Creatures Isa. 45.11 Thus saith the Lord the holy one of Israel and his Maker If a servant must not be frivolous before his Master when he is receiving his commands who dares be so before his Maker who can as easily reward or ruine us as I can turn over a leaf in this Bible This Himself gives for the reason of that dreadful curse Mal. 1.14 upon the Deceiver that having a Male in his flock offers to God a corrupt thing For I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts and my name is dreadfull among the Heathen Which of you will be thinking of your wives or children or ground when you are offering a Petition to a great King or run after Feathers when he is saying his mind to you Thou takest God to be such a one as thy self or else thou wouldest never do it Remember a great God must be worshipped with profound veneration and the most serious affections A man must worship God as if he were in Heaven Oh if thou wert there among those myriads of Saints and Angels with what care and humility and instance wouldest thou pour out thy heart to him or hear his words to thee 2. The Holiness of God is another Reason who is so sacred that an unholy Thought is abomination to him most especially in his holy Service Who can by an eye of Faith behold the Lord sitting on a throne high and lifted up and his train filling the Temple And the Seraphinis crying one to another and saying Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts Isa. 6.1 2. and suffer his heart to be ravisht away with transitory toyes in such a Sacred presence Are the Seraphims amazed at his holiness and we untransported Their thoughts are continually terminated upon him And should ours be allwayes flinching from him The Holy Lord of Hosts will not brook it If you will not sanctifie him he will sanctifie himself If you that worship him will not bear witness by your serious attendance to his Holiness He must bear witness to it by his Judgements on You which indeed are not allwayes visible but ever certain not a man in the Congregation but the Holy God is Sanctified by him or upon him Little do we know what invisible dreadfull effects there are of this daily in our Congregations And if our dear Redeemer did not stand as a skreen between us and his wrath the best of us would quickly feel the effects of his Displeasure 3. The Omniscience of God is a valid reason against Distractions Heb. 4.13 All things are naked and opened to him with whom we have to deal not only naked on the outside of us but cut up and anatomised in the inside That sharp and piercing eye looks through and through us and neither doth or can look beside us Whither can I goe from thy spirit and whither can I flee from thy presence shall the Husband fix his eye on his Wife and she that while dart her glances on her Paramour Is this reasonable or tolerable Get out of his sight and trifle on Steal into some corner where he sees you not and be truants and spare not Be but an Eye-servant to God and wee 'l ask no more Be serious while He sees you dally not while he holds you the candle A curious Eye requires a carefull servant Object But this is spoken gratis I see no body but the Minister and People seeing is believing I know no body that seeth me Answ. 1. No more doest thou see that faculty by which thou seest Is there therefore no such faculty Is there no spirits because thou never sawest them when did you see the wind and yet you doubt not of it Nay hath not he declared to thee what is thy thought Amos 4.13 in many a Sermon 2. There is another eye by which Gods Ordinary-Presence is seen which thou hast not That is an eye of Faith which if fixed in thy heart would quickly make thee cry How dreadfull is this place This is no other than the house of God and the Gate of Heaven If an hundred credible persons affirm they saw a Great man in the Congregation you would believe them though not seen by you and would conclude it your own inadvertency Hundreds there daily are that do avouch they saw felt heard imbraced the gracious presence of God and therefore conclude it your Blindness not his Distance that you saw him not SECT II. THE second Reason is taken from the Nature of his Worship 1. It is Reasonable Worship not only consonant to the Rules of Reason and backed by the most Rational Principles but must be managed as a Rational Act. Now it is a most irrational thing to converse with God without an Heart This is a silly thing as Hos. 7.11 Ephraim is called a silly Dove without Heart A Dove without spirit and a silly Dove without reason or judgement God had rather hear the roaring of a Lyon than an heartless prayer He delights more in the chirping of birds than in singing of Psalms without understanding for these do what they can and so are accepted but bruitish service from a reasonable Creature is intolerable Is it reason you should cry out for the spirit and think on the flesh be hearkning about another world and ruminating on this your eyes directed to Heaven and your Heart in the ends of the Earth the tongue busie and the soul idle the knee devout and the thoughts loose there is no coherence no reason in this When ye work work and when ye pray pray and do it with understanding 1 Cor. 14.15 What it is then I will pray with the spirit and will pray with the understanding also I will sing with the spirit and will sing with the understanding also Consider that else thou art as a mad man before God and God hath no need of mad men if one should come to thee about business of life and death and after a word or two therein should run from one impertinent thing to another would you not think him mad If thy thoughts were put into words and mingled with thy prayers what strange mad prayers would they be 2. It is spiritual-worship and therefore you may not be distracted in it Joh. 4.23 24. The true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him Others may seek to worship the Father but the Father seeketh such to worship him to wit that worship in Spirit and in Truth In Spirit and so not like the formal Jews In Truth and so not like the ignorant Gentiles And then vers 24. God is a Spirit and must be worshipped Here 's Must and Shall and Reason for it As a spirit can do nothing at eating so a carkass can do nothing at praying The elegantest tongues on earth cannot take one stroak at prayer no the soul must be in it and the soul must
