Seventhly, Vain distracting thoughts rob us of the comfort of an ordinance. A gra- cious soul oft meets with God in the sanc- tuary, and can say, as Cant. iii. 4., " I found him whom my soul loveth." He is like Jonathan, who having tasted the honey on the rod, his eyes were enlightened. But vain thoughts hinder the comfort of an or- dinance, as a black cloud hides the warm comfortable beams of the sun from us. Will God speak peace to us when our minds are wandering and our thoughts are tra- velling- to the ends of the earth ? Prov. xvii. 24. If ever you would hear the word with attention, do as Abraham, lie drove away the fowls from the sacrifice, Gen. xv. 11.: BO when we find these excursions, and sin- ful wanderings in hearing, labour to drive away the fowls, — get rid of these vain thoughts, they are vagrants, and wo must not give them entertainment.
Quest. But hoiv shall we get help against iliese vagabond thoughts ?
4m. 1. Pray and watch against them.
2. Let the sense of God's omniscient eyo overawe your hearts. The servant will not sp(»rt in his master's presence. 3. Labour for an holy fratne of heart. Were the heart more sj)iritual, the mind would be less fea- thery. 4. Bring more love to the word. That which we love we fix our minds up- on ; he that loves his pleasures and recrea- tions, his mind is fixed upon them, and he can follow them witliout distraction. Were our love more set upon the word preached, our minds would be more fixed upon it. and surely there is enough to make us love the word preached ; for it is the word of life, the inlet to knowledge, — the antidote against sin, — the cjuickener of holy affec- tions : It is the true manna which hath all sorts of SAveet tastes in it ; it is the pool of Bethesda, in which the rivers of life spring forth to heal tlie broken in heart; it is a sovereign elixir or cordial to revive the sor- rowful spirit. Get love to the word preach- ed, and you will not be so distracted in hearing. AVhat the heart deliglits in, the thoughts dwell upon.
'2(1. If you would sanctify the sabbath by diligent attentive hearing, take heed of drowsiness in hearing; drowsiness shews much irreverence. How lively are many when they are about the world, but in the worship of God how drowsy, as if the de- vil had given them some opium to make them sleep ! A drowsy temper is (now) very absurd and sinful. Are not you in j)rayer asking pardon of sin ? Will the pri- soner fall asleep when he is be^-o^ino- his pardon ? In the preaching of the word, is not the bread of life broken to you, — and will a man fall asleep at his food ? ^\liich s W(»rse, to stay from a sermon, or sleej) at a sermon ? While you slept, perhaps the truth was delivered, \\ hieh might ha\ e con- verted your souls. Besides, sleeping is ve- ry offensive in these holy assemblies: it is not only a grieving the Spirit of God, but a making the hearts of the righteous sad, Ezek. xiii. 22. It troubles them to see any show such a contempt of God and his wor- ship; to see them busy in the shop, but drowsy in the temple. Therefore, as Christ said, JMaf. xxvi. 40., " Could ye not watch one hour?" so, can ye not wake one hour? I deny not but that a child of Ciod may
OF THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.
Kometimes througli weakness and indispo- sition of body drop asleep at a sermon, but it is not voluntary or ordinary. The sun may be in an eclipse, but not often ; if sleeping: be customary and allowed, it is a very bad sign, and a profaning of the ordi- nance. A good remedy against drowsiness is to use a spare diet upon tiiis day. Such as indulge their appetite too much on a sabbatii, arc fitter to sleep on a couch, than pray in the tcmj)le. Now, that you may throw off distracting thoughts and drowsiness on the Lord's day, and may hear tlic word with reverent attention, con- sider,
1. It is Cod that speaks to us in his word ; therefore the preaching of the word is called the " breath of his lips," Isa. xi. 4. And Christ is said now " to speak to us from heaven," Heb. xii. 25., as a king speaks in his au)bassador. Ministers are but as the pipes and organs, it is the Spirit of the liv- ing Cod breathes in them. When we come to the word, we should think thus with ourselves: God speaks in this ])reacher. The Thessaloiiians heard the word Paul preached as if (rod himself had spoken unto them, 1 Thess. ii. 13., " When ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God." When Samuel knew it was tlie Lord that spake to him, he lent his ear, 1 Sam. iii. 10. If we do not regard God when he speaks to us, he will not regard us when we pray to him.