and serious in his Sermon Martha good woman was highly cumbred and distracted with much serving Mary sate at her Saviour's feet and heard his word Saith Martha I think it much that my Sister must have all the Dainties and I all the Distractions Master rectifie this inequality Ah saith our Lord Martha Martha thou art cumbred or as the word signifies distracted about many things But one thing is needful Mary is imbarked in a most necessary affair and worldly cumber is improper for an heavenly business She that 's working for her soul hath work enough at that time Salvation Eternal salvation Eternal salvation of soul and body these are not things to dally about SECT V. THE fifth Evil of these rovings of heart is That they are sins of Hypocrisie And there can be no little evil in the sin of Hypocrisie What is Hypocrisie Matth. 15.7 8. But the Honour of the lips and the Distance of the heart vox preterea nihil as it is said of the Nightingale a sound of words and no soundness in the heart that 's Hypocrisie of all sins most odious unto God and man And though the purpose of the heart be wanting to make it formal and full Hypocrisie yet a custom in these will beget that at length and he that useth to lye in jest will come at length to lye in earnest Hos. 11.12 Ephraim compasseth me about with lyes Oh how often may the Lord say over us these people compass me about with lyes What a Generation of Vipers are here like the Viper that 's speckled without and poisonous within Moses took a vail when he spake to Israel and put it off when he spake to God But the Hypocrite doth quite contrary he shews his best to men his worst to God but the Lord sees both the vail and the face and it 's hard to say whether he hates more the vail of dissimulation or their face of wickedness This 't is a disappointing of God in a sense a deceiving of him Mal. 1.4 Cursed be the deceiver that hath in his flock a Male and voweth and sacrificeth to God a corrupt thing Yea sayes God you have in your flock a Male you can be serious when you will but a corrupt thing it seems will serve my turn you disappoint me you deceive me you appoint a meeting between an heart and me and here I come and the heart is gone you knock at my door with great earnestness and when I come the heart is gone you are deceivers and deserve my curse If this be not repented and reformed such deceitful Hypocrites must carry away no blessing of mine but a curse A prayer though but of forty words sincerely made and felt every syllable shall prevail more with God than a long Oration with half an heart and the meanest Sermon heard with a prepared humble and attentive heart shall receive a greater blessing than a better sermon with a worser heart for God is a spirit and shews do work nothing with him he that seems to serve him and doth not exasperates him the more An eye to Heaven and an heart for Hell an humble knee and a haughty spirit a serious posture and a frivolous soul are abominable to the Lord SECT VI. IN the next place the Evil of Distractions is seen in the Effects whereof these are some First They do alienate the heart from holy duties When we miss of God we have small mind to his service again It is the comparison of a learned Divine when there is no marow in the bone we quickly throw the bone away even so when the sweet injoyment of God is not found in an Ordinance which is lost by the roving heart we shall ere long cast away that Ordinance except shame or custom restrain us Now when the soul cares not for prayer or other Ordinances it is a sad effect the Lord may say to thee with more right and reason than Dalilah did Iudg. 16.15 How canst thou say I love thee when thine heart is not with me What love is that without an heart where the affection is there the cogitation will be also I may truly invert this and say where the heart is not before there love will not come after Let all the soul be seriously bestowed in any duty of prayer singing reading or hearing and you will be loth to leave that duty and long to be at it again O the sweetness therein and love thereunto Psal. 119.93 I shall never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickened me Oh when shall I come and appear before God! O that every day were a Sabbath then should I be well as said that famous Instance of Practical Piety Hence with a gracious heart one duty prepares and gets a stomach for another But you shall find when the heart is out of tune and beating about the bush and not half quarter of it with God O then it is the most wearisome imployment in the world A man had rather thresh than pray that hath his heart in the Barn when he is in prayer And there is no lively desires or longings of soul to that business wherein he felt so little of God Hence it is so hard to get a worldly family to get together to prayer Alas the duty is a distraction to them when they come they still leave their hearts behind them you can make them no penny-worth of an Ordinance whose hearts do usually run out of an Ordinance SECT VII THE second Effect of Distractions is That they much affront the Majesty of God It was an high affront to God Act. 7.39 that his people after they had had experience of him yet in their hearts turned back into Egypt This is the wisdom of a roving heart they say Come we like not this blessed presence of nor work in our hearts let 's walk into the world again Ezek. 11.21 But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things I will recompence their way upon their own heads saith the Lord God Here one detestable thing offers it self and there another for every thing that draws the heart from God its chief good is therein detestable Now when the heart walks after them that is the right vein of distractions Where the heart walks after every trifle that puts up finger he shall have enough of his waies saith the Lord. Must I stand for a staâ—e when he is aiming at other matters must the great God wait on a simple Worm till he can be at leisure to speak with him shall the worst of evils be courted while the chief of goods is slighted and yet even then pretend to service As if some miserable Scullion at the Court had made great means to possess the King with his low condition and when the King is come to speak with him he lyes sweeping the sink or scouring the spit and there lets his Prince wait on him to
