Gospel Worship, Sermons · Sermon 8
SERMON VIII.
LEVITICUS. 10. 3.
I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me.
WEE have as you may remember,Stepney, Janu. 4. 1645. Preached many SERMONS upon that point of Sanctifying the Name of God in the duties of his Worſhip: We have ſpoken unto the point in the generall, the laſt day we finiſhed it: I do not intend to look back to any thing that was ſaid, but we are to proceed to ſhew how the Name of God ſhould be Sanctified in the particular duties of his Worſhip Now the Duties of Gods Worſhip are eſpecially theſe three;
1 The Hearing of the Word.
2 Receiving of the Sacrament.
3 And Prayer.
Other things come under Worſhip, but yet theſe are the three chei… duties of Worſhip and I intend to ſpeak to all theſe Three and to ſhew how we ſhould Sanctifie the Name of God in drawing nigh unto him, in the Word, Sacrament, and Prayer.
We might chooſe ſeverall Texts for all theſe, but they fall full within the generall and therefore it ſhall be ſufficient, for to ground the Sanctifying of Gods Name in theſe duties of worſhip upon this Text; I OF SANCTIFYING THE NAME OF GOD IN THE HEARING OF THE WORD.
That which we are to ſpeak to this morning it is the Sanctifying of the Name of God in the Hearing of his Word… If you would have the ground of what we are to ſay concerning this in a particular Scripture, you may have it in Luk. 8. 18. take heed therefore how you hear: It is not enough to come to hear the word, that is good, and no queſtion but God is pleaſed with the willingneſſe of people to come to hear his word, but you muſt not reſt barely in hearing, but take heed how you hear. Now this is a point of great conſequence and I hope it may do good to help to make many Sermons to be profitable to you, & the point I hope is ſeaſonable & will be very ſuitable unto you: For thoſe that come to hear ſo ſoon in a morning, and are willing even in hard weather to come out of their beds, they give ſome good teſtimony that they do deſire to honour God in their hearing, and to get good by their hearing; and it is pity that labour and pains ſhould be beſtowed and no profit but hurt rather got by it, which God forbid: Therefore now I am to ſpeak to a point that may help you ſo to hear, as may recompence all your labour and pains in hearing. In preaching to thoſe that come to hear, that ſo they may get good and benefit by it; there is a great deal more incouragement then to ſuch as come in a formall way becauſe they uſe to come; therefore this Point being a great point; I ſhall open it ſome what largely, and ſhall caſt it into this Method:
Firſt, I ſhall ſhew you that the hearing of Gods word is a part of the Worſhip of God, for otherwiſe I could not ground it upon any text.
Secondly, I ſhall ſhew you how we are to ſanctifie Gods Name in the hearing of his word, either in regard of preparation unto it, or our behaviour in the hearing of the Word.
Thirdly, Why it is that God will be Sanctified in this ordinance of his.
Fourthly, How God will Sanctifie himſelf in ſuch that do not ſanctifie his name in the hearing of his Word.
Fifthly, How God will Sanctifie his Name in waies of mercy to thoſe that are carefull to Sanctifie his Name in the hearing of the Word.
Theſe are the Five Principall things that concern this Argument
For the Firſt, That the hearing of Gods word it is a part of Gods Worſhip. You heard in the opening of the worſhip of God in the generall what it was, I told you it was a tendering up of the creatures homage to God, a teſtimony of the reſpect that the creature did owe to God; now if that be the nature of Worſhip, certainly the hearing of Gods word it is a part of the worſhip of God: for in the hearing of Gods word we
1 Firſt do profeſſe our dependance upon God for the knowing of his mind and the way to eternall life: Every time we come to hear the word, if we know what we do, we do thus much, we do profeſſe that we do depend upon the Lord God for the knowing of his mind, and the way and rule to eternall life; we do as much as if we ſhould ſay, Lord, of our ſelves we neither know thee, nor the way & means how we ſhould come to be ſaved, and therefore that we might teſtifie our dependance upon thee for this thing, we here preſent ourſelves before thee, now this is a Teſtimony of the high reſpect wee owe to God.
