example if the Preacher commend any necessary duty unto us we may pray for grace to perform it if he condemne any sin by which we may be ensnared we may pray for strength to avoid it and if hee dispute of any hard point which is profitable to be knowen wee may pray for wisdome to understand it And all this wee may do without any hinderance to the publick service or the exercise in hand Nay if we do thus at convenient times and when the occasion doth require it it will further us in that work two waies 1. it will obtaine a blessing of GOD upon the present work that it may do us the more good and 2. it will season our hearts with holy affections and thereby prepare them for the performing of what they have beene taught Prayer then is usefull at all times both before we come to heare and when wee are in hearing and after we have made an end of the work and therefore my exhortation shall be that of the Apostle 1. Thess 5.17 Pray without ceasing and that of our Saviour where hee saith that men ought alwayes to pray Luk. 18.1 For our better encouragement in which duty wee may consider the successe and event thereof in two knowen examples The first is the example of Cornelius of whom it is said that while hee was praying in his house an Angel from heaven appeared unto him and directed him to Peter who would tell him what hee ought to do Act. 10.6 or as it is Act. 11.14 would tell him words whereby both hee and all his house should be saved An other example wee have in Saul afterward called Paul Of whom wee reade that after JESUS had appeared unto him by the way and preached unto him the sum of the Gospel hee went into the City and continued three dayes fasting and praying And then the Lord appeared to Ananias and said Arise and inquire in the house of Iudas for one called Saul of Tarsus for behold he prayeth Act. 9.11 Where 1. wee may note a commandement given to Ananias Arise go enquire for Saul it is a short speech including more in the sense then appeareth in the words Hee meaneth that hee should inquire for him and having found him should say and do unto him as afterward is expressed ver 17. 2. a reason which moved God to bestow these favours upon him and that is in these words For behold he prayeth If Saul had gone his way and neglected the vision that hee saw and the words that hee heard from our Saviours mouth hee might have continued without any further direction and help But now that hee prayed to God after the vision and the instructions of our LORD (a) Act. 9.17 and Act. 21.14 15 16 God sendeth his servant who both opened his eyes and instructed him in the faith and baptized him and layed his hands upon him and hee was filled with the holy Ghost The application from these examples to our selves is this If we set our selves to prayer before hearing as Cornelius did and by prayer beg Gods blessing after we have heard as Saul did wee may hope that God (b) Eph. 2.4 who is rich in mercy and such a one (c) Psal 65.2 as heareth prayer will blesse our endevours and prosper his ordinance and send us such Teachers as may direct us the right way to salvation and life III. The last generall duty is that wee bee constant in our performances whether they be to bee used before or after or amidst our hearing And by constancie in our duties I meane two things 1. that wee must not do them by spurts and 2. that wee must not do them by halves 1. We must not do them by spurts onely and when the toy taketh us but wee must performe them usually at the accustomed and convenient times For those that come to Church now and then at their best leisure and now and then prepare themselves and now and then recall to minde what they have heard are like trewandly boies which come to schoole one day and stay away another Among such schollars I have seldome seene any that ever learned his book to any purpose And no marvell For first he loseth a great part of the time in idlenesse which others bestow at their book and misseth many lessons which his fellows do learne in his absence 2. Such a trewandly boy is not disposed to learne when he commeth to schoole partly because his minde is upon his miching holes where hee useth to lurk or upon the pastime that hee hath spent his time in and partly because the losing of his ordinary lessons in his absence doth rob him of much help that hee might have gained for the lessons which come after For one lesson well learned is a stepp and introduction to another because there is a connexion and dependance among rules of the same Art But surely what ever the reason bee the conclusion is true that a trewandly boy never proveth a learned man And the same may bee observed in the schoole of Christ Those that come by fits only and heare and repeat and consider when they have little else to do lose many good notes and instructions which others who are more diligent do learne and suffer many distractions of minde when they are about the work and are every way indisposed for learning of Gods Law Thomas by being once absent when CHRIST appeared to his disciples lost a great measure of faith which they gained who were present Our LORD shewed them his hands and his side and used arguments of perswasion to convince them of the truth of his resurrection and they beleeved it but Thomas wanting these grounds of faith remained faithlesse in that great point of our LORDS resurrection as is expressed at large Iohn 20. And so hee that is absent when hee should not may chance misse of those instructions which might do him good to salvation and he