THESE Words spake St. Paul in a time of Per­secution, and he spake them with special regard to it. During that sea­son he recommended to Christians a single Estate. He recom­mended it, but did not enjoyn it, nor [Page 2] make a matter of discretion, a necessary Duty. He gave not (therefore) this Counsel to all, but to those who could re­ceive it. And upon this account it was that he then advis'd to that state of life▪ He consider'd that the Gospel was to be Preach'd in many Countries, with great Pains, and amidst equal Perils. And he well understood, that the less the Propa­gators of it were intangled in the Affairs of this Life, the more they would be at liberty to promote their holy Faith: The freer they would be from perplexity of Mind, and upon that account, the better dispos'd to Attend upon the [Service of the] Lord [Jesus] without distraction.

Upon occasion of these Words I shall (by God's help)

1st. Enquire into the Nature of the Di­straction, or wandring of the Mind. Next to that,

[Page 3]2dly. May be consider'd the great Evil of it, especially where it is indulg'd; and more especially when it is affected in the Worship of God. That Consideration will fitly introduce (in the

3d Place) A Persuasive to Attention and fixedness of Thought in God's Ser­vice; that the Grace of God, which is, in it self, of so inestimable a Value, may not by us be receiv'd in vain.

I. The General nature of the Wandring of the Mind, consisteth neither in its musing upon many things, which increaseth know­ledg, nor in ballancing one thing against another, which helpeth us to make a right judgment of them; nor yet in its passing from one matter to another, tho the objects are at a great distance; for they may have a Connexion in reason, tho they have it not in time or place; so it is (for example) with those great Objects, Moses and Christ, Canaan and Heaven.

[Page 4]But then the Mind may be said to wander, when the Attention is removed from the matter which was properly be­fore it, to something foreign, even then when the Meditation on that matter was fitly and usefully to be continued. So Pilate asked what was Truth? But he pursued not the Enquiry, neither staid he for the Answer of our Saviour, who was the only Oracle that could have given him a Resolution which would have left no doubt behind it.

This distraction of the Thought is sometimes a Natural Infirmity, and some­times a wilful and affected Practice.

Sometimes the temper of the Brain is either over-hot and volatile, or cloudy, and heavy, and slow, in the Original frame of it; sometimes Afflictions and Diseases and throngs of Worldly Affairs shatter that Temper which was at first an [Page 5] apt instrument of Sobriety and compo­sure of Mind. And generally the Mind is apt, instead of maintaining an orderly connexion of the Images of it, which requireth Pains and Judgment, to rove from one to another, by a kind of casu­al coherence. As, for Example, when there is mention made in Scripture of Christ and his Doctrine, as the true Bread which came down from Heaven; the Imagination of the Reader or Hear­er who has not had his Senses orderly exercis'd and fix'd, is very apt to wander from that Evangelical Food, to the thought of the Manna of the Israelites; and from the Manna, to the Wilderness in which it fell, and from thence to the Rock in the Desart, which God turned into a springing Well; and then peradventure he thinks of the Impatience of Thirst, and the refresh­ing of Water; and after that, the Fancy [Page 6] is led into as many windings and turnings of musing, as the Jews say there were in that River which followed them. Thus the Mind is carried to such a distance from the first thought, as not to be able to tell, of a sudden, where the Imaginati­on began, and in what manner it was con­tinued.

We see and hear a great deal of this in the Digressions which are continually made both in Books and in Conversati­on; and may, to our great grief, feel the Byas of it in our selves when we appear be­fore God in his holy House; where there is little need of our interrupting of one a­nother by late coming, by Talk, or by ir­reverent Gesture, seeing our own Minds give themselves too much diversion.

The natural Infirmity which I have been speaking of, is, in some Persons carried on with such Indulgence, that it becomes [Page 7] a Presumption. Such way is given to it, such content is taken in it, that it is pro­perly a Man's own Act.

I shall not here discourse of all the kinds of this wilful Wandring; but only of the removing of the Attention, in part or in whole, from the Worship of God, and the carrying of it to something that is vain or wicked, or indifferent; or if good, as improper at that time, as would have been the practice of the Impotent man at Bethesday, if he had desired to have been carried afar off to a Physician, in that juncture when the Angel had been just moving the Waters, or when Christ himself was by the Porch.

