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
there is no such fulnesse or perfection in any one blessing but that he who hath it doth desire more 2. because if any man had as much of one blessing as he could desire yet there would be a want of some other blessing that would disturb his joy in that which he possessed 1. There is no fulnesse in one worldly comfort but still there is a want of something that the man would have more then that which he hath Ahab was a King and had great possessions and lands but yet hee wanted a garden of herbs such as Naboths vineyard might make for wāt was so grieved that he could not eate and therefore he killed Naboth that hee might enjoy his inheritance And so now a dayes a man may bee a great rich man say he bee as rich as this world hath any and yet he hath not so much land but he seeketh to purchase more nor so much money but hee thinketh what way hee may increase his store And still wee see it happen as Solomon observed that he who loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver nor he that loueth abundance with increase Eccl. 5.10 And so it is in other things The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare with hearing Eccles 1.8 He that hath an able body say as strong as Samson yet wanteth soundnesse or some strength or some agility which he desireth by physick and food and exercise to increase or amend And hee that is indued with great learning and much wisdome say hee were as wise as Solomon yet findeth each day some defect and learneth by continuall experience that there are mo things which hee knoweth not then those are which he knoweth And so wee may say of all other things of this life they are never so great but more may be added and more wil be desired And therefore there is no fulnesse in them 2. Say that a man were so happy as to enjoy some one blessing in such perfection as that hee neither needeth nor desireth more yet he is short in some other blessing the want of which will abate or rather damp his joy in the other For example Naaman was rich and valiant and honourable but yet Naaman was a Leper and sought with much labour and great cost to bee eased of this disease And so it is with us a man may have some blessings that may comfort him but yet hee wanteth many others that will afflict him not a little It may bee a man may bee rich but unlearned or rich and learned but unhealthy or rich and learned and healthy though all this is but seldome seen in one man but yet he is unfortunate in his wife or in his children or in his friends or in his credit c. But the man was never yet known that enjoyed all things that he could wish And if there bee a want of some good things then there is not a fulnesse of all joy And consequently the worldly happinesse is much short of the true happinesse in which there is fulnesse without want and perfection without any defect 2. True happinesse hath this prerogative that it hath sincere joyes without mixture of any other sorow S. Iohn in the Revelation describeth true blessednesse to be such as that men who enjoy it shall hunger no more nor thirst any more neither shall the sun light on them nor any heate Apoc. 7.16 and Apoc. 21.4 God saith he shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shall bee no more death neither sorow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine In which words 1. when he saith They shall hunger no more c. he meaneth there shall bee nothing within them that may breed them any paine 2. When he saith Neither shall the sun light upon thē c. hee implyeth that nothing from without them shall annoy them 3. When hee saith God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes he telleth us the reason why there is such perfection of good and such freedome from evill and that is because in heaven wee enjoy God himselfe by immediate vision and in God there is no defect but while wee are in this life we are preserved and upheld by the use of the creatures and all they are defective and imperfect And hence the conclusion is that in heaven there is no more death nor no more sorow nor no more paine But contrariwise the blessings of this life have ever some tang of sorow mixed with them which will damp all the joy Belshazzar was quaffing it in his cups and frollicking it with his friends when loe there came forth the fingers of a mans hand and wrote his judgement upon the wall at the sight whereof the Kings countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the joynts of his loines were loosed and his knees smote one against another Dan. 5.5 6. And so Haman was one of the worlds darlings in great favour and highly advanced by the King and invited by the Queen to one banquet after another so that Haman went out joyfull and with a glad heart and a man would have thought that hee had been the Minion on which the world had chosen to bestow her choisest favours But Haman was no sooner gone out overjoyed with his great preferments but hee met with Mordecai the Jew who would not doe him reverence and this unrespectivenesse in a poore alien did so pierce his heart that he was forced to say All this greatnesse availeth me nothing so long as I see Mordecai the Iew fitting at the Kings gate Ester 5.9 13. And so it is with all other the happy men of this world Either men do molest them and fill them full of feare or of anger or of envy or of some other unquiet passion or else God from heaven doth thunder upon them and setteth their owne conscience against them which as the poet said surdo verbere caedit giveth them many