that neglecteth to use the meanes of profiting when hee hath faire opportunity for them may lose that assistance of grace that might guide him in the wayes of godlinesse Consequently hee that is carefull to thrive in grace must continue in well doing and not do good duties by spurts and as his fancie leadeth him 2. Hee that will be constant must not do his services by halves So they do who in their private exercises do out of idlenesse and indevotion curtall and abbreviat either their prayers or their meditations or any other usefull exercise But more especially they do so who at times of publike Service do come when part thereof is past or go away before all bee ended Such men runne into a twofold danger one that they do offend God by sleighting of his service and the other that they may lose the blessing which usually accompanieth the time of divine Service 1. They may anger God by a sleight esteeme of his Service For so the Prophet saith Cursed be hee that doth the
worthy of reproofe because by comming late to Gods service they may come short of his blessing Esau staied so long in hunting for his Venison that the blessing was gone before he came to receive it Gene. 27. And afterward he found no place for repentance or to revoke the former grant though hee sought it with teares Heb. 12.17 Let this example scare sluggards out of their beds and make our halfe-hearers who come when a good part of the Service is past to bethink themselves and beware lest the blessing bee past before they come to receive it The summe is Hee that will heare with profit must grant sufficient refreshing to nature but not excessive such as may cheere his senses but not such as may dull and depresse them III. The third preparative duty is that before hand wee season our minds with some holy thoughts in private that wee may bee the better disposed to good duties in publike For looke in what frame our hearts stand when we come from home and in the same wee shall finde them when wee are come to Gods house If we jump in thither being as it were yet warm with worldly thoughts the minde in praying and hearing and other duties will remaine the same that it was before that is stuffed and possessed with the thoughts and desires of the world Quicquid ante oration's horam anima nostra conceperit necesse est ut orantibus nobis per ingestionem recordationis occurrat Quāobrem quales orantes volumus inveniri tales nos ante orationis tōpus preparare debemus Cassian Collat 9. c. 3. p. 50◠But if we turne our hearts toward God and fixe our mindes on heavenly things before wee come from home this will dispose us to heavenly-mindednesse in the publike service For example let this be our practise let us lift up our hearts and raise our thoughts to God-ward by meditating on his word and works by thinking on our duty and the worke wee are about by considering Gods greatnesse in whose presence wee shall bee and by powring out our soules to God in our prayers that hee will direct our actions and blesse his owne ordinance and honour himselfe in our voluntary service and then our hearts being thus turned upon God aforehand we shal be the more zealous in praying and the more attentive in hearing and the more forward and ready in good duties every way This rule Solomon prescribeth us Ecc. 5.1 when he saith Keep thy foot when goest into the house of God or as the other Translation hath it Take heed to thy foot that is as Beza paraphraseth the place Considera etiam atque eiam quò tendas quem adeas Think upon it againe and againe whither thou art a going and into whose presence thou commest Thus hee commandeth and so should wee do When wee are to appeare before God at the solemne times of his Service wee should think whither it is that wee go who it is that we deale with what it is that wee are then to do and how wee may receive comfort and profit by our doing Thus we have the duty our part will bee to think how well we have observed it If wee come to heare without turning our hearts toward God aforehand wee are not so fitted for this work as we should be And for want hereof wee may feare lest as the King said to his unmanerly guest Friend how camest thou in hither not having on a wedding garment Matt. 22.12 So God may say to us How is it that ye come to heavenly exercises not having heavenly mindes and why come ye to stand before God when your hearts are turned towards the world These things considered my exhortation is as Daniel Dan 6.10 when he prayed set open his windows towards Ierusalem that he might looke toward that place where God was to whom he made his prayer so when wee heare or performe any service unto God that then for the sharpening of our attention we would set open the windowes of our soules towards heaven that while wee are hearing or reading wee may look toward the place where our Lord dwelleth who is now speaking unto us IIII. The fourth and last preparative duty is that before we come to heare Gods word we empty our soules of all knowen and unlawfull lusts that so our hearts may bee fit receptacles for the word of Christ to dwell in For if the vessell be musty it will marre the best wine that can be powred into it and if the stomach be filthy it will corrupt the most wholesome meat and if the ground bee cumbred with thornes and weeds it will choake the purest seed And so if the soule bee defiled with sinfull lusts it will choke the seed of Gods word and corrupt this food of the soule and make it unprofitable to the hearers This S. Iames teacheth us when he saith Lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtinesse and receive with meeknesse the ingraffed word which is able to save your soules Iames. 