Sermons Preached Upon Sundry Occasions, Sermon 4 · Part 2

Sermons Preached Upon Sundry Occasions · Sermon 4 · Part 2

p. 142HEBR. 4. 2.

The word preached did not profit them.

THe ſecond ground of not profiting by the word preached is in reſpect of hearers.II. Sermon.

Firſt, A careleſs, negligent non-attendance to the word preached: when mens thoughts are not gathered up, but roving, their eyes gazing about, their ears not fixed upon the word of God; when they bring their bodies hither as ſo many carcaſſes, but their ſouls are elſwhere. The covetous mans ſoul is locked up in his cheſt at home, and there idolizing in his thoughts his Mammon of unrighteouſneſs, while he ſhould be ſerving God in the Temple; the voluptuous Gallant comes there for faſhion, in the mean time his thoughts are taken up with the neweſt faſhion, or perhaps with his hawks and hounds; the ambitious man, while taking a nap at Church, dreams of honours and preferments: ſo that we may ſay as Seneca did of the Philoſophers ſchools, Magnam hanc anditorum Scnec. …p. 108.partem videbis, cui Philoſophi ſcholae diverſorium otii fit. Many make the Church a meeting-place of idleneſs: indeed God complains of this himſelf, Ezek. 33. 31. They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they ſit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them, forwith their mouth they ſhew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetouſneſs: their thoughts are wandring in the world, while their bodies are confined to the Church. And this nonattendance is much to be lamented, that many whom you ſhall obſerve with a conſtant unweariedneſs attentive to a ballad, idle tale, or at a ſtage-play, at an hours Sermon and preaching of the word of God are tired, dull, heavy, drowſie, and unattentive; ſo that we may lay it to the charge of our Auditours, that Demoſthenes reproves the Athenians for; that when he made an Oration de Aſini umbra, they were all very attentive to hear him; but making another…. C…ſ. Con. de ſalute Graeciae, they all deſerted him. Many can lend an eare to a tale, a fable, or Romance, who are negligent and non-attendant upon the word of God: and this muſt needs prove unprofitable upon a double account.

I. It is ſo in the acquiring of all other knowledge, if he that learns regards not what is read unto him (as ſuppoſe a ſcholar his Tutours lectures, or an apprentice his maſters directions) he is not like to profit by them; ſo it is in getting wiſdome by the word of p. 143God: if we would profit by it, we muſt be ſuch as the Auditours were in Luke 19. 47, 48. of whom it is ſaid, they were very attentive to hear him.

II. When God comes by his Spirit to make the word effectual to any ſoul, he raiſeth it to an holy and careful attention to the word preached. This is moſt evident in that pregnant place, Act. 16. 14. concerning Lydia, whoſe heart the Lord opened, that ſhe attended to the things ſpoken by Paul: and how oft does our Saviour provoke the attention of his Auditours by this expreſſion, He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear? You muſt bring an holy attention of body, and intention of minde, if ever you intend ſavingly to profit by the word of God: as it is ſaid of thoſe in Acts 8. 6. They gave heed unto thoſe things which Philip ſpake.

Secondly, The propoſall of wrong ends in hearing: the generality of hearers do not propound to themſelves thoſe ends, for which God hath appointed the preaching of the word; ſuch are the inlightning, ſtrengthning, comforting, quickning, convincing of ſouls; and upon ſearch it will be found, but a few come for thoſe ends. Some come into the Church, as if a man ſhould go into an Apothecaries ſhop, (not for a medicine to cure them, that were well, but) for a Recipe to ſleep; I call to witneſs the drowſineſs, and lazineſs of many. Others are Athenian Auditours, come onelyonly to hear ſomething that is new. Others out of cuſtome; becauſe others do,Acts 17. 21.Acts 17:21 and themſelves have been accuſtomed to it. Others out of faſhion, more then devotion. Others come to contradict and oppoſe, as the Jews did Paul, Acts 13. 45. Others, not as they ſhould do, willing to be judged by the word of God, but to judge it, and the preacher for it; which make the pulpit, not a tribunal before which they ſhould be judged, but a bar before which the preacher muſt be cited, cenſured, and judged; theſe come to pick a hole in the preachers coat, not out of a conſcience of their dutie in hearing and obeying the word of God. Others come out of affectation of eloquence, as a man goes to an Oration or Comedy, and then it is no wonder, that whiles he catches at the ſhadow of Rhetorick (as the dog in the fable) he looſes his ſpiritual food, the bread of life. Theſe are like the proud Greeks, which ſeek after wiſdome, to whom the preaching of the Goſpel ſeems but fooliſhneſs. Others come perhaps1 Cor. 1. 13.1 Cor 1:13 to promote their intereſt in the world, like thoſe hearers of our Saviour, John 6. that followed him for the loaves. Others come onelyonly to hear, not to learn or practiſe. Sicut in theatrum voluptatis Seneca ep. 108.cauſâ, ad delectandas aures, as Seneca ſpeaks of ſome, who came to hear Lectures of Philoſophy; Non id agunt, ut aliqua vitia deponant, ut aliquam legem vitae accipiant, mores ſuos exigant; ſed ut oblectamento p. 144aurium perfruantur; Aliqui & cum pugillaribus veniunt, non ut res accipiant, ſed verba, &c. Others come with their tablebooks, which, though good, is not ſufficient. Others to ſee, and to be ſeen, foreign, as Clemens expreſſes it; asClem. pag. 272 Gallants flock to a city, not for any buſineſs they have there, but to ſee the ſtately buildings, and to be ſeen themſelves: and when men come for ſuch ends as theſe, it is no wonder that they go away without any profit. You ſhould come, if you intend to profit, as Naaman did to Jordan, to have your leproſie cleanſed, that you go away from it, as Seneca would have men from the hearing of Philoſophy, aut ſaniores, aut ſanabiliores; or as the impotent perſons at the pool, John 5. that you may be put in, and healed, and ſtrengthned: come as to that word, which hath Gods foreign upon it, in 1 Cor. 1. 21. and that in order to your ſalvation. But you will ſay, If men come for theſe ends, were it not better that they stay away? I anſwer, No, it is ſinfull to come thus in the circumſtance; but it is ſinfull in genere actûs to neglect coming. However come, though out of curioſity, ſo did S. Auſtin to hear S. Ambroſe, yet was catcht by it: though perhaps to ſleep (as old Father Latimer ſaid) God may take you napping: though to oppoſe and deride the preacher, ſo did the Jews, Acts 2. 13. charge the Apoſtles as drunkards; yet of them three thouſand were added to the Church. The net of the Goſpel is ſpread, and thou mayſt be caught, though thou intendeſt it not. As he that comes into the Sun, though he intends it not, may be warmed. Qui in unguentaria taberna reſederunt, & paulò diutiùs commorati ſunt, odorem ſecum loci ferunt, ſayes Seneca: ſo while you ſtay out a Sermon, ſome ſavour of goodneſs may reſt upon you, though perhaps you intend nothing leſs: if thou comeſt for theſe ends, thou mayſt, though it is unlikely thou ſhouldeſt, profit.

Thirdly, Worldly mindedneſs: This much hinders the profiting of the word of God. Our Saviour tells you this expreſſely in, the parable of the Sower, Mark 4. 10. foreign: there is a deceitfulneſs in the world to draw our hearts from the word of God; and that three wayes.

I. As it alienates the affections of men from the word of God. They whoſe deſires run after, and whoſe love is fixed upon the world, muſt needs have the one dearer, the other cold to the word of God, You cannot, ſaith our Saviour, ſerve God and Mammon, Matth. 6. 24. The heart cannot be ſet upon both treaſures at once, no more then can one eye be lifted up to heaven, and the other caſt down upon the earth, at the ſame time. It was the farm, and oxen, that diſaffected thoſe from the Supper, to which they were invited, Luk. 16. 14, and therefore the Apoſtle exhorts, Set your affections on things p. 145Col. 3. 2.Col 3:2above, and not on things on the earth: you cannot do both together: and S. John, Love not the world, nor the things of the world; if any John 2. 15.John 2:15one love the world, the love of the Father is not in him: and if not the love of the Father, there is like to be little affection to the Word of God. Our Saviour expreſſes this, by ſowing among thorns, Matth. 13. 24. Wordly cares are thorns (as in many other, ſo eſpecially) in this reſpect; that as thorns eat out the heart of the earth, where the ſeed is ſown; ſo do the cares of the world the deſires of the ſoul towards the word of God; Nummus ill is magis reſonat, quàm verba Ambr. ſerm. 8. in Pſal. 119.Ps 119divina, ſaith Ambroſe.

II. As it prejudices them againſt the word preached, that they ſhut their eares againſt it, and will by no means entertain it: the Pſalmiſt compares the wicked to the deaf adder, Pſal. 58. 4, 5. Auguſtin upon that place tells us how the adder does it; allidet unam aurem terrae, & de cauda obturat alteram: thus, when men have their hearts laid upon the world, it is no wonder, that they are deaf to the word of God: clauſas aures habent & ſono aeris obtuſas, ſaies Ambroſe, the ſound of their riches, deafens them to the word of God. A worldly mans heart muſt needs be full of prejudices againſt the word, and the great doctrine of it, ſelf-denyal, taking up the croſs, and parting with all for Chriſt: upon hearing of theſe doctrines, they are ready to ſay, This is an hard ſaying, who can bear it. This was that which prejudiced the Jews againſt Ezekiel's preaching, Ezek. 33. 31. that though they were convinced of the truth of it, and brought into a liking of it, yet they did not profit by it: becauſe their hearts went after their covetouſneſs. This prejudiced Demetrius and others againſt the Goſpel, as in Acts 19. 27. ſo thoſe againſt Paul and Silas, Acts 16. 19. The word of God does moſt hardly take place in a covetous mans heart.

III. This worldly-mindedneſs oft makes Apostates from the word of God: the young man in the Goſpel heard Chriſt, and pretended an univerſal compliance to his commands, Matth 29. 21. but covetouſneſs lay at the bottome, and therefore, when Chriſt preſcribed his parting with all, he apoſtatizes from his former profeſſion. This made Demas leave Paul, 2 Tit. 4. 10 While mens hearts are ſet upon the world, and their thoughts wholly taken up with earthly things, they grow into a diſaffection of the word of God, and the preaching of it: and when any danger for the words ſake appears, they fall from it: yea, notwithſtanding that ſeeming joy and delight they entertain'd it with. This is moſt evident in the parable of the ſeed which fell on the ſtony ground, Matth. 13. 20. If therefore you would profit, when you come to hear the word, you muſt lay aſide, not onelyonly your worldly employments, but your earthly thoughts p. 146and deſires, which otherwiſe will choke the word of God. When Abraham went in obedience to the command of God to ſacrifice his ſon, he left his ſervants, and his Aſs behinde him, Geneſ. 22. 5. nè impediretur, ſaith Paraeus, ſo ſhould we all our earthly thoughts and deſignes, when in obedience to the precept of God, we come to hear the word: that our hearts be emptied of theſe cares, nè intus existens, &c. And we finde worldly-mindedneſs called by the Apoſtle the root of all evil, Tim. 6. 20. the root of this, amongſt the reſt, unprofitableneſs. Therefore it is obſerved, there were fewer Apoſtates in the Primitive times becauſe then there was little worldly advantage to tempt and ſolicite them from the Goſpel.

Fourthly, Neglect of prayer. I ſhewed you before the Miniſters engagement to pray for the people: in 1 Sam. 12. 28. now I ſhall ſhew you the neglect of this duty in the people is a great cauſe of this unprofitableneſs. You are to pray therefore,

I. That God would open the Ministers mouth: this S. Paul oft puts thoſe upon, to whom he wrote, as the Epheſians, cap. 6. ver. 18, 19 and the Coloſsians, cap. 4. ver. 2, 3. both for inward gifts, and abilities, & the outward exerciſe of them: from which place we may note, 1. That there can be no profiting without a door of utterance: 2. That God muſt open it, as he did for Moſes, who was of ſlow ſpeech, Exod. 4. 10, 11, 12. foreign. ſo Clemens Alexandrinus. God is the onelyonly teacher of us to ſpeak, and of you to profit: He muſt open our mouths and your hearts, as he did the heart of Lydia, and the word to both, before it can profit. So God ſaies in regard of the people Eſay. 48. 17. and ſo Chriſt promiſes to his miniſters Luk. 21. 15. 3. Prayer is the key to open this door of utterance, to reveal the ſecret cabinet of Gods will and word: Knock, and it ſhall be opened is Chriſts promiſe in Matth 7. you muſt knock by prayer at the gate of heaven, that this door of utterance may be opened to the Miniſter: S. Paul mentions this to his Corinthians, 2 Cor. 1. 11.