a smarting lash when the world heareth not the stroke Thus one worm or other there is which gnaweth upon their heart while they rejoyce in their pomp and they still finde Solomons proverb to be true Even in laughter the heart is sorowfull and the end of that mirth is heavinesse Prov. 14.13 In this respect then the worldly happinesse is not comparable to the happinesse of heaven all whose joyes are without mixture of any griefe 3. True happinesse hath eternity added to its joyes As they are full without want of any good and sincere without mixture of any evill so they are eternall in the continuance of them both In the description of the last judgement it is said of * Come ye blessed of my Father Gods blessed ones that they go into life everlasting Mat. 25. ult And David saith of these joyes At thy right hand O Lord there are pleasures for evermore Psal 16. ult And S. Peter that it is an everlasting Kingdome 2 Pet. 1.11 and an inheritance
us his mercies and blessings And that thus the blessed man doth enjoy God I take it to be plain when it is said in the Gospel Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Mat. 5.8 For to see God includeth two things to enjoy him and to live in his presence in his glory That it signifieth to enjoy him appeareth by the custome of Scripture phrase In which to see good is to enjoy it Psal 34.12 and to see good dayes is to enjoy good dayes 1 Pet. 3.10 and to see corruption is to partake of it Psal 16.10 and to see death is to suffer death Iohn 8.51 and Heb. 11.5 and not to see good or evill when it commeth is as much as not to partake of it Ier. 17.6 8. And if in the Scripture phrase to see good and to see evill and to see death and to see corruption bee to partake of them and when the speech is of that which is good to enjoy them then I doe but speak according to the phrase of Scripture if I say that to see God in that place of the Gospell is to enjoy him and so to see and enjoy him is the Blessed mans portion And therefore I say in the first place that Blessednesse doth consist in the fruition of God B. Secondly I say that this fruition belonging to the blessed man is the immediate fruition of God For understanding hereof wee must note that there is a two-fold enjoying of God the one mediate and the other immediate Mediately we are said to enjoy God when hee communicateth himselfe unto us by secondary meanes and by interposition of the creature between him and us as namely when he feedeth us by meate and drink lightneth us by the sun instructeth us by his word strengtheneth us in grace by the Sacrament When thus God communicateth his blessings unto us as he still doth in this life then we are said to enjoy him mediately Secondly we are said to enjoy God immediately when he communicateth himselfe unto us without any other thing between And thus wee are said to enjoy God immediately two wayes 1. In respect of presence and 2. In respect of influence In respect of presence our enjoying of God is said to be immediate when wee live with him in the place of his residence and where his honour dwelleth and that is in heaven above as Solomon saith to God Heare thou in heaven thy dwelling place 1 Kings 8.30 39 43 49. For while wee live here in this world wee are said to be absent from the Lord because we are out of the place of his dwelling 2 Cor. 5.6 But when once we have left this world and are gone to heaven then we are said to be present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.8 And then saith the Apostle Wee shall ever be with the Lord. 1 Thes 4.17 And from hence it is that the wicked are said to bee punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2 Thes 1.9 and that of the godly it is said Thou wilt shew me the path of life for in thy presence is fulnesse of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 and that where Christ is there shall his disciples be also Ioh. 14.2 3. and that they follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth Apoc. 14.4 Which speeches doe prove that the Saints in heaven do enjoy God in another manner then they here did while they lived in the flesh namely that in heaven they enjoy him in his palace in the place of his proper dwelling without separation or distance of place which is found in all them which enjoy God most nearely in this world And this also as before I said is implyed in that saying of the Gospell Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God For this to be meant or intimated by the seeing of God in this place may clearly be gathered from other places of Scripture in which it is said that now we see in a glasse but then wee shall see face to face 1 Cor. 13.12 and in which we are said in this life to walk by faith and not by sight 2 Cor. 5.7 He meaneth that here wee are led by an inevident and obscure kinde of knowledge for so the Learned define faith to be agreeably to that of the Apostle Faith is the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 but in heaven we shall walk or live by sight having there the immediate and open view of Gods face in Glory In heaven then where all they that are the blessed of God shall bee there men enjoy God immediately in respect of presence Secondly they enjoy him immediately in respect of influence For there God communicateth himself unto them by immediate vertue received from himselfe without the use of any meanes This is signified by that in the Revelation where S. Iohn speaking of the Great City the holy Ierusalem he saith of it And I saw no Temple therein for the Lord God almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it And the City had no need of the sun neither of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof Apoc. 21.22 23. Where 1. when he saith I saw no Temple in it he giveth us to understand that in heaven there will bee no use of the outward meanes of salvation For if there be no Temple then there are no priests nor no preaching nor no Sacraments nor no solemn assemblies for where there is need of these there there is use of a Temple also In this world where we are absent from the Lord these things are necessary and by them God communicates himselfe to his servants But in the life to come prophecying shall faile and the use of tongues shall cease and the meanes of knowledge and instruction shall vanish away as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 13.8 2. When hee saith that this City had no need of the sun nor of the moon to shine in it he implyeth that the outward meanes of our naturall life should cease Here in this world the sun giveth us light by day and the moon by night and here meate and drink do nourish us and clothes keep us warm but in heaven there will be no neede nor no use of such things The children of this world marry and are given in mariage but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain the world to come and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in mariage neither die they any more Luke 20.34 By all which wee learn that all natural meanes now used for preservation of mans life shall then be at an end 3. When S. Iohn saith There shall be no Temple in it for the Lord God and the Lamb are the Temple of it and againe There is no neede of the sun c. for the glory of God doth shine in it and
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
do and that is he may not preach any more at Bethel in that maner and 3. why hee might not preach in Bethel in this rough maner and that is because it was the Kings Chappell and the Kings Court. As if hee should say that elswhere hee might take leave and be welcome but the King and his Courtiers would not endure so much boldnesse And just so is it now a dayes among us We may tell an Artificer or a Labourer or an husbandman or a servant or any such kinde of man we may tell them of their faults freely and without danger but if wee touch a Nobleman or a Gentle-man or an Alderman or a Great moneyed man we do it at our perill and shall bee sure to raise hornets about our eares Thus worldly men if they bee in higher place think themselves priviledged from reproof 2. The second example is in Balak the King of Moab Of him we read that he sent for Balaam to curse the people of God But Balaam refused to curse because God did forbid and restrain him hereupon the Text saith that Balaks anger was kindled against Balaam and he smote his hands together and said I called thee to curse mine enemies and behold thou hast altogether blessed them these three times Therefore now flee thou to thy place I thought to promote thee to great honor but lo the Lord hath kept thee back from honour Num. 24.10 11. Note here 1. what Balak intended for Balaam if hee would curse where he bade him that was great preferment I thought to promote thee to great honour 2. Why he withdrew his hand and sent him away emptie and that was because he did that which GOD had charged him to do and did not what Balak required of him And therefore saith he God hath kept thee from honour And just so is it now a dayes They that give benevolence to the Preacher looke that he should curse where they would have him curse and blesse where they would have him blesse or which is all one praise and defend that which they would have praised and disgrace and condemne those and that which they cannot abide and if at any time hee fall upon that sin which pleaseth them then as David said of Absalom Deale gently with the young man for my sake 2 Sam. 18.5 so they expect that the Preacher should deale gently with that sin for their sake All these men are partiall hearers who will heare nothing with submission but what pleaseth themselves men who come not to learne of the Preacher what they should do but to teach the Preacher what he shall speak Which is all one as if the Scholar shou'd tell his master what lessons he should teach him Thus some for their greatnes others for their bountie exempt themselves from just reproofe which is one task that the Preacher hath to performe in Gods name These then are all of them partiall hearers and therefor bad hearers because they refuse to learne what God doth cōmand the Preacher to teach them And consequently when our Saviour said Take heede how ye heare hee meant among other things that we should beware of partiality in our hearing and that wee should submit to every word of God how crosse soever it bee either to our opinions or to our practice III. The third sort are forgetfull hearers such as through negligence and carelessenesse let slip out of their memories what they have learned or heard like Nebuchadnezzar who forgate his owne dreame For God had sent him a dreame to instruct him in things belonging to his state Kingdome but before the morning came he had forgotten what his dreame was Dan. 2.5 8. And so it is with these men God teacheth them by his word the mysteries of his Kingdom the meanes of their salvation and they immediatly forget what was said as if they had been in a dreame all the while Thus farre they are like Nebuchadnezzar but unlike him in this that he used all diligence to finde out the dreame but these men heare and forget and