he after some intreaties answered him to this effect (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Climac Grad 4. pag. 49. I saith he in this work of the Kitchin did never think that I served men but God who enjoyned me true service in my place and judging my selfe unworthy of any rest by reason of my many failings when I look on this fire in my chimney how intolerable the burning thereof would be to my flesh I am put in minde of the everlasting and much more unsufferable burnings of hell fire due to all impenitent sinners and the thought of this torment doth resolve me into teares for my sins And now if we will make use of this example we shall not need to goe abroad and gather instructions from other mens lifes as Pambo did we shall finde matter enough at home to exercise our thoughts with For example sake and to set our consciences on work in this duty If any of us shall bee tormented with an headach or a toothach or with the stone or strangury or a hot fever or some other tormenting paine that will not suffer us to take any rest we may make the like use of the burning fever or tormenting ach which we feel that this Cook did of the scorching fire which he looked upon We may think if this little smart in comparison and these short torments seem so unsufferable as that I would not endure them for a yeare together though I might gaine a Kingdome by it how unsufferable are the eternall torments of hell fire and what a fool am I if I plunge my soule into them for ever for gaining of a paltry profit and a fading and a filthy pleasure And if after drinking a cup of pleasant wine in our thirst or after eating a good dinner in our hūger or if after a sweete sleep when we have been weary we finde our selves comforted and refreshed then there is occasion to think O Lord how much more joy and refreshing will it bee to my soule when I shall rest from all my labours in Abrahams bosom and with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob shall eate bread in the Kingdome of God and shall bee fed with the pleasures of Gods house for evermore And againe if at any time wee be overjoyed who sometimes is not when some great preferment befalleth us such as are a high place in the Court a great office in the City or some matter of much gaine in our trading then it will be seasonable to think if such a scant advancement do so much overjoy mee what a joy will it bee and how shall I rejoyce when I shall be taken to bee Gods adopted son and to be heire of his Kingdome and a fellow citizen with the Saints in glory And thus we may doe on all the like occasions and if thus we do doe still converting earthly occurrences into matter of heavenly meditations we shall be profited toward salvation by every thing of moment that we see or heare abroad and by those things which we find feel in our selves But this practice is never more seasonable nor never more profitable then when we come to the Lords Table In this Sacrament wee have for the outward matter of it bread and wine in substance the same with that which is upon our own boards but in use of a far different nature When they be upon our own boards then they be naturall things ordained for the refreshing of the body and preservation of mans nature but when they bee on Gods board they are spirituall things ordained for the nourishment of the soul and the preservation of Gods grace within us Now if it be a point of wisdome to take occasion of heavenly thoughts from them when they are meere naturall things how necessary will it be to have more elevated thoughts of them when they are consecrated to a mysticall and supernaturall use Now that they are set apart to a sacred use they must needs be profaned if they be not handled in a sacred sort Here they are holy signes which represent Christ unto us with all the benefits of his Passion and we make them as no signes if we doe not see Christ and his death represented in them Therefore in the celebration of this Sacrament the Church teacheth the Minister to say sursum corda lift up your hearts and it teacheth the people to answer him back again Wee lift them up unto the Lord. When therefore our eyes doe look on these creatures on the Lords Table our hearts should look to Christ in heaven When we see the bread cut and broken in pieces that biddeth us remember that his sacred body was broken and torne in pieces for our sins And when we see the wine powred out of the vessel into the cup and out of the cup into our bodies that biddeth us remember that his precious blood was emptied out of the veines that our soules might be purged from their sins And when the bread and wine is delivered into the Communicants hand that telleth him that God the Father doth now reach unto him from heaven the flesh and blood of his deare Son that they may nourish his soule to eternall life as the bread and wine doth nourish his body for this naturall life So that in the whole institution of this Sacrament there is nothing dumb or without its signification and so likewise in the celebration of it wee should passe by nothing as if we were deafe and did not understand the meaning of it For conclusion as S. Paul said to Timothie so I say to every Communicant Meditate on these things while ye be about this holy work and 1 Tim. 4.15 Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things that ye may know how to make use of all Gods ordinances for his Glory and your own comfort CAP. III. The blessings of this life are nothing to the blessednesse of the life to come Cap. 3 WHen this woman magnified the happinesse of that mother who had bred so good a childe as he was who had discoursed in this manner our Lord amended her speech by telling her of a far greater blessednesse then that was consisting in the hearing and keeping of Gods word And hence I collect that the blessing of good children and other the good things of this life are much short of the blessednesse which accompanieth godlinesse and an holy life The proofes for confirmation hereof are three 1. The testimony of Solomon 2. The condition of worldly happinesse in it self considered and 3. It s want of those excellencies that are in the true blessednesse I. The first proofe is the Testimony of Solomon set down in the book of Ecclesiastes In it his Testimony is delivered 2. wayes 1. In a generall doctrine 2. In particular instances 1. His doctrine is this Of all worldly blessings and the happinesse that men can gaine by them he saith in the entrance of his book Vanitie of vanities saith
the Text out of Isai 33.7 He was led as a sheep to the slaughter c. And then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same Scripture and preached unto him Iesus In these places it appeareth that Philip and our Saviour tooke a Text to preach upon the one such a Text as the occasion then offered and the other such as himselfe made choise of for the purpose But at other times wee finde that preachers have chosen a theame which they thought usefull for the time and without any Text to ground their discourse on have unfolded that point out of Scriptures and reason applied it to the peoples use Thus our Lord did preach when he made that famous Sermon called by the learned Sermo Domini in monte Our Lords Sermon in the mount recorded by the Evangelist Matt. 5.6 7. chapters For in this Sermon wee have many expositions of Scriptures many doctrines of religion and many exhortations and directions for a godly life but wee finde no Text first read by direction of which he proceeded in his Sermon Thus our Lord and so Saint Peter preached also Act. 2 3. chapters and Saint Stephen Act. 7. and S. Paul Act. 13 17. And of later times some also in these parts of the Church have done the like though the common use now among us is alwayes to ground our Sermons upon some Text even then when men scarse once touch upon the Text in the whole Sermon Of both these sorts of preaching my note is true that if Gods word bee preached aright whether by grounding on a Text or by propounding of a Theame yet the hearing of the word thus preached is a meanes to make him blessed that useth it aright The summe of all is that the hearing of the word preached in which of these sorts soever it be is availeable to blessednesse and alike profitable to salvation And the reason is because by every one of them we may bee instructed alike in the knowledge of God and his service and may be edified in the faith of Christ in the obedience of his Laws which is the only way that leadeth to happinesse and eternall life Thus much for the first point what wee meane by preaching or the word preached II. Quest The next is how it may appeare that the hearing of the word thus preached is a meanes of blessednes And the answere is it appeareth by these reasons 1. Because it is the way and the meanes by which Christ hath founded his Church converted the nations and saved the soules of beleevers So S. Paul saith that by the foolishnesse of preaching so the world esteemed it it pleased God to save them that beleeve 1 Cor. 1.21 And so it is said of the Jews that they did forbid the Apostles to preach to the Gentiles that they might bee saved 1 Thess 2.16 And to these sayings the event proveth answerable For Saint Peter by the preaching of one Sermon converted three thousand soules Act. 2.41 and S. Paul converted many Jews and proselyts Act. 13.43 and more particularly and by name he converted Lydia and the Gaoler Act. 16. and Dionysius Areopagita and Damaris and others Act. 17. And in a word by him his fellow-labourers all the Christian world have beene brought to the faith Experience then sheweth it to be true that the hearing of the word preached is a meanes to bring men to the faith and by faith to salvation 2. It is proved also because God doth send preachers into the world that by their labours hee may bring men to heaven and happinesse For this end it is that God sent his own Sonne to preach the Gospell The Spirit of the Lord God saith our Lord in the Prophet is upon me because the Lord hath annointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek c. that they might be called the trees of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified Is 61.1 2 3. In these words wee have two things for our purpose 1. the work that our Lord Christ was sent about and that was to preach good tidings c. 2. the end that was intended and effected by it that was two-fold mans sanctification and Gods glory that they might bee called the trees of righteousnes and that hee might be glorified by it And for the like end and purpose our Lord Christ himselfe did send his Apostles to preach Matt. 10.5 7 and the seventie Disciples Luk. 10.1 and S. Paul 1 Cor. 1.17 And to save labour in naming of particulars the Apostle telleth us that when our Lord was ascended up into heaven hee gave some to bee Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers But why and for what end all this why it was saith the Text for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unitie of the faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Ephes 4.11 12 13. By this we see that as the Apostles did bring men to the faith by their preaching of the Gospell in the beginning so God hath established a setled course of teaching to the worlds end by which men may bee brought to happinesse and eternall life And thus much for answere to the second question III. Quest The last is What help may we have by hearing the word preached beside or more then wee might gaine by hearing the Scriptures read To this my answere is it may furtherus in the way of godlinesse diverse wayes over and beside the benefit that is reaped by the word read For 1. It may further us for the right understanding of many passages of Scripture more then we could gather by hearing of them read For though the principles of faith and rules of a good life be delivered clearely plainely in Scriptures and a man by reading or hearing them read may gaine much help toward salvation yet it is true also that there are many speeches phrases words which are not easily understood by an ordinary Christian but may be explained made cleare by a learned preacher For exāple the disciples understood not the right meaning of that sentence of the Prophet Behold I will send you Eliiah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord and hee shall turne the heart of the fathers to the children c. Malac. 4.5 For they conceited that this was meant of Elias in person whereas it was meant of Iohn the Baptist who came in the spirit and power of Elias and because hee resembled him in his office is therefore called by his name This when they understood not our LORD expounded it unto them and made them to know the true meaning of that Scripture as appeareth Mar. 9.12 Againe the Eunuch of Ethiopia did not understand that
