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. I. The Text explained, The Doctrine proposed, and a Distraction described. (Book 1)

SECTION I.

1 CORINTH. 7.35.

—That you may attend upon the Lord without Distraction.* 1.1

THe Apostle is a Casuist in this Chapter,* 1.2 and the present Case is about Virginity and Mar∣riage; wherein I. He deter∣mines for the former, [vers. 26.] when the Church was in the bonds of Persecution, it was not safe to be in the bond of Marriage. II. He prevents mi∣stakes, [vers. 27, 28.] though the single man be fittest to suffer, yet there is nei∣ther that sin nor misery on the married, as to dissolve the sacred knot. III. He offers Reasons for this Resolve. 1. One, from the

crosses and troubles then attending the state of Marriage, [vers. 28.] Thorns as well as Roses. 2. The other, from the Cares that alwaies accompany it [vers. 32.] For the Man, now is his heart * 1.3 divided. Before, if I can but please the Lord, and and contrive how to live comfortably with my God * 1.4; this is all my care and ambi∣tion. Now, the stream of my thoughts and affections is parted; I must please and provide for my Wife, [vers. 32, 33.] For the Woman, now is her task doubled. Be∣fore, her whole aim was to please her Hus∣band in Heaven. Now must her designs and respects be for her earthly Husband al∣so. [vers. 34] Not that these several Re∣lations are inconsistent, but to provide for these new Duties and Temptations will distract the mind, especially in the daies of Tryal. :: 1.5 IV. He qualifies his Counsel, and explains himself, [vers. 35.] It is no•• part of my meaning, either to obtrude the Doctrine or Duty of Coelibate upon you, that to avoid a strait, you should run upon a sin; but my motion is, 1. For your profit; my office, and so my counsel is rather to profit, than to please you, 2. There is a comeliness or * 1.6 conveniency in it; both states are alwaies lawful, but the one may

sometimes be more convenient. And 3. My ultimate design is, that you may chuse that state, wherein you may best Attend upon the Lord without Distraction. This the occasion and tendency of these words.

SECT. II.

FRom the general import of these words flows this Annotation,* 1.7

That condition should be chosen by all,* 1.8 that's best for their souls. Your outward con∣dition must serve your inward condition; and this life must be subservient to another life. If single-life do every way better qualifie you, to serve the Lord, and save your souls, this is the best life for you; and if Marriage be better for your souls, no state is better.

For if the soul prosper, All prospers; and if tha•• miscarry, All's lost. If to be a Prince were dangerous for the soul, 'twere better to be a Beggar: If a poor state do enrich the soul, it is the best estate.

This needs not to be proved unto Chri∣stians, that will be granted by Heathens? some of whom have so powerfully dis∣coursed

of the immortality and excellency of the soul, that their Auditors have posted to death by self-destruction, for the happy state thereof. If Pagans would chuse to dye, as a condition best for the soul, well may we chuse that condition of life, which best serves the soul; lest those Acts which were unable to justifie them, prove able to condemn us with a wit∣ness.

Let this Axiom come in, when you are disposing your children or your selves; be∣ing confident, when you are most sollici∣tous about the soul, God will be most careful for the body, and you will meet with least distress, when you flee the least Distraction.

* 1.9SECT. III.

* 1.10THe words of the Text present us with a Design, that Believers as of∣ten aim at, and yet miss, as any in the World; and which is so excellent a rare attainment, that the Holy Ghost even makes two words on purpose to express it by, no where else found in the

New-Testament; (a) 1.11 To Attend on the Lord without Distraction. Hierome confesseth that the Latine can hardly express the Empha∣sis of the Greek in this clause, and that thereupon it was wholly omitted in the Latine books. In the words we must consider,

• 1. The Matter What, [Attend upon the Lord.]
• 2. The Manner how, [Without Di∣straction.]

