knew could be a present help to him CASE II. Whether it be Distraction and withdrawing from God to think at all of our worldly business and affairs To this I answer 1. In ordering of our earthly Concerns and in all our ways God is to be acknowledged His direction makes us act prudently and his Blessing makes our Labour prosperous The Blessing of the Lord makes rich and he adds no sorrow with it Prov. 10. 22. His Blessing removes the Curse which sin had brought and very much cures the vexatious Vanity of the Creature The Word of God is to be eyed as the Rule which we ought to walk by in our Secular Affairs we should inquire after his Will and aim at his Glory in every thing which we do When Secular Actions are under the conduct and management of Religion there is not only a Blessing upon them but also a great Beauty in them 2. Diligence and Prudence in our wordly affairs is a Duty and this cannot be without thoughts about them Honest Projects and wise Contrivances are not at all to be discommended what is said of the Husbandman's Skill is applicable to Discretion in any other Calling Isa 28. 26 29. God doth instruct him to discretion and doth teach him A prudent thoughtfulness in these matters cometh from the Lord of Hosts which is wonderful in Counsel and excellent in working To be without heed and care in the Works of our Calling is sinful and scandalous and 't is to walk disorderly Our Lord plainly signifies there must be care and fidelity in worldly things Luk. 16. 11. If ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous Mammon who will commit to your trust the true Riches The good Man must needs think of his Secular Affairs else he could not guide them with discretion Psal 112. 5. 3. In a special manner we are to take heed when engaged in worldly business of being too long without thinking of God and lifting up our hearts to him Worldly Men when in the Sanctuary and they seem to be worshipping the God of Heaven their thoughts are upon the World because their Affections run that way Thus the Saints should do when at the Exchange or in their Shops or at the Market their hearts even then should frequently be with God this would not be hypocrisie but sincerity in them and worldly business would succeed the better for it 'T is a proper Ejaculation at every turn in our Secular Matters Psal 143. 8. Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up my Soul unto thee And our ordinary Employments though never so advantageous and delightful should not be so taking but that with the greatest readiness and joy we should cease from them when called to give our Attendance upon God CASE III. Whether the best of Men while in this World can be totally free from Distraction in holy Duties Unto this I answer 1. The natural Vanity of the Imagination is not perfectly cured in any Saint alive and this in some degree will discover it self the most serious and solid mind has something of levity and frothiness in it and this froth will be working up notwithstanding all endeavours to suppress it Evil is present with the best when they would do their very best The Apostle acknowledges there was a law of sin in him Rom. 7. 21. In-dwelling sin remains even there where Grace reigns and is but too active in the Saints when they desire to be most active in the Lord's Service therefore we read that the most spiritual Sacrifices are acceptable through Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2. 5. Though the House be spiritual and the Priesthood Holy and the Sacrifice spiritual yet all this by it self cannot procure acceptation there are some sinful imperfections some Ebullitions of Vanity as well as actings of grace which to cover there is great need of the Mediation and Righteousness of the Lord Jesus 2. Saints are not so vigilant and take not such pains with their hearts as they ought and might do and before they are aware are distracted in their Thoughts The Sluggard's Field was all grown over with Thorns and Nettles had covered the Face thereof Prov. 24. 31. The heart of Man by Nature brings forth nothing but Weeds and though the heart be renewed yet these Weeds will presently spring up in it if it be not kept with constant care 3. Though Believers are still haunted and pester'd with some vain thoughts yet 't is possible for them to be freed more and more from them The more they are renewed in the Spirit of their Mind they will be able to serve the Lord with greater intention of mind and seriousness of Spirit The more your reason gets power over your fancy and the more Grace gets power over your Reason and the more you call in help from Heaven the more fixed your hearts will be upon God and the Work of God Taking pains with the heart in Duty is hard labour but the Lord is ready to succeed it CASE IV. Whether a true Believer may not sometimes perform Duties so distractedly as to reap no benefit at all by them I answer 1. The more there is of Distraction in Duties the less Spiritual advantage is like to be reaped by them the more frequently the heart does start away from God when 't is engaged in his worship the more of obstruction there is unto the Communication of Grace the nearer we draw to God the nearer he draws to us if we at any time withdraw no wonder if he withdraw likewise And the less a Saint is troubled at his own Distractions his heart is certainly in the worst frame and God is the more displeased 2. Some Duties may be so distractedly performed as to be totally lost 'T is true the Union between Christ and Believers is inseparable and nothing shall separate them from the love of God in him for he makes incessant intercession for all his Members 'T is also certain that the Spirit abides in all true Believers and will never quite leave them who are his Temples and Habitation and the Spirit ever dwelling in them they shall ever continue in a state of Grace and sin shall never recover its Dominion over them and yet sometimes they may fall into particular acts of sin and some particular Duties may be performed after such a careless and distracted manner as to become sin We read Psal 80. 4. O Lord God of Hosts how long wilt thou be angry with the Prayers of thy People Prayers of Saints may be unacceptable Sometimes Unbelief Despondency and Discontent and Impatience quite spoils Prayer How could the Lord be pleased with Jonah's Petition Jon. 4. 2 3. And he prayed to the Lord and said I pray thee O Lord was not this my saying when I was yet in my Country Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish for I knew that thou art a gracious God and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repentest
it Heb. 10. 7. Lo I come to do thy Will O God and as willing to finish it therefore in his greatest Agonies he said Not my Will but thine be done His Holy Will notwithstanding the reluctancy of innocent Nature perfectly submits to his Father's Pleasure Joh. 18. 11. The Cup which my Father giveth me to drink shall I not drink it How undistracted and fervent was our Lord in praying for his Church whom his Father had given him out of the World And now he is in Heaven his Heart and Thoughts and Care are upon and for his Members Militant below His intercession for them is incessant his Life now in Heaven is a Life of continual interceding and the end of his intercession is that the Blessings he has purchased by his Sufferings may be bestowed upon Believers whom he suffered for Now what a Slight is put upon this great High Priest who is passed into the Heavens where he is so serious to intercede if we are not serious in petitioning If we hardly think what we are doing when we are asking for those Blessings which it cost him not only strong Cries and Tears but his Blood and Life to purchase They were not small things that the Blood of God was a price to purchase They are not small things that a glorified Redeemer is continually praying to the Father to bestow If these things are scarce thought of when we ask for them they are most sinfully undervalued Christ himself his fulness his satisfaction and intercession are despised altogether 4. In distraction there is a grieving and vexing the Holy Spirit of God by not valuing his proffered assistance When Christ ascended into Heaven and was glorified there he sent the Spirit to abide with his Church for ever And one great work of the Spirit is to aid and assist us in our Supplications He urges us to attend upon God and is most ready to help us in that attendance He is ready to fix our Minds to incline our Hearts aright to enlarge our Desire to make intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Rom. 8. 26. He offers us his mighty Grace which will enable us to pray prevailingly to hear profitably and fruitfully to improve the Ordinances of God But distracted Attendants are a grief and vexation to this good Spirit they had rather be without his help and grace than have it They chuse rather to lose all their Duties by a wretched heartlessness and formality than be assisted to take pains in these Duties that they may fare the better for them for ever 5. In distraction there is an undervaluing of all promised Mercies and Blessings which God is ready to bestow on them that seriously attend upon him The Promises of the Gospel are made by him whose faithfulness never fails and the surety of the New Testament stands engaged that they shall be accomplished if they are by a true and lively Faith applied These Promises are of things which we cannot be without but we must needs be beyond conception miserable Peace with God through Christ and that Peace within which passes all Understanding Grace sufficient to succour support strengthen and establish the good things of this Life with a Blessing from Heaven upon them and endless Blessedness in the World to come These are the things that are promised and who besides God can make Promises so exceeding precious and so great Now in our attendance upon him he would have us expect what he has promised for he keeps truth for ever and what he has promised he is able to perform Rom. 4. 21. Distracted Attendants upon the Lord look upon these Promises with a strange Eye they believe not the truth of them or are not perswaded of the worth of them and are very careless in pleading of them and having no serious thoughts and desires after the promised Blessings the threatned Curses fall upon them 6. In distraction there is great carelesness of our selves and of our main concerns those of our immortal Souls In attendance upon God our Souls are principally concerned Now these Souls themselves are of more worth than the World and so are the Blessings we request for them and to be heartless and trifling here what Apology can be made for it What is come to the Soul of Man that it should be so mindless of it self That it should have so few Thoughts about it self Distracted Duties argue an indifferency what becomes of the precious Soul to eternity and an indifferency must needs cause a miscarriage and ruine since striving to enter in at the strait gate is necessary Luk. 13. 24. and Heaven will be miss'd of there be not an holy violence to take it In distracted Services Men put a cheat upon themselves they only seem to run and so they will really miss the prize and in this Distraction there is great Hypocrisie which is most hateful to God and which our Lord has denounced so many Woes against Mat. 2. Hypocrites Duties are a most provoking Mockery and tho Hell will have all the Wicked at last turned into it yet in a special manner 't is called the portion of Hypocrites as well as Unbelievers Mat. 24. 51. compared with Luk. 12. 46. 7. Distraction exposes us to Satan Distracted Attendants are Servants of the Lord only in shew but Satan is really served and gratified by their Duties They expose themselves to this Enemy both as an Accuser and a Tempter When their Hearts are absent from the Lord's Work in which they engage Satan s Mouth is open against them He boldly charged Job with being a Mercinary Servant and yet there was no ground for it Job 1. 9 Doth Job fear God for nought But put forth thy hand now and touch what he hath and he will curse thee to thy face v. 11. And if he charged so good and upright a Man without ground surely he will be forward to accuse when there is abundant ground for the Accusation See will Satan say how such and such do serve the Lord with Duties that are things of nought and good for nothing See how they mock the God of Heaven to his very Face And upon such distracted Service as he is forward to be an Accuser so he has great advantage as a Tempter Such Duties bring in no strength from above to withstand him Nay the Lord is provoked to withdraw further and those whom God leaves to themselves how easily does Satan lead them Captive at his pleasure All Strays are seized by the God of this World how close should we cleave to the God of Heaven 8. Distraction is a great obstruction to the efficacy and success of Ordinances If we pray as if we prayed not shall we speed If we hear as if we heard not shall we profit Will doing the Work of the Lord deceitfully be encouraged by the vouchsafing of Grace or rewarded with Glory Carefulness is one effect and fruit of godly Sorrow 2 Cor. 7. 11. For