no better use of a preacher then a man would do of a minstrell that is to delight themselves with his voice but not to follow his direction 2. Ex. The second example that fitteth this purpose is that in Ezekiell chap. 14. set downe at large in many verses together but summarily comprised in the 7 and 8. verses The words are Every one which separateth himselfe from me and setteth up his idol in his heart and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquitie before his face and cometh to a Prophet to enquire of him concerning mee I the Lord will answere him by my selfe And I will set my face against that man and will make him a signe a proverb c. In this passage there are two things considerable 1. A case propounded concerning the people And 2 the answer that God maketh unto it The case is this It is supposed that a man doth not only repaire to the Prophets Sermons in publick but besides goeth to him in privat and asketh his direction in points of religion and Gods service and yet this man setteth up an idol in his heart and a stumbling block before his face that is he hath some one thing or other that he maketh his idol loving and adoring it looking towards it as the desire of his eyes more then he loveth or adoreth the true God whose word he cometh to enquire after This is the case Now the answer that God giveth hereunto is I will answere him by my selfe I will set my face against him c. Applie wee this to our times it is thus much in effect They that pretend to be more zelous religious then other men be these do not only come to heare our sermons in publik but they desire also to have our counsell in privat and propound cases of conscience desiring our direction therein And it is a commendable course and a ready way to gaine knowledge and understanding by But if such a man thus zelous in his way do notwithstanding set up an idol in his heart that is if he have a purpose or do live in any knowen sinne against his conscience God will meete with that man in his anger and cut him off with the wicked that never enquired after God 3. Ex. A third example may be that spoken of by our Saviour Luk. 13.26 They shall say unto me saith our Lord we have eaten and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets But he shall say I tell you I know you not whence ye are depart from me all ye workers of iniquitie And as it is Matt. 7.22 Many will say to me in that day of the great judgment Lord Lord have we not prophecied in thy name and in thy name have cast out divels and in thy name have done many wonderfull works And then I will professe unto them I never knew you depart from mee ye that work iniquity Here I consider two things 1 What these great pretenders to religion did alledge for themselves and that was that they had heard CHRIST himselfe preaching unto them in his own person yea that themselves did preach in his name and which is yet more in his name had cast out divels And hereupon they thought that they had a speciall interest in Christ and his Kingdome 2. I consider what our LORD answered to these allegations hee denieth not but that it was true that they had heard CHRIST preaching among them and that they had taught and done miracles in his name all this he grants to be true But he denieth that for any or all of these they had any right in him or in his Kingdome I never knew you depart from me And why why even because ye are workers of iniquity The application hereof is obvious and easy If men be workers of iniquity that is if they live in any knowen sinne which they will not presently forsake no hearing of Gods word though CHRIST himselfe were the preacher nor no preaching of Gods word though themselves were honored with that holy calling no nor no casting out of divels as some even in our daies have pretended to do neither any nor all of these things can gaine them a title to heaven or a right to blessednesse eternall life Let every good Christian then take heede that himselfe be not caried away with errour of the wicked who think highly of themselves for their hearing of Sermons and reading of Scriptures and reasoning of religion These are good if they be well used that is if they be made to serve as meanes of pietie and a godly life if they make us more just more sober and more peaceable and more charitable and more conscionable in all our wayes and dealings then they are the blessings of God and prepare men by holinesse to a blessed life But if they bee separated from sanctitie and a godly life then the curse attendeth them Depart from mee ye workers of iniquity and Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the divell and his Angels from which God will deliver all them that feare and serve him Vse 2. Seeing Hearing is of no further use then as it fitteth us for doing hence we have a good rule to judge of the goodnesse of a Sermon by For if hearing be no more worth then as it furthereth us to doing then preaching is of as litle worth if it bee not fitted for the same end The reason is because preaching and hearing are both of them ordained for the same end nor would there be any use of preaching if there were no neede of hearing No man ever preached to an infant because he wanteth wit to learn what is taught nor will any man ever preach to the glorified soules that bee in heaven because they have no neede of teaching Preaching onely is for this purpose that men who haue neede of instruction may learne and make use of what is taught And therefore if that hearing bee vaine which doth not further a godly life then that preaching is no better then babling which is not fit to beget godlinesse and vertue And this note yeeldeth us two practicall rules one for the Preacher and an other for the Hearers 1. Rule The rule for the Preacher is this that in framing and composing of his Sermon he should aime at the peoples profiting in an holy life all his thoughts and words should be such as may worke men to the obedience of Gods Law For confirmation hereof wee have Gods owne example Isa 48.17 I am the LORD thy God saith hee which teacheth thee to profit and leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest goe I note two things 1. When hee saith I am the Lord which teacheth thee hee professeth himselfe to bee a preacher whose office is to teach men the way of eternall life And 2. when he saith I am the Lord which teacheth to profit the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as Montanus rendereth it
example if the Preacher commend any necessary duty unto us we may pray for grace to perform it if he condemne any sin by which we may be ensnared we may pray for strength to avoid it and if hee dispute of any hard point which is profitable to be knowen wee may pray for wisdome to understand it And all this wee may do without any hinderance to the publick service or the exercise in hand Nay if we do thus at convenient times and when the occasion doth require it it will further us in that work two waies 1. it will obtaine a blessing of GOD upon the present work that it may do us the more good and 2. it will season our hearts with holy affections and thereby prepare them for the performing of what they have beene taught Prayer then is usefull at all times both before we come to heare and when wee are in hearing and after we have made an end of the work and therefore my exhortation shall be that of the Apostle 1. Thess 5.17 Pray without ceasing and that of our Saviour where hee saith that men ought alwayes to pray Luk. 18.1 For our better encouragement in which duty wee may consider the successe and event thereof in two knowen examples The first is the example of Cornelius of whom it is said that while hee was praying in his house an Angel from heaven appeared unto him and directed him to Peter who would tell him what hee ought to do Act. 10.6 or as it is Act. 11.14 would tell him words whereby both hee and all his house should be saved An other example wee have in Saul afterward called Paul Of whom wee reade that after JESUS had appeared unto him by the way and preached unto him the sum of the Gospel hee went into the City and continued three dayes fasting and praying And then the Lord appeared to Ananias and said Arise and inquire in the house of Iudas for one called Saul of Tarsus for behold he prayeth Act. 9.11 Where 1. wee may note a commandement given to Ananias Arise go enquire for Saul it is a short speech including more in the sense then appeareth in the words Hee meaneth that hee should inquire for him and having found him should say and do unto him as afterward is expressed ver 17. 2. a reason which moved God to bestow these favours upon him and that is in these words For behold he prayeth If Saul had gone his way and neglected the vision that hee saw and the words that hee heard from our Saviours mouth hee might have continued without any further direction and help But now that hee prayed to God after the vision and the instructions of our LORD (a) Act. 9.17 and Act. 21.14 15 16 God sendeth his servant who both opened his eyes and instructed him in the faith and baptized him and layed his hands upon him and hee was filled with the holy Ghost The application from these examples to our selves is this If we set our selves to prayer before hearing as Cornelius did and by prayer beg Gods blessing after we have heard as Saul did wee may hope that God (b) Eph. 2.4 who is rich in mercy and such a one (c) Psal 65.2 as heareth prayer will blesse our endevours and prosper his ordinance and send us such Teachers as may direct us the right way to salvation and life III. The last generall duty is that wee bee constant in our performances whether they be to bee used before or after or amidst our hearing And by constancie in our duties I meane two things 1. that wee must not do them by spurts and 2. that wee must not do them by halves 1. We must not do them by spurts onely and when the toy taketh us but wee must performe them usually at the accustomed and convenient times For those that come to Church now and then at their best leisure and now and then prepare themselves and now and then recall to minde what they have heard are like trewandly boies which come to schoole one day and stay away another Among such schollars I have seldome seene any that ever learned his book to any purpose And no marvell For first he loseth a great part of the time in idlenesse which others bestow at their book and misseth many lessons which his fellows do learne in his absence 2. Such a trewandly boy is not disposed to learne when he commeth to schoole partly because his minde is upon his miching holes where hee useth to lurk or upon the pastime that hee hath spent his time in and partly because the losing of his ordinary lessons in his absence doth rob him of much help that hee might have gained for the lessons which come after For one lesson well learned is a stepp and introduction to another because there is a connexion and dependance among rules of the same Art But surely what ever the reason bee the conclusion is true that a trewandly boy never proveth a learned man And the same may bee observed in the schoole of Christ Those that come by fits only and heare and repeat and consider when they have little else to do lose many good notes and instructions which others who are more diligent do learne and suffer many distractions of minde when they are about the work and are every way indisposed for learning of Gods Law Thomas by being once absent when CHRIST appeared to his disciples lost a great measure of faith which they gained who were present Our LORD shewed them his hands and his side and used arguments of perswasion to convince them of the truth of his resurrection and they beleeved it but Thomas wanting these grounds of faith remained faithlesse in that great point of our LORDS resurrection as is expressed at large Iohn 20. And so hee that is absent when hee should not may chance misse of those instructions which might do him good to salvation and he that neglecteth to use the meanes of profiting when hee hath faire opportunity for them may lose that assistance of grace that might guide him in the wayes of godlinesse Consequently hee that is carefull to thrive in grace must continue in well doing and not do good duties by spurts and as his fancie leadeth him 2. Hee that will be constant must not do his services by halves So they do who in their private exercises do out of idlenesse and indevotion curtall and abbreviat either their prayers or their meditations or any other usefull exercise But more especially they do so who at times of publike Service do come when part thereof is past or go away before all bee ended Such men runne into a twofold danger one that they do offend God by sleighting of his service and the other that they may lose the blessing which usually accompanieth the time of divine Service 1. They may anger God by a sleight esteeme of his Service For so the Prophet saith Cursed be hee that doth the
neglected or at least omitted to speake of The summe of which correction is as if hee had said Thou sayest Blessed is the womb c. Which though I deny not to be true yet I will tell thee of a farre greater blessednes then that is Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keep it 2. This woman made not so good an use of our Saviours doctrine as shee might have done When she heard him preach with great wisdome and evidence of the Spirit she brake out into the praises of the preacher which were justly deserved by him but she said nothing perhaps she thought nothing of amending her life or of performing what she was taught And herein our Lord amendeth her speech by telling her what better use shee might make of his Sermon Shee commended him for his good Sermon when she had done better if shee had amended her selfe by his instruction She said Blessed is the mother that bred such a Preacher but he said Nay rather blessed is the hearer that maketh use of his doctrine The Text being thus explained I now proceed to speake of the points that I propounded omitting other by-notes which though they bee profitable in their season yet are not pertinent to my purpose CAP. II. By earthly things a wise Christian may bee occasioned to seeke after heavenly blessings Cap. 2 OUr Lord from this womans speech concerning the happinesse of his mother for breeding such a childe taketh occasion to discourse of the true happinesse that accompanieth Gods service And hence I observe that it is a point of holy wisdome to take occasion for heavenly meditations by the mention or sight of earthly things My proofes for this are two the constant practice of our Saviour and the helpes that it yeeldeth us to a godly and an happy life I. The constant practice of our Saviour related and commended to us in Scriptures for there wee reade that when he saw Peter and Andrew busied in fishing he tooke occasion by the trade that then they did use to tell them of an heavenly trade of fishing for the souls of men He saw them casting a net into the Sea for they were fishers and he said unto them follow mee and I will make you fishers of men Mat. 4.18 19. Againe when some told him of his mother and his brethren desiring to speake with him he tooke occasion from the mention of his earthly kindred to instruct us in the spirituall kindred that is betweene him and every good Christian It was told him by certain which said Thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring to see thee And hee answered and said unto them My mother and my brethren are these which heare the word of God and doe it Luke 8.20 21. And againe when the woman of Samaria came to draw water out of Iacobs Well out of this accident he fetcheth occasion to instruct her in the living water that would refresh her soule unto eternall life There commeth a woman of Samaria to draw water Iesus saith unto her give me to drinke Then said the woman how is it that thou being a Iew askest drink of me which am a woman of Samaria Iesus answered and said unto her If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee Give me to drinke thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Of which water whosoever drinketh shal never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall bee in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life Ioh. 