II. That God would open your hearts: God muſt do both, or neither will be done, Acts. 16. 14. S. Paul prayes for his Epheſians, chap. 1. ver. 17, 18. and David for himſelf, Pſal. 119. 18. Cathedram habet in caelo qui corda docet, ſaies S. Auguſtin. You may open your eares Lib. 4. cap. 16. de Doct. Chriſt.to the word of God, and all the while your hearts may be ſhut againſt it, unleſs God open that. As our Saviour ſpake to his diſciples; Having eares hear you not? &c. ſo it will be with every one, whoſe heart God doth not open: the Miniſter may bring the Word to the eare, but it is the ſpirit onelyonly, can carry it effectually to the heart: Prov. 20. 12. The hearing eare, and the ſeeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them. God muſt not onelyonly give thee the p. 147word, but an eye to ſee it, and a heart to embrace it: as it is ſaid of Chriſts preaching to his two diſciples, Luc. 24. 45. Then opened he their underſtandings, that they might understand the Scriptures. The ſumme of it is, Prayer is the means to open the Miniſters mouth to ſpeak, and your hearts to entertain the word ſo, as to profit by it; and therefore neglect of this muſt needs cauſe unprofitableneſs. The Wiſeman directs you to this courſe, as in Prov. 2. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. It is the Lord onelyonly that gives it, and if you would have it from him, you muſt crie after it: If any of you lack wiſdome, you muſt ask it of God, James 1. 5. How deeply are moſt men to be charged here? I accuſe none of you: but I wiſh you to deal faithfully with your ſelves. How ſeldome do you pray ſeriouſly to God, before you come here? Have you this morning been upon your knees, earneſtly begging of God for the Miniſters, and your ſelves? if not, no wonder if you go away, as you come; charge it upon your ſelves (quarrel not with God, his Ordinances, or his Miniſters) as the cauſe of your unfruitfulneſs; if you come without praying, I do not wonder, that you go away without profiting.

Fifthly, Pride; when men come with proud hearts to the preaching of the word: they are more ready to ſcorn and oppoſe the word, then to profit by it.

This hinders,

I. Pride of our own righteouſneſs. When men are puffed up with a conceit of that, they diſcover not their want of the word of God, and ſo undervalue and ſleight it: this was the reaſon, why our Saviours preaching wrought ſo little upon the Phariſees, as you may ſee John 39. 40. they were not convinced of their blindneſs and ſin, but lifted up with an opinion of their own holineſs: ſo it was with the Jews too, Rom. 10. 3. If ever we intend to profit by the word, we muſt come emptied of our own righteouſneſs, and breathing after the righteouſneſs of Chriſt held forth in the Goſpel. An humble, though notorious ſinner will profit more at the word, then a proud ſelf-juſtitiarie: as the Publicans did at the preaching of our Saviour, more then the Phariſees.

II. Pride of our own knowledge: this makes men think that conſtant preaching of the word is needleſs: we ſhall hear nothing, but what we have heard before; we know it as well as the preacher can tell us: this is the pride of mens hearts. It was the Athenians pride of their Philoſophical notions, which made them eſteem Paul's preaching as a vain babling, Acts 17. As ſome proud ſcholars think themſelves beyond their Tutours reading: ſo many are too goodly to be taught. High Seraphical ſouls, that are lifted up above p. 148ordinances; that pretend to ſuch growth, that they can live without this ſpiritual food: there is pride of heart at the bottome of all. In heaven we ſhall live immediately upon God; but here mediately by his ordinances: there we ſhall ſee face to face, but here in the glaſs of the word: and if we deſire to profit by it, we muſt bring an humble frame of ſpirit. Jobs language would become us well, Job 34. 32. That which I ſee not, teach thou me: wait at wiſdomes gates for further diſcoveries, for here we know but in part, and ſee nothing but darkly: the beſt of us had need daily of eye-ſalve from Chriſt to have our eyes opened by the word: weActs 26. 18.Acts 26:18 muſt become ſenſible of our ignorance, and in this become fools, that we may be wiſe: this pride muſt needs make the word unprofitable upon a three fold account.

1. It makes men untractable, and unteachable. A proud heart is apt to ſet up many carnal reaſonings, and proud imaginations, which exalt themſelves againſt the word: thoſe foreign in 2 Cor. 10. 4. whereby they quarrel with the truth of God, as Nicodemus, when our Saviour preached to him of regeneration, he was as at his, How can this thing be? John 3. It was this pride made the Greeks count the Goſpel fooliſhneſs, 1 Cor. 1. 23. This pride makes men deſpiſe the word, and they think it a kinde of puſillanimitie of ſpirit to ſubmit to it: who is the Lord? ſaith proud Pharaoh, Exod. 5. 2. and thereupon rejects all his meſſages by Moſes: ſo thoſe proudJerem. 44. 16Jer 44:16 Jews in Jeremiah. Clemens Alexandrinus ſaies, The word is not to be ſubmitted to the judgement of thoſe, who are not yet humbled, but have their minds pre-occupied and prejudiced by proud carnal reaſonings. Obſerve what the Pſalmiſt ſaies, Pſal. 10. 4. God is not in the thoughts of his heart. The proud will not ſeek after God, that is, in his ordinances; he thinks it needleſs, or elſe below him: the proud Phariſees were of all other men the moſt untractable of Chriſt's doctrine.

2. Becauſe pride makes men unwilling to hear what may moſt profit. A proud heart cannot endure to hear his particular ſins, his darling corruptions ſtruck at, or diſcovered by the word of God. A particular reproof of ſin, is certainly the moſt profitable, 2 Tim. 4. 2. and this a proud heart cannot endure. If Chriſt reproves the Phariſees hypocriſie, they are enraged againſt him, and plot his death. Herod muſt not endure to hear of his Herodias: ſee Prov. 1. 25. where it is ſaid, Ye ſet at nought all my counſel, and would none of my reproof: theſe were proud ſcorners at the 22. verſe, and you may eaſily judge, how little like theſe are to profit. He is not like to have his wound healed, that cannot endure to have it ſearched.

p. 1493. Becauſe God will have nothing to do with ſuch in his Ordinances. He gives more grace to the humble, but reſiſts the proud, James 4. 6. God is his enemy. God, as I may ſay, every Sabbath keeps open houſes; every one may come, but, believe it, a proud heart is like to go away without his alms. He fills the hungry with good things, but ſends the rich emptie away, Luke 1. 53. and we finde at Iſaiah 66. 5. that God ſpeaks comfort to ſuch as tremble at his word, not that ſcoff at it, and ſleight it, as a proud heart doth. God pours the oyl of grace and knowledge into emptie veſſels: and therefore, as you deſire to profit by the word preached, ſo labour for an humble frame of ſpirit. It is ſaid by the Wiſeman, Prov. 11. 2. with the lowly is wiſdome: and to this end I ſhall ſuggeſt onelyonly three notes.

I. This is the proper qualification of ſcholars in any ſcience. Nothing hinders knowledge more then pride: this was intimated in the poſture, which ſcholars amongſt the Jews were wont to uſe, viz. to ſit at their Maſter's feet: ſo we finde it Acts 22. 3. as an expreſſion of humilitie. It is Philo's obſervation, that when the Eſſens came into the Synagogue, each ſcholar, according to their ſtanding, was wont to ſit at their Maſters feet: this expreſſion ſpeaks aptneſs to learn, and alſo a modeſt humility. Quòd ſi haec reverentia terrenis praeceptoribus debetur, quantò magis nos ad Christi pedes jacere convenit, ut ex coeleſti ſolio loquenti dociles nos preſtemus, ſaies Calvin. Calv. in locumWe read of Mary, Luke 10. 39. that ſhe ſate at Jeſus feet and heard his word: upon which ſaies S. Auguſtine, Quantò humilior ad pedes Domini ſedebat Maria, tantò ampliùs capiebat. We muſt caſt our ſelves at the feet of Chriſt in his Ordinances, if we will be his ſcholars. It is ſaid that the people ſtood at the feet of the mount, when the Law was given, Exod. 19. 17. ſo muſt we ſit at the feet of Chriſt, when the Goſpel is preached.

II. This humilitie will make us teachable by the word of God. An humble heart is like melted wax, which is fit to receive the impreſsion of the word of God, and willing to be moulded, and faſhioned according to it. An humble heart trembles at the threatnings, and ſo is like to profit. God will dwell with ſuch, Iſaiah 66. 2. It cloſes with the commands of it: as Cornelius ſaid to Peter, Acts 10. 33. We are all here preſent, to hear all that is commanded of God: and David tells us, that he will hear what God ſpeaks, Pſal. 85. 8. It ſubmits to the reproofes of the word of God; it accounts of them as precious oyl: whereas a proud heart holds up againſt the threatnings,Pſal. 141. 5.Ps 141:5 ſlights the commands, and rages againſt the reproofs of the word of God. That place of the Prophet Jeremiah, Jerem. 13. 15. is full and worth our obſervation. Hear ye, and give ear, be not proud: for the Lord hath ſpoken: as if he had ſaid, If you continue p. 150in your pride, you will never give an ear to the word of God. But,

III. To make all ſure, an humble heart ſhall have the Spirit of God for its teacher, and then ſuch ſhall be effectually and profitably taught: the humble he will teach, Pſal. 25. 8, 9. it ſhall have the Spirit to lead into all truth, John 16. 13. The more humble, the more of the teachings of God. It is ſaid, that the Spirit deſcended upon Christ in the form of a dove: the dove is a meek creature, to teach us, that the diſcoveries of the Spirit are made to humble hearts.

Sixthly, The ſixth ground is carnal reaſonings, and prejudices in the hearts of men, which pre-poſſeſſing the ſoul, make the word ineffectual: which prejudices, while they remain, obſtruct the ſoul againſt the word of God: theſe are as ſo many bolts upon the doors of our hearts, that the word can get no entrance; theſe are naturally in every one of our hearts: and they are of two ſorts.

I. Againſt the word it ſelf.

II. Againſt the preacher of it.

I ſhall diſcover and remove ſome of them.

I. Againſt the word it ſelf, which although it be admirable in it ſelf, and appointed for moſt excellent ends by God, yet are many prejudices againſt it in mens hearts: as

1. The meanneſs of this Ordinance, and ſeeming outward inconſiderableneſs of ſome hours ſpeaking, which makes many to diſeſteem it: whence the Apoſtle calls it the fooliſhneſs of preaching, 1 Cor. 1. 21. becauſe moſt men are apt to judge it ſo. The ground of this prejudice is mens non-attendance to the authoritie of God's inſtitution: as if a man ſhould conſider the matter, not the ſtamp of the coyn, which may make baſer mettals currant: we ſhould attend to Gods foreign upon it, which makes it valuable; as the diamond in a ring makes the ring much more precious; and as the ſeal upon a ſcedule, which makes it effectual to the purpoſes contained in it: ſo is it the inſtitution of God, that makes this Ordinance ſo worthy and conſiderable; and if we would profit by the word, we muſt remove this prejudice againſt the word for the means of it in it ſelf, and come to it, as Gods inſtitution, and in obedience to his command, and then are you like to thrive and profit by it. The Apoſtle gives you this, as an account of the Theſſalonians thriving under the Goſpel: that they received the word, not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God, 1 Theſ. 2. 13. and this made it to work effectually in their hearts.

