Antidote Against Distractions, Chapter 10
Cap. 10. Inferences from this Doctrine.CHAP. X. Inferences from this Doctrine.
SECT. I.
§. 1.THE first Inference from this Doctrine and Subject,I. We have cause to mourn over our best duties. is, That we have cause to mourn over our best duties, and when we have written fairest, to throw dust thereon *Miserere mei Deus, quoniam ibi plus pecco, ubi peecata mea emendare debe…, or… quidem ore, sed mente foris vagante; orationis …ructu privor, corpore sum interius, sed corde exterius, & ideo perdo quod dico — parum. enim prodest solâ voce cantare sine cordis intentione. Bern. Med. c. 8.. Alas! what swarms of Flies corrupt our pot of ointment, and what a savour do these leave thereupon, in the nostrils of God? we can hardly ever be busie within, but vain thoughts send for us without. As our Lord Iesus could not be about his great work, but they came with this disturbance, Yonder stand thy Mother and Brethre… without, to speak with thee: So it is with us; the Devil and our hearts together, give us no quiet, when never so busie, but will molest and cry, yonder is such a business to speak with thee, this Iron burns, and that work must be ordered. Alas! what broken and torn sacrifices do we bring to our God? what a fair escape have we with our lives and senses out of the presence of God? As that Emperour killed the Centinel on the place, whom he found asleep; saying, Dead I found thee, and dead I leave thee. So most justly might the Lord answer our distracted duties, with distracting terrours, and leave us under the judgement of distraction, for our sins in distractions. And what a piece of ignorance and impudence is it, for any man to be proud of his duties? Alas! the best duties are of divers colours, like the Beggar's Coat, and what Beggar will be proud of his patched Coat? If there were any flowers or spices in thy duties, they were none of thine, from thee came all the stench, from above came all the perfumes; and what poor reason then hast thou to be proud? It is sad, that when our sins make us humble, our duties should make us proud, Isa. 64.6. We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy raggs, for there is none that —stirreth up himself to take hold of thee. With what shame and trouble would we go among folks, if we had no better cloaths than filthy raggs? and yet how high we look, that have no better cloaths of our own, upon our souls? if you wear any better, they are borrowed garments, and what silly wretch is proud of borrowed garments?
And this shews likewise, what need we have of the Righteousness of Iesus Christ, to make our prayers pass into the holy place. It was the smoak of the Incense which came with the prayers of the Saints, and ascended up before God out of the Angels hand, Rev. 8.4. The prayers of the Saints themselves, are like smoak in God's eyes (to speak with reverence) but the smoak of the Incense is a perfume in God's nostrils. Iesus Christ can be heard when we cannot. Our quaintest Oratory is broken and ineffectual. His intercession is constant and Imperatory. Go therefore to the Throne of Grace, leaning on your Beloved. Keep an actual eye to Christ's mediation in your prayers, and though you bring in his precious Name in the fagg end of your supplication, yet remember you have need of him in every sentence; a broken prayer had need of an intire Mediator.
SECT. II.
II. IT follows hence,§. 2. That omissions of holy duties are extremely dangerous. II. Omission of duty dangerous.Into these our fall is most frequent, against these our watch is most careless, after these our mourning is most easie: yet of these the number great, and the nature heinous. If according to that, Ier. 48.10. He be cursed that doth the work of the Lord negligently, what is he that doth not God's work, one way, or other? If a distraction in prayer may damn… O what may an Omission of prayer do! If the Scholar be whipt that looks off his book, what will become of him that plaid the truant! Do the consciences of God's children smite them for vain thoughts in a duty, how should yours wound you, that you have no thoughts of your duty! O you that omit secret prayer, reading the Scripture, meditation, and such like, will your negligence pass with God? He sees how seldom you sigh in secret; what strangers you are to prayers and tears: should one in some cases, refuse marriage for fear of distractions in God's service? and can you wholly omit his service without danger! Are watchfulness and seriousness such dispensable things, that they are happy that have them, but one may do well without them? I tell you, he that chastens his careless children, will punish his graceless servants. He that makes them smart for their distractions, will make you tremble for your omissions. Undone duty will undo your souls. It's not enough that you have left off the language of swearing, unless you have learnt the language of praying. It's not enough that you have burnt your books of curious Arts, unless you love to read in the Book of Books, the Scripture. To be mortified to contemplative wickedness is well, but till you be vivified to contemplative holiness, it is not well enough. Do you must, or die you shall. You may come to Hell as certainly by not climbing up, as by running down; and lose Heaven by Naturality, as well as by Hostility. When you have read the 25th. chap. of Matthew, you shall tell me, whether wanting Oyl may not as truly ruin you, as drinking poison; whether an unprofitable servant will not come to a sad reckoning, as well as a prodigal Son. Though you take not anothers, yet you may be consumed for not giving your own; and in fine, you will find, that sins of omission do deserve damnation.