An Antidote AGAINST DISTRACTIONS OR An Indeavour to serve the Church in the daily Case of WANDRINGS in the Worship of GOD. By Richard Steele M. A. and Minister of the Gospel Judges 16.15 How canst thou say I love thee when thy heart is not with me Psalm 119.10 With my whole heart have I sought thee O let me not wander Basil. con 9. de Oratione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bernard de inter Domo c. 29.33 Non cogitando cogito cogitata recogito eadem iterum iterumque replicare non cesso in choro sum corpore in aliquo negotio mente Aliud canto aliud cogito psalmodiae verba profero psalmodiae sensum non attendo vae mihi quoniam ibi pecco ubi peccata emendare debeo LONDON Printed for Elizabeth Calvert at the Black-spread Eagle in Barbican 1667. TO THE Most Holy TRINITY THese first fruits I humbly lay at thy blessed footstool being ambitious of no other Patron but Thy self for Thou alone canst attest the sincerity of my aim herein which will plead with Thee for the imbecillities thereof Thou alone art the right Author of every valuable line and word in this ensuing Tract The Errata's only are mine but the Honour 's Thine Thou hast the strongest hand and truest heart to protect both the Writing and the Writer from all the malicious or unkind usage that we may meet with Thy approbation chiefly I humbly crave and then I am sure to have all good men on my side Against Thee Thee only have I offended by my Distractions and done these evils in Thy sight and therefore am bound to seek the destruction of them in all the world for Thy sake Thou hast so infinitely obliged the unworthy Writer of these lines that he rejoyces in this opportunity to tell the world That there is none in Heaven or Earth to be compared to Thee Thou only canst make my Indeavours herein succesful and bring that to the heart which I could only present to the ear or eye Vnto Thee therefore do I dedicate both this and my self with this earnest Prayer That this Essay may both please Thee and profit thy Church That Thou wouldest take this Rod into Thy hands and therewith whip these buyers and sellers out of Thy Temple That Thy great Name may hereby be magnified though the Writers were never known To Thy heavenly blessing do I most humbly recommend this mean work and worthless workman with a Resolution to remain while I have any Being Thine own Richard Steele To the serious Reader especially the first Hearers thereof Christian Reader YOU have here an Antidote against the most common distemper of God's people in his Worship My own disease caused me to study the cure the general complaint of good people against these Egyptian Flies moved me to preach it and the common good of God's Church not without solicitations thereto hath now perswaded me to publish it Be not offended that so much is written of so minute a point greater Tracts of the Fever Stone or Tooth-ach whereby they might be certainly cured would not be thought too long by such as are sick thereof Indeed this had never seen the light but that the disease is so general and that so few if any that have throughly and on purpose handled it However this may serve as the Learned L. Verulam hath it to awake better spirits and to do the Bell-ringer's office who is first up to call others to Church This being my first Essay riper Judgements will I believe observe divers defects and superfluities therein but Candour is a common debt which we all owe one to another and one poor mite may be accepted by men when two mites can please Christ himself It is my Request To you especially that were the first Hearers hereof that ye be not Hearers or Readers only but Doers of the Word The world knows you have been constant hearers let the world see that you are careful doers The indubitable truths and duties that I have still laid before you will undoubtedly convert you or else undoubtedly condemn you and therefore I beseech you in the bowels of Christ that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain For now I live if ye stand fast in the Lord. And my earnest request for you is that Divine Power may accompany Divine Precepts If you reap any benefit let God have all the praise and put the poor Instrument into some corner of your prayers I have chosen a dialect and phrase familiar for the advantage of the matter rather than the applause of the Writer being contented to be ranked among those qui non secundum artem scripserunt sed secundum gratiam you will excuse the unevenness of the stile and other imperfections when you understand that I had more studies than books in the composing hereof being distant from my Library and variously distracted in the writing about Distractions But my aim being a solid cure not a starcht discourse I have chosen a Divinity dress and not preached my self who am the chief of sinners but Christ Iesus my Lord the chief of Goods and my self Your Servant for Iesus sake R. S. May 10. 1667. The Contents CHAP. I. Sect. 1. THe Text propounded page 1. Sect. 2. An Observation Sect. 3. The words of the Text opened 6. The Doctr. It is a Christians duty to attend upon the Lord without Distractions 7. Sect. 4. A Distraction described 8. CHAP. II. Sect. 1. The kinds of Distractions distinquished 1. From the Fountain of them 12. 1. The Devil ibid. 2. The Mind 14. 3. The Fancy ibid. 4. The â—â—tward Senses 16. Sect 2. 2. By the Master whereof they consist 18. Being Good Bad Indifferent 19. Sect. 3. 3. By the Adjuncts of them 21. CHAP. III. Sect 1. That it is our duty to attend upon the Lord without Distractions Proved 1. From the Possibility of it by four Arguments 25. Sect 2. 2. From the Necessity of it 29. 1. To the Being of a Duty ibid. 2. To Comfort in a Duty 30. 3. To the Prosperity of a Duty 31. 4. To Communion with Christ in a Duty 32. CHAP. IV. Sect. 1. Reasons of the Doctrine 1. From the Nature of God His 1. Greatness 35. 2. Holiness 36. 3. Omniscience 37. Sect. 2. 2. From the Nature of his Worship Being 1. Reasonable 40. 2. Spiritual 41. 3. Sweet 42. Sect. 3. 3. From the Nature of our Condition here 1. We cannot live without God 43. 2. Our only way of communion is by Ordinances ibid. 3. All our heart and strength is too little for this work 45. Sect. 4. 4. From the Nature of Distractions 1. They divide the Heart 46. 2. They frustrate the Duty 47. 3. They contract more Guilt 48. CHAP. V. Sect. 1. Objections answered 1. About its Impossibility 50. Sect. 2. 2. About its Difficulty 53. Sect. 3. 3. From their Commonness 58. Sect. 4. 4. From Gods accepting the will for the deed 61. CHAP.
