prove doth not fill men do not consider that this is because they take more care about their own matters then Gods service It follows I smote you with blasting and mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands when mens corn is spoiled with blasting and mildew and hail they do not consider it is because they are carelesse of Sabbaths and Ordinances of God more carelesse of his service then their own occasions on the other side see how care of Gods service brings a blessing upon our occasions vers 18 19. Consider from this day that the foundation of the Lords Temple was laid consider it from this day I will blesse you And that they may know that the Lord doth blesse them because of their care of his worship he addeth Is the seed yet in the barn Is it already past Gods blessing yea as yet the vine and the fig-tree and the pomgranet and the Olive tree hath not brought forth Zach. 8.10.11 before this time there was no hire for man nor any for beast but now I will not be as in the former dayes for the seed shall be prosperous c. so that what time Gods service takes up from our callings it will abundantly make up in blessing and it must needs be so for all successe is Gods Psal 127.1 Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it and where God is best served he will bestow the most blessing 4. The comfort will not countervail the sorrow the ease the difficulty the rest the labour Thus much we may gather from the sluggards speech Eccl. 4.6 Better is a handfull with quietnesse then both the hands full with travell and vexation of spirit He thinks the filling of both hands will not be answerable to the pains taken therein the lesse he hath the lesse disquiet and the more the more disquiet and that disquiet will not be exceeded by comfort and quiet but the vexation seems to him more then the quiet therefore one handfull is rather to be chosen then both because the lesse he hath the lesse disquiet So much also is implied in the spouse her answer to Christ calling on her to awake out of the bed of security arise and open to him Cant. 5.3 I have put off my coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them Had she thought the benefit would have countervailed the trouble she would not have made that exception This is a false reasoning for it saith Christ hath not purchased so much as sin hath deserved 5. As the difficulty of good waies is unavoidable so unconquerable not possible to overcome it the evil and discomfort of good waies is destroying Prov. 22.13 The slothfull man saith their is a Lyon without the difficulties of his way are as unable to be overcome as a Lyon he shall be slain
in the streets nothing but death and destruction lies before him So many think that frequency and earnestnes in good duties much praying hearing reading is the onely way to bring malancholly distractions and madnes upon the soul and diseases upon the body Whereas it is the way of greatest promise therefore of greatest blessing and good The godly often think with David 1 Sam. 27.1 They shall one day fall never hold out never goe thorow the difficulty of holy waies nor the danger of them they shall never hold up their heads with comfort Elijah desires he might die 1 King 19. he thinks he can never keep his life and uprightnes both now Iezabell is so incensed against him whereas the waies of wisdom are waies of pleasantnes and all his paths are peace no waies are peaceable and pleasant but the waies of wisdom and all her waies are so Prov. 8.9 All the words of wisdom are plain to him that understandeth so are the waies of wisdom plain to grace though obscure and dark to corrupt nature Prov. 14.6 Knowledge is easy to him that understandeth to the spirituall understanding knowledge is easy 3. Spirituall sloth is improved and increased by neglect of good duties or carelesse performance of them Neglect of good duties doth weaken diligence for strength not exercised doth decrease and doth increase sloth because strength of opposition is removed yea sloth is exercised Carelesse performance doth increase sloth because it is an act of it and every act doth increase the habit Let a man pray or hear carelessely and he shall be fitter to doe so another time Let a man spend one Sabbath carelesly not minding whether he be at any publique exercise and he shaâ—l be fitter to doe so another day and at length he shall come to think that there is no difference between the Lords day and another day and no matter how he spends it 4. Spirituall sloth is improved and increased by too much use of sensible comforts or carnall sensuall use of them When we are much in recreation given to our appetite to please and content our selves in sensible things it will cherish a love of ease and an abhorring of trouble Amos 6.1 Woe to them that are at ease in Zion How doe they further themselves in ease We finde in the sequel of the chapter On the one hand they put farre away the evil day they will not suffer thoughts of trouble to come neer them on the other hand they eat the calves out of the stall they drink wine in bowls they invent to themselves instruments of musick they chant to the sound of the violl they bring neer them all things that might please and content nature that it increaseth the love of that ease and delight and aversenesse