of the Conscience secondly Purgation of the heart thirdly Prayer unto God fourthly Readinesse of heart to receive every truth First for Examination of the Conscience Examination is a dutie practisable by all true Christians at many times and upon sundry occasions It is either more extraordinarie and that is either in the time of solemne Fast and generall humiliation for some publike Plague and calamitie that lyes upon the State or Church Wee are then seriously to search and ransacke throughly our Consciences that wee may throw that or those sinnes out of our affections practise and allowance which have their part in pulling downe those publike Psagues upon us Or secondly when our family is singled out and visited with some speciall and extraordinarie scourge and judgement and then must we make an impartiall inquisition into our hearts lest we be the Achans which by our secret sinnes provoke Gods causefull wrath Or when our selves in a more private and particular manner are afflicted with some speciall vexation as by some maladie and miserie in our bodies with some terrors and feares in our minds or with some slanders disgraces and imputations upon our good names when Gods hand is upon us any of these wayes wee are presently to conceive that the sinnes of our soules are the true causes of all the miseries and crosses which befall us any manner of wayes and therefore wee are narrowly and exactly to enquire into our selves and to cast out our secret beloved sinnes those lurking rebels the breeders of all our woe Besides examination of our hearts in these or the like cases there is also a more ordinarie and usuall examination necessarie and required of us and that especially every day that we may make the Score of our sinnes lesse and our account shorter against the Day of our Visitation that wee may more entirely and comfortably preserve and enjoy Gods favour and protection inward peace of Conscience spirituall joy and Christian chearfulnesse in all our affaires and passages 2 Before wee come to receive and be partakers of the holy Sacrament of the sacred body and bloud of Christ lest by neglect and omission of this dutie we become unworthy receivers and so eate and drinke our owne judgement and damnation nay be guiltie of the innocent and precious bloud of Christ Iesus which one day will be an heavie and unsupportable burthen to our Consciences To be guiltie of the sinfull bloud of prophane men is able to make the proudest heart and highest stomacke to tremble and quake like an Aspen leafe and to strike through his soule with restlesse horrour and gastly sights Who is able then to beare the guilt of guiltlesse bloud Abels innocent bloud cryed for and pulled downe strange and desperate vengeance upon cruell Cain How loud then will be the crie of the bloud of the innocent Lambe of God How will it ring in the eares of God the Father How fearefully will it fill Heaven and Earth untill it hath brought downe Plagues and Curses upon those wofull Soules who irreverently and unpreparedly prophane so high and holy a mysterie A third ordinarie examination is before wee presse into the House of God and present our selves before his Ministers and Messengers to be instructed in his will from Heaven out of his holy Word lest this blessed Ordinance should be accursed unto us You may see in the Prophet Ezech. 14. 7 8. how the Lord threatens that person that comes to his Ministers to enquire of them or to be informed by them and yet separates himselfe from the Lord and sets up any Idoll in his heart and stumbling-blocke of his iniquitie before his face that the Lord will set his face against him and make him a signe and a Proverbe and cut him off from the midst of his people Whence wee may well inferre that it will be very dangerous for any to come to the hearing of the Word without examination of his heart whether there be any such stumbling-blocke of iniquitie in it or no. 2 Because that examination of the heart to finde out our corruptions tends especially to the cleansing of it therefore the second dutie before the hearing of the Word is the purgation or cleansing of the heart first from sinne which the Scripture beats much upon Iam. 1. 21. Lay apart all filthinesse and superâ—luitiâ— of naughtinesse and receive with meekenesse the ingrafted Word c. It is not meerely lay apart but put away quite and cleane all filthinesse and this is a fit preparative for the hearing of the Word as appeares also by that paralell place 1 Pet. 3. 1 2. Wherefore putting away all malice all guile and hypocrisie and envie and evill speakings as new-borne babes desire the sincere Milke of the Word And there is the same reason for any other sinne to be put away that there is for these mentioned As it is with the body when the stomack is foule and clogged with bad humours wee should first purge it before wee feede it for otherwise whatsoever we eate doth but nourish and encrease the corrupt humours of the body So it is with the soule when it is stuffed or clogged with sinne whatsoever is heard in the Ministery of the Word shall be perverted and abused by it and wrested to the destruction of it It is no wonder therefore that those that live in dissolute or scandalous courses those that are drunk on the evening before the Lords day or spend it in gaming or company keeping or have bin acting of some soule sinne and then repaire unto the Word it is no wonder I say that such goe away never a whit the better but rather worse than they came Did you ever know any Salve so soveraigne that would cure a wound that had a splint or an arrow-head remaining in it Surely every knowne sinne unrepented of hinders the saving operation of the Word in any mans heart yea it will make the Word the savour of death unto a man See to this purpose Ier. 7. 9 10. Secondly the heart must also be purged from all worldly cares and thoughts which may divide or draw away the heart Math. 13. 22. The cares of the World doe choake the Seed of the Word Luke 21. 34. The cares of this life doe surfet the heart Now as it is with a man in a surfet hee is not fit to eat neither can he digest any wholesome food so when as the heart is surfetted with worldly cares it is unfit for any spirituall food You know how it was with Martha Luke 10. 41. Iesus said unto Martha Thou art troubled about many things but one thing is necessarie Martha had a clutter of many worldly matters that made a great noise in her head and hindered better matters that she cared not for hearing How then shall they profit by the Word that doe jumpe out of their worldly businesse and from busying their heads about
glory which shall be revealed Rom. 8. 18. But the carnall Gospeller he thinkes it is good sleeping in a whole skin he lookes for a Gospel of ease for a soft and silken service of God for a Church as one speakes all of Velvet And therefore rather than he will suffer any losse or worsing any diminution or disparagement in his outward estate in his reputation wealth and worldly happinesse he will make shipwracke of a good Conscience he will yeeld to the corruptions of the Times and with the greater part rest and repose himselfe peaceably and pleasantly upon his Bed of ease and carnall securitie never considering that the Crosse is the Christians triumph that Christ himselfe was crowned with Thornes and that wee must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Act. 14. 22. A fourth marke may be gathered out of the fourth Verse The prayers and praysings of God in the mouth of Gods Child are frequent free and fervent but with the carnall Gospeller they are very rare cold and formall The Reason is Gods Child is very sensible of his corruptions and wants hee still longs and gaspes for more grace with a spirituall taste he sweetly relisheth Gods great mercie and goodnesse unto him he hath the love of God and the spirit of prayer shed into his heart by the Spirit of Adoption and therefore his heart is as full as the Moone of godly motions and meditations which like a continuall Spring sends out groanes and sighes unutterable many zealous and faithfull prayers and thanksgivings unto his gracious God with a free and feeling affection But the carnall Gospeller because his understanding was never enlightened his heart never truly humbled his affections never sanctified because he hath no sence of his wretched estate nor present feeling of grace nor sound hope and assurance of happinesse in Heaven why therefore he hath no great mind or heart or list to prayer hee hath no great delight or exercise in this holy businesse and if he doe pray which is but seldome and coldly it is but lip-labour and lost labour because it is without faith and feeling for fashion custome or company because he was so taught in his youth or that he superstitiously thinkes the very worke wrought and a number of prayers solemnely said over will sanctifie him A fifth marke may be gathered out of the sixt and seventh Verses The Child of God doth not onely passe through with patience for the profession of Gods truth and sinceritie lesse and inferiour miseries as losse of goods losse of friends and reputation with the World slanders disgraces and wrongs but hee also holds his soule as it were continually in his hand as David here sayes of himselfe readie if need be and the times so require even to shed his bloud vnder the Sword of Persecution or to lay downe his life in the flames rather than to dishonour so mercifull a God to betray his holy Truth or by his backsliding and falling away to hazard that Crowne of Glory which by the eye of faith he hath alreadie in sight But the carnall Gospeller in time of peace and plentie while he lives quietly and at ease without crosse or trouble in faire and Sun-shine dayes may perhaps be a stout and peremptorie Professor but hee ever shrinkes in the wetting he pulls in the head in the fierie triall ever when trouble or persecution commeth because of the word by and by he is offended The sixt marke is gathered out of the two last Verses The Child of God holds his Word farre more deare than any precious Treasure than the richest Inheritance than great Spoyles than thousands of Gold and Silver It is the joy of his heart and therefore it inclines and inflames his affections with love and zeale to doe Gods will and fulfill all his Commandements And no marvell though the true Christian find most sound and unconceivable delight in the Word of God the Doctrine of Heaven For by it he is borne anew and made heire of Heaven by the Light of it he sees his Name written in the Booke of Life never to be raced out by man or Devill all the sweet and gracious promises of salvation and comfort revealed in it are sure his owne So that thence he knowes and is perswaded undoubtedly that after a few and evill dayes spent in this miserable life he shall remaine and reigne eternally in the glory of God of Christ Iesus the blessed Spirit and the holy Angels But it is otherwise with the carnall Gospeller for whatsoever shew or protestation he makes to the contrary yet indeed in his heart affections and practice hee preferres his pleasures riches and profit before hearing of Gods Word sanctifying his Sabbaths and obedience to his Commandements And no marvell for because hee yet never lived the life of faith but is a meere stranger to the mysterie of godlinesse hee hath no true interest nor sound assurance in the joyes of another World and therefore feeds onely and fills himselfe with transitorie and earthly contentments Now I beseech you beloved in Christ Iesus let every one with singlenesse of heart and sinceritie examine his owne Soule and the spirituall state of his Conscience by these signes and marks which I have now delivered to you out of the example and precedencie of the Christian affections and holy disposition of David a sanctified man and a principall patterne of pietie and zeale for all faithfull ones Know you not saith the Apostle that Iesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates So undoubtedly if Iesus Christ be in you if you be of Davids stampe and temper that is alreadie possessed of the state of grace and marked out by the Spirit of sanctification for the glory that shall be revealed you doe find in some good measure these markes and signes of an holy man in your selves 1 That you are enlightened and guided by the Word of God in all your wayes 2 That you have not onely good motions and purposes for a zealous and constant service of God but doe faithfully with sinceritie and integritie of heart performe the same 3 That you suffer joyfully and patiently afflictions and disgrace in the World for the testimonie of Gods Truth and profession of sinceritie 4 That you freely and faithfully with much feeling and fervencie of spirit offer dayly prayers and prayses unto the Lord. 5 That you had rather part with the dearest and most precious things in this life nay life it selfe than leave the service of God and the testimonie of a good Conscience 6 That you have more comfort and delight in hearing reading meditating conferring of and applying unto your owne soules the holy Word of God than in the treasures and glory of the whole Earth Such markes as these you must finde in your selves if you ever meane or hope to finde true contentment in this life or
the comforts of Heaven in the life to come Now I come to a more speciall and particular consideration of every Verse in order and thence togather such Notes and Doctrines as may best instruct us in the way to Heaven First David tells us in the first Verse That Gods Word is a Lanterne to his feet and a Light unto his paths Which that you may better understand I will tell you the meaning of the words and explaine unto you the severall tearmes First the Word may be taken three wayes 1 For the substantiall Word of God the second Person in the Trinitie Ioh. 1. 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God 2 It may be taken for the written and sounding Word as it onely strikes the eare and informes the understanding but it is not conveyed neither sinkes it into the heart by the powerfull assistance and sanctified concurrence of Gods Spirit it being not prayed for to the conversion and sanctification of the whole man And so the Word is heard and understood of many that shall never be saved but returnes unfruitfull 3 It may be taken for the working and effectuall Word as it is the power of God unto salvation as it is rightly understood applyed unto the heart and Conscience possest of the thoughts and affections and practised in the life and conversation This Word thus understood inlived managed and powerfully applyed by the Spirit of God was a Light unto Davids steps and so is a guide unto the paths of all true Christians to the worlds end That you may understand how the Word is a Light you must consider 1 That Christ is called Light Ioh. 1. 4. The Ministers are called the Light of the World Mat. 5. 14. The faithfull are Lights Phil. 2. 15 16. The way of the righteous saith Salomon Prov. 4. 18. shineth as the Light that shineth more and more vnto the perfect day The Word of God is also called a Light as in this place But first Christ is Light of himselfe and originally he is the Fountaine and everlasting Spring of all the Light of Grace and Glory both in Heaven and Earth Hee is called The Sunne of Righteousnesse The Sunne you know hath his Light rooted in his owne faire Body and receives that from none other and with that hee enlightens the Moone the Starres the Aire the Earth all the World Even so the blessed Sonne of God the Sunne of Righteousnesse hath in himselfe and from himselfe the Light of all Wisdome and Knowledge Mercie and Comfort and from him floweth and springeth whatsoever Light of Glory is revealed unto his blessed Saints and Angels in Heaven or whatsoever Light of Grace is shed into the hearts of his sonnes and servants here upon Earth 2 The Preachers of the Word are Ministers and Messengers of this Light and therefore are but Light ministerially They are as the Starres and so they are called Rev. 1. 