O hearken to this, all ye that live quietly, in the omission of closer or family-prayer, of solemn fasting, or communion in the blessed Supper of the Lord. Hath God abated you of the price that others must give? hath he granted a new way to Heaven for you? must others make Religion their business, and you baulk it where you please? what can your consciences answer to that, Iam. 2.10. If a a man keep the whole Law (mark, the whole Law) and yet offend [Gr. stumble, stumble and stop] at one point, he is guilty of all: O beloved! there is a concatenation of Truths and Duties in Religion, you may easier go away with all your work than some; a negative holiness will but bring you to a negative Heaven, and you know, behind Heaven-door, is Hell. O awaken therefore your hearts, ye that stick at this point, that are far from debauchery, and excess any way, but will not be gotten to positive duties. Will ye with one dash expunge the one half of Scripture! Is not Good as amiable, as Evil is hateful? what cause is there to fear, that your avoidance of evil is from no good principle, but either fear, or shame, or interest, or at the best, a better temper? For the love or fear of God would make you cleave to that which is good, as well as abhor that which is evil, and to do God's will, as well as deny your own.
SECT. III.
§. 3.III. SEE hence what grand necesit…y we have of Watchfulness;III. The great need of watchfulness. that most continual duty of a Christian; this is the garment we must put on next us every day, especially in every duty. Between duties, that we may not want praying hearts; in duties, that we miss not prayer-blessings. Some duties bind alwaies, but not to be alwaies done, as prayer, hearing, meditation, but you can be safe no where without your watch *Nusquam securitas neque in coelo, neque in paradiso, multò minus in mundo. In coelo cecidit Angelus sub praesentia Divinitatis, Adam in Paradis… de loco voluptatis, Iuda… in mundo de schola salvatoris. Bernard., at all times, in all places, with all companies, yea with no company, in all callings; there is a snare for the heart every where. Wherefore saith the Prophet Hosea 12.6. Wait on thy God continually; and the wise man, Prov. 23, 17. Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long; especially, but not only in your morning and evening sacrifices. It is a true and a sad observation, that many praying people are most devout and serious in God's service morning and evening; but trace them all day long, hardly one word of God, or Heaven in their mouths, as if Religion were hem'd up in times of Worship; nay, they are often most light and vain betwixt times: but be thou IN the fear of the Lord, involved, surrounded and swallowed up in the sense and fear of God's glorious presence, all the day long *Philo describing the Therapeulae by some thought to be Christians, saies, They have God perpetually in their mind, insomuch that in their dreams they see nothing but the beauty of the divine powers. Dr. Light…. on Acts. p. 296.. This will dispose you to duties of Worship. A watchful Christian hath his heart ready at a call: it is quickly in tune that was never out. Holy duties are not heterogeneous to any holy heart, the same frame will serve. He that walks with God, is never out of his way. A short, or rather no preface, will serve to usher in conference, with whom you have been conversing all the day. It is sometimes the whole work of a prayer to be acquainted with God. Away with this strangeness; if you will be upright, walk before God, and watch unto prayer. Methinks, sincerity and watchfulness are the Catholick Graces *Sine hac nec amanda est ipsa charitas, nec ipsi sidei fidendum, nec benè sperandum de ipsa spe. Dr. Arrowsmith.. Sincerity makes every grace true, watchfulness makes every grace sure. Of all graces, study these Catholick Graces. Here is the essence, here is the quintessence of Religion. O therefore prize this Angelical, this Evangelical Grace, pray for it, Psal. 141.3. Set a watch O Lord before my mouth, keep the door of my lips; for except the Lord do keep the City, the watch-man waketh but in vain. Thou art impotent, God is omnipotent. And then practise it, the use of it will teach the Art of it; as children learn to go step by step, as they learn to swim, by venturing. Adventure on this exercise, try one week, try one day, try one hour, try the next duty. As you renew your falls, still renew your vows; you can do all things through Christ that will strengthen you. I beseech you in Christ's behalf, set on this duty in good earnest. You will pay me for all my pains with one well-grounded resolution, to set up a constant watch. What a sad close will that be unto your life, to say, Cant. 1.6. My Mothers's children made me a keeper of the Vineyards, but MINE OWN VINEYARD have I not kept? O therefore watch and pray, or else temptation will enter into you, and you will fall into temptation.