1.21 And so S. Peter Laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evill speakings as new-borne babes desire the sincere milk of the word that yee may grow thereby 1. Pet. 2.1 2. In these places these two Apostles do teach us two duties the one principall and primarily intended and that is that wee receive Gods word with all readinesse for establishing our soules in grace and the other a preparative duty that must go before and make way for it and that is that first of all we lay aside all filthinesse and naughtinesse and sinfull lusts For more distinct and clearer understanding of which rules wee may consider these particulars in the Apostles words 1. When we read in Saint Iames Laying apart and in S. Peter Laying aside the word in the Originall in both places is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which according to the propriety of the Greek Tongue noteth the time past and therefore is rendred by Beza in the one place abjectis omnibus sordibus all filthinesse having been cast aside and in the other deposita omni malitia all naughtinesse having beene laid apart but wee in our English keeping the idiotisme of the Greek which the Latin tongue cannot do may more perspicuously render it thus Having laid apart all filthinesse and all malice and guile c. But where in the second place we reade Receive the ingraffed word and Desire the sincere milke of the word the Originall words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which sort of verbs Clenard calleth Aorists having respect to their forme but * Sylburg Gram. Sylburgius more properly and fitly respecting their signification calleth them futura perfecta because they signifie the perfecting of an action to come For all verbs of the Imperative mood as these bee though they may bee of the Preter tense for their forme yet are alwaies of the future tense for their signification
what God did say unto them for the good of their soules By which things wee may see what great care God and his Church had that this dutie might be performed And the like care they have of us at this day For God hath sent his word home unto us into our owne Parishes and to many of us even hard at our doores so that wee neede not to make long journeys as the people of the Jews did who came out of all the parts of the Land to Jerusalem to worship And our Church hath assigned us the times of hearing and the Bells give us warning when the time is come And nothing is wanting that can bee desired in this kinde if we be not wanting to our selves And if after all this wee shall neglect to heare God when he speaketh unto us for our instruction what can we expect but that he should refuse to heare us when we speake to him for help and assistance Surely he threatned to deale so with his people of old Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded I will also laugh at your calamitie and mock when your feare cometh And Then shall they call upon mee but I will not answere they shall seeke mee earely but they shall not finde mee Prov. 1.24 26 28. He meaneth that because they refused to heare him when he taught them their duty out of his word therefore hee would refuse to heare them when they made their prayers for his help in their neede And so if we turn the deafe eare to God when he speaketh unto us in his word it will be just with God to turne a deafe eare to us when wee speake to him in our prayers Nay the Apostle goeth further and aggravateth our sinne above the sinne of the Jews by the circumstance of the time and persons If the word spoken by Angels saith he was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward how shall wee escape if we neglect so great salvation which at fist began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him Hebr. 2.2 3. Where we have 2. things worth our noting 1. that the contempt of the Gospel spoken by Christ and his Apostles is a greater sinne then the contempt of the Law delivered by Moses and the Prophets And 2. that every contempt of Gods word whether a contempt of obeying it or which is more a contempt of hearing of it is a neglecting of our owne salvation because the hearing of the word and the obtaining of salvation are by Gods ordinance lincked together By the hearing of this word read Iosias and Antonie and Augustin were converted to God and furthered toward salvation what knoweth any of us but if we come to Church when we are invited thither we may heare that chapter or that part of the Gospell read which may turne us from some sinne or direct us to some necessary duty and in conclusion help to save our soules Ob. But some perhaps will say Nay but I can reade the Bible at home and what neede I then to come to Church to heare it read there This Objection involveth in it two questions both which are worthy of our consideration 1. Whether reading of Gods word may be a sufficient excuse to free us from hearing it read 2. Whether reading or hearing it read in privat may excuse us from hearing it read in the publick assembly Of these severally And first for the former question that I may speake more clearely and distinctly I will part mine answere into three assertions or propositions 1. Prop. There is good use of both the one and the other For hearing the word read I have delivered my reasons already and the very same reasons may serve to prove the use of our reading it also For first it