Sermons in One Volume, Sermon 1
The firſt Sermon.
Take heed how you heare. Luke. 8. 18.
THis is the warning of Chriſt to his Diſciples, after they had heard the Parable of the ſeede, how it fell in foure grounds, & but one of the foure brought foorth fruit. Here Chriſt exhorteth his Diſciples to bee that ground, and wee exhort you. As GOD ſent his Prophets and Teachers to Ieruſalem that was the chiefe Citie of the Iewes, where the Temple was built, and where the Prieſtes, and the Leuites and the Doctors dwelt, like an Vniuerſitie, that from it all the Townes and Villages about might receiue inſtruction & light, like a Beacon which ſtandeth vponupon a hill, and is ſeene ouer all the Countrie: ſo GOD hath done to this Ieruſalem of yours. The citie of Ieruſalem had neuer ſo many Prophets crying at once in her ſtreetes, as this citie wherein wee dwell, though the Oxe, which treadeth out the Corne, hath often been attempted to bee muzle… euen of thoſe which tread not at all. Yet as the Lambes breede in the winter, and Quailes came with the winde: ſo Preachers ſpring in the time of diſcouragement more then when nothing hindereth them: & whether it bee our ambition (as the kindred of Chriſt ſayd) they which will bee famous goe to great places, or whether GOD would make this citie a ſpring and fountaine to water the Land, as hee did Ieruſalem: heere is the Colledge of the Prophets, here is the voyce of a Cryer, here dwels the Seer, though he be hated, and ſcorned, & contemned for his pains. When I conſider how many labourers God hath ſent to this Vineyard, and yet how little fruite it yeeldeth to the Sower, I cannot impute it to the want of teaching, but to the want of hearing, neither ſo much to the want of hearing, as to a kinde of negligent hearing, like the high way which receiued the ſeede but did not couer it. Therefore when this ſentence came to my minde, me thought I ſhould goe no farther vntill I had taught you how to heare. I ſtood in doubt a while whether I ſhoulde take ſuch a ſhort text: but when I looked into longer thē it, me thought this ſeemed longer then they, and as I iudge a text which ſhould bee preached before all texts, which becauſe it was not taught and learned at the firſt, a thouſand Sermons hauehave been loſt and forgotten, as though they had neuer been preached at all: therefore let mee ſay as my text ſaith, before I expound it: Take heede how you heare, while I teach you how to heare.
There is no ſentence in Scripture which the diuell had rather you ſhould not regarde then this leſſon of hearing: for if you take heede how you heare, you ſhall not onelyonly profite by this Sermon, but eueryevery Sermon after this ſhall leaue ſuch inſtruction, and peace, and comfort with you, as you neuer thought the Word contayned for you: therefore no maruaile if the Tempter doe trouble you when you ſhould heare, as the fowles combred Abraham when he ſhould offer Sacrifice. For bee yee well aſſured that this is an infallible ſigne, that ſome excellent and notable good is towarde you, when the diuell is ſo buſie to hinder your hearing of the Worde, which of all other things he dooth moſt enuie vntounto you: therefore as hee appoynted Adam to another tree, leſt he ſhould goe to the Tree of life:Gen. 3. ſo, knowing the Word to be like vntounto the Tree of life, he appoynteth you to other buſineſſe, to other exerciſes, to other workes, and to other ſtudies, leaſt you ſhould heare it, and be conuerted to GOD, whereby the tribute and reuenew of his kingdome ſhould bee impayred: therefore marke how many forces he hath bent againſt one little ſcripture to fruſtrate this counſell of Chriſt, Take heed how you heare.