2 Secondly, The hearing of Gods Word is a part of his worſhip, becauſe in it we come to wait upon God in the way of an Ordinance, to have that good conveyed to us by way of an Ordinance beyond what the thing is able in it ſelf to do, and therefore 'tis worſhip. I wait upon God when I am hearing the word if I know what I do) to have ſome ſpiritual good conveyed to me beyond what there is in the meanes it ſelf, this makes it worſhip. When I am buſied in natural and civil actions, there I muſt profeſſe that theſe things can do me no good without God, but I do not wait upon God in an ordinance for the conveyance of naturall good beyond what God hath put into the creature; tis his bleſſing with it, that God in the ordinary courſe of his providence doth convey ſuch naturall or civill good in the uſe of thoſe creatures. But now, when I come to hear his word, I here come to wait upon God in the way of an Ordinance for the conveyance of ſome ſpirituall good that this Ordinance hath not in its ſelf, take it materially, but meerly as it hath an inſtitution in it, and is appointed by God for the conveyance of ſuch and ſuch things. God doth appoint meat to nouriſh me, and together with his appointment he hath given a natural power to meat to nouriſh my body that in an ordinary courſe of providence is enough for the nouriſhment of my body; but now when I come to hear the word, I muſt look upon that not only as a thing appointed to work upon my ſoul, and to ſave my ſoul by not as a thing that hath any efficacy put into it in a naturall way as the other hath; its not the nature of the thing that carries ſuch a power in it, but it is the inſtitution of God, and the Ordinance of God in it; Now then, when I come to wait upon God in an ordinance for the ſpirituall good that is beyond the vertue of any creature to convey to me, certainly I worſhip God, that is a ſpeciall part of worſhip to wait upon God in this way; Therefore in theſe two reſpects the hearing of Gods word it is a part of the Worſhip of God, and I beſeech you remember theſe two things every time you come to hear. I come now to give a teſtimony that I am not able to underſtand God and the way to eternall life of my ſelf, but I do depend upon God for the knowledge of it. And here I come to wait upon God for the conveyance of that good to my ſoul that is not in the power of any creature to convey: Now I worſhip when I do theſe.
But further (you ſhall find it more plain when we come to open how we ſhould ſanctifie Gods Name in the hearing of his word) This is divine ſervice, as much as any ſervice can be performed. Heretofore our Prelates and thoſe kind of men, made all the Worſhip of God to be in their Divine Service (as they call it) which was of their own inventions, and made light of the preaching or hearing of the Word, but the Word is a great part of that divine ſervice that God requires of us in his Worſhip, and in it you do tender up your homage to God; You therefore muſt not only when you come to hear, think, I come to get ſomething, I come to underſtand more then I did, and to hear ſuch a mans parts, and the like, but remember you come to tender up your homage to God, to ſit at Gods feet and there to profeſſe your ſubjection to him: That is one end of your coming to hear sermons
Now then you will ſay, What ſhould be done in the hearing Gods Word, ſo as Gods Name may be Sanctified?
For that as we opened in the generall, that in the duties of Gods Worſhip there muſt be preparation, and then an anſwerable behaviour of the ſoul. So here there muſt firſt …e a preparation of the ſoul to this work, and then an anſwerable behaviour of the ſoul in it.
1 There muſt be a preparation of the Soul, ſo as when you come to hear, you may with all readineſſe receive the Word; the ſoul muſt be made ready, in Act. 17. 11. there it is ſaid, Theſe were more noble then thoſe of Theſſalonica, in that they received the Word with all readineſſe of mind: The word is, with all A…aerity, as well as readineſſe: their minds were in a fit preparation to receive the word: and the text ſaith, They were more noble: The word thats tranſlated more noble, it ſignifie Better bred, for I do not take this ſcripture, as if it were meant only of men that were Earls or Lords, that did thus receive the Word with readineſſe, but they were of a more noble diſpoſition, They were well bred men, ſo the Greek word ſignifies. A man ſome times preaching to a company of rude people that never had any good breeding, they will behave themſelves rudely, they ſlight the word, and like the Swine, regard Acorns rather then Pearls: And the word is ſeldome ſo profitable to a company of rude people that have no breeding at all; but now there is more hopes to Preach to men that have breeding: Men that are exerciſed in Arts and Sciences, and have ſome underſtanding, and ſo ſome ingenuity in them, they will hearken to reaſon. Now there is a great deal of ſpiritual reaſon in the word, there is a great deal to convince men that are but rationall men; let a man be but a rationall man and willing to attend to the word, I ſay there is a great deal of reaſon to convince him in it, and it is a ſign of good breeding, of men of ingenuity to be willing to hear the Word, Who are thoſe in a pariſh that ſo diſregard the word as not to hear it, but the ruder ſort? There are many I confeſſe that are men