be subservient to another life If single-life do every way better qualifie you to serve the Lord and save your souls this is the best life for you and if Marriage be better for your souls no state is better For if the soul prosper All prospers and if thaâ— miscarry All 's lost If to be a Prince were dangerous for the soul 't were better to be a Beggar If a poor state do enrich the soul it is the best estate This needs not to be proved unto Christians that will be granted by Heathens some of whom have so powerfully discoursed of the immortality and excellency of the soul that their Auditors have posted to death by self-destruction for the happy state thereof If Pagans would chuse to dye as a condition best for the soul well may we chuse that condition of life which best serves the soul lest those Acts which were unable to justifie them prove able to condemn us with a witness Let this Axiom come in when you are disposing your children or your selves being confident when you are most sollicitous about the soul God will be most careful for the body and you will meet with least distress when you flee the least Distraction SECT III. THe words of the Text present us with a Design that Believers as often aim at and yet miss as any in the World and which is so excellent a rare attainment that the Holy Ghost even makes two words on purpose to express it by no where else found in the New-Testament To Attend on the Lord without Distraction Hierome confesseth that the Latine can hardly express the Emphasis of the Greek in this clause and that thereupon it was wholly omitted in the Latine books In the words we must consider 1. The Matter What Attend upon the Lord. 2. The Manner how Without Distraction 1. The Matter what Attend upon the Lord The Greek word for Attend in our Copies hath a notable elegancy in it 1. That you may be Fit and ready for Gods Service That Religion and religious Duties may sit fitly on you that you may be ready to serve the Lord in Duty or Suffering A most sweet frame of soul to be alwayes bent and strung for the Service of God That man is meet for the Masters use that is prepared unto every good work 2 Tim. 2.21 How many choice opportunities for instruction for reproof for charity for prayer do we hazard yea and lose for want of a Soul quick and ready to our duty 2. That you may be Fixâ— and setled in his Service The word intimates such an inseparable cleaving such a marriage of the mind to the work of God that we have in hand as can by no means suffer a divorce It should be as hard a matter to break off the heart from God in his service being married to him and setled in holy duties as it is to abstract the misers soul from the world to which it is glued 2. The Manner how Without Distraction The sense hereof is almost prevented by the Emphasis of the former word Yet this Word is not without its great weight And it speaks a quiet unshaken and immoveable frame of Soul which cannot be whirled about with vain trifles The soul is never at that holy quiet as when it is directly ascending and communing with the Lord and therefore Satan exceedingly envies this Coelestial happiness of the Saints and if he cannot distract them from duty be sure he will distract them in it and this he doth very much by the World and the business thereof And therefore sayes the Apostle guide your condition so in this suffering season as that it may not misguide your hearts in your attendance on the Lord that you may not attend on your selves nor on others but on Him who is the Centre of an Ordinance and your All in All. Take the sum of all in this Assertion the main Doctrine from the Text. It is a Christians Duty to attend on the Lord without Distractions And that I may from this Text and Doctrine profitably handle the Case and attempt the Cure of Distractions I shall proceed to shew these things 1. The Nature of a Distraction 2. The Kinds of Distractions 3. That it is our Duty to attend upon the Lord without Distrâ—ctions 4. The reasons why we must attend on the Lord without Distractions 5. Answer the Objections 6. Describe the Causes of Distractions 7. The Evil of them 8. The Cure of them 9. Propound some encouragements under the burden of Distractions 10 Draw some Inferences from this Doctrine And first of the first viz. the nature of a Distraction SECT IV. THE first Head will be to describe a Distraction A Distraction is a secret wandring of the Heart from God in some Duty in hand 1. It is a wandring As the remisness of our Devotion shoots short so Distraction shoots awry 'T is said Prov. 27.8 As a bird that wandereth from his nest so is a man from his place It s commonly known the ready way to destroy the young in the shell is discontinuance of heat and to wander from our heavenly work produces the dead off-spring of unprofitable Duties It would be almost as easie to trace and follow the Bird in her vagaries as the volatile and intricate imaginations of the heart It is a digression you that are curious to observe the Minister in his digressions how much more necessary is it to observe your own 2. It is secret in the Heart And this contracts the guilt and nature of Hypocrisie upon a Distraction for we have a short and clear description of hypocrisie which agrees too well with distractions Matth 15.7 8. This People draweth nigh unto me with their mouth and honoureth me with their lips but their heart is far from me To have a bended knee a craving eye are choice Expressions of Duty but without the Impressions and attendance of the heart are double iniquity and flat hypocrisie How empty would our Congregations be sometimes if no more bodies were present than there are souls And what abundance of sorry service hath our God that no body sees Yet how unknown soever these triflings of the mind are to others or to our selves yet are they most palpable to the Lord who sets our most secret sins in the clearest light of his Countenance and though these primo-primi motus may antevert the use of Reason and therefore seem small Peccadillo's yet they fall under the rebuke of Religion and are as sinfull as they are secret Good in secret is the best Goodness and secret sinfulness the worst sinfulness 3. This wandering of the Heart is from God for God is the Object of Worship To pray aright is Zech. 8.21 To pray before the Lord. To give thanks aright is Dan. 6.10 To give thanks before his God not in his sight only for so you are when your hearts are worst
