frō all the words which the lord hath cōmanded vs either to the right hand or to the left neither to adde any thing to that word Deut. 12.8 Deut. 28.14 Deut. 4.2 nor to take any thing from it Lastly that we cānot in the whole course of our life calling be at any hand assured certified of the presence fauour blessing of God with vs vpon vs vnlesse his word be a lāterne vnto our feet Psal 119.105 a light vnto our paths for it is not an idle or empty word which God witnesseth vnto vs but it is our life and by this word we shall prolong our daies These meditations I say and thoughts while we heare the bels ring while we prepare our selues to go on to holy assemblies or else euen in those waies as we go are that excellent preparation and quickning or rousing vp of our selues and sanctification that so we should not come to the hearing of Gods shord with vnwashen hands but our heartes should be disposed and fitted indeed to true reuerence and deuotion To the former three aboue mentioned this must be added in the fourth place Deut. 32.47 The Text that must be expounded in the Church must first be read at home and thought vpon there namely that he who taketh true delight and pleasure in Gods word must if he be any whit learned before he come to the holy assembly sundrie times reade yea and reade ouer again and againe eyther the Chapter or the Text of the Bible which are to be expounded in the holy meeting which will easily appeare to euery one vpon the Sabboth daies by the ordinarie Texts which then are commonly expounded in the Sermons which are had and handled on the weeke daies out of some whole booke of scripture that is expounded in order as it lieth yea and he must by himselfe assay what he can doe in searching out the argument of that text the parts doctrines vse No man should be discouraged in his wants and other things that are contained therein Now these priuate meditations though performed rudely and grossely if yet a diligent hearer will compare them with the publike preaching or Sermon he shall with small adoe at the least find out eyther in what things he did not sufficiently attaine vnto the purpose of the holy Ghost or aimed not rightly at the drift thereof And if in any thing he did sticke in his priuate meditation he shal perceiue light communicated vnto him and a hand raught out to leade him And if by indeuour and earnestnes he do once ouercome the first difficultie of this holy godly and wholesome exercise he shall make such good proceedings in the skill both of reading the holy Bible and of hearing holy Sermons that the matter it selfe wil make plaine proofe of this A notable incouragement that the fruit shall notablie answere the labour bestowed and that he shall inwardly reioyce for so great good gotten thereby This very same counsel we reade that Chrisostome also in former time did giue vnto his Church at Constantinople for thus he writeth vpon Iohn One thing for the present Chrysost in euan Iohan. hom 10. before we come to the words of the Gospel I would intreat you yea I pray you despise it not specially sith we desire nothing that is grieuous or hard to be done neither profitable but to him only that receiueth it and yet farre more profitable to you that shew it forth What is it then that we require of you That vpon some one of the daies in the weeke or vpon the Sabboth at the least you would haue regard to reade such portions of the Gospell The hearers duties as are to be expounded which you should haue in your hands before our preachings and should often repeat in your houses and should diligently search out the meaning therof and marke what is cleare and what is darke in them as also what seemeth to be contrarie when indeed it is not And so hauing throughly examined and waighed all things you should present your selues verie attentiue to these Sermons The fruit that shall come therby By this meanes no small fruit and profit should come to eyther of vs For as touching our selues we should not need to vse much labour to shew forth the power of the Gospell when you your selues haue at home made familiar vnto you the sense and meaning specially as in respect of the words And you shall be made more sharpe and quicker conceited not onely to heare and perceiue the doctrine but euen to teach others also A Christian mans dutie in reading of the Bible Thus farre he And indeed the dutie of a Christian man doth not consist in hearing publike Sermons onely but requireth also priuate reading of Gods word at home and that not only when we are presently to goe vnto the Temple or Church Psal 1.2 but we must meditate day and night in the law of the Lord from which kind of studie and exercise a blessed man is described Yea we must afford our selues some time and leasure from our affaires and cares of this life that we may giue our selues to this heauenly and wholsome exercise knowing that this one thing is very necessarie Luke 10.42 Neither must we stay onely in the reading of those Chapters or Textes which are expounded in the assemblie and meeting of the Church For the whole scripture is giuen by inspiration from God is profitable to teach to conuince 2. Tim. 3.16 c. And therefore our Sauiour Christ commaundeth vs to search the scripture Iohn 5 39. or rather giueth this testimonie to