hath the testimony of Scriptures The King is commanded to reade the booke of the Law that thereby he may learn to do his duty Deut. 17.18 19. And when one asked of our Lord what he should do to be saved our Lord answered him by asking an other question What is written in the Law how readest thou Luk. 10.25 26. implying that by reading the Scriptures he might have learned an answere to his question and thereby have beene directed how to be saved And Matt. 12.3 Have ye not read saith our Saviour what David did c. And that implyeth that by reading that passage of Scripture they might have been better informed then to have condemned the guiltlesse Thus Reading of Scriptures by our selves is confirmed by Testimonies of Scripture as well as the hearing of it read by the Minister 2. Secondly it may be proved by examples of holy men who have used this practise to their great profit for example Daniel by reading the Prophecie of Ieremie understood Gods will for delivering Israel out of their captivity Dan. 9.2 The Eunuch by reading of Isay the Prophet was brought in the end to the knowledge of the Messias and Saviour of the world Act. 8.32 And S. Augustin by reading Rom. 13.13 was converted from a vitious to a godly life And so if we reade Gods word with attention and care wee may understand Gods will for our Redemption from Satan and sinne and we may learn that which may direct us to Christ the Saviour of the world and may meete with some motives that may worke in us remorse and repentance These uses of reading Gods word may be learned by the examples produced 3. Reading of Scriptures hath the like benefits and helps of grace as were observed to arise from hearing of them read For 1. reading as well as hearing may acquaint us with the history of the Church and the providence that God hath used in the governing and ordering of it 2. It may instruct us in the duties of our callings and places for therefore the King was commanded to reade the Law that hee might learne to feare the Lord his God and keepe all the words of the Law c. Deut. 17.19 20. 3. It will acquaint us with the words and phrases and sentences of Gods word and these being layed up in our memories will prepare us for a profitable hearing of Sermons And 4 it will occasion us and enable us when wee doubt of any thing to desire direction from the learned and by their directions to learne what we could not understand by our selves These helps of reading I onely name and do but point at them because the former proofes used in the point of hearing are as applicable to this of reading For these two reading the word by our selves and hearing it read by others do alike represent to our minds the meaning of the holy Ghost in Scriptures the difference in this respect only is that the one doth it by the eye and the other by the eare which in respect of the maine end the instruction and salvation of our
ad proficiendum so as thou majest profit by it or as the vulgar readeth it more plainely though not so literally docens te utilia which teacheth thee profitable things or as Piscator paraphraseth it apta ad prodessendum such things as are apt or fit to profit them in goodnesse And this as a * Corn. Ã Lapides Learned Writer enlargeth the sense is as if he should say non curiosa non vana non pomposa plausum captantia I teach thee not curiosities not vanities not florishes and such things as may gain praises and applause but I teach thee saith the Lord Almighty such things as may bee for thy safety here and thy salvation hereafter Thus the wise Lord the great Pastor and shepheard of our soules hath left us an example that we who are Pastors in his Church should follow his steps And in these steps did the blessed Apostle tread who in discharge of his duty could say to his Scholars I have kept back nothing that was profitable unto you Act. 20.20 v. 27. I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsell of God In which sentences put together it is worth the noting that first he saith he kept back nothing that was profitable then saying the same thing over again that he declared unto them all the counsell of God And hence the collection is easie that therefore the whole counsell of God which is to be declared preached unto the people is onely of such things as are profitable to happinesse and a blessed life And now if any desire to know what these profitable things were which he used to preach to Gods people himselfe hath tould us elswhere that the summe of his Sermons was that men should repent and turne to God and do works meete for repentance Act. 26.20 And Tit. 2.12 That denying ungodlines and worldly lusts they should live soberly and righteously and godlily in this present world Soberly by moderation in the use of temporall comforts and righteously by just and faire dealing among men and godlily by serving God in the holy duties of religion These were the profitable things which God taught the people of Israel and the Apostle preached in the Christian Church And we that be the preachers of Gods word and dispensers of his mysteries ought both to imitate God as dear children Ephes 5.1 and to be followers of the Apostle as hee is of CHRIST 1 Cor. 11.1 And more particularly as God himselfe taught his people profitable things and as S. Paul taught his Auditors to repent and turne unto God and do works meet for repentance and that they should live soberly and righteously and godlily in this present world So our Sermons both for the matter and the maner of them should be such as that the