2. The pre-poſſeſsion of ſome politick opinion, it may be, in compliance of ſome great ones, and the ſtrain of the times; hence the word p. 151of God finds no entrance: much truth is stifled upon this account, becauſe it will not comply with mens politick concernments, and the opinions they have taken up in compliance with their outward advantages; when truth comes to croſs theſe, then it is rejected. This is no new thing, it was ſo in our Saviours time amongſt the chief Rulers, John 12. 42. and with the chief Prieſts and Phariſees, John 11. 48. and upon this account both Chriſt, and his doctrine was rejected; and hence it is ſaid, that the great ones received it not, John 7. 48. Thus many make truth to ſtoop and vail to politick deſigns; and this makes the word of God ineffectual. Ahab would not make reſtitution of Naboth's vineyard, becauſe it would not ſtand with his intereſt: thus doctrines do oft ebbe and flow upon politick conſiderations, and and the truth is loſt in the world.

3. All is done by the Spirit, the Word is but a dead letter: may we not therefore better expect the whiſpers of it, then to be tyed to a conſtant attendance upon the word preached? As if the impotent people John 5. ſhould have argued, we cannot be healed unleſs we be put in, therefore we will not lie at the pool: nay, they knew but one of them could be healed at a time, and yet all lay expecting. Is it in vain to ſow your ſeed, becauſe you can have no crop without the influence of heaven? ſo no ſowing the ſeed of the word, becauſe no thriving without the Spirit? It is ſaid, James 1. 18. Of his own will begat he us of the word of truth. The word is Gods, yet we are begotten by the word. So S. Paul tells his Corinthians, In Chriſt Jeſus I have begotten you through the Goſpel, 1 Cor. 4. 15. Becauſe the hand writes, is the pen therefore needleſs? The Corinthians were S. Pauls epiſtle, written by the finger of the Spirit, and Saint Pauls preaching too, 2 Corinth. 3. 3. The Sun enlightens, but by a medium: the Spirit begets and regenerates, but by the word: as in 1 Pet. 1. 23, 24.

4. I have alreadie profited by the word, and therefore I have no further need of it. The Apoſtle commands indeed, that we ſhould attend upon the preaching of the word, but no longer, then till the day ſtar ariſe in our hearts, 2 Pet. 1. 19. and I finde that alreadie in thoſe appearances of Chriſt to my ſoul, and theſe ſpiritual illuminations I have communicated unto me, therefore I am diſobliged from any further attendance upon the word. In the removing of this ſcruple, I deſire theſe particulars may be conſidered.

I. Thy former experience of the efficiencie and power of the word will, if they have been true, ſweeten the word more to thee, raiſe up thy eſteem of it, revive thy delight in it, and engage thee in a further, and more chearfull attendance upon it. I beſeech you, conſider p. 152that pregnant place of the Apoſtle, 1 Pet. 2. 2, 3. As new born babes deſire the ſincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. If ſo be ye have taſted that the Lord is gracious. A true taſte will ſharpen our appetites, as a childe that hath taſted the breast, is ſtill longing and crying after it, and can hardly be weaned from it: ſo it will be with every true childe of God, who hath relliſhed this ſincere milk of the word: he gets a ſtomach by eating. Indeed a man may have a light, ſuperficial taſte of the word, and apoſtatize, as in Heb. 6. 6. and that is ſad: but a real experience of the power and ſweetneſs of it moſt effectually quickens deſires after it. So it did in David, Pſal. 63. 1, 2. He had ſeen, and therefore deſires to ſee. As it fared with Jonathan, 1 Sam. 14. 27. Mine eyes have been enlightned, becauſe I taſted a little of this honey: ſo it is with Chriſtians, who have taſted the ſweetneſs of the word, they are enlightned to ſee the excellencie, and deſirableneſs of it, which quickens their deſires after it: as in Pſal. 34. 8. taſte that you may ſee. It is the want of taſte and experience, which hinders men from the ſight of the excellencie and deſirableneſs of it. I ſhould ſuſpect that man never to have profited by the word, who himſelf pretends ſo to have profited by the word, as to be juſtly exempted from any further attendance upon it.

II. We will charitably ſuppoſe it to be true, that thou haſt been converted by the word preached: but art thou ſo perfect all on a ſuddain, that thou needeſt no furtherances and additions of further degrees? What? becauſe thou art born again, is therefore the ſincere milk needleſs, by which thou ſhouldeſt grow? Thou profeſſeſt the truth, well; but doeſt thou not need to be confirmed by the word preached? It was the Apoſtles work to confirm the ſouls of the diſciples, Acts 14. 22. and ſurely moſt needfull in theſe unſteadie, unſettled, wavering, and apoſtatizing times, when many who have profeſſed highly, have apoſtatized fouly. Be your knowledge true, it is but imperfect, for we know but in part, and therefore you ſtill need the word to be a light and a lamp to you: your affections ſanctified, but perhaps are dull and heavie, they need the word to quicken and enflame them, as Chriſt did his diſciples, Luke 24. 32. Thou art at the higheſt pitch of thy attainments: why? Chriſt hath given Paſtours for the perfecting of the Saints. Epheſ. 4. 12. or, if thy graces thrive and grow, ſtill thy comforts may be but weak and languiſhing; therefore, thou ſtill needeſt the word quicken and ſtrengthen them; for God creates the fruit of the lips, peace. They are not ſenſible of their imperfection ſure, who feel not the want of a conſtant ſupply of the word of God. The meat of one day, will not ſerve you for a week: and ſurely you do not pray onelyonly for bodily, p. 153but ſpiritual food, when you ſay, Lord give us this day our daily bread. The Iſraelites gathered their Manna in the wilderneſs daily, and not once for all; if laid up, it putrified: while we are in our pilgrimage, we muſt daily gather the Manna of the word of God to nouriſh us, till we come to our heavenly Canaan, and then we ſhall not need it. Naaman waſhed ſeven times in Jordan before his leproſie was cleanſed: ſome of the old leproſie of ſin cleaves to the beſt, and we muſt be continually waſhing in the waters of the ſanctuarie: and Bleſſed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, &c. Prov. 8. 34.

III. As to the Scripture pleaded in Peter, it is neceſſary to obſerve,2 Pet. 1. 19.2 Pet 1:19 that the word foreign, untill, doth not denote the term of time, but as Beza notes on Matth. 1. 25. tempus interjectum ſimpliciter denotat; it aſſerts the preſent, but denies not the future time, as Scripture affords us many inſtances: as Matth. 28. 20. I am with you unto the end of the world. What, no longer? Yes, it will be their happineſs to enjoy him to eternity. So Matth. 22. 44. Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footſtool: But ſhall Chriſt ſit there no longer? Yes ſurely. So here, untill notes the end of the word, not the term of time for our attendance. We muſt attend ſo long, but it doth not ſay, then no longer uſe of it. The Enthuſiaſts uſe this place to favour their neglect of the word; for by the day-ſtar, they would underſtand extraordinary immediate revelations: ſo by the foreign: but it is evident, the Apoſtle meant the ſame with that foreign, verſ. 20. as oppoſed to thoſe foreign, verſ. 16. ſuch are theſe pretended Enthuſiaſmes. But,

IV. Attend to the word preached till that time, and then you ſhall be exempted: but I pray miſtake not, it will not be till you come to heaven; then onelyonly foreign, the day-star will fully appear in your hearts. The Apoſtle here ſeems to me to oppoſe this and the other world. While we are here in this world, we are but in foreign, and therefore need to attend to the word foreign as to a light to guide us: but in the other world, Chriſt as our foreign ſhall ariſe with an immediate and clear light upon our ſouls. When we ſhall not need the medium of Ordinances; but ſhall ſee God face to face; then ſhall that foreign dawn, that the Apoſtle ſpeaks of; then they ſhall arrive at heaven, where they ſhall have no need of the candle of Ordinances, nor the Sun, but the Lamb ſhall give them light, Apoc. 22. 5. So long as the beſt of us are on this ſide heaven, we have but foreign, and that in a dark place. Indeed we have a clearer light ſhining now, then was in the Old Teſtament; but if compared with the light we ſhall enjoy in heaven, it is but foreign, in a dark place: and thus learned and judicious Calvin in terprets p. 154the words. Ego hanc caliginem, cujus Petrus meminit ad totum vitae ſtadium extendo, ac diem tunc demum nobis illucere interpretor, cùm facie ad faciem videbimus quod nunc cernimus per ſpeculum & in aenigmate. It is true that the Sun of righteouſneſs does ſhine in the Goſpel, and by that into our hearts; but in the greateſt communication of light, there is a mixture of ſome darkneſs. We are in the body but as in ergaſtulo, as in a priſon, though ſome light come in by the craneys, yet more darkneſs remains upon us. Then ſhall the day fully appear, when all clouds of ignorance and errour ſhall be ſcattered, and the full riſing of the Sun of righteouſneſs be upon us. Here Calvin obſerveth, Nos tantundem abſumus à pleno die, quantum à perfectione fides noſtra abeſt: our light here is but dim, our faith but imperfect; therefore while we live in the world, we ſhall want the lamp of the word to guide us; without which we walk but in darkneſs. They live upon death it ſelf, as Clemens elegantly, and ſee no more then one wrapt up in thickeſt darkneſs of the moſt obſcure night. The full appearances of God are in heaven, here he manifeſts himſelf by his word, and to expect other ways of diſcoverie is but to tempt God. Attend then to the word of propheſie till the dayſtar ariſeth, that is, till you come to ſee God face to face, and then no uſe of Ordinances; in the interim attend upon it, as the ordinary inſtituted means of your ſpiritual proficiencie. Content your ſelves with this manna, while you are in the wilderneſs, and then you ſhall eat of the milk and honey of that heavenly Canaan which is above.

5. I enjoy God in my private retirements, and live immediately upon God; and is not this a happy anticipation of heaven? Yes, too happy for any one to enjoy on this ſide heaven. It was above the eſtate of man in innocency, to whom then there where means and Ordinances appointed, as the Tree of life, which ſome aſſert as a means of preſerving that immortality, in which he was created: but all agree about it, as a Sacramental ſign of that eternity, which he ſhould have enjoyed in happineſs upon performance of obedience, which God required. Our enjoyment of God here is in and by the Ordinances: we ſee the power & glory of God in the Sanctuary, as it is Pſal. 63. 2. an immediate viſion is a reſerve for heaven. Here God is to be ſeen as revealed in the word, there we ſhall ſee him, as he is: here in a glaſs, there face to face: here enjoyed in prayer, hearing and other duties, which are our ſpirituall converſes with God, there in an immediate viſion and fruition. And this I take to be the meaning of that expreſſion in 1 Cor. 15. 28. That God may be All in All: when as it is ſaid ver. 24. that then cometh the end, when he ſhall have delivered up the kingdome of God: viz. as to the manner of Adminiſtration p. 155by the preaching of the word, and other Ordinances: then there ſhall be none of theſe, for that fruition of God immediately ſhall be in ſtead of them all.

6. And laſtly, I have attended long, many years upon the word preached, and I finde no profit: therefore it is in vain to attend any longer. I confeſs the non-proficiency of ſo many under means is a great diſcouragement both to Miniſter and people. S. Paul was inclined to be diſcouraged upon this account as appears by Acts 18. comparing the 6, the 9, and 10. verſes together: and to the people, as if their fields ſhould yearly be ſown, & yet remain barren, it would much diſcourage them to ſow them again: therefore give me leave to ſpeak a word or two to each.