4.7 9 14. And yet againe when the people followed after him that they might eate of his bread he taketh occasion from their desire of earthly meate to instruct them concerning the bread of life When the people came to Capernaum seeking for Jesus Iesus answered them and said verily verily I say vnto you Ye seeke mee not because you saw the miracles but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled Labour not for the meate which perisheth but for that meate which endureth to everlasting life Iohn 6.26 27. Thus our Saviour by a constant custome taketh occasion by the words that are spoken and occurrences that happen in the world to raise mens thoughts from earth to heaven and from things that concerne this life to teach them spirituall lessons for obtaining of eternal life By which practice of his hee lifteth up men to heaven while they remaine upon earth and breedeth in them heavenly mindednesse while they are occupied about their worldly businesse And this being his constant practice who is the wisdome of his father it proveth the truth of my conclusion that it is a point of holy wisdome to take occasion for heavenly meditations by the mention or sight of earthly things II. The same point is further proved by the helps that we may receive from it towards holinesse and an happy life In which kinde I may reckon these that follow 1. It will make every creature that we see and every occurrence that wee meet with in the world to serve us as Schoolemasters to lead us unto Christ and as a Monitor to remember us of some duty The meat on our tables will teach us the necessity of the meate that never perisheth and our hungring after that will admonish us how wee should desire the food of Gods word that we may grow and bee strengthned in grace by it The clothes we put on will remember us of putting on the Lord Iesus and of the glorious robes of righteousnesse with which Gods children are adorned The tender affection which we shew to our children will bring to remembrance the great love of our heavenly father towards his sons and daughters The duty and service that wee require of our servants will tell us what greater duty we owe to our Lord in heaven and their failings towards us will remember us of many defects of our owne in Gods service and of our rebellions against his commandments And the like may be said of all other the like occasions and occurrences so that not a crumme of bread nor a corne of salt nor a drop of drinke but as they serve to refresh nature so they may serve also to increase and confirme grace in us And all the creatures will have not onely a naturall use for this life but also a spirituall use towards eternall life and the happinesse of the world to come 2. This practice of gathering holy meditations from worldly occurrences will help to preserve us from abusing the creatures in a sinfull sort Hee that when he eateth his meate for refreshing of his body shall think withall Yea but how much more necessary and comfortable is the food of Gods word to the famished soule will not likely abuse the creatures to surfetting and excesse And hee that when he putteth on his best clothes shall think Yea but how much more glorious are the garments of righteousnesse and the fine linnen and silkes with
olde the treasure that is here cannot bee eaten by the mothe nor stollen by the thieve nor wasted by continuance of time nor can they either be taken from us or we from them by any casualty or mischance And why then should wee think any paines too great or any cost too much or any danger too hard by which going on in Gods service wee may obtain such an unvaluable reward Or if wee shrink at the thought of too much at least let us do as much for heaven as the labourer doth for his hire or as the shop-keeper doth for his gaine or as the Merchant doth for his estate And if we will bee Christians that professe Gods service to be our trade and heaven and happinesse to bee our reward let us think it a shame that they should labour so constantly and so chearefully for the commodities of this life while wee grudge at every small labour in praying and hearing and examining the conscience and mortifying of our carnall lusts or while wee repine at every small summe bestowed for Gods service and for setting forth of his praise or while we pull back and shrink at every petty losse in our estates in our credit in our pleasures and preferments seeing by these meanes wee aspire to an incorruptible Crown to an inheritance in heaven and to a kingdome that cannot be shaken 2. All men desire and will endure much for freedome from misery and grievances Wee willingly lay our our money and bestow our labour that by providing meate and clothes and maintenance we may avoid hunger and thirst and nakednesse And wee part with lands and possessions and offices that we may redeem our liberty rather then lye in yrons or be tyed to a Galley And if there be any feare of our death by sicknesse or dangers then skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for saving of his life But now this blessednesse of heaven it hath freedome from all evils and from all feare of danger There as hath been said is no more curse nor no more crying nor no more death or sicknesse or sorow neither hunger nor thirst nor any thing to disquiet our peace And for such a blessed and secure state if we will not doe what we would do for freedome out of prison and to redeem our selves out of slavery and to recover our selves from the stone or strangury from the goute or palsey or from sicknesse and death surely wee both overvalue these transitories and undervalue heaven and happinesse more then is tolerable in him who professeth himselfe to be a Christian and God Almighty to bee his exceeding great reward 3. Lastly there is no man but if he ask his own heart it will tell him that happinesse is to be desired above all In all ages there have been great disputes and much difference about the matter of happinesse some thinking it to consist in riches and others in pleasures and others in honours and preferments but there was never any man but did think and professe that true happinesse is the summum bonum the greatest good that any man could have or would desire This is a principle so graffed in nature that no disputes of philosophers nor no differences of opinions could ever roote it out But all Christians now know that the true blessednesse is in the fruition of God in glory And why then should any Christian make more account of the vanities of the world then of the happinesse of heaven or why should wee stick at any labour the fruit whereof will be eternall life or why should we not desire heaven with the losse of all things with this consideration our Saviour stirred up his disciples to the hardest service Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven Mat. 5.10 And with this consideration S. Paul animated himselfe to undergoe the greatest dangers Now behold saith he I goe bound in the spirit unto Ierusalem not knowing the things that shall befall there saving that the holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying that bonds and afflictions abide me But none of these things move me neither count I my life deare unto my selfe so that I might finish my course with joy and the ministery which I have received of the Lord Iesus to testifie the Gospell of the grace of God Acts 20.22 23 24. And with this consideration August Soliloque ca. 1 n. 3. an holy Father of olde did encourage himselfe to pray for death that he might the sooner enjoy God in his glory Hee bemoned himselfe that he might not be admitted to see Gods face but remembring himselfe what he had asked calling to mind that in the like case God answered Moses Thou canst not see my face for no man can see me and live Exod. 33.20 He replyed with great confidence why Lord and is that all that I cannot see thy face and live I pray thee then Eâ—a Domine moriar ut te videam videam ut hic moriar Nolo vivere volo mori dissolvi cupio esse cum Christo Lord let mee die that I may see thy face or let me see thee that I may die in this place I would not live I would die that I might see thee Thus holy men of God have been affected who knew and considered what this blessednesse was And if we did rightly conceive what it were to enjoy God in glory wee would count nothing so deare unto us as the favour of God in Christ nor grudge to bee bound in chaines for the hope of Israel and we would even wish to die presently so we were sure upon our departure to bee with God And what then should let us by an holy life and works of Gods service to make our calling and election sure that whensoever our translation shall be as far off to the youngest of us it cannot be that then this mortall may put on immortality and we may live with God in glory for ever Vse 2. This may serve for comfort to all true Christians who may hereby understand how blessed their state is But especially it fitteth them who together with a good conscience do groan under some heavy crosse Our Saviours instruction in this case to his disciples is Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evill against you falsely for my sake Reioyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven Mat. 5.11 12. Consider here 1. what our Lord exhorteth them to Rejoyce and be exceeding glad when men shall revile you c. 2. Upon what ground he requireth such rejoycing in so heavy a case it is because they are now blessed and yer long shall have a great reward in heaven Blessed are yee when men shall revile you c. for great is your reward in heaven And so I may say to every poore Christian that had rather have a small estate well gotten
description of the doctrinall vertue contained in Gods word If any desire further consent of other Scriptures he may take that of David Thy word is a lanterne to my feete and a light unto my pathes Psal 119 105. and that of Solomon All the words of my mouth are in righteousnesse there is nothing froward or perverse in them and that of Isay To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Isay 8.20 and that of our Saviour Do not ye erre because ye know not the Scriptures Mar. 12.24 By all which as by other like places of Scripture it is cleare that the Scriptures shew the right way and the ignorance of Scriptures is the cause that men erre and goe astray out of the way II. Secondly the word of God containeth blessednesse in it because it affordeth arguments of perswasion and by them doth win our assent to walk in that way And that it doth 3. wayes 1. By loving invitations such as these are I beseech you by the mercifulnes of God c. Rom. 12.1 and God doth beseech you by us and We pray you in Christs stead Bee yee reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5.20 2 It perswadeth by gracious promises of much good to be obtained such as these are Keep sound wisdome and discretion So shall they be life unto thy soule and grace unto thy neck When thou liest down thou shalt not be afraid Yea thou shalt lie down and thy sleep shall be sweete Bee not afraid of sudden feare neither of the desolation of the wicked when it commeth For the Lord shall be thy confidence and shall keep thy foot from being taken Prov. 3.21 c. and such is that of Moses Blessed shalt thou be in the City and in the field Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body c. Deut. 28.2 c. and that of our Saviour There is no man that hath left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the Gospels but hee shall receive an hundred fold now in this time houses and brethren c. and in the world to come eternall life Mar. 10.29 30. 3. It perswadeth by threatning of plagues and punishments against all disobedience and sin such as these are If thou shalt corrupt thy selfe and shalt do evill in the sight of the Lord thy God c. I call heaven and earth to witnesse against you this day that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto yee goe to possesse it Deut. 4.26 and that of the Apostle God will take vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2 Thes 1.8 9. and that of our Saviour at the last judgement Then shall he say to them on the left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and his Angells Mat. 25.41 These and such like bee the arguments of perswasion which the Scriptures use to keep us in the way of righteousnesse and to bring us to eternall life And he that hath the heart of a man in him and is not moved with such reasons hath in the shape of a man cast off all humanity and reason If intreaties by the mercies of God in Christ Jesus move us not wee are more unthankfull then many bruites be which attend on their Masters by whom they are fed If promises of rewards and happinesse do not move us we may be thought insensible sensible of our owne welfare And if punishments and plagues especially the worme that dyeth not and the fire that never is quenched if these move us not how far short doe wee come of the wisdome that is in the dogg and the horse and the asse all which are forced to obedience by the rod and the spurre and the whip even when they are but threatned against them And consequently if these many forcible perswasions contained in Gods word do not worke with us to the obedience of Gods will the complaint will bee just against us that was used against the Jews What could have beene done more in my vineyard that I have not done it it Wherefore when I looked that it should bring forth grapes brought it forth wilde grapes Is 5.4 III. Thirdly there is a vertue of blessednesse in Gods word because where it is preached it bringeth with it that grace of God which being entertained by us doth enable us both to beleeve what it teacheth and to performe what it perswadeth unto The proofes of this point are gathered to my hands by our learned Divines of great Britaine who were a chiefe part of the Dort-Councell And as they have set them downe so I shall relate them from their pen. * Suffr de 2. art thesi 5. pag. 30. They having said two things in their position 1. that together with the preaching of the Gospell some measure of grace is offered 2. that it is so much as may convince men of contempt or negligence if they be not reformed by it they add for proofe of the former that it is plaine out of Scriptures and from thence they alledge Isa 59. ult This is my covenant with them saith the Lord My spirit that is upon thee and my words that I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth from henceforth and for evermore Upon which words they comment to this purpose Hinc patet From hence it is plaine that the Word and the Spirit are * Individuo nexu inseparably by Gods promise joyned together in the ministery of the word And from hence say they the ministers of the new Testament are called the ministers not of the letter but of the spirit not of the killing letter but of the quickning spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 And the ministery of the Gospell is called the ministration of the spirit v. 8. Hence also the Gospel is called Grace that bringeth salvation Tit. 2.11 the word of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.19 And Luk. 10.9 11. When Christ sent his seventie disciples to preach the Gospell he commanded them to say to their hearers The Kingdome of God is come nigh unto you doubtlesse because supernatural grace was administred to those men to whom the Gospell was preached Againe for proofe of the 2. point that there is so much grace offered as may convince them of contempt who doe not beleeve and obey the same learned men alledge that of our Saviour Ioh. 15.22 If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sinne but now they have no cloke for their sin From this place it is plaine say they that Christ in propounding of the Gospell did also administer that internall grace which was thus far sufficient that because they did not accept but reject the
