A remedy for wandering thoughts in worship by Richard Steele (Available from Heritage Books or free here) - Read the Dedications and Chapter 1.
Firstly we read the dedication of the book which is to the Holy Trinity.
Then an address is given to the reader in which Steele commends the work as a cure to the disease of wandering thoughts in worship.
In Chapter One Steele introduces his text, 'that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction (1 Corinthians 7:35)', and explains what is meant by 'attend upon the Lord' and 'without distraction.
Steele then closes Chapter One by defining distraction: 'A distraction is a secret wandering of the heart from God, in some duty in hand.'
Not sure Steele paid proper attention to the context of his text, but I am looking forward to what he has to say in this book.
I loved that he dedicated the book to God: 'Unto thee, therefore, do I dedicate both this and myself, with this earnest prayer, That this Essay may both please thee, and profit thy Church! That thou wouldest take this rod into thy hands, and therewith whip these buyers and sellers out of thy temple! That thy great name may hereby be magnified, though the writer's were never known! To thy heavenly blessing do I most humbly recommend this mean work, and worthless workman, with a resolution to remain, while I have any being, Thine own, Richard Steele.'
Great stuff.
Why don't more books have a full dedication to God at the beginning? After all, that should be who all our work is dedicated to...
Next week's reading
Read Chapter 2.
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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