never think of it after S. Iames saith of fruitlesse hearers that they are like to a man who beholdeth his naturall face in a glasse and goeth his way and straight way forgetteth what maner of man he was Iam. 1.23 24. He meaneth that as such a man forgetteth what he saw so these men forget what they heare For defect in practice and neglect of remembrance usually go together For if any man have no care to do Gods will hee will have no mind to remember his word and if any man do forget the word he hath left himselfe no meanes to performe it And therefore in Scripture phrase to forget God and his commandements is as much as to neglect both him and them as Psal 119.139 when David saith My Zele hath consumed me because mine enemies have forgetten thy words he meaneth that they did not think on them much lesse did they keepe and performe them And many such wee have now a dayes even among them who professe religion They go from the Church to their houses and from Sermon to dinner and from hearing of Gods word to talking of the things of the world but never call to mind what they have heard nor consider what use it may serve them for Such men do quickly forget all and practice nothing Our lesson in this case is delivered us by the Apostle where he saith We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which wee have heard lest at any time wee should let them slipp Heb. 2.1 The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as Beza translateth it ne quando perfluamus that wee do not at any time runne out In which speech the Apostle compareth forgetfull hearers to leaking vessels because as those vessels let out by the chincks what they received by the mouth so these hearers let out at one eare what they received at the other And because they keepe not what they heare they lose the profit of their hearing like men who eate and cast up what they have eaten without receiving nourishment by it These then are a third sort of bad hearers therefore when our Lord said Take heed how ye heare he meant we should bee ware that wee bee not carelesse and forgetfull hearers IIII. A fourth sort of bad hearers are wanton or sensuall hearers such as desire to have their eares tickled with fine phrases rather then their soules setled with holesome doctrine Such hearers were the Athenians of whom it is said Act. 17.21 that they spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to heare some newes And some such like were they of whom God speaketh to the Prophet Sonne of man the children of thy people speake one to another saying Come I pray you and heare what is the word that commeth forth from the LORD And they come to thee as the people cometh c. And lo
and the hungrie belly thinketh more of eating drinking then of praying or learning Gods word and the man that is weary with long labour had rather sleepe then meditat or heare It is said of Sisera that hee was fast a sleepe and weary and the meaning is say the Learned (c) Vatabl in Jud. 4.21 pressus sopore prae lassitudine that by reason of his weariness he fell into a dead sleepe The conclusion is some refreshing is necessary for the body that it may be serviceable for the soule And this is the first thing that I say 2. The second is that this refreshing must be seasonable and moderat For as emptines breedeth faintnesse so fulnesse is a burden and both of them disable the soule in her functions For as the Egyptian was not able to tell his tale when hee wanted meat so Nabal was not fit for good counsell when he was filled with wine and good cheare 1. Sam. 25.36 37. And for this cause our LORD giveth us warning Take heede to your selves that your hearts be not overcharged with surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares Luk. 21.34 This sheweth that meat drink if they be immoderat are a burden to the soule Likewise sleepe if it bee seasonable refresheth nature and maketh men fit for their worke but unseasonable sleepe is an hinderance to good imployments which made Solomon to say that if a man love sleepe he will come to poverty Pro. 20.13 6.11 And so it is in the spirituall state of mens soules Those that give themselves to sleepe when they should watch and work in Gods service will doubtlesse come to great poverty in Gods graces And no marvell For if men sleepe when they should come to Church they deprive themselves of some part of Divine service and if they sleepe when they are come they deprive themselves of all the fruit that they should reape by it and consequently they lose the helps meanes which God hath appointed for the enriching of their soules with divine graces The conclusion is Comforts of nature in meat and sleepe are necessary for attentive hearing so they bee moderate and seasonable But in both these refreshings men do oftentimes offend and hee that would have good of these comforts must bee carefull to avoid those errours which be these 1. Men offend in eating and drinking seldome in defect but many times by excesse It was sometimes a fault among the Primitive Christians when men in their zole did take the kingdome of heaven by violence that they fasted so long till they fainted and therefore were reproved by the Ancient Fathers for their austerity and rigour But our times are not greatly guilty of that fault Our sinne is that by too full feeding wee become unfit for holy duties For whoredome and wine and new wine take away the heart as the Prophet speaketh Hos 4.11 And surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of the world do overcharge the heart that it cannot keep watch