The Boring of the Ear, Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
LVKE 8. 18.
Take heed how you heare, &c.
Quest.
IS it a hard matter to heare the Word of God preached heedfully, and with fruit?
Anſ. Yes verily: elſe our Sauiour Chriſt would neuer hauehave exhorted and perſwaded his hearers to the performance of this dutie by ſo many Arguments.
Qu. What Arguments doth hee vſe?
An. In this Parable hee vſeth diuers reaſons: one, becauſe it is a very rare and daintie thing to heare the Word profitably, ſeeing among ſo many thouſands that flocke together, ſcarce the fourth part reapeth any profit; becauſe though men cal you not to accoūt: though Parents, Paſtors, Maſters, &c. neglect vsus, yet God will call vsus to account, and it will one day appeare, who hauehave heard of conſcience, and who not.
Qu. What other reaſons may be gathered out of the words of Chriſt, to proue the profit, neceſſitie, and difficultie of hearing?
An. Diuers: as firſt, to be a good and fruitfull hearer is a ſpeciall gift of God, and peculiar to the Elect, My ſheepe Ioh. 10. 27.heare my voyce. And againe, Iohn 8. 47.hee that is of God, heareth Gods Word. And Chriſt ſhewing the reaſon why his Diſciples profited rather then others, ſaith, To you it is giuen, &c. Luke 8. 10.with many other places to the like purpoſe: as when true Faith is called the Faith Of Titus 1. 1. &c.the Elect.
Secondly, In reſpect of the excellencie of the Word, which is called the Word of the Kingdome, both in reſpect of the ſubiect, and alſo of the Rom. 1. 16. Acts 26. 32 Titus 2. 11.effect. To the ſame purpoſe it is called, The Power of God to ſaluation to eueryevery one that beleeueth. The Word of Grace, and Faith. Seeing then, it is the word of the Kingdome, yea, of ſuch a Kingdome; with what attention, reſolution, and heedfulneſſe ought wee to heare it? Iehu and his Companions counted the Prophet a mad fellow: yet when hee brought him tydings of a Kingdome, he was 2. Kings 9. 6, 7, 8.glad to heare it, and willing to embrace it.
Thirdly, To the ſame purpoſe (which may be another reaſon) it is called Seed, yea, 1. Pet. 1. 23.Immortall Seed, whereupon the Apoſtle maketh the ſame Iam. 1. 17, 18 Ibid. 1. 19, 20.concluſion in effect, that Chriſt doth here in this place ſaying, Wherefore, my deare Brethren, let eueryevery man bee ſwift to heare, and ſlow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteouſneſſe of God So the Miniſter is Mat. 13.called the Lords Sower, or Huſbandman, and the people his huſbandry, and the time of preaching, the time of ſowing or the Seed time: ſhall we then caſt away our ſelues, and cauſe the Lord to loſe both his labour and coſt vponupon vsus?
Fourthly, Wherein (which may be a fourth reaſon) wee are to bee the more vigilant, becauſe Satan like a rauening Fowle followeth vsus ſore at the heeles, &c. Therefore as at all times, and in all holy duties: ſo eſpecially in this, let vsus remember that we hauehave not (as the Apoſtle ſaith) to Eph. 6. 12.wreſtle againſt fleſh and bloud, but againſt Principalities, and Powers, &c.
Fiftly, A fift reaſon (likewiſe ariſing from hence) may be this. It is a rare and ſingular grace, which few attayne vntounto: ſcarce one of foure; yea, rather ſcarce one of fortie Deut. 25. 4 Acts 16. 14.that heareth heedfully with fruit, reuerent attention, &c. Plaine experience prooueth as much, Let Miniſters examine their people, Parents their Children, Maſters their Seruants, &c. and it will plainly appeare how ſlenderly they hauehave heard: yea, let eueryevery man examine his owne heart, and call himſelfe to account cōcerning thoſe things which hauehave beene deliuered in the publike Congregation, and his conſcience will tell him, what a heedleſſe and Zach. 3. 1. 1. Pet. 5. 8.vnprofitable hearer hee hath beene.
Sixtly and laſtly, The great gaine and increaſe promiſed to carefull hearers, ought to encourage vsus, To him that Luke 8. 18.hath (ſaith Chriſt) ſhall be giuen. Wherefore ſeeing it is a thing ſo rare, and excellent, ſo profitable, ſo difficult (for the fat heart, dull eares, heauie head, drowſie eyes, get no good:) Let no man thinke with himſelfe, I will now ſit downe and take my place, and ſit downe at eaſe, and heare at pleaſure, but rather let him thus thinke, I will go now to an exerciſe indeed (although ſome ſcorne, and others fooliſhly impropriate the word) I muſt now buckle with Satan and mine owne 1. Tim. 4. 8.corruption, &c.
Qu. Seeing then it is a dutie ſo neceſſary, ſo profitable, rare, excellent, and difficult to heare well; what things are chiefly to bee reſpected to the end wee may heare as wee ought?
An. To the end we may heare as wee ought, we are to conſider, Firſt, what is to be done before the Sermon: Secondly, what is to bee done in the very Sermon time: And laſtly, what is to be done after the Sermon.