And most especially in the service of God *1 Pet. 1.13. Gird up the loins of your mind. As loose cloaths hinder a journey, so loose hearts hinder a duty.. Watch and pray Christ hath joyned together, and what Christ hath joyned together, let no man, especially no good man put asunder. What is the first step in an Ordinance? (as the Orator of old in another case) Watchfulness. What is the second step in an Ordinance? Watchfulness. What is the third step in an Ordinance? still Watchfulness. Particularly
First, In Prayer. Prayer is a pouring out the heart unto the Lord; by a distraction you pour it by Psal. 62.5. My soul, wait thou ONLY upon God, for my expectation is from him. A distraction imposes two Masters on the soul to wait on. Rovings in prayer make that which is our most reasonable service, the most irrational thing in the world. No folly like speaking to one person, and thinking of another *Eternam vitam or a petimus, nec tamen corde desideramus, clamantes tacemus; si vero desideramus ex corde, etiam cum ore conticescimus, tacentes clamamus, Greg. lib. 22. in Job..
Secondly, In hearing God's Word. This is the audible conference of the Almighty with thy soul. A distraction lets him talk unto the walls. When you come to a Sermon, you stand on your watch, and set your self on the Tower, and watch to see what God will say to you, Hab. 2.1. By a distraction you do almost, as if a servant stopt his ears at the orders that his Master is giving.
Thirdly, In reading. Therein you *Oratio tua …cutio est ad Deum… quando legis, Deus tibi l…uitur; quando oras, cum Deo loqueris. Aug. in Psal. 85.peruse God's heart in black and white, where you may believe every letter to be written in blood, not like Draco's Laws, but in bleeding love. A distraction neither understands, nor applies those sacred characters. Which of you would so read your Father's last Will, especially in matters that concern'd your selves? One chapter, one leaf, one verse well read and applied, will do your heart more good, than an hundred read with half an heart.
Fourthly, In singing Psalms, you had need to watch… Thereby you pay unto God the Rent of his mercies. A distraction clips the coin, and turns the heart to do homage to the Devil. Well resolved therefore of David, Psal. 103.1. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME praise his holy Name. Thy melody is base, if the main strength of the soul be not in it. I am perswaded that God hath suffer'd this Ordinance in particular to be slurr'd once and again, to be left off by some, and cast off by others, out of his just Judgement, there being so general a neglect of the inward and feeling management thereof. For where sits the man *Cantant ut placeant populo magis quam …eo. Habes in potestate vocem tuam, habeto & mentem; frangis vocem, …range & voluntatem. Bern. de inter. Do. c. 51., that lets each word and line in the Psalms, run through his heart as he sings them? Nay, if the truth were known, there is hardly one passage, that's felt from the beginning to the end: for if it were, O the heavenly affections it would raise, and the sweet frame it would leave on the soul! you would not part with that Ordinance out of your Families, nor Congregations, for all the world.
Fifthly, In Meditation, great need of watchfulness, else when the soul is soaring aloft, like the Eagle, these darts will, or ever you are aware, strike down the heart again. O how hard is it to spend a quarter of an hour in meditation without a distraction! If there be any thing in the fancy, if there be any thing in the room, if there be any thing in the world, thou wilt have it, to withdraw thy heart from God. And generally the more spiritual the duty, the more distractions. And therefore I say unto you, watch.
SECT. IV.
§. 4.IV. SEE hence what cause you have to bless God for freedom from distractions, IV. Reason to bless God for freedom from Distractions.and be sure you do it. Those that have an habitual ability against these snares, O bless the Lord for it! it's he that keeps the heart in tune, not you. We like little children, can break the strings, and put our hearts out of tune, but 'tis the Lord that sets and keeps us in order. You little know the anxiety, and fear, and trouble, that these do cost many a poor Christian; they strive, they mourn, they doubt, they are ready to throw up all: These Vultures do gnaw upon their very hearts; no comfort, no joy of the Holy Ghost, no peace within, and all through the continual assaults hereof. And by the only mercy of God thou art well and free. Thou canst continue instant in prayer, thou canst come to Heaven gates, and get thy errand heard, thy business dispatcht, and little distraction in it. O give the Lord praise, lest he leave thee to thy self, and then thy case will be more miserable than theirs. Thankfulness keeps the mercy which ingratitude forfeits. And we are Free-holders of these blessings, but 'tis because we hold of his free grace and mercy.