unto trouble they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph grief can get no place with them be there never so great need 2. If we doe not exceed in the measure of sensible good things if we misse it in the end of the use of them we desire sensible comforts for themselves onely the comfort of them and not to fit us for Gods service if ease be all our end love and desire of ease will be cherished by the use of them Means doe not onely bring unto the end but increase the desire of the end by bringing the desire and the end together good the more enjoyed the more desired because by enjoyment we have experience of the good of it If we desire outward good things for ease sake and comfort sake because we would be freed from trouble then the more we enjoy them the more we shall love ease because we shall more free the sweetnesse and content of it unto nature whereas if we did use outward mercies and sensible comforts that we might be sitter for Gods service we should finde our selves fitted by the use of them for his service and finde our affection thereto increased Means used for a sanctified end doe increase ability sanctified ability to attain that end Quest How doth sloth hinder our earnest worshipping of God Answ Three waies 1. As it stands in opposition to fervency and so fights against it Sloth stands in opposition to fervency because it opposeth diligence without which fervency in Gods worship will not be attained That fervency in Gods worship will not be had without diligence and pains-taking appears by the command of God to seek the Kingdom of God and the righteousnesse thereof Matth. 6.33 To work out our salvation Phil. 2.12 To stirre up the gift of God 2 Tim. 1.6 To contend for the faith Jude 3. Which were in vain if carelesnesse would serve the turne It appears also by the different affectednesse in Gods worship in different Christians the diligent and carelesse May not they that observe it see some more affected and taken up in the Ordinances and they are not the idle carelesse Christians but such as take pains and make a labour of Gods service It appears further by the experience of the most diligent Christians who finde a manifest difference in the hearts-warmth and liberty of their hearts in holy duties when they take pains with them and when they are carelesse ordinarily they finde most presence and life of the spirit in worship when they have taken most pains to cleanse and empty the vessell of their hearts fit for the breathing of the spirit and have laboured most to stirre up grace in their hearts fit to meet with Gods Spirit Though it appear to be a truth that fervency in Gods worship will not be had without diligence yet let us further see it in the causes thereof which are 1. The weaknesse of grace considered in it self The weaknesse of grace is this that it is imperfect we have not that full measure of strength which we should have and which we had in innocency we have but a part of it but a little part as Job saith Iob 26.14 These are part of Gods waies but how little a portion is heard of him So could the godly look into their own hearts they would admire what little grace they have and that little they have is above and contrary to that which is our nature since the fall and is subject to be made lesse to be weakned To make weak grace bring forth strong acts such as fervent worshipping of God is will need pains and labour things very weak are hardly strengthened Hence is that exhortation of the Apostle Heb. 12.12 Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees He compares grace to faint hands and feeble knees which are not easily strengthened Let a man lift up hands that are weak in the joints they will presently fall down again he must make a continuall labour and work of it Let a man lift up feeble knees it will cost him some pains and they will presently sink down again So if we will fervently worship God we doe not lift up strong hands and knees
him But he that knew what was in man did see that their diligence was not pitched upon spirituall things because it was taken up other wayes vers 26 27. our Saviour peremptorily sets it down as a most certain truth Verily verily I say unto you ye seek me not because ye saw the miracles but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled their pains was not about their souls but about their bellies And again Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for the meat that endureth to everlasting life they did take pains indeed but not about everlasting food wherein they might have honoured God much Why so their diligence was imployed about perishing food Others their hearts are over clouded with ignorance and unacquaintance with their spirituall estate that they see not the necessity of diligence in holy duties so that they want a main motive and whetstone unto pains-taking knowledge of the necessity Others through carelessenesse so long neglect their hearts that at length sloth ends in discouragement they think their hearts are past pains all labour will do no good Prov. 24.30 31. I went by the field of the slouthfull and loe it was grown over with thorns and nettles covered the face thereof and the stone wall was broken down So a slothfull neglected heart will be so overgrown with lusts that a