the Iewes that they did search them And the Apostle Paul commaundeth Col. 3.16 that the word of Christ should plenteously in all wisdome dwell on vs or in our houses to wit by daily reading and exercise thereof we teaching admonishing one of vs another out of it or according thereto Which studie and care indeed Luke doth highly set out and commend in the men of Berrhea Act. 17.11 And truly vpon the verie same place to the Colossians lately alledged Chrysostome commenteth and writeth after this manner Chrysost in Epist ad Coloss hom 9 Heare saith hee all you that are temporall men and haue charge of wiues and children how euen to you particulerly and principally he commaundeth this that ye should reade the scriptures and that not simply or by the way as we say but with great diligence And a little after O all ye secular men Commendation of the scriptures heare I beseech you Get you Bibles they are the medicines of your soules If you will haue nothing else yet get the newe Testament the Acts of the Apostles the Gospels continuall and diligent teachers If heauines betide you come and sit downe heere and take and taste these things as a storehouse of soueraigne medicines From hence take vnto thy selfe comfort against thine euill
rather with thēselues than with their teachers Yea they should besides thinke with themselues that such reproofes though they be grieuous and tedious to the flesh are yet notwithstanding healthfull medicines and strong defences that they should not be ouertaken by Sathan nor deceiued by the world 1. Ioh. 5.1 Gal. 6.8 that wholly lieth in wickednes and so of the flesh reape corruption yea destruction yea they should remember that open rebuke is better than secret loue and againe that the words of a louer are faithful and the kisses of an enemie are deceitfull as the Lord saith by Salomon Prou 27. vers 4.5 In greater parishes and larger congregations The greatnes or largenes of parish assemblies both because such Churches are deuided and dispersed in many places into many townes and villages many on the Lords daies are hindred from hearing of the word of God and also by reason of the badnes of the weather the waies likewise vnto their parish Churches being sometimes troublesome and tedious the wearisomenesse whereof eyther they will not indure and swallow vp or else sometimes cannot they are let therefrom eyther by olde age or by sicknesse or by care of small children and household busines c. Verie aged people and sicke persons respected All which though I denie not but that they are certaine impediments yet are they not sufficient to excuse mens daily negligence in hearing of Gods word vnlesse it be for the most part in verie olde people and in such as lie sicke in and vpon their beddes In this case how much more hard law The remedies did the Lord in times past lay vpon the people of the Iewes Exod. 23.17 Exod. 34.23 24. whom he would haue to appeare before the Lord three times euery yeare by far longer iourneyes by much more vnseasonablenesse of weather greater dangers causes and farre greater hazard of their worldly wealth yea Deut. 12.11 18. and euery one to bring their whole familie with them and that in Ierusaelem as if it were in the chiefe or onely parish Church and that not with emptie hands as perhaps couetous harts would perswade them but with the offerings of their hands as God had blessed all or any of them And least to hinder them in this worke they might pretend losse of their goods which to very many of them indeed if men would speake according to flesh blood could not be little or small or specially the inuasions spoiles that their enemies might make all the men meeting as it were in one place and the land left as it were naked of all helpe and defence God meeteth with this colour or feare or certaine danger if you will promising that he will so worke that not any of their enemies shall so much as couet their land Exo. 34.34 much lesse assault their emptie houses and countries whilest they go vp that they may appeare those three times in the yeare before the Lord. Yea so farre forth certainely did God meane to teach and testifie vnto vs that we should not neede to feare any disprofit or losse to come to our selues families or substance whilest for Gods seruice sake wee are constrained to be absent from our houses or rather willingly leaue them for a time As for the Iewes they are such carefull obseruers of this law that euen Ioseph and Marie with Iesus their sonne Examples of twelue yeares old came vp to Ierusalem Luke 2.42 according to the custome and manner of the feast And the Iewes also within their captiuities and sundrie exiles remained dispersed farre and wide here and there in the lands of the heathen and they likewise which of the Gentiles by their labour and trauaile had imbraced the Iewish religion did at Ierusalem frequent those feastes of the Iewes As for example are those religious persons Act. 2.5 that came euery one of them out of the places where they dwelt out of euery nation vnder heauen to Ierusalem and abode there on the feast of Pentecost And the Eunuch also a chiefe gouernour vnder Candaces the Queene Act. 8.27 So certainely the Queene of Sheba came to Ierusalem with a very great companie and with Camels which bare sweet odours