Creatures Isa. 45.11 Thus saith the Lord the holy one of Israel and his Maker If a servant must not be frivolous before his Master when he is receiving his commands who dares be so before his Maker who can as easily reward or ruine us as I can turn over a leaf in this Bible This Himself gives for the reason of that dreadful curse Mal. 1.14 upon the Deceiver that having a Male in his flock offers to God a corrupt thing For I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts and my name is dreadfull among the Heathen Which of you will be thinking of your wives or children or ground when you are offering a Petition to a great King or run after Feathers when he is saying his mind to you Thou takest God to be such a one as thy self or else thou wouldest never do it Remember a great God must be worshipped with profound veneration and the most serious affections A man must worship God as if he were in Heaven Oh if thou wert there among those myriads of Saints and Angels with what care and humility and instance wouldest thou pour out thy heart to him or hear his words to thee 2. The Holiness of God is another Reason who is so sacred that an unholy Thought is abomination to him most especially in his holy Service Who can by an eye of Faith behold the Lord sitting on a throne high and lifted up and his train filling the Temple And the Seraphinis crying one to another and saying Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts Isa. 6.1 2. and suffer his heart to be ravisht away with transitory toyes in such a Sacred presence Are the Seraphims amazed at his holiness and we untransported Their thoughts are continually terminated upon him And should ours be allwayes flinching from him The Holy Lord of Hosts will not brook it If you will not sanctifie him he will sanctifie himself If you that worship him will not bear witness by your serious attendance to his Holiness He must bear witness to it by his Judgements on You which indeed are not allwayes visible but ever certain not a man in the Congregation but the Holy God is Sanctified by him or upon him Little do we know what invisible dreadfull effects there are of this daily in our Congregations And if our dear Redeemer did not stand as a skreen between us and his wrath the best of us would quickly feel the effects of his Displeasure 3. The Omniscience of God is a valid reason against Distractions Heb. 4.13 All things are naked and opened to him with whom we have to deal not only naked on the outside of us but cut up and anatomised in the inside That sharp and piercing eye looks through and through us and neither doth or can look beside us Whither can I goe from thy spirit and whither can I flee from thy presence shall the Husband fix his eye on his Wife and she that while dart her glances on her Paramour Is this reasonable or tolerable Get out of his sight and trifle on Steal into some corner where he sees you not and be truants and spare not Be but an Eye-servant to God and wee 'l ask no more Be serious while He sees you dally not while he holds you the candle A curious Eye requires a carefull servant Object But this is spoken gratis I see no body but the Minister and People seeing is believing I know no body that seeth me Answ. 1. No more doest thou see that faculty by which thou seest Is there therefore no such faculty Is there no spirits because thou never sawest them when did you see the wind and yet you doubt not of it Nay hath not he declared to thee what is thy thought Amos 4.13 in many a Sermon 2. There is another eye by which Gods Ordinary-Presence is seen which thou hast not That is an eye of Faith which if fixed in thy heart would quickly make thee cry How dreadfull is this place This is no other than the house of God and the Gate of Heaven If an hundred credible persons affirm they saw a Great man in the Congregation you would believe them though not seen by you and would conclude it your own inadvertency Hundreds there daily are that do avouch they saw felt heard imbraced the gracious presence of God and therefore conclude it your Blindness not his Distance that you saw him not SECT II. THE second Reason is taken from the Nature of his Worship 1. It is Reasonable Worship not only consonant to the Rules of Reason and backed by the most Rational Principles but must be managed as a Rational Act. Now it is a most irrational thing to converse with God without an Heart This is a silly thing as Hos. 7.11 Ephraim is called a silly Dove without Heart A Dove without spirit and a silly Dove without reason or judgement God had rather hear the roaring of a Lyon than an heartless prayer He delights more in the chirping of birds than in singing of Psalms without understanding for these do what they can and so are accepted but bruitish service from a reasonable Creature is intolerable Is it reason you should cry out for the spirit and think on the flesh be hearkning about another world and ruminating on this your eyes directed to Heaven and your Heart in the ends of the Earth the tongue busie and the soul idle the knee devout and the thoughts loose there is no coherence no reason in this When ye work work and when ye pray pray and do it with understanding 1 Cor. 14.15 What it is then I will pray with the spirit and will pray with the understanding also I will sing with the spirit and will sing with the understanding also Consider that else thou art as a mad man before God and God hath no need of mad men if one should come to thee about business of life and death and after a word or two therein should run from one impertinent thing to another would you not think him mad If thy thoughts were put into words and mingled with thy prayers what strange mad prayers would they be 2. It is spiritual-worship and therefore you may not be distracted in it Joh. 4.23 24. The true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him Others may seek to worship the Father but the Father seeketh such to worship him to wit that worship in Spirit and in Truth In Spirit and so not like the formal Jews In Truth and so not like the ignorant Gentiles And then vers 24. God is a Spirit and must be worshipped Here 's Must and Shall and Reason for it As a spirit can do nothing at eating so a carkass can do nothing at praying The elegantest tongues on earth cannot take one stroak at prayer no the soul must be in it and the soul must
as some though God may answer such requests out of his superabundant mercy yet such a man can look for nothing Though a distracted prayer may receive something yet it cannot expect any thing from God when a mans supplication is a provocation there is little hope He that puts treason into his petition has little reason to hope for a good answer How an heart may be said to be divided in a duty these waies 1. When all the heart is not ingaged therein as when understanding or conscience without the will or affections This opens a door unto distractions Eph. 6.6 Doing the Will of God from the heart with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men Half an heart can do nothing with God A man may as well with one eye observe the stars and with the other measure the Earth at the same time as at once dispatch affairs with God and man Hereby both businesses are spoiled Conscience of God hinders from any discreet and serious contrivance of any thing in his presence and tampering with the world provokes God and hinders the affairs above Our Lord Christ is most peremptory in that case Ye cannot serve two Masters the one will be over-served ye cannot serve God and Mammon 2. The heart may be said to be divided when it is unfixed and indeterminate wavering and unsetled A duty to God is shooting at an hairs breadth if a man be uncertain and unsteady how shall he hit the mark Psal. 57.7 O God my heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Now the work is likely to go on You cannot it seems so much as sing a Psalm or give the Lord praise without this fixedness of heart As you have seen the Needle in a Compass waver up and down perpetually till it point towards the North then it is fixed and standeth still so until the soul be composed and bent directly towards God it wanders and trifles everlastingly 3. The heart is divided by Hypocrisie Iames 4.8 Purifie your hearts ye double minded As he speaks to open sinners to cleanse their hands so to close Hypocrites to purifie their hearts that is be sincere An Hypocrite is a man of two hearts and both