speech that if any of us did know that there were a mine of gold to be found by seeking wee would be glad it were in our own ground wee would moreover digge the earth hew the rocks and draine the marishes that nothing might hinder our obtaining of that treasure And in such maner would Solomon have us to labour for the knowledge of God that lyeth hid in his word Young people should desire to be catechised old people to be further instructed and all both yong and olde should willingly undergoe that paines what ever it bee that may open the Mine and bring us to the sight and possession of this treasure 3. If there bee any of us who have children whose happinesse wee doe desire we learne from hence to lay the foundation thereof in the knowledge of Gods word Moses commanded parents that they should teach their children upon every occasion and acquaint them with Gods word and his commandements promising them that then their dayes and the dayes of their children should be multiplied in the land as the dayes of heaven Deut. 11.19 21. And so if ye would leave a good portion indeede for your children and provide that they may live long upon earth and eternally in heaven catechise them in the principles of Gods word sow the seedes of godlinesse in their tender mindes and teach them how to follow the directions of Gods Law and this will give them instructions to know the right way and will follow them with exhortations to goe on in the way and will never leave them till it give them possession of heaven and eternall glory CAP. VI. Hearing of Gods word Read is a meanes of blessednesse Cap. 6 HItherto hath beene declared how the word of God containeth vertue in it to make a man blessed Our Lord goeth on to tell us how this vertue may bee conveyed and communicated unto us to wit by Hearing and Keeping of it Blessed saith he are they that heare the word of God keep it I begin with hearing and hereof there are two kinds mentioned in Scripture an hearing of the word read as it is delivered in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and an hearing of the word preached as it is unfolded and applied by the ordinarie Minister sent of God for that purpose Of both these it is true that they are meanes by which the blessednes of Gods word may bee conveyed unto us and therefore both are necessary to bee considered in their place and order First then I say that hearing of the word read out of the Scriptures is a meanes to make a man blessed or to communicate blessednesse unto him I. This is proved first by Testimonies of Scriptures I will insist onely upon two 1. The first is that of Moses Deut. 31.9 10 11 12 13. The words are Moses wrote this Law and delivered it to the Priests the sonnes of Levi And commanded them saying At the end of every seven yeares in the solemnitie of the yeare of Release in the feast of Tabernacles When all Israel is come to appeare before the Lord thy God in the place which hee shall choose Thou shalt reade this Law before all Israel in their hearing Gather the people together men and women and children and the stranger that it within thy gates that they may heare and that they may learne and feare the Lord your God and observe to doe all the words of this Law and that their children which have not knowen any thing may heare and learn to feare the Lord your God as long as ye live in the land whither ye goe over Iordan to possesse it In these words we may note for this purpose these things 1. what Moses did that is 1. he wrote this Law to wit that which God had delivered unto him for the instruction of his people 2. he delivered it to the Priests that it might be for the use of the Church And this sheweth that the law whereof Moses speaketh was the written word of God committed to the Church 2. Wee may consider what Moses commanded the Priests to doe and that is that they should reade this Law to the people And this is illustrated and amplified by 3. things 1. by the solemnity of the time when it should bee read to wit in the great feast of Tabernacles when all Israel were to bee present 2. By the universality of the persons in whose hearing it should bee read and they are specified to bee men women and children as well strāgers as natives 3. Why or for what end the Law was to bee read to all these sorts of men gathered in such multitudes And the ends are diverse one subordinat to an other ech former serving as a meanes for that which commeth after and all of them tending and conducing to an happie life the first is that they might heare it the next that by hearing they might learn it the last that by hearing and learning they might bee brought to feare God and observe and doe all the words of that Law Now laie these together that Moses wrote this Law and the Priests read this Law and the people all of them heard this Law written and read unto them by Gods appointment and all this for this end and purpose that the people might feare God and keepe his commandements and they plainely prove that the hearing of the word written and read is an approved meanes to an holy and consequently to an happy life also For hee that so heareth the word that he is a doer of the worke is blessed in his deede Iam. 1.25 2. The second testimony is that of the Prophet Ier. 36.5 6 7. Ierem. commanded Baruch saying I am shutt up I cannot goe into the house of the Lord. Therefore goe thou and reade in the Roll which thou hast written from my mouth the words of the Lord in the eares of the people in the Lords house upon the fasting day and also thou shalt reade them in the eares of all Iudah that come out of their cities It may be they will present their supplication before the Lord and will returne every one from his evill way In this passage when it is said that Ieremie being restrained that himselfe could not preach did therefore command Baruch and that by Gods appointment as appeareth vers 2 3. to reade Ieremies words in a written Roll this sheweth both that the people did heare the word written and that it was a duty of consequence and moment And secondly when he saith It may bee they will present their supplication returne this implieth that though there might be some doubt of the successe because of the obstinacy of the people Yet this was a likely way and God made choise of it for that purpose that they might relent and repent and amend their evill waies and obtaine pardon as is more plainely signified v. 3. And this againe proveth that the hearing of the word is a meanes to reclaime
somewhat hereby that may direct us how to serve God how to honor our Superiours how to governe our inferiours and how to behave our selves towards all men For though the full distinct unfolding of these points bee left to the learned preacher who is therefore brought up in Scholasticall studies that he may be able to instruct the people in the sense of Scriptures and in the duties of their calling more perfectly then they could possibly learne by their owne industrie Yet even of them selves by hearing the word read with attention they may understand a good part of their dutie both towards GOD and men For who is there even among the meanest Christians but if he heare the 20. chapter of Exodus read will presently resolve with himselfe that hee is bound to reverence his parents not to kill or strike his neighbour not to wrong him in his wife in his goods or in his good name Or who that shall heare the 13. chapter to the Romans read but will presently conceive that it is his duty to obey the Magistrate Or if he heare the 5. and 6. chapters to the Ephesians but will know by the very words that he is bound to do faithfull service to his master if he bee a servant to be kinde to his wife if he bee a maried man and dutiful to his parents if he be a childe that is under government and carefull for the education of his children if he bee a father of sonnes or daughters And the like may be said of other the like cases All which shew that the hearing of Scriptures read may availe a man much to the leading of an holy life The further illustration whereof may be had out of some few examples First then Athanasius an ancient Doctor of the Church Athanas in vita S. Antonii pag. 445. telleth of S. Antonie that having first revolved in his minde how the Apostles forsooke all and followed CHRIST he came into the Church and in the Gospell which was then read he heard the saying of our Saviour to the yong rich man If thou wilt be perfect sell all that thou hast and give to the poore and come and follow me and thou shalt have treasure in heaven Matt. 1921. And as soone as hee had heard that sentence hee went home and sould his possessions and gave them to the poore and leaving all further care of the world he betooke himselfe wholly to a devout life Secondly August Confess lib. 8 cap. 12. pag. 37. S. Augustin telleth of himselfe that having heard of this storie of saint Antonie how he by hearing the Gospell read was converted to God hee in imitation of this holy man tooke up the booke that lay by to reade for hearing of Gods word read and reading of it do not much differ in this respect and opening the booke at all adventure he read what first came to hand and that was the saying of the Apostle Let us walke honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkennes not in chambering and wantonnesse not in strife and envying c. Rom. 13.13 Part of which words did so strike his heart that he presently forsook his loose life and betooke himselfe to Gods service Thirdly the booke of God it selfe telleth us that Iosias having heard the words of the Law read which threatened judgment against such sinnes as were then too common among them He humbled himselfe rent his clothes and wept before the Lord and caused the booke to be read in the audience of the people and both hee and they moved by the hearing of the booke read made a covenant with the Lord for conversion and amendment of life as is recorded in the 2. booke of Kings in the end of the 22. and in the beginning of the 23. chapter By these examples wee learne that if men come to the hearing of the word read with honest teacheable hearts as these good men d d they may heare that by the sole reading of the text by which they may be brought to repentance for their sins and a carefull and devout service of the Lord their God as these holy men were before them 3. Thirdly the hearing of the word read if it bee heard with attention and reverence as it alwaies should will prepare and fitt peoples mindes for a profitable hearing of Sermons For when the Preacher in handling any point shall alledge the Text he that hath beene an attentive hearer of the word read and hath imprinted the sayings of Scripture in his minde will remember and acknowledge the words as they are cited explained and hereby hee will gaine these helps towards a godly life 1. Hee will learne the sense and meaning of hard places if any be expounded unfolded by the Preacher which himselfe understood not before 2. he will be able as his minde goeth along with the preachers words in part to judge of the truth soundnesse of his allegations and afterward more fully and exactly to examine the things that were spoken as the Bereans examined S. Pauls doctrine whether those things were so as hee had said And lastly he will be enabled to remember every thing that is said the better a good part of the Sermon being setled in his memory by his former reading and the rest having neare coherence with it and dependance on it And he that is furnished with these abilities will easily profit by all that the preacher teacheth But contrariewise he that heareth Texts alledged in a Sermon which he had never heard of before can neither judge of the sense that is put upon them nor understand the sequels that are deduced from them nor remember to any purpose what hath beene alledged out of them I conclude then that he who will profit by the word preached must not neglect to heare the word read that hee may imprint the sentences of the Scripture in his minde 4. Fourthly by hearing the word read though sometimes we understand not the meaning yet we may at least fasten the words in our memories if we carie away but the words and phrases onely we may thereby bee occasioned to ask direction from others who understād them better The Eunuch when he read the Prophecie of Isai understood it not but was hereby moved to enquire of the meaning of the Text. I pray thee saith he of whom speaketh the Prophet this of himselfe or of some other man Act. 8.34 And upon this occasion Philip explained him the text preached unto him the Gospell of Christ and converted him unto the faith brought him by baptisme into the bosome of the Church And so it will bee with us If when we heare the Text read wee meete with some thing which we understand not yet even that if we do but cary away the words onely will lie by us till we meete with some more skilful then our selves and of whom we may ask as the Eunuch did of Philip I pray you Sir
