An antidote against distractions, or, An indeavour to serve the church, in the daily case of wandrings in the worship of God by Richard Steele M.A. and minister of the Gospel.

CHAP. IX. Encouragements under the burden of Distractions.* 1.1 (Book 9)

SECT. I.

* 1.2BUT, lest any honest Christian should by his frequent distractions, be discouraged from his duties, or in his holy duties, I shall in the ninth place, prevent such a temptation, by laying down some Encouragements for those that groan under the burden of distractions. And here I assert two things:

• 1. That these distractions should not drive you from your duties: You have been thinking, perhaps, it were better my ser∣vice were undone, than done so confused∣ly; and our false hearts are secretly prone to accept any occasion to lay down our

• work, but believe not the Devils rotten Divinity: he takes on him to be tender, lest God's name be taken in vain, but this is to insinuate you the more; but in this sense, obedience is better than sacrifice; thy obedience to his command, is more plea∣sing to him, than thy torn sacrifice. And then it is a known case, that the omission of a duty will never fit one for a duty better. Luther's saying herein, was, the more I neglect, the more unfit I am. In∣deed, some ground will mend my lying still, but that's better ground, than is in faln man's heart. Ours is the ground that must be stirr'd, and manured, and quickned, and then some fruit will come. As one sin fits the heart for another. so one duty fits the soul for another. How∣ever, it's better to serve thy Master with a trembling hand, than not at all, and the Father takes well a well-intended work, though it be unwillingly marred in the making.
• 2. These distractions should not wholly discourage you in the performance of your du∣ties. Despise you they must, discourage you they must not. Our good Master would not have us draw heavily in his service. It's prophesied, Psal. 138.5. They

• shall sing in the waies of the Lord. This is a sweet hearing. God's work goes best on, when we sing at it. All the infirmities of a Christian laid together, yet should not discourage him in his duty. Si dixeris, doleo, sufficit. And for your support, I lay down these incouragements.

* 1.3I. Distractions are consistent with grace * 1.4. Grace may live with them, but not be lively long with them: They are like the blew and yellow weeds, that grow with the best corn that is. Grace may live with them, though it can never agree with them: and therefore conclude not against thy self, O I have no grace, I am so pe∣stred with these things: surely no child of God hath such an heart. For this is an epidemick distemper; where-ever the hand of God hath sown good seed, the enemy hath scattered these his tares amongst it. Indeed there is no sin so crim∣son, that is absolutely inconsistent with grace, abate but that transcendent one, the sin against the Holy Ghost: Let no pro∣phane heart make use hereof to hearten them in their sins: a prophane heart, I say, for a gracious heart is of another temper. Alas! the worst of sins do sometimes peep into the best mens hearts,

yea may creep into them, and lodge in them for a season. How much more may a sudden thought break in, which, like lightning, springs into the heart without any warning? Do not therefore cry out, when this or any other corruption steals into your hearts, I am a lost man, this cannot consist with grace, but this should not consist with grace. The former conclu∣sion being made, dejects the spirits; but the latter whe••s the spirit of amendment. It was foolishly done of Dinah, Gen. 34 1. To rove about to see the Daughters of the Land; it was not done like Iacob's Daughter, but this was no argument for her to conclude, O I am not Iacob's Daughter. So thou hast an heart like Dinah, of a gaddy temper, that runs abroad, and comes defiled home; this is not done like a sanctified heart, but it were a simple conclusion to draw hence, certainly I am no child of God, I have no true grace at all For alas, the sweetest Rose hath its prickles, the greatest wits have a spice of madness, and the sincerest heart hath some vanity in it * 1.5.

SECT. II.

* 1.6II. THE second Incouragement is, That your case is not singular.* 1.7 Though the commonness of a Plague make it not the better, or less mortal, yet it shews that I am not alone miser∣able: So, although this consideration make not the sin less heinous, yet it makes the affliction more tolerable. Poor soul! thou art not alone in thy complaints. Go to all the Saints in an Assembly, and they will all conclude, there is none hath a more giddy heart than they, and there's few at the end of an Ordinance would be pleased, that the rest should know the particulars of their stragling. Though charity binds us in particular to hope better of every one than of our selves, yet both God's Word, and * 1.8 com∣mon experience tell us in general, that the imaginations of the thoughts of men are evil continually. And there is none thinks themselves so bad, but there are found others, that would

be glad to change hearts with them: some indeed are nearer the cure of this disease, and do watch more narrowly, and so have obtained more freedom than others, but yet all are tainted with this infirmity; and every man being convicted by his own conscience, will go out of the Congregation one by one, and there will not be a sinless man to cast a stone at thee * 1.9.