20. They receive all their Light from the Sunne of Righteousnesse CHRIST IESVS and either doe or should convey and cast their borrowed beames upon the earthly cold and darksome hearts of the people of God that they might turne from Darkenesse to Light from the power of Sathan unto God Act. 26. 18. 3 The Word is Light instrumentally which being powerfully sanctified unto us for our salvation and being holden out unto us by a conscionable Ministerie is as a Candle or Torch to guide us through the darknesse of this World unto our eternall Rest 4 Lastly the faithfull are Lights Subjectivè because they receive this Light into their Vnderstandings whereby they see the Wonders of Gods Law the Secrets of his Kingdome and the great Mysterie of Godlinesse and the way to Heaven into their Consciences whereby they have their sinfull miserable estate by nature discovered unto them and the way to Christ for remedie and salvation into their affections whereby they are enkindled with zeale for Gods truth honour and service into their actions and conversation whereby they shine as Lights in the World amid a naughtie and crooked generation Phil. 2. 15. And after the Sunne of Righteousnesse once arise in their hearts like the Sunne in the Firmament they shine more and more in all holy Vertues unto the perfect day untill they reach the height of Heaven and the full glory of the Saints of God In the third place by Feet is meant his minde and understanding his affections thoughts actions his whole life all his wayes All these in David were guided by the Light of Gods Word Lastly by Paths are meant every particular step every turning and narrow passage in his speciall calling For this Light the Word of God doth not onely guide a mans feet into the way of peace and put him in the right way to Heaven but also goes along with him inlightens and directs every step that his feet doe not slide It so informes him with spirituall wisedome that hee layes hold on every occasion for the glorifying of God descries every little sinne and appearance of evill disposeth every circumstance in his actions with a good conscience and warrant out of Gods Word This then is the meaning of this Verse David the man of God had the Word of God working powerfully upon his soule as a Light that is As a Lampe is to the life and safetie of the body in darke and dangerous places so was this Light to the life and salvation of Davids soule in the darkenesse of this World and shadow of death To guide his feet and paths that is his mind affections thoughts actions his whole life all his wayes and every particular step and passage thereof This Verse being thus understood let us now come to gather some Lessons and Doctrines for our instruction The first shall be this There is no man can hit the way to Heaven or walke in the paths of Righteousnesse through the Kingdome of Grace in this World unto the Kingdome of Glory in the World to come except he be inlightened informed and instructed in the holy Word of God The second Note wee gather out of this Verse shall be this The Word of God is a Light not onely to guide us into the way to Heaven and instruct us in our generall calling of Christianitie but also to leade us along in a course of godlinesse and to direct us particularly in our speciall calling I will first follow the former Doctrine which in few words and plainely I thus propose unto you No man can at first finde the entrance or after hit the way to Heaven except he be enlightened and led along by the holy Word of God For David as here wee see a man of great worth and understanding otherwise excellently and extraordinarily qualified could not find out or follow any other Guide or direction to Heaven but onely the Light of Gods Word
the Kingdome of Grace For when Christ told him hee could not be saved except hee were new borne hee strangely and foolishly replyes How can a man be borne which is old How can he enter into his mothers Wombe againe and be borne Thus you see there can no other meanes be named or thought upon not all humane Knowledge nor worldly Wisedome nor good Meanings nor Will-worship nor the Word it selfe in the Letter which can leade us into the wayes of Righteousnesse or bring us unto Heaven but onely the Light of Gods holy Word holden out unto us by a profitable Ministerie and the power of the Spirit A second Reason of my Doctrine may be this No man can ever see the Kingdome of God except he be borne againe except he be a new creature a new man as is plaine in Christs words unto Nicodemus For our new birth or regeneration is the necessarie passage from Nature to Grace from prophanenesse to sinceritie It is that whereby wee are wholly sanctified and set apart unto God from the sinfnll corruption of our naturall birth and the evill fruits thereof to serve God in our whole man both body soule and spirit Now you must conceive that this new birth must necessarily spring from the immortall Seed of the word of God for so it is called 1 Pet. 1. 23. It is the Seed of our new birth salvation and immortalitie And you may as well looke for Come to grow up in your fields without sowing without casting any Seed into the furrowes as to looke for Grace to grow up in your hearts or to reape the fruit of holinesse everlasting life except this immortall Seed the Word of God be first cast into the furrowes and fallow ground of your hearts and be there received with reverence and attention nourished with prayer and meditation and fructifie in your lives and conversations Hence it is that Gods Word is called The Word of Salvation Act. 13. 26. The Word of Grace Act. 14. 3. The Word of Life Phil. 2. 16. The Power of God unto Salvation Rom. 1. 16. For there is no power of Grace or spirituall life to bee had ordinarily upon Earth or salvation and eternall life to be hoped for in Heaven except a man be enlightened with the knowledge and enlived with the power of the holy Word of God There is no entring into the Kingdome of God except a man bee new borne except hee bee first renewed in his spirit soule and body And there is no new birth without the immortall Seed the Word of God And therefore without knowledge and direction in the Word of God no salvation The third Reason of my Doctrine is this The Word of God hath only the power and propertie to search into and to sanctifie the whole man even to the inmost thoughts and the secret cogitations of the heart All the devices and imaginations of mans heart lye without the walke of humane justice and censure no word or writing of man is able to bridle them or bring them within compasse no Law of Nature or Nations can affright or restraine the freedome and wanderings of thoughts onely the Word of God can amaze search and sanctifie them The weapons of our warfare saith Paul are not carnall but mightie through God to cast downe Holds casting downe the imaginations and every thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivitie every thought into the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. The Word of God saith the Apostle to the Hebrewes is lively and mightie in operation and sharper than any two-edged sword and entreth through even to the dividing asunder of the soule and the spirit and of the joints and the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart Heb. 4. 12. The Word of God may be said to be living or lively in three respects 1 Because whereas we naturally live under the shadow of death and in the darkenesse of sinne it quickens us with a new and spirituall life it cheares and comforts us with heavenly Light 2 The Word may be called Living because it selfe is immortall and lasteth forever as doth the living and eternall God the Author of it 3 But most especially and agreeably to the place in the Hebrewes it is called lively because it enters with great power and secret insinuation into every part and power both of soule and body So that as our life is scattered and dispersed into every little part and least veine in us and we feele it both in paine and pleasure even so the vertue of the Word of God pierceth into every member into the most secret and hidden Closet of the heart either to breake and bruise with terror and astonishment the very bones crush the sinewes of the sinfull soule or to fill them with marrow and fatnesse and to refresh the affections of the truly penitent with joy unspeakable and glorious God tells us in Ieremy that his Word is like fire and therefore it can easily insinuate into all the creekes and corners of our corruptions it can fully and clearely enlighten our Consciences and discover unto us the sinfulnesse of the most lurking and secret thoughts Thus you have this first Doctrine plainely proved and confirmed unto you No man can at first finde the entrance or after hit the way to Heaven except he be enlightened and led along by the saving knowledge of the holy Word of God No other meanes which the power of Nature Wisedome Learning or the whole World can afford will serve the turne in this businesse of Salvation It is the Seed of our new birth as I told you there can be no growing of grace or reaping of glory without it It hath onely power to shake ransacke and search into the inmost secrets of the heart It onely can sanctifie us both inwardly and outwardly both in soule and body both in thoughts and actions without which both inward and outward holinesse no man shall ever see the face of God Now I come unto the Vses of this Doctrine And in the first place it may serve for confutation of the Papists those great employsoners and murtherers of infinite soules of men Is the Word of God as a Lampe and a Light without which wee cannot see the first step or set one foot aright towards Heaven Why then sinfull and pestilent is their practice who hide this blessed Light from the people of God in an unknowne Tongue and by their bloudie Inquisition damme up the holy Fountaines of heavenly Truth which should spring up in every mans heart unto eternall life Whose cruell and craftie Religion for bloud of Princes and cursed Policie are the principall supporters of Poperie teacheth them to blindfold and hood-winke the poore Laitie in forced ignorance lest they should know Gods will or any way to Heaven but
brought forth by the power of the Word in the Wombe of the Church he therefore casteth out of his mouth after him flouds of outward crosses and vexations If he cannot wound him in his soule yet he will vexe him in his body goods and good name if he cannot hinder him of Heaven he will give him little rest or quiet upon Earth if hee cannot bring him into disgrace and disfavour with God he will be sure to rayse him hatred enough malice and discountenance amongst men He will doe his worst to fill and loade him with all outward discomforts and discouragements as povertie sicknesse slanders scoffings raylings reproaches contempts and a thousand other persecutions But in such cases as these let every child of God comfort refresh and hold himselfe in heart cheare and courage by such considerations as these First it is a Decree of Heaven resolved upon and ratified by the Lord our God confirmed by the experience of all the Patriarkes and Prophets of the Apostles and professors of Christ of all the Saints and servants nay and of the Sonne of God himselfe that through many tribulations wee must enter into the Kingdome of Heaven So often therefore as wee shall see any miseries or afflictions comming towards us for our profession of sinceritie and righteousnesse sake let us acknowledge them to be as so many most certaine and infallible markes that we are in the right way to Heaven through which if we but walke a little further with patience we shall descry a Crowne of Glory which is our owne for ever of which all the afflictions and pressures of a thousand Worlds are not neere worthy Secondly though by this meanes by these outward crosses and afflictions Sathan dischargeth upon us the very gall of his bitternesse the poyson of his malice and arrowes of his spight yet by the mercifull and medicinall hand of God they are returned upon his owne head they strike through the heart of sinne and become as precious restoratives to repaire in us the decayes of spirituall life for in Gods children crosses and afflictions have these worthy effects and workings 1 They start us out of our securitie carelesnesse and coldnesse which by little and little may grow upon the best They breed in us a conceit and sense of our owne wants and the necessitie of Gods providence and protection They adde Oyle unto the flame of our first love put life into our religious exercises and power and spirit into our prayers 2 They curbe and controule the pride insolencie and impatiencie of our nature They coole and kill the heat headlongnesse and intemperancie of our affections They weaken indeed the whole old Adam in us with all his lusts concupiscence and venome but give strength to the new man with all his godly and gracious motions holy and heavenly actions 3 They make us with indignation to spit in the very face of this vaine deceitfull and flattering World the temporall love of which is the eternall losse both of bodies soules in the other World They happily weane us from the love of it and make us willing to part with her paps to bid all her enticements adiew and to trample under feet the fading pleasures vanities thereof they make us to teare our groveling hearts and rent our dull affections from the Earth to which they cleave and are glued so fast and to lift up both our heads and hearts to Heaven and to the glory which is to be revealed longingly to desire the comming of Christ the Life that lasteth and to be clothed with our House which is from above 4 Lastly they are as sharpe and precious eye-salves to cleare and enlarge the spirituall sight of our soules too much dimmed and darkened with earthly dust and with gazing too long on the painted glory of the World that so wee may see further into the great mysterie of godlinesse deeper into the masse and dunghill of our owne corruptions and frailties wider upon the vanities of the World and higher into the happinesse of Heaven and that great Beautie Glory and Majestie above They serve unto us as sowre Sawces and bitter Wormewood to bring us out of love with our sweet sinnes and to breed a distaste in our mouth against transitorie delights They are as sharpe pruning-knives to lop and cut away the excesses vanities and unnecessarie cares that grow upon us and so to trimme us that wee may bring forth more profitable plentifull and fairer fruits in godlinesse and Christianitie Thus Sathan is disappointed in his plots and policie his malice makes a medicine for our soules hee purposeth and hopes by crosses and afflictions to turne us backe or make us wearie in our course of holinesse but by the mercy of God they become as spurres to pricke us forward in our Christian Race and as hedges to keepe us in from wandering out of the way Now in a third place That Gods child may not too much be cast downe or put out of heart for crosses and persecutions raysed against him for a profession and the practice of sinceritie let him consider that howsoever Sathan and wicked men be the instruments and executioners which maliciously procure and immediately inflict miseries and vexations upon the children of God though they be the meanes to lay tortures and torments upon their bodies crosses and losses upon their goods and outward estates spots and impression and crueltie upon the face of their harmelesse innocencie slanders and disgraces imputations and staining aspersions upon their reputations and good names sometimes terrors temptations and amazements upon their minds Yet in all these our gracious God hath the chiefest stroke a principall hand and the greatest sway he directs limits and moderates the rage and furie of all our enemies whether they be Devils or men as it pleaseth him and ever certainely to the singular good of his children if they be patient and faithfull Miserie saith Iob chap. 5. 6. commeth not forth of the Dust neither doth afflictions spring out of the Earth Neither indeed principally and originally from Man the Lord of the Earth nor from the Prince that rules in the Aire nor from the Host of Heaven God himselfe is the chiefe commander guider and directer of all vexations and ill of punishment that befalls any man and inflicts it for our sinnes and corruptions upon the reprobates as appeares in Pharoah for their further hardening and confusion upon his elect for their conversion and correction Let us then in all our sufferings and afflictions stirred up against us for sticking to sinceritie and keeping a good Conscience lift up our eyes to the mightie Lord of Heaven and Earth who by the strong Arme of his Omnipotencie holds fast in a Chaine Sathan that raging Lion and great Goliah that hee cannot stirre one Linke further than hee will give him leave hee cannot goe a haires breadth beyond his Commission Nay and that