I. To the Miniſter. Haſt thou preached long, and no profit appears in thy people? Firſt, mourn in ſecret for it: water the word with thy tears: thus did Chriſt over Jeruſalem, whom he had oft diſcovered himſelf to, and preached, Luk. 19. 41. Peter wept himſelf before he converted others. Secondly, pray much that it may profit: you may profit more pietate orationum quàm oratorum facultate, ſaith S. Auguſtin: a praying Miniſter will profit more then an eloquent oratour. Thirdly, reform thy ſelf: perhaps thy ſin may hinder the efficacy of the word, and the ſeed may not thrive, becauſe thou ſoweſt it with a leprous hand. Obſerve what Chriſt ſaith to Peter, Luk. 22. 32. When thou art converted, ſtrengthen thy brethren: and when thou art converted thy ſelf, it is like that thou maieſt profit more by thy preaching. But, Fourthly, by no means give over: the peoples neglect of theirs, cannot exempt thee from thy duty. Wo be to me, if I preach not, ſaith S. Paul, and whether the people will hear, or whether they will forbear, we muſt preach: for, 1. thy word may profit afterward, we muſt not limit God, but attend our duty: when Elias was ſo much diſcouraged, God had ſeven thouſand reſerved: ſo when Paul was diſheartned, God encourages him with this, I have much people in this city, Acts 18. 10. It is an excellent ſaying of Seneca, An profecturus ſim neſcio: malo mihi ſucceſſum deeſſe Seneca ep. 25.quàm fidem. It is better for us to be unſucceſſive, then diſobedient. It is not for us to know the times and ſeaſons, which God hath reſerved. The huſbandman ſowes his ſeed, though he can give himſelf no aſſurance of a crop: which Metaphor the Apoſtle leads us unto Jam. 5. 7. he does not ſow and reap both in a day. 2. The ſincerity of your obedience and endeavour will however be acceptable unto God, as Abrahams was in offering his ſon, though the event followed not, therefore in Gods account he did it, Hebr. 11. 17. God in his accepts the will for the deed, 2 Cor. 8. 12. which is a ſpecial ground of comfort to Chriſtians in every calling and employment. But, 3. thy p. 156reward ſhall be ſecured, Eſay. 49. 5. God rewards not onelyonly our ſucceſs, but our faithfulneſs. S. Paul would have the Philippians to hold forth the word of life, that he might rejoyce in the day of Chriſt, that he might not ſeem to have run in vain, nor laboured in vain: and indeed the Miniſters of the Goſpel may ſeem to labour in vain, in reſpect of the efficacy of their Miniſtery, but certainly it ſhall not be in reſpect of the reward of it.

II. To the people. It is ſerious matter of lamentation, that the Miniſters ſhould have occaſion to complain with the Prophet, Eſay 8. 18. Behold, I and the children, whom the Lord hath given me, are for ſigns and wonders in Iſrael; that is, becauſe they were ſo few and rare: and that they ſhould have occaſion to complain with the ſame Prophet, Eſa. 53. Who hath believed our report? And it is ſad for you, Brethren, if it be any of your caſe: if it be, mourn over it, and pray againſt it, as the Prophet David, Pſal. 119. 18. Open mine eyes that I may ſee into the wonders of thy Law: and withall obſerve with me;

1. God doth not expect equal proficiency from all: as a Maſter, or Tutour doth not of all ſcholars, whom yet he may approve and commend for their diligence. This I ſpeak for the comfort of thoſe Chriſtians, who are the moſt conſcientious waiters on the Ordinances, yet complain they profit not anſwerably. The good ground in Matth. 13. 23. did not bring forth equally, but ſome thirty, ſome ſixty, and ſome an hundred: fruitfull fields bring forth unequal crops; ſo it is poſſible, that among thoſe who conſcionably attend on the Ordinances, ſome may profit more then others.

2. Thy proficiencie may not appear preſently: as oft we are in deſpair of our fields, yet afterwards receive a good crop. In the night of temptation, or the like, the word may be obſcured, and not appear, but may afterward ſhew it ſelf to the comfort of thy ſelf, and rejoycing of others.

3. Perhaps thou profiteſt more in thy actions, then thy knowledge. They are not alwayes the beſt proficients in the word, who declare moſt, and know beſt; if thy affections be enflamed towards the word, and thou beeſt carefully conſcientious to practiſe ſuitably to thy knowledge, thou haſt profited more then your notional highflown profeſſours, which yet are cold and careleſs.

4. Be still conſtant in thy attendance upon the word. This is thy ſeed-time, therefore practiſe the Wiſemans advice, which he gives, Eccleſ. 11. 6. In the morning ſow thy ſeed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand. The good ground brought forth fruit, foreign, Luk. 8. 15. that is, though perſecuted for the word: or elſe though no preſent crop, or preſent profit. We read of the impotent perſons, John p. 1575. 3. that they lay at the pool, though they were not preſently put in: and amongſt them there was a man there, who had an infirmitie thirty eight years, at verſ. 5. foreign, as Chryſoſtome obſerves, ſtupendious patience: and ſpeaking in that Homily on John 5. of the admirable patient waiting of that impotent perſon, he adds, foreign: we grow cold and remiſs after a ſmall time of waiting. He lay thirty eight years, yet not healed, and yet did he not give over waiting: ſo ſhould we at this ſpiritual Betheſda, to be cured of our ſpiritual infirmities: though ſome of you may have lien as long unprofitably at the Ordinances, as he unhealed at the pool, yet wait ſtill, the time may come, and will be: Who among you will hearken for the time to come? Eſa. 42. 23. Improve that thou haſt already received, and wait on God for an encreaſe in his own way, and thou art under a promiſe to receive it: for Habenti dabitur, Matth. 25. 29.

Secondly, Prejudices againſt the Preacher; and theſe are either,

I. Againſt his Perſon. We are offended at the meanneſs of it, he is a man like our ſelves, or elſe we are diſ-affected to him, and both theſe cauſe unprofitableneſs under the word preached, as it did in our Saviours auditours, Matth. 13. 55, 57. The Phariſees were offended at the perſon of Chriſt, and ſo rejected his doctrine. Ahab hates Micaiah, the Prophet of the Lord, and therefore refuſed to enquire of him, 1 Kings 22. 8. This ſinfull reſpect of perſons, hinders the efficacie of the word, as it oft begets diſ-affections in the heart of people towards the ableſt Miniſters. Theſe come not to hear the word, but the man: till you eſteem the perſon, you will hardly profit by his doctrine. I plead not for a ſuperſtitious reverence of their perſons; but as the Apoſtle, 1 Theſſ. 5. 13. I deſire that they may be esteemed very highly for their works ſake. Theſe prejudices are oft times cauſeleſs, ariſing from our own corruptions, either becauſe we are too apt to entertain reports againſt them, contrary to the Apoſtles rule, in 1 Tim. 5. 19. or elſe affectation of novelty diſ-affects us to them; or want of charity to cover their failings; but pry into their faults and failings, though they be but the ſpots of Gods children. This is moſt irrational, if we did but ſeriouſly conſider, that the efficacie of the word depends not upon the Miniſter. Peter at one Sermon in Acts 2. converted more, then Chriſt did in all his time for ought we read. We ſhould not diſaffect the meſſage for the meſſenger, but rather eſteem the meſſenger for the meſſage ſake: we ſhould minde the pearl that is brought us, more then the hand that brings it.

II. Againſt his gifts: I would hear him, but his gifts are mean and ſmall. I could heartily wiſh, that there were not too great p. 158ground of this prejudice and complaint at this day, when we have ſo many of Jeroboams Prieſts, every one that will, as in 2 Sam. 1. 20. Tell it not in Gath, publiſh it not in the ſtreets of Askalon. I dare ſay, ſome triumph at it; but for duly-conſtituted Miniſters, if faithfull, though of leſſer abilities, let me ſuggeſt,

1. Variety of gifts are for your good and advantage, as the holy Apoſtle tells us, 1 Cor. 3. 22, 23. whether clegant Apollos, or profound Paul, or ſolid Cephas; all are for your good. Obſerve diligently that full and pregnant place in 1 Cor. 12. from ver. 7. to ver. 12. One interprets ſolidly, another reaſons profoundly, a third applies powerfully, a fourth wins affectionately, and another demonſtrates cunningly, and all to thy profit. There are two things ſuggeſted which may help to unprejudice us in this particular: 1. the freedome of the Spirit, in diſtributing theſe gifts, at verſ. 11. and therefore we muſt not quarrel with the wiſdome of God in it. 2. the end, for which God hath deſigned this variety, viz. our profit, at verſ. 7. there are not the meaneſt gifts, but an humble ſelf-denying Chriſtian may make uſe of, and profit by.

2. This prejudice reflects diſhouourably upon God, and takes his glory and gives it to the inſtruments. God will have the glory of his power and mercy to be magnified; and therefore ſometimes uſes the meaneſt gifts to the greatest ends. As this advanced his glory at the firſt, that the Goſpel ſhould be propounded by ſuch inconſiderable perſons, as a few fiſher-men. God conſulted his glory, when he put this heavenly treaſure in earthen veſſels, 2 Cor. 4. 7. Look not on glittering of the ſword, but to the hand that weilds it: look up from men to God, as S. Peter ſpake to the men of Iſrael, Act. 3. 12. concerning the cure wrought upon the lame man: Why gaze ye on us, it was not we but God. God often uſes feeble inſtruments, that himſelf may have the greater glory; and layes aſide great parts, when men begin to glory too much in them. The ſame truth isJohn 3. 8.John 3:8 preached by all, and the Spirit bloweth where he liſteth.

3. Perhaps he denies his abilities for thy good. He could be Seraphicall, and in the clouds, but he ſtoops and deſcends to thy capacity; and denies himſelf, that he may gain thee. S. Paul was wrapt up into the third heaven, and could ſpeak with tongues more then all, 1 Cor. 14. 18. and yet deſired to ſpeak rather to edification. Judge charitably; it is likely the Miniſter denyes his excellency, as deſirous that thou ſhouldſt be brought in love with the naked truth of the Goſpel, and not with the dreſſe it comes in, that the Goſpel may come by its own power and efficacy upon thy ſoul, therefore he ſtudies a familiar plainneſs.

4. The abler thy Preacher is, if thou profit not ſo much the more by p. 159him, the greater will be thy condemnation. Satisfie not thy ſelf therefore with this, that thou liveſt under an able Miniſter (men may affect this more for their credit, then aiming thereby atttheir profit) nor let this exalt thee in contempt of others, thy account will be the greater; and if thou profiteſt not ſo much the more, very ſad. How ſad will it be for Jeruſalem, who had Chriſt preaching amongſt them, yet refuſed and rejected him: and thoſe, againſt whom the Apoſtles ſhaked of the duſt of their feet, for the not-entertaining of the Goſpel: and for you, Brethren, who enjoy as much of Goſpel-light as ever appeared upon the world, if you ſhall be found unprofitable at that day, when many, who have lived under leſs means, ſhall be found improved ſuitable to the means they lived under, and ſo conſequently rewarded, and you, who have been under the richeſt dews of heaven, be found unfruitfull, you ſhall be diſpatched with the unprofitable ſervant, Matth. 25. 30. Take you, and cast the unprofitable ſervant into outer darkneſs, there ſhal be weeping, and gnaſhing of teeth. Away then with theſe prejudices, which muſt needs make the word unprofitable: while one quarrels with the method, another with the expreſsion, a third with the matter, a fourth with the delivery, the word is like to profit little.