spirits and Gods spirit also Those that tremble at the prophane mans taking Gods name in vain should make a Conscience lest they do it themselves lest They be damned for their Oaths and You for your prayers because you wrong Gods Majesty under the pretence of serving him and so affront him with more solemnity 3. They contract more sin upon the Soul We read Levit. 10.1 That Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron took either of them his Censer and put fire therein and put incense thereon and offered strange fire before the Lord. And the Lord took it in high disdain and with strange fire consumed them Sins of Ordinances are often extraordinary sins as Sacriledge is a greater sin than plain theft because it is a purloyning of what is consecrated so a sin in worship hath this aggravation that its in a place and presence and business that is set apart for communion with God Hence it comes to pass that many of Gods â—hildren have had grievous pangs and â—errour of Conscience on their death-bed for ordinance sins He that should be scoring out his sins and instead of that scores on more makes his sin exceeding sinfull O what need then have we to pray Psal. 119.39 Turn away mine eyes from beholding Vanity and quicken thou me in thy way And these are some of the Reasons that confirm and inforce this Practical Doctrine That we should attend upon the Lord without Distractions and so you have the fourth general Head CHAP. V. Objections Answered SECT I. BUT because there is no Duty so clear that our sinfull hearts will embrace if any shew of contradiction can be produced I shall wipe away all Possible Objections against this Duty which is the Fifth general Head to be handled It is impossible thus to Attend on God without distractions Such is the Variety of objects such the imbecillity of our Nature such the weakness of our Graces such the suddenness and swiftness of a thought that none but Angels can do this You press impossibles it can never be Though this objection hath been prevented before yet seeing it recurs again I answer 1. Perfection herein is impossible in this life not but that a prayer or other Ordinance may be attended with that intenseness as to exclude every wandring thought that would step in but to be perfectly free in every Duty from them is rather to be wished than hoped for in this life That Angelical perfection is Reserved for Heaven This Evangelical perfection may be here attained which is the prevalence of grace against them and not only a will but a watch and an endeavour to be utterly rid of them 2. And in this sense there is no divine precept impossible Though our Lord Jesus saith Joh. 15.5 Without me ye can do nothing yet the Apostle finds Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through him that strengtheneth me If all things then why not this Though it were impossible ex parte Rei in its self yet is it possible ex parte Dei with Gods help we are prone to think that we can compass easie things by our own strength and that difficult things are too hard for God Have you ever tryed to the utmost what God and you can do could you not have heard a Sermon better if a naked sword had hang'd by a single twist over your bare heads and have prayed more cordially if you had seen every word you prayed written down by the hand of God The same circumspection that keeps a Distraction out of one sentence might were you faithful therein keep it out of two or ten or twenty and he that can be temperate for a day might be temperate every day if he did his best 3. It is a mixture of cowardize and sloth that makes it impossible It is an argument of a slothful heart to say There is a Lyon in the way O there is a Lyon in the streets Prov. 26.13 yet if there were a Lyon in the way to Heaven thou must rather run upon him than run from God There is a worse Lyon will meet you in the way to Hell No no it s not the danger without but the dulness and slothfulness within that Creates the impossibility How many hundreds out of fearfulness and idleness have restrained Prayer before God till being soundly awaken'd they set about prayer and found it both feasable and delightful Religion in the power of it is a work of pains If you will not sweat for Heaven you must never have it try but the next duty with your best Diligence and you shall find it possible to the power of Grace which looks impossible to the strength of Nature SECT II. Obj. 2. It is difficult if it be not impossible yet it s very hard It s a lesson for the upper form in the School of Iesus Christ. We mean schollars need not attempt it because we cannot attain it as good to sit still as rise up and fall This is too hard for us Answ. 1. This argues the excellency of it the more hard the more honourable and therefore this should rather whet than dull thy courage If you except all hard points