Firſt,The diuels ſleights againſt hearing. hee labours all that hee can to ſtay vsus from hearing: to effect this, hee keepes vsus at Tauernes, at Playes, in our ſhoppes, and appoynts vsus ſome other buſineſſe at the ſame time, that when the bell cals to the Sermon, wee ſay like the churliſh gueſts, wee cannot come. If hee cannot ſtay vsus away with any buſineſſe or exerciſe,Math. 22. then he caſts fancies into our minds, and drowſineſſe into our heads, and ſounds into our eares, and temptations before our eyes, that though we heare, yet we ſhould not marke, like the birds which flye about the Church. If hee cannot ſtaye our eares, nor ſlacke our attention as he would, then hee tickleth vsus to miſlike ſome thing which was ſayd, and by that makes vsus reiect all the reſt. If wee cannot miſlike anie thing which is ſayd, then hee infecteth vsus with ſome preiudice of the Preacher, hee doth not as hee teacheth, and therefore we leſſe regarde what hee ſaith. If there bee no fault in the man, nor in the doctrine, then leaſt it would conuert vsus and reclaime vsus, he courſeth all meanes to keepe vsus from the conſideration of it, vntill we hauehave forgot it. To compaſſe this, ſo ſoone as we hauehave heard, he takes vsus to dinner, or to company, or to paſtime, to remooue our mindes that wee ſhould thinke no more of it. If it ſtay in our thoughts, and like vsus well, then he hath this trick in ſtead of applying the doctrine which we ſhould follow, he turnes vsus to praiſe and extoll the preacher, he made an excellent Sermon, he hath a notable gift, I neuer heard any like him. He which can ſay ſo hath heard enough: this is the repetitiō which you make of our ſermons when you come home, and ſo to your buſineſſe againe, till the next ſermon come, a breath goeth from vsus, and a ſounde commeth to you, and ſo the matter is ended. If all theſe commers heare in vaine, and the tempter be ſo buſie to hinder this work more than any other, Chriſts warning may ſerue for you, aſ well as his Diſciples, Take heede how you heare.
There is a hearing,Mar. 4. 24. and a preparatiue before hearing, there is a praying, and a preparatiue before praying,Eccl. 2. 17. there is a receiuing, and a preparatiue before receiuing.1. Cor. 11. 28. As I called examination the forerunner, which prepareth the way to the receluer: ſo I may call attention the forerunner, which prepareth the way to the Preacher, like the plough which cutteth vp the ground, that it may receiue the ſeede. As there is a foundation vponupon which the ſtones, and lime, and timber are laide, which holdeth the buildings together▪ ſo where this foundation of hearing is laid, there the inſtructions and leſſons, and comforts do ſtay and are remembred, but hee which leaneth his eares in his pillowe, goeth home againe like the childe which he leadeth in his hand, and ſcarſe remembreth the preachers texte. A diuine tongue and a holy eare make ſweete muſicke, but a deafe eare makes a dumb tongue. There is nothing ſo eaſie as to heare, and yet there is nothing ſo hard as to heare well. You come not hitherto learne how to heare, but you come hitherto heare as you were wont: for there is none but thinkes before he come to heare, that he knowes how to heare already. But when I hauehave ſhewed you Chriſt meaning in this caueat, you ſhall iudge whether you hauehave heard or not heard, before you learned how to heare.
In the ſeuenteenth Chapter and the fifth verſe of Saint Mathewes Goſpell, the Father teacheth you how to heare, nowe the Sonne teacheth you how to heare: ſhewing (as Iames ſaith) that hearers only are not bleſſed, for many ſhall ſay vntounto Chriſt, HaueHave not wee heard thee in our Synagogues? whom hee will anſwere, with I know you not: and therefore it is not inough to heare, but you muſt care how hou heare, it is not enough to pray, but you muſt care how you pray, it is not enough to receiue, but you muſt care how you receiue, it is not enough to ſuffer, but you muſt care how you ſuffer, it is not enough to giuegive, but you muſt care how you giuegive, it is not enough to beleeue, but you muſt care how you beleeue: for God hath appointed the way as wel as the ende. Becauſe Cain regarded not the manner,Gen. 4. God regarded not his Sacrifice. It is better to doe well than to doe good: for a man cannot offend in doing well, but he may offend in doing good, if hee doe not well. Therfore Chriſt (whom the Father bade vsus heare) teacheth vsus not only to heare, Math. 17. 5but how to heare: in the fourteenth chapter of Marke and the foure and twentieth verſe, teacheth vsus not onelyonly to reade, but how to reade: in the foure and twentieth of Saint Mathew, and the fifteenth verſe, teacheth vsus not onelyonly to ſuffer, but how to ſuffer: in the fifth of Mathew, and the tenth verſe, teacheth vsus not onelyonly to receiue, but how to receiue: Luke 22. 