Works, Part 4 · Religious instruction · Chapter 36
CHAP. XXXVI. Of hearing Gods Word.
TF the Psalmist (Psal. 94.) could make his argument, Hee that hath planted the eare, shall he not heare, much more may we argue thus: He that hath planted the eare, shall not hee be heard? Shall not hee heare, saith Dauid, shall not he be heard, say we? And surely in his creation he planted the eare to this end, and therefore by the title of creating vsus hee1. Creation. hath good interest to the eare: but if the title of creation will not serue, yet in respect that he preserueth vsus continually, which wee call his prouidence, that interest may serue: but if that serue neither, yet Adam hauing through2. Prouidēcs sinne alienated himselfe from God, his soule, his bodie, and so his eares too: by the right of Redemption the Lord hauing purchased vsus a new, and buying eueryevery iot of vsus againe as3. Redemptiō it were at the second hand, in this right he may surely claime our eares. Now if hee may claime them, as they be his, and in truth they be his, then must we heare him: or if they be not his, and by no right appertaine to him, then we are not the Lords Israel. But if wee bee the Lords, then I say the Lord hath saide, hee cannot abide, that a candle being light should be put vnderunder a bushell, and that our eares, which appertaine to him; should be put to no vse: which if they be, they little or nothing differ from a carued image, who hath eyes and seeth not, eares and heareth not. He will not hauehave vsus come to the Church, and the word beate and beate vponupon vsus, and no more stirre vsus than it doth the pillars or seates we sit on, wherein we shew our selues to be but idoll Christians, or counterfeite professors. Then if wee must needes heare, the nexte thing to be inquired of, is the speciall subiect or obiect of our hearing. We can heare a noise as of the beating of the ayre, of the winde, ofA sound. the thunder or such like, though it be not a voyce: but alas a bare sound can doe nothing. Secondly then wee heare a voyce. but this is common to vsus with beasts, and what can theA voyce▪ bellowing of oxen or the bleating of sheepe doe vsus good? So then neither a noise nor a voyce is here to be stood vponupon, which can doe vsus no good. How then? there is yet a better thing, and that is a word, wherein one may expresse the excellent meaning of his minde toA word▪ another, and man may open himselfe to man. Well, then a sound is a thing inferiour, a voice is somewhat more excellēt, but a word is without question the best of all to increase our knowledge. Now if the word be the most principal, I would gladly know of him, that is farthest from God, if there be any word better or more worth the hearing than the word of God. Then if we ascend from a sound to a voyce, and from the voyce to a word, and from a word to the word of God, we see the word of God to be most principall, and good cause there is why it should so bee, the speaker of it is aboue all creatures, and thereforeThe word of God. his word must be aboue the word of all other creatures. Whereunto if wee ioyne but the consideration of our reuerend regard in hearing but a Prince or a meaner Magistrate, howSimile. we listen, marke his speech, scan and stand vponupon eueryevery word he speakes to vsus, to see what most concernes vsus, this will surely condemne vsus for our negligence and carelesnesse in hearing the word of the Lord. But seeing the word is the best thing, we will draw out another reason, which is, that wee then best imploy our eares, when wee heare the word, and in hearing can say: Now I heare the best thing that I can heare, this is the sweetest sound, and now mine eares are put to the best vse, I heare not onelyonly a sound but a voice, a word. and the very word of God: so are our handes best imployed, when they are receiuing the sacraments, our eyes when they are reading, our feete when they bring vsus to the house of God. When wee thus hauehave once set our selues in worke we may well say, All that I hauehave, is in their best estate, and put to the best kinde of dutie, because our senses and the parts of our bodies are about the busines of sauing of our soules, & about the busines of the Lords glorie. The Heathen said, that the goodly ornaments of the world and frame of all things, was most worthy the seeing, as though a man were borne, and came into this life onelyonly toHearing the word of God, is the best hearing. take a view of them, and so to depart without hauing any vse or profite of them; & though he neuer felt the power of the Sunne, or the sweetnes of flowers, or any other thing: much more may I say so