This is the manner of those who in God's House are present in body, and ab­sent in spirit; who with cold Formality, repeat religious Words, not minding the important sense of them; who hear as [Page 8] if they heard not; who read with such Negligence, as not to understand, even where the matter is not beyond a Ca­pacity which has not much depth; who see the Holy Elements, and think of common Tables, and wander with their Appetite, as well as their Thought: Who draw nigh to God with their lips, whilst their hearts are far from him; or possibly their Hearts are elsewhere so perfectly engaged, that they neither cause the lip to move, nor the knee to bow.

But,

2dly. The distemper of wandring, whe­ther it be natural or acquir'd, is no small Evil, especially when we should draw nigh to God in Religious Assem­blies.

1. Even there where it is a natural [Page 9] infirmity, it is attended with great incon­venience.

It hinders us in the search of such Truths, as depend upon any number of Consequences. Where there is not Attention, such Truths will not be found: It is from the same Root, that both Credulity and Scepticism spring. It is from want of closeness of Thought, that some believe any thing, and others nothing. Hence also is prevented Re­solution of Will, so necessary in a good matter, and attain'd only by such a judg­ment, as, being fixed it self, fixeth the Purpose. And, for the utmost degree of Inconsistency of Thought, 'tis no o­ther than Madness. From lower degrees of it, proceed great defects in a Man's Duty to God, his Neighbour, or him­self, whilst the mind starts from that which is before it, and leaves it unfi­nish'd, [Page 10] reversing the Counsel of the wise­man,Eccl. 9.10. ‘Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.’ So serviceable to all Business, Civil or Sacred, is the ap­plication of the mind.

It is true, that very devout Persons are subject to the Infirmity of Wandring; it being difficult, amidst such a variety of I­mages in the head, to keep one certain line of them straight and continued; and our great Adversary, in the midst of our best Thoughts, is busie in darting in such Suggestions, as by their suddenness, their incoherence, their contrariety, both to our present Thoughts and Affections, and Prayers; their Black and Diabolical na­ture, shew that they are of their Father the Devil.

And tho it is in Divinity as in the Ci­vil Law, by which the Trees planted in another Man's Ground, are not, till they [Page 11] take root, judged the Property of the Owner of the Soil; tho evil Suggestions, till by our consent they are rooted in our hearts, are not our proper thoughts, but either the Devil's Temptations, or na­tural Infirmities, which the Merciful God, who considers our Frame, will not impute to such in whom the spirit is willing, and the flesh weak; yet it is an unhappy and uncomfortable Circumstance which they ought to pray and strive against, and to the utmost of their Skill and Power abate, bearing with Patience the Weakness they cannot conquer, till God Almighty in his good time shall work the blessed Alterati­on in them.

But then,

2dly. When Men allow and indulge themselves in this roving of Imagination, and when they do so even in the Wor­ship of God,

[Page 12]Then 1st. Their sin is exceeding sinful. And,

2dly. Their Condition is very dange­rous.

1. Their sin is exceeding sinful, both in it self, and the Fountain whence it pro­ceeds.

1. This Practice flows from a corrupt heart, which wants the love of God. For where the Treasure is, there will the heart be also. If therefore the Heart valued God and Goodness, if it truly lov'd his Honour, and its own Salvation, it would not perpetually go astray from them, but be there fixed where true joys are to be found. The Israelites when they were out of Egypt with their Bodies, in their hearts they turned back again into Egypt;Acts 7.39. its Idols pleasing their imagi­nations, and its fruits their Appe­tites; but the holy woman in the Gospel, [Page 13] who chose the good part, whose Affecti­on was chiefly placed upon the One thing necessary, she sate, in the posture, and with the attention,Luke 10.39, 42. of a Disciple at Jesus feet, and heard his word.

2. The root of this practice, the want of the love of God, being so evil, the practice cannot but partake of the irreli­gious nature of it.

Wilful Wandring in God's service is a kind of Contempt of God, and a coming in­to his Presence to slight him; to affront him to his face; and it gives him just oc­casion to complain, as in Jer. 23.11. In my House I have found wickedness. It is a preferring of our own ways and thoughts before his: nay, 'tis the preferring of the Injections of the Devil, to whom we give place, by receiving of them into the room of pious meditations.