19. teacheth vsus not only to pray, but how to pray: Luk. 11. 1. ſignifiyng, that more ſinne in hearing, and reading, and praying, and ſuffering, & receiuing, amiſſe, than in not hearing, reading, praying, ſuffering, or receiuing at all. Therfore Paul takes the Chriſtian before his race, and giues him this watch-word. So run that thou mayſt obtaine. 1. Cor. 9. 24. that is, ſo ſeek that thou mayſt finde, ſo aske that thou mayſt obtaine, ſo knocke that it may bee opened, ſo giuegive that thou maiſt doe good, ſo ſuffer that thou maiſt hauehave comfort, ſo heare that thou mayſt profite. How many hauehave faſted, and watched and prayed more than we, and yet loſt al their deuotion? becauſe they thought not of this rule, to doe good in a good ſort. The Papiſts ſo they pray, care not how they pray, for they thinke it enough to pray: and therefore when they hauehave gone ouer their beads, their prayer is done, although they neuer thought what they asked. But Ieremie ſaith, Curſed be he that doth the buſines of the Lorde negligently, whether hee heare negligently, or pray negligently, or receiue negligently, or preach negligently. The Scribes, and Phariſies did faſt, and watch, and pray, and heare, and reade, and giuegive, and doe all that we can doe, and yet Chriſt rewardeth al their works with a woe; Woe be vntounto you Scribes and Phariſies. The Diſciple which betraied Chriſt, heard ſo much as the Diſciples that loued Chriſt, yet he had no feeling, nor comfort, nor profite of all his companie with Chriſt, becauſe he did not vſe it as the reſt did. The Iewes did heare more then all the world beſide, yet becauſe they tooke no heed to that which they heard, therefore they crucified him which came to ſaue them, and became the curſedſt people vppon the earth, which were the bleſſedſt Nation before: therefore the A b c. of a Chriſtian is to learne the Arte of hearing. We care how wee ſow, leſt our ſeed ſhould be loſt: ſo let vsus care how we heare, leaſt Gods ſeede bee loſt. There is no ſeede which groweth ſo faſt as Gods ſeede if it bee ſowne well: therefore that I may ſhewe you that methode of hearing, which Chriſt commendeth heere to his diſciples, it is neceſſarie to obſerue fiue things.Fiue partes of this treatiſe. Firſt, the neceſsitie of hearing: ſecondly, the fruite which commeth by hearing: thirdly, the kindes of hearers: fourthly, the danger of hearing amiſſe: fiftly, that manner of hearing, which will make you remember that which is ſaid, and teache you more in a yeare than you hauehave learned all your life.
Touching the neceſſitie of hearing: When Chriſt ſaith. Take heede how you heare, hee implieth that all his Diſciples ſhould heare, nay they which were excommunicate from the prayers, and from the councels, and from the Sacraments for their ſinnes, yet were not excommunicate from hearing, becauſe they ſhould learne to repent.
Here that large commaundement of our Sauiour Chriſt ſtandeth,Luk. 8. 8. That which I ſay vntounto you, I ſay vntounto all, therefore it is a general Proclamation, Whoſoeuer hath an eare to heare let him heare. The place implyeth that al ſhould heare, though it importeth that al can not heare. When the voyce ſpake from heauen it ſaid nothing,Mat. 17. 5. but This is my beloued ſon, heare him: as thongh all the duties of man were compriſed in hearing. Whē Chriſt ſpake but of one thing which is neceſſarie, he ſpake of hearing, Luke 10. 22. As though it were ſo neceſſarie to heare, that all neceſſities ſhould giuegive place vntounto it. When men would not heare, God ſpake to the ground; Oh earth, earth, earth heare the word of the Lord: Iere▪ 22. 29. ſhewing that GOD ſo contemneth them which will not heare, that he regardes the earth and the trees, and the ſtones being ſenſeleſſe creatures aboue them.
When GOD ſtroke Zacharias hee made him dumbe,Luk 1. 5. but not deafe; When GOD ſtroke Saul, hee made him blinde, but not deafe;Act. 9. 3. 4. When GOD ſtroke Mephiboſheth, hee made him lame,2. Sam. 4. 4. but not deafe. Thus GOD would hauehave them heare which cannot ſee, nor ſpeake, nor goe. But there is a diuell which is called the deaffe diuell, Marke 9. 25. ſhewing that the diuell would hauehave vsus deaffe, becauſe hee that heareth inſtruction is in the way to life, but Hee which heares not inſtruction goeth out of the way. Prouerbs tenne-ſeauenteenth. To ſhew the neceſſitie of hearing the worde which we ſhould heare is called meate in the fifth Chapter and the eleuenth verſe of the Epiſtle to the Hebrues, and the want of the Worde is called a famine in the eight chapter of Amos Prophecie and the eleuenth verſe, as though it were as neceſſarie for vsus to heare, as it is to eate.