little worth one good one is worth a thousand pair of double hearts Hence holy David Psal. 86.11 Unite my heart to fear thy Name else I shall have one heart to move me towards thee and another heart to fetch me back again One heart for God another for Baal and so shall halt between them 4. The heart is divided when you perform not his service with all your might and strength Ier. 48.10 Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently loosely that unbends his bow that unstrings his heart in the Lord's service He that is studying with all his might the least noise or word distracts him and troubles himâ— he cannot admiâ— or abide the least diversion So he that is intent with all his might in God's service cannot give room for the least by thought No I am before the Lord and I can do but little but I 'le do what I can Psal. 103.1 Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name And this leads us to the Remedy for this Cause The Remedy for a divided heart is get sincerity and seriousness And indeed the soul that is sincere is serious The real Beggar begs in good earnest he cries he weeps he heeds not the playing of the children the barking of the doggs not he his wants pinch him his stomach pulls and craves nothing but meat will please him There 's musick perhaps within and company without but all 's one to him he is not concerned therewith he 's hungry in good earnest and therefore still he cries for bread So it is with the upright and serious heart he is really and deeply prest down with sin and needy of grace and comfort he sees the reality of invisible things he fears the anger of God and feels his broken bones therefore let the Devil or the world distribute what they can or suggest what they will he plyes this 〈◊〉 must have paâ—don and graceâ— and the light of the Lord's countenance It is not the stirring of a feather can unhinge him for he is in good earnest Ier. 30 21. For who is this that hath engaged his heart to draw nigh to me saith the Lord. Where sits that man that gives a heart to God the Lord cryes who O let every one that hears or reads this cry out Lord it is I and when the heart the whole heart is engaged in a duty then work goes on There 's a vast difference between the pleading of an Orator and the pleading of a Malefactor The former hath perhaps a more smooth elegant and starcht discourse but he handles it with a light finger a friend a fee would take him off but the Malefactor that pleads for his life he sweats he cryes he begs the Judge interrupts him but he goes on the Jaylor stops his mouth but he will proceed all the Court cannot distract his mind from his business his heart is wholly in it And so it is with a sincere and serious Saint He can truly say Lord thou hast more of my heart than ever any creature in the world had my heart is fixed I am set upon this affair The great matters I am about I neither can live nor dare die without them and therefore blame me not to be busie It is the dear prayer that prevails the prayer that costs us dear SECT XII THE Twelfth Cause of wandring Thoughts in God's Worship is an opinion that there is no great evil in them which partly proceeds from that Notion that thoughts are free or at least that no sin is really sin except it be voluntary and these are without consent partly from our being used to greater sins which do widen the conscience to digest these lesser ones without any staying And partly from the commonness of them being the snares wherein we are most frequently taken and the oftener they walk thorow the heart the less strange are they there the more familiar they are the more apology we have for them and so usually it becomes no sin that we have a mind unto And now when there is bred in the soul an opinion that there is no evil or next to none therein the heart is pleased with thâ—â— and merrily playes with those baits till by the hidden hook it 's caught in the hidden snare of the Devil To rectifie this mistake 1. Somewhat must be granted The evil in these wandring thoughts is not so great as in many other sins these do not vastare conscientiam lay the conscience waste as some others especially these roving thoughts as are rather injected than contrived the matter whereof is good not evil and which are short and sorrowed for But
c. 6. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agglutinavit Cap. 4. Reasons of the Doctrine §. 1. From the Nature of God * Qui apud Caesarem dicere audent magnitudinem ejus ignorant qui non audent humanitem ** 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Atqui illa bona est oratio quae manifestam Dei notionem in animis nostris ingenerat Deus verò in nobis inhabitare dicitur cum eum intuâ— insedentem memoriâ complectimur Basil. conc 9. de Oratione * Quaâ—tâ humilitaâ—e accedere debâ—t è paludi suâ repens rananculus vilis quam supplex quam soliâ—itus â—oâ—us animo inâ—entus 〈◊〉 de erat mot â—â—and * Nec ab â—◠á solummâ—â—do seâ— omni omniâ— no confasione a â—mi libera debet esse orationâ—â— inâ—entio de â—ali spiritâ— emâ—ssa qualis est spiritus ad quem mittitur Tertul. de Orat. p. 153. * Deus est â—otus oculus videt omnia Generaliter sine exceptione evidenter sinâ— dubitatione immutabiliter sine oblivione ** Quid potest ab homine aliquid esse secreâ—um nihil Deo clausum Interest animis nostris cogitationibuâ— medâ—is intervenit Senecaâ— For which saying Zuinglius calls him â—irum Sanctissimum §. 2. From the Nature of his Worship * Oratio est oâ—is ratio Hierom. ad Cypr. p. 98. ** The Egyptians chose among all fruits the Peach to offer to their gods because the Fruit is like a mans Heart the leaf like his tongue Heart and tongue should go together Er. :: Habes ubique cubiculum tuum Cubiculum tuum mens tua est Ambros. de Sacram. lib. 6. * Mr. White of Thoughts p. 93. ** Ubi putas Sacrisicia justitiae Sacrisicari nisi in templo mentis cuÌ„ tilibus cordis Deus enim in ipsis rationalis animae secretis qui homo interior vocatur quaerendus deprecandus est Aug. lib. de magistro * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. neque erum ipsa orationis verba per se solaque prosunt quidpiam at ita demum juvant si ex animo ac studioso mentis affectu emittantur Basil. conc 9. de oratione §. 3. From the Nature of our condition * Non magis competit animalibus perfecti respiratio quà m Oratio Christianis qui vivunt per fidem spirant per preces Dr. Arrowsmith * Vnusquisque ergo cum in oratione vel Psalmos decantat diligenter consideret cui affectui serviant ad illum affectum Toto Nisu cor suum excitet ad quem id quod loquitur magis pertinere videt Hugo de S. Vict. de modo orandi c. 5. * Fieri autem non potest ut aliquando cum Deo loquatur qui cum â—oto mundo etiam tacens fabulatur Bern. Med. c. 6. §. 4. From the Nature of Distractions * Hoc est vigilare oculis Corde domire cum debeat Christianus cùm dormit oculis corde vigilare sicut Sponsa Cant. 5. Cyprian de Oratione * Vis esse Deum memorem tui cùm rogas quando tu ipse memor tui non sis Quomodo te audiri à Deo postulas cùm te ipse non audias Cyprian de Orat. Dom. * Sua offerunt Deo seipsos Diabolo Bern. â—ap 5. Objections answered §. 1. It s impossibility Object 1. Answ. 1. Answâ— 2. * Mr. Io. Baâ—â— would often say He would undertake to prove That a Moral Heathen might possibly by his circumspection secure himself from uttering one froward word all his life long §. 