SECT. III.

THE third Incouragement is,* 1.10 That Christ's Intercession for thee is with∣out distraction.* 1.11 There was fire alwaies on the Altar, though the sacrifices were in∣termitted. His intercession is continual, ours is interrupted. What unspeakable comfort may a poor weak Christian take in this? that Christ Iesus is every mo∣ment, I say, every moment presenting to the Father, the unanswerable argu∣ment of his passion, for the impetrating and obtaining pardon, and grace, to help him in time of need. See Heb. 6.20. Heb. 3.25. Poor sinner! thou art some∣times so dead, that thou canst not pray

to purpose, so guilty thou dost hardly pray, and oft so distracted, thou think∣est thy prayers stand for nothing, yet be not discouraged, thy Mediator is sick of none of these diseases. The ho∣ly Psalmist was sometimes, as Psa. 77.4. so troubled, that he could not speak; yet then had he one to speak for him. The sight of that precious glorified Son of of God, doth infinitely please and pre∣vail with his Father for us, when we can hardly speak good sense for our selves.

I, but how can I tell that he intercedes for me?

Answ. 1. Hast thou a good word to speak for him to men? then hath he a good word to speak for thee to God.

And 2. Dost thou sigh, and groan, and speak for thy self as well as thou canst, his intercession is to help our weakness, not to excuse our laziness. If some ignorant poor man, that cannot say his errand, but is often out in his bu∣siness, have a cordial friend (that hath the grace of speaking, and the fa∣vour to be heard) undertake his business, he needs not be discouraged: so, though you have much ado, and be often out in

your best resolved duties, yet you have a friend in Court, that hath the Art of it, and the King's ear beside, who ever liveth to make intercession for you, and therefore do your best, and never be discouraged.

SECT. IV.

THE fourth Incouragement is,* 1.12 That distracted duties may keep you humble,* 1.13 when as your perfect performances might make you proud. It is written of Master Knox, that on his death-bed, after he had received many blows from Satan about his sins, he was at last assaulted by him with this temptation, viz. That sure God owed him a kindness for his upright and industrious labours, until that 1 Cor. 4.7. was strongly imprinted on him, What hast thou which thou hast not re∣ceived? Perhaps the Lord fore-saw, that thy heart was ready to be fly blown with pride, when thou dost well, and therefore he suffers these distractions, like Vultures to gnaw upon thy heart, to keep thee humble * 1.14. Far be it from you to

draw from hence an occasion to rest more securely in these sins. That Knight was sirnamed Fortunate, because, being on a time in the deck of a ship, a great wave came and took him off into the Sea, and another wave took him and set him on the deck of another ship; yet no man (I trow) would to obtain such a name, be content that a wave should so hazard him: Even so, though God do sometimes make use of our infirmities to do us good, yet let no man venture therefore to sin, that grace may abound, Because the Physician can so temper poison, that it may do thee good, wilt thou therefore venture to drink poison? It is miraculous wisdom in God to do thee good hereby, and it were miraculous folly in thee there∣fore to venture upon evil. And with this caution, I proceed and observe, that it is a very hard thing to hear, or pray exact∣ly without some tang of spiritual pride after it: And to prevent this, God per∣mits us to wander, and lose our selves, lest we should be lost; he sees that it is easier for a man to fall into a lesser evil, when he can turn it to a greater good, than to attain a lesser good, and hazard to fall into a greater evil. O when a man sees

so much dreggs in his very best duties, such constant disapppointments, such fool∣ish impertinencies in his heart, yea such wicked contrivances in the very presence of God, O then what a wretched man am I! surely I am more brutish than any man, I am not worthy to come to thee, nor think I my self worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof, no such sinner on earth as I; my best is very bad, &c* 1.15. Thus the soul is throughly humbled, and brought to sit among the chief of sinners, and spiritual pride re∣buked.

SECT. V.