Although our heartes are contrarie to the Worde more than to any thing beſide, yet no man can thinke that this is the Word of GOD, but hee thinkes it neceſſarie to bee heard. Beſides, if Chriſt bee the Word (as Saint Iohn calleth him in the firſt chapter and fourteenth verſe) and the Worde is receiued by no other meanes, but by hearing onelyonly can anie man then receiue Chriſt without hearing? Let not anie bee thus fonde ſo vainely to dreame: for that were to receiue the Worde without the Worde.
Therefore, as Iohn wept vntill the Booke was opened, and ſo ſoone as it was opened, all the Elders ſung: ſo wee ſhoulde coumpt it the greateſt cauſe of weeping when the worde is taken from vsus that wee cannot heare it, and the greateſt cauſe of reioycing when it is open to vsus that wee may heare without let. Thus much of the neceſſitie of hearing.
Secondly, touching the fruite that commeth by hearing: Of all our ſences, hearing is the ſence of learning, and therefore Salomon begins his Wiſedome, with Hearken my ſonne, Prouer. 1. 8. opening as it were the doore where Wiſedome muſt enter. Therefore except in praying, temptations neuer trouble a man ſo much as in hearing, which ſheweth that theſe two are the deſtroyers of the deſtroyer: therefore as the tempter himſelfe could not abide to heare the Word when Chriſt ſpake, ſo hee cannot abide that wee ſhould heare the Word. Matth. 4.It muſt needes bee good for vsus which our enemies would keepe from vsus.
Many hearing the Worde hauehave met with knowledge, hauehave met with comfort, hauehave met with ſaluation, but without the Worde neuer any was conuerted to GOD. Therefore whenſoeuer the Worde is preached, eueryevery one may ſay to himſelfe, as the Diſciples ſaide to the blinde man, Bee of good comfort, Mar. 10. 49.hee calleth thee: bee of good comfort, the Lorde calleth thee. When Chriſt heard a woman ſay,Luk. 11. 28. Bleſſed are the breastes which gaue thee ſucke, Chriſt replied, Bleſſed are they which heare the Worde of God: ſhewing, that his Diſciples were more bleſſed for hearing him, than his Mother for bearing him. As Iſaac gaue Iacob a double bleſſing, ſo Chriſt bleſſeth them againe: fo… in Matthew. 16. 17. hee ſaith,Mat. 16. 17. Bleſſed are the eares which heare the things which you heare: ſhewing that the Iewes were more bleſſed than all the worlde, becauſe they had this one bleſſing to heare the trueth. If they be bleſſed which heare, then you come hither for a bleſſing, and hee which is bleſſed, wanteth nothing. EueryEvery priuiledge dooth importe ſome ſpeciall good to him which hath it: but it is the priuiledge of man to heare the Worde, and therefore the Worde became man, becauſe it belongeth onelyonly to man.Iohn 1. 14. God hath giuen life and light and food to fowles, and fiſhes, and beaſtes, but his Word is the prerogatiue of man. As to ſpeake is the propertie of man, ſo to heare is the propertie of man. To ſhewe the fruite which commeth by hearing, Chriſt calleth the Word which wee ſhould heare, Mat. 13. 14.Verbum Regni, The Word of the Kingdome, as though it brought a Kingdome with it: to ſhewe the fruite which commeth by hearing. The Diſciples call the word which we ſhould heare, Verbum vitae, Iohn. 6. 18.the Word of life, as though it brought life with it: to ſhewe the fruite that commeth by hearing, Verſ. 15.Chriſt compareth the good bearers to the fruitfull grounde: to ſhewe the fruite that commeth by hearing, Paule …aieth, Faith commeth by hearing, in the …enth to the Romanes, there is one fruite: Knowledge commeth by hearing, Matthew the fifteenth and tenth verſe, there is another fruite: Comforte commeth by hearing, Pſalme one hundred and nineteene, there is another fruite: the ſenſe of ſinne commeth by hearing, Act. 2.there is another fruite. As Chriſt with fiue loaues and two fiſhes fed fiue thouſand men: ſo Peter with one Sermon conuerted three thouſand foules.Act. 2. 41. Agrippa hearing Paul but once,Act. 26. 27. almoſt became a Chriſtian,Act. 8. 38. the Eunuch hearing Philip but once ſtraight receiued the faith: Zacheus hearing Chriſt but once, gaue halfe his goods to the poore: ſo I doubt not but ſome goe from our Sermons almoſt Chriſtians like Agrippa, ſome whole Chriſtians like the Eunuch, expreſſing their faith like Zacheus. Now a little and then a little the ſoule groweth like the bodie. If you heare well, our voyce is like the ſounde of the Rammes hornes that made the Walles of Iericho to reele,Ioſh. 6. nay it will make the walles of hell to reele, for the ſame Worde made the Prince of hell giuegive backe, Matthew 4. 