of parts perhaps the word doth not prevaile with their hearts to convert them; yet if they have any good breeding at all, if the Word be preached in a convincing way, ſo that they ſee there is pains taken, and preached as the word of God to them, they will vouch ſafe their preſence at leaſt: but the rude multitude that know nothing at all, they had rather be in Alehouſes drinking and ſwilling they never care to hear the word, as in ſuch a place as this there are very few of your miſerable poor people that come to hear the Word… What place is there fuller of miſerable poor people then this place is and yet what a poor appearance is thereof ſuch people at the hearing of the Word? But now thoſe that have any ingenuity in them at all, or any breeding (for ſo the word is) they will receive the word with readineſſe: But this breeding here ſpoken of, was a little higher then naturall breeding; They were ſpiritually noble, & ſo they had a readineſs in their hearts in receiving the word. Now this readineſſe of heart in receiving the Word conſiſts in theſe particulars:
Firſt, When you come to hear the Word, if you would Sanctifie Gods Name, you muſt poſſeſſe your ſouls with what it is that you are going to hear, That what you are to hear is the Word of God, That it is not the ſpeaking of a man that you are going to attend upon: but that you are now going to attend upon God, and to hear the word of the eternall God. Poſſeſſe your ſouls with this; you will never ſanctifie Gods Name elſe in the hearing of his Word; therefore you find that the Apoſtle writing to the Theſſalonians, he gives them the reaſon why the word did them ſo much good as it did: It was becauſe they did hear it as the word of God 1 Theſſ. 2. 13. For this cauſe alſo (ſaith he) thank we God without ceaſing, becauſe when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God, which effectually worketh alſo in you that beleeve, Mark, ſo it came effectually to work, becauſe they received it as the word of God; many times you will ſay, Come, let us go hear ſuch a man preach; Oh no, let us go hear Chriſt preach, for as it doth concern the Miniſters of God that they preach not themſelves, but that Chriſt ſhould preach in them: So it concerns you that hear, not to come to hear this man or that man, but to come to hear Jeſus Chriſt. We as the Ambaſſadors of Chriſt do beſeech you, ſaith the Apoſtle.
2 Poſſeſſe your hearts likewiſe with this conſideration, that I come to heare the word as an ordinance appointed by God to convey ſpiritual good to my ſoule, and this is a very uſefull conſideration, and eſpecially it concernes men of underſtanding and parts for the helping of them to heare. For men that are of underſtanding and parts, when they come to heare this temptation is ready to come upon them, that except they hear ſome new thing that they did not underſtand before wherefore ſhould they come? I am able to underſtand as much in ſuch a point as can be ſaid: And when I have come and heard many times, I have heard but that I knew before, and upon that they think there is no uſe of coming to hear: Now this is a great miſtake, when you come to hear the word, you do not come alwaies to hear what you did not know, it may be ſometimes God may dart in ſome thing that you did not think of before, or ſo fully underſtand, but ſuppoſe it be not ſo, you are to come to it as an ordinance of God for the conveyance of ſpirituall good to your ſoules.
You will ſay. Cannot we ſit at home and read a Sermon? But hath God appointed that the great ordinance for the converting and the edifying of ſoules in the way to eternal life? True, there is ſome uſe of it, but the great ordinance is the preaching of the word, faith comes by hearing, the Scripture ſaith, and never by reading, So that though when you come to hear, you do not hear that which you heard not before, yet you come to attend upon this ordinance for the conveyance of ſome Spirituall good that it may be hath not bin conveyed before, or in a further degree then it hath bin conveyed before, And ſo you ſhould come to hear the word with your hearts poſſeſt with that meditation, that it is the word of God, and the great ordinance that God hath appointed for the conveyance of Spiritual good. So that I come now in obedience to God, and in this do I teſtifie my reſpect to God, that I will attend upon this ordinance of his for the conveyance of Spirituall good to me, and although I may think that this or the other means may do the deed as well, yet becauſe God hath appointed this to be his ordinance, therefore in obedience to him I will attend upon this means rather then upon other means, as you know Naaman he thought the other waters would have bin as good as the waters of Jordan to have heal'd him, but if God will appoint him the waters of Jordan that they ſhould heal him rather then other waters he muſt waſh there; No queſtion but other waters had as much naturall vertue in them as they had, but becauſe the waters of Jordan were the ordinance that God for that time had appointed to cure his Leproſie withall, he muſt come and waſh in thoſe waters rather then in any other, So becauſe preaching of the word is the great ordinance that God hath appointed for to convay himſelfe by, therefore he doth require that thou ſhouldeſt ſhew thy reſpect to him, ſo far as to attend upon him in this ordinance.
