SIXTH SEASON
HOW A CHRISTIAN MAY KEEP HIS
HEART FROM WANDERING IN DUTY
“The sixth season of expressing this diligence in keeping the heart, is the season of duty; when we draw nigh to God in public, private, or secret duties, then it is time to look to the heart, for the vanity of the heart seldom discovers itself more than at such times. How often doth the poor soul cry out, O Lord, how fain would I serve thee, but vain thoughts will not let me; I came to open my heart to thee, to delight my soul in communion with thee, but my corruptions have set upon me: Lord, call off these vain thoughts, and suffer them not to prostitute the soul, which is espoused to thee, before thy face.” The sixth case then is this:
Case 6. How the heart may be kept from distraction by vain thoughts, in the time of duty.
There is a two-fold distraction or wandering of the heart in duty: 1. Voluntary and habitual. They set not their hearts aright, and their spirit was not steadfast with God, Psal. lxxviii. 8. This is the case of formalists, and it proceeds from the want of an holy bent and inclination of the heart to God; their hearts are under the power of their lusts, and therefore it is no wonder that they go after their lusts, even when they are about holy things, Ezek. xxxiii. 31. 2d. Involuntary and lamented distractions, I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me; O wretched man that I am, &c. Rom. vii. 21, 24. This proceeds not from the want of a holy bent and aim, but from the weakness and imperfection of grace. And in this case the soul may make the like complaint against its own corruptions that Abijah did against Jeroboam, Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat is risen up against his Lord, when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted, and could not withstand him, and there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, 2 Chr. xiii. 6, 7. Grace hath a dominion, but lusts are mutinous and seditious during the infancy thereof. But it is not my business to shew you how these distractions come into the heart, but rather how to get and keep them out of the heart; in order whereto take these ten following helps.
Help 1. Sequester yourselves from all earthly employments, and set apart some time for solemn preparation to meet God in duty: you cannot come reeking hot out of the world into God’s presence, but you will find a tang of it in your duties: it is with the heart a few minutes since plunged in the world, now at the feet of God, just as with the sea after a storm, which still continues working, muddy and disquiet, though the wind be laid and storm over: thy heart must have some time to settle. There are few musicians that can take down a lute or viol, and play presently upon it, without some time to tune it; there are few Christians who can presently say, as Psal. lvii. 7, O God, my heart is fixed, it is fixed. O when thou goest to God in any duty, take thy heart aside, and say, O my soul, I am now addressing myself to the greatest work that ever a creature was employed about: I am going into the awful presence of God, about business of everlasting moment.
Oh my soul, leave trifling now, be composed, watchful, serious, this is no common work; it is God-work, soul-work, eternity-work. I am now going forth bearing seed, which will bring forth fruit to life or death in the world to come; pause a while upon thy sins, wants, troubles; steep thy thoughts a while in these before thou address thyself to duty. David first mused and then spake with his tongue, Psal. xxxix. 3, 4. So Psal. xlv. 1. My heart is inditing, &c.
Help 2. Having composed thy heart by previous meditation, presently set a guard upon thy senses: how often are poor Christians in danger of losing the eyes of their mind by those of their body; for this Job covenanted with his senses, chap. xxxi. 1, for this David prayed, *Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken thou me in thy way,*Psal. cxix. 37. This may serve to expound that mystical Arabian proverb, which advises to shut the windows that the house may be light: It were excellent if you could say in your onsets upon duty, as an holy man once did, when he came off from duty: Claudimini occuli mei claudimini, &c. Be shut, O mine eyes, be shut: for it is impossible you should ever see such beauty and glory in any creature, as I have now seen in God. You had need avoid all occasions of distraction from without, for be sure you will meet enough from within. Intention of spirit in the work of God, locks up the eye and ear against vanity.—When Marcellus entered the gates of Syracuse, Archemides was so intent about his mathematical scheme, that he took no notice of the soldiers when they entered his very study with drawn swords; a fervent cannot be a vagrant heart.