and gold 1. King 10.1.2 c. exceeding much and precious stones to talke with that most wife king Salomon and to heare his wisedome Which example Christ himselfe alleageth against the contemners of Gods holy word saying Mat. 12.42 Luke 11.31 The Queene of the South shall rise in iudgement with the men of this generation and shall condemne them because shee came from the vttermost partes of the earth to heare the wisedome of Salomon and behold a greater than Salomon is here So a great troupe Mat. 8.1 Iohn 6.1.2 c. out of diuerse and sundrie places of Galilie leauing all their businesses at home flocke vnto Christ and remaine with him full three daies together Mat. 15.32 induring also great hunger eyther because all the thinges which they had brought with them from home were consumed or else because they brought no victuall with them which falleth often forth in such sodaine and tumultuarie meetings But Christ willingly and of his owne accord regarded them and miraculously fedde them least feeling want and lacke of things necessarie for the sustentation of the bodie they might haue cause or pretend color of fearing euen from the very hearing of Gods word Wherefore the better we would haue eyther our houshold matters or priuate affaires prouided for A cōclusion we must so much the more diligently attend the studie and exercises of Gods word and so much the more cheerefully prepare ourselues to euerie iourney of our short life that so we may haue the more libertie and freedome to heare Gods word Al wee confesse that our life is our pilgrimage and that the daies of it are few and euill Gen. 47.9 and we haue not we cannot attaine vnto the yeares of the life of nor fathers And yet we laie vp for this brittle course as if we had many yeares to runne Whereas we know that man liueth not by bread onely Deu. 8.3 Mat. 4.4 Pro. 10.22 but by euery word that commeth out of the mouth of God And againe the blessing of the Lord maketh rich Wherefore wee should first seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnes then all these things which we stand in need of for meat drinke cloth c. Mat. 6.33 Psal 127.2 should be giuen vnto vs otherwise it is in vaine for vs to rise vp earely to sit and to eate the bread of sorrowes But if mothers wiues or other of the household What wiues mothers others of the familie that cannot come must doe cannot safely sometimes by reason of their houshold businesses and attendance of infants vpon the Lords daies come vnto their parish Churches yet they must indeuour that turne by turne as it were vpon the next
Lords day in greater companies they be present at the Sermons must at home demaund repetitions of such Sermons as they themselues were absent from and yet some of the family heard the same Besides such as are of great age and full of yeares What old persons must doe must very diligently repaire vnto such Sermons as in the weeke time are made in the seueral villages or hamlets of their parishes And as for those that long and sore sicknesses tie as it were to their beds or keepe in their houses What sicke persons must doe they must prouide to call home vnto them so often as need shal require the ministers of the Church to instruct comfort them They must also send out their children to be instructed in learning at the least wise to schooles of our mother tongue which are almost at euery mans dore that they may also vse their helpe in reading ouer the blessed Bible and other profitable bookes if eyther grieuous diseases be vpon them or extreame olde age approach vnto them And whilest their yeares last so to apply themselues to the hearing learning and speaking of Gods word that from thence they may fetch aid against old age shal come and pleasant comfort to themselues against all daies of danger or distresse But the greatest let of all which alone doth for the most part comprehend all the former Carnall securitie and by which men are eyther vtterly withheld from hearing Gods word or certainely very many of them heare it with no fruit at all is that same naturall or carnall man 1. Cor. 2.14 euen that same olde Adam which lieth dead and as it were buried in securitie impenitencie and the peruerse desires of this world as if it were in a certaine most deepe and dead sleepe for because that God who speaketh with vs by the preaching of his word is exceeding iustice holinesse and puritie and will at no hand communicate himself those his most excellent and heauenly misteries of saluation with the secure impenitent and hogges of Epicures heard neither will manifest vnto them or set before them to be tasted of that hidden wisedome of his word Rom. 1.28 but giueth them vp rather into a reprobate mind void of all iudgement blindeth their eyes and hardeneth their hearts Iohn 12.40 Esay 6.9 least they should see with their eyes or vnderstand with their hearts and so might be conuerted and healed as God in his word threatneth them Againe God himfelfe together with that healthfull wisedome of his word Wisd ◠2.3 c. is found of them that tempt him not and discouereth himselfe vnto thē that distrust him not for peruerse thoughts separate from God his power when it is tried reproueth the vnwise for wisedome shall not enter into a wicked soule nor dwell in a bodie that is subiect vnto sinne For the holy spirit of discipline flieth from that that is forged withdraweth it selfe from foolish thoughts and then is knowne when iniquitie commeth Repentāce what Therefore in this true repentance which is busied in and manifested by hatred and forsaking of sinne on the one side and in earnest desire of godlinesse and righteousnesse on the other side principally standeth that sanctificatiō vnto which God as in the beginning of this Chapter we haue already declared by the prophets exhorteth his people so often as he calleth them to publike assemblies to heare his word and to worship him To which also pertaineth that worthie precept of Salomon Eccle. 