much of the word, though a man should neuer hauehave benefit by it, yet so good it is, of it selfe, that it is most worthy the hearing, though it be nothing but heard. But besides our hearing, the Lord hath ioyned a speciall profit to the word, as either the sauing or condemning of our selues, so that the word is therefore more carefully to be heard, because it is accompanied with such a benefit as the sauing of our soules: God (saith Iohn) so loued the world, that he gaue his only begotten sonne for vsus, that whosoeuer beleeueth in him; should not perish, but hauehave euerlasting life. But how shall we beleeue, saith Paul, Rom. 10. if we heare not? how shall we heare without preaching? and how shall they preach, vnlesse they be sent? So that it is preaching that brings hearing, hearing breedes beleeuing, and by beleeuing we are saued,1. Cor. 1. and so howsoeuer the iolly fellowes of this world and others accompt thereof to bee but madnesse or foolishnes, this same foolishnes of preaching, saith Paul, bringeth saluation;Preaching. this foolish thing, (I say) of preaching, and this slender thing of hearing is the way to saluation. But yet a degree further. Naaman refusing the commandement of the Prophet concerning the washing himselfe in a riuer, which was not at home in his owne countrey, his seruant saith vntounto him, Father, if hee had commanded thee a greater thing, wouldest thou not hauehave done it? and why then is it much to wash in this riuer? So may wee say of the word, If wee will not doe so much as heare the word, which is so easie a matter to doe, what would wee hauehave done, if we should hauehave climbed vp to heauen to hauehave fetched it from thence, or digged to the hels to fetch it thence, or crossed the seas to hauehave had it thence? But the Lord, saith the Apostle, Rom. 10. hath dealt more mercifully for vsus, and prouided better for our ease, we neede not take such paines as to goe vp to heauen, or downe to hell for the word; but it is brought euen to vsus, and preached familiarly: and therefore in respect of the right that the Lord hath vntounto vsus, in respect of the best employing of our senses, in respect of the dignitie of the word, and in regard of our easinesse in hearing, wee must needes heare the word. Another argument is this, because, when I called vponupon and stretched mine arme daily to you, saith the Lord by his Prophet, and ye would not heare me: crie as long as ye can cry, I will not heare you. But if wee doe heare the Lord, he will heare vsus, and communicate vntounto vsus the graces of his holy spirit, and whatsoeuer is needfull for our saluation. If then the matter stand so vponupon our obedience to the Lord, that we shall reape so great a benefit, because he requires but euen by the law of nature, to doe to him, as we would hauehave him deale with vsus; it is good equitie, that if we will not heare the Lord when he speakes, speake wee neuer so loud or long, we should not be heard of him. The last reason is this, when Mary was occupied in hearing our Sauiour Christ, and Martha was busied in ministring things about her house, Christ saith flatly, Mary hath chosen the good part, and why? It shal not be taken away from her. Marthas part in death shall be taken away, and come to nought, and so may we safely say of all our things concerning our trades in this life, they must cease, and when death comes, they shall hauehave an end; but Maries part shall not bee so, that is, whatsoeuer faith, louelove, or obedience wee hauehave attained by the word preached, it shall abide by vsus with peace of conscience in this life, and afterward it will accompanie vsus euen to the kingdome of heauen. But Martha was Martha for Christ, we are Marthas for Martha, wee are all for the world, but this shall be taken from vsus EueryEvery man may therfore safely reckon thus with himselfe: Surely, all my paine, my profits, my trade, and all will end in death: this is not the good part, therefore I will heare the word, and this shal neuer be taken from me. So that as in the former we are made partakers of the omnipotencie of God, if wee heare his word: so here we see we shall communicate in the eternitie of God, if we choose Maries part: but if we prefer the other, we must goe; but our part must tarrie after vsus, and be taken from vsus. Good cause then hauehave wee to heare the word: but who is he that thinkes himselfe happy to hauehave the word, or thinkes not himselfe more happie to get a good bargaine? who being in a iourney or sicke in his body, thinketh it a speciall crosse, and findes in himselfe a griefe that he could not come to the congregation of the Lord?
