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
33. 31. There is a Greediness after Gain no hungring and thirsting after Righteousness Iniquity though so hateful and hurtful is regarded in the Heart but there is no regard unto God there How can there be a worse Distraction than for the Heart to forsake Fullness and Goodness it self and to embrace and fix upon meer Emptiness and Evil In this Distraction there is Phrenzy in the highest Degree 7. The Heart is distracted when carnal self and interest in attending upon God is the great end designed The end is that which directs an action and the eye and heart of him who acts is upon the end which he pursues If the end be wrong the action cannot be right Without a sincere aim no religious Duty can sincerely be performed Now if we look no higher than our carnal selves in those Services we pretend to do for God our selfish design will be in our Thoughts and distract them Acceptance with God and the Enjoyment of him will not be at all minded The Captives in Babylon were blamed in their Fasting and Mourning that God was not in their Eye his Approbation his Glory not regarded Zach. 7. 5. Did ye at all fast unto me even unto me They minded returning to Canaan more than returning to God and to their Duty If indeed we are truly selfish God will not be angry with us for there is an inseparable connexion between God's Honour and our truest interest When we seek and eye him most we most truly eye and seek our selves God has the highest Honour from us when we look for the highest Happiness in him and love him for himself and delight in him and bless and magnifie him to eternity But when God himself is not our end but his Service is made use of that we may the better bring about our earthly and worldly designs and projects Our Duties then are Hypocrisie and Distraction Such were those whom the Prophet so severely taxed Jer. 12 2. Thou art near O Lord in their Mouths and far from their Reins They gave good words but their Hearts were far off from that God to whom they spake It was outward Prosperity and Plenty which they sought and this Plenty and Prosperity was most wickedly abused 8. The Heart is distracted when the worship performed is Will worship of Man's Invention not of God's Institution How can there chuse but be Distraction if there be a wandring out of the Way in which he has appointed us to serve him The Jews of old were very culpable in this respect Isa 29. 13. Their Fear towards me says God is taught by the Precepts of Men When Man aspired to be like unto God in Wisdom he deprived himself of the Knowledge of God and grew unacquainted with his Will so that he is utterly unfit to be his own Instructer in Religion there is a necessity of a Revelation from Heaven that God may be known and the right way of serving him may be understood The vilest Impurities the greatest Cruelties have been practis'd under the Name of Devotion when Man has been contriving how God should be served Nay Will-worship is condemned by the Apostle though there be never so great a shew of Wisdom and Humility and neglecting of the Body Col. 2. 23. The Will of God is to determine what Worship pleases him not the Will of Man and whatever Mortifications and Austerities some may fancy God allows an honour and satisfaction to the flesh as long as the Lusts of it are not fulfilled Worship that is not of God's Institution is meer distraction labour to no purpose unless it be to ill purpose When God is represented by Images he is grosly misrepresented the Glory of him who is an incorruptible Spirit is changed When other Mediators in Heaven are made use of besides that great High Priest who is passed into Heaven Jesus the Son of God worship becomes carnal sinful and the mind of the Worshipper instead of drawing near to God is distracted and drawn away from him In the second place I am to tell you what it is to attend upon the Lord without distraction 1. To attend without distraction is to set God just before us and our selves just before God When our Eye is fixt upon his Eye and we behold him looking most stedfastly upon us He searches the Hearts and weighs the Spirits of the Children of Men. Nothing can escape his finding out for he knoweth the Secrets of the Heart Psal 44. 21. Doth not he see my ways says Job not only the ways of the Feet but the ways and Workings of his very Soul were open to God's View We are all here present before God says Cornelius Acts 10. 33. I have set the Lord always before me says David Psal 16. 8. This is undistracted Attendance when the Lord is still kept in our view and we keep and behave our selves as just under the inspection of the all-observing Eye of his Holiness 2. To attend without distraction is to have right apprehensions of God whom we attend upon God is a Spirit and as such he must be apprehended when we worship him that we may worship him in spirit and in truth and that our Conceptions of him may be spiritual and sutable unto his Nature As he is without Passions which Men are subject to so without those bodily parts which Men have Indeed metaphorically Eyes and Hands and Feet and Heart are in Scripture ascribed unto God but by these is signified his Knowledge his Working his Accesses and Departing his Will and Pleasure We must take heed of entertaining gross Idea's and Images in our Minds concerning God Act. 17. 29. We ought not to think says the Apostle that the Godhead is like unto Gold or Silver or Stone graven by art or Man's device Such kind of Representations are very improper of him who not only fills the Earth but the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him Our worship is distraction and the heart is drawn away from God unto a meer Vanity and Idol if God is conceived in the likeness of any Creature How severely are the Gentiles censured and how dreadfully were they punished and left to their vile Lusts and Affections to dishonour their own Bodies because they glorified not God as God but changed his Glory into the Image of corruptible Creatures Rom. 1. 21 22 23. Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned professing themselves to be wise they became Fools and changed the Glory of the incorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible Man and to Birds and fourfooted Beasts and creeping things In our Attendance upon God we must think of him as an incomprehensible Spirit of infinite Wisdom Power Truth Holiness Mercy and Goodness ready in Christ to receive returning Sinners but full of displeasure against those that go on still in their Trespasses God must be believed to