out of the practice of piety you will leave but few to be practised It is the idle Schollar that skips over the hardest words of his lesson but the rod must fetch him back unto them neither must you expect that God will take any notice of your easie duties if you turn off the hard he could have servants enough to do his easie work but Religion must go all together and almost Christianity will not serve the turn 2. The way to Heaven is hard and this you were told at first Mat. 7.14 Because strait is the Gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life If you like it not let it alone but see you exchange for the better To get a Kingdom is not easie its easie to lose one Who gets a race without sweating or a victory without bleeding or Heaven without striving Hence Mr. Latimer to one that objects against the duty he was pressing which was that Landlords should send for their Tenants and end differences among them that this were a good work indeed but marvellous hard O saith he my friend It is an hard matter to be a Christian. Heaven was never gotten yet without violence and there is no new way found of coming there But if Christ Iesus had not done harder work than this for thee thou must never have come there 3. And is there no hardship in attending upon sin Is it an easie thing to serve the Devil Wise Solomon saith Prov. 13.15 The way of Transgressors is hard Our love to it blinds our eyes or else he serves an hard service that dances attendance on any sin The Lascivious man swallows many difficulties perhaps weeks and months together to continue the pleasure of an hour How many dark nights doth the
Drunkard walk and hard words indure and hard shift make to feed that sensless lust who would digest the life of a covetous worldling hard fare hard work hard journeys for what may be consumed in two hours to say nothing of the life of the envious the ambitious the malicious man whose daily bread is mingled not only with sweat but gall and bitterness and yet who hears them complain of difficulty or throw off their designs for hardness And is it not far better to conquer difficulties for Heaven than Hell and venture upon hardship for Christ and thine own soul than for Satan and thy damnation especially when Love to the service of God would make this yoke as easie as transgressors labour is to them 4. Though it be hard to keep off these Distractions yet it is necessary It must be done Good Mary would not by any business be Distracted in her attendance on Christ Luk. 10.42 and He resolves therein that she did the One needful thing Poor men find it hard to work six dayes together but there being a necessity of it there 's no excuse they could find twenty put offs but it must be done work or starve We have the same Dilemma Pray or perish and that 's not half a Prayer that 's fill'd with Distractions 5. Though it be hard yet it is sweet Prov. 3.17 Her wayes are wayes of Pleasantness and this is one of them You shall ever observe the more wandring the heart the more wearisome the Duty a Divided heart can taste but partial comfort and fulness of joy follows where the full bent of the soul goes before Our common experience tells us what peace what joy what confidence what suavity fills the heart when we have though with some difficulty approached the Lord enjoyed him and attended on him without Distraction What is more hard to the brain and body than study for pains a Schollar would choose the Plough before it the brain the back the heart and spirits are pained and spent yet no employment so sweet the mind and brain and heart refreshed and a right Schollar would hardly change employments with a Prince so sweet so ravishing is this hard employment Even so it is with Prayer or any holy Ordinance the sweetness of a watchfull serious frame doth fully compensate the difficulty thereof 6. Custome and Practice will make it much easier He that executes the law on vagrants though at first he were pestred with them will after a while with ease be delivered of them so that resolved Christian who keeps up his watch and ward awhile shall find it each day easier than other to attend on God without these vagrant thoughts Use and custome makes the hardest things easie As a wise man that converses in the midst of his observing enemies by use is inured to all caution and can easily avoid all dangerous words or behaviour though it be hard he is used to it so practice will wonderfully facillitate this hard duty You once thought it impossible for you to Pray but practice hath made you perfect The same spirit by the same help can and will perfect you in this This is one of those Infirmities the spirit of God will help SECT III. Object 3. THe Commonness of these Distractions No man but is full of them All serious Christians complain of them What is so ordinary cannot be very evil these vanities that every one hath I cannot expect to be without and therefore must be content Answ. 1. This must be answered with Grief Every man is full of them and every Good man is sick with them If every mans body were gone after his soul this would sometimes be an empty Congregation Every solemn look hath not a serious heart and there are but few that make a business of Prayer And this is a lamentable thing that we can hold a discourse with man or crave a kindness or drive a bargain without a wandring thought till our face be set towards God and that we begin a duty of Worship and then or ever we are aware our Soul is slipt off her Chariot wheels and our sight of God is lost 2. And yet some watchful Christians as we observed before have got a good riddance