2 The Second thing that is to be done in way of preparation, it is to plow up the fallow ground of your hearts, and not to ſowe amongſt thornes, as you have it in Jer. 4. 3. and ſo in Ho… 10. The word of God you know is compared to ſeed in that parable of Chriſt in Mar. 13. And an Auditory is compared to the ground, I ſuppoſe you are al aquainted with that parable of the ſower, that it is to ſet out the miniſtry of the word, and what fruit it hath upon the hearts of men, a congregation is like the field, and a miniſter preaching is like the ſower that ſows the ſeed in the field: He knows not which truth whether that or the other will proſper, the ſeed being ſowed in ſome part of the ground it is loſt, and in another part it grows; ſo in one …ew the ſeed of the word is loſt, and in another …ew it grows up: But now if people that are compared to the ground would ſo hear the word as Gods name may be ſanctified in it, their hearts muſt be plowed …as if one ſhould ſow ſeed upon green ſoil, ſow it in the fields upon green graſſe, what would become of it? The ground muſt firſt be plowed for the preparation of the ſeed
But you will ſay, what is the meaning of the plowing of our hearts for the preparation of the word? The meaning is nothing elſe but this The work of humiliation, the humbling of the ſoul before the Lord when it doth come to hear Gods word.
Humble it in theſe two regards.
Firſt be humbled for your ignorance that you know ſo little of Gods mind as you do.
Secondly be humbled for all the ſinfulneſſe of your hearts, be ſenceable of the ſinfulneſſe and wretchedneſſe of your hearts and the miſerable condition that you are in, if you can get your hearts broken with the ſence of your ſin and miſery, and come ſo to hear the word, it is very like the word may be of mighty uſe, and Gods name may be very much Sanctified in your hearing of the word.
You will ſay, Muſt we plow up our hearts before we come to hear? It muſt be the word that muſt plow us, the word is the plow, and ſo the Miniſters of God are compared to plowmen in the word, he that puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of heaven.
It is true, it cannot be expected that the heart ſhould be throughly plowed as it ought but by the word, therefore at the firſt coming to hear there is not hope that men will Sanctifie Gods name till the word gets in to plow them, and ſo by geting at one time into their hearts they come to be prepared for hearing at another time. And yet ſome what may be done before by that natural knowledg that men have they may come to know themſelves to be ſinners, and come to underſtand themſelves to be very weak and ignorant by ſome knowledg that they may have by the works of God, and by conferrence with others, and by reading and the like, and ſo they may in ſome meaſure come to have their hearts to be humbled. And it is good to make uſe of theſe to humble the heart, but now, You that have heard the word often, and yet have not Sanctified Gods name, there be truths that you have heard heretofore, that if you had made uſe of in private to have, plowed up your hearts, they would have prepared your hearts for the next time in hearing of the word, If therefore you would hear the word with a great deal more profit then formerly, your hearts muſt be plowed by humiliation.
2 Secondly, the heart muſt be plowed by labouring to get out thoſe thorns that are in the heart, thoſe luſts that grow deep in the heart as thorns grow in the ground: labour to pluck them out, that is, when thou comeſt to hear the word get thy heart into that frame, as to be willing to profeſſe againſt every known ſin that thou haſt found in thy heart, labour to find out thoſe luſts that are in thy heart and then profeſſe againſt them, that thou art willing to have them to be rooted out of thy heart, if men and women would but do thus when they come to hear, that God might ſee this in them, that they have before they come profeſt againſt every known ſin, This would be an excellent thing indeed.
3 Again in the third place which will follow from hence, When thou comeſt to hear the word, come with a Reſolution to yeeld to what ever God ſhall reveal to be his mind, I am now going to hear thy word oh Lord, to wait upon thee, to know what thou haſt to ſay to me: And thou that art the ſearcher of the ſecrets of all hearts, Thou knoweſt that I go with ſuch a reſolution to yeeld up my ſelf to every truth of thine, How would the name of God be Sanctified if you did thus come to hear the word. If you did come with ſuch a reſolution, Job. 32. 34. That which I know not teach th…u me, and if I have done iniquity, I will do no more. In Iſa. 2. 3. you have a propheſie of the Centils how they ſhould come to the word, And many people ſhall go and ſay, Comeye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the houſe of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his waies, and we will walk in his paths: Here is a bleſſed diſpoſition when you come to hear the word, Some of you come together in ſtreets and lanes, and over the fields, when you come together, and meet one with another as you walk over the fields, make uſe of this text, Oh that this propheſie might be fulfilled in your coming over the fields every Lords day morning and at other times, that you would ſay one to another, or when you call one upon another to go to hear, Come let us go up to the houſe of the Lord and he will teach us of his waies and we will walk in his paths. We are reſolved that whatever the Lord ſhall teach us to be his waies we will ſubmit unto it. This is a due preparation of the heart for the Sanctifying of Gods name in the hearing of his word.