7. Although at all other times we are as plaine and ſimple as Iaacob, yet at this time wee hauehave a promiſe, and it is giuen to vsus (for your ſake) to ſpeake ſometime that which we conceiue not our ſelues, becauſe the houre is come wherein GOD hath appointed to call ſome of you as hee hath done ſome of you before. Therefore as the princelie ſpirite came vponupon Saul when hee ſhould raigne,1. Sa. 11. 6. to teach him how hee ſhould rule: ſo the Propheticall ſpirit commeth vppon Preachers when they ſhould teach, to teach them how they ſhould ſpeake. Therefore, as Chriſt was contented to be baptized of Iohn,Mat. 3. 15. ſo be you content to be inſtructed of vsus, that if we be more ſimple than you, the glorie of God may appeare more in conuerting you by vsus.
Thirdly, touching the kinde of hearers: If all which come to heare, did heare as they ſhould, Chriſt neede not warne vsus, Take heede how yee heare. But as we pray, ſo wee heare, the one is a lip-labour, and the other is an eare-labour. As children play the trewantes in the ſchoole, ſo men play the trewantes in the Church: how many come to heare mee, and yet (peraduenture) ſome doe not heare, while I ſpeake of hearing? One hath no pitcher, another hath left his pitcher behinde him, another hath brought a broken pitcher which will holde no water, therefore Chriſt calleth vsus Fiſhers: for as a Fiſher taketh but a few in reſpect of thoſe which goe by, ſo we reforme but a few in reſpect of them which goe as the came. Firſt of Pauls hearers, and then of Chriſts hearers, and after our hearers. Acts 17. 32.When the Athenians heard Paul preach of the reſurrection, it is ſaid, that ſome mocked; there is one ſort, the chaire of ſcorners: Pſal. 1.ſome ſaid, we will heare thee of this againe; there is another ſort, which are not yet reſolued, but deſire to bee better inſtructed: ſome did aſſent vntounto him and receiued his doctrine, as Dioniſius Areopagita, and Damaris a woman; there is the beſt ſort: wee neuer preach but wee hauehave all theſe hearers, ſome mocke, ſome wauer, and ſome beleeue. Now of Chriſts hearers: Wee finde in the Goſpell that Chriſt had foure ſorts of hearers: while I count them to you, thinke of what ſort you are, for I doubt not but that there bee here of all ſortes. Some heard him to wonder at him, like Herode, which was mooued with the fame that went of him: ſome came to heare, becauſe they would know all things, that they might be able to talke of them. It ſeemes that Iudas was ſuch a ſcholler, for he had learned to preach but not to follow: ſome came to cauill and to trip him in his ſpeeches, of theſe hearers were the Scribes and Phariſies which would make him an enemie to Caeſar: ſome were like to the good ground, which came to know what they might doo, and how they ſhoulde beleeue, like the humble Scribe which inquired the way to heauen. Now to our hearers. As there were wiſe Virgins and fooliſh Virgins: ſo there are wiſe hearers, and fooliſh hearers. Some are ſo nice that they had rather pine then take their foode of any which is licenſed by a Biſhop, as if Helias ſhould refuſe his food becauſe a rauē brought it to him and not an Angel: ſome come vntounto the ſeruice to ſaue forfeiture, and then they ſtay the Sermon for ſhame: ſome come becauſe they would not bee counted Atheiſts: ſome come becauſe they would auoyde the name of Papiſts: ſome come to pleaſe their friends, one hath a good man to his friend, & leaſt he ſhould offend him he frequents the Preachers, that his friend may thinke well of him: ſome come with their maſters and miſtreſſes for attendāce: ſome come with a fame, they hauehave heard great ſpeech of the man, and therefore they will ſpend one houre to heare him once, but to ſee whether it be ſo as they ſay: ſome come becauſe they be idle, to paſſe the time they go to a Sermon, leſt they ſhould bee wearie of doing nothing: ſome come with their fellowes, one ſaith, let vsus goe to the Sermon: content ſaith he, and hee goeth for companie: ſome heare the ſound of a voyce, as they paſſe by the Church, and ſtep in before they be aware: another hath ſome occaſion of buſines, and he appoynts his friend to meete him at ſuch a Sermon, as they doe at Pauls: all theſe are accidentall hearers, like children which ſit in the market, and neither buy nor ſell. But as many foxes hauehave been taken when they came to take: ſo they which came to ſpye, or wonder, or gaze, or ſcoffe, hauehave changed their minds before they went home, like one which findes when he doth not ſeeke.