him and to Obedience and Duty The Angels that sinned were not spared nor called to attend upon God in order to their recovery after their Apostasie Indeed we find Satan an Intruder among the Sons of God who came to present themselves before the Lord Job 1. 6. but it was not to beg Grace for himself his Chains of Darkness hindered his Hope of finding any he comes as an Accuser of Job and with a desire of a Permission to do him a Mischief But Man though departed from God is called to come backagain Hos 14. 1. O Israel return to the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thy Iniquity Man is sought after as well as saved or sought that he may be saved And if the Lord did not seek him but leave him to his own Imagination and Inclination his Imaginations are so vain his Inclinations so perverse and wicked he would never cease going astray till he died without Wisdom The Call of God is loud and earnest that Man would turn from his Disobedience and do his Duty Prov. 8. 4. Vnto you O Men I call and my voice is to the Sons of Man Prov. 1. 23. Turn you at my reproof behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you I will make known my words unto you Prov. 8. 34. Blessed is the Man that heareth me watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my doors 6. Man must look upon God as accessible in Christ When Adam fell into the first Transgression shewing a Contempt of God and of his Covenant and the Life that was there promised he was turned out of Paradise and a flaming Sword was placed to hinder his re-entring and access to the Tree of Life Life was impossible to be had by the first Covenant therefore he and his Faith were directed to the promised Seed who should bruise the Serpents head and in time would be manifested to destroy the Works of the Devil 1 John 3. 8. This Work of the Devil was Sin whereby Man had departed from his Maker Now Christ the second Adam suffered once for Sins the Just for the Vnjust that he might bring Man to God and make up the Breach that Sin had made between them 1 Pet. 3. 18. As God is but One so there is but One Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus Who gave himself a Ransom for all 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. no access to God by any other But says the Apostle In Christ Jesus our Lord we have boldness and access with confidence by the Faith of him Eph. 3. 12. Under the Old Testament there was but one Temple one Altar for Burnt offering and Sin offering to make an Atonement An Heathen thought it a dishonour to the Lord Jehovah that Hezekiah had taken away his high Places and his Altars and had commanded Judah and Jerusalem to Worship before one Altar 2 Chron. 32. 12. But the mystery and meaning of this was that Jesus Christ alone is the Way the Truth and the Life and that no Man cometh to the Father but by him 7. Man must plainly discern his Ignorance and Impotence to give a right Attendance upon God without the Direction and Aid of his Word and Spirit Nay as Man does want both Skill and Strength to serve the Lord so he has no Will to it there is an Indisposition and an Ill disposition in him which plainly shews that the Light and Grace of the Word and Spirit is of absolute necessity unto an Attendance upon God that is acceptable to him When Man is off from God and betakes himself to himself in Matters of Religion he rangeth infinitely like a Sea-faring Man who has lost his Compass in a Mist moving swiftly but to no purpose Now there shall be more words than that which is written more Articles than what God has put into our Creed more Commands than the Law-giver ever gave nay more Gods and more Mediators than One Mans Invention will be fruitlesly Fruitful and himself restless and endless in his own ways We should see our need of Instruction and Help from the Spirit of the Lord Both Light and Liberty Strength and Liveliness in all Holy Duties is from Him 'T is through the Son as Mediator and 't is by the Spirit as our Helper that we have access to the Father Eph. 2. 18. The Apostle acknowledges We know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit helps our infirmities the holy and gracious desires of the Saints are the breathings of this spirit in them acceptable Petitions that will find Audience are of his drawing up and enditing He maketh intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God Rom. 8. 26 27. He is the instructer of all those who are taught to profit Ordinances Gifts Administrations which are so useful are from the Spirit and the benefit and success of them is owing to him his Aid is earnestly to be implored and thankfully to be accepted Preparation to Attendance upon God is necessary Psal 10. 17. Thou wilt prepare their Heart thou wilt cause thine Ear to hear and this preparation is the work of the Spirit 8. Man must not doubt but be thoroughly perswaded that God is ready to be found of such as attend upon him and is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. Satan affects to be the Representer of God to Man and he represents him contrary ways and both are false and indeed misrepresentations from secure Souls he does endeavour to hide the Wrath of God his Holiness Justice and Jealousie that he may heighten presumption from awakened and humble Hearts he does endeavour to conceal his Mercy and Grace in Christ that he may kill their Hope and discourage them from engaging in the work of God But 't is Wisdom in Man to hear what the Lord speaks of himself for he best knows himself and the Revelations he makes of himself are most certainly true Now as he has told us that he will wound the Head of his Enemies and be accounts those Enemies who go on still in their trespasses Psal 68. 21. so he has assured us that he is good and ready to forgive those who are troubled because they have offended and see their need of pardon and he is plenteous in Mercy unto all that in Truth do call upon him Psal 68. 5. 'T is a mighty encouragement to attend upon God when we see the door of Hope standing open and that the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear his displeasure and hope in his mercy together Psal 147. 11. The Tables of the Law were put into the Ark and the mercy-seat was above it a plain intimation that the Lord who sits upon this mercy-seat will not enter into Judgment with his Servants nor mark the iniquities but be merciful to the unrighteousness of them that turn to him this should raise Hope in dejected Spirits and cause it to abound Psal 130. 7 8. Let Israel hope
6. And the People of God are so strengthned revived and delighted and have such sensible Communion with him as that they speak out their Joy and Satisfaction v. 9. Lo this is our God and we have waited for him he will save us this is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoice in his Salvation Those are dangerously pufft up with Pride and Self-conceit that think themselves above Ordinances and 't is not a commendable Humility for them that desire the spiritual Benefit of Ordinances to imagine that Ordinances are above them They are in no wise to be neglected for they are the golden Pipes Zach. 4. 12. which convey the Grace of the Spirit compared to Oyl into the Hearts of Men. And as Attenders upon God are found in the way of his Ordinances so they observed diligently God's dealing with them They take notice how he looks upon them whether there are Smiles or Frowns in his Face they regard what God speaks whether it be by way of Counsel Caution Rebuke or Comfort they heed what the Spirit says to them and what Communications of Grace are vouchsafed They are attentive to regard the works of the Lord and to consider the operation of his hands Does he afflict they turn to him that smites them and desire to be more fully instructed and more thorowly purged Isa 27. 9. Does he load them with Benefits they are affected with his loving-kindness and sensible how obligations grow stronger to praise and please him 7. Attending upon God implies expecting all from him From this one Fountain flow the Streams of all sorts of Blessings In our Father's House there is Bread enough and to spare and how many soever are received and attend there there is room for more and not only room but Entertainment The Apostle though he was as having nothing yet had such a confident expectation from God as if he had all things in possession 2 Cor. 6. 10. as having nothing and yet possessing all things He assures the believing Philippians that God would supply all their needs according to his Riches in Glory by Christ Jesus Phil. 4. 19. The Psalmist in danger and calamity betakes himself to the mercy of God and the shadow of his Wings for refuge and cries unto him as the most High who performed all things for him Psal 57. 1 2. Who questions whether the Sun be full of Light whether the Ocean abound with Water Much less reason is there to question God's Power and Will to answer the expectations of his People that attend upon him It is his pleasure that they should wait upon him for every thing and knock at his door whatever they have to ask Abounding in hope is acceptable to God and will not issue in disappointment Therefore says David Psal 71. 14. But I will hope continually and will yet praise thee more and more 8. Attending upon God implies readiness to do whatever he Commands and to engage at his bidding in any Service Nominal Attendants will cry Lord Lord but real ones will do the things which he says There are an innumerable company of Angels who excel in strength who wait on God and those do his Commandments hearkning to the Voice of his Word Psal 103. 20. That they may fulfill their Maker's Pleasure they minister to them that shall be Heirs of Salvation Heb. 1. 14. Attendance includes a disposition to yield Obedience 'T is thus expressed Psal 119. 48. My Hands will I lift up to thy Commandments which I have loved The lifting up the Hands shews a forwardness to receive whatever Command God shall give and a readiness to set about the doing whatever he requires That 's becoming Language Speak Lord for thy Servant heareth and he that is truly a Servant will act according to what he hears his Lord speaking and he will not give back though he is put upon the hardest and hottest Service Abraham rose early in the Morning to obey God's Command to offer up his Son Isaac And the Lord sware to him by himself because he had not with-held his Son his only Son from him that in blessing he would bless him Gen. 22. 16 17. 'T is a temper of Mind in which God delights when his Attendants resolve to Obey without any exception 1 Sam. 15. 22. Hath the Lord as great delight in Burnt-offering and Sacrifices as in obeying the Voice of the Lord Behold to Obey is better than Sacrifice and to hearken than the Fat of Rams 9. Attending upon God implies giving Glory to his Name and acknowledging that his is the Kingdom and the Power Though the Offerings and Sacrifices enjoyned by the Law are to be offered no more Christ who was typified by those Sacrifices having offered up himself once for all and put away Sin by the Sacrifice of himself yet under the New Testament Dispensation Attendants upon God have their Sacrifices to offer they must present themselves a living Sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is their reasonable Service Rom. 12. 1. and says the Apostle Heb. 13. 15. By Him therefore by Christ Jesus let us offer the Sacrifice of Praise to God continually that is the fruit of our Lips giving thanks to his Name Those glorious Spirits which attend above and surround the Throne in the Heavenly Kingdom Praise is their perpetual employment and to their Eternal Joy and Delight they find perpetual reason for it Worthy is the Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for he has created all things and for his Pleasure they are and were created Worthy also is the Lamb that was slain to receive the same and therefore Blessing and Honour and Glory and Power be unto him that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever Rev. 4. 11. 5. 13. This Service of Thanksgiving the Lord much insists on is well-pleased with and accounts himself glorified by Psal 113. 1 2 3. Praise ye the Lord Praise O ye Servants of the Lord Praise the Name of the Lord Blessed be the Name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same the Lord's Name is to be praised Behold also how acceptable thankful Attendants are Psal 69. 30 31. I will praise the Name of God with a Song and will magnifie him with Thanksgiving this also shall please the Lord better than an Ox or Bullock that hath Horns and Hoofs And this is our way of Glorifying God who is so infinitely Glorious that to his Glory no addition can be made but only a Declaration and Acknowledgment made of it and when these Acknowledgments are largest it must be confessed that he is exalted above all Blessings and Praise 10. Attendance upon God implies a continuing to follow him Holy David says his Ears were opened or boared to hearken to God's Voice Psal 40. 6. Here is an Allusion unto the Israelitish Servant who was so well in his Master's House that