4 When you come to hear the word come with longing deſires after the word, come with an appetite to it. As in 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes deſire the ſincear milk of the word that you may grow thereby. Do it as new born babes, Now you know little babes they do not deſire milk to play withall but only to nouriſh them: Children of three or four yeers old, they may deſire milk to play with but new born babes never care for it but when they are hungry to nouriſh them, And ſo it is true, many come to hear the word to play with it, But now you ſhould come to hear the word as new born babes, with a hungring deſire after the word that your Souls may be nouriſhed thereby. That were excellent if every Lords day, and at other daies you did come as hungry to the word as ever you went to your dinner or ſupper, The word of God ſhould be to you more then your appointed food, And then you are like to grow by it and to Sanctifie Gods name in it.
5 Pray before hand, that God would open thine eyes, and open thine heart, and accompany his word, thus did David, Open mine eyes O Lord, that I may underſtand the wonders of thy Law. And you know what is ſaid of Lydia, The Lord opened her heart to attend to the word that was ſpoken: Now ſeeing it is an Ordinance thou doeſt expect more good from, then what it ſelf of its own nature is able to convey; thou hadeſt need to Pray, Lord I go to ſuch an Ordinance of thine, and I know there is no effi…acy in its ſelf, it is not able to reach to ſuch effects as I expect that is, to have my heart ſpoken too, and quickned, and to have mine eyes opened, but O Lord open mine eyes and open mine heart Lord my heart naturally is lockt up againſt thy Word, there are ſuch wards in my heart, that except thou a…t pleaſed to put in a key that may fit my heart, it will never open; Man he is not able to know my heart, and therefore he cannot fit a key to anſwer every ward, to reſolve every doubt, to ſilence every objection but Lord thou canſt do it: Do thou Lord therefore fit thy word this day that may meet with my heart Lord, I have gone often to thy Word, and the key hath ſtuck in it and it hath not opened; but Lord, if thou wouldeſt but fit it and turn it with thine own hand, my heart would open. Oh come with ſuch a praying heart to the Word, and thereby ſhalt thou ſanctifie the Name of God in hearing his Word, this is to come to the Word, as to the Word of God, you muſt not come to the hearing of the Word as to hear a ſpeech or an oration, but come in ſuch a preparation as this is, and ſo I ſay God will be glorified, and you will be profited
The next thing is, what ſhould be the behaviour of the Soul in the Sanctifying Gods Name in the Word when it is come, Now to that there are theſe particulars:
1 Firſt there muſt be a carefull attention unto the Word, you muſt ſet your hearts unto it, as Moſes in Deut. 32. 46 he ſaid unto the people. Set your hearts unto all the words which I teſtifie among you this day, which you ſhall command your Children to obſerve to do, for it is not a vain thing for you, becauſe it is your life. Set your hearts to it, for it is not a vain thing, it is your life; when you come to hear the word give diligent attention to what you hear. In Act. 3. 6. it is ſaid, The people with one accord gave heed unto thoſe things which Philip ſpake. They gate heed, The word is uſed often in Scripture, ſometimes it is uſed for to beware of a thing, Beware of the leven of the Phariſees, Beware of them; as a man when he ſees an enemy and is aware of him, he is very diligent to obſerve how to avoid him; So there ſhould be as much diligence to get good by the Word, as one would be diligent to avoid any danger whatſoever, And the word ſignifies ſometimes to give ſuch heed as a Diſciple gives unto his Maſter, ſo they gave heed to the Word. So in Prov. 2. 1, 2. My Son, if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandments with thee, ſo that thou incline thine eare unto wiſdome: We muſt diligently attend, and not to ſuffer our eyes & our thoughts to be wandring, but diligently attend to what is ſaid: My Brethren, there is all things that may challenge attention in the Word. What would make you to attend to any thing?
