No right attention or obedience to the Will of God without it The ear saith Aristotle is the Organ of Discipline and St. Paul saith That faith cometh by hearing Rom. 10. But there are some that be uncircumcised in heart and ears Acts 7.51 dead in the uncircumcision of their flesh Col. 2.13 The inner ear lies in the heart We must circumcise the fore skin thereof Jer. 4.4 For the true Circumcision is that of the heart Rom. 2.29 The heart is the fountain of filthiness Mat. 15.18,19,20 If this be not washed from wickedness by the washing of of regeneration we cannot be saved for it will wax gross and fat and make the ears dull of hearing Jer. 4.14 Tit. 3.5 Mat. 13.14,15 In the Levitical Law the sons of Aaron the Priests were to have the blood of the sacrifice put upon the tip of their right ear the Thumbs of their right hand and the great Toes of their right feet Lev. 8.24 Those whom Christ doth make Priests unto God 1. Pet. 2.5 Rev. 1.6 he doth cleanse and purifie from head to foot from top to Toe that he may present them to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Eph. 5.27 He will sprinkle our ears that they mey be healed of that poysonous Dectrine of Disobedience those venomous Charms of the old serpent and be unstopt to hear what the Lord shall say He will sprinkle our right thumbs that we may be ready to do the Will of our Father which is in Heaven He will sprinkle our right Toes that we may walk circumspectly not as Fools but as Wise shewing out of a good Conversation our works with meekness of Wisdom proving indeed that we are indued with knowledge Eph. 5.15 Jam. 3.13 The cleanness of our feet must shew the cleanness of our head If our feet be clean it doth imply that our hands and our head are washed John 13.10 Pure Practice cannot be without true knowledge If we receive Christ for Wisdom we must receive him also for Obedience As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him Col 2.6 Christ came to wash head hands and feet to cleanse our Infancy Youth and old Age to purifie the three essential parts of man to sanctifie us throughout in Spirit Soul and Body 1 Thes 5.23 Again 33. It is the best Guardian to the inner man The outward man is liable to many dangers but the inward is subject to many more The outward may have great assauls but the inner much greater We wrestle not with flesh and blood but with Principalities and Powers and spiritual wickedness in heavenly places or things Eph. 6.12 The War in Heaven is hotter and sharper then that on earth That on earth is with men that in Heaven is agaiust the old great red Dragon Rev. 12.7 A cut in the flesh is easily born and cured but a wounded Spirit who can bear The one lets out the blood the other poysons it the one lanceth the skin the other pierceth the heart Heart-wounds though not incurable yet are hard to be cured Most Combats of the outward man are in the day time when he can see to defend himself but the Conflicts of the inner man are in the night as well as the day and as often when that restless roaring Lion seeks to devour us 1 Pet. 5.8 Faith cannot be idle or sottishsy secure for it never wants an enemy As it is not without an enemy so it is not destitute of Refuge and Aid it hath the clefts of the Rock the open ribs of Christ to shelter and secure it self in Can. 2.14 This is the strong hold we are to flee unto the mountain and banner of safety His Banner over me was love Can. 2.4 He loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2.20 34. This Ensign of the Cross is that which terrifieth our spiritual enemies the sight of it doth conquer and chase them away But then we must hold it in our eye and in our hand look upon him whom we have pierced and beholding his sufferings suffer with him smite our breasts and return let us search and trie our ways our works our thoughts and turn to the Lord. It is reported of Constantine that in one of his battles he saw the sign of the Cross over his head in the air with this Motto In hoc signo vinces this is that which shall give thee victory Luke 23.48 Lam. 3 4◠doubtless we cannot get the Day or win the field without it Our inner man cannot ride on prosperously except this march in the Van and beat down them that hate us Nor can we keep what we have got but by this means Non minor est virtus quā quaerere parta tuerl And therefore we find it recorded of Hester that she did the commands of Mordecai after she came to the Crown like as when she was brought up with him Hest 2.7,20 35. Hester and Mordecai were two captive Jews carried away in the Captivity by Nebuchadonezer into Babylon Hester was left an Orphan of whom her kins-man Mordecai took care after the death of her Father and Mother Now these things as the Apostle saith in the like case are an Allegory and have their mystical signification Hester is as much as to say Hidden and may imply the hidden man of the heart 1 Pet. 3.4 Mordecai is bitter contrition or teaching contrition and was Guardian to Hester Whereby we are instructed that affliction or the Cross is a good Protector Tutor Fosterer and Nurse to the inner man Ego in flagello paratus sum saith the vulgar Latin Psal 38.17 the scourge is our Sehoolmaster Foolishness is bound in the heart of a Child but the rod of Correction shall drive it far from him Prov. 22.15 Thy Rod and thy staff comfort me Psal 23.4 Our light Afflictions which are but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day verse 16. As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ 1 Cor. 1.5 Wherefore faint not when thou art rebuked 't is for thy profit and good that thou mayst be partaker of Gods holiness Heb. 12.5,9,10 Neither must we think that this Cross and Rod is of use unto us in our Non-age or Child-hood only but that it is profitable for us in our riper years also not only whilst we are children in understanding but when we are grown in Christ when we come to the Crown as well as when we lay in captivity Too many cast off the Cross too soon and so expose themselves to the snares of the wicked one Hadassa observed and obeyed Mordecai in her Royalty as well as in her slavery and this became the safety of her self and of all the Jews Twelfthly 36. It is the best