2 Many reading in the sermōs of the Prophets & Apostles, how they exhort to the hearingHow we must heare the word. of the word, marueile at it. And if at this day wee be spoken so to heare, wee can say, Why, we sit here for no other end, we came hi…her for that purpose, our feete made hast to heare, and therefore it seemeth to be a vaine speech. Wherefore we must vnderstand, that this word (heare) hath a further meaning than so, Ezechiel chap. 3. saith, L…t him that hath eares to heare, heare: so that there are two kindes of hearing, else this had beene a friuolous speech. We must know therefore that (Iob. 42) there are two hearings. There is an hearing of the eare, and there is an hearing of the heart: there is a speaking to the eare, and there is a speaking to the heart. …o… saide▪ hee heard the Lord but with his eares, with his gristles only, and afterward he heard the Lord better, and that was with the hearing of the heart. We must learne then to draw vp our hearts vp to our eares, that so one sound mayNote these foure things. pearce both at once. But to heare with the heart there are foure things to bee performed: the first is set downe, Eccles. 4 17. Looke to thy feete, when thou goest into the house of the Lord. And 2. Chron. 34. because men did not prepare their hearts in their houses at home, or by the way abroad, all was in vaine, they lost their successe in heauenly things. The first thing1. Preparatiō then is preparation And comming to the Church, eueryevery man is to deale thus with himselfe: I shall now goe where I may sit among reprobates, least therefore I should set on more on the bill and beadroule of my sinnes, I will prepare my selfe, and pray in serious2. To heare all that is taught vsus, & not parcels▪ manner, and earnestly for the grace of God to teach me The second thing is, that we must heare the word as good Catholikes, that is, we must not heare the word by parcels and by clauses as we list, and giuegive our eare vntill it come to our speciall sinne, and sit quietly till our bodie be touched: but we must heare vniuersally as well the things that mislike vsus, as the things that please vsus. Wee must be affected to heare the word, as the people were to heare the Lord in the mountaine, who saide; Speake the Lord what he will, wee will heare him. This is a good kinde of hearing, and it pleased the Lord so well, that hee said: Oh that this heart were alwaies in this people, &c. Wee will commend any that will please our humours, and preach such things as follow our appetite. As if oppression be spoken against, and we be oppressed of some, this common place is very plausible to vsus, because it is against one that hath iniured vsus. Or else wee come to the word as Herod came: Let Iohn speake as much as he will, I will heare him: but if he come to this, that I may not hauehave my brothers wife, I will not heare him. But if he come to teach the Lord to speake, & to teach him wisedome, and prescribe him to say this, and not to meddle with that, wee shall neuer heare fruitfully. A third thing is continuall hearing: the word is a rare thing, therefore3. Constancie in hearing. we must hauehave a continuall hearing. Will yee heare how God hath taken answere for this? it is said, Psal. 95 Heb. 3. To day if ye will heare his voice. This we knowe is read to day, and to morrow, and eueryevery day, and so …or euer, and yet all is but to day. Wee cannot exempt our selues, this bindes our hearts, and will hauehave vsus hold out, as long as it is saide to day. So then as wee must pray and be prepared to heare, and come with a purpose to heare vniuersally,4. A desire to practise the thing we heare. so must we heare continually. Yet wee must adde a fourth thing, and that is, wee must bring a desire to practise the things we heare. And eueryevery man must come thus affected: I hauehave prepared my selfe to heare, I will heare all, as well that which is misliking, as that which liketh me: but beware of this last, come what come will, I will not obey. But if we vow not to heare, to lay vp in our memorie, that our memorie may call vponupon our conscience, and our conscience call vponupon vsus to put it in practise, we cut off the sentence by the halfe: He that heareth the word, and keepeth it, is blessed: and keepes it, here is a coniunction copulatiue, and in no case we must leaue it out. And there is good reason it should bee so: for as Augustine saith, The word is compared to an hammer, to a fire, to a sword, and not for nothing. The hammer bruiseth, so the word must soften our hard hearts; the fire purgeth and purifieth, so the word purgeth our grosse affections, and purifieth our hearts; the sword pearceth, and so the word diuideth betweene the marrow and the ioynts. If theHebr. 4. 12. word workes not these effects, it loseth his power. The word is a word of power, and l…t eueryevery man reckon with himselfe, If in hearing the word I draw not neerer to the merciemercy of God, I shall draw neerer to his wrath, if not to my saluation, sure to my destruction.
3 We oft heare the word, but not as the word of the Lord, and therefore wee heare itWee must heare the word as Gods word, while it is daye but in part, because we thinke it is the word of Esai, of Peter, or of the Minister, wee thinke it is Hose, or Paul that speakes, but not the Lord. Well, if we will tarrie vntill the Lord himselfe come, wee shall not heare nor see him, vntill the heauens roll vp together as a scrole, and a globe of fire consume the face of the earth, vntill the Sunne be turned as blacke as a pot, and the sea boile as a pot of oyle, and then we must rather giuegive an accompt of our hearing, than stand to heare againe. Well then how are we said to heare the word of the Lord? First we must know, that Christ receiued a commission from the Lord, This is my beloued Sonne, heare him. Here is his commission. Then our Sauiour Christ being to goe to his Father, left a commission with his Apostles, Who so heareth you, heareth me, who so receiueth you, the same receiueth me: but who so refuseth you, refuseth me. So that to heare the Ministers is to heare Christ, and to heare Christ is to heare the father; so that to heare the Ministers is to heare God. And the words of Hose, and of Peter, they be the Lords words. And all this word sent from God shall be as effectuall by the mouth of the Ministers, to conuert, as if they were spoken by Christ himselfe. And we know that Christ being the Minister of circumcision, conuerted not all his auditors, nay he conuerted but a few of his hearers. Peter conuerted more at one sermon, who was but his Apostle, than we reade that hee himselfe euer conuerted all his life long. But if it will not be, but still we thinke it is the word of the Preachers, surely by our owne imaginations the Lord will punish you, that is, it shall bee vntounto you a mans word, Hosees word, or Peters word, not the word of the Lord. And then if we heare it not as the word of God, but as the word of man, it will neuer doe vsus good, it may breede some little purpose in vsus, but it wil neuer breede in vsus any great practise to our comfort. So then if we heare it but as from men, we shall …ot in our sinne, and so lye stil, vntill the Lord finde vsus out in the searching day of his iudgement.