Firſt if he that ſpeaks were much above you If it were a great Prince, or Lord that ſpake to you, then you would attend Now, though it is true, it is but a man, that it may be, is inferiour to moſt of you, that ſpeaks, yet know in him it is the Lord of heaven and earth that ſpeaks to you: And ſo you know what Chriſt ſaith, He that heareth you heareth me: So though you would not attend in reſpect of the Meſſenger ſo much, yet as it is the Son of God that is ſpeaking to you, it may challenge your attention. This day if you ſhould hear a voice out of the clouds from heaven ſpeaking to you, would you not then liſten? the truth is, we ſhould liſten as much to the voice of God in the Miniſtery of his Word, as if ſo be that the Lord ſhould ſpake out of the clouds to us. And I will give you a Scripture for that, that the voice of God in his Word ſhould be as much regarded of you, as if God ſhould ſpeak from heaven to you by an audible voice out of the clouds. In 2 Pet. 1. 18, 19. This voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy …ount. But mark, in verſ. 19. We have alſo a mere ſure Word of Propheſie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed. Mark; We heard a voice from heaven, ſaith Peter, yea but we have a more ſure word of Propheſie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed. There was a voice from heaven ſpake, you will ſay, If we had heard that voice, we would have given heed to that, ſaith the Apoſtle, You have a more ſure word of Propheſie: Now propheſie in Scripture is taken for preaching, Diſpiſe not Propheſie: As if the Holy Ghoſt ſhould ſay, You muſt have regard to the word of Propheſie as you would have regard to any voice from heaven: Suppoſe an Angel ſhould come and ſpeak to you, would not you attend to him? then whatſoever thoughts you had, they would be taken off, for there is an Angel that is come down from heaven to ſpeak: Now mark what is ſaid in Heb. 1. 1. God who at ſundry times, and in divers manners ſpake in times paſt to the Fathers by the Prophets, hath in theſe laſt daies ſpoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom alſo he made the worlds. And then in verſ. 3. he deſcribes his Son, And being made ſo much better then the Angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they: If a Prophet ſhould come and ſpeak, that is not ſo much as if the Son of God comes; no nor as if an Angel ſhould come, for Jeſus Chriſt hath obtained a more excellent name then the Angels, and it is Chriſt that is in the Miniſtry of his Word, He that heareth you heareth me.
2 Secondly, That which would cauſe attention, is the greatnes of the matter propounded: It is true, if a man ſhould ſpeak of ſome flight and vain things, there need not ſo much attention. My Brethren, the matters in the Word are the great things of God, it is the voice of God, the great Myſteries of godlineſſe, thoſe deep things that the Angels themſelves deſire to pry into; Yea the Angels themſelves by the Churches they come to have the knowledge of the Myſteries of God. I make no queſtion but in the Miniſtery of the Word among the Churches the Angels they attend and come to ſome knowledge in the Myſteries of godlineſſe; for ſo the Scripture ſaith, That they have it by the Churches, there the greateſt things of Gods will, the greateſt Counſels of God that were kept hid from all eternity, are opened to you in the Miniſtry of the Word: We do not come to tell you tales, and the conceits of men, but to open the great counſels of God, wherein the depth of the wiſdome of God comes to be revealed to the children of men, and therefore this cals for attention.
3 Thirdly, Suppoſe they be great things, yet if they do not ſo much concern us, there is no ſuch great reaſon of attention, therefore in the Third place, That which we ſpeak, it is your life; it is that concerns your Souls and eternall eſtates: Your Souls and everlaſting eſtates do lie upon the Miniſtery of the Word, if that be made effectuall to you, you are ſav'd: if that be not made effectuall to you, you are damn'd and undone for ever. If we ſhould come to tell you of ſomething whereby you might get ſome good bargain, or of a way how to get great riches, I make no queſtion but you would riſe though it were a cold or rainy morning: But know when you are called to hear the Word you are called to hear that which may do you good for ever, that for which you may bleſſe God for to all eternity with the Angels and Saints in the higheſt heavens. If they be ſuch things of ſo great concernment, then there had need be a great attention: You know what Chriſt ſaid to Martha when ſhe was troubled about his entertainment L…k 10. 41. Martha Martha, thou art carefull and troubled al…o t…m…ry things, but one thing is needfull, and Mary hath … that good part which ſhall not be taken away from her. What did Mary chooſe? It was this, That ſhe did diligently attend upon Jeſus Chriſt to hear the word from his own mouth, when Martha was buſied in the houſe to provide for his entertainment but it is a better thing to attend upon the word then to entertain Chriſt in your houſes: You that are of loving diſpoſitions, that if a good Miniſter ſhall come to your houſes, or a good Chriſtian, that you ſee but the Image of Chriſt in your hearts ſpring within you, and you will do any thing to entertain them: Well, but what if Jeſus Chriſt ſhould come, if you knew that ſuch a man that came within your doors were the Son of God, how would you beſtir your ſelves to entertain him? But know, it is a more acceptable ſervice to Jeſus Chriſt to attend upon his word then to provide for him in your houſes And there is great reaſon to, that we ſhould be diligent in drawing nigh to the word, and give eare unto it; becauſe you find that the Lord doth expreſſe himſelf in the Scripture, how he gives eare to us when we ſpeak to him. God is ſaid to incline his eare, ſometimes to open his eare, ſometimes to bow his eare, ſometimes to cauſe his eare to hear, and divers ſuch expreſſions there are to that purpoſe. Now if God when we that are poor wretches ſpeak to him, ſhall bow his eare bend his eare open his eare, cauſe his eare to hear, much more ſhould we when we come to attend upon him.