As ye come with diuers motiōs, ſo ye heare in diuers manners: One is like an Athenian, and he hearkeneth after newes: if the Preacher ſay any thing of our Armies beyond ſea, or counſell at home, or matters of Court, that is his lure: another is like the Phariſie, and he watcheth if any thing bee ſayd that may bee wreſted to be ſpoken againſt perſons in high place, that he may play the diuell in accuſing of his brethren, let him write that in his tables too: another ſmackes of eloquence, and hee gapes for a phraſe, that when he commeth to his ordinarie, he may hauehave one figure more to grace and worſhip his tale: another is male-content, and he neuer pricketh vp his eares till the Preacher come to gird agaynſt ſome whom he ſpiteth, and when the Sermon is done, hee remembreth nothing which was ſayd to him, but that which was ſpoken agaynſt other: another commeth to gaze about the Church, he hath an euill eye, which is ſtill looking vponupon that from which Iob did auert his eye: another commeth to muze, ſo ſoone as hee is ſet, hee falleth into a browne ſtudie, ſometimes his minde runnes on his market, ſometimes of his iourney, ſometimes of his ſuite, ſometimes of his dinner, ſometimes of his ſport after dinner, and the Sermon is done before the man thinke where he is: another commeth to heare, but ſo ſoone as the Preacher hath ſayd his prayer, he falles faſt a ſleepe, as though he had been brought in for a corps, & the Preacher ſhould preach at his funerall.
This is the generation of hearers: is not the ſaying of Chriſt fulfilled now, Hearing you heare not? becauſe wee heare and heare not, like a couetous churle, which goeth by a begger when he cryeth in Chriſtes name for reliefe, and heareth him crye, but will not heare him, becauſe he craueth that which he will not part with.
May we not ſay againe with Chriſt, What went ye out to ſee, rather then What went ye out to heare, ſeeing ye remember that which ye ſee, and forget all which ye heare? So you depart from our ſermons like a ſlidethrifts purſe which will hold no money, and as you goe home one ſaith he doth not edifie: another ſaith, I cannot profit by him: another ſaith, he keeps not to his text: another ſaith, he ſpeaks not to the heart: as if the ground ſhould cō plaine of the ſeede which will not receiue the ſeede. Is not this the cauſe why your Preachers about the Citie care not how they preach, becauſe their flockes hauehave no care to heare? Is not this the cauſe why God doth not heare vsus, becauſe we wil not heare him? Is not this the cauſe why ye are ſuch Doctors in the world, and ſuch Infants in the Church? Yee learned your trade in ſeauen yeares, but you hauehave not learned religion in all your yeares. Can you giuegive any reaſon for it but this? you marked when your maſter taught you your trade, becauſe you ſhould liue by it: but you marked not when the Preacher taught you religion, becauſe you do not liue by it. Come now to the daunger by hearing amiſſe. Chriſt ſaith, Take heed how you heare: In Deut. 4. it is ſaid, Take heede how ye forget that which yee heare. This Take heede awaies goeth before ſome daunger: therefore as Paul ſaith, that men receiue the Sacrament to their ſaluation, or to their damnation, 1. Cor. 11. ſo Chriſt ſaith, that men heare the Word to their ſaluation, or to their damnation, The word which I hauehave ſpoken ſhall iudge you in the latter day. Ioh. 12.2. Cor. 2. 