2. It s Difficulty Answ. 1. Answ. 2. Answ. 3. Answ. 4. Answ. 5. * The fineness which a Hymne or Psalm affords Is when the Soul unto the lines accords Herbert Answ. 6. * Non quia difficilis est non audemus sed quia non audemus difficilis Seneca §. 3. Their Commonness Answ. 1. Answ. 2. Answ. 3. Answ. 4. §. 4. Gods accepting the Will for the Deed. Answ. 1. Answ. 2. * He who craves all the Mind And all the Soul strength and time If the words only rhyme Justly complains that somewhat is behind To make his Verse or write a hymn in kind Mr. Herbert Answ. 3. Answ. 4. Cap. 6. The Causes of Distractions §. 1. * Secret Atheism 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil in reg brev * One in Gerson that studied against Atheism and could not get the better of it at last fell to Prayer thereby grew as really perswaded of the truth of unseen things as of the Chair he sat in §. 2. II. The corruption of our Nature * Hoc disco mâ—a experi eâ—tiaÌ„ quod non habeo tâ—m magnaÌ„ causam timendi extra me quaÌ„ intra me Luth. * Mâ—ns humana propter infirmitatem naturae diu sâ—are in Alto non potest Aquin. 22. q. 83. a. 13. * As a Fuller and a Collier living in one house what the one whites the other blacks so is Grace and Corruption in our hearts M. Strong A man that hath the Palsie his hand shakes but 't is against his will * As the Ivy though stump body and branches be cut off yet some sprigs will sprout till the wall be pulled down So it is with us * Oravit semel sixo in terram capite ut natura sert hominum abducta ab oratione mens nescio quid aliud cogitabat insiliit dorso ejus sestinans gladiator latera calcibus cervicem flageilo verberans eja inquit cur dormitaâ— carbinnansque desupâ—r cum desecisset an hordeum vellet accipere sciscitabatur Hieron in vita Hilar. p. 243. * I never knew Beggar that wanted words to express his wants B. Hall * Lydia did then attend unto the things spoken by the Lord but it was when he had opened her heart Act. 16.14 25. §. 3. III. Unpreparedness * Hence David Ps. 57.7 8. So Deborah Judg. 5.12 * Ita saturaâ—tur ut qui mâ— minerint etiaÌ„ per noctem adorandum Dâ—um sibi esse Ita fabuâ—aâ—tur ut qui sciant DominuÌ„ audire à coâ—v viis disceditur ut qui non tam coenam coenâ—verint quam disciplinam Tertul. Apol p. 36. * In such case Meditation like a dish of water may set the Pump a going yea foul water may bring up fair water B. Hall * Prov. 18.1 If thou canst not always have separating time betwixt other occasions and God's worship â—et have some separating thoughts ere thou enter upon the duty M Angier p. 197. * Illotis manibus precari nihil refert illotâ conscientiâ hoc maximum malorum Chrysost. Serm. de Joseph * When you have prepared your hearts God will pass by great imperfections 2 Chr. 30.18 19. and you may then do much in a little time Psal. 10.17 Thou hast prepared their hearts then thou wilt cause thine ears to hear M. Burroughs §. 4. Luke-warmness * This nâ—ght past as I waken'd out of my sleep the devil came and intimated that God was far from
VI. The Causes of Distractions in God's Worship Sect. 1. 1. Secret Atheism 64. A Remedy thereof 67. Sect. 2. 2. The corruption of our Nature 68. It s Remedy 72. Sect. 3. 3. Vnpreparedness unto holy Duties 76. A Case of Conscience answered viz. What measure of Preparation is necessary before our ordinary Duties of Worship 77. Sect. 4. 4. Lukewarmness 82. Its Remedies 84. Sect. 5. 5. Worldy-mindedness 88. It s Remedy 91. Sect. 6. 6. Weakness of love to Christ and his Ordinances 95. Its Remedies 99. Sect. 7. 7. Want of Watchfulness 104. 1. Before Duties ibid. 2. In Duties 105. 3. After Duties 107. The Remedy thereof 108. Sect. 8. 8. A Beloved sin 110. Its Remedies 113. Sect. 9. 9. Satan 115. A Remedy 118. Sect. 10. 10. Vain Thoughts at other times 121. These 1. Displease and dis-ingage the Spirit of God ibid. 2. Dispose and naturalize the soul to these Thoughts 122. 3. Discourage us to the conquest and incourage us to the sin 124. 4. Infect the Memory 125. 5. Provoke God to give us up 126. The Remedies hereof 127. Sect. 11. 11. A divided heart in four respects 133. It s Remedy 136. Sect. 12. 12. An opinion that there is no great evil in them 139. It s Remedy 142. CHAP. VII The Evil of Distractions 145. 1. In their Nature Sect. 1. 1. They are sins against the first Table ib. Sect. 2. 2. They are heart-sins 147. Sect. 3. 3. They are sins in the special presence of God 148. Sect. 4. 4. They are sins about the most serious business 151. Sect. 5. 5. They are sins of hypocrisie 153. 2. In their Effects Sect. 6. 1. They alienate the heart from holy duties 156. Sect. 7. 2. They much affront the Majesty of God 158. Sect. 8. 3. They hinder the benefits of an holy duty 160. Sect. 9. 4. They deprive the soul of comfort 162. Sect. 10. 5. They grieve away the Holy Ghost 164. CHAP. VIII The Cure of Distractions 166. Sect. 1. 1. Dispel the Causes before specified 167. Sect. 2. 2. Bewail your former failings herein 169. Sect. 3. 3. Engage the Spirit of God in your assistance 174. Sect. 4. 4. Believe the Presence of God 178. Sect. 5. 5. Lay a Law upon your senses 184. A Note about whispering during the Worship of God 186. Sect. 6. 6. A watchful reflection and ejaculation 39â— Sect. 7. 7. Strength of Grace 195. How it should be gotten 201. CHAP. IX Encouragements under the burden of Distractions 204. Sect. 1. 1. They are consistent with Grace 206. Sect. 2. 2. Your case is not singular 208. Sect. 3. 3. Christs Intercession is without Distraction 209. Sect. 4. 4. Distractions may make us humble 211. Sect. 5. 5. God can make some sense out of such Prayers 213. Sect. 6. 6. There is grace and strength in Christ to help against them 215. Sect. 7. 7. A perfect riddance of them is the Happiness of Heaven 217. CHAP. X. Inferenâ—es from this Doctrine Sect. 1. 1. We have â—ause to mourn over our best duties 220. Sect. 2. 2. Omissions of duties are extreme dangerous 223. Sect. 3. 3. The grand Necessity of Watchfulness 226. Particularly in 1. Prayer 2. Hearing God's Word 3. Reading 4. Singing Psalms 5. Meditation 229. Sect. 4. 4. Great cause to bless God for freedom from Distractions 232. Sect. 5. 5. That Religion is an inward difficult and serious Business 234. Reader if you will read sense you must first correct these more material mistakes of the Press For points and accents and some literal faults common indulgence is desired PAge 2. line 22. read no part p. 11. l. 9. r. smell p. 24. Margin r. cedrenus Phorbante p. 25. l. ult r. sincerity p. 26. l. 13. after weak r. child p. 35. Marg. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 39. l. 8. r. Ordinance p. 43. l. ult r. every breaâ—h p. 71. l. 3. r. subtlest p. 86. Marg. r. nam si p. 137. l. 18. r. disturb p. 141. l. 4. r. caso l. 13. r. meer p. 148. l. 19. r. awake p. 158. l. 8. blot out of l. 23. r. stale p. 163. Marg. r. that reads p. 164. l. peâ—ult r. heavily p. 165. l. 12. r. somewhere p. 171. l. 2. r. our hearts p. 172. l. 20. positively p. 173. l. 9. r. poenitere p. 193. l. penulâ— r. these p. 195. l. 17. blot out all p. 197. l. 19. r. norâ—â— p. 201. l. 18. blot out as p. 205. l. 4. r. insnare l. 12. r. by l. 26. r. displease p. 207. l. 18. r. gadding p. 218. l. 2. r. unison p. 219. l. penult r. tenth p. 224. l. 21. r. 