The Cure of Distractions – by Nathaniel Vincent (1639-1697)

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The Cure of Distractions by Nathaniel Vincent (1639-1697)

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eISBN: 978-1-62663-558-6

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Nathaniel Vincent (1639-1697) was a nonconformist puritan divine. His colleagues called him “smart…brisk and well-rounded as a minister of the Gospel, holding a facetious and jolly humor, as well as being a considerable scholar.”

In an age where noise fills every moment and the mind rarely rests, Nathaniel Vincent’s “The Cure of Distractions” speaks with piercing clarity to a problem as old as the human heart—and as present as the next wandering thought.

Vincent does not address those who have abandoned worship, but those who still come—yet come divided. He exposes the hidden danger of outward religion without inward engagement, showing that a man may pray, hear, and partake of sacred ordinances, and yet never truly meet with God. The body may be present while the soul is absent. The lips may speak while the heart strays. And such worship, far from pleasing God, provokes Him.

With searching precision, Vincent uncovers the root of distraction: a fallen nature inclined away from God, a subtle adversary who labors to spoil every duty, and a world whose pleasures, cares, and fears quietly steal the heart. He shows how distraction is not a small weakness, but a spiritual disorder—one that empties duties of their power, hardens the heart, and places the soul in danger.

Yet this is not a work of despair. Vincent leads the reader beyond diagnosis to remedy. He calls for a heart prepared before duty, fixed upon God in duty, and watchful after duty. He presses the necessity of grace—hope that anchors the soul, love that binds the heart, humility that senses need, and a tender conscience that calls wandering thoughts back to their proper place. Above all, he directs the reader to Christ, whose satisfaction covers the defects of imperfect worship, and to the Spirit, who alone can steady the restless mind and warm the cold heart.

Table of Contents:
Introduction by C. Matthew McMahon
Meet Nathaniel Vincent by C. Matthew McMahon
Letter
To the Reader
Chapter 1: The Text
Chapter 2: Attendance Implied
Chapter 3: Several Kinds of Attendance
Chapter 4: Why Men Must Attend God
Chapter 5: Uses of Attendance
Chapter 6: Serving God Accordingly
Chapter 7: The Influence of God
Chapter 8: Various Uses
Chapter 9: Attendance Without Distraction
Chapter 10: What is it to Attend Without Distraction?
Chapter 11: Carefully Guard Against Distractions
Chapter 12: Benefits
Chapter 13: Cases of Conscience
Chapter 14: Uses and Application
Other Works by Nathaniel Vincent at Puritan Publications