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…

1. The greatness of God. The greater the Personage, the greater the Reverence, and the more solemn your attendance is. ^*Hence Elihu cries, Job 37.19. Teach us what we shall say to him, for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness^**. It is a bold adventure to speak to him, what is it then to trifle with him? wilt thou speak to God, nay pray to God, and not so much as look that way when thou speakest to him? This is to put on him the robes and title of a King and use him like a slave. A Prince may converse with two or three of his servants at a time, but its Impudence for a servant to talk to two or three Princes at a time. The great Jehovah can speak with thee, and a thousand more, and do all your errands at a time, but alas! thou art too poor a worm, to entertain the great Jehovah, and other matters at once. We are his Creatures, Isa. 45.11. Thus saith the Lord the holy one of Israel and his Maker. If a servant must not be frivolous before his Master, ⟨p. 36⟩when he is receiving his commands, who dares be so before his Maker, who can as easily reward or ruin us as I can turn over a leaf in this Bible? This Himself gives for the reason of that dreadful curse, Mal. 1.14. upon the Deceiver, that having a Male in his flock, offers to God a corrupt thing. For I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts, and my name is dreadful among the Heathen. Which of you will be thinking of your wives, or children, or ground, when you are offering a Petition to a great King, or run after Feathers, when he is saying his mind to you? Thou takest God to be such a one as thy self, or else thou wouldest never do it. Remember a great God must be worshipped with profound veneration, and the most serious affections. A man must worship God, as if he were in Heaven; Oh if thou wert there among those myriads of Saints and Angels, with what care, and humility, and instance, wouldest thou pour out thy heart to him, or hear his words to thee^*