THE fifth Incouragement is,* 1.16 That our God can gather some sense out of a distracted duty, and do us some good by it * 1.17, Rom. 8.27. He that searcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, 'tis true of our spirit as well as of God's. The great searcher of hearts knows what you came pregnant with, what you meant, though you mist it in the delivery. He can tell what was written in the Letter,

though it did miscarry, and will answer your godly meaning, and over-look your unwilling failing, Psal. 103.13. As a Fa∣ther pitieth his Children, so the Lord — Why, the child comes sometimes full of a suit to the Father, and he is quite out in his tale, has forgotten what he would have; but the Father knoweth what he wants, and what he would have said, and grants the whole. And so, provided thou be a child, and art heartily sensible of thy wants, and comest panting to the Throne of Grace; thy heavenly Father will ac∣cept thy meaning, and grant thy petition, though thy heart did unwillingly give thee the slip, while thou mournest for it, and resolvest to mend it the next time * 1.18. The industrious Scholar comes sometimes full and clear in his lesson, but when he is delivering it, he is out: put him in his way; he is out again: Now, if his Master know, he had it perfect ere he came, he pities and helps him, and concludes, that fear or care made him miss it, and that his want is only in utterance, strokes him on the head, and bids him la∣bour to do better next time. So the se∣rious

Christian, he is deeply sensible of his spiritual wants, and knows and feels well what he must ask, and down he kneels, but yet when he comes to open his case, alas! he's drawn away utterly against his mind, and his heart runs at random * 1.19. Why now your heavenly Ma∣ster knows your preparation, your inten∣tion, your indeavour, your grief, your resolution, he will not turn off such a Scholar. He is a Father, and will make the best of his child's faults, especially see∣ing him fallen out with himself for them.

SECT•• VI.

THE sixth Incouragement under the burden of distractions,* 1.20 is, That there is grace and strength in Iesus Christ to help you against these your distractions. Without him we can do nothing to pur∣pose; but that's a sweet word, and a true, I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me, Phil. 4.13. There is a stock in Christ's hand for such needy souls as you * 1.21. You find your grace insufficient for you, but then his grace is sufficient.

Lay the mouth of faith then to the two breasts of his power and pity, and suck thence divine power, to help your hu∣mane weakness. How can that little Cistern be empty, that lyes with a Con∣duit to the Ocean? How can that Wife be poor, whose Husband is a Prince? How can that body languish, whose head hath plenty of spirits, and power to convey them? why, he was anointed with the Oyl of Grace above his fellows, but it was for his fellows. He was rich for the poors sake; he was strong for the weaks sake. Be thou therefore strong in the grace that is in Christ Iesus, 2 Tim. 2.1. Your wound is not incurable, at this door others have sped, and so may you. Wrestle not therefore against these temp∣tations, only in your own strength. The Devil is too strong for you alone, and the heart too deceitful. Not I, but the Grace of God with me, said Paul him∣self. If habitual grace be too weak for them, auxiliary grace is too strong. Mony in my friends purse, especially in my Fathers is as good, as in my own, especially when it is there for me. There never was seen a Lazarus lye dying at this Rich mans door for want. If there

be any thing in Heaven to pleasure you that fear him, you shall not go without it.

SECT. VII.

THE seventh Incouragement is,* 1.22 That in Heaven you will be perfectly rid of your distractions. There his servants serve him without wandrings * 1.23. Here you would serve him, there you shall se••ve him. Here we have the world to cum∣ber and draw us off, there will be no other world but Heaven. Here the De∣vils stand at our right hand to resist us, there he shall never come, nor once peep among the Saints above. Here our flesh is continually suggesting evil motions, or crying, Master, spare thy self, but flesh and blood shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, nor trouble us there. Here the crowding of Gallants distracts us in publick, and the crying of children di∣stracts us in private, but supreme Holiness will be all the Gallantry in Heaven, and no cryes were ever heard above. Here one untuneable voice distracts us in the Psalm; but there will be a perpetual

Union, and the eternal Hallelujah shall be sung nemine contrasonante. Here this or that business calls us away, invades us in the middle, and curtails us at the end, but there is no other business to go to, no company to fetch you out, nothing that can give you such content, no nor any content, out of that blessed imploy∣ment. All the outward senses, and all the inward faculties will be so wholly ta∣ken up with the vision and fruition of the Ever-blessed Trinity, that there will not be room for one by thought, or glance from that fair object to all eternity. O run apace, and you will be shortly there, dis∣patch your work with all the speed you can, fly with an holy hast through all worldly business, cast anchor at no world∣ly comfort, till you discover Land, till your work be done, and your place in Heaven ready for you, And in the Inte∣rim, be not discouraged at your rovings, for you are not yet in Heaven * 1.24. Perfe∣ction is reward as well as duty, and so is our aim here, but our attainment there: And let that happy state be a copy by which you write your present duties. Think sometimes when you are dull and roving, you saw a Casement open into

