appeared to Ioshua supposed to be Christ the second person in the Trinitie commanded him Loose thy shooe from off thy foot for the place whereon thou standest is holy Iosh 5.15 Consider in these passages 1 what was required And that was it was required of Moses that he should not come neare the place where God appeared but keep distance Calceos exuere jubens admiratione metu ad humilitatē ipsum crudit format Calvin in Exod. 3.5 Jos 5.15 like the Publican who stood afarre off in the lowest part of the Temple And secondly both Moses and Ioshua are commanded to put off their shooes The meaning whereof saith Calvin is to instruct and frame them to humilitie and an awfull feare For as wee pull off the glove when we salute our friends and take them by the hand in token of our observance toward them and as countrey people and servants who go in pattons in the street do in good maners put them off when they come into a Citizens house of any note so in those easterne countreys where Moses Ioshua dwelt they were used to put off their shooes in token of reverence and respect when they came into place where their betters were And therfore when GOD said to Moses Put off thy shooes he meant to teach him his duty towards his LORD as we when we bid a Child put off his hat make a legg do meane to teach him good maners towards his betters 2. We may consider in the Text what the reason was why this outward cariage was required at this time and in this place and that was because the place was holy ground But why were these places where Moses and Ioshua stood more holy then any other places in the countrey especially seeing the one of them was in the desert an untilled and ill ordered ground and the other a place by Jericho at that time a profane city of heathenish and idolatrous people To this question the answer is that the onely reason hereof was because God appeared there and shewed tokens of his presence And hence wee have this observation that wheresoever God is in any peculiar sort present there the place is made holy by his presence and where God doth so sanctifie a place there we ought to declare our humilitie and dutifull respect by externall gestures of reverence and by decent behaviour and carriage Secondly I finde that when God was to appeare on mount Sina there to deliver the Law to his people he first commanded to sanctifie them and that they should wash their clothes Exod. 19.10 The meaning of which ceremonie was partly to admonish them of the purity of heart required when wee come into Gods presence partly to teach them that they ought to come decently in a comely maner lest they might shew neglect of his presence if they came in a sluttish or unsemely sort And therefore as Ioseph when he was to go before Pharaoh shaved himselfe and put on other apparell so wee ought to come into Gods presence in grave and comely attire which may beseeme godlinesse neither rudely like clownes nor finically like wantons A note not unfit to bee thought on by our sober maidens who come both into Gods house and unto Gods board with bare breasts and naked armes and long locks and such loose behaviour as either beseemeth Ruffians alone or no Christian at all Thirdly I read of Constantin the Emperour Euseb de vita Constant l. 4. cap. 33. pag. 400. that being present in the Church when Eusebius preached he stood up all the while and though hee were once and again intreated to sit down he still refused it The reason whereof was because as himselfe said Nefas est institutis de Deo disputationibus negligentes aures praebere It is not lawfull when things concerning GOD are in handling to be negligent in hearing And the like custom do I finde to have beene used by many others in ancient time but neither was it observed generally by all nor do I require it as necessary of any Onely thus much I observe that holy and devout men have been zelous to shew reverence in Gods service by every behaviour that fitted the purpose Fourthly I finde in some of the Learned who prescribe rules of decency in the time of divine service that they will not permit men when they are hearing of Gods word to smile in secret or to looke about or to laie one legg over an other or to whisper in their fellows eare or to look sowre as if somewhat displeased them or to leane and lie on one side Nigron in Reg. commun 2. nu 57. pag. 167. c. And surely even in these lesser things there is a decencie to be used in our outward carriage at lest so farre as that nothing appeare which may bewray either dislike of the Preacher or disesteeme of God and his word And hence we have two lessons 1. A reproof for them who allow no outward ceremonies or religious gestures in Gods service lest they should be superstitious and Popish There be men that dare not kneele when they receive the holy Sacrament nor put off the hat when they passe through a Church nor kneele downe and make a privat prayer in a publik place so that as the ancient worthies upon all occasions expressed their inward devotion by outward gestures of reverence so these men take care to shew how they detest superstition by avoyding all helps and expressions of religion 2. Wee have hence a ground of exhortation for our selves it is this that according to the rules of Scripture which require reverēce in the outward man after the example of holy godly men who have observed those rules with diligence and zele we also as occasion shall bee offered would shew our esteeme of God and his word by seemly behaviour and gestures of reverence and humility Where notwithstanding I will presse no mans conscience with a necessity of every expression used by the Ancients because for the most part they are not simply necessary but to be used with a kinde of freedome and as occasion and reason shall require Onely thus much I may boldly say and as I suppose with the good leave of all that are well in their wits that looke what modestie and signes of reverence we would use before a temporall Lord or Prince so much at least is due to him who is King of Kings Lord of Lords And if any will shew but a like reverence to God that he would shew to his Prince I will think him more devout then most men among us are at this day 3. The third and last duty by which wee ought to shew reverence is an awfull quietnesse and silence which is when neither by words nor deeds we either trouble the presence or hinder the work in hand For by such behaviour as this men use to shew their respect to their Betters Iob saith of himselfe