Yea, those that are oft pestered with them, and yet sometimes freed, bless the Lord for that. It is as much your duty to praise God when you are freed, as to bewail it when you have failed. It is the comparison of a good Divine; if a man have planted many Trees in his Orchard, and the Caterpillars, or Cankers have consumed them all, but one or two, how glad will he be of them that are left, and make much of them? the rest are kill'd, and these only remain. Even so thy duties of Religion, which thou hast planted, and expectedst they should bring thee some good fruit; but alas! these Caterpillars have consumed it, unless it be here and there a prayer, here and there a Sermon, that have scap'd; O bless the Lord for these! you have often prayed for such a mercy, now you have it: Let praises wear, what prayers have won. It is sad to consider, what a beggarly spirit we are of: if we want any thing, Heaven and Earth shall ring of us; but we are graves, wherein the gifts of God are buried without any resurrection. Where is the heart that is pregnant with praises, that cries out to his friend, O help me to praise the Lord! Divide our lives, and the one half of them is mercies, and the other half is sins: and yet divide our prayers, and hardly the tenth part is spent in praises. Alas! thanks is a tacite begging. Let God gain the glory, and thou shalt not lose the advantage. The God of Israel is he that giveth strength to his people, blessed be God, Psal. 68.35. Conclude with the Psalmist, Not unto me, O Lord, not unto me, but unto thy Name give glory. Think not, when thou hast attended on the Lord without distractions, I have quit my self well, but mercy hath quit its self well. He that justly payes his score shall be trusted again.
SECT. V.
§. 5.V. YOU see here in the last place, That Religion is an inward, V. Religion is an inward, difficult and serious business.a difficult, and a serious business, Rom. 2.28, 29. He is not a Iew that is one outwardly — But he is a Iew, that is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God. To be watchful and holy within, that's a Christian; to have the vanities of the heart cut off, that's circumcision; to carry it so in an Ordinance, that you may be praised of God, that's Religion: while others are quarrelling about shadows in God's Ordinances, beware le…t you lose the substance thereof.
*There are written on the walls of the Jews Synagogues at this day, foreign i.e. Prayer without the intention of the affection, is like a body without a soul.There is in Religion a Body and a Soul. The Religion of the body, is but the body of Religion, the Religion of the soul, is the soul of Religion. And as the separation of the body and the soul, is the death of a man; so the divorcing asunder the form and power of godliness, is the death of godliness. As it is injury to macerate and destroy the body for to cure and save the soul; so it is a crime to damn and lose the soul, to please and pamper the body. Even so it is injurious to destroy the body and outside of Religion, to preserve and advance the soul and inside of Religion; but it is heinous to lose and break the heart of the inside and vitals of Religion, to pamper and adorn the exteriours thereof. It is well, if while we quarrel about a bended knee, we do not lose a broken heart. Is the folly of the Quakers criminal for killing Religion in her body? how sinful then is Formality, that slayes Religion in her soul!
And then you see here also, that *Quatuor difficillimi labores laborantis in partu, docentis in schola, imperantis in bello. Precantis in Ecclesia. Drexel.Religion is a difficult and serious business; men cannot swim to Heaven in a stream of Rose water, nor row up this River while they are asleep: we cannot wrestle with our God, with our hands in our pockets, nor get the blessing without sweat and tears. To repeat so many Pater nosters, or Ave-maries, with the heart on other things, and running sometimes from their knees to other business, in the midst of their Devotion, as many do in the Church of Rome *Behold the Jesuits Divin…ty. It is enough to be bodily present at the Mass, though absent as to the mind, provided he behave himself with a certain external Reverence. Connick. q. 83. a. 6. n. 197.; or, to say our prayers, and be slumbring, or dressing us the while, as in the guise of many outside Christians, is far from our Religion. The manner of duties is material to the acceptation of them. Ah stupid worldlings! how can ye read those Scriptures, Mat. 7.14. Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it, Mat. 11.12. The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force, and such like, and yet hope for salvation in that secure and formal course you hold. Do you imagine, there are two waies to Heaven, one for the diligent mortified and watchful Christian, and another for the idle sluggard, or carnal worldling! Have the holiest Saints much ado to walk with God, and get to him, that make it their business? they are saved, and that's all; and can you live and die well enough, that are neither mortified, nor watchful, nor diligent, that have no delight, but in your vanities? no skill, but in the world? no diligence, but for your base ends? what back-way have you found to Heaven? what blind way have you descried to happiness? Awake, awake! look at the Scripture, and then look at your selves, and be convinced, that the only way to eternal happiness, is to make Christ your choice, Religion your business, the Scriptures your Rule, Heaven your design, the Saints your company, and the Ordinances your delight; and in them, remember that you go to attend upon the Lord, and this must be done without Distractions.
And now you know your duty and your danger. The end of speculation is practice, and the end of our Preaching is not your approbation, but your submission. The Christian Religion is not so much the form of spiritual Notions, as the power of spiritual Motions. He that complements in God's service, will complement his soul into Hell. The outside of Religion may bring you to the the outside of Heaven, but inside-holiness will conduct you into the inside of happiness. If these Directions I have given be but studied and applied, as you would study and apply a medicine for the Gout, or Stone, or but the Toothach, I verily trust they will prove the destruction of your distractions: But if they be neglected, your distractions will prove your destruction.
FINIS.
End of the text · Richard Steele, Antidote Against Distractions (1667)