of them to accuse others is a poor excuse to you As their humility teaches them to complain of the worst so your charity should cause you to think the best no doubt they that are sick of them do by degrees get Physick against them and grow better 3. By this Plea all sins might be justified Thus swearing might be advanced before Praying for it is more common than Prayer Revenge is more common than Forgiveness but this is no excuse for it He that will do as the most do must go whither most go Exod. 23.2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil no nor to think evil If thou wilt be Christ's Disciple thou must be serious and attentive though the whole Congregation trifle True sanctity is not grounded on mens practice but on Gods precept Make no apologies but such as you can stand to before the face of God What a poor plea will it be to say I was drunk for company I stragled from God for company Get thee to Hell for company that which will be no mitigation of your pain is no extenuation of your crime If many displease the Lord you have more need to please him if many play you have more need to work and rather choose to be saved with a few than damned with a crowd 4. In such an universal loytering thy care will be more acceptable Loyalty is doubly valued and rewarded where Rebellion is general and one dutiful Child is cherisht among many disobedient Isa. 66.2 To this man will I look to him that is poor and contrite and trembleth at my word The Great Iehova there overlooks Heaven and Earth and the House of his rest to fix his blessed eye on this man or woman that when he comes to a Sermon doth not dare not trifle but trembles at the word and that feels every sentence at his heart When Gallants come into the Congregation then Man looks but when the poor trembling Hearer comes in then God looks The Angels gaze at such guests as vain people do at Silks and Fashions O it s a rare sight to see a Christian in earnest to behold an humble man converse with God the Host of Heaven rise up and are taken with it If therefore it be so common to be distracted in Duties do thou disdain to be in the common fashion get quickly into the Mode of Heaven SECT IV. Object 4. GOd will accept the will for the Deed I would be free from these temptations but in this life I cannot and therefore shall sit down content God is merciful though you are strict And he hath said 2 Cor. 8.12 If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to
and serious in his Sermon Martha good woman was highly cumbred and distracted with much serving Mary sate at her Saviour's feet and heard his word Saith Martha I think it much that my Sister must have all the Dainties and I all the Distractions Master rectifie this inequality Ah saith our Lord Martha Martha thou art cumbred or as the word signifies distracted about many things But one thing is needful Mary is imbarked in a most necessary affair and worldly cumber is improper for an heavenly business She that 's working for her soul hath work enough at that time Salvation Eternal salvation Eternal salvation of soul and body these are not things to dally about SECT V. THE fifth Evil of these rovings of heart is That they are sins of Hypocrisie And there can be no little evil in the sin of Hypocrisie What is Hypocrisie Matth. 15.7 8. But the Honour of the lips and the Distance of the heart vox preterea nihil as it is said of the Nightingale a sound of words and no soundness in the heart that 's Hypocrisie of all sins most odious unto God and man And though the purpose of the heart be wanting to make it formal and full Hypocrisie yet a custom in these will beget that at length and he that useth to lye in jest will come at length to lye in earnest Hos. 11.12 Ephraim compasseth me about with lyes Oh how often may the Lord say over us these people compass me about with lyes What a Generation of Vipers are here like the Viper that 's speckled without and poisonous within Moses took a vail when he spake to Israel and put it off when he spake to God But the Hypocrite doth quite contrary he shews his best to men his worst to God but the Lord sees both the vail and the face and it 's hard to say whether he hates more the vail of dissimulation or their face of wickedness This 't is a disappointing of God in a sense a deceiving of him Mal. 1.4 Cursed be the deceiver that hath in his flock a Male and voweth and sacrificeth to God a corrupt thing Yea sayes God you have in your flock a Male you can be serious when you will but a corrupt thing it seems will serve my turn you disappoint me you deceive me you appoint a meeting between an heart and me and here I come and the heart is gone you knock at my door with great earnestness and when I come the heart is gone you are deceivers and deserve my curse If this be not repented and reformed such deceitful Hypocrites must carry away no blessing of mine but a curse A prayer though but of forty words sincerely made and felt every syllable shall prevail more with God than a long Oration with half an heart and the meanest Sermon heard with a prepared humble and attentive heart shall receive a greater blessing than a better sermon with a worser heart for God is a spirit and shews do work nothing with him he that seems to serve him and doth not exasperates him the more An eye to Heaven and an heart for Hell an humble knee and a haughty spirit a serious posture and a frivolous soul are abominable to the Lord SECT VI. IN the next place the Evil of Distractions is seen in the Effects whereof these are some First They do alienate the heart from holy duties When we miss