1. The Matter what, [Attend upon the Lord] The Greek word for [Attend] in our Copies hath a notable elegancy in it. 1. That you may be (b) 1.12 Fit and ready for Gods Service, That Religion and religi∣ous Duties may sit fitly on you, that you may be ready to serve the Lord in Duty or Suffering. A most sweet frame of soul, to be alwayes bent and strung for the Ser∣vice

of God. That man is meet for the Masters use, that is prepared unto every good work, 2 Tim. 2.21. How many choice oppor∣tunities for instruction, for reproof, for charity, for prayer do we hazard, yea and lose for want of a Soul quick and ready to our duty. 2. That you may be (c) 1.13 Fix•• and setled in his Service. The word in∣timates such an (d) 1.14 inseparable cleaving, such a marriage of the mind to the work of God, that we have in hand, as can by no means suffer a divorce. It should be as hard a matter, to break off the heart from God in his service, being married to him, and setled in holy duties, as it is to abstract the misers soul from the world, to which it is glued.

2. The Manner how, [Without Distra∣ction] The sense hereof is almost pre∣vented, by the Emphasis of the former word. Yet this Word is not without its great weight: And it speaks a (e) 1.15 quiet unshaken and immoveable frame of Soul, which cannot be whirled about with vain trifles. The soul is never at that holy quiet, as when it is directly ascending and

communing with the Lord; and therefore Satan exceedingly envies this Coelestial happiness of the Saints, and if he cannot distract them from duty, be sure he will distract them in it; and this he doth very much (f) 1.16 by the World and the business thereof. And therefore (sayes the Apo∣stle) guide your condition so, in this suf∣fering season, as that it may not misguide your hearts, in your attendance on the Lord; that you may not attend on your selves, nor on others; but (g) 1.17 on Him, who is the Centre of an Ordinance, and your All in All.

Take the sum of all in this Assertion, the main Doctrine from the Text.

It is a Christians Duty to attend on the Lord without Distractions.* 1.18

And that I may from this Text and Doctrine profitably handle the Case, and attempt the Cure of Distractions, I shall proceed to shew these things, 1. The Na∣ture of a Distraction. 2. The Kinds of Distractions. 3. That it is our Duty to attend upon the Lord without Distr••ctions. 4. The reasons why we must attend on the Lord without Distractions. 5. Answer the Objections. 6. Describe the Causes of Di∣stractions. 7. The Evil of them. 8. The Cure

of them. 9. Propound some encouragements under the burden of Distractions. 10 Draw some Inferences from this Doctrine. And first of the first, viz. the nature of a Di∣straction.

SECT. IV.

* 1.19THE first Head will be to describe a Distraction. A Distraction is a secret wandring of the Heart from God, in some Duty in hand.

1. It is a wandring, As the remisness of our Devotion shoots short, so Distraction shoots awry. 'Tis said, Prov. 27.8. As a bird that wandereth from his nest, so is a man from his place. * 1.20 Its commonly known, the ready way to destroy the young in the shell, is discontinuance of heat; and to wander from our heavenly work, pro∣duces the dead off-spring of unprofitable Duties. It would be almost as easie to trace and follow the Bird in her vagaries, as the volatile and intricate imaginations of the heart :: 1.21 It is a digression: you that are curious to observe the Minister in

his digressions; how much more necessary is it to observe your own?

2. It is secret, in the Heart. And this contracts the guilt and nature of Hypo∣crisie upon a Distraction; for we have a short and clear description of hypocrisie, which agrees too well with distractions. Matth, 15.7, 8. This People draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips: but their heart is far from me. To have a bended knee, a craving eye, are choice Expressions of Duty: but without the Impressions and attendance of the heart, * 1.22 are double iniquity and flat hypocrisie. How empty would our Con∣gregations be sometimes, if no more bo∣dies were present, than there are souls: And what abundance of sorry service hath our God, that no body sees?

Yet how unknown soever these triflings of the mind are to others, or to our selves, yet are they most palpable to the Lord, who sets our most secret sins in the clearest light of his Countenance;* 1.23 and though these primo-primi motus may antevert the use of Reason, and therefore seem small Pecca∣dillo's yet they fall under the rebuke of Religion; and are as sinfull as they are secret: Good in secret is the best Good∣ness;

and secret sinfulness, the worst sin∣fulness.

3. This wandering of the Heart is from God, for God is the Object of Worship. To pray aright is, Zech. 8.21. To pray before the Lord. To give thanks aright is, Dan. 6.10. To give thanks before his God, not in his sight only, for so you are, when your hearts are worst; but they did look on God when they spake to him, as we do look on men, when we speak to them. Melancthon sayes, he hath heard Luther in his secret prayers so pray, that one would verily think, there were some body in the room with him to whom he spake.