with their Tongues for their Heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Had they not felt God's Hand he had not heard their Voice had not peril been extream they would not have run to this Rock for refuge had not enemies prest hard upon them they would not have cryed to this high Redeemer for deliverance But their cries were lies and flatteries As soon as the danger was in their apprehension over their naughty Hearts started aside like deceitful bowes and they soon returned to their corrupt way In Attending upon God let not Affliction Conviction and fear of punishment be the only cords that hale you to your Duty The more there is of God's Servants wills in his work the more acceptable and well-pleasing is the Service III. There is an Attendance upon God which is ordinary and extraordinary 1. An Attendance upon God which is ordinary As we are ordinarily to be employed in the works of our particular Callings so the works of our general Calling as we are Christians must in no wise be neglected As we have Bodies to feed and to cloath and some business about the World to mind and manage So we have Souls to look after and a God to serve and this is the main business of all To work out our Salvation with fear and trembling is that which should always be upon our Hearts That Man may truly say Diem perdidi I have lost a day if a day is gone and nothing at all of this work done Mary is commended who heard and heeded Christ's word and according to the direction of it minded the one thing needful and chose the good part which could not be taken away from her Whereas Martha is taxed and reproved for being careful and troubled about many things Luke 10. 41 42. All the Lord's Servants are to be Attendants in ordinary Religion is to be the constant business of their lives as being of greatest concern and most worthy of their time and labour 2. There is an Attendance upon God which is extraordinary When he goes out of the common way and course of his Providence his Servants ought to follow him and as He acts extraordinarily in a way of Judgment or of Mercy They are to do something extraordinary in the Duties they have such a signal and loud Call to Acts of severity are styled God's strange Acts Isa 28. 21. The Lord will rise up as in Mount Perazim that he may do his work his strange work and bring to pass his act his strange act Affliction is said to be strange either because his ordinary course is otherwise Kindness and Mercy is that which he delights in shewing or it may denote Judgments that are unusual and that have something more than ordinary of terror and instruction When the Lord is thus raised up out of his holy Habitation and comes forth to visit and punish Iniquity there should be great preparation to meet him Amos 4. 12. Because I will do this unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel There should be deep Humiliation before him 1 Pet. 5. 6. Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time There must be strong cries unto him for pitty favour and a spirit suited to his dealings Psal 18. 6. In my distress I called upon the Lord and cryed unto my God he heard my Voice out of his holy Temple and my cry came before him even into his Ears Sin must be forsaken with more than ordinary sorrow and hatred as that which has provoked the Lord to be so very angry and Righteousness must be followed after with greater zeal and diligence Isa 26. 9. When thy Judgments are in the Earth the Inhabitants of the World will learn Righteousness On the other side when God does act extraordinarily in deliverance and salvation Songs suitable to Deliverance should be loud the Heart should be exceedingly well tuned to praise his Name His Attendants should call upon their Souls and all that is within them to bless him Psal 103. 1. Love should be extraordinarily ardent unto God the deliverer when extraordinary deliverance has been wrought And he that is so mighty to save should be both feared and believed in together Exod. 14. 31. And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians and the People feared the Lord and believed the Lord and his Servant Moses I might also add that when Falls have been foul and scandalous sins have been committed then there should be extraordinary contrition and supplication unto God for Pardon Healing for Establishment by his Spirit and for the Joy of his Salvation When David an eminent Saint and Prophet was of a sudden turned black as Hell and become a Monster of Ingratitude Impurity and Cruelty he comes unto God being awakened by Nathan's Ministry with great shame and brokenness of Heart Psal 51. 16 17. he implores mercy begs Ease and the healing of his wounded Conscience He cries for a clean Heart and a right Spirit and being sensible of his own weakness nay treacherousness and unfaithfulness to himself he intreats that the Lord would undertake for him and by his own free Spirit continually uphold him IV. There is an Attendance upon God which is Secret in the Closet Private in the Family and Publick in the Congregation 1. An Attendance upon God that is Secret in the Closet Our Lord was much in Prayer alone by himself sometime a great while before Day and sometime he continued in it all Night He commands and urges secret Prayer upon every one of his Disciples Mat. 6. 6. But thou when thou prayest enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut thy Door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly God sees in secret and hears even whisper'd Confessions and Petitions And when 't is said that He is in secret it seems to intimate a special gracious presence that is vouchsafed to them that are often alone with him In this secret Attendance upon God we may use a greater 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freedom of Speech and tell him all that we fear and feel and ayle and desire Secret Duties which Man can take no notice of have not those motives which are very prevalent with Hypocrites who lov'd to Pray standing in the Synagogues and in the Corners of the Streets where two Streets met that those in the one Street and in the other might behold their Devotions and applaud them God is pleased to listen and hearken after Prayer and there is not the closest homeliest Corner where there is a sincere Supplicant but God is really there to fulfil and grant the desire and to support the burthen'd if not to remove the burthens that are groaned under Psal 38. 9. All my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee As according to Solomon A gift in secret pacifieth
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