against the great day as our Saviour saith Luke 21.34 The meaning of which speeches is that by eating and drinking and caring for the world excessively or overmuch the soule of man is pressed downe and laid groveling upon the earth so that it is unfit for any heavenly thoughts And this we find to bee true by dayly experience For if we feed to the full on the Lords day at dinner wee are the worse disposed to heare or pray or serve God any way in the afternoone And therefore if we desire to profit by our hearing we must beware of full feeding especially we must take heed that a full stomacke doe not cause a drowsie head 2. In sleeping men offend both wayes both by defect and excesse 1. By defect and so they offend who on the Saterday night do continue so long at their worke that they are sleepie the next day when they should serve God in good duties For this wee may be well assured of that they who work when they should sleepe will sleep when they ought to work because nature if it be defrauded of its ordinary rest will still bee seeking of a supply of that which is wanting And therefore those that would be cheerefull in holy exercises on the Lords day must give themselves sufficient rest the foregoing day Yea and if I might advise they should allow somewhat more then ordinary at that time because it is harder to forbeare sleepe in the Church where wee sit still without moving then it will bee in our shops or in places abroad where we are stirring and moving about our occasions and intent upon our Trades and businesse 2 Wee offend herein by excesse also So they do who slugge it so long in their beds on the Service-day as that some part of Gods service is past before they are ready to come This fault deserveth reprofe in two respects 1. Because it argueth a great coldnesse in holy duties and a dead spirit to God-ward For what wee do willingly and with a cheerefull minde that wee do speedily and without lingring or delay Wee reade of Shechem Hamors sonne when hee had a grant of Dinah Iacobs daughter to be his wife upon condition that hee and his people would bee circumcised that he deferred not to doe the thing because hee had delight in Iacobs daughter Gen. 34.19 And so if men have a delight in spirituall exercises they will take the first opportunity and not deferre and loyter about the businesse So when Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son the Text saith noting thereby his ready obedience that hee rose early in the morning to go speedily about the work Gen. 22.3 And of Iacob it is said in like sort that to expresse his thankfulnesse for Gods mercies hee rose up early in the morning and set up a pillar c. Gen. 28.18 And so on the contrary of wicked men who pursue their sinfull pleasures with delight it is said that they rise early to go about their work So drunkards are said to rise early in the morning that they may follow strong drink Isa 5.11 And the inhabitants of Ierusalem rose early and corrupted all their doings Zeph. 3.7 Yea and God himselfe to note his hearty desire of mans salvation saith of himselfe I spake unto you rising up early and speaking but yee heard not Ier. 7.13 and verse 25 I have sent unto you all my servants the Prophets dayly rising up early and sending them By all which and other places of the like kind we may see that early rising for the doing of any thing is taken as an argument of hearty affection and love to the same thing And so on the contrary slugging and delaying is an argument of little affection and love And hereby it appeareth that their devotion is cold in Gods service who lie in bed so long that they come late and tardie to the worke 2. This fault of slugging long in bed is
apprehend and discover 3. There are in every Sermon lightly some testimonies of Scripture and some arguments from nature and reason the soundnesse or emptinesse whereof appeare not for the present For light reasons set foorth with fine words and a gracefull delivery do at the first please yea transport a vulgar Hearer whereas if they were turned out of their Rhetoricall coat and shewed in their naturall feature as in the rehearsing of them by the Hearers they will be then the vanity of them will bewray it selfe And so on the contrary many a sound argument or solid reason mooueth not the hearers when it is delivered because they cannot on the sudden dive into the depth of it which by after thoughts they may understand From whence it is that some mens Sermons seeme better in the repetition then they did at the first hearing because now they are better understood then they were before In these respects whosoever shall imitate the commendable example of the Bereans who when Paul had ended his Sermon searched the Scriptures weighed the allegations considered the circumstances and marked how every thing was proved and confirmed that man will gaine both an increase of his knowledge and a confirmation of his faith as the Bereans did especially if he meet with a solid Preacher such as Paul was Let this then bee the first benefit of recalling what we have heard it furthereth our knowledge and understanding 2. The second is that it will be an help to our memorie fastening and imprinting therein the lessons that were delivered And this it will do for these causes and in these respects 1. The repeating of what we have heard is a second presenting to our minds of those lessons and instructions which we have heard and the oftener they be presented to the minde the better they will bee fastened in the memory every act of the understanding working upon