16. It is called the ſauour of life, becauſe it ſaueth, and it is called the ſauour of death, becauſe it condemneth. An euill eye ingendreth luſt, & an euil tongue ingendreth ſtrife: but an euil eare makes an heretike, and a ſciſmatike, and an Idolater. This careleſſe hearing, made GOD take away his worde from the Iewes: therefore you may heare the word ſo, as it may bee taken from you, as the talent was from him that hid it,Math. 25. for GOD will not leaue his pearles with ſwine: but as he ſaith, What haſt thou to doe to take my words in thy mouth ſeeing thou hateſt to bee reformed? So he will ſay, what haſt thou to doe to take my word in thy eare, ſeeing thou hateſt to be reformed? If any of you goe away no better then you came, you are not like hearers, but like cyphers, which ſupplie a place, but ſignifie nothing, ſo you take a roume but learne nothing: and they which are cyphers in the houſe of GOD, ſhall bee cyphers in the kingdome of GOD. Therefore, if thou hauehave an euill eye, and an euill tongue, and an euill hand, and an euill foote, yet hauehave not an euill eare too: for then all is euill, becauſe the eare muſt teach all. If the eare hearken to euill, then the heart muſt learne euill. Therefore an euill eare is compared vntounto a bad Porter, which lets in eueryevery one in a gay coat, though hee bee neuer ſo bad; and keepes out him that goes bare, though he be neuer ſo good: ſo an euil eare lets al that is euil enter into the hair, but al that is good ſhuts the dore againſt it, leſt it ſhould ſet the ſpirit & the fleſh at variance. Oh, if the Adder had not ſtopped his eare, how lōg ſince had he bin charmed? But the ſhorteſt time in Gods ſeruice is the lōgeſt time in al the day. The beaſt came to the Arke to ſaue thēſelues, & men wil not come to the Church to ſaue thēſelues. It is too far, ſaith Ieroboā, but it were not too far if Ieroboā were not vnwilling.Luk. 10. One thing is neceſſary, and all vnneceſſaries are preferred before it. The greteſt treaſure in the world is moſt deſpiſed, the Star which ſhould lead vsus to Chriſt, the Laddder which ſhuld moūt vsus to heauē, the Water that ſhuld clenſe our leproſie, the Māna that ſhould refreſh our hūger, & the booke that we ſhould meditate on day & night lieth in our windows, no mā readeth it, no man regardeth it:Pſal. 1. 2. the louelove of God, & the louelove of knowledge, & the louelove of ſaluation is ſo cold, that we will not reade ouer one book for it, for al we ſpēd ſo many idle times while we liue. If Samuel had thought that God had ſpoken to him; he would not hauehave ſlept, but becauſe he thought it was not God but Eli, therefore he ſlept: ſo, becauſe, you remēber not yt it is God which ſpeaks, therefore you mark not: but if you remēbred Chriſts ſaying, He which heareth you heareth me, & he which deſpiſeth you deſpiſeth me, you would heare the voyce of yt Preacher as you would heare the voyce of God. Surely (beloued) we know no other way to ſaue you nor our ſelues: if we did, how wretched were we to keepe it frō you, which hauehave no other calling, but to ſhew you the way of ſaluatiō? If this be the way & no other, if this be ſhewē you & no other, & yet you will not take it but chuſe another, then are you not condēned by any other, but you condemne your ſelues. He which wil not heare is worſe then Herod: for as bad as he was, yet it is ſaid of him, that he heard Iohn. Nay, euen thoſe whō our Sauiour Chriſt in the Parable before this text compareth to the barren, the ſtonie, and the thornie ground, were al hearers, & therfore he which wil not heare, is worſe thē any groūd. It is ſaid of Saul, that though he were haunted with an euil ſpirit, yet when he heard Dauid play vpō the Harpe, the euill ſpirit departed frō him: ſo they which heare, hauehave ſome eaſe of their ſins; ſome peace of conſcience, ſome intermiſſion of their feare, as Saul had when he heard the Harpe, but they which wil not heare, hauehave no intermiſſion of their feare, nor of their griefe, nor of their ſinnes, becauſe the euill ſpirit neuer departeth from them. Therefore as all the beaſts tremble when the Lyon roareth, ſo let all men hearken when God teacheth.
The end of the firſt Sermon.