[Page 14]It is likewise a disobedient refusal of his call, when he says with Importunity as well as Authority,Prov. 23.26. My son give me thine heart.

It disappoints the Ends designed by God's wisdom in his Service, his own glo­ry, and the edification of the Worshippers; for, by such hypocrisie which withdraws the best part of Man's Service (that which is inward, judicious, hearty) and substi­tutes that which is scarce a shew of De­votion, God is rather mock'd than ho­nour'd: and those who are present in his House with thoughts ranging in the world, can neither improve in Knowledge nor Faith, nor Devotion, nor Morality; see­ing they attend not to the means and exercises of them: For our Spiritual is not like our Natural Stature, which grows up, whether we think or think not of it. Observable are the words of the Apostle. [Page 15] Consider what I say, and the Lord give you understanding in all things.

Add to this, the great aggravation of ingratitude in Sinners of this kind, who stand in such need of the especial grace of God, and whom God's extraordinary Goodness hath obliged with the means of it; for after all this they despise his and their own mercies, and use the Grace of God (as they ought to do the World) with an indifferency, and as if they used it not.

This undervaluing of the Riches of God's Love, instead of giving him thanks; this neglect of means, instead of embra­cing and using them for the improve­ment of our very imperfect nature; this spending of good hours to such ill pur­pose, is not only wicked, but

2dly. Exceeding perillous, as indeed all wickedness is; for how pleasant soever [Page 16] vain Thoughts are, and how charming soever this Paradise in which the Fool wanders, may for a season seem to him; yet the immediate consequence is evil, and the end of these things are shame and death.

Distraction abateth the zeal of the Heart, as the scattering of the Rays does the heat of the Sun; and when Men are either cold or luke-warm in their duty, they are robb'd of the Comfort of it: they cannot take delight in that which they mind not.

The service of God is a weariness to those whose Thoughts and Affections are elsewhere entangled. So it was to the Israelites, who groan'd even under their Priviledge,Amos 8.5. and said, ‘When will the Sabbath be over that we may set forth wheat?’

[Page 17]And for Almighty God, how can we imagine that he will mind those Services of ours, which we our selves do not; He can­not but observe them, but it is with the Animadversion of a Judge, and in order to punishment: and it is a fearful thing, (in such a manner, and in so ill a cause) to fall into the hands of the living God. He will make good his threatning in Jer. 6.19. I will bring upon this people the fruit of their thoughts.

Now the Considerations of the Wick­edness, and the Peril of wilful and affected wandring in the Service of God, do fitly prepare the way to the Third Part of this Discourse.

3. A persuasive to Attention, without which we cannot be either innocent, or safe, or useful.

Give, therefore, to God not a mechani­cal but a reasonable service. Let him have [Page 18] more than the bodily Engine, and the natural spring of it, by which the Eyes, and Hands, and Lips, and Knees, are mov'd. Consider that when all the Forces of Soul and Body are united, They are still an imperfect Oblation; how much more when they are divided and weak'ned by the Thoughts and Affections running in many and in crooked Channels.

Offer, then, to him what is his due, and that which pleaseth him best, and that which becomes a Man, the Soul, the in­tention, the inward reverence; give him it with judgment; not repeating (for ex­ample sake) the Ministers proper parts, such as Absolution and Benediction, as the manner of some is. Give him it in its place and in its season; perform that sin­cerely which you come to do: If any other thing be then thought of, tho' in its general nature, indifferent, nay tho' [Page 19] good, it is improper, and takes us away from our particular duty at a time when we should solemnly perform it. He (for instance) do's ill in God's Cause who reads the very Scriptures in the Time of the Prayers.

He that is in Honour and hath under­standing of it, he that considers how ex­cellent a Creature Man is as God made him, such a one will not be easie in do­ing any thing unseasonably and imperti­nently; much less will he forgive himself for thinking with pleasure on God's Day only on his own six days Labours, Eccl. 2.14. or (which are much worse) his Vanities and loosnesses of Life. Prov. 17.24. The wise man's Eyes are in his Head, but a fools Eyes are at the ends of the Earth: Endea­vour, therefore, to attend on the Lord; not as fools but as wise, saying in this sense, our hearts are fixed, O God, our hearts are fixed.

