Antidote Against Distractions, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. To Attend on the Lord without Distraction, is our Duty.
SECT. I.
IN the third place I shall prove,Cap. 3. Proves that it is our Duty to Attend on the Lord without Distraction. that to Attend upon the Lord without Distraction is our Duty, which will clearly follow by demonstrating, 1. The Possibility of it. 2. The Necessity of it.
First, It is Possible thus to serve our God: the sluggard,§. 1. The possibility of it. it is true, finds a Lyon in his way to every Duty, and nothing is possible, because nothing is welcome. There is no Duty so easie, but can pose the negligent; none so hard, but is facile through Divine grace to the diligent. Perfection herein I assert not, but that we may attain it, in the substance and security thereof is proved.
1. From the Precept of God, The wise and merciful God commands nothing, but he finds or makes it possible; He most truly sayes, Viam aut inveniam aut faciam. His commands are not snares but Rules, yea and Helps. When a Master commands, power and assistance waite not on his Commands; the Servants strength must perform the Masters will: but here are the commands of a Father, which when they outstrip his childs strength, are still accompanied with his own assistance; and the chair which the weak cannot bring in, he helps to fetch himself. Now behold the Divine Precept, 1 Sam. 12.24. Serve him in Truth with all your Heart. What truth is there, while we appear to serve the Lord, and indeed do not think upon him at all! Or how is that with all the Heart, while there is not half, nor any thereof many times! while we can pray, and plot, and think, and look, and begin our Devotion only at the end of the Duty. Our merciful Father will not impose an impossible Law upon us. *Imperat mihi Deus ut praebeam illi cor meum, & quia imperanti Deo non sum obed e…s, mihi sum rebellis & contrarius, idcirco plura machinatur cor meum uno momento, quàm omnes homines perficere possunt uno anno Bern. med. c. 8.It may by accident become impossible, but it is not so in it self.
2. In regard of the Power of God it is possible. Ours is the Duty, but his is the strength. God and his servant can do any thing. When you look on a hard task, and your heart fails you, advance your eye of Faith, and you will find God the strength of your heart, Phil. 4.13. I can do all things through Christ that strengthneth me; loe here the omnipotency of a worm! If all things, (that is all my duty) then this among the rest. But you will say, This was an Apostle, a Person of great strength and Grace: yet still the Acts were from the man, but the Strength was from Christ; for the same person saith, 2 Cor. 3.5. Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves, but our sufficiency is of God. Who though he be at the same time Terrible out of his holy places, and darts his Curses on them that do his work negligently, yet the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power to his People, Blessed be God, Psal. 68.35. He gives, that is, he is ready to give it out, but alas his stock lyes almost dead by him; and none sues to him in good earnest. His Power is at your service, and therefore serve your selves of it.
3. In regard of the Promise of God, This is Possible. To every command there is a Promise *Compare Deut. 10.16. with Chap. 30.6. And so 1 Ioh. 2.27, 28.. The command finds us work, the Promise …inds us strength. As to this, some think that clause in our Magna Charta, Ezek. 11.19. of One Heart is intended this way; wherein the Lord promiseth an united heart to his servants. An hypocrite hath more hearts than one, an heart for his pleasures, an heart for his pride, here and there his affections are stragling, now saith God I will give one heart. There is another Promise, Jer. 32.40. I will put my fear into their hearts, that they shall not depart from me; neither in whole nor in part, unless fault be in your selves. Now these promises are Amen in Christ, and do belong to every soul that is in Christ; who may claim and have the benefit of them.
4. Add hereunto the Experience of many servants of God, who by an habit of holy watchfulness, have attained to considerable strength against these Wandrings. Hope of relief makes many complain of their Distractions, when fear of Pride hinders them from divulging their attainments; And that which by the grace of God is possible for others, with the same grace is possible for you.
SECT. II.
SEcondly,§. 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. It is necessary, and therefore no doubt our duty to Attend on God without Distractions. It not only may be done, but must be done, You will say, They are happy that can do it, but they may be safe enough that cannot; Thus the inside and substance of Religion is counted an high attainment, but not Duty. I shall shew therefore that this soul-attendance on the Lord is necessary.
1. It is Necessary to the Essence or Being of the Duty; As the soul is necessary to the Being of a man, the body is no man, but a Corps without it; even so a solemn Duty with a wandring heart is but the Corps of a Duty. Lam. 3.41. Let us lift up OVR HEARTS with our hands to God in the Heavens. The elevation of the hands signifies nothing, without lifting up the heart with them. If prayer be the *foreign. Damasc.lifting up of the heart, what are words without the heart? *Ubi Duo vel …res congregati in nomin: meo, &c. qui sunt isti Duo; nisi anima & corpus. Ambros. de instit. virg. c. 2.A man may spend the same time and the same words, in a serious and in an heartless Duty, and yet the latter stand for nothing, for want of intenseness and attention. Isa. 64.7. There is none that calleth on thy name, because none stirreth up himself to take hold on thee. If a man come to the service of God and do not **foreign.excite and stir up his soul to exercise grace, as a man will blow a dull fire; his faith, zeal and humility, if he do not blow them up, but suffer his Heart to run at randome, the holy God counts all the rest, as a Cypher without a figure it stands for nothing.*Tunc Veraciter oramus, quando al…nde non cogitamus. Bern. de int. Domo. c. 48.
