A61386:270
An antidote against distractions, or, An endeavour to serve the church, in the daily…An antidote against distractions, or, An indeavour to serve the church, in the daily…
An antidote against distractions, or, An endeavour to serve the church, in the daily case of wanderings in the worship of God by Richard Steele M.A. and minister of the Gospel.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.
London: printed for Elizabeth Calvert, 1667
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
SECT. X.
1THE fifth Effect of Distractions in the Worship of God, is, That they grieve away the Holy Ghost. It is true what the blessed Apostle hath said, Rom. 8.26. The Spirit helpeth our infirmities, and so helps against these, when they are but infirmities, mourned for, and striven against, but when they are contracted habits, then they grieve and quench the holy Spirit*. The Greek word in that Scripture, signifies to take and heave up a thing over against you, to heave with you. I but now, if our spirits instead of helping, shrink away, and heave none, this promise will do us no good. If we leave the business wholly to God's Spirit, without our diligent co-operation, he will leave it to our spirits, without his divine co-operation. The Holy Ghost will dwell only with an holy heart, and these Idols in the heart, do heartily trouble that sweet Spirit, Ezek. 14.3. Son of man, these men ⟨p. 165⟩have set up their Idols in their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face, should I be inquired of at all by them? Read on, and you'll see what consequence this is of. What are worldly and sinful distractions, but Idols in the heart? what are abused objects of the eye, or ear, but the stumbling-blocks of iniquity before the face? and how can the holy Spirit dwell in such a soul, or abide such doings? Luther somewhat says, that the Holy Ghost dwells not in Babel, but is Salem; that is, delights not in the heart, where is nothing but confusion, (that's the english of Babel) but in the heart where there is quiet, peace, and freedom, (that's the meaning of Salem.) In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion, Psal. 76.2. The unkindness offered is very great: as if you should earnestly importune some noble friend, to accompany and help you in some arduous affair, and he comes to go with you, once and again; and still, when you should come along, and promote your own business, you steal away about some trivial matters, and leave your noble friend in the lurch: This is the very case, you humbly importune the holy Spirit of God,