intention and amazement that omnipotent Majesty that wrought such wonders for his chosen For hearts emptied of worldly thoughts and sanctified by heavenly meditation are fit subjects for workes of Heaven and divine impressions How much more ought we to prepare our soules before wee come into the Sanctuary of the Lord sith there they are either to be hardned for the Scepter of destruction and made ready for the flames of Hell if wee doe not prepare our selves hearken and obey or else to be softned and sanctified with saving grace and fitted for a Crowne of Glory if with reverence humility and obedience wee submit our selves to the power of the Word There if wee be unconverted the great and miraculous worke of the new-birth is to bee wrought upon them if wee be new-borne they are to be fed with the spirituall Manna unto everlasting life The same Ioshuah when the excommunicate and execrable thing was to be found out and put from amongst them which was the cause they could not stand against their enemies he commanded them to sanctifie themselves that the Lord might prosper and poure his blessings upon that necessarie and weightie search and inquisition How much more ought wee to prepare our selves before wee step into the House of God sith there is to be discovered and cast out those hatefull sinnes that fearefully incense Gods wrath against us and make us weake in the Lords battailes and not able to stand against our spirituall enemies the corruptions of our owne flesh the enticements of the World and temptations of Sathan Before the sacrifice and anointing of David King of Israel Ishai and his sonnes were sanctified How much more ought wee to be prepared before wee come before the Lords Prophets and Embassadours that there wee may be anointed Kings and Priests unto our God Iosiah before the eating of the Paschall Lambe did bid the people not onely sanctifie themselves but also prepare their brethren How much more ought wee when wee come to the Ministerie of the Word to seede by faith upon that true Bread from Heaven which giveth life unto the World which if wee once soundly taste with beleeving hearts wee shall not hunger wee shall never thirst But the most famous and fittest place for my purpose and preparation in that particular holy businesse of hearing the Word is that in Exod. 19. 10. The people were sanctified and washed their clothes and prepared themselves for two dayes and the third day they were readie to attend what the Lord would say unto them As in that extraordinarie promulgation of the Law the people were to be prepared extraordinarily so from proportion of that practice and precedencie ordinarie preparation is necessarie for the ordinarie preaching of the Word if wee looke that it should powerfully and profitably worke upon our Consciences and affections Their washing of their bodies and clothes their abstinence from their wives and such solemne and ceremonious purifications were typicall significations and representations unto us that wee should weane our hearts from earthly thoughts purge them from secret corruptions and bring them faire and free from sinfull spot and worldly entanglement when wee come to heare the Lord speake unto us by his Ministers Holy men of God were wont addressing themselves to prayer to have their ejaculations lifting up of their hearts certaine short prayers before they entred into that sacred and solemne action Besides Precept and Practice in the Booke of God for Preparation the profit is great the benefits and blessings that redound unto us and fall upon us by it are excellent and precious Looke in the latter end of the eleventh Chapter of Iob. If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands towards him If iniquitie be in thine hand put it farre away and let no wickednesse dwell in thy Tabâ—rnacle Then truly shalt thou lift up thy face without spot and shalt be stable and shalt not feare c. Preparation of the heart is here the foundation and first step unto many glorious blessings The heart must be first prepared before other holy duties can be fitly performed or Gods blessings expected In the first place first prepare thine heart secondly then poure it out in prayer before the Throne of Grace thirdly then purge it from corruption banish farre and barre out all iniquitie fourthly next be sure to reforme instruct and pray with thy family or those that are about thee Let no wickednesse ignorance prophanenesse swearing swaggering drunkennesse or the like dwell in thy Tabernacle harbour in thine house or rowst neere thee And then open thy heart and hands for the Windowes of Heaven shall be set wide open that all manner of spirituall comforts all the blessings of peace and happinesse may in abundance be showred downe upon thee the rich Treasurie of everlasting Glory and Immortalitie shall be unlockt unto thee and thou shalt row and tumble thy selfe for ever after amid mountaines of heavenly pearles and golden pleasures through Rivers nay Seas of endlesse joyes that no heart can comprehend but that which is weaned from all worldly pleasures and set apart and sanctified for holy services and businesses of Heaven Then truly shalt thou lift up thy face without spot Though thou hast lyen among the Pots yet thou shalt be now as the wings of a Dove that is covered with Silver and whose feathers are like yellow Gold Though thou be like the Kedarims which dwell in Tents the black-Moores that is by reason of thy sinne subject to the condemnation of God and deprived of his glory yet shalt thou be in Christ goodly and glorious as those that dwell in exceeding glory under the Curtaines of Salomon Though thou be black with the remnants of originall corruption and present infirmities though the Sunne have looked upon thee and parched thee with the scorching heat of sore affliction and chastisements yet shalt thou now shine like the Sunne in his strength with the royall Robe of Christs righteousnesse with fresh comfort and lasting chearefulnesse Thou shalt be stable and shalt not feare Though the wicked tremble many times at their owne shadowes and the sound of a Leafe shaken doth chase them and strike a faintnesse into their hearts and a trembling into their loynes yet thou shalt never be afraid of any evill tidings whether they be forged by the spightfull and impoysoned tongues of prophane men to defame and disgrace thee or fetched out of the bottome of Hell by Sathans malice to terrifie thee though the messengers of miseries and mischiefes come thicke and three-fold upon thee as they did upon Iob though the Earth be moved and the mountaines fall into the midst of the Sea nay though the whole World be on flames about thine eares and the Heavens be rouled together like a Scrowle yet shalt thou be stable and shalt not feare because thy heart is fixed and beleeveth in the
upon the hairie scalpe of all such as goe on still in their wickednesse A fifth Let and hinderance of hearing the Word of God is an excessive and immoderate delight and an eager and earnest pursuit of the sinfull pleasures of a mans sweet sinne By a mans sweet sinne I meane that which his corrupt nature hath singled out and made speciall choise of to follow and feed upon with greatest delight and sensuall sweetnesse which by custome and continuance hath taken deepest root and surest hold in his heart upon which all his affections and desires are carried with sharpest edge heat and headlongnesse and to which hee makes all occasions and circumstances friends and acquaintance Religion and Conscience all the powers both of soule and body and outward estate serviceable and contributorie as to that which chiefely rules and reignes in him This sweet sinne in some is Worldlinesse Earthly-mindednesse and Covetousnesse In others it is Voluptuousnesse Lust and Vncleannesse Pride Pleasures Drunkennesse or such like Now certaine it is carnall prophane and unregenerate men doe many times preferre the pleasures of their sweet and most delightfull sinne before the comforts of Gods House the Congregation of the Saints and the preciousnesse of the Word preached And therefore howsoever they may ordinarily come to Sermons though it be rather for fashion and of custome than with heartie and true devotion yet if some speciall gaine and profit be to be layd hold upon at that time if some extraordinarie pleasure feasting pastime and companie be then to be enjoyed they make no Conscience to turne their backes upon the House of God and the Ministerie of the Word even upon the Sabbath day so for a little sinfull pleasure or worldly contentment wretchedly abandoning Gods holy Ordinance and the necessarie meanes of their owne salvation That many men are thus wickedly hindered from hearing the Word of God appeares in Math. 22. and Luke 14. The glorious magnificence and rich comforts of heavenly Cheare in the House of God are notably set out unto us there by divers circumstances in the Parable of the great Feast First it was a Wedding Feast which usually is full of joy comfort and great solemnitie Secondly it was made by a King and therefore like unto himselfe Royall and Princely in plentie and varietie answerable to his State and Greatnesse Thirdly it was made at the Marriage of a Kings sonne which would make it yet farre more sumptuous full of pompe and noble entertainment than if it had beene for a servant friend or ordinarie person By all this is meant the Ministery of the Word and Gospel of Christ Iesus wherewith every faithfull man is feasted made Gods sonne and married to Christ himselfe for ever in righteousnesse and in judgement in mercie and in compassion This Feast being in full readinesse Servants are sent out to invite Guests But for all the glory comfort and magnificence prepared for them in this Wedding and Royall Feast many refuse to come and make excuse One saith he hath bought a Farme and must needes goe to see it another hath bought five Yoke of Oxen and goes to prove them another hath married a Wife and therefore he cannot come another is busied about his Merchandise buying and selling and can hardly spare so much time Thus one sinfull delight or other profit pleasure companie or the like doe many times stay and hinder prophane and worldly men from hearing the Word of God and from this spirituall and heavenly Feast in his House whereby their soules might be satisfied as it were with marrow and fatnesse with the comforts of grace and a taste of the joyes of Heaven It is very strange that any man should be so bloudie and cruell to his owne soule that whereas by the breaking of the Word of Life unto him in such places as this he might have it furnished with spirituall strength towards everlasting life yet for some earthly pelfe and temporall pleasure absenting himselfe he suffers it to starve in ignorance and prophanenesse the immediate and certaine passages to eternal death Let a man imagine with himselfe when he purposes and resolves to absent himselfe from a Sermon that hee layes as it were in the one Scale of the Weights the glorious Majestie presence and honour of God the comfort happinesse and salvation of his owne Soule and in the other a little wretched pleasure or profit and so suffers this miserable Vanitie to weigh downe so infinite a Majestie For first Gods House where his Word is faithfully preached is as it were the Presence-Chamber of the everlasting King of Glory Here he sits in a Chaire of State with more speciall and eminent Power and Majestie as anciently he sate betweene the Cherubins Secondly Christ himselfe is here present For Wheresoever two or three are gathered together in his Name he is in the midst of them And so he is said to walke in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks and with speciall power and providence to direct and guide these holy Exercises Thirdly the holy Spirit of God is present in our Assemblies plentifully shedding into the hearts of the faithfull the rich Treasures of Wisdome and Grace Fourthly the blessed Angels of God are here as appeareth 1 Cor. 11. 10. not onely to doe service unto the Lord unto the Elect and unto his Ministerie but also after a sort to solace and rejoyce themselves in the beautie of Gods House and in the Mysteries published in the Gospel as appeares 1 Pet. 1. 12. Fifthly Gods holy Saints here present themselves in whom all our delight and comfort ought to be for they onely are truly excellent allyed unto Christ and heires of Heaven Lastly here alone ordinarily are to be had Blessings Life and Salvation for the Word preached is the ordinarie meanes to beget the unconverted unto God by inlightening their eyes opening their eares softening their hearts planting faith in their soules and holinesse in their conversations so that of the children of wrath they become the sonnes of God Hence it is that it is called a Ministerie of Reconciliation of Peace a Word of Grace of Salvation and of Life If a man be alreadie converted and in the state of grace he may receive these Blessings by it It is a powerfull meanes of the Spirit To encrease his knowledge in heavenly things and the affaires of the Soule by dayly clearing his judgement from ignorance and error by informing it with spirituall wisedome and all necessarie truths and needfull knowledge To adde strength and vigour and encrease unto his faith that hee may grow and proceed from the infancie and weakenesse in Christianitie to tallnesse and perfection in Christ To preserve him from luke-warmenesse worldlinesse and securitie to recall him from his wandrings and strayings out of the way of sincerity to settle