4.17 Take heede to thy foot when thou shalt goe into the house of God and be more readie to heare than to giue the sacrifice of fooles c. And thus farre touching the impediments and lets in remouing of which as if it were in causes corrupting other it behooueth a Christian man to stray labour least otherwise he be eyther altogether beaten backe from hearing of Gods word or else in the holy assemblies of the Church resemble at the best a dease and dead image The father or master must come to the holy assēblies accompanied with his household Wherefore these impediments and hinderances being first remoued a godly father of a familie or master of a houshold must not then thinke that he hath well discharged his dutie if eyther himselfe come alone to heare Sermons or send out into the Church from amongst his seruants some youth or other who is as yet of small proofe or iudgement as we see it sometimes practised whereby the magistrates ordinances and decrees fathers and masters are commaunded to send at the least some one of their families to the weekly Sermons or those that are made vpon some daies in the weeke Which what is it else than pleasantly as it were to scorne both God himselfe the godly lawes of Christian magistrates Nay rather good houshold gouernours as fathers masters c. Haba 2.4 should haue great care of the saluation of all of euery one of their houshold knowing that the iust must liue not by another mans but Rom. 14.12 by his owne faith and that euery one of vs must yeeld an account to God him selfe and the things that he hath done in the flesh And therfore he must bring with him his family to the Sermons or preachings of Gods holy word And if any by reason of their domesticall affaires or other vrgent businesses cannot be present at a Sermon they must indeuor in greater troups and companies to be present at the next Sermons But what meane I to speake of the familie or houshold onely The neighbour must inuite his neighbour to the publike assemblies of the Church Euery faithfull man should both by his example and voice inuite his neighbours and other men to those spirituall tables and heauenly bankets of Gods holy word Euen as Isaiah describing the desires of the people of God which should be manifested vnder the kingdome of Christ ascribeth this vnto them both that they should in great troupes gather themselues to Christes kingdome and also should mutually exhort and prouoke one another thereto saying Come ye and let vs goe vp vnto the mountaine of the Lord Esay 2.3 vnto the house of the God of Iacob and he shall teach vs his waies and wee will walke in his pathes The like studie and the very selfe same zeale both in flocking together and also in inuiting one another vnto holy assēblies did Zachariah foretel should be likewise in the new Testament and he addeth withall Zach. 8.21 Iohn 1.43.47 that those that were inuited should answere I will go also And so did Philip and Andrew inuite Nathaniel and Simon to come vnto Christ whom they had found before So Ioseph and Mary brought with them to Ierusalem to the feast of the Passeouer there Iesus their sonne Luke ◠42 when hee was twelue yeares olde Church elders or officers Specially this is the dutie of the elders of the Church
in the teachers it cannot be but that there shall follow thereupon very excellent fruits of Sermons Tenthly godly hearers must not thinke the minister tedious or be wearie Men must not waxe weary with long Sermons or fret in themselues much lesse trudge and packe out of the Church if the Sermon be sometimes more long or grow greater than at other The ministers and preachers of Gods holy word must carefully indeuour to auoid that But perhaps the doctrine that is presently to be treated of is more plentifull and fruitfull than that it can be comprehended and concluded in a few words It may be also In what cases the minister may now then be somewhat more long and large that there was not in former time any fit opportunitie offered to propound it or may in short space after to be offered Perhaps also the present state of things requireth men againe and againe to lay vppon the same anuile The hearers sometimes are present which perhaps at another time haue not leaue or leasure to be there and for whose sake the ministers must stand vpon the present points and doctrines eyther of faith or of pietie In these cases therefore godly hearers must patiently beare some protracting of time and not be wearie A very strong reason and fit comparison but waite as it were the deliuerie of many good things we do easilie and without any loathsomenes passe away the time if that idle speeches and talkings together or disorderly and drunken or riotous feasts be deferred and put of many houres yea euen to midnight Iob. 17.12 And the day be turned into night as it is in Iob. Wherefore if in the holy assemblies and exercises of the Church we be so quickly wearie or fret and fume it is sure a signe of such a minde as is ill affected and doth not hunger and thirst after as it should the righteousnes of Gods word Matth. 