of God we have small mind to his service again It is the comparison of a learned Divine when there is no marow in the bone we quickly throw the bone away even so when the sweet injoyment of God is not found in an Ordinance which is lost by the roving heart we shall ere long cast away that Ordinance except shame or custom restrain us Now when the soul cares not for prayer or other Ordinances it is a sad effect the Lord may say to thee with more right and reason than Dalilah did Iudg. 16.15 How canst thou say I love thee when thine heart is not with me What love is that without an heart where the affection is there the cogitation will be also I may truly invert this and say where the heart is not before there love will not come after Let all the soul be seriously bestowed in any duty of prayer singing reading or hearing and you will be loth to leave that duty and long to be at it again O the sweetness therein and love thereunto Psal. 119.93 I shall never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickened me Oh when shall I come and appear before God! O that every day were a Sabbath then should I be well as said that famous Instance of Practical Piety Hence with a gracious heart one duty prepares and gets a stomach for another But you shall find when the heart is out of tune and beating about the bush and not half quarter of it with God O then it is the most wearisome imployment in the world A man had rather thresh than pray that hath his heart in the Barn when he is in prayer And there is no lively desires or longings of soul to that business wherein he felt so little of God Hence it is so hard to get a worldly family to get together to prayer Alas the duty is a distraction to them when they come they still leave their hearts behind them you can make them no penny-worth of an Ordinance whose hearts do usually run out of an Ordinance SECT VII THE second Effect of Distractions is That they much affront the Majesty of God It was an high affront to God Act. 7.39 that his people after they had had experience of him yet in their hearts turned back into Egypt This is the wisdom of a roving heart they say Come we like not this blessed presence of nor work in our hearts let 's walk into the world again Ezek. 11.21 But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things I will recompence their way upon their own heads saith the Lord God Here one detestable thing offers it self and there another for every thing that draws the heart from God its chief good is therein detestable Now when the heart walks after them that is the right vein of distractions Where the heart walks after every trifle that puts up finger he shall have enough of his waies saith the Lord. Must I stand for a staâ—e when he is aiming at other matters must the great God wait on a simple Worm till he can be at leisure to speak with him shall the worst of evils be courted while the chief of goods is slighted and yet even then pretend to service As if some miserable Scullion at the Court had made great means to possess the King with his low condition and when the King is come to speak with him he lyes sweeping the sink or scouring the spit and there lets his Prince wait on him to
no purpose may not he justly say when I come next to meet you you'st know the difference between the Majesty of a King and the sordidness of a Scullion Just so poor soul do thou and I obtain leave to approach our heavenly Lord and King and when he expects the heart earnestly to sollicit her great affairs she is roving away and bestowed in the Kitchin or worse while the great and holy God stands waiting to be gracious What Father but would take it for a great indignity to see his Son stopping his ears or whistling or playing with Flyes while he is reading his last Will and Testament to him or giving him order about his greatest affairs And is not God greater than a Father and can he with his honour abate such a child his punishment if he do not humbly cry him mercy and study to offend no more Though divine vengeance be not alwaies so visible as a Parents Rod yet it is as real and more heavy A poor man cannot escape with his affronts of a great God SECT VIII THE third Effect of Distractions is That they hinder the benefits of an holy duty God seldom thinks of those prayers that we think not of our selves Isa. 64.7 And there is none that calleth on thy Name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee The Lord counts such prayers as none at all when a man doth not stir up himself to his business non entis nulla est operatio That which in God's account hath no being can have no working The benefits of Ordinances are many and great they are like the medium to sensation as the air to the eye or ear there is no seeing nor hearing without it so are Ordinances to the soul they are the Conduits to convey God's grace to us and our desires to him when a dirty distraction gets in the Conduit is stopt and the soul starved And in this sense God's Name which should be most sacred and dear to us is most palpably taken in vain When we use a great solemnity to no effect magno conatu nugas agimus The wind and tide to serve and yet the soul to sleep the Mariner to be at Dice or Cards till the opportunity be lost what a great evil is thisâ— when our voyage is for life and death If you could by the expence of one serious hour gain a Lordship would you not be intense and earnest that hour would you not fume at the company that would divert you and disdain any ordinary business that would interrupt you O stay and let me alone this hour for I am busie Now by the cordial management