fear him all ye the Seed of Israel See also Psal 105. 3 4. Glory ye in his holy Name let the Heart of them rejoyce that seek the Lord Seek the Lord and his Strength seek his Face evermore And as the word of God calls for this so the Providence of God seconds his Precepts The dispensing of mercies calls upon us to attend the Father of them with our Praises And afflictions should quicken us in our seeking God he requires this Psal 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me And he reckons upon it that he should hear from his People when his chastning was upon them Hos 5. 15. I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my Face in their affliction they will seek me early 3. God sees whether there be an attendance upon himself and after what manner and that with a jealous eye And this is another strong reason for our attending on him The Lord looks down from Heaven upon the Children of Men to this very end that he may see if there be any that understand and seek God Psal 53. 2. so that he very strictly observes how Mens Hearts are affected towards him and his Service and he cannot but be very much displeased with the whole Race of fallen Man because Rom. 3. 10 11. There is none Righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God The Lord takes notice how Days and Weeks and Months and Years go over Mens Heads and yet that God from whom they have their all they seek not to for any thing neither return they any thanks to him how much soever they receive from him And those who attend upon God he observes the manner how they do it and heartless Duties doing the work of the Lord deceitfully provokes and kindles the Fire of his Jealousie Mal. 1. 14. Cursed be the deceiver who having a Male in his Flock voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing The second Commandment which directs us as to Divine Worship makes mention that the Lord is a jealous God He cannot endure to have his Service neglected as if there were no profit or reward in seeking him He cannot endure a negligent Service As if he were an Idol as if he had Eyes but did not see or take notice who they are that mock him God's Omniscience and all-seeing Eye struck a great awe upon the Apostle it made him draw near to God and it made him very serious when he had to do with him Heb. 4. 13. Neither is there any Creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened unto the Eyes of him with whom we have to do 4. Man's necessities should constrain him to attend upon God Sin has made the Children of Men in the worst sense poor and needy they fancy themselves rich and dream of fulness but behold 't is only a dream for they are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Now for the supply of their needs 't is in vain to have recourse to any but God The broken Cisterns can hold no Water and cannot furnish them with any that run to them but there is enough in the Fountain of living Waters for all that repair to it An experienced attender upon God knew how to be furnished with every thing Psal 57. 2. I will cry unto God most high unto God who performeth all things for me And the Apostle speaks with a most reasonable confidence Psal 4. 19. My God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus The one thing needful is alone from God and from him are all things else His Kingdom and Righteousness he bestows on them that seek him and all things else shall be added Matt. 6. 33. Man has beggar'd himself as to the true Riches he is a meer Bankrupt In him that is in his Flesh dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7. 18. and that which is born of the flesh is flesh wholly carnal till there be a regeneration by the Spirit How shall Man who is so very evil be made truly good All true Grace and Goodness is from God who is therefore called the God of all Grace 1 Pet. 5. 10. and 't is through Christ that 't is all communicated Therefore every good thing in Believers is said to be in them in Christ Jesus Philem. ver 6. Man has need to come to God for he has ruined himself and 't is the Lord alone to whom Salvation belongs Man has destroyed himself in God is his help found Hos 13. 9. Those whom the Lord saves not must needs perish 5. Man's Obligations to attend upon God are still increasing The Lord causes his Sun to arise upon the evil as well as the good upon the unrighteous as well as the righteous Matt. 5. 45. He is kind to the unthankful and the evil Luke 6. 35. God's Bounty calls for a return of Duty and should quicken Man to seek the Lord who is so abundant in Goodness In God's hand Man's breath is and every time he breaths God saves his Life from God's hand he receives whatever he has How strictly is Man engaged to acknowledge God in all to serve him and to glorifie his Name Even those that are bad have experience of the riches of Divine Goodness and Forbearance and Long-suffering and though this goodness is but common yet offers are made to them of special Grace All the day long the Lord stretches forth his hand to the disobedient and gain-saying and in that hand are no less than the good things of Time and of Eternity The wickedest and worst of Men if they consent to leave their wicked ways and to have their wicked hearts changed and come to God they shall graciously be accepted be abundantly pardoned and have the best things bestowed on them God is ready to give Grace to them that have none and to give more Grace where he has already wrought it 6. Promises are precious that are made to attenders upon God and threatnings are terrible against Contemners of God who refuse to attend upon him Thus the Lord works upon those two great commanding things in the Soul of Man his Hope and his Fear that he may have Service from him If we draw near to God he promises to draw nigh to us James 4. 8. and his approaches to his People are the manifestations of his Pitty and Power for their help and supply the communications of that Grace which may be suitable and sufficient in the time of need He says not to the Seed of Jacob seek ye me in vain Moses supposes Israel apostatizing from their God by Idolatry and his anger waxed hot against them and themselves scattered among the Nations Yet says he If from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if thou seek him with all
is there in Man by Nature to commend him to God The Apostle charges the whole World as guilty before God and proves Heart and Tongue and Hands and Feet of Man to be corrupt and that the way of Peace he knows not Rom. 3. 17. Why should such a Wretch be look'd upon and graciously called upon to return Here is indeed Eternal Misery that Man is in danger of for Divine Mercy to prevent Here is a great deal of Sin for the justifying Righteousness of a Mediator to cover Here are Heart-Plagues for Christ the Physician of Souls to heal Here is Stubbornness and Obstinacy in evil for the Spirit of Grace to overcome Here are innumerable wants for the All-sufficient God to supply But not the least jot of meritorious Worthiness Will the Lord admit such as we are indigent worthless vile Let us wonder that he will do it and keep no longer at a distance from him 2. Remember God refuses to be attended upon by multitudes of fallen Creatures which at first were better than Man We read that Man was made a little lower than the Angels Psal 8. 5. so that the Angels were in degree higher than Man in their first Creation Now a great Host of these Angels sinned and when they sinned they were not spared 2 Pet. 2 4. as soon as they fell into Sin they were thrown down and fell into Hell The Lord calls not to the Apostate Angels to repent of sin and return to himself There is no Throne of Grace for them to come to no Mercy offered the door of hope is lock'd up and fast barr'd against them for ever Our Lord took not on him the Nature of Angels Heb. 2. 16. The good Angels were indeed confirmed in their good State in their original Integrity by the Son of God who is the Head of all Principality and Power Col. 2. 10. But the Son of God redeemed and recovered not so much as one of the bad Angels but they are all in Chains of darkness reserved unto Judgment These reprobate Angels are of very great Capacity they excel in strength yet the Lord will accept of no service at their hands He forces them against their wills to be subservient to his purposes and pleasure but Worship and Obedience from them he admits not of But he calls after Man to return though fallen by his iniquity Hos 14. 1. He puts words into Man's Mouth and tells him what he should say and what he himself is ready to hearken to and grant Hos 14. 2. Take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously So will we render the calves of our lips This great difference which Grace does make between fallen Man and fallen Angels should be a mighty Inducement and Encouragement to Man to give most ready attendance upon God 3. 'T is the great endeavour of your Spiritual Enemies to hinder your attendance upon God or to disturb you in it Which shews they are well aware how beneficial this attendance if serious would be and they envy you the benefit of it 'T is Wisdom ab horte doceri well to mark and to receive some instruction from an Enemy What Satan urges you to pursue you may conclude is of little worth his Malignity is such that he will not truly consult your interest And since he uses so many Methods and so much Subtlety to stave you off from God you may reasonably argue that in coming to God lies your Duty and your Blessedness The Enemy of our Salvation has false glasses through which he misrepresents the Lord and his Service to us Sometimes he represents him as so High that he minds not what we do whether it be good or evil Sometimes he sets him forth as so indulgent that any careless Duties will please him and neglect of his Service will not much if at all provoke him Sometimes he sets before Man's Eyes God's Wrath and Jealousie and says that delays to serve him have rendred him unintreatable and that to seek him is now too late and in vain Thus he would obstruct Man's attendance on his Maker for he knows that the Lord is good to them that wait for him to the Soul that seeketh him Lam. 3. 25. and those that are far from God shall perish Psal 73. 27. But if by all these ways he cannot hinder attendance upon God he will endeavour to disturb them that do attend Zach. 3. 1. And he shewed me Joshua the high Priest standing before the Angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him How busie is Satan about us when we come to appear before God! He endeavours to fill the Mind with vain Imaginations to thrust violently the World into the Heart to make indwelling sin active to hinder the actings of Grace He endeavours to batter Faith to beat down Hope and to damp holy and spiritual Affections He cannot endure the Soul should meet with God in Duties he is troubled at its Communion with God and being bless'd with Spiritual Blessings But all this should but quicken your desires and diligence in seeking for what you seek after you may conclude is highly worth finding 4. How empty are all things that are apt to draw you away from attending upon God! The Egyptians of old were derided by the Poet because they made Gods of every thing O Sanctas Gentes quibus hoc nascuntur in hortis Numina The very Herbs and Plants that grew in their Gardens were deified And truly among many that are called Christians a multitude of things that are very mean and low are idolized Some make Idols of their Garbs by affecting and being proud of them Some idolize their earthly Treasures and sensual Pleasures by loving those more than God 2 Tim. 3. 4. Some make their Belly their God and how many Meat-offerings and Drink-offerings are sacrificed to this base Deity by the Wine-bibbers and riotous eaters of flesh How low is Man fallen How has he lost his Dominion over the Creature They make him not only their Slave but their Worshipper But pray bethink your selves and take notice what things they are that thus captivate and draw you away from God Such is the immensity of God that the whole World compared with him is not so much as the smallest Dust to the Globe of Earth not so much as a drop of Water to the whole Ocean And as the Being of God transcends all other Beings so his goodness excels all created goodness So that our Lord speaking in the highest sense affirms That there is none good but one that is God Matt. 19. 17. What then are the good things of this World which Sin has brought a Vanity nay a Curse upon and which are used by Satan as his great Baits to catch inconsiderate Souls that they may be lost and ruin'd 5. Be prevailed with to attend upon God who is the strongest Rock the surest Refuge Safety is desirable
abundantly more Eph. 3. 20. Who can conceive how beneficial waiting upon God is That passage is both encouraging and amazing Isa 64. 4. For since the beginning of the World Men have not heard nor perceived by the Ear neither hath the Eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him 3. God is ready to cover a multitude of Infirmities in them that sincerely attend upon him He mercifully observes how willing their Spirits are when their Flesh is weak and cannot keep pace with their renewed Minds When our Lord was in an Agony his Disciples could not watch with him one hour but were fallen asleep yet he himself graciously excuses it Matt. 26. 41. The Spirit indeed is willing but the Flesh is weak and passes it by He takes notice of the Lustings of the Spirit against the Flesh the Strivings of Grace against Sin and Corruption and passes by the Lusting of the Flesh against the Spirit the Strivings of Sin against Grace The Lord does not enter into Judgment with his Servants nor deal in Rigour with them but he expresses Fatherly Tenderness and Compassion towards them Psal 103. 13. Like as a Father pittieth his Children so the Lord pittieth them that fear him We are directed to beg for the Forgiveness of Trespasses daily which shews that as the Disciples of Christ daily offend so their Heavenly Father is ready to grant forgiveness daily to them Nay Iniquity cleaves unto our holiest things our best Dâ—ties should and might be done a great deal better These Infirmities then are much to be lamented more and more striven against and seeing our selves compassed about with them we should banish all Self-confidence and look into Jesus that in him we may find acceptance and certainly the Righteousness of Christ the Son of God and the Father's love in him will cover the greatest multitude of bewailed Infirmities and Offences 4. It may be also Comfort to Attenders upon God to think whom they have attending upon them Saints on Earth have the Angels in Heaven to be their Guardians Christ is signified by Jacob's Ladder the Angels of God are said to ascend and descend upon the Son of Man John 1. 51. 'T is owing to our Lord Jesus that Believers have the Benefit of the Angels Ministry and the Apostle signifies that all of them are thus employed for the Saints Protection and Security Heb. 1. 14. Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them that shall be heirs of Salvation The reprobate and evil Angels resist Attenders upon God but the elect and good Angels are their Friends These Angels that excel in strength How do they rejoyce when any repent and are converted And they have a Charge over Converts to keep them in all their ways Psal 91. 11. and when 't is added v. 13. Thou shalt tread upon the Lion and the Adder the young Lion and the Dragon thou shalt trample under feet It may be intimated that Satan's Force and Fury and Subtlety shall be ineffectual and that by his Temptations he shall not prevail But though Angels attend the Servants of God they are not wholly trusted to the Angelical Care The Lord himself is their Keeper The Father and the Son come to them and make their abode in them and will secure their own Mansions till they are out of the reach of Enemies and past all danger 5. Sincere Attendance upon God shall attend upon him after another and better manner in another World They shall be sitted for and admitted into the presence Chamber of the King of Glory In Heaven there will be no need of the Sun or of the Moon to shine in it for the Glory of the Lord does lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof Rev. 21. 23. and Rev. 22. 3. And there shall be no more Curse but the Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it and his Servants shall serve him They shall serve him so as never in the least to disserve him they shall do his Will and nothing at all contrary to it there will be a Perfection of Delight and Rest and Peace in the Obedience they shall yield when they rest not day and night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Rev. 4. 8. and Rev. 5. 13. Blessing and Honour and Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever All God's sincere Attendants are now advanced to Priestly nay to Kingly Dignity therefore they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2. 9. Christ has loved them and washed them from their sins in his own Blood and has made them Kings and Priests unto God and his Father Rev. 1. 5 6. But hereafter they shall inherit and possess the Kingdom prepared for them they shall all of them be actually crown'd with a Crown of Life and Righteousness And Oh what a joyful sight will it be to behold the Lord and all his Saints glorified together with him Col. 3. 4. When Christ who is our Life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in Glory Thus of the first Doctrine Doct. II. The second Doctrine is this In attending upon God we should look upon him as the Lord and serve him accordingly When God pronounced his own Laws with his own Mouth upon Mount Sinai He thus begins I am the Lord Exod. 20 2. and this was to awe Israel into Obedience We read Deut 6. 4. Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. No other Lord is his equal no Commands to be regarded like his Commands None so worthy of service as He He must have attendance who or whatever is neglected Psal 89. 6 7. Who in Heaven can be compared to the Lord who among the Sons of the Mighty can be likened unto the Lord The mightiest Monarchs upon Earth the highest Angels in Heaven are infinitely below him therefore it follows God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of his Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him Holy David cries out Psal 8. 1. O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the Earth who hast set thy Glory above the Heavens He worshipped and praised him as the highest Sovereign who excelled all things on Earth and whose Glory the Heaven though full of it was not able to contain and when he says our Lord 't is intimated that he was truly his Servant and Subject and that he gloried in subjection to him In the handling of this Doctrine I shall First Shew you how God is the Lord. Secondly Manifest what influence and effect the apprehension of his being Lord should have upon us when we attend upon him Thirdly and Lastly make Application In the first place I am to shew you how God is the Lord. His Majesty may amaze us when we think or speak of his Dominion we should
the Beasts of the Field the Fowl of the Air and the Fish of the Sea and whatever passeth through the paths of the Seas How easie is it for him to provide things of this nature who has so much who has all of them in his own keeping But far better Blessings than these he has in his hand to bestow and of the best Blessings he is most liberal When we knock at his door we should remember how rich he is whose all things are and that this Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him Rom. 10. 12. 4. God is Lord Redeemer of his People and a mighty Lord indeed he shews himself in the Redemption of them Jer. 50. 34. Their Redeemer is strong the Lord of Hosts is his Name he shall thorowly plead their cause that he may give rest to them Redemption supposes that redeemed ones were enslaved lost and under a Curse To redeem must needs be granted an high act of Mercy and Grace and of force and might likewise The Lord is a Redeemer by Power and Conquest he throws down the Dominion of Sin demolishes its strongest holds he thrusts Mammon out of the Throne of the heart he treads Satan under his Peoples feet in a Sense also he is a Redeemer by Commutation God became Man that he might stand in Man's room suffer in Man's nature and be Man's Surety and Saviour And he redeems by paying a price and that the Price might be of infinite value he gave no less than himself for those whom he has redeemed 1 Cor. 6. 20. Ye are not your own for yea are bought with a price therefore glorifie God which bought you in your Body and in your Spirit which are Gods And in Gal. 2. 20. He loved me says the Apostle and gave himself for me The Prey and the Captives are delivered out of the hands of that terrible Enemy the Prince of Darkness Believers are redeemed from the Curse of the Law by him who was made Flesh Sin and a Curse for them They may triumph indeed because the first death is unstung the Grave has lost its Victory and none of them shall be seized and hurt by the second death This Lord Redeemer How should he be attended upon How should sinful and lost Souls before they are lost past recovery being sensible of their danger come flocking to him in great numbers flying as a Cloud and as Doves to their Windows 5. God is Lord and Law-giver and all are bound to obey those Laws he gives them His Laws are the best that ever were given In the keeping of these Laws lies true Goodness and Sin which is incomparably the foulest and most pernicious and worst of all Evils is a Transgression of these Laws which God has delivered to us How often in the New Testament do we read of the Kingdom of God! And Kingdom implies a King and Laws and that there are Subjects who must obey the one and the other The Cross of Christ excludes not Christians Sufferings but their Sufferings are not expiatory of Sin as his were and the Obedience of Christ excludes not Christians Obedience but his was meritorious theirs is not How strictly soever some may take the Gospel and say 't is all Promises I am sure the Gospel as it represents it self takes in Commands Christ is a King to be obeyed as well as a Propitiatory Sacrifice to be rested on and he is the Author of Salvation to all them that obey him and they that obey not the Gospel which shews it has Laws to be obeyed shall be punished with everlasting Destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Heb. 5. 9. 2 Thess 1. 8 9. Faith in Christ does not make Believers lawless nay the Apostle speaks with some vehemency Do we then make void the Law through Faith God forbid yea we establish the Law Rom. 3. 31. Indeed we are not under the Law i. e. under the Curse of the Law if we are true Believers nor under it as a Covenant Do this and live we are not to hope for Justification nor to fear Condemnation by it But the Law is a Rule which we are bound to act and walk according to and unto this Rule our Hearts and Lives with great Care and Conscience should be conformed And that these Laws may be the better observed the Lord and Law-giver must be more eyed He takes notice whether we yield Obedience and is most ready to assist us to obey And he should always be set before us both as our Observer and our Helper too Psal 16. 8. I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved 6. God is Lord who has power to save and to destroy James 4. 12. There is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy Who art thou that judgest another He has the power of Life and Death Death that is eternal Life that is everlasting He is the Lord of Hosts all Creatures are at his command and beck and are ready either to be the Executioners of his Wrath or to serve him in his gracious purposes and pleasure He is that mighty God who lifts up his hand to Heaven and says I live for ever I kill and I make alive I wound and I heal neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand Deut. 32. 39 40. All sorts of Life are from God that of Nature Grace and Glory He can raise those that attend upon him from the brink of the Grave and rescue them out of the very jaws of Death Psal 30. 2 3. O Lord my God I cried unto thee and thou hast healed me O Lord thou hast brought up my Soul from the Grace thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down into the Pit 2 Cor. 1. 9 10. We had the Sentence of Death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God who raiseth the Dead who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us God is he who quickens and makes those Spiritually alive that were dead in sins and trespasses He reverses the Sentence of Death which the Law had passed upon them gives them a new Life and Nature and inables them to walk in newness of Life 'T is a mighty Voice attended with his powerful Spirit which raises the Dead in sin and makes them live to God John 5. 25. Verily verily I say unto you the hour is coming and now is when the Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live And when this Spiritual Life is wrought 't is really eternal Life in the Seed and Blossom and into eternal Life at length it shall be ripened and perfected The sanctifying Grace of the Spirit is likened unto water because 't is of a cleansing refreshing and fructifying nature and this Grace shall still be acting and
thou art my God thy Spirit is good lead me into the Land of Uprightness He works in them to Will inclining their Hearts unto his Testimonies and he works in them to do of his own good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. And directs their ways to keep his Statutes All the good that good Men do God is the doer of his Preventing and Assisting Grace is and does all in all And after all Dona sua coronat he crowns that Grace which himself has wrought and made active with an eternal weight of Glory Well may his attendants Glory in such a Lord as peerless Psal 34. 2 3. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord the humble shall hear thereof and be glad O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together 10. God is the Lord and Judge of all at whose Barr Angels and Men the Quick and the dead must at last stand Apostate Angels believe and tremble at the foresight of future Judgment Satan's time is short his Wrath great but his Dread is greater of that great day of reckoning and retribution And as for the Children of Men all must be judged the Day is appointed and is hastning Every one of us says the Apostle must give account of himself to God Rom. 14. 12. And an account will be taken of all that has been done while we were in the Body Eccles 12. 14 For God will bring every work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil How should this Lord and Judge be feared With what diligence should his Commandments be kept Since this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole of Man Man's Duty Safety grand Concern and Interest lies here He that will Judge all at last with his own Eyes observes and sees all at present Psal 11. 4. The Lord's Throne is in Heaven his Eyes behold his Eye-lids try the Children of Men Job 31. 4. Doth not he see my ways and count all my steps And when all the Children of Men that ever were or shall be do appear before him his faithful Attendants he will own and put great Honour upon and will say Well done good and faithful Servants you have been faithful in a few things I will make you Rulers over many things enter you into the Joy of your Lord But how shall the Children of Disobedience stand before him who lived and died in their Rebellion and Wickedness and did nothing but treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous Judgment of God! In the second place I am to manifest what influence and effect the apprehension of God's being the Lord should have upon us when we attend upon him 1. When we look upon God as Lord we should be sensible of our distance and how we are infinitely below him What a sense was there of the Divine Majesty and of his own meanness in the Patriarch Abraham when he spoke those words Gen. 18 27. Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord who am but Dust and Ashes We read that Dominion and Fear are with him that the brightest Stars are not pure in his sight how much less Man that is a Worm and the Son of Man that is a Worm Job 25. 2 5 6. The Grace of the Gospel does not exclude an holy Awe and Reverence of God but include it And the more there is of grace the more there is also of this godly fear and the Service is the more acceptable Heb. 12. 28 29. Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom that cannot be moved let us have Grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming Fire We are indeed encouraged to come with boldness but that boldness is upon the account of our great High Priest and Mediator but though we are the Members of Christ we must remember that God is unconceivably above us The Man Christ Jesus himself when he prayed fell on his face before his heavenly Father Mat. 26. 