be One yet in the Unity there is a Trinity This one God is Father Son and Holy Ghost Nazianzen an ancient Greek Father thus expresses his apprehensions of God when he came to worship him I am not able says he to apprehend One but I am presently struck with the brightness of Three I am not able to distinguish Three but I am presently brought back to One again Regulate your Apprehensions of God by that Revelation he has made of himself in his own Word and pry no farther than what is written that so you may undistractedly worship God himself and not the fruit of your imagination instead of him 3. To attend without distraction implies the greatest intention of mind As all the Lines from the circumference of a Circle meet together in one point of the Center so the Thoughts of the Mind should center upon God and the Duty that is done to him God should be so minded as that all other things should be out of mind Though the Soul is united to the Body yet it should be in a sense separated as risen with Christ and with him ascended and sitting in heavenly places Eph. 2. 6. And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus How intent upon God and his Praises are the Spirits of Just Men made perfect And the Spirits of Saints Militant should imitate those that are Triumphant It is storied of that famous Mathematician Archimedes that when Syracuse was taken by Marcellus he was so intent in making Figures upon the ground that he minded not the taking of the City and was slain by a Soldier that knew not who he was for Marcellus had given a Commandment to save him If such a danger could not disturb the intention of Archimedes for the saving of a City the saving of a Soul does justly challenge a greater intention in every Duty we perform to God 4. To attend without distraction implies the highest concernedness of Soul Faith should be strong and constrain the Mind to be serious things invisible should be represented so evident and substantial as if they were most visible and apparent God should be addressed as if he appeared to us as he did to Abraham as if he talked with us as he did to the Children of Israel from Mount Sinai With humbleness of Mind and self-abasement considering our distance guilt and vileness we should cry out Let not the Lord be angry if we intreat the forgiveness of Sin and that our Souls may live before him Now we should stir up our selves and take hold of God Isa 64. 7. Now his Strength and his Son and his Covenant may be laid hold on within a little while it may be too late and impossible to do it We should be concerned in all Duties and perform them with such a solicitous care as if we saw the Dart of the last Enemy ready to pierce us and the Grave open for us as if we saw the Judge upon the great white Throne and all both small and great standing before God and the Books opened that they might be judged according to their Works Rev. 20. 11 12. There should be a concernedness of Spirit as if we saw the World in a flame Hell naked before us and we beheld the flashings of eternal fire as if we saw Heaven opened and all that Glory that is there Weight and Worth and Necessity command Concernedness now when we attend on God we draw nigh to him about those things that are of most absolute necessity and of the greatest worth and weight imaginable 5. To attend without distraction implies the fullest bent and inclination of heart there must be intensivum velle a strong propension of the Will towards God and this is expressed by longing by panting Psal 42. 1. As the Hart panteth after the Water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God 'T is the Lord himself that thus determines the Will towards himself and this he doth without compulsion for he alters the Nature and Inclination of it so that the Will being made free by Divine Grace uses its liberty aright and chuses God as its end and the way of his Testimonies Such an end such a way is most worthy to be chosen The Heart now designs and desires the injoying Fellowship with God as infinitely more valuable than all other Enjoyments And this full bent of the Heart mightily fixes it so that the stream of the Affections is kept the better in one undivided Channel When the Psalmist said there was none on Earth he desired besides God it plainly shewed that his desire after God swallowed up his desire after worldly things and when he says Whom have I in Heaven but God! He signifies that he should not count Heaven it self to be Heaven indeed without the Enjoyment of God there 6. To attend without distraction implies a sincere care to please the Lord in that attendance his Approbation being principally minded Man's good thoughts and word are more easily gained but the Jew inwardly his praise is not of Man but of God Rom. 2. 29. And indeed all other Commendations are insignificant unless the Lord commandeth 2 Cor. 10. 18. The undistracted Attendant studies to approve himself to God With what confidence does David speak before his all discerning Judge that he had walked in his integrity Psal 26. 1. and Psal 17. 3. Thou hast proved my heart thou hast visited me in the night Thou hast tried me and shalt find nothing He was not conscious to himself of regarded sin or of allowed guile and negligence in the Lord's Service Care to please that God whom we serve is a necessary ingredient in every Service that is acceptable This care commands the heart into the presence of God and keeps it there and he loves to see Hearts before him set on him and seeking after him 7. To attend without distraction implies resisting all attempts to draw away the heart from God Satan and Mammon will be knocking at the Door of the Heart while 't is attending upon the Lord and the flesh which lusts against the spirit will be apt to shew its treachery and to open the Door Undistracted Attendants do use great Vigilancy for they are full of Jealousie over themselves They bid Satan to get him behind them for they are worshipping the Lord their God and 't is wickedness and boldness in him to disturb them in the Lord's Service and when the Affairs of the World would crowd in upon them they reply They have some greater and more important affairs to mind and therefore those worldly matters must be regarded only at a convenient season At all times it should be our care to keep unspotted from the World to keep our selves that the wicked one touch us not 1 Joh. 5. 18. but this care should be greatest when our approaches to God are nearest For if the World and the God of it should all bespatter and defile us even while
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