Heaven, and there beheld those coelestial sacrifices, and their divine imployment; and think withall, shortly shall I be among them, and do I pray here, as I would sing yonder? doth this imper∣tinent frame sort with yonder most blessed frame? why art thou cast down, O my soul! I shall yet praise him, who is the help of my countenance, and my God. And this may be for incourage∣ment to poor souls, that are fainting un∣der the burden of their distractions.

And now at last we see the shore, and so shall only lay on some binding sheaves, and drive away; and that will be by no∣ting some Inferences from the subject, which is the Truth, and last point to be handled.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cap. 9. Incou∣ragements under the burden of Distracti∣ons.
• * 1.2

  §. 1.
• * 1.3

  I. Incou∣ragement. Distracti∣ons are consistent with grace.
• * 1.4

  Et si la∣tratum cani•• susti∣net, morsum non timet, latrat enim cum sug∣gerit, tunc verò mor∣det cum ad consensum pertrahit. Bern. lib. de consc.
• * 1.5

  Si vel hoc dolemus, quod non possumus orare, ••am oramus.
• * 1.6

  §. 2.
• * 1.7

  II. Incou∣ragement. Your case is not sin∣gular.
• * 1.8

  Inter∣dum oran∣tem, lup••∣ululans & vulpe∣cula gan∣niens tran∣silivit, psallenti{que} gladiato∣rum pugna spectaculum praebuit & unu•• quasi interfectus & ante pedes eju•• corr••ens, sepulturam rogavit. Hieron, in vit. Hilarion. p. 242.
• * 1.9

  Non ille qui coelum clausit, ora∣tione, ani∣mam clau∣sit à cogi∣tatione.
• * 1.10

  §. 3.
• * 1.11

  III. Incou∣ragement from the uninter∣rupted In∣tercession of Christ.
• * 1.12

  §. 4.
• * 1.13

  IV. Incou∣ragement from the conse∣quent.
• * 1.14

  Si vero debilitatus à peccato sixe nequis orare, quantum∣cun{que} potes teipsum co∣hibeas; & Deus ig∣noscit, eo quod non ex negli∣gentia, sed ex fragili∣tate non potes ut oportet assistere coram eo. Basil. in Serm. de Orando Deum.
• * 1.15

  The worst prayers we make (to our sense) speed ever best, and then we pray most happily, when we arise most humbled. Dr. Harris.
• * 1.16

  §. 5. V. Incou∣ragement from Gods gracious accepta∣tion.
• * 1.17

  Evagatio verò mentis quae sit prae∣ter proposi∣tum, oratio∣nis fructum non tollit. Aquin. 22 ae. q. 83. a. 13.
• * 1.18

  A man that hath the Pal∣sie, his hand shakes, but we cannot say, he shakes his hand: so we may say, it is not they, but sin in them, as it is not he, but the Palsie distemper in him that shakes his hand. Mr. White of vai•• Thoughts. p. 68.
• * 1.19

  Non im∣putantur cùm vio∣lenter im∣portantur. Gilb. in suppl. Bern. in Cant. Serm. 1.
• * 1.20

  §. 6. VI. Incou∣ragement, from the sufficiency of grace in Christ to help a∣gainst them.
• * 1.21

  Potesta•• nostra ipse est: Ita{que} ora brevissime ac persectissimè quant im potes. Aug. Solil. loc. 2.
• * 1.22

  §. 7. VII. In∣courage∣ment; there will be no di∣stractions in Heaven.
• * 1.23

  Vita ju∣storum in his terris non ••am in justitia cer∣nitur quam in justi••••ca∣tione, non in sancti••a∣te, sed in sanctifica∣tiono, non in puritate, sed in purifica∣tione, non in perfectione, sed in pro∣fectu.

  J. F•••• de ver. ••r. Justif. p. 162.
• * 1.24

  In Gram∣mar, the Present tense is accompa∣nied with the Imper∣fect. But the Future with the Plusquam Perfectum.