made in a publik place For then the Publican whose prayer was well accepted with God would not in so publik a place as the Temple in Jerusalem have made so pivat a prayer as this God be mercifull unto me a sinner Nor did they then beleeve that there was any superstition in observing the Canonicall houres of the Church for then Peter and Iohn would not have chosen the ninth houre which was one of the Churches houres in those dayes for their time of resorting to the Temple Those that are wise sober minded will consider these things and will not doubt but that praying and hearing and every exercise of devotion will the sooner receive a blessing if it bee performed in the place of Gods presence CAP. VII Hearing of Gods word preached is a meanes of blessednesse Cap. 7 HItherto I have spoken of hearing the word read it followeth now to speake of hearing the word preached and to shew how that also may conduce to blessednes or an happy life For clearing of which point three things are to be declared 1. what we are to understand by this word preaching 2. how it may be proved by Scriptures that the hearing of the word preached is availeable to a blessed life And thirdly what speciall helps towards happinesse we may reape by hearing the word preached over and beside the profite that we have by hearing it read I. Quest What we meane by Preaching For answere hereto these short notes may suffice 1. Note The word preach in English as also the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereto it answereth is sometimes taken in a common and generall acception for any kinde of publishing or proclaiming by what meanes soever it be done Thus in the 12. of S. Luke our Lord disswading men from hypocrisie and double dealing useth this reason vers 3. because how cunningly and secretly soever men carie their contrivances for the present yet there will a time come when all their jugling and double dealing shall be disclosed and layed open in the cleare Sun The words of the Text in the originall are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Geneva Translators turne it thus in English That which yee have spoken in the eare in secret places shall be preached on the houses Our late authorized Translation hath it thus That which ye have spoken in the eare in closets shall bee proclaimed on the house tops Nor are either of these translations any whit amisse or any thing different in the substance Only that which saith shall be preached on the houses cometh nearer to the word and the other which saith shall be proclaimed doth more plainely expresse the meaning and both layed together do teach us thus much that to Preach sometimes is nothing else but to proclaime or publish a thing that all may heare and take notice of it And in this sense reading of the Scriptures whereof I spoke before may be called preaching without any incongruity or error Yea and so it is called Act. 15.21 Moses saith the Text hath in every citie them that preach him being read in their Synagogues every Sabbath day Note here 1. what is said to be done and that is Moses is preached in every citie 2. how this is said to bee done that is by reading of his Law Moses hath them that preach him being read or seeing he is read in their Synagogues Thus it appeareth that preaching is sometime used in such a generall signification as that reading may be called preaching But this is not that preaching which I meane in this place When I say that hearing of the word preached is a meanes of blessednesse I understand the word in a more strict or restrained sense as preaching is distinguished from reading and as we commonly use the word in our ordinarie speech and that is when Gods Minister doth by an audible voice teach the doctrine of salvation in such maner as himselfe hath contrived and ordered it for the instruction of the people 2. Note This kinde of preaching in the stricter and more proper sense is of two sorts For sometimes men preach being directed by inspiration or immediat revelation from God Thus Moses and the Prophets did preach in the old Testamēt and Christ and his Apostles in the New Saint Peter saith of the Prophets that they spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 And our Saviour saith of his disciples It is not ye that speake but the spirit of your father which speaketh in you Matt. 10.20 Sometimes againe men preach Gods word as they are enabled by the rules of art and their owne industrie and studie Thus the Priests and Levits did preach when after the reading of the book of the Law they gave the sense and caused the people to understand the reading Nehem. 8.8 And thus the Scribes and Pharises did preach when sitting in Moses his chaire they taught men to keepe and observe the things written in the Law Matt. 23.2 3. And this is the preaching which the Doctors and Pastors of the Church after the Apostles times have used and which Gods Ministers do use at this day Of both these kindes of preaching my note is to be understood that the hearing of Gods word preached whether it bee performed by divine inspiration or by humane studie is still a meanes to make men happy that make the right use of it 3. Note These kindes of preaching whether by inspiration or studie may be performed two wayes For sometimes the preacher taketh a Text of Scripture for the ground of his Sermon He explaineth the words and out of them draweth instructions and then applieth all to the use of his hearers This course our Saviour tooke Luk. 4. Luk. 4.16 17 18 19 20 21. He came to Nazareth where he had beene brought up and as his custome was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up for to reade And there was delivered unto him the booke of the Prophet Esaias when he had opened the booke he found the place where it was written The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath annointed mee to preach the Gospell to the poore hee hath sent me to heale the broken-hearted to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blinde to set at libertie them that are bruised to preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord c. In which passage wee may observe two things 1. that our Lord chose a Text of Scripture to discourse upon When hee had opened the booke he found the place where it was written The spirit c. Isai 61.1 2. that hee unfolded and applied this Text to the present occasion This day saith hee is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares meaning that which the Prophet had foretold in those words was now fulfilled in himselfe who preached unto them as was prophecied of him aforetime In the like maner Philip also preached Act. 8.32 c. The Eunuch had read
saying of Isai cap. 53. v. 7. He was led as a Sheepe to the slaughter and like a Lambe dumb before his shearer so opened hee not his mouth c. Act. 8.32 but when Philip came and expounded the Text and preached unto him JESUS out of that Text then he understood the words and beleeved in CHRIST to salvation And so among us there is no ordinary Christian but may stick at the meaning of som Scriptures which if a learned preacher have them in handling hee may see unfolded and explained 2. By hearing the word preached a man may learne how this or that Scripture doth prove and confirme a point of divinity or doth confute a contrary errour or doth commend unto us some profitable dutie belonging to our calling which a common Christian of and by himself would not have marked and observed For example the Sadduces and common people of that time did not see nor could not conceive how the Resurrection of the dead might be proved out of that saying of Moses Exod. 3.6 I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob But our Saviour sheweth it by a plaine reason that that Scripture proveth the truth of that point because that God is not the God of the dead but of the living Whence it foloweth that because God saith that he is the God of Abraham and Isaac and Iacob therefore Abraham Isaac Iacob are living still and consequently their soules were not perished or vanished into nothing as the Sadduces fondly imagined and therefore said that there was no Resurrection Againe the people did not know that that place of David Thou shalt not leave my soule in hell nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption Psal 16.10 did include any proofe of Christs Resurrection from the dead But S. Paul sheweth and that from the Text it selfe that this saying must needes bee meant of Christ who upon the third day after his death rose againe from the dead without any tincture of corruption because of David that Text could not bee meant who had beene a long time dead and now was consumed into ashes but never rose againe from the place of corruption as Act. 13.36 Act. 2.29 And so in like sort there are many passages of holy writ which yeeld plaine proofe for confirming of some truth or for confuting of some error or for instructing us in some duty which an unlearned man among us cannot understand by himselfe but may learne it from a skilfull preacher 3. By hearing the word preached we may learn how to applie the sayings of Scripture to our owne use more then by hearing it read we could ever be able to do of our selves For Scriptures teach us generall duties and give us generall rules without declaring how they agree to each age or place or person For that were an infinit labour and not to be performed at once Now these rules and these sayings the unlearned do not know how to apply so well as the preacher can teach and instruct them Nor will the learned bee ready to make application to themselves till some monitor remember them of their dutie An example hereof wee have in our blessed Saviour who having read that place of the Prophet The Spirit of the Lord is upon me c. Is 61.1 presently applieth it in such a manner as the hearers would never have thought of This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares Luk. 4.21 An other example to the same purpose we have in S. Paul who having alledged that saying of the Prophet I have heard thee in an acceptable time c he presently teacheth the Corinthians which before they knew not how to apply it to the present time and occasion Behold now saith hee is that accepted time now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 To these we may add the example of David He no doubt had oftentimes read of the judgment of God against adultery and murder nor could he be ignorant how necessary repentance was for preventing of that judgment but hee neglected to apply these rules to himselfe to whom they properly belonged till Nathan came to him and applied them to his conscience and tould him in plaine words Thou art the man 2. Sam. 12.7 By all this wee may see that there is great benefit in hearing the word preached besides that which may bee gotten by the word read And hereof there is plaine reason also 1. Because the preacher is supposed to bee bred and brought up in learning and thereby hath gained skill to understand those things which belong to his profession For even in ordinary trades he that hath been an Apprentice for seven years may bee supposed to have gained skill both to manage his trade and to traine up others in the knowledge of the same art which they will not be able to doe who were never bred up in that profession And so it is in this case If a man have spent sundrie years perhaps twise seven or upward in the study of Divinity as many of our preachers have in all probability and likelihood that man will be able to understand teach points much better then men whose breeding hath beene in an other kinde But if any shall stepp into the Pulpit before he have passed through the Schooles and take upon him to teach Divinity before hee ever learned it I speake not of such a one nor do I think him fitt to teach men the mysteries of Religion Such a man may perhaps please the rude multitude who esteeme more of a glibb tongue then a solid braine are swayed more with sound of words then with weight of reasons but will never either satisfie the judgment of the learned or direct any mans conscience in the wayes of salvation Understand mee then to speake of such a one as hath beene bred in the study of good arts and is as the Apostle calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apt to teach and then yee will confesse it to bee true that such a preacher will bee able to teach his hearers the meaning of Gods word better then they of themselves could learne and understand it 2. Because the preacher besides his former studies doth or should bestow his time on the weeke dayes to provide for his labours on the Lords day or other festivals Other men spend the weeke on their worldly businesse the merchant on his traffick the husbandman on his tillage the handicrafts man on his workmanship the Lawyer on his Clients the Physician on his patients and reserve only the Lords day for learning of Religion But the imployment of the preacher even on the week day is to turne his bookes examine his Text and studie for matter of instruction that may do his people good that when the Lords day is come he may speake pertinently to the purpose and profitably for the furthering of his peoples soules And such a man will bee more able to expound Scriptures to