and secret judgement to suffer some of our fore-fathers to live and die under the tyranny and darknesse of Antichrist how much are we bound to blesse God that we are borne and brought up in the light of the Gospell and what heavie plagues and great damnation doe wee bring upon our selves if wee neglect or despise so great salvation I but yet further will some say wee have lived some of us fortie some thirtie some twenty yeares without so much preaching and yet have holden good credit and reputation in the world and prospered in our wayes would you now have us so forward in running to Sermons Strange it is to see how wise the simplest are in matters of the world about their temporall state but how simple and blinde the wisest worldlings are in the affaires of Heaven and about their greatest spirituall and eternall good Let us suppose a man to have lived long in a poore Cottage and now at length to have some great and rich Lordship befallen him doe you thinke hee would reason thus Why I have lived some thirtie or fortie yeerâ—â— now alreadie in this low estate with good conteâ—â—â—ent and credit amongst my neighbours and therefore here I will rest the rest of my dayes I am too old now to change my former estate Would such a foole as this be found in a whole Countrey And yet many Countries are full of such fooles in respect of spirituall advancement and the salvation of their soules Me thinkes those that have long lived in ignorance and blindnesse should rather conclude thus Have I thus long and so fearefully lived without God in the World without knowledge of his Truth faith in Christ and Conscience of my wayes Oh then it is more than high time now at length to awake out of sleepe and to open mine eyes and to imbrace this glorious Sun-shine of the Gospel which the Lord of his great mercy hath brought unto me that so I may be enlightened to eternall life As for prospering in the World that is no marke of a good soule nay it is commonly the Let of the wicked not to be plagued like other men but to bring their enterprises to passe Psalme 73. Nay yet further There is no greater Curse can befall any man than to prosper in the World and be out of the way to Heaven I but will others say to the attaining of eternall life what needs so much adoe so much preaching catechising expounding conferring meditating teaching and praying with our families which are so much and so often urged upon us When all comes to all this is the summe and end of all To feare God and keepe his Commâ—â—dements That we love God above all and our neighâ—â—â— as our selves And we hope we can doe this without all this adoe To feare God and keepe his Commandements which is the whole dutie of man as the Preacher speakes in his last chapter and to love God above all and our neighbors as our selves upon which hangeth the whole Law and the Prophets as Christ tells us Math. 22. are indeed soone spoken but not so easily truly learned and most hardly sincerely practised Is it enough thinke you to make a man a good Carpenter or Mason to say That that is soone learned and I know as much as the best workman can teach or tell me To build an House is nothing but to lay the foundation to reare the walls and cover it with a Roose Is it enough to make a good Husbandman to say I know as much as the best Husbandman can teach me for Husbandry is nothing else but to sowe and reape Is it enough to make a good Preacher to say It is no such great matter to make a Sermon I know as much in that point as the best Scholler amongst them can tell me To preach is nothing else but to expound the Text gather Doctrines and make use and application to the hearts consciences of the hearers But it would be long before these idle and emptie vaunts would build Houses fill Barnes or save Soules There is farre more required to these businesses than so There is to be undergone much toile and labour much care trouble expence and exercise before any of these workes can be rightly accomplished It is even so in the great worke of salvation and the attainment of Heaven The state of grace and trade of Christianitie is not so easily purchased practised There goes more to saving of a soule than bold ignorant brags than to say If that be all I hope I can quickly and easily learne to love God above all my neighbor as my selfe For before these there goes many things as knowledge of Gods will and Word a thorow view of our owne misery corruptions in the glasse of the Law strange agonies and sore pangs in the new-birth and sorrow for sinne refreshings and coolings by the mercies of God and merits of Christ faith repentance sanctification a blessed holy change in the whole man both body soule and spirit And then follows new obedience which consists in the uprightnesse and sinceritie of our owne hearts a conscionable and charitable carriage towards our neighbors and a zealous constancy in all religious duties and right service of God which must be universall in respect of the object that is we must walk in all his Commandements totall in respect of the subject that is we must serve him in all the powers of our soule and parts of our body in our thoughts words and actions In all which things and holy courses if a man be not particularly instructed experienced practised his love of God and his neighbour is but in word and tongue not in deed and truth A man if he be disposed may quickly perceive and discerne the truth or hollownesse of his heart in this point God hath straitly commanded an entire sanctification and keeping holy of the Sabbath Let a man then consider if he suffer himselfe to be drawne away from holy Exercise on that day by pleasures profit pastime companie ease idlenesse or other worldly occasions why then he preferres meere vanities and the desires of his owne heart before the glory and honour of God and so doth not love God above all The true love of a mans selfe doth chiefly principally consist in furnishing himselfe with saving knowledge sinceritie of heart godlinesse of life a good Conscience and spirituall comfort against hee come to Iudgement Now if hee love his neighbour as himselfe he is not still talking with him of worldly matters but especially labours with him for his conversion entertainment of grace and encrease in godlinesse If these be not his cares both for himselfe and his neighbour he truly loves neither Thus may a man examine himselfe through all the Commandements in particular and see whether it be so easie to love his neighbour as himselfe and God
Gods fatherly corrections and chastisements fruitlesse and unprofitable to him which in Gods children should ever worke amendment and comfort 2 When the true Christian lookes about him in the World and sees the wicked spreading themselves like greene Bay-trees in worldly plentie and pleasures Sathan here thrusts in and labours to cast into his minde a consideration of his owne worth and that how in respect of the wicked he farre more and rather deserves the fruition and enjoyment of the creatures and benefits and comforts of this life because all wicked men are but usurpers and intruders himselfe being a true owner by the right of Christ Iesus Lord of the whole Earth And that whereas he stands for the glory service causes and children of God the wicked labour for nothing more than the disgrace and ruine of goodnesse and the upholding and enlargement of the Kingdome of Sathan From such conceits as these mixed with spirituall hee easily drawes him on to fretting and repining at the prosperitie of the wicked men and puts him into one of Davids fits and pangs Psal 73. 12. Loe sayth hee these are the wicked yet prosper they alway and encrease in riches Certainely I have cleansed my heart in vaine and washed my hands in innocencie Or at least brings him to question with God as it is Ier. 12. O Lord if I dispute with thee thou art righteous yet let mee talke with thee of thy Iudgements Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper Why are all they in wealth that rebelliously transgresse Thou hast planted them and they have taken root they grow and bring forth fruit 3 When the Christian doth presently feele or after call to minde Gods great mercies gracious preventions strange protection wonderfull deliverances against expectation and beyond hope vouchsafed unto him in his direction and conduction towards the glory that is to be revealed then doth Sathan busily blow the Bellowes of his corrupt nature with the poysonous breath of his hellish malice that so hee may puffe him up with spirituall Pride and exalt him out of measure 4 When he beholds and observes some sudden destruction or fearefull judgement to overtake and seize upon his enemies Sathan may secretly sollicite him out of a spice of spirituall Pride to applaud and please himselfe in the ruine and miserie of his adversarie which besides the tainture of impietie tastes deepely also of inhumanitie and is quite crosse and contrarie to the practice and protestation of holy Iob Chap. 31. In that Chapter hee imprecates and invocates upon himselfe many fearefull Curses if hee hath done so or so Let mine arme saith he fall from my shoulder-blade and let mine arme be broken from the bones if I have done such and such things And after followes If I rejoyced at his destruction that hated me or was moved to joy when evill came upon him or if I have suffered my mouth to speake evill of him or to utter Curses against him 5 When the Christian is sadly and heavily musing upon his many troubles and distresses which many times come thicke and three-fold upon him as fast and boisterously as one wave overtakes another so that he findes one vexation to be still a step unto another Sathan then hee puts in and seeing the season advantageous for his feats and insinuations workes what he can to make him take on and out of a proud conceit of better deservings to be wearie of waiting the Lords leisure and out of the anguishes and agonies of his heart to wish and desire death especially to be rid and freed from those crosses and calamities which unworthily haunt and persecute his innocencie Holy Iob was strongly assayled with this temptation Chap. 3. when hee cryed and said Let the day perish wherein I was borne and the night when it was said there is a man-child conceived c. And so was the Prophet Ionah Chap. 4. Therefore now saith he O Lord take I beseech thee my life from me for it is better for me to die than to live 6 Sometimes when the Christian is crossed and disappointed in his expectation God wisely and sweetly diverting moderating and disposing all things to his owne glory and to the true good of his children though they doe not presently see and acknowledge it Sathan steps in and by the secret and insensible poyson of privie Pride labours to suggest unto him that he is prejudiced and disgraced that so by his inward fretting hee may make it plainely appeare that hee preferres his owne particular credit before the glory of God Thus was Ionas tempted in Chap. 4. Fearefull destruction was denounced by him from God against the Ninivites They put on sackcloth humbled themselves and repented God stayes his hand forbeares his Iudgements which were proclaymed by Ionah Therefore sayth the Text that displeased Ionah exceedingly and hee was angrie and hee prayed unto the Lord and said c. When hee begins to observe and admire himselfe for some speciall acceptation in Christian companie for his abilities to pray conferre discover temptations and the Devils depths to presse an holy precisenesse and mortifying points c. Oh then too often a wide gap is opened in his deceitfull heart for the Devils wild-fire of spirituall Pride So that many times an humble silent soule doth quickly out-strip such an one doting dangerously upon his present perfections in the substantialls of Christianitie Thus and many moe wayes doth Sathan labour by privie Pride to weaken the power of Grace and efficacie of the Word to staine and disgrace the best Graces and godliest actions to grieve the good Spirit and coole their first Love even in Gods children after that by the helpe of God they have struggled through other temptations and obtained much spirituall peace and Christian perfection in the doctrine of salvation and wayes of godlinesse Before I passe from this point I would propose some remedies against this swelling spirituall maladie of privie Pride and some soveraigne considerations to keepe downe the Christian heart and to preserve it in the sweet and peacefull state of a gracious humilitie First then let every Christian when hee first feeles any over-weening conceit or proud perswasion of his owne worth and spirituall graces stealing into his heart lift up the eyes of his minde in a divine meditation unto those brightest and purest eyes of God Almightie which are ten thousand times brighter than the Sunne and purer than puritie it selfe so that they see the least and secretest infirmitie in its true and native foulenesse and before them our best righteousnesse is as a menstruous clout If he soundly and sincerely entertaine this consideration it will so humble him and keepe him under that he will rather be affrighted and surprized with feare and terror for his many frailties and infirmities than be lifted up with a conceit of his graces and spirituall endowments When hee begins once proudly and
should have had the fierce and horrible wrath and vengeance of God poured in full measure upon his body and soule which would have fed upon them as fire doth upon Pitch and Brimstone for ever and ever Out of these considerations mee thinkes a man should rather with humilitie and thankefulnesse admire and magnifie the mercies of God that hee is not alreadie a Fire-brand in Hell than any wayes be puffed up with any worthinesse in himselfe or dote upon his owne nothingnesse When a Christian is tempted to spirituall Pride let him deepely and thorowly weigh with himselfe what fearefull inconveniences and discomforts will ensue if hee give way to such temptations For so many follow in the course of Gods just judgement upon spirituall Vanitie and Pride dullnesse and deadnesse of heart a restraint of the influence of the Spirit a diminution and lessening or a slumber and cessation of the operations of grace a cooling of zeale and falling from the first Love Or when hee sees us so presumptuously to trust to our strength and stay our selves with our owne staffe he may quite give us over in some great temptation to some grosse sinne so that we may take the foile in the Conflict And then if wee once be over-taken with the old sweet sinne of our unregeneration or be ensnared with some new notorious transgression wee must of necessitie to our great discomfort enter againe the agonies of Soule anguish of Conscience and horror of Hell wee must enter combate againe with all the powers of Darkenesse wee must have our regeneration regenerated our new-birth new-borne and the precious bloud of the Sonne of God as it were shed for us againe Wee turne thereby Gods favourable countenance from us and the hearts and affections of true Christians wee put againe a sting into our owne Consciences and weapons into the hands of Sathan to vexe wound and torment us wee barre and bereave our selves of Gods gracious protection of the guard of Angels of peace of Conscience of joy in the Holy-Ghost of boldnesse in our wayes of reconciliation in the creatures and of all the comforts of godlinesse As a man tenders the preservation of his Soule from all these spirituall miseries let him take heed of entertaining a proud and over-weening conceit of his owne graces gifts or good actions Let him consider that the more spirituall gifts and graces he hath received from the free mercie of God the more will be required at his hands Me thinkes this should coole and allay any swelling conceit or proud perswasion that may arise in the heart and not suffer a man to play with them and dote upon them or give him any leisure with an over-weening and selfe-conceited flatterie to gaze upon them or to applaud and admire them in himselfe as though they were his owne but rather with all vigilancie and solicitousnesse with all care and good Conscience to occupie and imploy them for his Masters greatest advantage There is no gift or good thing in any man either of Nature or Grace of body or minde of wealth or honour of reputation or authoritie in the World but he must give shortly a strict and exact account of the usage and imployment of it before the impartiall and uncorrupted Tribunall of Heaven And the more excellent his gifts and endowments have beene in any kind