Hearers may profit in piety and a godly life and by serving God in holinesse and righteousnesse may be brought to heaven eternall glory And therefore when wee are at our Studies framing our Sermons in privat and when we are about to utter them in publik wee should reflect our thoughts upon every part or passage of our meditations questioning with our hearts God and our owne consciences being the Judges of our thoughts whether such a point in the Sermon or such a sentence in our discourse be apt to minister grace to the hearts of the hearers and such as may further them in the duties of a good life and in one kinde or other help forward their salvation and happinesse And if we finde any thing more then this or otherwise then thus wee may and ought to blot out that and cast it away as being either pernicious or at the best but superfluous and idle This course if wee hold both in penning of our Sermons and in delivering of them we shall approve our selves as good Ministers of JESUS CHRIST and may in so doing both save our selves and them that heare us God direct both our hearts tongues so to preach CHRIST that we prove our selves to bee the servants of our people for JESUS sake 2. Rule The second rule is for the Hearers and that is that because a Sermon is no more worth then so farre as it furthereth men to an holy life therefore they should desire to heare such Sermons and ever judge them best by which themselves may be made better This rule is to be the more regarded because in all ages it hath beene so much neglected For first looke into the olde Testament and consider the times before our Lords Incarnation and there ye shall finde that the people of those times were rebellious lying children that would not heare the Law of the Lord. They said to the Seers See not and to the Prophets Prophecie not unto us right things Speake unto us smooth things Prophecie deceits Is 30.10 And if a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie saying I will prophecie unto thee of wine of strong drink hee shall even bee the Prophet of this people So saith the Prophet Mic. 2.11 and he meaneth that if a man should pretend to be sent of God and take upon him the office of a preacher and should withall preach libertie for their lusts and a freedome to follow their owne wills this would be the onely man in their esteeme and reckoning They would praise him and paie him and follow him from towne to towne and from one parish to an other Againe looke into the new Testament and there yee shall heare our Lord telling the men of his time I am come in my Fathers name and ye receive me not if an other shall come in his own name him ye will receive Ioh. 5.43 And S. Paul telleth us of after-times that men would not endure sound doctrine but after their own lusts would heap to themselves teachers having itching eares and would turn away their ears from the truth would be turned unto fables 2 Tim. 4.3 4. Where 1. when he saith Having itching eares he meaneth that they delight to have their eares tickled with such speeches as may please the fansie as on the contratie the Poet saith of unpleasing speeches Quid opus est teneras mordaci radere vero Auriculas that they bite and grate the eares of men 2. When hee saith that they desire Teachers after their owne lusts he meaneth they desire such as will preach what they please and will say that is truth which themselves fansie to be so or at least which they wish were so 3. When he saith of these men that they heape such Teachers he intimateth that they are not contented with one or two such as God and the Church hath appointed to bee their Pastors but they runne from place to place and single out such men for their masters as is agreable to their owne humors This the Apostle did fortell of the later times and into these times are we now fallen For first same there bee who delight in fine
remember the things of the world 2. I say It is true that all mens memories are not alike good For some mens memories are ill disposed by nature others are weakned by sicknesse or olde age others are deaded through intemperance and ill diet And if any man be disabled by these or any other accident so that indeed hee cannot remember what he doth heare I must needs say that man wanteth a great help to godlinesse which others do enjoy But yet notwithstanding if he do his endevour both for the helping of his memorie and for recalling to minde that which hee hath heard hee may comfort himself in this that our God whom wee serve is gratious and will not require more of his servants then hee hath made them able to performe But as the Apostle said of liberalitie and almsdeeds If there be a willing minde it is accepted according to that which a man hath and not according to that which hee hath not 2 Cor. 8.12 So it is true of all duties and good performances if there be a willing minde so that we performe what we are able to do God accepteth of our endevours though they be weak and poore in the performance And therefore he or she who complaineth of a weak memorie should first take care that the defect be not in his own negligence or disorderly carriage as namely because hee did not attend when hee did heare or because hee doth not rubb up his memorie and call it to account after he hath heard or because hee did or doth entertaine idle thoughts of by-businesses when hee should minde the instructions that were given him And if the defect be not in himselfe hee may comfort himselfe in GODS mercie which is nor denied to them who endevour to serve