Seventhly, The ſeventh ground is hardneſs of heart. That natural hardneſs, which is in every one of us, much hinders the working of the word of God in us: that heart of ſtone reſiſts the divine impreſſions of the word; and therefore, God when he promiſes to write his Law in our hearts, he firſt promiſes to take away this heart of ſtone, Ezek. 36. 26, 27. One thing in the ſtonie heart is impenitrableneſs, and this makes men threatning-proof, and judgementproof: they tremble not at the one, nor are broken by the other. And this eſpecially, when the ſoul comes to be hardned by cuſtome in ſin: the ſeed, you know, which fell on this ground, periſhed. Hardned Pharaoh ſlighted all Moſes's meſſages, and remains hard under varietie of Gods judgements, both threatned and inflicted. Obſerve the exhortation of the Apoſtle, Heb. 3. 13. To day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts; as if he had ſaid, If once your heart be hardned, it will be to little purpoſe to exhort. A hard heart may be moved by the word of God, but ſtill remain, and afterward meſſage of God, but ſtill remain, and afterward grow more obdurate. Pharaoh is a ſad example, whom every meſſage of God hardned more. As rain may wet a ſtone outwardly, but ſtill it retains it's innate hardneſs; ſo it is poſſible, a hard heart may ſeem outwardly to melt into ſome tears, the effect, perhaps, of a mans natural temper and conſtitution, yet remain hard and unbroken: as it was with thoſe in the Prophet, Jerem. 5. 3. Thou haſt ſmitten them, yet they have not grieved, &c. Notwithſtanding the p. 160varietie of Gods providences, & the Prophets ſolicitations to return, they remained hard. The Scripture calls this foreign, Rom. 11. 8. the ſpirit of ſlumber; ſo deep and dead a ſlumber, that the threatnings of the word cannot raiſe, or awaken them out of it: foreign, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks of the Epheſians, in chap. 4. 19. they feel no impreſsions of the word upon them: nay, it makes them to rage againſt it, as the Jews did, Acts 7. 51. Ye do alwaies reſiſt the holy Ghoſt; that is, ſpeaking by the Prophets and Apoſtles, as appears, verſe 32. The hard earth muſt be broken up, e're your ſeed will thrive in it: ſo muſt the hard heart, that the ſeed of Gods word may take rooting in it. The word is the inſtrument of the Spirit to break up the heart; and therefore compared to a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces, Jerem. 23. 29. and till this be done, there can be no profiting by the word. Joſiah was of a tender heart, and ſo melted at the word of God, in 2 Chron. 34. 27. ſo muſt all be, who intend ſavingly to profit by the word. There is indeed a hardneſs of heart, which excludes all poſſibilitie of profiting by the word: I mean, when God ſeals up men judicially under unprofitableneſs for their former reſiſting and oppoſing the word of God. Of which I underſtand that place, John 12. 40. He hath blinded their eyes, and hardned their heart, that they ſhould not ſee, &c. This was Pharaoh's caſe, when he had hardned himſelf, God at laſt hardned him ſo, that he refuſed the meſſages of God to him by Moſes, till he was utterly ruined; when mens conſciences, as the Apoſtle ſaith, are cauterized and ſeared; they grow inſenſible under the word of God, and the ſhinings of the Goſpel, (as the Sun the clay) more hardens them: as it fared with the Jews, Ezek. 2. 4. for all his oft ſpeaking unto them, they were impudent, or, as it is in the margin, Hard of face.

Eighthly, The eighth ground is unbelief. This the Apoſtle adjoyns in the Text, as the cauſe of the Jews unprofitableneſs, becauſe it was not mixed with faith, and truely this muſt needs cauſe unprofitableneſs, both becauſe we cannot draw near to God in his Ordinances without this. Unbelief is a departing from God. We may preſent our bodies indeed before God, yet without faith can we not digeſt the word of God into ſpiritual nouriſhment, as Clemens Alexandrinus ſaies.

There is required of us,

1. An hiſtorical faith, whereby we believe the word of God to be the word of God, and cloſe with the truth of it in our aſſent and judgement. The underſtanding is the leading facultie of the ſoul, and the guide of reaſon; I ſhall never cloſe with that truth in my affections to love it, in my will to practiſe it, which I do not firſt aſſent p. 161unto in my underſtanding: nor can the will embrace that as good, which the underſtanding aſſents not to as true. But this is not enough; for there is required further,

2. A particular applying faith, whereby the ſoul cloſeth with the word, as proper to it ſelf: when it particularly applies the promiſes, and cloſes with the reproofs and threatnings of the word. This makes the word of God to be ineffectual, becauſe men ſhift it off from themſelves; as, ſuch a reproof of ſin concern'd not me: the Minister reproved ſuch an one, &c. A man may aſſent to the truth of a promiſe, and yet it be a dry-breast to him without the application of it by a particular faith: ſo to the truth of a threatning, and yet not be humbled. Faith is neceſſarie to the hearing of the word profitably.

I. As the eye of faith diſcerns the truth of the word, as it pries into the mysteries of the Goſpel, which the natural man perceives not. The Apoſtle 1 Cor. 2. 14. gives a reaſon why a natural man cannot perceive theſe; becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned, and ſo no object ſuitable to a carnal eye. It is ſaid of Chriſts entertainment, John 1. 5. The darkneſs comprehendeth not the light: every unbeliever is no better then mere darkneſs, though improved with the height of acquired knowledge; as Nicodemus and Paul are very pregnant proofs of this: and I appeal to your ſelves; Are men like to profit by the word they perceive not, nor underſtand?

II. As it makes the ſoul to reliſh, and delight in the word of God. To an unbeliever, the great myſteries of the Goſpel are but fooliſhneſs, 1 Cor. 1. 23, 24. The carnal minde is not ſubject to the law of God, ſaith the Apoſtle, Rom. 8. 7. A carnal minde may approve of the word of God, as true and good, but never cloſe with it throughly and heartily, becauſe it is contrarie to it. As a learned man may approve of the light, as excellent in it ſelf, but will not endure to look long upon it, becauſe it may be hurtfull to his weak eyes: thus a carnal heart may aſſent to the truth of Gods word, and be convinced of the equitie and goodneſs of it, yet not cloſe with it, becauſe contrarie to his carnal intereſts, and corrupt principles; and ſo long no profiting by it. As S. Auguſtine ſaith, Quid haec duo conferunt Aug. lib. 4. c. 13. de doctr. Chriſt.homini, qui & confitetur verum, & collaudat eloquium, nec inclinat aſſenſum? who inclines not his aſſent, viz. ſo as to practiſe it.

Ninethly, The nineth ground is love of ſome darling and boſome ſin and corruption. The Apoſtle indeed, James 1. 21. commands to lay aſide all ſuperfluitie of naughtineſs; but eſpecially any darling ſin, which elſe will make the word unprofitable upon a double account.

I. As it prejudiceth the ſoul againſt the moſt profitable preaching. p. 162Such an one muſt have placentia, and ſpeak the language of thoſe in Iſaiah 30. 10. They ſay to the ſeers, ſee not: and to the Prophets, propheſie not to us right things, but ſpeak unto us ſmooth things, &c. Wholeſome reproofs are too bitter pils for him to take down, becauſe they will ſtirre the humours that are corrupt. And therefore you ſhall obſerve, that ſome, who have ſeemingly made large progreſs in the profeſſion of the word, have been wholly offended at it, when it hath ſearched, and diſturb their ſecret boſome corruption. Thus it was with Herod, foreign, he did many things, and demonſtrated a very fair affection to the word of God, as in Mark 6. 20. till it came to his Herodias; and then he is incenſed ſo far againſt John, as to take off his head: nay, the young man went further, to his foreign, all theſe have I kept, and that foreign, from his youth, Mark 10. 20. till it came to his covetouſneſs, then the commands of Chriſt prove ineffectual, and he goes away ſorrowfully. While a man retains the love of any darling ſin, he is apt to come with a ſettled reſolution, let the Preacher ſay what he will, ſhew him the nature, danger, and guilt of ſuch or ſuch a ſin, to go on ſtill, as it is Jer. 2. 25.

II. As it diſaffects them to the preacher. That did diſaffect the Phariſees ſo much againſt Chriſt, his reproving their darling ſin of Hypocriſie. This cauſed Felix to diſmiſs Paul, his touching upon his darling ſin of intemperance and injuſtice. And hence proceeds the ebbings and flowings of mens affections to the ſame Miniſter. You ſhall have ſome, who will conſtantly attend upon a Miniſter, and afford him a very fair aprobation, till he come powerfully to ſearch his boſome corruption, then he is offended, nay, and perhaps perſecutes the Miniſter too. Thus it fared with Chriſt himſelf,: one while they crie, never man ſpake like him, and another while, Crucifie him, crucifie him. See the Galatians inconſtancie to S. Paul in Galat. 4. 14, 15, 16. they afforded him both reverence, verſe 14. and love, verſe 15. rari amoris indicium, oculos eruere plus est, quàm vitam profundere, ſaies Calvin: but how ſoon is this love degenerated into hatred and enmitie, verſe 16. and that onelyonly becauſe he told them the truth. Veritas odium, as ſaith the Comoedian: ſo tell men the truth in laying before them the evil nature and danger of thoſe ſins they live in, they preſently entertain a ſecret enmitie againſt them: and if once mens ſpirits come to be embittered againſt the preacher, ſuavis non erit doctrinae guſtus; they will finde no ſweet reliſh in the word of God.

Tenthly, The tenth ground is unpreparedneſs, when men ruſh out of their worldly employments without prayer or meditation into the houſe of God, never conſidering either into whoſe preſence, p. 163or ſervice they come. God requires a holy preparation to all our ſervices, and that not onelyonly habitually, but actually prepared and diſpoſed for them. Keep thy foot, ſaith the Wiſeman, Eccleſ. 5. 1. when thou goeſt to the houſe of God. This holy preparation was ſhadowed out by the peoples waſhing their clothes before the deliverie of the Law, Exod. 19. 10, 11. and by Moſes his putting off his ſhoe, before God ſpake, and diſcovered himſelf to him, Exod. 3. 5, 6. intimating a putting off our carnal affections, and purging our ſouls before we come to hear the word: this is neceſſarie, becauſe to come without this preparation,

I. Is irreverent. You eſteem it juſtly a high incivilitie to preſs into a Princes Palace with ragged, dirtie clothes, or to ſit at his table with unwaſhen hands. How much do men affect cleanneſs, and ſtudie neatneſs, when they preſent themſelves to the preſence of any great man? and is it not much more irreverent to appear before God in his Temple in our ſins and corruptions? May we not juſtly fear to be an offence to his pure eyes? How do men ſtudie words and geſtures ſuitable to the perſon of any great one, to whom they make their applications? and doth not a reſolved prepared reverence much more become us, when we addreſs our ſelves to God? David reſolved himſelf upon this preparation, Pſal. 26. 6. I will waſh mine hands in innocencie, ſo will I compaſs thine altar. Thus when Jacob went to worſhip God at Bethel, he purged his houſe of all the Idols, and made his ſons to waſh their clothes, Gen. 35. 2, 3. We ſhould not onelyonly have our hearts raiſed to awfull apprehenſions of Gods Majeſtie and preſence, but our outward man alſo compoſed to a decent becomingneſs and holy reverence, as Jacob ſaid of Bethel, Gen. 28. 16, 17. How dreadfull is this place! And thus did Cornelius, when Peter was to preach unto him, ſet himſelf in the preſence of God, Acts 10. 33. So ſhould we come with that reverence and preparedneſs, as becomes the preſence of God.

II. Unprofitable. Hence that caution, Luke 18. Take heed therefore how you hear. Thornes grow naturally; but ſeed, you know, thrives not, but when the ground is firſt fitted and prepared: ſin encreaſeth naturally in our corrupt hearts, but they are no fit ſoil naturally for the word of God, they muſt be firſt fitted and prepared before the ſeed will grow and thrive there. Unpreparedneſs makes every duty to be ineffectual as you may ſee in Job 11. 13, 14. Give me leave to allude to that of the Wiſeman, prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thy ſelf in the field and afterward build thine houſe, Prov. 24. 27. ſo ſay I, Prepare thy ſelf at home, and then come to build up thy ſelf in faith and holineſs. And unprepared hearer will be an unprofitable hearer.

p. 164Eleventhly, The eleventh ground is Curioſity: when men come to the Word, affecting more the elegancy of the expreſſion, then the wholeſomeneſs of the truth. Cui nullus in dicendo ſermo placet niſi Grammaticè fuerit conceptus, Dialecticè imaginatus, Rhetoricè purpuratus, as S. Auguſtine expreſſes it. Such like not their ſpiritual food unleſs it be adorned with the flowers of Rhetorick, who regard more how handſome the proviſion be, than how wholeſome. Hence errour many times handſomely dreſſed findes more entertainment, then a plain truth. So men take poyſon inſtead of nouriſhment: thus when men catch more at an elegancy in a Sermon, then a promiſe; they may be pleaſed perhaps, but little profited. In ſeed you look not at leaves, as you doe in flowers; but at the inward vertue, whereby it hath an aptitude to fructifie: ſo ſhould we in the ſeed of the word, not prize the outward ſeeming dreſs and beauty of it ſo much, as the inward efficacy of it, whereby it may fructifie in your hearts and lives. Qui maturitatis fructum quaerit, deſpicit amaena camporum, ſaies Chryſologus. Chryſolog. ſerm. 18.He that deſires profit from a field, lookes to the ripeneſs of the corn, not to the beauty of the cockle, which may more gratifie the eye but not fill the barn and granary: ſo he that deſires to profit by the word, muſt not attend the adorning of Rhetorick, which may perhaps more pleaſe the fancy, but not at all relliſh the ſoul, ſuch may more gratify the palate, but it is not ſo good for nouriſhment. The affected elegancy of a Sermon may more gratify curioſity, but not profit and nouriſh the ſoul. It is true that S. Auguſtin obſerves, that propter faſtidia plurimorum, etiam ea, ſine quibus vivere non poſſumus, alimenta condienda ſunt. But they live miſerablely that live altogether upon ſauces. There is another curioſity, much like this, which makes the word unprofitable, and that is a nice ſquemiſhneſs, that men nauſeate truth, that they have heard of before; as an ill ſqueaſy ſtomach, which cannot make two meales of the ſame meat: whereas, we had need, conſidering our dulneſs to underſtand, our forgetfulneſs of what we have heard, to have the ſame truths preached over and over again, and yet ſhall we finde all little enough. We may ſee what was the temper of thoſe in Acts 13. 42. they beſought the Apoſtles, that the ſame words might be taught again the next Sabbath: this I ſpeak, not to patronize lazineſs in the preacher, but to correct the curioſity of the hearer; which makes the word become ſo unprofitable to them.