〈◊〉 CHAP. I. The Text explained The Doctrine proposed and a Distraction described SECTION I. 1 CORINTH 7.35 That you may attend upon the Lord without Distraction THe Apostle is a Casuist in this Chapter and the present Case is about Virginity and Marriage wherein I. He determines for the former vers 26. when the Church was in the bonds of Persecution it was not safe to be in the bond of Marriage II. He prevents mistakes vers 27 28. though the single man be fittest to suffer yet there is neither that sin nor misery on the married as to dissolve the sacred knot III. He offers Reasons for this Resolve 1. One from the crosses and troubles then attending the state of Marriage vers 28. Thorns as well as Roses 2. The other from the Cares that alwaies accompany it vers 32. For the Man now is his heart divided Before if I can but please the Lord and and contrive how to live comfortably with my God this is all my care and ambition Now the stream of my thoughts and affections is parted I must please and provide for my Wife vers 32 33. For the Woman now is her task doubled Before her whole aim was to please her Husband in Heaven Now must her designs and respects be for her earthly Husband also vers 34 Not that these several Relations are inconsistent but to provide for these new Duties and Temptations will distract the mind especially in the daies of Tryal IV. He qualifies his Counsel and explains himself vers 35. It is noâ— part of my meaning either to obtrude the Doctrine or Duty of Coelibate upon you that to avoid a strait you should run upon a sin but my motion is 1. For your profit my office and so my counsel is rather to profit than to please you 2. There is a comeliness or conveniency in it both states are alwaies lawful but the one may sometimes be more convenient And 3. My ultimate design is that you may chuse that state wherein you may best Attend upon the Lord without Distraction This the occasion and tendency of these words SECT II. FRom the general import of these words flows this Annotation That condition should be chosen by all that 's best for their souls Your outward condition must serve your inward condition and this life must
I found thee and dead I leave thee So most justly might the Lord answer our distracted duties with distracting terrours and leave us under the judgement of distraction for our sins in distractions And what a piece of ignorance and impudence is it for any man to be proud of his duties Alas the best duties are of divers colours like the Beggar 's Coat and what Beggar will be proud of his patched Coat If there were any flowers or spices in thy duties they were none of thine from thee came all the stench from above came all the perfumes and what poor reason then hast thou to be proud It is sad that when our sins make us humble our duties should make us proud Isa. 64.6 We are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy raggs for there is none that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee With what shame and trouble would we go among folks if we had no better cloaths than filthy raggs and yet how high we look that have no better cloaths of our own upon our souls if you wear any better they are borrowed garments and what silly wretch is proud of borrowed garments And this shews likewise what need we have of the Righteousness of Iesus Christ to make our prayers pass into the holy place It was the smoak of the Incense which came with the prayers of the Saints and ascended up before God out of the Angels hand Rev. 8.4 The prayers of the Saints themselves are like smoak in God's eyes to speak with reverence but the smoak of the Incense is a perfume in God's nostrils Iesus Christ can be heard when we cannot Our quaintest Oratory is broken and ineffectual His intercession is constant and Imperatory Go therefore to the Throne of Grace leaning on your Beloved Keep an actual eye to Christ's mediation in your prayers and though you bring in his precious Name in the fagg end of your supplication yet remember you have need of him in every sentence a broken prayer had need of an intire Mediator SECT II. II. IT follows hence That omissions of holy duties are extremely dangerous Into these our fall is most frequent against these our watch is most careless after these our mourning is most easie yet of these the number great and the nature heinous If according to that Ier. 48.10 He be cursed that doth the work of the Lord negligently what is he that doth not God's work one way or other If a distraction in prayer may damnâ— O what may an Omission of prayer do If the Scholar be whipt that looks off his book what will become of him that plaid the truant Do the consciences of God's children smite them for vain thoughts in a duty how should yours wound you that you have no thoughts of your duty O you that omit secret prayer reading the Scripture meditation and such like will your negligence pass with God He sees how seldom you sigh in secret what strangers you are to prayers and tears should one in some cases refuse marriage for fear of distractions in God's service and can you wholly omit his service without danger Are watchfulness and seriousness such dispensable things that they are happy that have them but one may do well without them I tell you he that chastens his careless children will punish his graceless servants He that makes them smart for their distractions will make you tremble for your omissions Undone duty will undo your souls It 's not enough that you have left off the language of swearing unless you have learnt the language of praying It 's not enough that you have burnt your books of curious Arts unless you love to read in the Book of Books the Scripture To be mortified to contemplative wickedness is well but till you be vivified to contemplative holiness it is not well enough Do you must or die you shall You may come to Hell as certainly by not climbing up as by running down and lose Heaven by Naturality as well as by Hostility When you have read the 25 th chap. of Matthew you shall tell me whether wanting Oyl may not as truly ruin you as drinking poison whether an unprofitable servant will not come to a sad reckoning as well as a prodigal Son Though you take not anothers yet you may be consumed for not giving your own and in fine you will find that sins of omission do deserve damnation O hearken to this all ye that live quietly in the omission of closer or family-prayer of solemn fasting or communion in the blessed Supper of the Lord. Hath God abated you of the price that others must give hath he granted a new way to Heaven for you must others make Religion their business and you baulk it where you please what can your consciences answer to that Iam. 2.10 If a a man keep the whole Law mark the whole Law and yet offend Gr. stumble stumble and stop at one point he is guilty of all O beloved there is a concatenation of Truths and Duties in Religion you may easier go away with all your work than some a negative holiness will but bring you to a negative Heaven and you know behind Heaven-door is Hell O awaken therefore your hearts ye that stick at this point that are far from debauchery and excess any way but will not be gotten to positive duties Will ye with one dash expunge the one half of Scripture Is not Good as amiable as Evil is hateful what cause is there to fear that your avoidance of evil is from no good principle but either fear or shame or interest or at the best a better temper For the love or fear of God would make you cleave to that which is good as well as abhor that which is evil and to do God's will as well as deny your own SECT III. III. SEE hence what grand necesitâ—y we have of Watchfulness that most continual duty of a Christian this is the garment we must put on next us every day especially in every duty Between duties that we may not want praying hearts in duties that we miss not prayer-blessings Some duties bind alwaies but not to be alwaies done as prayer hearing meditation but you can be safe no where without your watch at all times in all places with all companies yea with no company in all callings there is a snare for the heart every where Wherefore saith the Prophet Hosea 12.6 Wait on thy God continually and the wise man Prov. 23 17. Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long especially but not only in your morning and evening sacrifices It is a true and a sad observation that many praying people are most devout and serious in God's service morning and evening but trace them all day long hardly one word of God or Heaven in their mouths as if Religion were hem'd up in times of Worship nay they are often most light and vain