39. Nay he calls himself a worm too Psal 22. 6. But I am a worm and no man a reproach of men and despised of the People 2. When we look upon God as Lord we should be deeply humbled and abased for our Affronts Offences and Rebellions against him 'T is the Law of the Lord Almighty which sin breaks and 't is the Lord himself that sin causes to be despised When David was truly penitent and contrite he cries out Against thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight Psal 51. 4. His sin had been an injury and indeed a deadly one to Uriah his Subject but it was a gross and foul breach of the Law of God and so was committed against him And as his sin was ever before him so was that Lord against whom he had sinned This lays him very low and makes him readily condemn himself and ready to justifie God how severe a Sentence soever should be past how sore a punishment soever should be inflicted upon him that thou mightest says he be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest Job had not been so careful of God's Honour as he had been to vindicate his own innocency at length the Lord himself does manifest his Glory to him he confounds him with that question Job 40. 8. Wilt thou disannul my Judgment Wilt thou condemn me that thou mayest be Righteous Job at length has a clearer view of the Greatness and Soveraignty of that God with whom he had to do and says I have heard of thee by the hearing of the Ear but now mine Eye seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self and repent in Dust and Ashes Job 42. 5 6. 3. When we look upon God as Lord we should admire his concernedness for the Salvation and Happiness of such as we are It was the expression of one who was an eminent Saint and a great King O my Soul thou hast said unto the Lord thou art my Lord my goodness extendeth not to thee Psal 16. 2. He is a Lord so high so glorious in himself so far exalted above all that the goodness of the best cannot in the least degree be beneficial to him He stands not then in need of Man therefore his good will which he bears towards Men is the more to be admired If the whole humane Race after the first defection from God had perished and every one of them had been miserable for ever the blessedness of God would have been no more impaired than it was by the loss and misery of those Spirits that first sinned and left their own Habitation none of which ever was recovered or shall be Oh whence is it that the Lord of Glory should shew such discriminating Grace to the Sons of Men Lord what is Man that thou who art so much above him should be so mindful of him as to visit him with thy Salvation who was unable to save himself
Help against Divine Anger Nay here the mightiest Man can be no Security Job 9. 13. If God will not withdraw his Anger the proud Helpers do stoop under him And those whom the Lord does undertake to comfort why should Man that shall dye dismay them Isa 51. 12 13. I even I am he that comforteth you Who art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of a Man that shall dye and of the Son of Man which shall be as Grass And forgetest the Lord thy Maker that stretched forth the Heavens and laid the Foundations of the Earth His Power may well make the Fury of Oppressors contemptible But God's Power is irresistable as his Wrath is intolerable 3. They are to be reproved who prefer the worst Lords before the greatest and the best of all The true God is certainly the best Lord and Sin and Satan are the worst that can be served and yet how few has the former how many Servants have the later The Lord's Government is most gracious the Paths he requires us to walk in are Pleasantness and Peace Prov. 3. 17. But the Ways of Sin are quite contrary No Peace saith my God to the wicked Isa 57. 21. Whatever Sin in the beginning may seem its End is bitter as Wormwood sharp as a two-edged Sword and they that serve it their Feet go down to Death and their Steps will quickly take hold of Hell Shall I shew you the manner of Sin and Satan's Reign Their Vassals are put upon Cruel Hard Service and they must stick at nothing If the fulfilling of their Lusts call for it the Estate must be wasted Health must be endangered Repute and good Name must be disregarded Posterity must be beggared Life it self must be shortened and the precious Soul lost for ever rather than sin not be gratified and served Sin has a Law and what Command does it impose upon those that are subject to it Its Injunctions are such as these Fight against God and slight the Wrath of the Lord Almighty Mind neither thy Duty nor thy Safety Pursue Vanity and Vexation of Spirit but care not for the truest and eternal Blessedness Be sure to please thy Flesh and seek thy self and mind thy Carnal Interest though thou art in the worst Sense undone thereby Go on impenitently and securely in thy Wickedness till thou fall into Hell Flames Do all this and dye and damn thy self unto Eternity What hard sayings are these Yet Thousands and Millions hear and obey them It is amazing that those who have reasonable Souls should act so void of all sound Reason as to refuse his Service who commands them to be wise and safe and good and should chuse to be Fools and to be miserable 4. They are to be reproved who have begun to serve the Lord and afterwards forsake his Service and revolt from him These revolters shew a great Zeal and Forwardness in Religion many of them for a time they seem to have escaped the pollutions of the World and to have got the Victory over it and to have overcome the evil One but being again entangled and overcome themselves by Mammon and Satan they are a credit to these Masters and to their false and pernicious ways but they are a great dishonour to Religion and to the Author of it the Lord of Glory These revolters discover an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God which is so much caution'd against Heb. 3. 12. and if without Faith 't is impossible to please God how much must he needs be provoked by infidelity and with what Torments will their unbelief at last be confuted and punished together These Revolters quench a great deal of Light which has shined into them this aggravates the works of darkness unto which they return though they have under Conviction felt the Terrors of the Lord yet they venture more than ever to incense him in a special manner they grieve the Spirit of God and deeply wound their own Spirits But these Wounds are not felt at present their Consciences are seared Satan has fuller and faster possession of them fulness of sin quickly follows and the last state with them is worse than the first Mat. 12. 45. USE II. Shall be of Advice in these particulars 1. Hearken to the Lord inviting and calling you all to his Service There is room in his House for many Thousands more than are there and there is plentiful and abundant provision for their entertainment In my Father's House says the Prodigal when he came to himself there is Bread enough and to spare Luke 15. 17. Christ's Sacrifice of himself can put away multitudes of sins more than as yet have been pardon'd And though Millions of empty and lost Souls more come to him out of his fulness they may be all replenished and secure under the shadow of his wings His Messengers say to you Come himself says Come his Spirit says Come your Wants which none but he can supply speak aloud to you to go to him keep therefore no longer at a distance He is most ready to receive you graciously and to communicate grace of all sorts to you 2. Behold how willing this Lord is to pass by all past disobedience upon your believing and repentance The Apostle Paul was not upbraided with his persecuting Rage and Hellish Fury when once he submitted himself to the Lord and laid down his Weapons wherewith he had fought against God The Grace of our Lord says he was exceeding abundant with Faith and Love that is in Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 1. 14. and v. 15 16. he tells us that he the chief of sinners obtained Mercy that the greatest sinners hereafter may hope and expect Mercy upon their believing and Conversion Howbeit for this Cause I obtained Mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a Pattern to them who should hereafter believe on him to Life Everlasting Whatever your Rebellions have been if now you be willing and obedient All shall be forgotten and forgiven Scarlet and Crimson Sins shall become white as Snow and Wool Isa 1. 18 19. 3. See where your Righteousness and Strength lies Jesus Christ the righteous is the Righteousness of them that do believe His Obedience and Sufferings can satisfie for and cover all your Disobedience and 't is through him alone that you attain the free Gift of Justification of Life He became obedient to Death even the Death of the Cross Psal 2. 8. and 't is by the Obedience of this one the second Adam that all as many can believe in him are made righteous Rom. 5. 19. And as in the Lord you have Righteousness so in him you have Strength too His Power must rest upon you else no good will be done by you Through his Strength all things may be done but he himself says without me ye can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. Never think by good Works to satisfie for bad ones The best Works have much amiss in them And
assistance The looking upon the Defects in our Services should make us look unto our Lord in whom we are compleat Col. 2. 10. and with a more intire dependance to rest upon his righteousness hereby Christ is honoured and the Father pleased and a multitude of faults will be cover'd But help against them must be desired from the Holy Ghost A gracious heart still desires renewed strength and aid from the Spirit to serve the Lord more acceptably but a lazy reliance upon Christ with an allowance of defects and distractions in the Duties we perform must needs be a very great provocation CASE VI. What course are Melancholick Persons to take in their Attendance on God when Distractions arise from the prevalency of that Distemper I answer 1. They should take heed of prolixity and length in holy Duties It is not length but life in these Duties that God looks at It is a thought that may lodge in the Breast of an Heathen but is unworthy of a Christian's heart that he shall be heard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his much speaking Mat. 6. 7. Christians should not think much of the time they spend with God yet overdoing in this regard is doing less than if less were done When Melancholy hinders Duties from being extended as formerly with vigour and fervency they were they that more briefly now perform them should be the more frequent in short and holy Ejaculations And they must be sure to take heed of taking more pains to fix their thoughts than their heads will bear for when their Heads are out of order the more they labour to be intent the further they are off from it the disorder increases and so does their discouragement The Lord pities in such cases and allows them to spare their pains which are not only fruitless but hurtful and to pity themselves and not to attempt what a distempered Brain is unfit for 2. Melancholick ones must look unto Jesus in the due use of means for the cure of Head Distempers How many corporal Maladies did our Lord heal in a miraculous manner when he was here on Earth And he has not put off his Compassions towards the Bodies of Men now he is in Heaven Though the skill of the Lutist be never so great he can never make good Musick if the Lute it self be out of tune Satan has great advantage by prevailing Melancholy to hinder Devotion by the disorder of the Head though the Heart be never so honest and well inclin'd And our Lord very well knows this and being a merciful and faithful High-priest he is ready to succour in this case also Heb. 2. ult All power is given to him in Earth as well as Heaven all judgment committed to him Joh. 5. 22. so that all Distempers and Diseases come and go at his Command and though Miraculous Cures are not now to be expected yet something like them sometimes has been wrought in answer unto Prayer and Faith and where there has been a stedfast looking to Jesus there has been a mighty Blessing that has attended the means that have been used for the bringing of Blood and Spirits and Brain into better order 3. There are two great Duties which those that are under the power of Melancholy are not so sit for The one is Meditation and the other Self examination A distemper'd and disordered Head will make but sorry work of solemn Meditation the Head will ake the Mind will be lost in a cloud and mist of Confusion and the evil one will be ready to strike in and make the Melancholick Man turn self-accuser and consequently self-tormenter Such an one therefore should be wary of attempting the Duty of set Meditation but that and reading should be joyned together A short consideration of what is read there should be as the Head will bear a desire that the Heart may be affected and by the Grace of God a resolution to act and walk accordingly and those should be the Petitions Incline my heart unto thy Testimonies and make me to go in the path of thy Commandments Psal 119. 35 36. And as for self-examination Melancholick ones being now not so well themselves they should not be forward nor peremptory in passing Censures and Judgment upon themselves and they should be aware that Satan is now busie about them and he being a lying Spirit his Suggestions that they are Hypocrites and have no Grace that they are cast away and utterly forsaken by the God of all Grace should in no wife be credited Satan's Suggestions may be known by the design of them which is not to quicken Souls to Duty as the motions of the holy Spirit are but to drive them away from God and to make them say as he did in another case since the case is desperate and all hope of Salvation gone Why should I wait for the Lord any longer 2 King 2. 