4 Because the doctrine of accusing, condemning, and threatning, is a scripture vnwillinglyIt is good to heare of the threatnings as well as of the promises. receiued of men, and we shall see in most of the Prophets so long as they prophecy peace, and speake of heauen, of grace, of merciemercy▪ they are willingly heard: but if at any time they strike on the other string, the people would no lōger heare, but oft breake forth, and say, prophecy peace vntounto vsus: because (I say) the people hauing made a league with death and hell, cannot abide to heare such vnsauory and nipping speeches, it must needes be, that the Lord sometime vse speeches of quarrel and controuersie, and of his falling out with the people. I knowe that besides that it is the general corruption of nature, it is a speciall fault of these times and of this age, that if the Minister of God thunder out the threanings of God, hee shall bee straight discharged to bee a Minister of Christ, hee shall be nowSimile. the Minister of the Law and of Moses. For the words of grace, merciemercy, and saluation are sweete wordes, and men can well away to heare them: but the Sonne of God hath not alwaies a streame of milke and hony running out of his mouth, but sometime a two edged sword, Apocal. 1. and it is as profitable for God his children sometime to hauehave a song of Sinai, as a song of Sion, and then specially is this requisite, when the mercies of God come not by the *That is in Prosperitie▪hynn, or by the peck, or by small portions, but by the Go…er, by the Ephath, and in full measure. Because then we may be drawne into forgetfulnes, and therefore least these things should cloy vsus, it is good for eueryevery māin the day of peace to think of the day of controuersie, & in our most quietnes to knowe the Lord hath an inditement and an action against vsus, though when this age is ripped vp, wee shall see the Lord his inditement rightly framed, and his …isiprius, iustly put vp against vsus: yet when the day of the iudgmēts of God be threatned, we must not say they appertaine to strangers, we must take the actionWhy the Lord oft threatneth in his owne person. to proceede against our selues.
5 Though the Ministers take the Lords quarrell in hand and iudge his cause, as the Lord biddeth Ezechiel to auenge his quarrell… though the Prophets, I say, doe this, or if they cease to doe it, the very stones, and creatures shall doe it against vnbeleeuers; yet as other times we see in the Prophets how al cease, and the Lord himselfe pleads the controuersie. Though therefore we could arme our selues and make our part good against the creatures, and could shift off his Prophets; yet the Lord himself entring his action against vsus, we had neede now diligently to looke about vsus: for as Paul saith, God will not be mocked, we must not dallie with him. Now the time when the Lord will doe this, is when no man else will plead for him, & that is partly for the negligence of his aduocates the ministers, and partly for the vntowardnes of the people, who regard not the writs of his Prophets, but the Lord must be faine to come*As in publike calamities. himself. Woful experiēce proues now a daies, that if the ministers of the Lord rebuke vsus, or if any man shall take vponupon him to admonish vsus, we are readie to rebuke them againe, & to set them to schoole too. When we see this wilfulnes in the people, that speake the Prophets what they wil, they can securely shift them off, and though writs come neuer so thicke they care not for them, they think their feet shall neuer slip, and being taught they will teach againe, being rebuked they rebuke againe: when it commeth to this, I say, the Lord ceaseth to deale any longer by his atturnies, but he will descend, and pleade his owne controuersies. On the other side, because there bee some Prophets who cannot be admitted to plead, and others they will not pleade thoughPreachers. they be admitted, but say with Balaam they will neither blesse nor curse: and some if they doe speake they hauehave Heltes spirit, and say nothing, but O my brother, you doe not well to doe so, you must doe otherwise, they hauehave not Hoseahs spirit to tell them of their sinne to their faces: I say when it falles thus out, that hee that rebukes the world shall bee stung, and hauehave a swarme of Bees, or of Waspes about him, who will not onelyonly shew the tongues of Shemei, but will set the Prophets to schoole: or they so deale with the Ministers, as they did with the seruants of him that let out his vineyard to husbandmen, some they kil, some they beate, and as they deale with the messengers of Dauid, in cutting off their coates, and their beards to disgrace them, then the Lord himselfe hath a controuersie with the people to pleade against them.