man will be hopelesse of any good springing there 3. The best of Gods servants and the most diligent how little pains do they take with their hearts unto Gods service how unstable and unconstant are they that way how soon doth discouragement take hold of them when they feel their life and fervency in good duties to come hardly I appeal to the consciences of Gods people when we finde our hearts dead and unaffected in Gods worship do not our consciences smite us that we have been carelesse of preparation Is not God forced to drive us unto carefull and conscionable worshipping of him by afflictions we need his direction in doubts his comfort in sorrows his deliverance out of troubles else we would not pray so fervently nor hear the word so attentively do not our consciences thus witnesse all these things do evidence that God hath but little fervent worship 2. Who they are that do God the best service spend the Sabbath best and perform duties best the labouring diligent Christian they that think it no easy matter to serve God well It is an ill thing for a soul to be troubled at the aproach of the Sabbath because of it's own unfitnes but it is a good signe that the soul apprehends some difficulty in keeping a Sabbath well 2. To condemn this slothfullnesse in spirituall imployment this argument is sufficient it puts off God with cold service which is the greater sin if we consider our ordinary and generall diligence in our own occasions To take pains in earthly occasions and to be carelesse in Gods worship is a great evill we shall fully see it in three things 1. Gods worship doth immediately concern God our callings do immediately concern our selves shall we do more for our selves then for God set up our selves more then him are we not his and not our own and therefore bound to respect him more then our selves Hear what our Saviour saith Luk. 14.26 He that commeth to me and hateth not father and mother yea and his own life cannot be my disciple that is as Matthew saith chap. 10.37 He that loveth friends or himself more then Christ is not worthy of him God is better then our selves therefore if we do not love him better then our selves we are not fit to injoy him but if we take more pains about our callings then his service we love our selves more then sin 2. Gods service doth immediately concern our souls our particular callings do immediately concern our bodies if we take more pains about our callings then about Gods worship we shew more care of our bodies then of our soules which is a folly for our souls are the best part our bodies are but dust when our souls are absent the worth of our bodies depends upon the indwelling of our soules and not the worth of our souls upon our bodies We may know where we ought to place our chiefest affection by that of our Saviour Matth. 10.28 fear not them that kill the body but are not able to kill the soul if they can kill but the body no matter of fear that must dye though they kill it not if the soul be alive the body is safe though dead The body lies open to the violence of man the soul is out of his reach the body falls short of the soul in excellency and therefore lesse affection is due to it 3. Gods service doth concern our welfare not only for the present but also and especially for eternity to come our particular callings do concern onely the time present shall we take more pains about the time present which may be we know not how short to be sure but a moment then about eternity this is our Saviours argument and it is full of weight Iohn 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for the meat that endureth to everlasting life Ye will take pains and spend your labour but do not mispend it do not waste it spend it not about perishing food but about food that endureth everlastingly earthly things have a time to be and a time to perish the wealth we have now ere long we shall part with for ever spirituall things have a time to be and shall never cease to be they therefore are worth your labour Is not this spirituall sloth to be condemned considering such are more diligent for themselves then for God for their bodies then for their soules for things perishing then for things eternall Will not the consciences of men condemn them for this sloth in sicknesse at the day of judgement in hell unto all eternity doubtlesse it is so grosse a miscarriage that it cannot but lie heavy upon men when they shall come to cast up their accounts and sadly consider of things when their consciences shall tell them that they have risen early and gon to bed late about their own occasions but have been too lazy to read Gods word or to pray they have endured hard labour before the Sabbath and after the Sabbath but on that day they have been too sluggish to go to the house of God the day appointed for spirituall labour in Gods worship for Gods glory hath been the day of their rest to recover their strength spent in the week it may be in sinne to be sure in their own occasions surely this shall increase the torment of the damned in hel when they shall think with themselves that had they been as painfull for their souls as they were for their bodies they had escaped that place of torment Nay had they taken as much pains for their souls as for sinne had they taken as much pains to go