33. 4. Melancholick ones in the midst of their Distractions should grieve that neither head nor heart are so disposed to serve the Lord as they desire That 's proper language to be used which came out of the Mouth of holy Job chap. 10. 15. I am full of confusion see thou my Affliction And since they cannot actively glorifie God by the exercise of strong Faith and vehement Love and Joy and Delight in God they should glorifie him by an humble and patient submission to his Will When a melancholick Soul is quite emptied of all self-confidence and self-conceit is in a manner annihilated when under a great sense of its own guilt and vileness it looks unto Jesus and desires by his Blood and Spirit to be justified and washed and made clean when 't is ready to acknowledge that if ever 't is saved and brought to Heaven Grace will be free and superabundant because one of the lowest places in Hell has been deserved how far is flesh from glorying and hereby glory is given to the Lord. When melancholick ones are ready in their greatest Distractions and blackest darkness to justifie the Lord as righteous in all his Ways and holy in all his Works Psal 145. 17. and to condemn themselves because formerly when their Heads were in better order their Hearts were no better disposed and inclined to the Lord's Service they please and glorifie him more than they are aware of The more there is of self-distrust self-dislike self-condemnation humility and patient bearing of Divine Indignation because of sin that has been committed Mic. 7. 9. the more honour by all this does really redound to God 5. Let Melancholick ones take heed of being quite staved off from Duties and Ordinances though their performances are but mean and sorry The Lord can discern sense in the Soul when perhaps there is hardly sense in the words he takes notice of the gracious bent and good inclination of the heart towards himself when the Thoughts against the Will do wander Hezekiah had a most remarkable answer and prayed to good purpose when his Petitions
the God of Love Our Lord presses our reconciliation to our Brother before we offer our Gifts unto God Mat. 5. 24. Go thy way first be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy Gift Whilst thou refusest to be reconciled to thy Brother how canst thou expect that God should be reconciled to thee Mat. 6 15. But if ye forgive not Men their Trespasses neither will your Father forgive your Trespasses As Charity thinks no evil so Uncharitableness thinks nothing else It is severe in censuring forward to judge not fearing what is threatned to be it self judged Mat. 7. 1. It hopes and believes nothing that is good it bears and endures nothing that it pronounces to be bad or in the least injurious to it Nay sometimes in Prayer instead of the acting of Grace uncharitableness will be expressed before the Lord himself there are most unseemly Complaints impious Imprecations and Desires vented that Divine Wrath may fall upon those whom the passionate are angry with But if they were so severely punished that offer'd strange fire before the Lord and fire come forth from the Lord and consumed them those that offer this hellish fire of furious and revengeful desires may well fear the vengeance of that fire that is eternal If you give way to this sinful anger you give way to the Devil and in this Chariot he will drive furiously your Hearts away from God in the Duties you perform but the more meek and composed and sedate your Souls are the Holy Ghost will the more delight to dwell in them and to vouchsafe his assistance to you 5. Another cause of distraction is the prevalency of infidelity Faith is a coming to God by Christ Jesus Unbelief is a rejecting of this Mediatour and the Hearts departing from the Lord Take heed of unbelief as that which strikes at Religion in the very root and blasts and withers all the Fruits of it Doubt not of the being of God who gives being to all things that are and who gave and upholds you in yours to this day Doubt not of his all-seeing Eye who fills Heaven and Earth with his presence Doubt not of his being ready to be found all the true seed of Jacob are witnesses for God that they have sought his face and that they have not sought him in vain Isa 45. 19. Doubt not of the promises in the Word which thousands of Saints have found accomplished unto their strengthning supply and satisfaction Doubt not of the Threatnings which have so often taken hold of them who have boldly ventured upon the sins threatned so that they have been forced to say Verily he is a God that judges in the Earth and like as the Lord of Hosts thought to do unto us according to our ways and according to our doings so hath he dealt with us Zech. 1. 6. If unbelief has place in you and the great truths of the Gospel are questioned or not firmly assented to how can you be serious in any Religious Service How distracted must your thoughts needs be when you question whether the Lord has any regard what you do or how you do it This unbelief the great spoiler of your Performances the Father of Lies endeavours to promote He will indeed inject unbelieving thoughts into Hearts that have much Faith and Grace But as Bernard well says Latrat solum cum suggerit mordet cum ad consensum trahit Satan does only bark when he does suggest he bites when he gains the Hearts consent Oh never entertain such Injections never give the least consent that they should lodge in you Look upon them as errant falshoods which an Enemy pesters you with out of a pernicious design firmly believe the quite contrary truths that that Belief may influence your Spirits and make you more serious when you are before the Lord. 6. The workings of spiritual pride in the heart are another cause of distraction which you are to beware of It was a good observation of Augustine that other iniquity discovers it self in the doing of evil Superbia vero bonis operibus insidiatur ut pereant Pride lies in wait as it were about your good Works to spoil the doing of them that they may be lost labour This sin shews it self several ways and upon all occasions is apt to stir to puff up and swell the Mind with high and touring thoughts and imaginations The Pharisee fasted twice a Week which implies Prayer and other Exercises of Religion Luk. 18. 12. hereupon he became self-conceited and pride hindred his justification for he placed his confidence in his own righteousness What a dangerous distraction is that when these thoughts are fixed in thy Heart that by thy Prayers and other Duties thou canst make an atonement for thy sins which can indeed be made alone by the satisfaction and intercession of the Lord Jesus When the Heart is enlarged in Prayer and good expressions come with great fluency from the Lips how apt is he that prays to have high Conceits of himself and of his Performances His Mind is prone to wander and to think what others think of him and is sinfully pleased in the imagination that they are mightily pleased and taken with him thus Pride draws off the Soul from God to contemplate its own excellent Gifts and others Admiration of them Enlargements in holy Duties are very encouraging and comfortable when we are humble under them when we acknowledge the Spirits Grace in them and though never so much enlarged despair of acceptance but in Christ alone But when these Enlargements are so advanced and put into Christ's place that we reckon those Blessings owing to enlargements which are the fruit of Christ's merit and purchase here is distracting Pride which draws off from Christ and is very displeasing to the Father Such Thoughts as these How well do I pray How broken for sin do I appear How fervent in Spirit do I seem What credit and applause shall I get by this Performance What a choice and precious Saint shall I be accounted Such Thoughts are apt to hover about an enlarged heart but if they are not kept out with an utter detestation of them the Heart will be distracted with hellish Pride how heavenly soever the expressions of the Mouth are And as you are to take heed of the Workings of Pride so of every other sin which does easily beset you If when you are confessing any fleshly or worldly Lust it stirs in you and your Hearts have some regard to it and delightful Thoughts about it this will distract your Prayer and deafen God's Ear. Oh 't is an ill thing to have the Heart resolve to spare the sin which the Hypocritical Tongue does cry aloud that it may be slain That sin which your Constitutions Callings or the Times in which you live make you most prone to commit Satan may in a special manner endeavour to invigorate that it may be a great distraction and disturbance to you in your
inquire into your own Spiritual Estate and mind what is likely to become of you when you go into the other World where you will be fixed in blessedness or misery that will be unalterable 3. Without distraction hertofore you have hearkned to the evil one and with great studiousness contrived to commit sin and if the worst Master was thus attended upon shall not now the best much more Have you not devised wickedness and set your selves in an evil way Psal 36. 4. and will you not now with as great thoughtfulness devise how to do good and with an undistracted purpose set upon the doing of it The Apostle would not only have you to change your Master and being free from sin become Servants of Righteousness Rom. 6. 18. but as you served sin so you should serve righteousness be as forward serious and diligent in holy Duties as ever you were in the Works of darkness 4. Without distraction you have thought upon injuries and meditated revenge and shall not reconciliation with God and your own Salvation be minded with greater intention Thou think est much of the wrongs that others do to thee think more of the injury thou hast done to God's Justice and how thou hast sinn'd against thine own Soul in provoking his Wrath against thee Jer. 7. 19. Do they provoke me to anger saith the Lord Do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces Let the Thoughts of the many many Talents which thou owest swallow up the Thoughts of the few Pence which are owing thee 5. How often and for how long a time together has meer Vanity commanded your Thoughts and Hearts And will you not watch with your Lord and in his Work for an hour Proud Imaginations silly Suppositions of your having that Wisdom Wealth Excellency and Esteem which you have not have prevailed and you have set your selves on high in your own fancies Divers sorts of Wickednesses how fixed have they been in your Speculations And why should not your Spirits be much more fixed upon God and your Duty towards him 6. Food and Raiment and providing for your Families are minded in good earnest and without distraction and should you not with far greater heedfulness seek the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness Why should there be so much distraction in minding the one thing needful If you do not mind the good part quickly you may miss of it eternally it may soon be too late to seek it But if now you chuse it your Hearts being seriously set upon it you shall have it and that good part shall never be taken away from you Luke 10. 42. USE III. Shall be of Direction I am to direct you to proper Remedies against distraction in Religious Performances The Disease I grant is difficult to be cured but with the great Physician no Distemper is impossible to be healed Having therefore your Eye and dependance upon him use these following Remedies 1. Let your first Thoughts every Morning be always good ones An Heart well seasoned with these in the beginning of the day is likely to be in the better frame in holy Duties and better inclined all the day long As soon as you are awake let your Souls work Heaven-ward and be lifted up to the God that is there Such Souls he is pleased with and delights to communicate his Grace unto If the Lord has the first fruits of your Hearts the first thoughts and desires you are likely to be blest with the better thoughts and desires afterwards as of old the first-fruits being offered to God his Blessing was upon the whole Harvest And tho you do take pains with your Hearts in the Morning remember at no time of the day you must let down your Watch and become utterly regardless of your own Spirits for if you are corruption will quickly though it has had never so great a Check return and that with great force and violence Thus when the Sea fled and Jordan was driven back within a little while they both returned to their former Course and Channel When I awake says the Psalmist I am still with thee Psal 139 18. He saw himself under God's special care and compassed with his favour as with a Shield and God's Thoughts about him so full of tender mercy and loving kindness and amounting to so vast a Sum were very precious and delightful to him to think of And how whenever he awaked did his Heart work towards the Lord in a way of gratitude and love Begin the Day well and all the Day long keep your Hearts with all keeping If you would not have your Thoughts vain in Duty let them not be allowed to be vain at any time In the space of time between your solemn Duties be frequent in holy Ejaculations and mental Applications unto God this will mightily help to keep a sense of him upon your Hearts and the more undistracted will your Service be when at your set times every day you attend upon him 2. Be sensible that the preparation of the heart in Man is from the Lord Prov. 16. 1. Look unto him therefore to prepare your Hearts for every Duty you engage in Cries for preparation should be the first Cries and Cries afterwards are likely to be to better purpose Preparation for Duty goes before profit by it and when the Lord vouchsafes to prepare he intends to bestow benefits His preparation causes Prayer to be so seriously and fervently made as that it shall in no wise meet with a denial Psal 10. 17. Thou wilt prepare their Heart thou wilt cause thy Ear to hear In this preparation the Spirit of the Lord affords a mighty help there is a liberty and freedom to the Duty that is to be performed and the more free the Heart is to the Duty the more free and enlarged 't is likely to be in the Duty Clogs and weights are removed and among these clogs distraction and deadness may well be reckoned * The prepared heart is a fully resolved heart and an holy and firm resolution made in a strength beyond our own will mightily help to banish distraction The prepared Heart by the Spirit and Grace of Christ is disentangled from the World stands aloof from it that it may draw the nearer to God It is made to see how worthy sin is of its most bitter Sorrow and utter detestation and with an holy indignation it says What have I to do any more with any of my iniquities The prepared Heart prizes the Blessings 't is about to petition for and longs to appear before God from whom alone they can be obtained 'T is delivered from the vain and injudicious Spirit of this World and by the Spirit which is of God knows the worth of those things which are so freely given of God And this preparedness of Heart must needs be a great preservative against distraction 3. Pray for the fulfilling of that Promise wherein the Lord has engaged to give you