he shall in proportion be answerable and countable for the more If the Lord hath enlightened heated and inspired any one with much saving knowledge with a great measure of zeale with a high Christian courage and resolution he lookes and expects for great gaine of glory unto himselfe many spoyles and conquests over his enemies a blazing and exemplarie brightnesse in holinesse of life much beautie and lustre to the Church much good and comfort unto Christians For much is required of them to whom much is committed Let a man then not labour to make himselfe glorious by those graces which are none of his owne but how by glorifying God with them in humilitie faithfulnesse and sinceritie and by improving and making the best of them for the Owners advantage hee may make a comfortable account at that great Day Thus farre I have proposed unto you some Motives to quicken and stirre you up to a conscionable and constant hearing and understanding of the holy Word of God and acquainted you with many sleights lets and temptations which Sathan usually casts in our way to hinder us therein Now in a third place I will lay downe unto you certaine rules directions and instructions for your right holy and conscionable carriage behaviour and importment in and about the hearing of Gods Word That the holy Word of God may be unto you the Word of Grace the savour of Life unto Life of power unto sanctification and salvation you must looke carefully and conscionably unto your preparation before you come unto your carriage while you are there and unto your behaviour afterward First for Preparation I am perswaded the want and neglect of a due and profitable preparation is the cause that thousands receive no benefit or blessing by the Word of Life but that the Sermons they heare are registred as in a Table of Remembrance before God as so many witnesses against them for their more fearefull confusion and greater condemnation at the Day of Accounts 1 For hence it is that to many it is the savour of death unto death because before they come they doe not addresse and prepare themselves for so glorious a Presence and royall Embassage from the King of Heaven though they heare it with their outward eares yet it hardens their hearts makes them inwardly more peevish grumbling stubborne rebellious and refractarie to the power thereof and prepares and ripens them for more heavie vengeance It is of it selfe the Word of Grace Salvation and Life a blessed preservative against Sinne and Death Damnation and Hell but by accident if men doe not reverence it tremble at it and submit themselves to the power of it it is a strong Hammer and Iron Scepter to harden their hearts more and more like an Anvile or Adamant and at length to breake them in pieces like a Potters Vessell Though in it selfe it be a saving and wholesome Medicine yet men of a rebellious and stubborne humour and temper turne it into Poyson 2 To some this holy Word by reason of unpreparednesse is but as the water spilt upon the ground and the breath of the Minister scattered in the Aire If you call them to an account after Sermon how they have profited they are as wordlesse and witlesse and indeed as gracelesse in repetition as if they had beene deafe asleepe in a trance or starke dead all the while 3 Others by their rash and prophane rushing into the House of God without all premeditation reverence or regard of that holy businesse they goe about become hearers onely of forme and custome for fashion and companie It
they know not that they doe evill Before thou set foot into the Church to heare the Word of God be sure to settle thy affections that they be sober moderate and sanctified fit to entertaine the Word of life and salvation let thy heart be seasoned with first Softnesse secondly Humilitie thirdly Honestie fourthly Faith fifthly Teachablenesse First if thou doe not preserve thy heart tender soft and flexible the power of the Word will not make any such print or deepe impression upon it all holy admonitions reproofes and instructions will be unto thee as Arrowes shot against a Stone wall Secondly wee must bring with us an humble heart to the hearing of the Word for the Lord resists the proud and gives grace to the humble Them that be meeke will he guide in judgement and teach the humble his way The proud heart is so swelled with the winde of vanitie and vaine-glory of selfe-love and over-weening conceit that there is left no roome in it for the precious Treasure of saving grace If it eyther be puffed up with a conceit of knowledge or a perswasion of holinesse enough or a boisterous peremptorinesse against the power of the Word the Water of Life will be unto it but as Water poured upon a drowned man or as a Seale thrust upon Water which will receive no impression A lowly heart broken and bruised with Conscience of sinne is a fit Seat for the mightie Lord and his saving graces Isa 57. 15. Thirdly wee must come with a good and honest heart which hateth all corruptions both in it selfe and others which hath no delight in any sinfull pleasures or wicked vanities which hath no manner of purpose to live and continue in any one sinne whatsoever but is readie and resolved though it be much cumbred with it owne corruptions the Worlds enticements and Sathans craftinesse yet to serve and please God in all the wayes of his Commandements and that sincerely and continually All profitable and fruitfull hearers have such good and honest hearts and are resembled by the good ground Luke 8. 15. But that is a wicked and sinfull heart and not fit to be wrought upon by the Ministerie of the Word which purposeth and resolveth to cherish and maintaine but any one sinne whatsoever Fourthly our hearts must be seasoned with Faith otherwise it will not sinke and soake into them with power and profit The old Iewes heard the Word but it profited them not because it was not mingled with faith in those that heard it Heb. 4. 2. The fearefull threatnings and thunderbolts of the Law by Faith receive an edge to wound and pierce and strike through our soules with amazements and trembling And Faith it is that animates and inspires the promises of the Gospel with such a soveraigne sweetnesse and powerfull comfort that they are able not onely to rayse and revive us from the depth and extremitie of remorse and feare but also to put us into a Paradise of spiituall pleasures and possession of Heaven as it were alreadie But if the Word light upon a faithlesse heart it dyes it does no good Fifthly wee must bring with us into the Lords Sanctuarie teachable and hearing hearts that will willingly and readily open themselves to receive the Lord of glory with whatsoever hee shall reveale unto us out of his holy Word Sacrifice and burnt offerings sayth David thou wouldest not but mine eares hast thou prepared As if hee should have said Thou hast bored new eares in my heart that I can now reverently attend unto rightly conceive and with an holy greedinesse devoure the mysterie of grace With such hearts as these must wee come to the hearing of the Word if wee looke that it should be unto us a Word of power salvation and life and not to be of the number of those that offer the sacrifice of fooles and yet know not that they doe evill Many there are certainely which offer these foolish sacrifices I meane hearers without care and conscience Who if they come into the House of God and vouchsafe their presence in the place and lend their eares to the Preacher for the time they thinke themselves presently jolly fellowes for matters of Religion and that they are sanctified as it were by the Worke wrought and their onely presence in that holy place when as yet the Word hath had no more power nor wrought more alteration upon them than upon the Seats where they sate And that which makes these fooles much more miserable and foolish is this They know not that they doe evill as it is in the Text. They thinke their case good enough that they are in the right course of Christianitie and that no more is required for matters of Heaven when as in respect of saving grace they are wretched miserable and poore and blinde and naked Besides this place of the Preacher the Evangelist S. Luke Chap. 8. 18. bids us take heed how wee heare And good reason in a matter of such great weight and consequence For there is not a Sermon wee heare but wee must be countable for it at the Day of our Visitation God is countable unto us for every haire of our head is it not reason wee should be countable to him for those precious Lessons he reacheth unto us by the Ministerie of the Word Assuredly there is not a Sermon which wee have heard fruitlessely and without profit but it will be a shrewd and sore witnesse against us at that Day Besides these Precepts wee finde much practise in the Booke of God of this holy dutie of Preparation when any sacred businesse was to be undertaken Moses could not approach so glorious and sacred a Presence or tread upon the ground made holy by so great a Majestie as the Lord of Heaven and Earth before he had put off his shooes Neither ought wee to presume or presse into his Sanctuarie where he hath promised his Presence in a solemne speciall and powerfull manner and is readie to shower downe his blessings of salvation into all truly humble and prepared hearts before wee have shaken off and cast from us all earthly incumbrances and secret corruptions all dulnesse and deadnesse of heart whith makes us unworthy and undisposed to stand upon so holy ground and utterly uncapable of all that heavenly Wisedome and holy instructions unto eternall life that are there taught and tendred unto us nay turne the blessings of the Ministery into curses and condemnation unto us When Ioshuah was to make a strong and lasting impression in the hearts of the Israelites whom after the death of Moses he conducted to the promised Land of the power and providence of God for his people by that miraculous parting of the Waters of Iordan for the transportation of the Arke hee commanded the people to sanctifie themselves to prepare and compose their hearts to admire and reverence with greater
their callings into the House of God to heare and to performe the Exercises of Religion Truly though they be never so diligent in hearing yet their hearts will goe after their covetousnesse Ezech. 33. 31. 3 A third dutie before the hearing of the Word is Prayer no good thing can be expected from God as a blessing if it be not sought by prayer Deut. 4. 7. and wee finde it layd downe as a condition required Prov. 2. 1 2 3 c. My sonne if thou wilt receive my words and encline thine eare to wisedome and apply thy heart to understanding yea if thou cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for understanding then shalt thou understand the feare of the Lord and finde out the knowledge of God The reason is Vers 6. For the Lord giveth wisedome and out of his mouth commeth knowledge and understanding Because the Lord gives knowledge therefore you must crie for it unto him What is the reason that you do pray for your daily Bread and a blessing upon it Why Deut. 8. 3. Man lives not by Bread onely c If this be so much more ought you to pray for a blessing upon your spirituall food Now for the particulars First you ought to pray for the Teachers That they may so speake as they ought to speake Col. 4. 3 4. so they are to pray for the power and peace of the Ministerie 2 Thess 3. 1 2. Secondly you must pray for your selves that through Gods assistance you may heare profitably and be blessed in the hearing Ioh. 3. 27. No man can receive any thing except that it be given him from above Therefore David prayed Psal 119. 18. Open thou mine eyes that I may see the wonderfull things contained in thy Word Isay 48. 17. God sayth I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit Therefore no profiting by the Word without seeking unto the Lord for it Now the prophanenesse of people in this case is the generall cause that our Ministerie doth no more good Few pray at all before they come to Church either for the Minister or for themselves nay few even when they are in the Church have any heart to joyne with the Preacher in the prayer that he makes before the Sermon But the complaint of the Prophet may be taken up in this case Isa 64. 7. There is none that calleth on thy Name that stirreth up himselfe to take hold of thee 4 You must be sure to goe with an open heart readie to receive every truth that God shall teach you in this Ordinance Act. 17. 11. it is said of those noble Beraeans that they received the Word with all readinesse of minde i. readinesse to receive every truth And Cornelius said Act. 10. 33. Wee are all here present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God It is well added that are commanded thee of God not what any Minister shall teach be he never so good or so learned nay were he an Angell from Heaven yet his Doctrine must be examined Gal. 1. 8. But when there is such a disposition in us as to receive both in judgement and practise whatsoever God shall reveale unto us out of his Word this is a precious disposition But alas the most come to heare with prejudicate and fore-stalled hearts they beare a secret grudge and quarrell against some strict Truth or other as against the sanctification of the Lords Day or Family-duties or secret communion with the Lord by prayer dayly c. And these imaginations seeme as strong Holds to keepe Christ and his Truth out of their hearts 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. And thus men that in their hearing doe limit the Spirit of God would if it lay in their power say as those wicked men Isay 30. 10. to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie not right things unto us speake unto us smooth things And those that said so the Lord calls them despisers of his Word These are the maine and principall duties before the hearing of the Word Secondly let me proceed briefely to those duties that are required in the hearing of the Word Which wee must the rather stirre up our selves unto because wee have naturally uncircumcised hearts Ier. 6. 10. and are dull of hearing Heb. 5. 11. Now the principall duties in hearing are five which I will briefely set downe as may be 1 You must set your selves in Gods presence whilest you are hearing of his Word and consider with your selves that it is God that you have to deale withall in this businesse and not man and that it is Gods Word and not mans It is the great commendation of the Thessalonians 1 Thess 2. 13. that they received the Word as the Word of God This was that whereby the Lord would prepare his people to receive the Law Exod. 20. God spake all these words And hee not onely gave the Law but the whole summe of the Gospel with his owne voice Mat. 3. 17. Loe a voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased Yea it is the Lord himselfe that speakes unto you in our Ministery Luke 10. 16. So the Lord is present in a speciall manner where his Word is preached to observe and marke how it is received or delivered and either to blesse or curse the hearers or speakers accordingly So that of this and such like places it may be said as Iacob said of Bethel Gen. 28. 16 17. Surely the Lord is in this place and How dreadfull is this place This is no other than the House of God this is the Gate of Heaven And truly this apprehension of Gods presence in the Assemblies of his people will worke three things in us First keepe us in that awfull and reverent disposition of body and minde that is meet Secondly it will preserve our hearts from â—oving and wandering thoughts which are great impediments of hearing Psal 119. 113. I hate vaine thoughts but thy Law doe I love Thirdly it will make us to receive and obey that that shall be taught us for so God hath beene wont to prepare his people to receive his Word yea he said of his people when they were thus affected Deut. 15. 29. Oh that there were such an heart in them to feare me and keepe my Commandements alwayes Now the want of this is that which hinders abundance of benefit that the Ministerie of the Word would otherwise doe us This is the root of all the mischiefe the Devill doth to poore soules in the hearing of the Word the practice thereof is the fountaine of all our good Many gracelesse wretches there are in our Assemblies like him Luke 18. 2. that neither feared God nor regarded man that despise the Church of God yea contemne the presence of the holy Angels 1 Cor. 11. 10. and of God himselfe in the Assemblies who hath layd such a speciall charge upon us Lev. 26. 2. to keepe his