God in sinceritie and truth 3. I say It may be that a tender conscience may in this case think worse of himself then there is cause For perhaps he remembreth not the words but hee can remember the matter and speak of it in a ruder phrase of his owne or perhaps he cannot remember any orderly processe concerning the matter but yet he can tell that such a sin was condemned and such a duty enjoyned by which he is perswaded to serve GOD better or perhaps againe when he beginneth to think nothing will come to his minde yet if one should question him concerning this or that point handled in the Sermon or if himselfe should have occasion to practice it in his course of life he could then call to minde that he had heard it and can tell now how to make use of it And if there be but thus much it is not to be accounted as nothing Tender consciences who disquiet themselves with feares for their disabilitie of memorie may consider of a storie related in the life 's of the old Fathers (a) QuidaÌ„ frater dixit ad Senem Ecce Abba frequenter interrogo seniores Patres ut dicaÌ„t mihi comonitionem pro saâ—ite animae meae quicquid dixerunt mihi nihil retineâ— EraÌ„t auteÌ„ Seni duo vasa vacua dixit ei Senex Vade alfer unuÌ„ ex illis vasis mâ—tte aquaÌ„ lava illud effuÌ„de pone nitidum in locum suum The storie is this One of the fraternitie came to the old Father and Father said he I do often desire of the ancient fathers some instruction for the good of my soule and whatsoever they tell me I forget all The olde man had two emptie vessels and bade him bring the one and powre water into it and wash it cleane and then powre out the water and set it up clean in its place Which when the young man had done accordingly hee demanded (b) Quale est ex utrisque mundius Respondit frater Ubi aquam misi lavi Tunc Senex dixit ei Sic est anima fili quae frequenter audit verba Dei quamvis nihil retineat ex his quae interrogat tamen plus mundatur quam illa quae non requirit Rosw de vitis Patrum lib. 3. num 178. pag. 526. Which now of the two vessels is the more cleane The yong man answered that into which I powred water and washed it And then the old father replied So my son is the soule which oftentimes heareth Gods word though it remember not what it hath heard yet it is more cleansed from sin then that soule that never came to heare at all And so if any man or woman among us have a weak memorie and cannot give so good an account of a Sermon as others can do they must doe their endevour to amend their imperfections and if still they come short and faile of their desire yet they may comfort themselves with this thought that all is not quite lost but somwhat sticketh in the minde which though it appear not at the present yet may do them good for afterward as the vessel into which the water was powred was cleaner moister then that which stood drie without any water powred into it at all The conclusion of this point is Let men do their hearty endevour and not frame excuses of weaknesse when it is their owne idlenesse and want of affection to the work and then I dare say that no mans or womans memorie is so bad but though they cannot make any orderly repetition of their hearing yet somewhat is laied up in them which when occasion is offered will shew it self and may direct them by a holy life to eternall glory And thus much for the second benefit which is the helping of memory or remembrance 3. A third is Our recalling to minde after Sermon what we heard in the Sermon-time will bee a meanes to better our judgment and will enable us to fee what passages are useful and profitable for a godly life For if wee think that every passage in a Sermon doth alike profit us as it doth please us wee greatly deceive our selves For in common experience we see that fine and well shaped clothes put upon a mis-shapen body do make him seeme more handsome to a vulgar eie then the comeliest man that is clothed in rags And so elegancie of phrase and cadencie of sentences and lively expressions of the minde especially being graced with comliness of gesture also which things are the ornaments and the attire of a Sermon do usually more cary away the eares and hearts of the vulgar then sound rules and solid reasons possibly can do But now if a man would know which of the two is the more personable and better proportioned man hee must strip them both out of their clothes and then hee shall see them such as indeed they be And so if our Hearers would know what is solid and substantiall in our Sermons they must turne them out of their attire of utterance and eloquence and then they may see what profitable notes they containe that may further a godly life If there be
because wee heare and rehearse and talk of a Sermon but wee must referre all to future practice and esteeme them onely so farre forth good as they make us better either wiser in our knowledge or holier in our obedience And therefore it is that the Prophet describing the nature of right hearing saith Isa 42.23 Who among you will give eare to this who will hearken and heare for the time to come In which words 1. when he saith who will giue eare and who will hearken hee implieth that all should but yet few do so and 2. when he saith who will heare for the time to come hee meaneth that men should not content themselves with the transient action of hearing which continueth no longer then while the sound lasteth but they must so heare for the present that it may serve for afterward namely that they think on it and consider of it and put it in