an heart to know him They that are ignorant of God must needs be ignorant also how to attend upon him If their knowledge be only notional and they know him not as they ought to know him they will not attend upon him as they ought to attend upon him Lay hold therefore upon that good Word of Promise Jer. 24. 7. And I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord and they shall be my People and I will be their God for they shall return to me with their whole heart And Heb. 8. 11. They shall all know me from the least to the greatest This knowledge of God will have a mighty influence upon your Hearts to bring your very Thoughts into captivity and obedience 2 Cor. 10. 5. We read 1 Sam. 2. 3. That the Lord is a God of knowledge and by him actions are weighed and they who rightly know this will take care to serve him in sincerity True knowledge of God will bring a great awe of him upon your Spirits His Majesty Glory Holiness will strike you into great humility and reverence How will you be emptied of your selves and your Souls and Thoughts swallowed up in God when he does cause his Excellency to pass before you The appearance of the Lord obscures and darkens all things else that they are counted not worth minding Therefore the Prophet says Isa 24. 23. Then the Moon shall be confounded and the Sun ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his Ancients gloriously The Eye of this God whom you attend upon is jealous and yet withal it is all seeing Oh take heed of being deceived as if God would be mocked by Man and Man not be the worse nor smart for it Gal. 6. 7. Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a Man soweth that shall he also reap If thy Duties are only like a sowing of meer Chaff how canst thou expect to reap any good by them The good Angels themselves do reverence the Lord whom you are worshipping the Apostate ones tremble before him the better you know him the more godly your fear will be and fear will unite your Hearts and Thoughts both to God and to the Work and Duty he requires 4. Be very careful to cherish the Grace of Hope in your Hearts and look upon holy Duties as highly valuable Priviledges the greater your expectation is of the truest benefit and advantage the more intent and fixed will your Thoughts be The Apostle prays to the God of hope for the believing Romans that they might abound in hope by the power of the Holy Ghost Rom. 15. 13. Hope has an earnest expectation and the better the things are which are hoped for still the more earnest the expectation is this the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an emphatical word and signifies to look for a thing with an Head lifted up and with great intention both of Eyes and Mind Such an Hope what a remedy would it be against Distraction When Hope is very low the Mind runs very much upon matter of discouragement and is deadned by it And the best things of all being almost despaired of the Heart is the apter to wander after things that cannot profit but Hope is compared to an Anchor Heb. 6. 19. Which hope we have as an Anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast it keeps the Soul steddy and fixed upon what is hoped for till it be enjoyed Duties are not only to be engaged in as what are due to God but we are to be perswaded that the giving what is due to God is the way to receive still more and more from him In these Duties our Hopes should be high in him that is most high we are not able to conceive how much he can do for us We are to hope in him as a most liberal and all-sufficient Giver we are to expect the yearning of his Bowels in our Distresses and Afflictions and especially when we are weary and heavy laden with the burthen of our Iniquities We are to expect the unlocking of the unsearchable Riches of Christ which are enough to enrich the whole beggar'd progeny of Adam and all that come to him shall certainly experience the Riches and fulness of that Grace that dwells in him The Ploughman plows in hope and hope fixes his Thoughts upon the precious Fruits of the Earth which in Harvest he expects to reap Oh study the Promises of God which are exceeding broad they are wider than the Earth and Sea and they reach as high as the highest Heaven Hope for the promised Blessings which are of all sorts Temporal Spiritual Eternal and the more strong and lively hope is it will the more fix your Mind revive your Spirits and quicken your Desires 5. Another Remedy against Distraction is a fervent Love As love is the first and great Command so 't is a most commanding affection Amor meus pondus meum Love is the weight which sets all the Wheels a going and inclines them that way which it self is inclined The Soul of Man has been by some affirmed to be ubi amat non ubi animat where it loves and on the object beloved rather than in the Body which is the Tabernacle where it dwells and the reason is because Love does so command the Mind and Thoughts after it If your love be set upon God Love will set your Thoughts upon him The Thoughts of the Covetous how are they intent upon their beloved gain and the Pleasures which the voluptuous doat on are hardly ever out of their Mind If love to God constrain you to attend upon God it will bring your Thoughts along with it and very much restrain them from wandring The Love of God can never be produced by corrupt Nature nor by the meer force of reason 't is a special Grace of the Lord's Spirit and to him you must make application for it Christ died that he might bring you to God and Love is the going of the Soul to him In the Name of Christ put up your earnest Petitions that this Grace of Love may be wrought in you in truth and being wrought that it may continually be increased The Lord says he will write his Laws in your Hearts Oh pray that this great Command to love him may be written in deep and lasting Characters and if the Lord once become your desire and delight the Duties you perform will become more pleasant and delightful and undistracted God is light and in him there is no darkness nothing but what is desirable All Excellencies in the Creatures are derived from him and the Streams are but little if we look to the Fountain from whence they all come This God as excellent and glorious as he is is willing in Christ to be yours Such loveliness Such loving kindness what Love does it call for from you Let nothing be able to draw away your Love and the
less will your Thoughts be drawn away from him 6. Be very poor in Spirit A pressing sense of your spiritual Necessities will make you very intent and serious in begging Supplies from above for 't is from thence alone you can be supplied They that are pinched with Poverty how much do they think how poor they are They have such a smart feeling of their Needs they can scarce think of any thing besides The condemned Malefactor when he cries for a Pardon and has hopes to speed surely the apprehension of his danger makes his Words and his Thoughts to go together When the Man almost famished asks for Bread no doubt his Mind is very much upon that Bread which may prevent his starving Be you but sensible how great the Needs of your Souls are and that 't is the Father of Spirits only who can give you the mercy and grace which you need and the more of sense you have the less distracted will you be in your Applications to him Our Lord pronounces the poor in Spirit blessed Mat. 5. 3. their Petitions come from an inward sense of their want and of the worth of Blessings and being earnest Petitioners they shall be successful ones You that feel your guilt and fear Divine Wrath must needs think of a Pardon and the desirableness of it when you ask for it You that are sensible of your Maladies how intent will your Minds be upon the Lord the healer of his People And you will have little list to think of something else when you are begging to be cured True poverty of Spirit will constrain to an undistracted seeking of that Gold tried in the fire to enrich you and that white Raiment to cover you Rev. 3. 18. without which you must needs be wretched and miserable because you will be poor and naked 7. Let Conscience be very tender vigilant and faithful Such a Conscience will be very helpful to prevent distraction or quickly to put an end to it It will observe and fetch home the Truant and straying Thoughts and bring them to your Duties * I distinguish between a tender Conscience and a scrupulous one for a scrupulous Conscience is a great cause of distraction for Scruples are most apt to run in and pester the Mind when holy Duties are performing Conscience acts in God's Name by his Authority and urges Obedience to his Laws and much insists if it be truly enlightned and faithful upon the right manner of obeying Conscience takes strict notice of the whole Soul and all the actings of it and this Officer of God especially does this in the Souls approaches to the Lord a sense of being under God's Eye makes the faithful Consciences Eye more strict and ready to spy all faults that they may presently be amended In holy Duties such a Conscience will be very busie it will earnestly protest against vain and distracting Thoughts and it will say What make such thoughts here when God and his Work ought only to be minded The presence of evil when good is doing such a Conscience cannot brook with Patience it stirs up the lustings of the Spirit against those of the Flesh that the Law of the Mind may prevail more against the Law in the Members Rom. 7. 23. If Conscience is asleep in your Performances how sorry and sinful will they be The Heart will be dead the Thoughts will be gone far away no holy Affections will be stirring Pray hard for a good Conscience a Conscience not only purged by the Blood of Christ from all the guilt which by dead Works you have contracted but also by the same Blood healed of its Sleepiness Stupidity and all other faults of it And that Conscience may more effectually check your Hearts from roving and trifling in attendance upon God look before you with the Eye of strong and steddy Faith and see as far as Death and Judgment and into Eternity and then do you judge whether for your carelesly performed Duties your Lord will say Well done true and faithful Servants The Apostle having lookt as far as his own and also the World's last Day wherein the Heaven shall pass away with a great noise the Elements melt with fervent heat and the Earth and the Works therein shall be burnt up rationally infers that Christians Conversations should be very well ordered Duties of Godliness most undistractedly and seriously performed Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of Persons ought ye to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness 2 Pet. 3. 10 11. 8. Another Remedy against Distraction is growing in Grace and in the knowledge of Christ 2 Pet. 3. 18. This will keep you from being led away by errour and will make you more stedfast in Duty as well as Truth When Grace shall be perfected in Glory distraction will be perfectly cured and here on Earth the Cure is advanced as Grace is augmented The more Grace you have you will set the higher value upon Communion with God and this will fill your Hearts with holy Zeal and Indignation against every thing that may divert your Minds and be an obstruction to this Communion The more Grace you have the more you are filled with the Spirit and when you pray in the Holy Ghost your Prayer will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in-wrought Prayer Jam. 5. 16. How much of the Heart and Soul will be therein And the same Spirit in hearing and other Ordinances will keep your Hearts with God when they are about to turn to the right hand or to the left Isa 30. 21. The more Grace you have the more your Treasure will be in Heaven and you are told Mat. 6. 21. Where your treasure is there will your hearts be also Now that there may be an increase of Grace Christ must be better known for 't is from him that the first Grace is derived and all additional degrees of it Study him more and understand his fulness who fills all in all Eph. 1. 23. Desire with the Apostle that you may know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his Death Psal 3. 10. If you conform to the Death of Christ and are crucified and dead to the World and the World to you the things of the World will appear without form and comeliness and will be less able to distract your Minds and ensnare your Affections And if you feel the Power of Christ's Resurrection your Hearts and Thoughts will rise with him and at what a rate will you seek those things that are above The Angels when here on Earth they are doing what God commands them and are in Heaven still as to their Thoughts and as to the Happiness they enjoy You should be heavenly when about your earthly business but especially when you are attending upon the God of Heaven And the more experimentally you understand Christ risen the less will things on Earth be minded and the higher will