Sabbaths and to reverence his Sanctuarie and he addes this reason I am Iehovah 2 The second dutie in hearing is diligent attention to that we heare as it is said of our Saviour Christ Luke 19. 48. The people were very attentive to heare him or as it is in the Originall they hanged on him as if their eares and mindes had beene tyed to his tongue there was such a dependencie upon him And that is a remarkable place Ezech. 40. 4. Sonne of man behold with thine eyes and heare with thine eares and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee See what attention is required Hee bids him set his eyes and his eares and his heart and all upon that hee speakes and not upon some things onely but upon all that hee should declare unto him So Prov. 4. 20 21 22. My sonne attend unto my words incline thine eare unto my sayings keepe them in the midst of thine heart for they are life to those that finde them i. looke as a condemned man will hearken to the Sentence of the Prince every word hee speakes being life or death As the servants of Benhadad when they were in their enemies power 1 King 20. 33. they observed diligently whether any word of comfort would come from him and they did hastily catch it Thus with such diligence and attention such poore condemned creatures as wee are are to heare the Word of God Now to quicken attention these meanes are profitable First it is good to doe as they did Luke 4. 20. They fastened their eyes upon Christ so doe ye upon the Minister and suffer them not to wander up and downe A wandering eye is alwayes a sure evidence of a wandering heart Secondly if ye doe not thus it will be a good helpe for those that can write to note the Word as Baruch wrote from the mouth of Ieremiah Ier. 36. 4. This holds the minde close to all that is said Some object indeed that it hinders affection in hearing but though it may doe so in some for the present yet afterwards it will worke more lasting affections upon the Word Onely they that use this helpe-meanes must be carefull that they doe not presume upon their Notes so as to neglect the recalling of what they have heard as many use to doe and so lose all holy affections and that impression that the Word would make upon their hearts Thirdly entreat the Lord to open thy heart as he opened Lydia's heart Act. 16. 14. Our hearts are shut up quite and cannot attend unto any thing that is good except that the Lord opens them Observe then another cause why the Word is so unfruitfull unto many Some are like the deafe Adders that stop their eares against the voice of the Charmer Psal 58. 4 5. And some sleepers there are that faile in their attention that the Devill usually rocks asleepe when they come to heare but they that are such should know that their damnation sleepes not the Devill sleepes not he comes to the Assemblies to picke up the good Seed that is sowne nay he comes to picke up their soules indeed for he cares not so much for the Seed but he will take your selves napping and your soules especially and carry them to Hell Besides let them remember what befell Eutychus Act. 20. 9 10. he slept at a long Sermon that lasted till midnight but he was taken up dead falling from the third Loft to the ground What shall become of such then that sleepe in the day time at a Sermon of an houre long And let them also take heed of that spirit of slumber that the Lord hath threatned to poure upon the despisers of the Word Isay 29. 9 10. The like might be said of our gazers and gapers about and those that by their talking disturbe others and hinder themselves they shut their eares and turne them away from God and may justly expect that he shall turne away his eares from them as it is threatened Prov. 2. 8 9. Zach. 7. 13. 3 You must heare the Word with understanding and judgement i. labour to understand what wee heare And to this end the Minister must have a speciall care to teach plainely so as he may be understood Neh. 8. 8. And Christ calls upon his hearers for this Math. 15. 10. Heare and understand How should we else profit by that we heare Act. 8. 36. Vnderstandest thou what thou readest saith Philip to the Eunuch so say thou to thine owne heart Vnderstandest thou what thou hearest Now the meanes to understand the Word are these First come to the Word with a willing minde to learne you know the Eunuch Act. 8. though he understood not what he read yet because he had a minde to learne how the Lord provided for him and what a comfortable successe Philips Sermon had with him Men love to teach willing schollers so doth God when we come with willing and readie mindes to be taught Secondly exercise your selves in the truth of God Heb. 5. last you must by continuall use get your sences exercised to discerne both good and evill but especially be well acquainted with the principles and grounds of Catechisme it is the want of this that makes men that they understand not what is preached They that are not first well nourished with Milke will not be fit to receive and digest stronger meat if the foundation be not well layd it is in vaine to build Thirdly walke according to Light Psal 111. 10. A good understanding have all they that doe his Commandements Then if thou wouldest get a good understanding and know the mysterie of godlinesse walke according to knowledge imploy that little knowledge thou hast well and then there is a promise to give thee more Fourthly be diligent in instructing and teaching thy family If thou art set over others a little knowledge will encrease greatly by this meanes Gen. 18. 17 19. the Lord said Shall I hide any thing from Abraham No And hee gives this reason I know him that he will command his children and his household after him and they shall keepe the way of the Lord. If you teach your families God will teach you Well there are a sort of doltish hearers that will heare and seeme to be very attentive from yeeres end to yeeres end and be never a whit the wiser 2 Tim. 3. 7. The heavie judgement of God is upon many of them that is mentioned Math. 13. 14. And in them is fulfilled the Prophesie of Isay By hearing ye shall heare and shall not understand and that I-say 27. 11. It is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them shall not save them and he that formed them shall shew them no favour 4 You must heare the Word with affection and delight It is said of Gods people in the Primitive Church that they heard the Word gladly and of Christs hearers Mark 12. 37. they heard him gladly And it is noted for
a great signe of grace to heare the Word gladly Psal 119. 162. I rejoyce at thy Word as one that findeth great spoyles David had beene a souldier and ye know that they that have lyen at the siege of a Citie a long time and at the last take it will rejoyce exceedingly in the spoyle of it therefore he rejoyces in the Word as they that doe divide the spoyles And truly whereas common people complaine of the badnesse of their memories this would be a marvellous helpe to their memories if they would heare with delight therefore David sayth Psal 119. 16. I will delight my selfe in thy Statutes I will not forget thy Word This delight he meanes will strengthen our memories Now contrarie to this are a great number that heare without all delight and account it a great wearinesse Mal. 1. 13. and those the dullest houres that they spend in hearing Well the Lord hath threatned that the Word shall never doe us good unlesse that wee attend to it with love and delight 2 Thess 2. 10 11. Because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved therefore God shall send them strong delusions to beleeve Lyes A fearefull threatning much to be considered in these dayes For this is the reason that Popish trumperies and hellish delusions have such entertainment because God in his just judgement gives up those to such strong delusions that love not the strict Truth of the Word of God 5 You must heare the Word with application of it to your owne hearts and lives apply every truth to your selves for your owne use and comfort and terror and instruction as it is Iob 5. last Heare this and know it for thy selfe carry this truth home to thine owne heart And First there is no truth of God taught out of his Word but it concernes every one of Gods people and was intended for our use Rom. 15. 4. Whatsoever is written is written for our learning Secondly there is no truth can be taught to doe us good unlesse that wee apply it as no Plaister can doe the Patient good unlesse it be applyed no meat is able to doe us any good be it dressed never so curiously unlesse it be eaten and digested This comparison is applyed by the Prophet to this purpose Isa 55. 2. Hearken diligently unto me and eate ye that which is good unlesse we eate it it will doe us no good Thirdly the faithfull have been wont to apply all to themselves as every member of the body drawes nourishment from the stomacke to make it his owne to which the Apostle alludes Eph. 4. 16. So the Disciples of our Saviour did Math. 26. 21 22. When our Saviour had said that one of them should betray him they were exceeding sorrowfull and began every one of them to say unto him Lord is it I And surely the want of this application is one great cause that the Word profits not because they beleeve it not nor apply the Word unto themselves Heb. 4. 2. The Word preached did not profit them because it was not mixed with faith in them that heard it Now one principall worke of faith is to apply those things that are delivered in the Word But this the most hearers doe exceedingly faile in either not applying or mis-applying of the truth shifting off all upon others and taking little or nothing to themselves As wee have a notable example of this Rom. 1. ult compared with Rom. 2. 1. In the former place the Apostle speakes of some that knowing the judgement of God That those that doe such things are worthy of death yet not onely doe such things but take pleasure in those that doe them yet in the beginning of the next Chapter you find the same men judging and condemning of others yet thinking and perswading themselves that they being guiltie of the same sinnes shall escape the judgement of God Why but because they apply not to themselves but mis-apply to others the things they heare Many such hearers there are in these dayes which are very cunning in shifting off the threatnings of God against their owne Drunkennesse and Whoredome and Swearing c. yet very apt to pinne the same Word upon others Well these are not wise for themselves and all their hearing shall doe them no good Thus much of the duties required in hearing Now follow those duties that are required after hearing And these are chiefely thus 1 Wee must be very carefull to remember and keepe that which wee have heard Prov. 4. 4. My sonne let thine heart retaine my words and Vers 21. Keepe them in the midst of thine heart As a man that hath a Iewell will be carefull to locke it up in the safest Chest hee hath lest it should be stolne away Which is the very comparison of the Wise-man Prov. 6. 20 21. So Mary Luke 2. 51. kept all the sayings in her heart and David Psal 119. 11. hid the Commandements in his heart and hee gives the reason That hee might not sinne against the Lord. And the truth is that as meat that is eaten if it remaines not in the stomacke it will never doe us good so the best spirituall food that can be except it be retained by us will not profit us Luke 8. 15. The good Ground are they which with an honest and good heart having heard the Word keepe it c. Many there are that are very carelesse of this dutie They thinke they have discharged themselves abundantly if they heare the whole Sermon attentively as though there were nothing more required at their hands Like our Saviours hearers Math. 22. 22. When they heard him they marvelled and left him and went their way but wee never heare more of them So many heare desirously and with open and greedie eares but as wee say it goes in at one eare and out at another it stayes not for any after-use but a little present admiration Others heare and the Word smites them a little on their Consciences and wounds and one would thinke some good thing would be wrought upon them but they goe away and the motion dyes They are as men that are Sea-sicke whilest the Word humbles them and makes their Consciences to wamble within them but they are as whole as a Fish when as they are once landed at the Church doore Or like unto Mettals which are soft and plyable whilest they are in the fire so these are in the hearing but shortly they loose all the efficacie of the Word and become harder than before Well let us in the feare of God hearken diligently to the words of the Holy-Ghost Heb. 2. 1. That wee ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that wee have heard lest at any time wee should let them slip or runne out like riven Vessels Why what is the danger How shall wee escape if wee neglect so great Salvation 2 Wee must meditate and seriously thinke of that that wee have