state a controversie and to give rules of a godly life then any other can do who hath not studied the points aforehand and turned over his bookes for his better information But if there bee any of us preachers who studie the world on the week daies and then preach on Gods day what commeth next to our lips I speake not of such nor dare I commend them for men that may direct Gods people in the way of godlinesse no nor them neither who value their labours by the number of Sermons which they preach rather then by the solid notes of instruction which they do deliver Such men may please idle professors who make their religion an eare-labour as Papists make their prayers a lip-labour But understand me of such preachers as besides their former studies do bestow the weeke dayes for provision on the Lords day and no man will denie but such are more able to teach godlinesse then they who have spent all the week on profane or worldly occasions There is great reason then to thinke that the learned preacher may teach us more of Gods truth then possibly we could learne by our selves And out of all this wee may observe the great mercy of God towards us and his great love to our soules who hath provided such varietie of meanes to bring us to happinesse and eternall glory First he hath given us opportunitie of reading his word at home in a knowen tongue and then hee hath provided us meanes that wee may heare it read in the publik congregation and lastly that both the publik and privat reading may bee made more profitable and usefull hee sendeth his preachers to guide us in the right understanding and applying of his word as he sent Philip to the Eunuch to instruct him in the faith And if after all this wee neglect so great salvation offered unto us how shall we escape the just judgment of God who commanded the unprofitable servant to bee cast into outer darknesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth Surely for such a neglect God complaineth of the Jews as of men that had despised both his mercies and their owne comforts I saith he have written unto them the great things of my Law but they were counted as a strange thing Hos 8.12 Where 1. when he saith I have written the great things of my Law he putteth them in minde that his word is not a thing of small value or not worth the reckoning and esteeme But as Moses said of his Law It is no vaine thing for you because it is your life Deuter. 32.47 So our God telleth his people that his word was no vaine or idle thing but the things therein contained were great things matters of life and eternall happinesse 2. When hee saith I have written unto them these great things he implieth that these weightie things are hard at hand lying by them in store that they may take up the Bible and read and learne those rules and directions that may carie them into heaven 3. When he addeth But they these great things of my Law were counted as a strange thing he upbraideth the people with their great negligence or contempt rather that having such a faire opportunity they despised so great salvation as if it were a matter that concerned them not And so it will bee with us Christians if we neglect either to read Gods word by our selves in privat or to heare it read in publik now that we have it so fairely and legibly written for our uses God may chide us for our contempt of his mercies that upon better grounds and with more reason then hee did chide the Jews For 1. he wrote indeede great things for them but they are farre greater things that he hath written for us They had the books of the old Testamēt wherein CHRIST and salvation were scantly and obscurely taught but we besides those books have the writings of the Evangelists Apostles wherein CHRIST JESUS is crucified before our eyes wee are brought into the Sanctum Sanctorum the Holy of Holies that wee may see God as it were with open face In respect of which cleare light it is that Kings and Prophets have desired to see those things which wee see and have not seene them Nay the very Angels in heaven did desire to looke into those things 1. Pet. 1.12 which are made knowen by the preaching of the Gospell Besides these greater things of the Gospell are conveyed to us in a more easie and lesse costly way then to our fathers of olde They had Gods word penned by the hand of a Scrivener which required much paines in the writer and great cost in the Buyer and some skill in the reader of it But since God hath sent printing into the world we may purchase the whole Bible at a lesse price then our fathers could have obtained S. Matthews Gospell alone and every boy girle may reade with readinesse and speede that which the learned might stumble or stopp at The summe is God offereth us a greater treasure at an easier rate and if now wee despise or set light by such a mercie God may complaine of us with more reason then hee did of the Jews I have written to them the great things of my Law but they are counted with them as a strange thing Againe God upbraideth the Jews for an other contempt of the like mercie The Lord saith Jeremie sent unto you his servants the Prophets rising earely and sending them but ye have not hearkened nor inclined your eare to heare Ier. 25.4 Hee meaneth that besides the Law written hee sent the Prophets to preach and explaine and applie that Law unto them but they contemned all as things of no value And is it not so with us too God hath sent preachers in abundance and what use wee have made of their labours let him judge that knoweth what our dealings be I onely will say how shall wee escape Gods anger if we neglect so great salvation It importeth us then to make use of these mercies which being used aright may help to make us blessed and being neglected may breede no small danger For our better direction wherein besides what hath beene said already wee may take these further observations or rules If God give us the opportunitie of these helps together as to most of us he hath we must not separate in our practice those things which God hath joyned together in his precept It is our dutie to reade the Scriptures at home and it is no lesse our duty to heare them read in the Church and a duty also it is to heare the word preached All of them have their use all of them are commended to us in the Scriptures all of them are availeable for salvation and consequently all of them are to be made use of by us in the fitt season If any man shall sett Gods ordinances together by the eares and is either so addicted to privat reading
good deedes that hee hath done either for Gods house or for Gods people or for Gods glory Herein he hath cōfort Matt. 6.20 Luk. 14.14 that he hath laied up treasure in heaven which he shall finde with God at the last day and shall be abundantly recompensed at the Resurrection of the Just Againe hereby good men may be encouraged to well-doing because they know that their labour will not bee in vaine in the Lord. This use the Apostle made of this point He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting And then he addeth Let us not be weary in well-doing for in due season wee shall reape if wee faint not Gal 6.8 9. He meaneth that as he that soweth much shall reape the more so hee that giveth plentifully for Gods sake for it is of liberality that hee speaketh in that place shall be plentifully rewarded at Gods hands Where further because doing of good is compared to sowing of seede and we by the example of the husbandman are stirred up to sow our seede without being weary of our labour we have hence occasion given us of two good meditations fit for this purpose 1. Med. The first is that no man thinketh his seede lost though it rot for a time in the earth because hee knoweth that at the harvest it will bring forth 20 or 30 or it may bee 40 for one And so if we give to good uses if wee relieve the oppressed abound in works of devotion though we do not presently see any profit by them yet none of them is lost when the harvest is come the cropp will make a recompense for all and we shall receive our seede with advantage 2. Med. Among men they are counted rich men that have good store of ground for their tillage every man is glad if he can purchase land where hee may sow in the spring and then reape the cropp at the harvest And so every one among us that desireth to be rich towards God should bee glad when hee hath ground to sow his seede of righteousnesse in that his cropp may be the greater at the harvest For example if we see a poore servant of CHRIST in want and distresse there is a piece of ground to sow our seedes of charity in If we relieve him wee shall enrich our selves by it And if we see a poore man oppressed by a potent neighbour here is ground to sow our seede of justice in If we can and do help him to his right wee shall gaine helpe at Gods hands an hundred fold more And if wee meete with a man that is sad and perplexed in minde here is ground to sow our seede of compassion and comfort in And if wee help to support and strengthen him in his grief God will comfort our soules against all perplexities and feare The summe is a man cannot bee a loser by doing of good deedes no more then the husbandman is a loser by sowing of his seede I pray as our Church doth Stirre up O Lord the wills of thy faithfull people that they plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works may of thee bee plenteously rewarded through JESUS CHRIST our LORD CAP. IX Hearing and Doing compared together and how and with what difference they concurre as jont helpers of our salvation Cap. 9 HItherto I have spoken of the two duties of Hearing and Doing of Gods word severally and apart now it will helpe us not a little both for understanding the right use of these duties and for attaining to blessednesse by them if for conclusion of all we compare them together consider how in what maner they concurre to the procuring of our happinesse To which purpose that I may speake the more plainely and distinctly I will set downe that which I have to say in three severall conclusions And they be these I. Concl. Hearing of Gods word whether read or preached is so farre forth onely usefull for a Christians blessednesse as it directeth and furthereth him to the keeping of Gods word and the doing of his will contained in it For proofe hereof there be these arguments or reasons 1. Arg. Hearing of Gods word is therefore availeable to blessednesse because by it we learne the way to happinesse and are by it perswaded to walk and go on in that way This to be the use of Gods word heard and read I have proved already and other use then this the Scripture reveileth none nor can any man with reason imagin any other I now add hereto as an Assumption to that proposition But the way to blessednesse is by the obedience of Gods Law and the keeping of his word This is proved by those Scriptures which call Gods commandements his waies by which he leadeth men to heaven and happinesse and our keeping or observing of those commandements a walking in that way In this kinde David describing the happy estate of a righteous man saith Blessed are they that keep his testimonies they also do no iniquity but walke in his wayes Ps 119.2 3. But Solomon more directly to this purpose Hee is in the way of life that keepeth instruction Pro. 10.17 Where 1. when he saith Hee that keepeth instruction he meaneth such a one as submitteth himselfe to be guided by Gods word and doth that which God teacheth him therein And 2. when he saith of such a man that he is in the way of life he meaneth he is going on in the right way to eternall life and happinesse And to like purpose David prayeth Teach mee the way of thy statutes and I shall keepe it unto the end Ps 119.33 and so he promiseth I will run the way of thy cōmandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart v. 32. In all which and many other sayings to like purpose wee have two things worth our observation 1. that the keeping of Gods word is a walking in Gods way and 2. that this way of God in which we are to walk is also the way of life and happinesse And from hence the collection is cleare If hearing do therefore profit us to eternall life because by it wee learne the right way that leadeth thereunto and this way bee nothing else but the keeping of Gods word then hearing is only so farre availeable to blessednesse as it furthereth us to a godly life 2. Arg. In Scriptures Hearing of Gods word is commēded unto us as the means that bringeth us to obedience and the doing of Gods word is set out as the end for which Hearing is intended This to go no further is sufficiently proved out of one booke of the Law Deuteron I meane in which the pen-man of the word doth most clearly and punctually describe the use of Gods Law In that booke chap. 4. ver 1. thus Moses speaketh to the people Hearken O Israel unto the statuts and judgements which I teach you for to do them and ver
phrases and wittie turnings and if they heare such a one they entertaine him with Hems of applause But when Leosthenes made such a like wordie speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch Apoph to the Athenians Phocion said his words were like the Cypresse tree which is goodly and faire to see to but beareth no fruit And so I think the men who most admire such florishes of witt can hardly say what fruit of godlines they finde in them Others delight in men that do glance at autoritie and in a canting kinde of language which their followers know whereto it tendeth do nible at the orders of our Church and the Government of the present State Such a man if he bee once heard speake in a pulpit is followed all the town over Nor is it any marvell for it hath beene found true in all ages that nothing is more pleasing to the multitude then to heare themselves flattered their superiours traduced and slandered See an exāple in Absalom the people of that time Absalom saith the Text rose up earely and stood by the side of the gate And it was so that when any man that had a controversie came to the King for judgment then Absalom called unto him and said See thy matters are good and right but there is no man deputed of the King to heare thee Absalom said moreover Oh that I were made a Iudge in the land that every man that hath any suite or cause might come to mee and I would do him justice c. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel 2 Sam. 15 2 3 4 5 6. In this Scripture wee may note two things 1. the practice that Absalom used and 2. the successe that it found His practice was in three things 1. Hee flattered the Commons See thy matters are right and ver 5. he gave them his hand 2. Hee accused the Government There is no man saith hee deputed of the King to heare thee Hee meaneth there was no man to decide his cause and to do him justice He did not nor could not for shame say that the King did them any injustice but by accusing his officers and complaining of those that were about him he brought the Kings Government into dislike with the people 3. Hee wished for better Counsellors and Judges that would right the poore Commons Oh that I were made Iudge in the land that men might come to me and I would do them justice Such like was the practice of Absalom 2. But how succeeded it why he stole away the hearts of the people made them ill affected to the State and the conspiracie was strong for the people increased continually with Absalom as it is ver 12. Thus it was in times past we cannot expect any other thing in our dayes but that if men of place especially if preachers shall shew themselves popular humoring the people and slandering the State this will bee a pleasing way to the multitude and if a King were as good as David and Bishops as good as the Apostles this course would steale away the hearts of the people from the obedience of King and State And it is the great iniquitie of the common sort that they delight in such perverse Teachers Such men are here to be admonished that when they come from such Sermons they think with themselves how they have thereby profited in grace and goodnesse what good duty they have learned to performe what sin they have learned to subdue or what rule they have learned to better their life 's by I onely add this more that if they or if any man be not edified by our Sermons and made more holy and more just and more sober then is our preaching in vaine and their hearing is in vaine in vaine it is to them that God reveiled his will to the world and better it were that Preachers were dumb and people were deafe then that they should abuse Gods word in such a vaine manner Vse 3. Seeing hearing and learning and knowing of Gods word is only so farre good as it helpeth us to do what God doth command but Doing of Gods word is acceptable in it selfe and by it selfe profitable as an immediat condition for entrance into Gods Kingdom hence wee learne how necessary the keeping of Gods word and commandements is The young man in the Gospell asked of our Saviour Good master what good thing shall I do that I may have eternall life and our Lord answered him If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements Matt. 19.16 17. David asked of God Lord who shall abide in thy Tabernacle who shall dwell in thy holy hill and the Lord answered him Hee that walketh uprightly and worketh righteousnesse and speaketh the truth in his heart He that backbiteth not with his tongue nor doth evil to his neighbour c. Ps 15.1 2 c. And so ask of Isai how yee may fast to please God and hee will answere It is to loose the bands of wickednesse to undoe the heavie burdens and to let the oppressed go free to deale thy bread to the hungrie to bring the poore that are cast out to thy house when thou seest a naked man to cover him c. Is 58.6 7. Ask of Micah Wherewith thou shalt come before God to please him and he will answere What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercie c. Micah 6.6 8. Ask of S. Peter who it is that is accepted of God he will answere It is he that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse Act. 10.34 Ask of an Angell from heaven who is a blessed man and he will answere Blessed are they which do his commandements that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the Citie Apoc. 22.14 And whatsoever other like question ye shall ask the Scriptures will still give you the like answere It is not inough to heare the word for hearers if they be not doers also deceive themselves Iam. 1.22 It is not inough to know Gods will for the servant that knoweth his masters will and doeth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Luk. 12.47 It is not inough to professe CHRIST with great zele for not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven but hee that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven saith our Saviour Matt. 7.21 It is not inough to fast for sin for to them who fasted to strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednesse it was said from heaven yee shall not fast as ye do this day to make your voice to be heard on high Is 58.4 It is not inough to preach the Gospel for if a man do not keep under his body and bring it in subjection after he hath preached unto others himself may prove a cast-away 1 Cor. 9.27 Finally it is not inough to prophecie and work miracles and cast
the Almighty And hereof we should make this application to our selves that as S. Paul said of himself and his fellow-workmen in the Gospell Wee preach not our selves but CHRIST JESUS the LORD and our selves your servants for JESUS sake 2 Cor. 4.5 So wee should shew the like faithfulnesse in all our good works that wee seeke not our owne ends but Gods glory in them And if thus wee performe our holy services it will bee said of us and of them as it was of Abel and his sacrifice The Lord had respect to Abel and his offering Gen. 4.4 The LORD will accept both of our persons and our performances so that nothing which wee doe for Gods glory but will prove to be also for our own profit God give us the grace that wee may bee fruitfull in good workes and faithfull in the right doing of them to Gods glory that in all things GOD may bee gloried through JESUS CHRIST CAP. XI A man may heare amisse and by this errour lose the benefit of his labour Cap. 11 OUR LORD in saying Take heed how yee heare giveth us a caveat to beware of misse-hearing and that implieth that a man may heare amisse and so misse of his purpose This may bee further confirmed by the parable of the Sower the scope whereof is to shew us the diversitie that is found among hearers the issue thereof is that of foure sorts there recited 3. are like bad ground which bringeth forth no fruit to perfection And that proveth that the greatest part of hearers do heare amisse without profit It may bee confirmed also by that of S. Paul Not the hearers of the Law are just before God But the doers of it shall be justified Rom. 2.13 For all hearers are not doers and by that which hee saith of the preachers of the Gospel to some sort of hearers they are the savour of death unto death 2 Cor. 2.16 and by that which our Saviour saith of some of his hearers Yee shall say wee have eaten and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streetes But he shall say I tell you I know you not whence ye are depart from me all ye workers of iniquity Luk. 13.26 27 and by that which elswhere hee saith of them who despised his doctrine The word that I have spoken the same shall judge them at the last day Iohn 12.48 By these sayings it appeareth that there are some which received not profit by their hearing no not of the gratious words that proceeded out of our Saviours mouth thence I conclude that therefore they heard amisse for the word of God if the fault be not in the hearer is the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 But I only name these proofes because I choose rather to insist on such testimonies as do both shew us that there may be a fault in our hearing and do also tell us what that fault is that by the one wee may see how necessary it is to bee heedfull lest we heare amisse and by the other how to avoid the errour that doth procure the danger For this purpose I observe five sorts of bad hearers condemned in Scriptures 1. Heedlesse hearers 2. Partiall hearers 3. Forgetfull hearers 4. Sensuall hearers and 5. Fruitlesse hearers or such as do not obey the word delivered unto them I. The first are heedlesse and negligent hearers and they be such as heare but do not marke or attend to that which is spoken Such as these they were of whom Isai complaineth Heare yee deaf and looke ye blinde that yee may see Hee goeth on Seeing many things but thou observest not opening the eares but hee heareth not Isa 42.18 20. Note here 1. the fault with which they are charged they are said to be deaf and blinde 2 the explication or declaration shewing wherein this fault consisted Seeing many things but thou observest not c. hee meaneth that they heard and saw but they did not mark and observe what they heard And for this cause he calleth them blinde and deaf because no man is so blinde and deaf as he that will not see and heare 3. Wee may consider the meanes by which this errour may be amended and that is in these words Heare and looke by which he meaneth that they should attend and mark what they heard Laie these together and the fault will appeare to be this that while they heard and came to learne they did not observe what was said And the like to this was their fault of whom the Apostle saith Yee are dull of hearing For when for the time ye ought to be Teachers ye have need that one teach you againe which be the first principles of the Oracles of God Heb. 5.11 Here the Apostle chargeth them with two things 1. that they were dull of hearing By which word hee meaneth not any naturall imperfection for then he would rather have pitied them then have reproved them but hee meaneth their wilfull carelessenesse and negligence by reason whereof scarse could any thing bee beaten into their heads 2. Hee blameth them that they profited not by the word preached as they might and should have done For considering the meanes that was afforded them and the time that they enjoyed it they might become Teachers if they had beene attentive hearers Whereas now by reason of their negligence they had need to bee catechized in the first principles The summe is They were negligent in hearing and therefore continued dullards in Christs schoole And the like will be our fault if when we come to heare Gods word either read or preached we suffer our mindes to gadd abroad by musing on our merchandizing or our bargaining or our husbandrie or our businesse at home or which is not much better if we give our selves over to sleepiness or deadnesse of spirit as I have noted some to laie their heads upon their desk as if they meant that should be their pillow to sleep on and to pull their hat about their eyes as if they meant to draw the curtaines about the bed and bid good night to the Preacher They that heare in this sort out of doubt doe heare amisse if they heare at all And therefore when our Saviour said Take heed how ye heare he meant among other things that wee should beware of negligence in our hearing II. The next is of such as bee partiall hearers men who will hearken to Gods word while it accordeth with their lusts but will none of it when it crosseth their desires And these are of two sorts 1. such as will abide no doctrin which agreeth not with their own fansie and those lessons which they have received from their owne Masters and 2. such as will endure no admonitions that strike at the sins in which they delight 1. They that will not abide any doctrine which twharteth their received opinions Such were the Jews of whom wee reade that when Paul spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue
spilt as is sowen in that time and if besides occasions of the world do keep us from hearing or hinder us in preparing for it what in this case is bestowed on the world is stollen from God and our owne soules And therefore in the Decalogue where God commanded the Jews to sanctifie the seventh day as a day of rest for Gods service hee telleth them that they had six daies allowed theÌ„ to do their own works in but the seventh was a Sabbath of rest in which being freed from the world they should bee at leasure for God For better keeping of which day Moses commanded them that the day before the Sabbath they should (a) Exod. 16.23 bake what they had to bake and seeth what they had to seeth that so they might have no businesse of their own to do when they were to keepe Gods holy day And from hence it was that the Jews called the sixth day of the week (b) Matt. 27 6â— Luk. 23.54 the preparation of the Sabbath Some have thought that this was a peculiar title of the day going before the Passeover and sure there is reason to think that it was in an especiall maner used before that day because as that (c) Joh. 19.31 Sabbath day was an high day so this preparation day should be observed with more solennitie and care that it might usher in that great day with the more honour But yet I take it every Sabbath day had his preparation day going before according to that rule of Moses mentioned before And so (d) Parasceve Graeca vox est Latinè dicas praeparationem Eo nomine Judaei vocabant sextam Sabbathi seu sextam Hebdomadae diem eò quòd illo die pararent necessaria omnia ad vivendum die subsequenti ne qua re otium Sabbathi violare cogerentur Brugens in Matt 27.62 Vox Parasceve qua Romani hanc solam feriam sextam compellant communis est omnibus totius anni feriis sextis Parasceve verò praeparatio interpretatur quo nomine Judaei qui inter Graecos conversabantur sextam Sabbathi quae nunc à nobis sexta feria nominatur appellabaâ—â— c. Antiq. Liturg. tom 2. de feria sexta pag. 925. Vide Ca aeuÌ„ in Cassian Instit lib. 5. cap. 24 pag. 12. learned men generally do affirm Answerably whereunto and as I take it in imitation thereof the Christian Church hath beene accustomed to keepe Saterday half holy day that in the afternoon they might ridd by-businesses out of the way and by the evening service might prepare their mindes for the Lords day then ensuing Which custome and usage of Gods people as I will not presse it upon any mans conscience as a necessary dutie so every man will grant mee that Gods people as well Christian as Jewish have thought a time of preparation most fit for the well observing of Gods holy day And upon this ground I may be bolde to advise every good Christian that before the exercises of the LORDS day he will take care to lay aside worldly occasions and to cleare his minde from the thought of them that so he may have nothing to do with the world while hee is to converse with God nor bee distracted with earthly thoughts when hee is to bee busied about heavenly things In regard whereof I cannot but blame their loosenesse who follow the businesses of their trade in the morning of the Lords day or spend other parts thereof in talking with their servants about the disposing of the next weeks work as if they meant to make the Lords day a preparation day for the week following By which meanes it falleth out not seldome that such people come tardy to Church and heare without attention when they are come and go away without profit when all is done I like not their rigour who allow no word nor thought on a Sabbath day but such as is spirituall nor can I approve their loosenes who take so much libertie for themselves as hindereth any substantiall dutie of Gods service More I say not at this time grant mee but thus much and then ye will not denie but so much preparation is necessary as may make us fit for the duties of Gods service and may make the exercises of an holy day profitable for our soules II. A second preparative duty for right hearing is that wee refresh the body with seasonable moderat comforts that the senses spirits being refreshed the minde may bee made more chearefull in Gods service For our soules work as our bodies are fitted for them and the reason is because the senses of the body are the servants of the soule the spirits are the instrumeÌ„ts by which it worketh Now if a master-workman doe want servants to assist him he will do but a little work and if hee want tooles or have none but blunt ones he can do no work or none to any pupose And so if the bodily senses bee decaied and the spirits wasted the minde cannot be free or forward in good duties And consequently if we desire that our soules may be fresh lively in hearing or praying or praising God it will be necessary that the body bee kept in vigour by its usuall refreshings And these refreshings are two especially moderat diet and seasonable sleepe In these I require two things 1. that there bee a competent use of them allowed to the body and 2. that this use be moderat and seasonable And this the Apostle meant when hee said Make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13.14 for by these words (a) Cassian Inst Ib. 5 c. 8. pag. 116. saith a good writer non curam ejus omnimodis interdixit sed ut in desideriis fieret denegavit He did not forbid all care but denied the fulfilling of its lusts Voluptuosam ademit diligentiam carnis gubernationem vitae necessariam non exclusit hee tooke away the sensuall care of the flesh but not the right ordering of it according to the course of nature 1. It is necessary that there bee allowed a reasonable use of them that the senses may bee lively and active for their work For wee read of the Egyptian yong man that by long fasting hee was ready to die but when he had eaten some food then saith the Text his spirit came againe to him 1 Sam. 30.12 And so Ionathans eies were enlightened by eating a little honey in his hunger 1 Sam. 14.27 And againe if the people had beene suffered to eate of the spoile of their enemies there had beene a farre greater slaughter among the Philistines ver 30. (b) Efficaciùs semper corde concipitur quicquid sensim absque nimio labor corporis intimatur Cassian Collat. 14 cap. 19. pag. 651. And so in this case sleepe and food are necessary refreshings that wee may bee chearefull in Gods service And the reason is cleare in experience For we see that the famished body is unfit for worke