the memory also And therefore as the second blow driveth the naile deeper then the first did so this second representing of things to the minde and by the minde to the memory will keep a better remēbrance of what we haue learned 2. The memory is hereby helped also because in the first hearing the materiall points were clothed covered as wee may say with many words of amplification and enlargement which though they had their use for moving of affections yet are some hinderance to the memorie which is lesse able to treasure up necessary points when they are cumbred with so many circumstāces But in our after thoughts when wee consider againe what wee have heard wee may single out the bare matter from the Rhetorick and lay the necessary points by themselves alone and then they will not onely be contracted into a narrower roome more easie for the memorie but besides each thing will appeare in its due order and place which will help the memory to remember that which otherwise it would have forgotten For if it should forget the particulars taken severally and apart yet the very dependance and connexion that one thing hath with another will help to bring all to remembrance For conclusion of this reason I consider that sentence of the Apostle Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that we have heard lest at any time wee should let them slip Heb. 2.1 In these words these things are considerable for our purpose 1. When he saith We must give earnest heed he meaneth that wee must meditate and consider with diligence and care 2. When hee saith we must give heed to the things which wee have heard he implieth that this intention of minde and this heed that is required is a thing that followeth after our hearing We must now give heed to the things which we have formerly heard 3. When hee saith Wee must give heed lest wee let them slip hee intimateth that if we do not afterward heed what before we heard we may quickly like leaking vessels let all runne out that hath beene powred into us And therefore as I said before that Attention in hearing is like the plough that openeth the ground for receiving in of the seed so now I may as truly say that Meditation and recalling of what wee have heard is like the Harrow which breaketh the clods and covereth the seed sowen that it may bee kept from the fowles of the aire that would eat it up Thus this ruminating of what we have heard helpeth to confirme the memorie and remembrance is so necessary for our profiting by the word that without it all is lost that was gained by our hearing He that forgetteth what he hath heard is like a man that earneth wages and putteth them into a broken bagge or like one with a weak stomach who casteth up his meat as soone as hee hath taken it in that is all of them take paines without profit because they keep not what they have gotten The conclusion is if wee meane to profit by our hearing wee must recall what we have heard Ob. But some perhaps will say that their memories are fraile and they cannot call to minde that which they have heard when they bethink themselves of the Sermon they can remember nothing or nothing to any purpose that the Preacher did say Ans To these men I have three things to say 1. That men women most times do laie the blame upon their memories when indeed the fault is in their own negligence and carelessnesse For even those men who complaine of weak memories yet when they have made a bargaine can relate all the passages and if they heare a plaie or an enterlude they can tell by heart the merie jests contained in it if ye tell them a story of their forefathers kinred and their noble descent this they can repeat over with readinesse and perfect memory and if ye should direct them to a treasure that laie hid in a field they would neither forget the place nor the way that leadeth to it Only when they heare instructions concerning heaven and salvation Here their memories faile them and they can remember nothing And what can bee the reason hereof but that their care of heaven is lesse then their care of the world Tullie when some objected that olde age was forgetfull answered Omnia quae curant senes meminerunt Olde men do remember al that they care for never did any of them forget where he laied his money or what bargaine hee had made And so I may say of these men Omnia quae curant meminerunt they do not forget any thing that they care for their money their bargains their pleasures these things they can remember and if they forget the instructions of GODS word alone it is a shrewd argument that they care but a little for them Let them amend their affection to godlinesse and Gods service and then their memories will everie day grow better and will bee as able to remember the things of God as now they are to