of one serious hour in prayer reading hearing or meditation you may yea shall infallibly gain at least one grain of grace which is worth more than a Kingdom yea than a whole World And is not that an evil thing and bitter that then interrupts you and frustrates your gainful imployment whereby it comes to pass that you get nothing Pearls are dealing and you get nothing Orient graces in the hand of God ready to give and you none of them who would entertain that can be rid of such companions SECT IX THE fourth Effect of these Distractions is That they deprive the soul of its purest comforts The highest truest and purest joys and comforts meet the soul in the service of God Cant. 2.3 4. I sate under his shadow with great delight There are then delights and great ones too in the waies of God And his fruit was sweet to my tast If thou hast any spiritual tast his fruit will be sweet to it He brought me to the banquetting house God's house is his banquetting-house and every Ordinance is a rare Feast to the soul that doth spiritually manage it Now these idle wandrings of the heart first by their Disturbance then by their Guile do damp and deprive the soul of the comforts thereof Just as a black cloud doth hide from you the bright and warming beams of the Sun How often have you mist of those joyes of the Holy Ghost sweeter than the musick of the Spheres by these vain thoughts with what sweet content do you look back on a Duty where communion hath been held between God and you and what a folly is it to lose an hour and neither reap pleasure not profit by it There is fatness in God's house and Rivers of pleasures with him but he shall have leanness in his soul that gives way to these and of all those Rivers drinks not a drop not one drop of true comfort and pleasure O what an Heaven do negligent sinners lose how many gracious smiles blessed tokens coelestial raptures the dainty Diet of Angels and all through the idleness of the soul Psal. 63.5 My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness I am full brim full of joy and comfort my heart runs over and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips Now all these gleams of sweet comfort and refreshing are stollen away by these thievish Distractions For an upright heart and an attentive would seldom want the sweet comforts that usually accompany sincerity and seriousness He that can keep his meditations fixt on the right object his meditation shall be sweet and where should the Lord make his Servants joyful but in the house of prayer SECT X. THE fifth Effect of Distractions in the Worship of God is That they grieve away the Holy Ghost It is true what the blessed Apostle hath said Rom. 8.26 The Spirit helpeth our infirmities and so helps against these when they are but infirmities mourn'd for and striven against but when they are contracted habits then they grieve and quench the holy Spirit The Greek word in that Scripture signifies to take and heave up a thing over against you to heave with you I but now if our spirits instead of helping shrink away and heave none this promise will do us no good If we leave the business wholly to God's Spirit without our diligent co-operation he will leave it to our spirits without his divine co-operation The Holy Ghost will dwell only with an holy heart and these Idols in the heart do heartily trouble that sweet Spirit Ezek. 14.3 Son of man these men have set up their Idols in their heart and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face should I be inquired of at all by them Read on and you 'l see what consequence this is of What are worldly and sinful distractions but Idols in the heart what are abused objects of the eye or ear but the stumbling-blocks of iniquity before the face and how can the holy Spirit dwell in such a soul or abide such doings Luther somewhat sayes that the Holy Ghost dwells not in Babel but is Salem that is delights not in the heart where is nothing but confusion that 's the english of Babel but in the heart where there is quiet peace and freedom that
my prayer is not the beginning of my punishment Though these be but small like the Sand yet being many as the Sand how can I stand under them I am ashamed yea even confounded for these reproaches of my duties Nay then saies God that hearkens behind the curtains all this while Is Ephraim my dear Son is not he a pleasant child I will remember him I will have mercy upon him When thou art ripe for Hell in thy own eyes then art thou ripe for grace and glory in the eyes of God No man shall ever be overborn with a sin he hates Go my blessed Spirit that hast melted him and mend him that hast softened him strengthen him he that laments his sin shall never languish under it The sacrifice of a broken heart doth please him though the sacrifice of a broken Christ alone doth satisfie him 2. Dispositively grief at heart doth help forward the cure of distractions and that by softening the heart and so fitting the same for the impressions of God's will When the Wax is melted you may turn and mold it which way you will So when the soul is melted by grief for these sins God Almighty may easily be heard and his counsel will be taken And also this godly sorrow as was before observed doth so afflict and make a mans heart to ake and smart that he will take some pains to prevent the like anguish again When they knock at door you 'l say O these are they that cost me dear at such a time non emam tanti poeniteo I feel yet the sad impressions of my late affliction for them I found a pardon no easie enterprize nor Repentance so pleasing a potion to brew for it