heard that is more than remembring There is a great deale of difference betwixt the possessing of goods and the using and imploying of them for our benefit betwixt the laying up of garments in our Wardrobes and the wearing of them upon our backes to keepe us warme this latter is done by meditation Prov. 6. 22 23. My sonne binde the Commandements continually upon thy heart and tie them about thy necke It is a phrase of speech borrowed from garments that are bound about the body for meditation bindes the Word close to the heart It is said of Mary Luke 2. 19. that shee pondered the words of the Angel in her heart and David was frequent in this dutie Psal 119. 15. I will meditate in thy Precepts saith he And it was Pauls advice to Timothy 1 Tim. 4. 15. Meditate upon these things give thy selfe wholly to them that thy profiting may appeare to all First this is the way to make men profit by the Word of God and that so evidently that all may take notice of it this is one great benefit of the Word meditated upon Iosh 1. 8. Thou shalt meditate in the Booke of the Law day and night To what end That thou mayest observe to doe according to all that is written therein Secondly this course will argue unfained love unto the Word Psal 119. 97. Oh how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day Thirdly this will greatly encrease our comfort in the Word and cause us to feele much more sweetnesse in it even as the chewing of our meat makes us to taste much more sweetnesse in it Psal 119. 15 16. he saith I will meditate on thy Precepts and have respect unto thy wayes I will delight my selfe in thy Statutes Meditation ever brings with it delight Fourthly this will greatly encrease our knowledge Psal 119. 99. I have more understanding than my teachers Why because thy testimonies are my meditation Now if this be required after hearing how is it possible that they should profit by the Word that never scarcely thinke of it afterwards It is noted of the Disciples that though they had seene Christs mightie power in the miracle of the Loaves yet because they considered not the miracle their hearts were hardened i. because they did not meditate upon it they were never the better for it And thus it usually speedes with those that are carelesse in the performing of this dutie 3 Wee must conferre of that wee have heard and repeat it amongst our selves and examine the Scriptures about the truth of that that is delivered I joyne them all together for so they may well be in the practice of them For conference David saith Psal 119. 172. My tongue shall speake of thy Word for all thy Commandements are righteousnesse This was ordinarily practised by the Disciples of our Saviour Christ when he had taught how hardly rich men shall be saved Mark 10. 26. They were astonished out of measure and said amongst themselves Who then can be saved So they conferred about another Sermon of our Saviour Ioh. 16. 17 18. Now repetition of Sermons is especially required of them that have families to repeat the Word unto them Deut. 11. 18 19. You shall lay up these my words in your hearts and you shall teach them your children speaking of them when thou sittest in thy house yea it is said to be the chiefest thing that the Lord had respect unto in giving us his Word and the knowledge thereof that we might instruct our families in it Deut. 4. 10. Gather ye my people together and I will make them heare my words that they may learne to feare me and may teach their children And this if it were practised carefully would both make children and servants more carefull to heare and to attend unto the publike Ministery and better our memories that wee may be much better able to retaine that which we heare and it will also worke an inward feeling in us and our children of that which we have heard Therefore Deut. 6. 6 7. it is called the whetting of them upon our children repetition doth set an edge upon their dulnesse Yea further for the searching and examining of the Scriptures we are commanded 1 Thess 5. 21. to try all things and to hold fast that which is good And the example of those noble Beraeans is commended unto us Act. 17. 11 12. that searched the Scriptures dayly concerning those things that were delivered by Paul Therefore many of them beleeved Therefore it is a grievous neglect that people in these dayes are guilty of that neither conferre concerning the Word they are ashamed of it and which is a fearefull reproach unto them the Word of God is a reproach unto them Ier. 6. 10. nor yet repeat Sermons in their families they are like Martha Luke 10. 41. troubled about so many worldly occasions nor yet examine and search the Scriptures And therefore are easily carried about with every winde of Doctrine and never established and setled in the Truth 4 Wee are to put in practise whatsoever wee heare till that our hearts and lives are quite changed by it Iam. 1. 22. Be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiving your owne soules i. they cozen themselves by false reasonings and arguments or by sophisticall Syllogismes reasoning after this or the like manner He that heares the Word is a good Christian. But I heare the Word c. Or thus He that heares not shall be damned But I heare the Word Therefore I shall be saved But how doth this follow For though the neglect or contempt of the Word is sufficient to condemne a man yet the hearing of the Word is not sufficient to save a man Well obedience is the end of hearing Deut. 5. 1. Heare O Israel the Statutes which I speake in your eares this day that ye may learne them and keepe them and doe them The like ye finde Iam. 1. 25. Yea obedience to the Word must be speedie without any delayes or procrastinations as it is said of the Colossians Col. 1. 6. that the Gospel brought forth fruit in them from the very day they heard it and knew the grace of God in truth And the Prophet David resolved Psal 119. 60. I made hast and prolonged not the time to keepe thy Commandements And this is a singular frame of heart because the putting of the Word in practise immediately is a great advantage to the hearer seeing then the affections of the heart are quicke and lively which with delayes dye and decay very suddenly Now alas for the wonderfull paucitie of such obedient hearers for very few doe practise any thing they heare leave any sinne or doe any dutie and therefore they must needs prove like the House built on the Sand when the time of tryall shall come they must needs fall Math. 7. 27. Againe there are many that in hearing have good motions and purposes but they are like
feare lest thou be forsaken Why then thinke upon thy Saviours mournfull cry upon the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken me 5 It may be thou art a true-hearted Nathanael in whose spirit there is no guile hates all sinne heartily both in thy selfe and others desirest and laborest to please God in all things and to keepe a good conscience before all things in the World and yet thou findest and feelest in thy brest many times a heavy sad and unchearefull heart why then heare David a man after Gods owne heart of a more excellent spirit and eminent graces than thou art complaining Psal 43. 5. Why art thou so heavie O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within me 6 Art thou grievously troubled with the haunt and horror of some speciall sinne of which thou canst not be so easily rid and doest thou therefore goe mourning all the day Why then looke also upon David Psal 32. In such a case he roared all the day his bones were consumed and his native moisture was turned into the drought of Summer 7 Art thou vexed to the heart and fearefully haunted with some horrible and hatefull injections of Sathan thoughts framed by himselfe immediately and put into thee perhaps tending to Atheisme or to the dishonour of God in some high degree or to the disgrace of his Word or selfe-destruction c. or the like thoughts which thou canst not remember without horror and darest not reveale or name for their strange and prodigious hatefulnesse Why then consider how this malicious Fiend dealt with the Sonne of God He suggested unto his most holy and unspotted imagination these propositions first Murther Make away thy selfe Math. 4. 6. secondly Fall downe and worship the Devill Vers 9. What more fearefull and horrible apprehensions And yet these were suggested to our blessed Saviour to him perhaps more sensibly to thee more secretly His pure and holy heart uncapable of sinne did reject them with infinite contempt and himselfe did utterly conquer and confound the Tempter and that for thee and thy sake too And if thine heart rise against abominate abandon grieve and be humbled for them they shall never be layd to thy charge but set on Sathans Score For all them thou mayest goe on chearefully and comfortably in the course of Christianitie And so doe And let not Sathan attaine his divellish end by them which is to worke astonishment in thy minde horror in thy conscience heavinesse in thy heart distractions in thy thoughts c. that thereby thou mayest be disheartened and disabled for the chearefull discharge and performance both of thy particular and generall calling Or else art thou long after thy conversion assaulted with perhaps sorer spirituall pangs and more horror than at thy change Consider David Iob Hezekiah 8 Hast thou lost thy goods or children Doth the Wife that lyes in thy bosome set her selfe against thee Doe thy neerest friends charge thee falsely Art thou diseased from top to toe Doe the Arrowes of the Almightie sticke fast in thy soule Thy affliction is grievous enough if thou hast any of these But doe they all in the greatest extremitie concurre upon thee at once Hast thou lost all thy children and all thy goods Doth thy Wife afflict thy afflictions c. If this be not thy case thou commest short of Iob a most just man and high in Gods favour 9 Hast thou given thy Name to Religion and art a Professor of Grace and art thou therefore villanously traduced with many slanderous nick-names and odious imputations Art thou called Puritan Precisian Hypocrite Humorist Dissembler c Why gracelesse wretches when hee was upon Earth called Christ Iesus Devill See Math. 10. 25. Ioh. 7. 20. Contemne thou therefore for ever the utmost malice of the most scurrill tongue 10 Art thou a loving and tender-hearted Mother unto thy Children and hast thou lost thy dearest Why the blessed Mother of Christ stood by and saw her owne onely deare innocent Sonne the Lord of Life most cruelly and villanously murthered upon the Crosse and die a shamefull death before her eyes Ioh. 19. 25. 11 Art thou a woman who in the time of thy travaile art pressed with many wants with want of comfortable companie desired helpes a fairer roome and other worldly comforts and conveniences Why yet comfort thy selfe with this That holy Virgin which brought into the World the Worlds Saviour brought forth that blessed Babe in a Stable and laid him in a Cratch Luke 2. 7. It is very like farre more poorely in respect of worldly comforts than the poorest sort of women amongst us with lesse comfortable helpers and in a lesse seemely and commodious place for such a purpose 12 Hath thy Faith lost its feeling and besides doth God looke upon thee with an angry countenance and is thy heart filled with heavinesse and horror Yet for all this let the hand of Faith by no meanes loose it hold-fast upon the precious sufferings and saving bloud-shed of thy deare Redeemer Thou hast before thee a matchlesse and transcendent precedent in this point Thus cryes holy Iob having besides his unparalelled varietie and extremitie of outward afflictions the Arrowes of the Almightie sticking fast in him and drinking up his spirits Though hee kill me yet will I trust in him Cap. 13. 15. So Abraham Rom. 4. 18. 13 Doest thou day after day poure out thy soule in prayer before the Throne of Grace with all the earnestnesse and instancie thou canst possibly and doest thou still rise up dull and heavie and uncomforted without answer from God or comfortable sence of his favour and love shed into thine heart Why yet pray still assuredly at length thou shalt be gloriously refreshed and registred in the remembrance of God for a Christian of excellent faith See a patterne of rare and extraordinarie patience this way Math. 15. 23. c. 14 Doth the World Sathan carnall men thine owne friends formall Teachers suppose and censure thee to be a dissembler in thy profession and will needes concurrently and confidently fasten upon thee the imputation of Hypocrisie Why yet for all this let thy sincere heart conscious to it selfe of it owne truth in holy services like a strong Pillar of Brasse beat backe and reject with noble contempt and glorious disdaine all their impoysoned Arrowes of malice and slander this way Thou hast a right worthy patterne in the Booke of God for this purpose Iob had against him not onely the Devill his enemie pushing at him with his poysoned weapons but even his owne friends scourging him with their tongues yea his owne Wife a Thorne pricking him in the eye yea his owne God miserably lashing his naked soule with Scorpions powerfull motives to make him suspect himselfe of former halting and hollow-heartednesse in the wayes of God yet notwithstanding all this his good and honest heart having beene long before acquainted with and knit unto his God with sinceritie and truth makes him boldly
and resolutely to protest That untill he die he will never take away his innocencie from himselfe that he would keepe his righteousnesse and not forsake it and that his heart should not reprove him for his dayes 15 Hast thou an untoward Wife that is a continuall dropping and a perpetuall Goade in thy side Heare Iobs complaint Cap. 19. 17. My breath is strange to my Wife though I entreated for the childrens sake of mine owne body 16 Art thou vexed with a prophane dogged Husband Abigail a Wife and precious woman had a Nabal to her yoke-fellow Thus these patternes and precedents in the Booke of God purposely registred for the refreshing and recoverie of his chosen in spirituall or temporall straits are ordinarily proposed in a transcendent and matchlesse degree that in their greatest extremities by reflecting their eyes upon such examples they may be preserved from despaire have the stronger consolation and not thinke their cases to be comfortlesse and singular Let these considerations move us to be well read in these holy mysteries and day and night exercised in reading and meditating on them But to our purpose heare further what others say in this Point Secondly heare Gregorie the great What is the sacred Scripture but a certaine Epistle of the omnipotent God to his creature And surely if a man should receive writings from his Emperour he would not rest he would not be quiet he would give no sleepe to his eyes unlesse he had first knowne what that earthly Emperour had written to him The Emperour of Heaven the Lord of men and Angels hath sent his Letters to thee concerning thy life and yet my vaine-glorious sonne thou doest neglect earnestly to reade those Letters Studie them therefore I pray thee and dayly meditate upon the words of thy Creator Learne the minde of God in the Word of God that thou mayest aspire more earnestly to eternall things and that your minde may with greater desire be inflamed to the heavenly Kingdome Thirdly Origen teacheth That the people should learne the Scriptures without booke Fourthly Ierome counselleth That by dayly reading the Scriptures wee should get wisedome His words import so much Fifthly Read the Scriptures saith Austin for that they were written to the end we should be comforted Sixtly Ierome writing to Gaudentius about the education of a yong maid would have her at seven yeeres old and when she begins to blush to learne without book the Psalter and until she come to be marriageable to make the treasure of her heart the Books of Salomon the Gospels Apostles and Prophets Object 1. But the Scriptures are hard to be understood c. Answ Heare 1 Chrysostome All things are cleare and plaine out of the holy Scriptures Whatsoever things are necessarie are manifest 2 Ierome The Lord hath spoken by his Gospel not that a few but that all should understand it Plato wrote his writings but not to the people but to a few scarce three understand him 3 Cyrill The Scriptures are profitably recommended unto us in an easie speech that they should not goe beyond the capacitie of any 4 Againe Chrysostome who having said much for often reading and plainenesse of the Scriptures concludes Who is there to whom whatsoever is written in the Scriptures is not manifest Who is there who hearing that the meeke are blessed the mercifull blessed the pure in heart blessed and the like shall want a Master that he should learne any of those things which are spoken Object 2. But I am intangled with varietie of businesses I have no leisure to spend time in reading Scripture as you advise I am still busied in my Trade Husbandry Merchandise in some high roome c. I have a great charge Wife children and family to care for Let Schollers Ministers Gentle-folkes c. that have more time and leisure ply such businesses for I cannot Answ Who are more busied than Kings and Captaines and yet they are commanded to be diligent readers of Gods Booke See Deut. 17. 18 19. Iosh 1. 8. But Chrysostome makes this Objection and answers it himselfe excellently What sayest thou Oh man Is it not thy dutie to reade the Scriptures because thou art distracted with innumerable cares Yea it is thy dutie rather than others c. In which Sermon also he lets fall this confident assertion Neither now can it be it cannot be I say that any man should attaine unto salvation unlesse he be continually conversant in spirituall reading Object 3. But alas I cannot reade Answ Heare then Austin Neither let this be sufficient for you that in the Church you doe heare divine reading but also in your houses either doe you your selves reade or get others that can reade and doe you willingly hearken And he stirres them up to it with these considerations 1 Remember Brethren saith he the saying of our Lord in which hee saith If a man shall gaine the whole World and lose his owne soule what will it profit him 2 What remaineth and abideth in a man but that which every one either by reading or praying or doing good workes for the salvation of his soule hath layd up in the treasure of his Conscience Object 4. But will not publike reading in the House of God serve the turne Answ By no meanes Heare Chrysostome Therefore often doe I tell you before-hand many dayes before the argument of which I shall speake that in the dayes in the meane while taking a Booke and weighing the whole summe of the matter after yee have understood what hath beene said and what remaines to be said you may make your minde more fit to heare those things which afterward shall be declared and that I alwayes exhort to and will not cease to doe it That you doe not onely attend here to those things which are spoken but also when you shall be at home you may dayly attend to the reading of holy Scriptures Which thing I have not ceased to presse upon those who privately have talked with me Object 5. But from this libertie of reading Scriptures spring many Heresies Answ The sacred Scripture is not the cause of Heresies but the ignorance of the holy Scripture Heare Chrysostome Hence arose so many thousand evils from the ignorance of holy Writ Hence sprung up so great a plague of Heresies Godly Bookes also with which this Age is abundantly and plentifully enriched must be diligently and profitably read 3 Another meanes by which the Word may dwell plentifully in us is Conference See Deut. 6. 7. Luke 24. 19. That of Austin before pag. 210. in the second Reason of our seldome Preaching That of Chrysostome Walking with God pag. 248. Rogers seven Treatises pag. 364. c. my Walking with God pag. 86. c. 4 A fourth meanes is Meditation Of which see Rogers seven Treatises pag. 235. c. Matter of Meditation Wee may meditate