which the Saints are adorned that man or that woman will not likely be proud of a silk gowne or a gold ring or a beaver hat or an imbroidered petticoate or any thing that fine minions take pride in And if a man while he is labouring in his Trade shall think Yea but how much more paines should I take to enrich my soule with the treasures of Gods grace that man will not have the heart to dishonour God by dishonest gaine And if a man when hee exacteth diligent and daily labour from his apprentice or servants and chideth thē if they be slack in his service shall think with himselfe Yea but how much more justly may God require all obedience at my hands and chide and chasten mee for my great slothfulnesse in serving him that man will never rule over his servants with rigor nor oppresse them with too much work or too little meate And the like is true in all other the like cases And by this meanes we shall be kept from a sinfull abuse of the creatures which otherwise would bee a great hinderance to our happinesse and a blessed life 3. The same practice will bee a meanes to season our hearts with heavenly mindednesse even while wee are going about our worldly occasions If wee should at any time forget God and our countrey that is above every occurrence in this life would remember us of the life to come When we are at worke in our shops or sit downe to eate at our boards or lie downe to rest on our beds or walk out to take ayre in the fields and whersoever we are and whatsoever we doe some accident or other would befall us in our way that would present good thoughts to our mindes and memories And by this meanes we should have our conversation in heaven while we are upon the earth as the Apostle speaketh or as a learned Writer phraseth it we should have an heaven upon earth and so in good part we should even in this life enjoy that happinesse which we expect and desire fully to possesse in the life to come These are the proofes the uses follow Vse 1. This detecteth the folly preposterous course of worldlings who usually goe the quite contrary way The right way that which our Lord directeth us to by his example is that we use the creatures to bring us unto God but these men use God and his service to bring themselves to their desires in the world Such men I meane who shew great for wardnesse in religion that they may compasse their worldly ends They pray and they professe and they heare Sermons and they entertaine Preachers but their praying and their professing and their hearing and their honouring of Preachers are but as so many stalking horses under which they lie hid till they have caught the prey It is but a fable but the moral of it is an evident truth which wise men tell us of a fishermans sonne They say of him that he put himselfe into a Monastery and there lived as a poore Monke but being of good parts by nature and thriving well in his studies was for his well-deserving advanced to bee the Abbot of the Monastery Which place of dignity whē he had obtained hee in acknowledgment of his poore beginnings and to remember himselfe whose sonne he was caused a net to be spred upon his table-cloth whensoever hee went to meate Afterward for his vertues he was thought fit to be a Bishop and then was advanced to bee a Cardinal And still in humility and in thankfulnesse to God the net was every day spred upon his table And by this meanes he gained such an op nion of humility and holinesse that men thought him not onely worthy of the preferments which he had but even of farre greater and so in conclusion he was chosen to be Pope In which place he lived as a great Lord but forbore to spread the net any longer And being asked the reason he answered that now the fish was taken for which he had spred the net all this while meaning that now he had gotten the preferment at which he had still aimed Beloved brethren I suppose ye wil laugh at the devise and some men perhaps will be the better pleased with it because it was framed of a Clergyman But shall I tell you what the Poet said in a like case Mutato nomine de te fabula narratur Change but the name and the fable fitteth your selves It is not only meant of Scribes and Pharisees and such hypocriticall Preachers who devoure widdowes and mens houses too under a shew of zealous preaching But it is meant of hypocriticall professors also who scarse ever open their eyes save when they looke up to heaven but it is that they may be thought to be holy devout mē such as mind nothing but heavenly things And it is meant of covetous professors who frequent sermons and pray with their families and set up Lectures abroad and talk nothing but Scripture phrase and all this that they may draw customers to their shops or hook-in other mens estates into their hands and breake with the more advantage And it is meant of ambitious professors who talk still in a popular language and speak for the good of their countrey and finde fault with the errors in our government and like zealous Patriots indeed take part with the Commoners against their Alderman and with the subjects against their Soveraigne and all that they may steale the hearts of the multitude and by their voices and votes bee chosen into some place of honour to which they doe aspire Against all these and all others who pretend religion and intend their owne ends was this fable devised They are the men that spread the net till the fish be taken and more then that they minde not And of all these I say they take a foolish and preposterous course because they make religion to serve for worldly ends whereas all worldly things should serve the advancement of religion Vse 2. This is of great use for all them who would serve God in sincerity For it teacheth them how to gaine zeale and good affections towards God not onely by hearing of sermons and reading of Scriptures and using a constant course in all holy duties but even by the ordinary occurrences that they meete with in the world If they follow this course and make use of it they may grow in grace and gaine holy affections while they are in their shops and while they walk in the streetes and while they conferre with their friends and while they either think or do any thing by themselves And this I suppose may bee a sufficient motive to perswade us to this practice And for our better direction in the right use of it learned men have prescribed us some rules and holy men have left us some examples in whose steps if wee shall tread we may gaine the like comfort that they have done 1.