2. It is necessary to comfort in the Duty. The service of God is a most sweet pot of ointment of a most refreshing odour, The gracious soul is refreshed therein, as in a bed of Spices. Distractions are the dead flies, Eccles. 10.1. that dropping into this sweet ointment, cause it to send forth a stinking savour, displeasing to God, and unpleasing to the soul. Where can the soul be better than with God? what sweeter company, than that which Angels keep; or pleasant imployment than conversing in Heaven? till a sort of wandring thoughts arise, and like a black cloud quite hide the sweet beams of that Sun of Righteousness from the soul, and then your comfort is gone. The sweetness of musick consists in its harmony, when the strings are out of tune, or untuneably toucht, it is but a harsh sound, there, is no musick: wandring thoughts are like strings out of tune, there is no musick in that Duty; the Holy Ghost goes away and likes it not; *Nequ… enim agnosci pot…ri… à spiritu sancto spiritus inquinatus —aut impeditus à libero… nemo adversarium recipit, nemo nisi comparem sùum admittit. Tert. de orat. p. 135.and the soul likes it not, is weary of it, there is no sweetness in that Duty. It is a tried Maxime, The more seriousness, the more sweetness; the neerer to God, the warmer and merrier is the soul, which inward comfort is some reward to the heart of a Christian, when his particular suit is denyed; so that IN keeping of Gods Commandments there is a great reward. The choicest of the Spirits sealing comforts, are bestowed in the lively service of God.
3. It is necessary to the prosperity of a Duty. Psal. 66.18. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear my Prayer. In Gods service the soul should be regarding God alone. If I regard a Corruption instead of Christ, If w…en some vain object presents it self, I turn my back on God to treat with vanity, the Lord will not hear me, nor regard me. We read 1 Sam. 1.13. of that gracious Hannah, that she spake in her heart, only her lips moved not, her voice was not heard; yet this wordless prayer did the business; Lip-labour, if no more, is but lost labour, *Deus autem non vocis, sed cordis auditor est, sicut conspector. Tert. de oratione p. 154.The sweating and labouring of the heart prevails. The Lord our God hath a book of remembrance for them that think on his name, while he turns the deaf ear to them that cry Lord, Lord, and do not inwardly adore him. In short, thus saith the Lord God, Ezek. 14.4. Every man (Child or not Child) that setteth up his Idols in his heart— and cometh to the Prophet, (sits demurely before the Preacher) I the Lord will answer him that cometh, according to the multitude of his Idols. He that sets his heart on vanity, vanity shall be his recompense; If he will not affect his own Heart, he shall never affect mine. *As long as Moses h…ld up his hand, Israel prevailed, and no longer.He that withdraws his Heart in asking, will find the Lord to withdraw his Hand in giving what he asks.
4. It is necessary to communion with Iesus Christ in a Duty. Which though it be a Riddle to unregenerate men, yet is the very business and next end of the Worship of God; which if you lose, that Duty is lost. Jesus Christ calls, Cant. 2.14. O my Dove — let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice, for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely. Now if, when he waits thus to be gracious, you wait not for his grace, and watch for the blessed appearances of the Holy Ghost, you will lose that happiness, you'l lose your labour, and at length your souls. How are you troubled, that you are abroad, when some *Morn. Lect. p. 467.good customer comes to your shop, It troubles you when that is bestowed with another, that was intended for you. O Sirs, the spirit of God is a good Customer, and when he comes and you are away, you are absent to your loss; and therefore keep at home the next time.
How unmannerly would it be for the Subject to knock at his Princes Chamber, and (knowing he is within, and waits for him) step away about some frivolous trifle, when he hath done? The Prince appears, opens his royall door, and calls; but the Clown is gone. How fairly may he shut his door against such a guest, and make him dance attendance long enough, before he see his face *Curramus igitur non passibu… corporis sed affectibus sed desideriis, quia non …olum Angeli, sed & Angelorum Creator nos expectat. Bern. Med. c. 6.? Ah how seldome do we see the face of God in an Ordinance, or much endeavour it? Psal. 63.8. My soul followeth hard after thee, The Hebrew *foreign agglutinavit.is glued to thee. That soul and that alone that follows hard after God by the earnest intenseness of zeal and love, that cannot be content without him, that heart shall cleave to him, and have rare communion with him.
Thus you may plainly see, that to attend on the Lord without Distraction is a Duty, which is the Third Point to be handled.