5.6 Psalm 1.2 Chrysost hom 3. in Genes and hath not his delight in the law or testimonies of the Lord. On the other side as to be an hungrie is a token of bodilie health so with a great earnest desire to heare Gods holy word is a most assured argument of the good health and welfare of the soule so saith Chrysostome Surely that must needs be a long Sermon when Iehoshua read in the presence and hearing of all Israel all the words of the lawe Iehosh 8.34 35. in so much as there was not a word of all things which Moses had commanded which Iehoshua read not before all the congregation of Israel The like consideration was there also of the ecclesiasticall assemblie when Iosias the King 2. Chron. 34.30 in the hearing of all the people and that from the greatest to the smallest read all the words of the booke of the couenant which was found in the house of the Lord. The same booke of Moses law Ezra did reade from the morning vntill the mid daye before men and women Ezra 8.3 and them that vnderstoode it and yet notwithstanding the eares of all the people were in so long a Sermon directed and hearkened vnto the booke of the law Afterwards the children of Israel read in the booke of the law of their God foure times a day Ezra 9 3. How long was that Sermon of Christs which is set out in the fift sixt and seuenth chapters of the Gospell according to S. Matthew specially if we regard this that the Euangelists doe propound vnto vs onely the bare heads points or summes as I may say of Christs Sermons S. Paul being to depart from Troas the day following his speech Act. 20.7.11 continued his words and preaching euen vntill midnight and speaking long vnto them euen vntill the dawning of the day at the last he so departed Therefore it is not any new or vnaccustomed thing though sometimes for sundry causes it so fal out that Sermons be somewhat prolonged and yet the hearers be held and remaine with continuance and that also without loathing or stomacke and chasing in good and continuall attention Eleuenthly parents masters and elders must in the Sermon while obserue and looke to their children Euerie one should look to his own in the Sermon time schollers and flocke least either by sleeping or talking together or committing some light and vnseemely things or else gadding out of the Church in the Sermon time they commit something that is vnseemely or vnworthie of the holy assemblies of the Church And if perhaps any such thing should be performed they must either by and by or at home or in the schooles or vpō euerie first occasion so falling out admonish correct them as in this behalfe For in the holy assemblies of the Church one must haue speciall regard of reuerence comelines and modestie and if as in this behalfe there be any offence committed 1. Cor. 11.4.5 1. Cor. 14.34.40 it must be corrected and censured and that according both to the doctrine and the example of Saint Paul the Apostle in his epistle to the Corinthians Schollers must write Sermons Commodities insuing that exercise Particularly schollers must be accustomed to take Sermons in writing which kind of holy exercise hath many commodities and the same of great moment also For whilest they must attend diligent hearing and ordinarie writing of Sermons continually they cannot haue leisure to giue themselues to wantonnesse and lightnesse which otherwise they do without measure exercise and practise if this or some other good matter be not laid vpon them By this meanes also men shall meet with that offence which verie easily and sometimes also not without iust cause the Church conceiueth aswell by the vnbridled and corrupted manners of children as of their masters One foule fault in schoolemasters manfesting it felf in the neglect of schoole discipline For many iudge verie hardly if not vniustly concerning schooles and schollers whilest amongest children brought vp at schoole and others who were neuer so much as at the schoole doores threshold they do as in regard of honesty and pietie see no difference at all Thirdly they shall not a little profit by this kind of exercise in Christian religion and in the true vnderstanding of the Catechisme which is taught them in the schooles specially if the Preachers in the Church striue vnto this to bring their Sermons vnto some heads or points of the Catechisme and the master in demaunding repetition of those things diligently and carefully referre and bring all and euerie one of them to that point I meane of the Catechisme Yea we may assure our selues of this that as if it were by plaie and by doing some other thing they may euen from their young yeares get vnto themselues so great knowledge in the blessed Bible booke specially if they accustome thēselues to the reading of the Bible both in the schooles which thing certainely should be practised in all Christian schooles and also