again I would not for all the world much less for one vain thought or two nor for a thousand worlds together be under that anger of God nor feel one drop of his scalding indignation which I have perceived for these offences O Sirs where godly sorrow is in the power of it what carefulness doth it work what zeal what indignation yea what revenge It makes sin lye like a Mountain upon the soul musters up all the aggravations of sin and sets them home on the heart O to sin in an Ordinance against such a God! in the midst of my greatest business after such conviction vows and promises of exactness before him To offend both Father Son and Holy Ghost at a clap heart of stone dost not melt yea to offend the Angels of Heaven which holy spirits turn away their faces at our vanities in the Assemblies yea and offend the Angels upon Earth God's Ministers while that which cost them most serious pains is spoken to the air to wound my own soul in the act of curing it and increase guilt when I am getting it cleared to play the Hypocrite before the face of God the Judge of Heaven and Earth O wretched man that I am O my sin is exceeding sinful lend a tear O rend an heart O thou most high A broken heart today will be a good preservative against a wandring heart to morrow SECT III. III. ENgage the holy Spirit of God in thine assistance Joh. 15.5 Without me ye can do nothing Supernatural work cannot be done without supernatural help You may and ought to do what a man can do that is compose your selves and guard your senses but you cannot do that which only a God can do that is fly up and fix your hearts in Heaven Rom. 8.26 We cannot pray for any thing for matter as we ought for the manner but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us The Greek word signifies the Spirit over and above steps in and helps or as others makes vehement intercession for us We climb up the Ladder as well as we can towards Heaven but alas it wavers no stability till the Holy Ghost hold it at the top and draw and lift us up and then we get a sight of Heaven And you have resolved belike and been secure of a good frame but Prov. 28.26 He that trusteth to his own strength is a fool you have found no fixedness or liveliness in your spirits without the assistance of God He that prayes aright must pray in the Holy Ghost Jude v. 20 This also quickens and hears the soul whereby there is no room or leisure for distracted thoughts Hereby the soul is carried streight up to God and staies at nothing on this side Heaven yea by the Spirit 's blessed assistance Every thought is brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. O blessed frame when every thought is captivated to obey Christ there is none can deal with our spirits but the Spirit of God When the Word comes in the hand of the Spirit there is no avoiding it Then the reading one Chapter can convert as that Ioh. 1. did the learned Iunius yea of one verse as that 1 Tim. 1.15 did Mr. Bilney yea one sentence can comfort the heart as that Isa. 57.15 did the afflicted conscience of one that nothing else could satisfie thereby the soul is carried up as Mr. Tilleman the Martyr was in his devotions so that he saw or heard no body till after long search and great noise his persecutors took him up from his knees The heart is so carried upward to God that all the world looks as inconsiderable as a mote or atome at that time and not worth the thinking on And is entertained with that sweet content that it cannot wish to be any where else and therefore a by-thought is as unâ—welcom as base company to him that is busie with Nobles Beg therefore of God with earnest importunity at the entrance of every Ordinance for his holy Spirit and he hath said Luk. 11.13 He will give his Spirit to them that ask him Say Lord if thy Spirit go not with me let me go no further For as the Intercession of Christ is absolutely necessary for your acceptance so the Intercession of the Holy Ghost is necessary for your assistance The Spirit it self also making intercession for us with sighs that cannot be uttered Promise your heavenly Father that you will never willingly disoblige or grieve away his Spirit again Art thou dead cry Quicken me and I will call upon thy Name Is thy heart roving cry Unite my heart to fear thy Name Humbly plead his promise that he will put his Spirit and fear into your hearts that you shall never and if never then not in his solemn Ordinance depart from him and observe the gracious gales of the Spirit and when they clash not with the Rules of his holy Word lay hold on them and fall to duty It 's best rowing below when the wind blows fair above When thy heart is warm and in ure then do the business throughly And beware of grieving him between times let there be a coherence between prayer and practice let your whole life be of a piece lest he withdraw when you have most need of