the more thou talkest of it unto them thou conversest with the more it will administer Grace to the Hearers The second Duty is hearing the Word preached And that you may hear the word with less distraction 1. Look beyond Preachers unto that God who sends them and speaks to you by them Look beyond the earthen Vessels unto the Treasure which they bring and upon the Word that is preached as the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ who is the Image of God 2 Cor. 4. 4 7. Preachers of the Gospel are Christ's Ambassadors and they are sent to treat with you about Peace with God and by them God beseeches you to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5. 20. How beautiful should you count the Feet of them who preach the Gospel of Peace and bring glad tidings of good things Rom. 10. 15. Such Tidings are too good distractedly and heedlesly to be heard And he that sends them is too great to be thus contemned When you sit before the Ministers of Christ and the Stewards of the Mysteries of God remember what our Lord himself says Luke 10. 16. He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me 2. Apprehend who are ready if you hear distractedly and without care to catch away the Word from you as soon as 't is spoken Evil Angels are compared to the Fowls of the Air who hover about the Sower to devour the Seed as soon as it is sown Luk. 8. 5. These evil Spirits are fitly compared to Fowls for they are many and how do they come flocking into our Religious Assemblies 'T is desirable to have Souls come flying to Christ as Doves to their Windows but it may startle us to understand that Devils came flocking into Churches to catch away the Word which is preached there These Enemies as they are many so as Fowls they are above us and consequently not so easie is it to resist them How many Sermons have these evil Angels stolen And the Sermons they have stolen they have them to shew against heedless Hearers at the Day of reckoning 3. Make a Covenant with your Eyes that your hearing may be the less distracted and more attentive Fix not your sight upon any alluring and ensnaring Objects or any thing which may divert you And as your Eyes must be turned away from beholding Vanity that you may be quickned in the way of your Duty so be sure to keep your Eyes waking If sleep locks up the Senses how fast must the Heart the mean time be barr'd against the Word of God! Eutichus a Church Sleeper is an Example upon Record sinking down with sleep while Paul was preaching he fell down and was taken up dead Act. 20. 9. They that sleep at a Sermon scandalously reject and despise the word preached Satan is a most wakeful Witness against them and his Arms are the Cradle in which they are rockt 4. Beg that the Lord himself would open your Hearts to attend to his Word It was he who opened the Heart of Lydia and then she attended to those things which were spoken by Paul Acts 16. 14. 'T is the Lord that makes way for the Word into the Mind that it may be heeded and understood and he makes way for the Word into the Heart that the Heart may be changed and cleansed thereby Joh. 15. 3. Now are ye clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you 'T is dreadful to provoke the Lord so as to be like unto provoking Israel to whom Moses speaks thus Deut. 29. 4. The Lord hath not given you an Heart to perceive and Eyes to see and Ears to hear unto this Day And it will be worse if you love to have it thus still O think thus that distracted hearing may cause the word of Life to become deadly to you and God may judicially and yet justly harden your Hearts lest you should see and hear and understand and convert and be healed Isa 6. 10. 5. Let the word preached be mixt with Faith and received with Love The Apostle tells us that the Word preached did not profit the hearers of it not being mix'd with Faith in them that hear'd it Heb. 4. 2. Commands will be heeded and obeyed that are indeed believed to be of God Threatnings and Promises that are most firmly credited cannot but be minded and have a mighty influence The Word also is to be received in the Love of it that you may be saved The design of this Word is your deliverance from sin and misery your Peace your Purity and Perfection your eternal Redemption and Glory and therefore it commends it self exceedingly to your Aflections A sincere love to the Word will command the Thoughts of the Heart and hinder the Word from being disregarded 6. Remember that the Word which you hear is your Life There is a carelesness of life in heedlesness and distraction in hearing the Word of God Deut. 32. 46 47. Set your hearts unto all the Words which I testifie among you this Day for it is not a vain thing for you for it is your Life Prov. 7. 2. Keep my Commandments and live and my Law as the Apple of your Eye Isa 55. 3. Incline your Ear come unto me hear and your Soul shall live and I will make with you an everlasting Covenant even the sure Mercies of David And further to fix your attention to the Word preached be all of you perswaded that you who are now in the Sanctuary must shortly stand at the Judgment-Seat of Christ and the Word which he has spoken the same shall judge you at the last day Joh. 12. 48. Then you must render an account of your Stewardship and how all your Talents have been improved and you must be judged and receive according to your Works And sure I am that the Sentence which will then be pronounced whether it be of Absolution Come ye Blessed or of Condemnation Go ye Cursed cannot but be heard without distraction Both the one and the other of these Sentences must needs be heeded by all upon whom they are passed the one being so very comfortable and the other so terrible and confounding A third Duty which I shall insist on is Prayer now that you may with less distraction call upon the Name of God 1. Consider whose Name it is you are taking into your Mouths Deut. 28. 58. That glorious and fearful Name THE LORD THY GOD. A Name which should never be in the Lips without the profoundest Reverence in the Heart The Gods that made not the Heavens and the Earth shall perish from the Earth and from under these Heavens But the Lord is the true God he is the living God and an everlasting King at his Wrath the Earth doth tremble and the Nations shall not be able to abide his indignation Jer. 10. 10 11. This God whom you pray to is infinitely more above you than the greatest Emperour is above the meanest Worms
that crawl upon the ground How should you look to the frame of your Spirits when you are before him The Passion of fear calls in the Blood to the Heart that the Vitals may be fortified and truly the Grace of fear will call in the Thoughts of the Heart that Duties performed to so great a Majesty may not be an heedless trifling with him 2. Sequester your selves from other business to intend Prayer the more you are disentangled from your Secular Affairs the more free and fit your Hearts will be to be poured out before the Lord in your supplications The further you step out and off from the World when you come to knock at Heaven Gates the more certainly will the Door be opened to you If Mammon has your Thoughts and Desires when you are praying to God you have a jealousie provoking Idol in your Hearts while in his Presence and how offensive must this needs be to him to see an Idol there where he chuses to dwell One thing says the Psalmist have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after Psal 27. 4. Other things were esteemed worthless comparatively Let not other matters distract you when you are calling upon God that you may pray in Prayer and do nothing else but pray Remember distracted Confessions increase Guilt and Wrath distracted Petitions ask for a denial and distracted Praises will tend very much unto the stopping of the Current of Mercies 3. Be perswaded that the Lord will attentively mind what you pray if you intently mind what you pray for your selves He takes pleasure in uprightness and this Heart-searcher well knows who are sincere and not so much as a Sigh or Groan from a sincere Soul shall be disregarded If you from your Heart cry for Mercy Mercy shall compass you about Psal 32. 10. The Prophet tells us That the Lord hearkned and heard Jer. 8. 6. Indeed most speak not aright they repent not of their wickedness saying what have we done But those who do speak aright and being truly sensible of the evil of their doings fervently pray to have their sins covered and all their defilements purged away The Lord who hearkens so attentively will surely hear all such Cries and in no wise deny what is cryed for Believe the mighty efficacy of fervent Prayer and what rich returns this Trading to Heaven brings in and what Treasures Prayer is a Key to unlock that you may be enriched thereby A sacred coveting these unsearchable Riches will make you mind what you are doing when you are praying to partake of them and the Apostle tells you for your encouragement Rom. 10. 12. There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him 4. Cry earnestly for the holy Spirit of Promise You will never pray aright or to any purpose without his aid The Holy Ghost is called the Spirit of Grace because all true Grace is from him and so are all gracious desires and actings He is also called the Spirit of Supplication all acceptable Confessions Petitions and Thanksgivings are of his enditing And this Spirit is promised and how ready is our heavenly Father to give the Spirit to any that ask him Now we read that he which searcheth the heart knoweth what is the Mind of the Spirit for he maketh intercession for the Saints accorning to the Will of God Rom. 8. 27. Saints Prayers are called the Mind of the Spirit he makes them to be according to the Will of God and that not only as to the matter of them but also as to the manner The Spirit of God at first moved upon the face of the Waters and how many useful Creatures did he produce out of a Chaos of Confusion And if that Spirit move upon your Hearts in Prayer he can keep your Thoughts that they stir not from God and cause Faith and godly Sorrow and Hope Humility and Love to be in actual exercise and the more Grace is exercised Prayer will be the less distracted and more successful 5. Let Vigilancy and watching go before keep pace with Prayer and follow after it Why has a Christian new Eyes and Light but that he might watch with the one and by the other Our Lord joyned watching and praying together Prayer without watching will be heartless watching without Prayer will be insufficient for your security Watching with Prayer makes it more serious and to succeed the better The Apostle says The end of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watch unto Prayer 1 Pet. 4. 7. Watching unto Prayer summons the whole Soul with all its Faculties to attend upon God and to prepare to meet him We also read Col. 4. 2. Continue in Prayer and watch in the same with Thanksgiving Watching in Prayer is a mighty help against the Heart's straggling This straggling is the sooner observed and the straggling Thoughts presently reduced And he that watches after Prayer diligently and with all thankfulness observes the Answers of Prayer And thus to do will strongly induce you to give your selves more to Prayer in good earnest and to wrestle with him with whom you do so often prevail The fourth and last Duty I shall mention is Communicating at the Lord's Table and that this may be done with less distraction 1. Let there be more serious self-examination before you engage in that holy Ordinance 1 Cor. 11. 28. But let a Man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. Look into the State of your Souls and your State is good if you know the true God so as to love him and prefer him in your choice before all things besides and if you know Christ so as to rely upon him with consent to be ruled by him as your Lord and Saviour Joh. 17. 3. This is life eternal thus to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent Take great notice also of Remember that Christ himself is really present at his Table and his Eye which is as a flame of fire observes the frame of every heart Fix your Eye upon your own Hearts since Christ's Eye is upon them the present frame of your Hearts that you may know in what Graces they are weakest and what kind of Lustings of the Flesh are aptest to prevail and what things they are which are most likely to distract your Minds and draw away your Hearts when at the Table your watch hereupon will be the stricter and your thoughts will run the more upon the particular Graces that are to be strengthened and upon the sins too which are to be struck more dead by the power of the Death and Crucifixion of Christ Jesus 2. Let the Death of Christ put you in mind what you were and would have been still if he had not died for you you would have been dead in Law under the damnatory Sentence of it and you would have been dead in