2 Secondly as there muſt be attending to the word of God, ſo there muſt be an opening of the heart to receive what God ſpeaks to you, it is true, it is the work of God to open the heart, but God works upon men as upon rationall creaturs and he makes you to be active in opening your hearts, ſo that when you have any truth come to be revealed, you ſhould open your underſtandings, your conſcience, and will, and affections, Oh Lord thy truth which thou art preſenting here to my Soul at this time let it come in, let me receive it, as the expreſſion is in Prov. 2 1. My Son, if thou wilt receive my words and then in v. 10. When wiſdom entereth into thy heart: The words of wiſdom the words of God, they muſt enter into the heart, get in; it may be they get into thy eare, but that's not enough, they muſt get into thy heart, in Joh 8. 37. There Chriſt complains that his word had no place in them, that's a ſad thing when the word of God ſhall have no place in the heart. If a temptation to ſin comes, that hath a place in the heart, but when the Word comes that hath no place in the heart; I ſay, it is a very ſad thing that we can find no room for the Word; we ſhould get room for the Word, Open ye gates, Stand open ye everlaſting doors, that the King of Glory may come in: Know that when you come to hear the Word, the Lord is knocking at the doors of your hearts; have not you felt it ſometimes? Open, O open the doors, let all be opened to receive the Word into your hearts. That is the Second thing for the behaviour of the Soul in hearing.
3 The third thing is the carefull applying of the word, ſo in Pro. 2. 2. There muſt be an applying of the heart to the word, and an applying of the word unto the heart. All action is by an application of the thing that doth act unto the ſubject, there muſt be an application of the word to thy ſoul, as now, ſuppoſe thou comeſt to hear the word, and thou heareſt of ſome ſin, that it may be thou knoweſt thou art guilty of, take the word and lay it to thy heart and ſay, The Lord hath met with my ſoul this day, the Lord hath ſpoken to me, to the end that I might be humbled for this ſin, and the other ſin that my Conſcience tels me I am guilty of, So, doth the Lord put thee upon a duty that concerns thee? acknowledge this, the Lord hath ſpoken to me this day and put me upon the reformation of my family, and the reformation of my own heart. Is there a word preſented? apply that, and let not the trouble of thy heart cauſe thee to caſt off that word that God hath ſpoken to thee; The application of the word to the heart it is of marvelons uſe, and it concerns not only Miniſters in general to lay before people the doctrine of the Goſpel but to aply it, And know that it concerns you as well as Miniſtrs to apply it; And not only when they come to that that is called uſe, but all the way in the opening of the word, it concerns you all to apply it to your own ſouls, and to conſider how doth it concern me in particular? My brethren there is no ſuch way to honour God, or get good to your owne ſouls, as the application of the word unto your ſelves. As a man that is aſleep if there be annoiſe made it will not awake him ſo ſoon, but come and call him by his name (and ſay John, or Thomas,) and that will awake him ſooner then a greater noiſe will; So, when the word makes a noiſe when it is delivered only in the general, men take little notice of it, but when the word comes particularly to the ſouls of men, and doth as it were call them by name, this awakens them; now God many times doth ſpeak to your hearts but you ſhould apply it, you know the word is compared to meat, and it muſt be applyed to the body, Then do we worſhip God in a right way when as we take notice of Gods word as concerning us in particular, as that notable Scripture that you have in 1 Cor. 14. 25. Where there comes a poor man into the Church of God, and hears Propheſying, hears the word opened, and the text ſaith He is convinced of all, he is judged of all, and then in verſ. 25, Thus are the ſecrets of his heart manifeſt and ſo falling down on his face he worſhips God and reports that God is in you of a truth, that is, when the word comes and meets with his Soul in particular, that he finds himſelf to be aim'd at by the word, then he worſhips God, and ſaith that God certainly is in them, here's the reaſon now that when you come to hear the word you do not worſhip God becauſe you apply it not to your ſelves, you are ready to ſay, This was well ſpoken to ſuch a one, and it concerns ſuch a one, but how doth it concern thy ſoul in particular? Sometimes the Lord doth even force men and women to apply it whether they will or no, for that they think the Miniſter ſpeaks to them in particular, and that no body was ſpoken too in the Congregation but themſelves; This is a Mercy when the Lord doth it unto you; but it is a greater Mercy when the Lord gives you a heart to apply it to your ſelves, and although it may trouble you a little for the preſent, yet be willing to apply it, and account it a great Mercy from the Lord, That the Lord will be pleaſed to ſpeak in particular to your Souls.