meane and comprise all the active inferior powers of the Soule Will Affections Sence as they are polluted and empoysoned in the puddle of originall corruption and afterward being fleshed in sensuall pleasures and enfierced by Sathans suggestions become the furious executioners of all the sinfull decrees and unsanctified determinations of the mis-guided understanding and wisedome of the flesh 8 In hearing the Word be sure First To give earnest heed Heb. 2. 1. Secondly To consider seriously 2 Tim. 2. 7. Thirdly That wee be not in this respect like leaking Vessels and have Sieve-like memories Heb. 2. 1. Fourthly To keepe the Word with much adoe with great contention and colluctation Luke 8. 15. 9 Suffer the Spirit of Bondage to have its worke upon thee Conclude horror upon thy heart by the working of the Law from such places as these Deut. 29. 19 20. 2 Thess 1. 8 9. Rev. 21. 8. 10 When thy Conscience is once throughly wounded by the preparative worke of the Spirit of Bondage and all thy sinnes even those in which thou hast taken greatest delight become heavie and a grievous burthen upon thy heart then let that heavie heart of thine receive spirituall warmth refreshing and life First By perusing the Lord Iesus in all the passages of his Love Sufferings and Satisfactions from his comming from the Bosome of his Father untill his returning unto his right hand againe especially hanging upon him bleeding and dying and crying under the burthen of our sinnes My God my God c. and so conquering and concluding It is finished Secondly By a feeling survey and sure setling upon all the Promises of Life sealed with his righteous bloud Thirdly By cleaving to Gods sweetest Name which is to forgive iniquitie transgression and sinne Exod. 34. 6 7. Fourthly By resting with all thankefull and joyfull acknowledgement and rejecting resolutely all scrupulous and fearefull injections upon that blessed Mysterie of Gods free grace which reacheth from everlasting to everlasting 11 Then ever after walke watchfully and fruitfully in the path which is called holy Now for continuall growing and profiting by the Ministerie in that new and blessed course and for thriving by the food of the Word which thou enjoyest take these directions looke unto these things First Looke to the dressing of it that thy spirituall Cooke be cunning and conscionable Otherwise it may sometimes turne into ranke poyson unto thy Soule fill thee with winde and puffe thee up with a causelesse good conceit of thy selfe impaire thy spirituall health keepe thee stinted as it were and at a stay c. Nay an ill spirituall Cooke by his jugling Trickes may make thee beleeve all thy life long that thou growest in Grace and shalt goe to Heaven and thou art starke dead in sinnes and trespasses and shalt be damned Secondly The emptying and disburthening of the Stomacke of thy Soule of all Humours Passions Prejudice Crosses Troubles Temptations c. or any thing that will hinder the puritie and power of the Word from taking possession of thy Soule even the Honey-combe the sweetest thing in the World is loathsome as the Wise-man sayth to a full stomacke Thou must bring an Heart and Head like two emptie Buckets to draw with greedinesse and joy the Water of Life out of the Wells of Salvation Thirdly To procure and rayse an Appetite before thou come from consideration first of its Necessitie Where the Word of God is not preached the people perish as you had it in the former Treatise Secondly Excellencie It is farre more precious than purest Gold dearer than thousands of Gold and Silver Thirdly Sweetnesse It passes the Honey and Honey-combe David in his absence from the meanes holds the Swallow and Sparrow happle Birds Fourthly Profit It builds up the inner man c. Fourthly The Reception of it That it ever be entertained with farre more attention and reverence than if wee were hearing the mightiest Monarch in the World speaking immediately unto us by personall compellation about the weightiest affaire and neereliest concerning us That it be ever heard as the Word of the mightie and ever-living God Fifthly Retention The most wholesome and soveraigne meat if presently voided nourisheth not at all many fall into a Consumption of Grace by reason of weakenesse this way They are hot and fierce to get unto a good Sermon and they doe well to be carefull thereabout but their forwardnesse and fervencie cooles and expires when the Sermon is done They after have little more to doe with it save onely to say it was a good Sermon As many have an unsatiable appetite in devouring meat who cannot keepe it for any space of time The retentive power of the Soule then must be strengthened and exercised or else the attentive and attractive addes but more deadnesse to a spirituall Atrophie Sixtly Concoction By repetition either in way of conference with our neighbours and Christian friends or in way of examination without Wives Children Servants Schollers or other inferiours But principally by that first excellent Exercise of Meditation which is the very life of profitable Hearing and the want of it the death of all good Lessons It inflames the heart with a kindly heat to practise as in brooding the Hen inspires heat and begets life secondly and by the heat of Prayer that both warmes the heart fits the food and brings a blessing upon both Seventhly Digestion By application of the points unto our owne particular by sorting the particulars of the Sermon unto our owne necessities for the conquering of this Lust ruling of that Passion leaving this Sinne performing that Dutie c. Eightly Practice Walking in the strength of it afterward which makes it our owne and keepes the Soule in health and growth and comfortable temper And thus wee may constantly grow by the Ministerie of the Word which is the principall publike Banquet which the Lord hath provided for feeding his Childrens Soules The Sacraments are a second Service Even by the first that is Baptisme wee may grow not onely when wee feele it in our owne bodies but also when wee see it administred unto others And therefore the custome which hath prevailed in most places of neglecting and contemning this part of the Food of our Soules is to be severely censured and sharpely reproved By the second that is the Lords Supper wee may thrive excellently if wee follow those Directions in my Preparative to it To which I referre you in the succeeding Treatise FINIS A BRIEFE TABLE OF THE CHIEFE HEADS Contained in this Treatise of the SAINTS GVIDE A. AFfection to be joyned with hearing pag. 179 Afflictions no strange thing p. 118. They are but short 120 Afflictions raised by the Devill against Christians 109 Antidotes against afflictions 110 c. Application required in hearing the Word and why 180 181 Apostates their danger 103 Atheisme 50 Attention in hearing required 174.
Lord. Thou shalt forget thy miserie and remember it as waters that are past Thy happinesse and comfort shall be so entire and unmixed so absolute and overflowing that the very remembrance of former miseries and terrors shall be drowned and devoured in the excesse and excellencie of that even as the travels of a woman in her joyes for a new-borne sonne Or if it be that thy former discomforts sometimes steale into thy minde they shall not be able to rest or remaine there by reason of the predominancie of spirituall pleasures but glide away as swiftly as the head-long streame of the most hastie Torrent Thine age also shall appeare more cleare than the Noone-day thou shalt shine and be as the Morning The Morning is the very Crowne of Time and the beautie of the Day the Poets call it the Rosie-finger'd Morning When they labour to describe corporall Beautie to the life and set it out in the best perfection and freshest colours that the utmost power and highest straine of wit and art can possibly devise they take their Metaphors and amplifications from the ruddinesse and brightnesse of the Morning And yet thou shalt be as faire as the Morning with all Divine Graces spirituall brightnesse and beautie of thy Soule nay a Soule set thicke with spirituall Graces is farre more faire than the Firmament with all those Eyes of Gold and fairest Lampes that shine from it Neither shalt thou be onely as the Morning but as the Morning Sunne thou shalt rise higher and higher in degrees of holinesse and strength of Grace untill thou commest to the highest point of perfection in this Heaven upon Earth the Kingdome of Grace And after thou hast finished thy course and left behind thee the comfortable heat of thy gracious zeale much Light from thy good example and the sweet influence of thy holy life upon thy death-bed thou shalt sett with the sweetest and brightest beames of all heavenly comfort into the immeasurable Ocean of endlesse joyes Thou shalt be bold because there is hope and thou shalt digge Pits and shalt lye downe safely Thou shalt be assured of Heaven and a Crowne of Glory hereafter that thou shalt walke through this Valley of Miserie like a Lyon nor Devill nor man nor beast nor any creature shall affright or amaze thee Cast thine eyes supernaturally enabled and enlarged with the Light of Faith from East to West into the bottome of Hell and glory of Heaven and thou shalt clearely see that all is thine by the purchase right and conquest of the Sonne of God The stones in the street shall be at league with thee the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee The creatures shall be all sworne to thy safetie the purest spirits the ministers of God shall be thy Guardians Saints and Angels are alreadie in thy sight Immortalitie hath lengthened thy dayes and the glory of God is before thee in a Glasse When thou doest take thy rest none shall make thee afraid yea many shall make suit unto thee When the darkenesse of the Night encompasseth thee thou shalt not be affrighted with terrors and apparitions when blacknesse and silence the habitation of feares and astonishment shall pitch round about thee thou shalt be lightsome with inward comfort when all thy Sences the scouts and watch-men for discovering dangers and preserving thy safetie shall be locked up his providence that neither slumbers nor sleepes shall tenderly and carefully watch over thee Whether thou die or live whether thou sleepe or wake thou art the Lords And therefore when thou sleepest thou shalt not be afraid and when thou sleepest thy sleepe shall be sweet Thou shalt not feare for any sudden feare neither for the destruction of the wicked when it commeth for the Lord shall be for thy assurance and shall keepe thy foot from being caught Yea many shall make suit unto thee Thou shalt be so encompassed with the blessings of God so protected from above so high in Gods favour that many will come for shadow and shelter unto thee they will looke for reliefe and comfort under the shadow of thy wings thy power and authoritie shall be a refuge and repose for oppressed and disgraced innocencie All these blessings and a thousand moe are built upon a through preparation of the heart as upon the first foundation stone Preparation is the very first step to all these degrees and height of happinesse But on the contrarie part if a man neglect preparing his heart praying unto God forsaking his sinnes reforming his family let him looke for nothing but Curses and Plagues But the eyes of the wicked saith Iob shall faile and their refuge shall perish and their hope shall be sorrow of minde They thinke their formall and customarie service of God will serve the turne and thereupon with great greedinesse and confidence expect and looke for the salvation of their soules after this life but they shall waile and gaze untill their eyes sinke into their holes and yet shall never be able to taste of true comfort They may crie untill their tongues cleave to the roofe of their mouth with the foolish Virgins Lord Lord open unto us Math. 25. but the Gate of everlasting happinesse shall for ever be shut against them They may struggle and strive by the strength of their good meanings and formall Christianitie to enter in at the strait Gate but shall never be able Their refuge shall perish They have stayed themselves upon broken staves of Reed and â—ow they will runne into their hands and hearts too unto their vexation and horror And their hope shall be sorrow of minde Their end shall be despaire and horrible confusion I have stayed long upon the motives and inducements to preparation before we come to the hearing of the Word or undergoe any sacred bâ—sinesse and upon the necessitie blessings and benefits of so holy a dutie The reason is I would gladly stirre you up and my selfe too to a through and constant practise and performance of it and because the neglect and omission of it is the cause that the Ministerie of the Word is not onely fruitlesse and in vaine unto thousands but which is a fearefull thing the savour of death unto death unto them I come now to the speciall points considerable in preparation before wee present our selves in this place to the hearing of the Word This preparation is an holy action or exercise which by examination of our Consciences purgation of our hearts prayer unto God and private reading the Scriptures maketh our soules fit Vessels to receive and entertaine the spirituall Treasures of Grace and food of eternall Life offered and tendered unto us by the Ministerie of the Word that so they may be the more effectually and fruitfully wrought upon and happily subdued to the power and practice thereof In this preparation I consider and require especially these foure things first Examination