practice as occasion shall require This is to heare for afterward but if any while he heareth have some warme affections kindled in him and after hee is gone think no more on it or amendeth not his life by it this man heareth onely for the present and doth not answere Gods expectation when hee saith who will heare for the time to come And so in like sort if a man note Sermons with his pen and repeat them afterward with his familie and yet for most part insisteth upon empty words and idle allegations which doe not profit him or them in godlines and neglecteth those notes which might make them better this mans writing and repeating are both alike of no value But if further any shall abuse these holy exercises to countenance their factious meetings and instead of meditating on Gods word do devise slanders against Gods Church these men turne duties of religion into occasions of sinne Let not my pen ever speak any word for encouragement in such an evill practice The summe of all is that if wee will proove our selves to bee good Hearers of Gods word we must so heare and so repeat and so performe every duty required in this work as that all of them may further us in Gods service and an holy life II. The second generall duty is that together with our owne endevours and performances wee joyne prayer to God for his blessing upon the work that we go about For as David said in a like case Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it and except the Lord keepe the City the watchman waketh but in vaine Psal 127.1 so except God assist us with his grace wee shall prepare our selves in vaine and heare Gods word in vaine and what wee have heard wee shall repeat in vaine and nothing that wee go about either before or after or while we heare can prosper unlesse God give the blessing and make it to prosper Now the blessing of God is to bee sought and obtained by prayer S. Iames his direction is If any man lack wisdome let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall bee given him Iam. 1.5 In this Scripture wee have first a precept directing us to our duty If any man lack wisedome let him ask of God and secondly a promise assuring us of successe and it shall bee given him and thirdly a reason drawen from Gods nature Hee giveth liberally to all and hee upbraideth no man with his gifts and therefore he will be ready to give us that which we want if we beg it of him in our prayers And so if any man lack and who lacketh not either a prepared minde before hearing or due attention in the time of hearing or a firme memory after hearing let him ask of God who giveth liberally and he needs not doubt but God will give what he doth ask according to Gods will Upon this ground * Col. 10. cap. 10. Cassian an ancient Learned Writer adviseth men upon every occasion to make use of that praier of David Deus in adjutorium meum intende Domine ad juvandum me festina O GOD make speed to save me O LORD make haste to helpe mee Psal 70.1 For this praier fitteth every condition of man as he declareth in many particulars the summe whereof may bee this If a man be in any distresse or danger then hee should say Deus in adjutorium c. O God make speed to save mee O Lord make haste to helpe me And if hee be sollicited by any tentation then he should pray O God make speed to save me c. And if he want any grace or blessing thē he should pray O God make speed to save me c. And if hee have obtained any blessing or favor from God for the continuance of that mercie and his right using of it hee should pray O God make speed to save mee O Lord make haste to helpe me And what soever the occasion bee still this praier will bee seasonable and usefull Thus this holy man teacheth us how to observe that rule of the Apostle Pray without ceasing 1 Thess 5.17 This direction is applicable to this purpose When we are preparing to heare GODS word we should pray God that hee will prepare our hearts and fit us for that service when wee are busied in the act of hearing we should pray that GOD will direct us to lay hold on that which we finde usefull for us after our hearing we should pray that GOD will blesse our memories to keepe the good lessons which we have heard This to bee a laudable custome still to begg a blessing of God upon every endevour of ours no man I suppose will denie onely perhaps some man may doubt how a man may pray in the time of his hearing without hindering or interrupting the publik and enjoyned exercise then certainely more necessary then any privat prayers or devotions To this my answere is that the Scripture it selfe doth sufficiently direct us herein There we read that Nehemiah when the King was talking and conferring with him about the affaires of his people and the state of the holy Land yet saith of himselfe So I prayed to the God of Heaven and I said to the King If it please the King c. Neh. 2.4 5. By this wee see that Nehemiah at the same time did both pray God for a blessing and continue his speech with the King which sheweth that while hee was talking with the King about those weightie affaires of the Church he darted up a jaculatory short prayer unto God either that hee would direct the Kings heart for the good of his people or that he would prosper the businesse in hand or some such prayer to the like purpose And hence wee have direction in this case When we heare an usefull point that concerneth us much wee may by a short prayer desire Gods blessing upon it for our good without hindering or diverting away our attention from any part of the Sermon For