praebeat sine impedimento Dominum obsecrandi miswritten for observandi as Beza thinksâ— But Erasmus sayes the oldest Translation was Domino observiendi after turned into observandi and by some obsecrandi (b) Some Copies read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acceptabâ—le This way the Arabick speaks ut confortemini quà m proximè secùndum Dominum But the truest is our own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deâ—ompositâ—m of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sedeo from which the Syriack differs little (c) Assidere apiè adhaerefcere Legh Assiduus in aliquo negotio Stephan (d) Indivulsè adhaerens Budaeus Quasi à latere alicujus nunquam discedens Stephan Ut sitis seduli more fidorum servorum qui à latere domini sui non discedunt Bez. è Syr. (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trabo immobilis inconcussus quietus qui distrahi nequit Budaeuâ— Stephan Usus est hac voce Plut. de Curiosit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellans â—ffiduum studium sapientiae nullis negotiis aliâ— mentem avocantibus (f) Ut fitis seduli erga Dominum vestrum cum honestate decorá non cogitantes de mundo Treâ—ull (g) Ut srequens sit oratio Sedulius Doct. § 4 The first general Head viz. The description of Distractions * Primum argumentum compositae mentis existimo esse consistere secum morari Senec. Epist. 2. :: The same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the Soul and a Butterfly because our wandring imaginations make our wavering spirits like wagling Butterflies puffed up and down with every blast of vanity Mr. Pagets Primmer * In the Sacrifices of the Law the Inwards still were offered to God the skin was for the Priest Psal. 90.8 * When King Ethelbert was at his Devotions news was brought of the Danes invasion at Essenden but he neither omitted nor abreviated his prayers he would hear no suit on Earth till he had made his requests in Heaven and afterwards he bravely vanquished them Dr T. Fuller Cap. 2. The second general Head viz. The kinds of Distractions §. 1. Their several Fountains * Eccles. 10.2 A wise mans heart is at his right hand i. e. His heart is ready and prepared to every good work Annot in loc * Non enim unquam dormitat vigil ille Synagoga suae Episcopus Amama ** Impetus Diabolici fortiores affectibus naturalibus Ioab could hinder David from weeping for Absolon not from numbring the people to which Satan stir'd him up D. Arrows Psal. 53.2 * Cùm reresupini jacemus in lectulo nihil tale cogitamus Sed cum venimus ad Orationem cogitationes avocant sine fructu efficiunt Chrys. de nat Dom. Hom. 17. (a) Non-nunquam verò quod egi in corpore hoc importunâ— verso in mente In corde enim servo dedepicta qua vidi feci torpeo abutili opere quoniam fagiâ—or illicit â— cogitatione Bern. denit Dom. cap. 30. * Heb. The walking of the soul. (b) Thus Praecedentia peccata sunt sequentium causa sequentia sunt praecedentium poena Aug. (c) Respexit ocusus sensum mentis evertit audivit auris intentionem inflexit inhalavit odor cogitationem impedivit oâ— libavit crimen retulit tactus contulit ignem adolevit Intravit mors per fenestram Fenestra tua est oculus tuus Ambr. de fug seculi c. 1. (d) There was once a contention between the Eye the Heart whether of them was the cause of Sin after long arguing it was concluded that the Heart was the Cause the Eye the Occasion The most vicious Sense and therefore soonest decays and made the seat of Tears (e) Si per auticam ejicias per posticam denuâ— solent irreper◠§. 2. The matter of Distractions Bernard makes three sorts of them Impertinent Worldly Sinful He compares the first to lutum simplex the second to limus that stick to the heart the third to coenum that are stinking and noysome in the sight of God Bern. de tr gen Cogit * Sunt enâ—m nonnullae cogitationes penitus ociosae ad vâ—m non pertinentes quas tam facilè abjicere quà m recipere facile possit anima dummodo sit secum habitans in corde suo assistens dominatori vniversae terrae Bern Serm. de tr gen cogit §. 3. The Adjuncts of Distractions * These are cogitationes onerosae quibus resistere vult tamen non potest sed velit nolit irruit in oculos mentis massarum pestilentia perstrepunt ranae in penetralibus cordis ejus Bern. lib. de Consc. c. 5. * Of these Mr. Capel thus While thy prayer comes out of a spiritual habit of grace be set on work at first by an actual intention of the mind a vertual intention may serve all along after though there be some roving thoughts I say may serve to make them currant at the Throne of Grace and in the Court of Conscience p. 121. * Cerenus writes of Theophylact a Patriarch of Constantinople that he kept 2000 horses fed with Dates and Almonds and watred them in Wine And being on a time while he was performing his Office in the Temple of Sophia told in his Ear that his Mare Phaâ—bante had foal'd he broke of his Service went home to see it and then came and set in again What was ill done by him in Person is not well done by us in spirit Cap. 3. Proves that it is our Duty to Attend on the Lord without Distraction §. 1. The possibility of it * Imperat mihi Deus ut praebeam illi cor meum quia imperanti Deo non sum obed eâ—s mihi sum rebellis contrarius idcirco plura machinatur cor meum uno momento quà m omnes homines perficere possunt uno anno Bern. med c. 8. * Compare Deut. 10.16 with Chap. 30.6 And so 1 Ioh. 2.27 28. §. 2. The necessity of it Read Gersons Distinction of Habitual Actual and Vertual Attention of the heart and consider it well Gerson de Oratione p. 612. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc. * Ubi Duo vel â—res congregati in nomin meo c. qui sunt isti Duo nisi anima corpus Ambros. de instit virg c. 2. ** 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Tunc Veraciter oramus quando alâ—â—nde non cogitamus Bern. de in t Domo c. 48. * Nequâ— enim agnosci potâ—riâ— Ã spiritu sancto spiritus inquinatus aut impeditus à liberoâ— nemo adversarium recipit nemo nisi comparem sùum admittit Tert. de orat p. 135. * Deus autem non vocis sed cordis auditor est sicut conspector Tert. de oratione p. 154. * As long as Moses hâ—ld up his hand Israel prevailed and no longer * Morn Lect. p. 467. * Curramus igitur non passibuâ— corporis sed affectibus sed desideriis quia non â—olum Angeli sed Angelorum Creator nos expectat Bern. Med.