while hee was in prosperity The young men did see me and hid themselves the aged rose and stood up The Princes refrained talking and laid their hands on their mouth The Nobles held their peace and their tongue cleaved to the roofe of their mouth Iob. 29.8 9. And each man of discretion if hee bee before them whom he honoureth will bee sparing of his speech unlesse either the command of his Superiour or the present occasion do require it And still in the presence of his Betters he is carefull lest by hard treading or lowd speaking or any noise making he should breed disturbance or seeme to neglect them This reason instructeth men to do in their conversing among men and much more to do the like in holy Assemblies where they have to deale with God The Turks out of the common notions of reason (a) Summo silentio verba praeeuntis Sacerdotis excipiunt Sic verò stabant immobiles ut in illo solo defixi aut ibidem succrevisse viderentur Nulla tussis nullus screatus nulla vox nulla circâ—acti capitis aut respicientis motus Sacerdote Mahumetis nomen pronuÌ„ciante pariter unà omnes capita ad genua usque summittebant c. are very observaÌ„t of this rule Busbequius a learned and wise Statesman who was Ambassadour in Turkie for divers yeeres telleth of the Turks that they heard the priest reading their service with great silence that they stood so unmooveable in their place as if they had beene fastened in the ground there was no coughing nor no spitting nor no voice nor any either turning of the head or looking back When the priest pronounced the name of Mahomet all of them at once bowed down their heads to their knees When the name of God was spoken they fell upon their faces and kissed the ground And in a word they passe their service with great ceremony and attention Busbeq ep Ture 3. pa. 266. For if they do but scratch the head with a finger they think all their devotion is lost And that no man may think that this was a curiosity in those that beleeve not Cassian an ancient and learned Writer of the Church doth relate the like rites and ceremonies of reverend behaviour to have beene used by religious Monks in his time For speaking of a certaine Covent wherein were diverse thousands together he saith that when they met at their solemne praiers (b) TantuÌ„ a cunctis silentium praebetur ut quuÌ„ in unuÌ„ tam innumerosa fratruÌ„ multitudo conveniat praeter illum qui coÌ„surgeÌ„s Psalmum decaÌ„tatin medio nullus hominuÌ„ penitus adesse credatur ac precipuè quuÌ„ coÌ„summa tur oratio in qua non sputuÌ„ emittitur non exscreatio obstrepit non tussis intersonaâ— non oscitatio somnolenta dissutis malis hiantibus trahitur c. Cass Inst li. 1. cap. 10. pag. 31. such was their sileÌ„ce and still behaviour that in so innumerable a multitude beside him who said the Service no man seemed to bee present and more especially in the concluding prayer in which no man did spit or hawk or cough or gape or yawne as one that were ready to sleepe And if any man did chance to transgresse this rule of quietnesse and silence they held him guilty two wayes 1. quòd orationis suae reus sit quòd eam videlicet negligenter offerat Deo that hee forfeited the fruit of his prayer because hee offered it up to God in a negligent manner and 2. quòd indisciplinato strepitu alterius quoque qui forsitan intentiùs orare potuit intercipit sensum because by a rude and unmannerly noise he did disturb the devotion of his fellow who might have prayed with more fervour This was the silent reverence that was used in those dayes But Lord how unlike are our dayes to the former times Men are now so farr from shewing such reverence to their God in his Service that they forget all civilitie and good manners to their neighbours Men and women I meane who by clapping their Pew-doores and sometimes by redoubling the knock do so disturb the Assembly that neither the Minister can be heard nor the people proceed in their devotion Beside the maner of such uncivill people is to come to Church when service is halfe ended for they have more devotion to their beds then to their prayers and indisciplinato strepitu with this rude knocking they tell all the Congregation that they come to serve GOD when a great part of his service is ended It is pitie but some discipline were presently exercised on such men and women If a child trouble the Congregation with crying the Nurse carieth him out of doores if a dog disturb them with barking the Sexton lasheth him with a whipp and if men and women who ought to have more both discretion and religion do in as rude a maner disturb Gods service I see not why they should go away without correction But those which are well minded toward God and his service will I hope upon this intimation amend it III. The third and last duty to be performed in the time of our hearing is to use wisedome for fitting that which is said to our owne advantage And for that purpose three rules are to be observed 1. Rule We must care for nothing in a Sermon but that which may do us good to salvation The proofes hereof are these 1. Proof The end of all preaching is the profiting of our soules in grace and furthering them by grace towards eternall glory For first God himselfe who is the Law-giver professeth of himselfe I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way that thou shalt go Is 48.17 Hee meaneth that the things which hee teacheth in his word are profitable and if men would follow his direction he would lead them in a way that would bee for their good 2. CHRIST our LORD who is the great Prophet of the Church he saith of himselfe also The Spirit of the Lord is upon mee because hee hath anointed mee to preach good tidings to the meek hee hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted to proclaime libertie to the captives c. that they may bee called trees of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord. Isa 61.1 c. I note two things 1. the matter of Christs Preaching and that was good tidings the binding up of the broken hearted c. all which are things belonging to our redemption and salvation and 2. the end of his Preaching and that was that men might become trees of righteousnesse c. He meaneth that like good trees they might bee fruitfull in good works of holinesse and upright living All which implie a profiting in grace and obedience 3. Solomon the wise preacher of Israel saith the summe and end of all his Preaching and of mens hearing is this Feare God and keepe his Commandements Eccles 12.13 4. Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles saith
because wee heare and rehearse and talk of a Sermon but wee must referre all to future practice and esteeme them onely so farre forth good as they make us better either wiser in our knowledge or holier in our obedience And therefore it is that the Prophet describing the nature of right hearing saith Isa 42.23 Who among you will give eare to this who will hearken and heare for the time to come In which words 1. when he saith who will giue eare and who will hearken hee implieth that all should but yet few do so and 2. when he saith who will heare for the time to come hee meaneth that men should not content themselves with the transient action of hearing which continueth no longer then while the sound lasteth but they must so heare for the present that it may serve for afterward namely that they think on it and consider of it and put it in practice as occasion shall require This is to heare for afterward but if any while he heareth have some warme affections kindled in him and after hee is gone think no more on it or amendeth not his life by it this man heareth onely for the present and doth not answere Gods expectation when hee saith who will heare for the time to come And so in like sort if a man note Sermons with his pen and repeat them afterward with his familie and yet for most part insisteth upon empty words and idle allegations which doe not profit him or them in godlines and neglecteth those notes which might make them better this mans writing and repeating are both alike of no value But if further any shall abuse these holy exercises to countenance their factious meetings and instead of meditating on Gods word do devise slanders against Gods Church these men turne duties of religion into occasions of sinne Let not my pen ever speak any word for encouragement in such an evill practice The summe of all is that if wee will proove our selves to bee good Hearers of Gods word we must so heare and so repeat and so performe every duty required in this work as that all of them may further us in Gods service and an holy life II. The second generall duty is that together with our owne endevours and performances wee joyne prayer to God for his blessing upon the work that we go about For as David said in a like case Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it and except the Lord keepe the City the watchman waketh but in vaine Psal 127.1 so except God assist us with his grace wee shall prepare our selves in vaine and heare Gods word in vaine and what wee have heard wee shall repeat in vaine and nothing that wee go about either before or after or while we heare can prosper unlesse God give the blessing and make it to prosper Now the blessing of God is to bee sought and obtained by prayer S. Iames his direction is If any man lack wisdome let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall bee given him Iam. 1.5 In this Scripture wee have first a precept directing us to our duty If any man lack wisedome let him ask of God and secondly a promise assuring us of successe and it shall bee given him and thirdly a reason drawen from Gods nature Hee giveth liberally to all and hee upbraideth no man with his gifts and therefore he will be ready to give us that which we want if we beg it of him in our prayers And so if any man lack and who lacketh not either a prepared minde before hearing or due attention in the time of hearing or a firme memory after hearing let him ask of God who giveth liberally and he needs not doubt but God will give what he doth ask according to Gods will Upon this ground * Col. 10. cap. 10. Cassian an ancient Learned Writer adviseth men upon every occasion to make use of that praier of David Deus in adjutorium meum intende Domine ad juvandum me festina O GOD make speed to save me O LORD make haste to helpe mee Psal 70.1 For this praier fitteth every condition of man as he declareth in many particulars the summe whereof may bee this If a man be in any distresse or danger then hee should say Deus in adjutorium c. O God make speed to save mee O Lord make haste to helpe me And if hee be sollicited by any tentation then he should pray O God make speed to save me c. And if he want any grace or blessing thē he should pray O God make speed to save me c. And if hee have obtained any blessing or favor from God for the continuance of that mercie and his right using of it hee should pray O God make speed to save mee O Lord make haste to helpe me And what soever the occasion bee still this praier will bee seasonable and usefull Thus this holy man teacheth us how to observe that rule of the Apostle Pray without ceasing 1 Thess 5.17 This direction is applicable to this purpose When we are preparing to heare GODS word we should pray God that hee will prepare our hearts and fit us for that service when wee are busied in the act of hearing we should pray that GOD will direct us to lay hold on that which we finde usefull for us after our hearing we should pray that GOD will blesse our memories to keepe the good lessons which we have heard This to bee a laudable custome still to begg a blessing of God upon every endevour of ours no man I suppose will denie onely perhaps some man may doubt how a man may pray in the time of his hearing without hindering or interrupting the publik and enjoyned exercise then certainely more necessary then any privat prayers or devotions To this my answere is that the Scripture it selfe doth sufficiently direct us herein There we read that Nehemiah when the King was talking and conferring with him about the affaires of his people and the state of the holy Land yet saith of himselfe So I prayed to the God of Heaven and I said to the King If it please the King c. Neh. 2.4 5. By this wee see that Nehemiah at the same time did both pray God for a blessing and continue his speech with the King which sheweth that while hee was talking with the King about those weightie affaires of the Church he darted up a jaculatory short prayer unto God either that hee would direct the Kings heart for the good of his people or that he would prosper the businesse in hand or some such prayer to the like purpose And hence wee have direction in this case When we heare an usefull point that concerneth us much wee may by a short prayer desire Gods blessing upon it for our good without hindering or diverting away our attention from any part of the Sermon For