Rules for Hearing the Word of God, before hearing
RULES FOR HEARING THE Word of God With certain and ſaving Benefit.
The Second Edition.
By DANIEL BƲRGESS, Miniſter of the Goſpel.
Publiſhed by an Hearer of them, at the Requeſt of many others.
London, Printed for Andrew Bell and Jonas Luntley, at the Peſtle and Mortar, over againſt the Horſeſhoe-Tavern in Chancery-Lane. MDCXCIII.
Price Three Pence.
Rules for hearing the Word of God, with certain ſaving Benefit.
BEFORE you Hear.
DIrection I. Pray for a Bleſſing. Ask and you ſhall receive it. Sincere hearty Prayer is ſtill a Prevailer; and then moſt, when it is for Gifts that be beſt. But by not asking a Bleſſing, you deſerve a Curſe: becauſe you do virtually tell God, either that you need not his Spirit, or that you deſire not the ſaving Efficacy of his Word. Neglect of Prayer will ruine the beſt Hearer; holy Uſe of it will ſave the worſt Hearer.
Direct. II. Ʋſe Forecaſt against Diſtractions in Hearing. Wrath, and Luſt, and ſinful Paſſions will take away your Heart at Sermons; but a conſtant cordial Watch and Fight againſt them, will deſtroy thoſe Deſtroyers. God will let no Soul be devoured by them, that is diligent to keep from them: Though on the other hand, Souls that do little to prevent them, ſhall be plagued with them. Divine Grace will not encourage your ſinful Negligence: No, but the Temptations which overtake you wilfully, ſhall overcome you wofully. Believe ſad Experience, others and your own.
Direct. III. Value the Word, and the Preaching of it, and thank God for them both. Honour them for God's ſake, and God will honour and bleſs you for his Son's ſake, and for his Promiſe ſake: God is ſo free of his Bleſſing on both, that he lets no Man who highly prizeth it, go without it. You may highly prize Gold and Silver, and go without them: but the richer Treaſure of the Goſpel is certainly your own, if you can but ſupremely value it. If you do deſpiſe it, blame your ſelves that you are not enriched by it. God will not throw his ineſtimable Pearl unto ungrateful Swine: Swine that will not give ſo much as Thanks for the Pearl of greateſt Price.
Direct. IV. Acquaint your ſelves well with the Ends and Ʋſes of the Word. Read Books, and ask Miniſters, and know as well as they, to what Purpoſes God ſendeth his Oracles: The four comprehenſive Ends are, to convince of Sin, to convert unto Jeſus Chriſt, to confirm in Grace, to direct and comfort in Obedience: Underſtand theſe, and muſe much on them. Come to Sermons for theſe, and you ſhall not go from Sermons without them: But God hath not Pleaſure in Fools: and if you come to hear for you know not what, it's no marvel if you come away Fools as you went.
Direct. V. Never forget God's Promiſe of Bleſſing on dutiful Hearing. He cannot lie; and he has told you, Hear and your Souls ſhall live. Keep you that Promiſe of his as the Apple of your Eye. It will do your Heart good to think, God hath not left himſelf at Liberty to bleſs or not bleſs your Hearing: No, but that his FREE Grace is alſo BOUND Grace; bound by Word and Oath. This will give you holy Boldneſs, to which God always giveth happy VVelcome. But the want of this in your Mind, will keep it full of curſed and malignant Doubts and Fears. Without a Miracle of Grace it will hold you fearful, and hold you unbelieving; that is, periſhing.
Direct. VI. Honourably uſe your Advocates. All the Week long honour the Son of God, as he in whom alone you can ever have Acceptance with God: and honour the holy Spirit of God, by whom alone you can ever have effectual Aſſiſtance to any Good. No Man ever thus honoured the Son and Spirit, and went without the full Bleſſing of the VVord. Without our Interceſſor in Heaven, and our Interceſſor in our Hearts, we can profitably do nothing; but with them we may do every thing proſperouſly: Therefore be Sermons every-where ſo loſt, becauſe this Dependance on Chriſt and on his Spirit are ſcarce any where found. O that this Word might be well weighed!
Direct. VII. Conclude upon it, the Word will be the Savour of Life or Death unto you. It will cure you, or further kill you; and give Life to Life, or Death to Death. Give your ſelves this preparatory Sermon before you come to hear mine. Miniſters Sermons ſoften or harden Hearers Souls; they never leave you (in degrees of Good or Evil) as they find you. Such Fore-thoughts are ordinary Antecedents, and direct Cauſes of no ſmall Good.