Twelfthly, The twelfth ground is, Not attending upon a conſtant ſettled ministery. This is that which God hath uſed from the firſt planting of Churches for the edification of his people, as appears from Acts 20. 28. and confirmed by the practiſe of the whole primitive Church. Trees oft tranſplanted can take no firm p. 165rooting: a rolling ſtone, we ſay, gathers no moſs: thoſe, whoſe fickle unſettledneſs prompts them to run from this Miniſter to that, and to ſettle under none, are like to profit very little by the word. This S. Paul reproves ſharply in his Corinthians, 1 Cor. 1. 12, 13. He walkes ſecurely, that is guided by ſome fixed ſtar, whiles he who followes ſome meteor is led into ſome bog or pit: ſo thoſe, who walk by the light of ſome ſettled Miniſter as a ſtar fixed to his orb, are preſerved ſafe in the way of Religion, but thoſe who follow wandring meteors fall into ſome pit of errour. Many thrive and live healthfully on one diſh, while others ſurfeit of variety. By attending upon a ſettled Miniſter, you come to be acquainted with his ſtyle, familiar with his phraſe, and learn his method; which will facilitate, and ſtrengthen memory, that you may carry away, and profit more by him.

Thirteenthly, The thirteenth ground is want of love to the word of God. Men come out of cuſtome, and not out of a real ſenſe of the want of the word, or with any love unto it. If men had ſuch affections to the word, as David profeſſeth of himſelf that he had, Pſal. 119. 20. that his ſoul did even break for the longings he had after Gods word, much more would they profit by it. If with Job they prized it more then their ordinary food, Job 23. 12. A man that ſits down to his meals, when he hath no liking to the meat ſet before him, he will not nouriſh kindly by it, neither will any nouriſh ſpiritually, that brings not a good affection to the word of God.

I. It is ſo in all other knowledge: you may perhaps have it by experience. If you put your children to a trade which they do not deſire or love, they will ſcarcely prove artiſts in it; ſo if men put their children out, intending to make them ſcholars; if they do not love their books, they will prove but dunces; and therefore many parents do wiſely diſpoſe of their children, according to their affections and inclinations: ſo if men love not the word of God, they are not probable to make any great proficiency in it. Love is a quickning affection; what I love, I am ready to take pains for, and not to endure to be without it. Thus if men did love the word, they would take pains for it, familiarize it to them by much reading, frequent hearing, ſerious meditation, and not endure to be without it. Let David be an example; Oh, how do I love thy Law! and this puts upon meditating upon the law day and night: and when he was without it, he mourns for it, and ſayes, One day in Gods courts is better then a thouſand elſwhere; and he cannot reflect upon his former enjoyment of that word without a tear, Pſal. 42. 4. The Apoſtle is very full and pertinent to this purpoſe, 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes deſire the ſincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby: as a p. 166childe finds ſweetneſs in nothing but the breaſt: ſo that it cries if it be without it; and thus if we affect the word, we ſhall thrive by it.

II. This provokes God to proceed judicially, to give men up to unprofitableneſs, and while they like not the truth, to give them up to errour. The Apoſtle is expreſs in this, 2 Theſſ. 2. 10. And here we ſee that notional profeſſours, who have got a notion of truth in their heads, but not the love of truth in their hearts, oft turn Apoſtates, and back-ſliders, as theſe times give us ſad experience of. When the Iſraelites began to loath manna, God gave them quails indeed, but his wrath with them, Numb. 11. 33. and leanneſs into their ſouls, Pſal. 106. 15. So when men love not the manna of the word, &c. Love of the truth puts men upon a conſtant attendance upon the word, as the means of grace and knowledge: and ſo conſequently, they are like to profit by it: ſo it is ſaid of the Theſſalonians, that they were exemplary believers, 1 Theſſ. 1. 7. and the reaſon thereof is given, verſ. 6. becauſe they received the word with much joy.

Fourteenthly, The fourteenth ground is a reſting in the Ordinance, in the opus operatum, the work done; and ſo look no further. And this men are very apt to do, as Micah bleſſes himſelf, Judg. 17. 13. becauſe he had gotten a Levite into his houſe: ſo many conclude the love of God, and their own ſecurity, barely upon the enjoyment of a miniſtery and preaching. So did thoſe in Jer. 7. 4. They cry out, The Temple of the Lord: and ſo many alſo of the Goſpel, We enjoy that, and therefore all is well. You may finde ſome making plea of this unto Chriſt, Luke 13. 26. Thou haſt taught in our ſtreets; but Chriſt diſmiſſes them for all that, with a neſcio; I know you not, verſ. 27. Thus did the Jews of old, as in Rom. 2. 17. they reſted in the law, and made their boaſt of God: and ſo do Chriſtians now, they think that they have done God ſervice abundantly, if they have heard two ſermons on the Sabbath-day, and never look to their proficiency. As many an idle ſcholar ſatisfies himſelf, that he hath been at his Tutours lecture, though he cares not to profit by it. If you reſt onelyonly in this, it may be ſo far from profiting you, that it may be your ruine. Chriſt at the laſt-day will acquit none for enjoying the Goſpel, but condemn them for not profiting by it, 2 Theſſ. 1. 7.

Fifteenthly, The fifteenth ground is Unfaithfulneſs of memory, and forgetfulneſs, when the word goes in at one ear, and out at another. When this ſpiritual food ſtayes not with us, it is not like to nouriſh us. The word muſt be treaſured up in the memory, before it can fructifie in our hearts. It is not the forgetful hearer that is bleſſed, Jam. 1. 25. ſuch an one is like a man who looks his face in a glaſs, and preſently p. 167forgets; ſo ſuch an one takes a glance at the word, and the word is out of his memory, aſſoon as himſelf is out of the Church. If you would profit by the word, you muſt practiſe the Apoſtles counſel, Hebr. 2. 1. foreign, Let nothing ſlip: a Metaphor from a ſieve or leaking veſſel, when the liquour runs out as faſt as it is put in. But becauſe want of memory is a great complaint among many, and ſome of them, out of queſtion, ſerious Chriſtians, I ſhall give theſe brief directions.

1. Pray for the Spirit: one office of whom is to be a remembrancer, John 14. 26.

2. Meditate in private upon the word of God. Men goe out of the church preſently to their worldly employment, and give liberty to their vain thoughts, and idle diſcourſes, and ſo the word is forgotten.

3. Confer with others about the truths thou heareſt. This conference will both ſtrengthen memory, and fasten truths in it, and alſo quicken and enflame affections to it; as coales lying together kindle each other: thus did the diſciples, Luc. 24. 14. Rather then forget a profitable truth conſult the miniſter: it is needleſs modeſty in thee, if thou enquire not, and pride in him, if he does not enforme thee.

4. Get your affections raiſed and enflamed to truth. If men loved the word of God, they would remember it more: did you ever know a covetous miſer forget where his bags were laid: if we could eſteem the word as our treaſures, and greater treaſures then thoſe of Gold we ſhould remember more of it.

5. Perhaps, what thou remembreſt (though but little) keeps thee to cloſe walking with God. Be not diſcouraged, thou thriveſt more then one, who can carry away a whole Sermon, and lives not ſuitablely, and likely it is, that God may bring into thy remembrance more, according as thou ſtandeſt in need of it.

6. Improve what thou remembreſt by prayer and practiſe. Retire thy ſelf, and turn the Sermon into a prayer, and that will rivet it in thy memory: however turn it into practiſe, and thou wilt never forget it. An artiſt will never forget the rules of that trade, vvhichwhich he daily practiſeth: Sermons are but notions to ſuch, vvho experience not the efficacy of them in their lives.

Sixteenthly, The ſixteenth ground is affectation of novelty and itching eares. This puts men upon heaping to themſelves teachers, and forſaking ſound preaching, and teachers too. The Apoſtle foretold ſuch there ſhould be in 2 Tim. 4. 3, 4. and vve may ſafely ſay, that it is fulfilled in our daies. This is one of the great ſprings of hereſie and errour, the minde of man is novitatis avida; and hence new errour pleaſeth many more then old truth, and every new-fangled p. 168opinion, though he that runs may read it contrary to Scripture and reaſon, creates in mens minds at leaſt a ſuſpition of the truth, which all ages of the Church hath profeſſed. I am ſure Chriſt makes it the badge of his ſheep, that they will onelyonly hear his voice, and not ſtrangers, Joh. 10. 5. his voice in his word and by his Miniſters. While men keep not to the wholeſome word of God, but affect this variety of phanſy & opinion, they ſurfet, not thrive. Gellius Gell. lib. 3. cap. 13.tells us of Demoſthenes, that he being young and Plato's ſcholar, by chance going to hear Plato, reſolved experiri an ad digna auditu tanto properatum ſtudio foret; upon which he deſerted Plato, and became Callistratus his diſciple: thus many affecting novelty, though formerly in profeſſion diſciples, are now turned to fables, and in ſtead of being nouriſhed by the word, are poyſoned with errour.

The ſeventeenth ground is, Neglect of a carefull practiſe of what we hear: if men came with a reſolution to practiſe, they would go away with much more profit: for this would bring them with a great appetite and liking of the word of God: as they in Acts 10. 33. They profeſſed themſelves to be as in the preſence of God to hear all; that is, to hear ſo as to practiſe. This is your wiſdome, Brethren, to come with a reſolution to practiſe: for which you have our Saviour, Mat. 7. 24. He is a wiſeman, that heareth and doth my ſayings: and S. James would have us not to be hearers onelyonly, but doers of the word, Jam. 1. 22. for ſuch onelyonly are bleſſed in our Saviours account, Luk. 11. 28. I pray, conſider that propheſie of Goſpel-times, with what reſolution they invite one another to hear: viz. with a reſolution to practiſe, Eſay. 2. 3. Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the houſe of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his wayes: and what more ordinary, then to call on one another in theſe dayes, Come, we will go hear ſuch a man to day? but obſerve what followes; & we will walk in his ways: and do you invite one another, Brethren, for this end? nay, rather when you go to hear the word, is there not oft a ſecret reſerve in your heart to go on in your ſins? They who come with ſuch a reſolution, and not to practiſe, are not like to profit by the word. It is by this that Chriſt will have his diſciples known, Joh. 8. 31. If ye continue in my word, then are ye my diſciples indeed: and to thoſe God tells us, that he will continue his mercy and goodneſs, Pſal. 103. 17, 18. To ſuch as keep his covenant, and that remember his commandements to do them.