[Page 20]Now because we are subject to the Infirmity of giddiness and misattention, and to an indulgence of infirm Nature; and, likewise to the Insults of that Ad­versary, who studies to give the greatest interruption to us when we are most religiously imploy'd; a meer dissua­sive from wandring is not sufficient for us, unless we also understand and use fit Helps against Distraction of thought.

And for Helps, some are but pretended ones, and will deceive us.

Others are real, and will, at least pre­vent much of our Distemper, if they cannot wholly cure it.

First, Amongst the pretended Helps which will deceive us, I shall mention two.

[Page 21]The First is that of the Romanists, who prescribe the use of an Image, as a proper Instrument for the fixing the Mind by the Assistance of Sense. Whereas, by this means the Eye draws down the Mind from the Prototype to the Type, from the Creator to the Creature; and the I­mage is turn'd into an Idol, and the Im­mediate Phantasm (which is made by the sight of it) is that which is most thought of and ador'd. So that this second Ob­ject distracts the Mind, instead of fixing it where it should be truly plac'd; and gives it a diversion by those Bodily Ap­pearances which do not at all appertain to the most high God whom we worship, and whom only we should serve.

A second pretended Help against wan­dring of Mind, is unpremeditated Prayer. For the Novelty of it will, they presume, engage the Attention, whilst that to which [Page 22] Men are accustom'd will be formally re­peated.

To which it may be said, that such as come in good earnest to serve God, will attend much more to an ancient Service, which is judicious and grave, than to any new one which is raw and undigested.

That those who officiate (being not inspir'd) unless great Ability and long Use have given them an extraordinary Talent, are distracted betwixt Invention and Elocution; they are forc'd not so much to mind what they say, as to study what they shall say: and those who hear are distracted also, betwixt Assenting and saying Amen, and considering, in a new Matter, whether they can say Amen to it or not.

Nor can it be imagin'd that the Hearers should not rove if the Speakers do.

Wherefore, not trusting to pretended [Page 23] Helps, let us (2dly) make use of those which are real. And they are many.

Our Infirmity of thought is help'd.

By some Order in thinking, tho' it be not nice and Philosophical, but such as we may learn even from common Cate­chisms, and Sums of Christian Religion.

By freeing our selves, as much as may be, from worldly Incumbrance; and by banishing Care, which perplexeth the Mind, and choaketh the good thoughts of it.

By preserving the Temper from being broken with Adversity, through that e­venness which proceedeth from Resigna­tion to God.

By keeping the Affairs of the other days of the Week from intrenching too much upon those of the first; so the Jews began their Sabbath about Midnight; and how (for Example sake) is it pos­sible [Page 24] for those to be undistracted in God's Service, who come into a Church on the Lord's-Day, full of the Images of a Thea­ter frequented on the Eve of it?

Further our Infirmity is help'd, by a particular Application to God against wan­dring in his Service, when we are just en­tring upon it.

By our immediate checking and recal­ling of our Thoughts, as soon as we per­ceive them to be stepping aside; and by taking a holy Revenge upon our selves, e­specially in private, in repeating that to which we less attended, till we are satis­fied in our attention to it.

It is further assisted, by the considera­tion of the Majesty of him we worship; by laying to Heart the moment of the Service it self, and making it case of Life and Death eternal, which will almost force us to attend to it

[Page 25]By the Time consider'd, as separated from common Use and servile Labour.

By the Place, thought upon as dreadful, or as God's especial Presence.

By the decency of the Place fitted for a Religious Assembly, without variety of superstitious Figures, such especially as we see in many Romish Churches, where they serve for Pomp, rather than Edi­fication, and for the refreshing of those to whom the unedifying sound of an un­known Language would else be very te­dious.

Images, and such-like Ornaments, amuse the Fancy, and draw away the Attention from the Service of God, which is the Bu­siness for which such Buildings are erected, and where it sufficeth if they be conveni­ent, clean and decent.

Furthermore, our Infirmity is help'd by Scriptures and Services in a known Tongue; [Page 26] for how shall a Man attend to that which he does not understand?