4 Fourthly, We muſt mix Faith with the Word, or otherwiſe it will do us but little good; Apply it and then beleeve it. In Heb. 4. 2. it is ſaid, that The word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it. Wherefore there muſt be a mixture of Faith, to beleeve the word that the Lord brings unto you. Now concerning that Ile but propound theſe few particulars;
You will ſay, Muſt we beleeve every thing that is ſpoken? ſometimes there are ſome things ſpoken that we cannot tell how to beleeve?
I do not mean ſo, to beleeve every thing meerly being ſpoken, for you muſt take heed what you hear, as well as how you hear; but do thus much at leaſt.
1 In the Firſt place, whatſoever comes in the name of God to you, (except you know certainly it is not according to the written Word) you owe ſo much reſpect to it, as to examine it, at leaſt to try it whether it be ſo or no, as it is ſaid of thoſe Welbred men that I ſpake of, that they did examine whether things were ſo or no. Do not caſt off any thing preſently that comes in the Name of God: Now any thing that hath the broad Seal upon it, you muſt not diſobey: You will ſay, It may be counterfeit: but do not diſobey it till you be ſure it be counterfeit. Oh that men would give but this reſpect to all things that they hear, never to caſt them off till they have examined and tryed whether they be ſo or no.
2 Secondly, Do but grant this reſpect to the Word that is ſpoken to you, as to think thus, What if all that I hear ſpoken againſt my fin, which laies open the dangerous condition that my ſoul is in, prove to be true, what a caſe were I in then? This hath been the beginning of the converſion of many Souls, the having but ſuch a thought as this, It may be things are not ſo terrible as I hear, but what if they do prove ſo? then I am undone for ever. Dare I venture my Soul and my eternal eſtate upon hopes that theſe things are not ſo bad as I hear? I beleeve if you would put your ſelves to it, you would think it a bold adventure, and the comfort that any of you have grounded upon this, meerly hoping that things are not ſo bad as you hear; it is a curſed comfort that hath no ſure bottome: Grant that reſpect therefore to the word.
3 Thirdly conſider this, It may be I do not ſee cleerly that theſe things are ſo which are delivered, I do not ſee enough to beleeve them now, but what if I were now dying? What if I were now going to receive the ſentence of my eternall doome; would I not then beleeve theſe things? Would I not then think what I hear out of the word to be true? It is an eaſie matter for men to reject the word while they have their healths, and proſperity. But if you were to die, and upon your ſick and death bed if you ſaw the infinite ocean of eternity before you, what would you ſay then? were the word true yea or no? would you give beleif unto the ſuggeſtions of the Devill then? We find it by experience, That men that could eaſily caſt off the word in their healths, yet when they have come to ly upon their ſick bed, and death bed, they found the word true: Beleeve it now as well as then.
4 Conſider, If thou doeſt not beleeve, what a caſe art thou in? Am I worſe then the Devils themſelves? The Scripture tels me, That the Devils beleeve and tremble; Why Lord do I come to hear Sermons, and am I more hard to beleeve then the very devils themſelves? They do beleeve that word that I caſt off, and they tremble at it, but my Soul is not at all ſtirred, as if there were no reallity in ſuch things that have been ſpoken to me. There be other things which may further help us towards beleeving of the word of God, but theſe ſhall ſuffice: And certainly my brethren till we come to this to beleeve the word though we ſhould ſit under it many years, it will do us little good, and we ſhall never Sanctifie the Name of God in the hearing of it.