The eighteenth ground is, Anger & malice either against the word, or the Miniſter of it. Many, when the word of God ſearches and findes them out, rage againſt it, or the Miniſter of it. As you may ſee they dealt with Stephen, Acts 7. 54. they gnaſhed upon him with their teeth: and at verſ. 57. they ran upon him with one accord, and caſt p. 169him out of the city. Therefore the Apoſtle exhorts thoſe, who would ſo receive the word, as to ſave their ſouls, to receive it with meekneſs, Jam. 1. 21. that is, with a milde, humble, tractable ſpirit: that as the Preacher is to inſtruct you in meekneſs, 2 Tim. 2. 25. that is, with gentleneſs and tenderneſs to your perſons, with anger and zeal againſt ſin; ſo you are to hear with ſubmiſſive and tractable ſpirits, as they did, Acts 10. 33. laying aſide all enmity againſt the word and the preacher of it. And when by the word he convinceth you, look upon him as a Chirurgion, that comes to ſearch your ſores in order to a cure; and when he preſſeth duty, be facile and tractable. The wiſdome that is from above, ſaith S. James, is gentle, Jam. 3. 1…Jas 3:1and eaſie to be intreated: and where ſhall we finde this wiſdome in men? you ſhall ſooner enrage then perſwade. As concerning the generality of men, thoſe the Apoſtle calls foreign, abſurd men, 2 Theſſ. 3. 2. that will quarrel with the Chyrurgion, when he comes to binde up their wounds. You muſt learn, Brethren, to ſubmit to the word of God in humility, if ever you will profit by it; ſay as did Samuel, Speak, Lord, for thy ſervant heareth.

The nineteenth ground is, Neglect of a ſpecial application of the word preached. Each hearer almoſt is ready to put off the word of God to another: Such a reproof concern'd not me: there the Preacher hit ſuch an one: ſuch a threatning is nothing to me: and many ſuch like. If ever you will profit by the word, you muſt do as the diſciples did: when Chriſt had told them one of them ſhould betray him, each of them applied it to himſelf, ſaying, Lord, Is it I? ſo you muſt make a particular application of promiſes, threatnings, and precepts. The beſt food will not nouriſh, unleſs it be received; you cannot live by feeding another man; no more will the word of God, except it be particularly applyed to our ſelves. It ſhould at leaſt put us upon a ſerious examination; Doth this threatning appertain to me? Have I intereſt in this promiſe? The childe may ſtarve, though the mother hath a full breaſt, if it ſucks not at it: ſo we at the breaſts of the promiſes, unleſs by the Application of a particular faith, we make them our own. We muſt not onelyonly hear of the promiſes ſlightly, but we muſt ſearch them out, and that ſo as we may know them for our good, Job 5. 27. In a Princes proclamation, every one will look to that which concerns himſelf; ſo ſhould we in the proclamation of the Goſpel, look to that which in particular concerns us, and in particular apply it to us. And therefore you may obſerve, that when God makes the word to be effectual, he does it by a particular application of it to the ſoul; as in that of Nathan to David, Thou art the man: for it is true that Job hath obſerved, Job 33. 14. God ſpeaketh once, yea twice, yet men perceive it not: p. 170but then in verſ. 6. He openeth their ears, and ſealeth their inſtruction: that is, by a particular application of the word. I know there are and may be miſcarriages here: the preſumptuous ſinner is too ready to catch at, and run away with a promiſe: the humbled dejected ſinner to deſpair under threatnings: A great piece of wiſdome it is to apply the word ſuitably to our conditions: if fainting, the promiſes; if ſecure, the threatnings: and this is ſo to be wiſe, as to be wiſe for ones ſelf, Prov. 9. 12. and ſo to profit by the word.

And this is the ſecond ground of unprofitable hearing in regard of Hearers: the third ground is in reſpect of the Word it ſelf.

The third General ground of unprofitable hearing is in regard of the Word it ſelf. But you will ſay, How is it poſsible that the word it ſelf ſhould be a cauſe of unprofitableneſs, which Scripture ſo much magnifies, and dignifies with ſuch glorious titles, that ſpeak the power of it. As that, The Goſpel is our ſalvation, Epheſ. 1. 13. The ſword of the Spirit, Epheſ. 6. 17. The miniſtration of the Spirit and righteouſneſs, 2 Cor. 3. 8, 9. and that it is the power of God unto ſalvation, Rom. 1. 16? I anſwer, It is not the cauſe of unprofitableneſs properly, but by reaſon of mens corruption it is ſo by accident. The word in it ſelfe conſidered is foreign 2 Tim. 3. 16. but through mens corruptions, it becomes unprofitable, becauſe common: the Iſraelites at firſt admired the Manna, but afterward loathed it, when it grew common, and began to entertain longings after their onions, and garlick in Egypt; and we may ſee how they quarel, and murmure at it, Numb, 11. 5, 6. Oh diſingenuous ingratitude! what could they have better then meat from heaven? I wiſh this were not the language of many! what, nothing but this preaching? the old complaint was, that, men were like to periſh for want of viſion: now men begin to ſurfeit on it. Mans corrupt nature affects variety, never long pleaſed with the ſame thing, and long enjoyment breeds a diſrelliſh in us of the beſt things, we prize pearls, cheifely, becauſe rare and coſtly: the Romans wore them upon their ſhoes, when common: vniones emergere è luto cupiunt, ſaith Tertull. much adoe to keep them out of the dirt: thus the pearl of the Goſpel is troden under foot, becauſe ordinary and common. The Indians prize not precious pearls ſo much becauſe common; which our Merchants venture expence and danger to procure: many prize not the preaching of the Goſpel, which the Merchant ſells all for, that he may purchaſe it. And how do we diſeſteem that means of grace which many a dark corner of the nation would be thankefull to enjoy? I pray God we be not taught at length how to value our plenty of the bread of life more by the want of it.

How do they prize the ſalutes of the ſun, who have half a years p. 171darkneſs? which darkneſs teaches them the value of it; while we paſs it over, and look upon it as an ordinary thing, becauſe we enjoy it daily. The Egyptians ſure never prized light ſo much, as when they had experienced the plague of darkneſs. How would thouſands in the nation, in the world, prize that light of the Goſpel, which we under-value, and grow wanton under? It is indeed much pitie and ſhame to us, that good food ſhould be nauſeated, becauſe often ſet before us: it is a ſign our ſtomachs are not good; our ſpiritual appetites are diſtempered. The Scripture ſpeaks fully to the ready and chearfull entertainment of the Goſpelſound, when it was firſt preached to the Gentiles, as appears by the inſtances of Cornelius's whole family, of Sergius Paulus at Epheſus; yea, even Ceſars houſhold at Rome, Philip. 4. 11. and from the ſudden and large ſpreading of the Goſpel in Rome, Corinth, Epheſus, and the reſt. See we how it was in the days of Samuel, 1 Sam. 3. 14. the publick exerciſe of the prophetical office was much decayed by the negligence of old Eli, and wickedneſs of his ſons. Pauci erant pii in populo, & his erat pretioſum verbum, quia rarò fiebat ejus audiendi copia: ſo Paraeus upon the place. When preaching was more rare, ſome would have travelled to hear a ſermon, who will not now ſtir out of doors for it: and this muſt needs cauſe unprofitableneſs; for while men have low thoughts of the Ordinance, they will profit little by it. What the Wiſeman ſaith, Prov. 25. 17. Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbours houſe, leſt he be weary of thee; may be applyed to this thus; That men are apt to nauſeate the word of God, becauſe ſo oft enjoyed by them. Men look at it as a matter of courſe, and regard not the inſtitution and Ordinance of God, and ſo under-valuing it, remain unprofitable under it. See how God layes this to the charge of Iſrael, Hoſ. 8. 12. I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a ſtrange thing. Written to him] in contradiſtinction to all other people; yet he diſeſteems them. Singulari privilegio & eximio illos prae aliis ornavi, Paraus in loc.& ipſi ſúsque déque habent, quaſi rem nihili: ſo Paraeus. And this charge it is to be feared, may be laid to many in theſe days, who pretend fair to the word of God.

The fourth General ground is in reſpect of God. Unprofitableneſs, as a ſin, cannot come from God, but as a puniſhment of mens former neglect, and wilfull contempt of the word of God: for though Gods holineſs permits him not to have any hand in ſin, as ſin, it being a contrariety to his nature, and that which he indiſpenſably hateth, yet God may will ſin as a puniſhment, not out of love to the ſin, but to puniſh the perſon: for though ſin be intrinſecally evil, yet the manifeſtation of Gods juſtice is good: and God for former p. 172provocations oft judicially leaves the creature, and permits him to fall into further ſin, as he dealt with the Gentiles, Rom. 1. 21. and ſo was the incest of Abſolom, as a puniſhment of Davids adultery, 2 Sam. 12. 11. Now God proceeds judicially againſt thoſe who live unprofitably under the word, theſe eight wayes.

I. Sometimes God proceeds in ſeverity againſt their perſons, ruines and deſtroyes them. If Chriſt comes year after year into the vineyard, and findes the fig-tree to bear no fruit, he gives commiſſion to cut it down, Luke 13. 7. When God expects, brethren, your fruitfulneſs under the means, and finds you unprofitable, his wrath is provoked, and you cut up as a burthen to the earth; ſo Matth. 3. 10. Thus God dealt with the Jews, 2 Chron. 36. 15, 16. he bare with them a long time, till there was no remedie. God will not always endure to have his meſſengers and meſſages contemned. Read Jerem. 7. 12, 13, 14. and ſee there how God dealt with Shiloh, and what he threatens to do to the Jews, and the reaſon of all was their unprofitableneſs, as we ſee at ver. 10. they pretended fair to the word and houſe of God, yet did they not profit ſo, as to leave their ſins: for this God threats their ruine.

II. Sometimes he denyes and with-draws that grace from them, by which they may be enabled to profit; and thus God may be ſaid to concur to mens unprofitableneſs; as the Sun may be ſaid to be the cauſe of darkneſs, by with-drawing its light. When men obſtinately reſiſt the ſtrivings of the Spirit in the miniſtery of the word: God ſaith, My Spirit ſhall no longer ſtrive with him. As he ſaith, Hoſ. 4. 17. Ephraim is joyned to idols; let him alone: and in Revel. 22. 11. He that is filthy, let him be filthy ſtill: ſo, he that is unprofitable, let him be unprofitable ſtill. Oh ſad judgement! and is as ſadly expreſſed, Eſay 66, the 3, and 4. They have choſen their own ways, and their ſoul delights in their abominations: I alſo will chooſe their deluſions, &c. which is as much as to ſay, he will leave them to themſelves, and ſuffer them to go on to be deluded by thoſe deluſions, as ſuch they having wilfuly choſen. Men care not to profit by the word, and God gives them over to unprofitableneſs, as Chriſt curſed the figtree, Matth. 21. 19.

III. By taking the Goſpel wholly away, and removing the candlestick from them. Thus Chriſt threatned to proceed againſt Epheſus, unleſs by a ſpeedy return ſhe prevented it, Rev. 2. 5. Jeruſalem was come to the height of wickedneſs, when the Goſpel was removed, Matth. 23. 37, 38. The Jews by a wilfull contempt firſt put away the Goſpel from themſelves, before God took it away from them, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks expreſſely, Acts 13. 46. God will not always caſt this pearl before ſwine, who, as Clemens expreſſeth it, delight p. 173more in the mud of their luſts, then in the pure waters of the Sanctuary in the word of God. God will not always caſt his childrens bread to the dogs. God threatens a famine of the word upon the Jews, Amos 8. Would you know the reaſon? ſee ver. 5. they began to be weary of it, and unprofitable under it. As a maſter ſometimes deals with a bad ſervant, pulls his livery over his ears, and turns him out of doors; ſo God oft deals with men, takes away his Word and Ordinances, his livery and cognizance: or, as a man divorcing an adulterous wife, takes away all her jewels and garments, and puts them upon another; ſo God, when people go a whoring, takes away from them the Goſpel and Ordinances, which are the glory and ornament of a nation, and gives them to others.

IV. If he does continue the Goſpel, yet he takes away the able and faithful Miniſters of it. Obſerve how God dealt with his vineyard, Iſa. 5. great expence you may ſee he had been at, verſ. 2. ſo much, that he appeals to their own judgements, what he could have done more, what coſt he ſhould further beſtow upon them, as to outward means, ver. 4. but there being no ſuitable thriving under all this, ſee how the Lord proceeds judicially againſt it: after the threatning of a totall devastation, ver. 5. he adds, that the clouds ſhould rain no more upon it. So doth God deal with an unprofitable people, he removes theſe clouds (as Miniſters are called) who are to drop fatneſs into the ſoul, and lets you ſit under clouds without water, and none of the dews of heaven in them to make you thrive. And how hath God dealt of late in this Nation, removing from us many eminent Preachers, and pulling down many pillars of the Church? And may we not juſtly fear, that this hath been by many mens unprofitableneſs and wantonneſs under the word of God? Is it not a ſign that Gods vineyard hath brought forth little fruit? when God hath eclipſed ſo many ſtars of the firſt magnitude? Is it not to be feared it is becauſe men have neglected to walk by, and improve the light of thoſe, who have held out the Goſpel to them?