4. This wandring is, while some Duty is in hand, to desert Duty is Nihil agere, to do divine duties to Diabolical ends is Male agere, to divert the Soul is Aliud agere. Hoc age must be the Christians motto, in the Worship of God. That was a good answer, Neh. 6.3. of Nehe∣miah to his false friends, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down, Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you? He that is in a Duty to God, is about a very great work, And that work stands, or goes backward every moment the heart is away;

and why should a * 1.24 temporal vanity set back, and perhaps quite unravel your eternal concernment? How will that Spartan youth rise up in judgement a∣gainst us, that holding the Censer during Alexanders Heathen Sacrifices, would not stir his hand from its duty; though the burning coals fell thereon, and made his flesh to fry and s••ell in the presence of all the Spectators?

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.2

  §. 1. The de∣pendance of the words.
• * 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.4

  Si oratio∣nem facit ad Domi∣num, propè est Coelo, Scripturis incumbit, totu•• ill••c est. Si Psal∣mum canit, placet sibi. Tertul. de exh. cast. p. 670.
• :: 1.5

  Tu de castitate ca∣nis•• illae somniant etiam viros, flammas patiuntur & saciunt, ubi deco∣rum? ubi adhasio Domini? ubi finis à Paulo posi∣tus? subla∣to fine, tolli debent ad illud desti∣nata. Are∣••ius in loc.
• * 1.6

  So the word is used. 1 Cor. 14.40.
• * 1.7

  §. 2.
• * 1.8

  An Obser∣vation.
• * 1.9

  §. 3.
• * 1.10

  The Ex∣plication of the Text.
• (a) 1.11

  Quod inteniè fa∣cit servire Domino sine ullâ distracti∣one. Hie∣ron. lib. 1. contr. Jo. vin.

  By com∣paring whereof with the present vulgar you may easily see the Vul∣gar was none of Hieromes. For thus the Vulgar, Quod facultatem praebeat sine impedimento Dominum obsecrandi, miswritten for obser∣vandi, as Beza thinks•• But Erasmus sayes the oldest Translation was, Domino observiendi, after turned into observandi and by some obse∣crandi.
• (b) 1.12

  Some Copies read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 some 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 acceptab••le, This way the Ara∣bick speaks ut confortemini quàm proximè secùndum Dominum. But the truest is our own. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 de••omposit••m of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 sedeo from which the Syriack differs little.
• (c) 1.13

  Assi∣dere, apiè adhaerefcere Legh. Assiduus in aliquo ne∣gotio. Ste∣phan.
• (d) 1.14

  Indi∣vulsè ad∣haerens. Bu∣daeus. Quasi à latere alicujus nunquam discedens. Stephan. Ut sitis se∣duli more fidorum servorum qui à latere domini sui non disce∣dunt. Bez. è Syr.
• (e) 1.15

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Trabo, immobilis, inconcussus, quietus, & qui distrahi nequit Budaeu•• Stephan. Usus est hac voce Plut. de Curiosit. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 appellans, ••ffiduum studium sapientiae, nullis negotiis ali•• mentem avocantibus.
• (f) 1.16

  Ut fi∣tis seduli erga Domi∣num ve∣strum, cum honestate decorá non cogitantes de mundo. Tre••ull.
• (g) 1.17

  Ut sre∣quens sit oratio. Sedulius.
• * 1.18

  Doct.
• * 1.19

  § 4 The first general Head. viz. The de∣scription of Distracti∣ons.
• * 1.20

  Primum argumen∣tum compo∣sitae mentis existimo esse, con∣sistere & secum mo∣rari. Senec. Epist. 2.
• :: 1.21

  The same word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 sig∣nifies the Soul, and a Butterfly, because our wandring imaginations make our wavering spirits like wagling Butterflies puffed up and down with eve∣ry blast of vanity. Mr. Pagets Primmer.
• * 1.22

  In the Sacrifices of the Law, the In∣wards still were offer∣ed to God, the skin was for the Priest.
• * 1.23

  Psal. 90.8.
• * 1.24

  When King E∣thelbert was at his Devotions, news was brought of the Danes invasion at Essenden, but he nei∣ther omit∣ted nor abreviated his pray∣ers, he would hear no suit on Earth, till he had made his requests in Heaven, and afterwards he bravely vanquished them. Dr T. Fuller.