Also by the good Method and Order of that which is deliver'd; and by liturgical Words, well chosen, and ready prepar'd. For a Service, which is well weigh'd, and generally approv'd of, and at hand for use, leaves the Mind at more freedom for the exercise of its Devotion: It hath nothing then to do, but to add to good Words; reli­gious fervour of Mind, which by the in­tenseness of it, will keep off Foreign Ideas; The Birds will not light upon the Sacri­fice whilst it is flaming.

Nor are those frequent breaks in Litur­gy inconsiderable Helps to the common People, who are lost in a long-continued Service; whilst they are able to attend to that which is short, and after a small pause, to renew their Attention to a following Ejaculation or Collect: and to them those [Page 27] short Ejaculations, which the ignorant revile as shreds of Prayer, are real Helps of Devotion

Last of all; God, by his Spirit, helps the Spirit of Man in the use of good Means, when, with profound Humility, and fer­vent Devotion, he prays for it.

After all this, let no Man excuse himself upon the impossibility of perfect steadiness of Mind.

The first Motions to wandring can scarcely be, at all times, prevented; but the continuance of them is our own Act and Choice. In Waters, a small Circle, made by any thing cast in, is enlarg'd into a greater, and so multiplied, till at last the whole Sur­face becomes uneven; but it needs not be so in the deep of the Heart which is a vo­luntary Agent. That which cannot be help'd, shall not be answer'd for: but much may be help'd; and if it be not, such di­straction [Page 26] [...] [Page 27] [...] [Page 28] is beyond Apology. All vain, all wicked Thoughts which we delight in, are our own; and proceed not so much from the Frailty of Nature, as the Pol­lution of the Heart.

And happier, much happier is the Con­dition of the Ideot, who cannot think with any tolerable consistence; or the sick Per­son, whose Fever rageth, and not himself, than a Man who has a good Capacity, and is a Master of Method; yet, when he is upon the great Business of saving his Soul, takes up all his thoughts with his Farms and his Oxen, his Trade and Mer­chandize, his Politicks or secular Studies.

And for those pious Worshippers, whose minds are weak, and memories frail, and by Age, or other Causes, past the reco­very of the soundness of them, let them not be so discouraged as to forbear God's Worship, because they do it with such [Page 29] imperfection. The Paralitic must move on, tho' they shake every step, they make way, tho' slowly; and they will, at last fi­nish their Course with joy. That which the Apostle saith of Charity, is true of Pie­ty; If there be a willing mind it is accep­ted according to what a man has, and not according to what he has not.

It is confess'd, that one end of our com­ing together in Religious Assemblies, is the giving a publick Sign of our Communion with God's Church, which is done by our presence, and our decent behaviour there. But there is something more requir'd; the paying of our actual Homage to God, by the Dedication of Soul and Body to him, and the attending to the holy Offices, as means appointed by God for our instru­ction, reproof, encouragement, and com­fort; and the conveying to us his especial Grace and Blessing.

[Page 30]It is true, the Liturgy is a settled Form, and gives not daily new entertainment to Mens Fancies; but it is such, as being of­ten repeated, may yet please and benefit the Devout.

The Scriptures are always the same, but they are a great deep of Divine Wisdom; and every time a Man attends to them, he may possibly find something instructive and useful, which before he observ'd not.

It is certain that we cannot hear Moses and the Prophets in Person: But God's good Providence hath convey'd their wri­tings down to us, and we must read and hear them.

It is true, that Solomon, whose Wisdom drew Hearers from the Ends of the Earth, do's not now speak himself, but his Works do.

It is confess'd, that Christ who spake as never man spake, is in the Heavens, but his written word is in his Church, and a migh­ty [Page 31] Power goes along with it wheresoever there is a teachable and attentive Dispo­sition.

It is also humbly acknowledg'd, that there are great Imperfections in the Mini­sters of the Church; yet Christ hath been pleas'd in earthen Vessels, to convey to the World the rich Treasure of his Gospel.

Let us therefore receive the Gift with­out despising the meanness of the Messen­gers; and mind not so much who the Person is that speaks, as that which is said, and the Divine Authority, from whence he has Commission to preach the Do­ctrine of the Messiah.

Finally, Let us make devout supplication to Al­mighty God, who hath caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our Learning; praying him to grant, That we may in such wise read, hear, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of his Holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast the blessed Hope of everlasting Life, which he hath given us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.