V. By taking away the Miniſters gifts. The people are apt to complain of nothing more, then that their preachers want abilities and gifts: perhaps it is a judgement upon your unprofitableneſs under, and abuſe of the word. Alas! the Miniſter is nothing without divine influence, and communication in his miniſterial endowments. It is God that gives ſome Apoſtles, ſome Prophets, &c. Epheſ. 4. 11. And he may oft-times with-draw this influence. God may dry up the breaſt, becauſe you thrive not by the ſincere milk of theHom. 12. in Ezek. 3. 26.Ezek 3:26 word. Propter malum populum, etiam bonis tollitur ſermo doctoribus, ſo Gregorie.

VI. By denying ſucceſs to the word preached, though he continue able p. 174Miniſters. God muſt give the increaſe, even when a Paul preacheth, and an Apollos waters; which he is pleaſed oft to deny. Becauſe of our neglect and contempt of his word, and careleſneſs to profit under it, he denies the dews of his bleſsing, which ſhould make the ſeed of the word thrive and proſper. Or, if the Miniſter preaches powerfully, yet perhaps not ſuitably to thy neceſſities, not what may profit; and this by a ſecret judgement of God upon thy obſtinate unprofitableneſs under former enjoyments of the word. You have a very pregnant inſtance of this, Ezek. 3. 26. where God tells the Prophet, that he ſhould be dumb, and not be a reprover unto them: and theſe reproofs (as I have often hinted) are moſt like to profit; as S. Gregory ſayes, Magna omnipotentis Dei gratia eſt, cùm iniquè agentibus Gregor. in Ezek.durus à doctoribus ſ…mo increpationis profertur.

VII. By … looſe a ſpirit of deluſion, and by ſuffering falſe prophets to deceive, and gull the people, and to poyſen them with errour instead of feeding them with the word of God. When Gods vineyard brings forth bryars inſtead of fruit, he ſuffers the wolues, and the foxes to eat it up, Eſay. 5. 4. ſive obrepant vulpes & lupi in Eccleſiam, hoc totum tribuere convenit ingratitudini nostrae: quia fructum non reddidimus, qualem decebat, fuimúſque deſides & otioſi, ſaith Calvin. AndCalv. in loc. I cannot but in my ſerious thoughts reſolve that inundation of Hereſies upon this nation, and all thoſe deluſions, which go abroad, into the judgement of God, giving men over to ſtrong deluſions to believe lies, becauſe they improved not, nor delighted in the truth, in the love of it: as God gave the lying ſpirit commiſſion to go and deceive Ahab, 1 Kings 22. 22. And ſure God hath in his juſtice and wrath, for our wantonneſs under and inconſtancy to the truth, let looſe many lying ſpirits in our daies, which miſerablely miſlead many into damnable Hereſies.

VIII. By delivering up to Satan, and permiting him to have power over them. It is ſaid of Judas, John. 13. 27. that Satan entred into his heart: if the word take not poſſeſſion of thy heart, the devil will, whom God uſeth as the inſtrument and executioner of his juſt judgement: even that ſpirit, who worketh powerfully in the children of diſobedience, Epheſ. 2. 2. I adde one caution, leſt I might ſeem to ſpeak too harſhly and ſeverely of Gods proceeding, that God doth not proceed thus judicially preſently upon every neglect of his word, but after long exerciſe of his patience, and after much obſtinacy, and wilful contempt of his word. He did not preſently cut up the fig tree, but expected three years, and upon importunity ſpared it one year more, Luk. 13. 8. God forſakes not any till they obstinately forſake him: non deſerit niſi deſerentem. Chriſt did not preſently diſcharge himſelf of Jeruſalem but after many calls and warnings and wilful p. 175contempt of all theſe; How oft would I have gathered thee, and thou wouldſt not! Matth. 23. 37. He warns Epheſus to repent before he takes away the candleſtick. Rev. 2. 5. Let us then improve this time of patience and the Goſpel, while we enjoy it, leſt through the hardneſs of our heart under it, we treaſure up wrath againſt the day of wrath. Rom. 2. 5.

The fifth General ground of unprofitable hearing is in reſpect of Satan, who doth what he can to make the word unprofitable, ſeveral ways and devices Satan hath to compaſs this end. Sometimes he is at your elbow jogging you aſleep, that men ſleep away a Sermon: ſometimes he ſteals away the word you have received, which our Saviour expreſſeth by the ſeed that fell by the ways ſide, Matth. 13. 4, and 19. otherwhile he preſents your thoughts with the glory, and greatneſs of the world, and ſo they are wandring and distracted: ſometimes begetting prejudices in your hearts againſt the word, or the preacher of it, and ſo diſaffecting you to the truth preached: ſometimes ſuggeſting ſuitable motions and temptations to ſteal away your hearts from the word, as to the voluptuous mans pleaſure, to the ambitious man honours; ſo ſuiting their corruptions, and by that they prove careleſs to profit by the word. And the truth is, the more powerfull the word is, the more the devil oppoſes it; and the more the light of the Goſpel hath appeared, the more hath Satan ſent out the ſmoke of the bottomleſs pit to obſcure it; and therefore though the multitude of hereſies & errours which abound among us be real matter of a lamentation, as being a ſign that the devil hath ſet his cloven foot amongſt us; yet I cannot but from hence conclude, there is agreater power of Goſpel-light, which the devil thus endeavours to extinguiſh; it appears, that the ſun is up, that theſe locuſts ſwarm ſo. If now you ask me; why the devil ſo much oppoſes the word and Goſpel? I anſwer

I. Becauſe himſelf hath no ſhare in it: he is fallen irrecoverablely from God and as an foreign, he endeavours to bring others into the ſame deſtruction with himſelf; he envied mans eſtate in paradiſe, and thought to have ruined him, but perceiving man by a ſecond covenant in a poſſibility of a better ſtate then that, he more envies his recovery which the Goſpel diſcovers and conveies, as being the Goſpel of reconciliation, and therefore he endeavours to make this ineffectual.

II. Becauſe it is a means to ruin and demoliſh his kingdome. The word of God is mighty to throw down Satans ſtrong holds, 2 Cor. 5. 10. whereby he keeps poſſeſſion of the ſoul. As the walls of Jericho fell down at the noiſe of rams horns, ſo at the ſound of the Goſpel the walls of Satan fall down. Some ſtones out of this brook will conquer p. 176our Goliah: this ſword of the Spirit conquers Satan, Epheſ 6. 17. When Chriſt had ſent out his ſeventy diſciples to preach, the effect of it was; that Satan fell like lightning out of heaven, Luke 10. 18. that is, that power and dominion he exerciſed before in the world. This was one end for which God ſent Paul to the Gentiles, Acts 26. 17, 18. Hence it is that Satan employs all his ſubtilty and ſtrength againſt it; for where the word comes in power, the devil is a looſer by it: he looſeth a ſubject of his kingdome, who by the word is brought from under his obedience. While men remain his ſubjects; he lets them alone quietyly, all is in peace while the ſtrong man keeps the houſe; but when the Goſpel comes to bring his ſubjects to the obedience of God, then he raiſeth all the force he can againſt it by himſelf and wicked men. He hath the poſſeſſion of our corrupt hearts, and therefore will not ſubmit to a diſ-poſſeſsion without much reſiſtance. The Goſpel brings us from under Satans power by a pure conqueſt; for he will not deliver his right and poſſeſsion upon terms. The devil looks upon it as his interest to oppoſe the Goſpel to uphold and ſecure his ovvn kingdome. Obſerve vvhat the Apoſtle ſuys expreſſely to this, 2 Cor 4. 4. The God of this world hath blinded the eyes of them, leſt the light of the glorious Goſpel ſhould ſhine unto them: vvhen the Goſpel ſhines in his full luſtre, the devil endeavours to blinde men vvith wilfull unbelief, that they ſee it not. The ultimate end that Satan aims at in this is the ruine of their ſouls: and therefore, in order to it, is carefull, that they come not to the knovvledge of the truth, without which is no ſalvation, 1 Tim. 2. 4. vvhichwhich he knovvs they cannot do, vvithout the ſhining of the light of the Goſpel into their hearts, and therefore endeavours to hinder it vvhat he can. The Prince of darkneſs rules in dark ignorant ſouls, holds them by thoſe chains of darkneſs, and endeavours to ſhut their eyes, leſt by the light of the Goſpel they ſhould diſcover the deluſions by which he hath held them captive, and ſo theſe ſhould be taken from under his obedience: as in the day we diſcover the vanity of our night-phantaſies, dreams and imaginations. In a vvord, Satan looſeth where the word profiteth, therefore he doth all he can to oppoſe it.

To conclude with theſe brief directions, by the uſe of which we may become hearers with profit.

I. Go to the word as the word, and for the word, So thou meeteſt with the wholeſome word of God, regard not the dreſs it comes in: Bonorum ingeniorum inſignis est indoles in verbis verum amare, non Aug. de doct. Chriſt. lib. 4. cap. 11.verba; Auguſtin. Say thou, Lord, here I come to thy word, nothing elſe will ſatiſfie me, not huskes but bread in my fathers houſe.

2. Come to the word as the means of ſalvation. Were men convinced p. 177throughly of this, that their ſalvation was concerned in the word, they would certainly be more careful to profit. They who are ſoundly taught and inſtructed by the word of God: foreign, as Clemens obſerves, they mount up to heaven as on eagles wings. Think with thy ſelf every Sermon thou comeſt to, Now I come to further my ſalvation, my ſoul is concerned in this Ordinance, this Sermon will be but like Ʋriah's letter to me a meſſage of death, if I profit not by it: did men come with theſe reſolutions, they could not but go away with profit. I ſhall conclude therefore with that of the Prophet, Eſay. 55. 3. Incline your eare, and come unto me, hear (but remember ſo to hear, as to profit by your hearing) and your ſoul ſhall live, and I will make an everlaſting covenant with you, even the ſure mercies of David.

FINIS.

THE SEVERITIE AND IMPARTIALITIE OF DIVINE JUSTICE.

A Sermon preached before the JUDGES, at the Aſsiſe at Cambridge, July 25. An. Dom. 1654.

By JOHN FROST, B. D. late Fellow of S. JOHNS Colledge in CAMBRIDGE.

Juſtitia non novit patrem, non novit matrem, veritatem novit, perſonam non accipit, Deum imitatur. Caſſ. in Pſal.

CAMBRIDGE: Printed by John Field, Printer to the Univerſitie. Anno Dom. MDCLVII.

To the right WORSHIPFULL SIR HENRY FELTON, BARONET, All increaſe of true Honour with God and man.

RIGHT WORSHIPFULL;

THere is ſtore of Sermons extant; the Pulpit ſcarce affordeth more then the Preſs: neither know I which is more advantageous. The ſound of the Word pierceth more; the letter written endureth longer: the voice extendeth but to ſome few preſent; the writing to many abſent, & the Authour, though dead, yet ſpeaketh. Here are two added to the number, and by the relict of the deceaſed preſented to the publick view: which I crave leave to honour with your name. Why I do ſo, I need not give account to the world, which alreadie knoweth your worth and deſerts; and ſhall know by this that I acknowledge them: beſides my ſpecial obligations to you for your favour to me, and my ſon, unknown to the world. Sir, you were willing to have been his Patron whileſt he lived, be pleaſed now to vouchſafe the Patronage of this his Poſthumous iſſue: which I humbly commend to your care, and you, with your vertuous Ladie, to the grace of the Almightie, wiſhing you both all that little happineſs the earth can afford you, and fulneſs of glorie in heaven,

Your Worſhips moſt humbly devoted, JOHN FROST.