betwixt times but be thou IN the fear of the Lord involved surrounded and swallowed up in the sense and fear of God's glorious presence all the day long This will dispose you to duties of Worship A watchful Christian hath his heart ready at a call it is quickly in tune that was never out Holy duties are not heterogeneous to any holy heart the same frame will serve He that walks with God is never out of his way A short or rather no preface will serve to usher in conference with whom you have been conversing all the day It is sometimes the whole work of a prayer to be acquainted with God Away with this strangeness if you will be upright walk before God and watch unto prayer Methinks sincerity and watchfulness are the Catholick Graces Sincerity makes every grace true watchfulness makes every grace sure Of all graces study these Catholick Graces Here is the essence here is the quintessence of Religion O therefore prize this Angelical this Evangelical Grace pray for it Psal. 141.3 Set a watch O Lord before my mouth keep the door of my lips for except the Lord do keep the City the watch-man waketh but in vain Thou art impotent God is omnipotent And then practise it the use of it will teach the Art of it as children learn to go step by step as they learn to swim by venturing Adventure on this exercise try one week try one day try one hour try the next duty As you renew your falls still renew your vows you can do all things through Christ that will strengthen you I beseech you in Christ's behalf set on this duty in good earnest You will pay me for all my pains with one well-grounded resolution to set up a constant watch What a sad close will that be unto your life to say Cant. 1.6 My Mothers's children made me a keeper of the Vineyards but MINE OWN VINEYARD have I not kept O therefore watch and pray or else temptation will enter into you and you will fall into temptation And most especially in the service of God Watch and pray Christ hath joyned together and what Christ hath joyned together let no man especially no good man put asunder What is the first step in an Ordinance as the Orator of old in another case Watchfulness What is the second step in an Ordinance Watchfulness What is the third step in an Ordinance still Watchfulness Particularly First In Prayer Prayer is a pouring out the heart unto the Lord by a distraction you pour it by Psal. 62.5 My soul wait thou ONLY upon God for my expectation is from him A distraction imposes two Masters on the soul to wait on Rovings in prayer make that which is our most reasonable service the most irrational thing in the world No folly like speaking to one person and thinking of another Secondly In hearing God's Word This is the audible conference of the Almighty with thy soul. A distraction lets him talk unto the walls When you come to a Sermon you stand on your watch and set your self on the Tower and watch to see what God will say to you Hab. 2.1 By a distraction you do almost as if a servant stopt his ears at the orders that his Master is giving Thirdly In reading Therein you peruse God's heart in black and white where you may believe every letter to be written in blood not like Draco's Laws but in bleeding love A distraction neither understands nor applies those sacred characters Which of you would so read your Father's last Will especially in matters that concern'd your selves One chapter one leaf one verse well read and applied will do your heart more good than an hundred read with half an heart Fourthly In singing Psalms you had need to watchâ— Thereby you pay unto God the Rent of his mercies A distraction clips the coin and turns the heart to do homage to the Devil Well resolved therefore of David Psal. 103.1 Bless the Lord O my soul and ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME praise his holy Name Thy melody is base if the main strength of the soul be not in it I am perswaded that God hath suffer'd this Ordinance in particular to be slurr'd once and again to be left off by some and cast off by others out of his just Judgement there being so general a neglect of the inward and feeling management thereof For where sits the man that lets each word and line in the Psalms run through his heart as he sings them Nay if the truth were known there is hardly one passage that 's felt from the beginning to the end for if it were O the heavenly affections it would raise and the sweet frame it would leave on the soul you would not part with that Ordinance out of your Families nor Congregations for all the world Fifthly In Meditation great need of watchfulness else when the soul is soaring aloft like the Eagle these darts will or ever you are aware strike down the heart again O how hard is it to spend a quarter of an hour in meditation without a distraction If there be any thing in the fancy if there be any thing in the room if there be any thing in the world thou wilt have it to withdraw thy heart from God And generally the more spiritual the duty the more distractions And therefore I say unto you watch SECT IV. IV. SEE hence what cause you have to bless God for freedom from distractions and be sure you do it Those that have an habitual ability against these snares O bless the Lord for it it's he that keeps the heart in tune not you We like little children can break the strings and put our hearts out of tune but 't is the Lord that sets and keeps us in order You little know the anxiety and fear and trouble that these do cost many a poor Christian they strive they mourn they doubt they are ready to throw up all These Vultures do gnaw upon their very hearts no comfort no joy of the Holy Ghost no peace within and all through the continual assaults hereof And by the only mercy of God thou art well and free Thou canst continue instant in prayer thou canst come to Heaven gates and get thy errand heard thy business dispatcht and little distraction in it O give the Lord praise lest he leave thee to thy self and then thy case will be more miserable than theirs Thankfulness keeps the mercy which ingratitude forfeits And we are Free-holders of these blessings but 't is because we hold of his free grace and mercy Yea those that are oft pestered with them and yet sometimes freed bless the Lord for that It is as much your duty to praise God when you are freed as to bewail it when you have failed It is the comparison of a good Divine if a man have planted many Trees in his Orchard and the Caterpillars or Cankers have consumed them all