remember the things of the world 2. I say It is true that all mens memories are not alike good For some mens memories are ill disposed by nature others are weakned by sicknesse or olde age others are deaded through intemperance and ill diet And if any man be disabled by these or any other accident so that indeed hee cannot remember what he doth heare I must needs say that man wanteth a great help to godlinesse which others do enjoy But yet notwithstanding if he do his endevour both for the helping of his memorie and for recalling to minde that which hee hath heard hee may comfort himself in this that our God whom wee serve is gratious and will not require more of his servants then hee hath made them able to performe But as the Apostle said of liberalitie and almsdeeds If there be a willing minde it is accepted according to that which a man hath and not according to that which hee hath not 2 Cor. 8.12 So it is true of all duties and good performances if there be a willing minde so that we performe what we are able to do God accepteth of our endevours though they be weak and poore in the performance And therefore he or she who complaineth of a weak memorie should first take care that the defect be not in his own negligence or disorderly carriage as namely because hee did not attend when hee did heare or because hee doth not rubb up his memorie and call it to account after he hath heard or because hee did or doth entertaine idle thoughts of by-businesses when hee should minde the instructions that were given him And if the defect be not in himselfe hee may comfort himselfe in GODS mercie which is nor denied to them who endevour to serve God in sinceritie and truth 3. I say It may be that a tender conscience may in this case think worse of himself then there is cause For perhaps he remembreth not the words but hee can remember the matter and speak of it in a ruder phrase of his owne or perhaps he cannot remember any orderly processe concerning the matter but yet he can tell that such a sin was condemned and such a duty enjoyned by which he is perswaded to serve GOD better or perhaps againe when he beginneth to think nothing will come to his minde yet if one should question him concerning this or that point handled in the Sermon or if himselfe should have occasion to practice it in his course of life he could then call to minde that he had heard it and can tell now how to make use of it And if there be but thus much it is not to be accounted as nothing Tender consciences who disquiet themselves with feares for their disabilitie of memorie may consider of a storie related in the life 's of the old Fathers (a) QuidaÌ„ frater dixit ad Senem Ecce Abba frequenter interrogo seniores Patres ut dicaÌ„t mihi comonitionem pro saâ—ite animae meae quicquid dixerunt mihi nihil retineâ— EraÌ„t auteÌ„ Seni duo vasa vacua dixit ei Senex Vade alfer unuÌ„ ex illis vasis mâ—tte aquaÌ„ lava illud effuÌ„de pone nitidum in locum suum The storie is this One of the fraternitie came to the old Father and Father said he I do often desire of the ancient fathers some instruction for the good of my soule and whatsoever they tell me I forget all The olde man had two emptie vessels and bade him bring the one and powre water into it and wash it cleane and then powre out the water and set it up clean in its place Which when the young man had done accordingly hee demanded (b) Quale est ex utrisque mundius Respondit frater Ubi aquam misi lavi Tunc Senex dixit ei Sic est anima fili quae frequenter audit verba Dei quamvis nihil retineat ex his quae interrogat tamen plus mundatur quam illa quae non requirit Rosw de vitis Patrum lib. 3. num 178. pag. 526. Which now of the two vessels is the more cleane The yong man answered that into which I powred water and washed it And then the old father replied So my son is the soule which oftentimes heareth Gods word though it remember not what it hath heard yet it is more cleansed from sin then that soule that never came to heare at all And so if any man or woman among us have a weak memorie and cannot give so good an account of a Sermon as others can do they must doe their endevour to amend their imperfections and if still they come short and faile of their desire yet they may comfort themselves with this thought that all is not quite lost but somwhat sticketh in the minde which though it appear not at the present yet may do them good for afterward as the vessel into which the water was powred was cleaner moister then that which stood drie without any water powred into it at all The conclusion of this point is Let men do their hearty endevour and not frame excuses of weaknesse when it is their owne idlenesse and want of affection to the work and then I dare say that no mans or womans memorie is so bad but though they cannot make any orderly repetition of their hearing yet somewhat is laied up in them which when occasion is offered will shew it self and may direct them by a holy life to eternall glory And thus much for the second benefit which is the helping of memory or remembrance 3. A third is Our recalling to minde after Sermon what we heard in the Sermon-time will bee a meanes to better our judgment and will enable us to fee what passages are useful and profitable for a godly life For if wee think that every passage in a Sermon doth alike profit us as it doth please us wee greatly deceive our selves For in common experience we see that fine and well shaped clothes put upon a mis-shapen body do make him seeme more handsome to a vulgar eie then the comeliest man that is clothed in rags And so elegancie of phrase and cadencie of sentences and lively expressions of the minde especially being graced with comliness of gesture also which things are the ornaments and the attire of a Sermon do usually more cary away the eares and hearts of the vulgar then sound rules and solid reasons possibly can do But now if a man would know which of the two is the more personable and better proportioned man hee must strip them both out of their clothes and then hee shall see them such as indeed they be And so if our Hearers would know what is solid and substantiall in our Sermons they must turne them out of their attire of utterance and eloquence and then they may see what profitable notes they containe that may further a godly life If there be