A remedy for wandering thoughts in worship - Steele - XIII - Chapter 7 concluded

Required reading
A remedy for wandering thoughts in worship by Richard Steele (Available from Heritage Books or free here) - Conclude Chapter 7.

My summary
Today Steele continues to teach us why distractions in worship are evil.

Last week Steele explained that distractions are evil because of their nature.

This week Steele teaches us that distractions are evil because of their effects. 

The effect of distractions is that they:
(i) alienate the heart from holy duties;
(ii) affront the majesty of God;
(iii) hinder the benefits of a holy duty;
(iv) deprive the soul of its purest comforts;
(v) grieve away the Holy Ghost.

What grabbed me
Although we have heard this idea in various forms already, I continue to be helped by the truth that distractions in worship are all the more dreadful when we consider who God is: 'Must the great God wait on a simple worm, till he can be at leisure to speak with him? shall the worst of evils be courted, while the chief good is slighted, and yet even then pretend his service? As if some miserable scullion at the court had made use of great means to possess the king with his low condition, and when the king is come to speak with him, he lies sweeping the sink, or scouring the spit, and there lets his prince wait on him to no purpose ; may not he justly say, when I come next to meet you, you shall know the difference between the majesty of a king, and the wretchedness of a scullion. Just so, poor soul, do thou and I obtain leave to approach our heavenly Lord and King, and when he expects the heart earnestly to solicit her great affairs, she is roving away, and bestowed in the kitchen, or worse, while the great and holy God stands waiting to be gracious. What father but would take it for a great indignity to see his son stopping his ears, or whistling, or playing with flies, while he is reading his last will and testament to him, or giving him directions about his greatest affairs? And is not God greater than a father? and can he with his honour abate such a child his punishment, if he do not humbly cry to him for mercy, and study to offend no more? Though divine vengeance be not always as visible as a parent's rod, yet it is as real and more heavy.'

We certainly do deserve to be disciplined for our lack of discipline in worship!

Next week's reading
Commence Chapter 8 by reading up to Section IV (Believe in the presence of God).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.