there he requireth the more duty and will inflict the greater judgement if it bee neglected 2. From those judgments which GOD denounceth against them which do not profit by his word other meanes of grace Such as these are He that rejecteth me receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him at the last day Ioh. 12.48 And this is condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darknes rather then light Ioh. 3.16 And If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sinne but now have they no cloke for their sinne Ioh. 15.22 But it is a cutting sentence to this purpose which wee reade Hebr. 6.7 The earth which drinketh-in the raine that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth herbs meete for them by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God But that which beareth thornes and briers is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to bee burned The sentence is allegoricall the plaine sense is that the men upon whom GOD bestoweth much meanes of grace if they be not fruitfull in good works are lyable to the greater curse by how much they have had the better meanes The like is intended also by that parable of the vineyard Is 5.1 c. The summe that riseth out of all this is that the more meanes we have the more duty we owe and the more punishment wee shall suffer if wee neglect that duty Whence againe it followeth that Hearing and learning of Gods word if they do not further our obedience they increase our judgement It followeth from hence also that all the goodnesse which is in Hearing is relative only so farre forth as it furthereth our obedience and our keeping of Gods word But now on the contrary the doing of Gods will is good in and of it selfe it both pleaseth GOD and maketh us an immediat entrance into the Kingdome of heaven So S. Iohn saith Blessed are they that do his commandements that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the City Apoc. 22.14 And S. Peter If yee do these things saith he ye shall never fall for so an entrance shall bee ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord Saviour JESUS CHRIST 2 Pet. 1.10 11. These be the three conclusions which serve for the explaining of the point Lay them together and ye have a full answere to the question The question is how and with what difference Hearing keeping of Gods word do concurre to the procuring of our blessednesse and happy being and the answer arising from the premisses is that they do concurre as joint causes or helps to happinesse but in a much different maner They be not causae coordinatae causes of equall and even respect like two oxen that draw in the same yoke or like two men that carie one burden betweene them But they bee causae subordinatae causes whereof one is subordinat and serviceable to the other like the needle and the threed both which concurre to the sewing of a garment together but the needle maketh the entrance and the threed knitteth and conjoyneth the parts in one Or they be like the preparative and the medicine both which are joint meanes for recoverie of health but the preparative maketh way for the medicine and the medicine it worketh the cure The substance of my speech is this Hearing and Doing concurre as joint helps of happinesse but hearing maketh way for doing and doing maketh entrance into glory And thus much may suffice for the explication and proofe of the point propounded The uses are Vse 1. Seeing hearing is of no use further then it helpeth us to the doing of Gods will by this we may see the great follie of those men who think highly of themselves and preferre their owne zele before their neighbours because they are frequent hearers and skilfull talkers of Scriptures and religion though in the meane while their practice be not answerable And such there have beene in all ages and such there are too many in our age also This is made good by some examples out of Scripture by their application to our own times 1. Ex. The first is that which we finde Ezek. 33.30 31 32. They speake one to an other every man to his brother saying Come I pray you and heare what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord. And they come unto thee saith God to the Prophet as the people cometh and they sit before thee as my people and they heare thy words but they will not do them For with their mouth the shew much love but their heart goeth after their coveteousnesse And lo thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument For they heare thy words but they do them not Note here 1. their forwardnesse in hearing declared three wayes 1. They invite and exhort ech other to goe and heare the Prophet when hee preached Gods word Come say they and heare what is the word c. just as if men should now say one to an other Come and let us go to such a Lecture or let us go and heare such a Sermon 2. they flock to the Prophet in multitudes They come saith the Text as the people cometh that is not dropping in one by one but they throng-in by troupes 3. They listen to that which is delivered They sit saith God as my people that is devoutly and attentively waiting what God will say unto them And thus farre all is well if it were as sincere in deede as in shew it seemeth to bee This was the forwardnesse of this people 2. Note their backwardnesse to do what they were taught They heare thy words but do them not and with their mouths they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousnesse 3. Note Gods censure of this dealing Thou art to them as a lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well upon an instrument Hee meaneth that they made the like use of the Prophet that a man would do of a minstrell and they heard his sermons as a man would heare a plaie Thus the Lord censured those hot professors among the Jews and the like censure agreeth well to the speculative and talking hearers of our dayes They that frequent Lectures and flock after sermons and gape after the preachers words and yet when they are gone home are as ready to slander their neighbours and as forward to speake evill of Government and as watchfull to deceive Customers c. as ever they were before these bee the hypocriticall Hearers that Ezekiell speaketh of who shew much love with their mouths but their hearts go after their unlawfull lusts and these be the deceitfull hearers of whom S. Iames saith that they deceive themselves And of these I may say They make
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