The Christian Mans Calling, Treatise · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. Of the Chriſtians duty in hearing.
SEcondly, I come now to the ſecond, which is thy carriage at the word; in reference to which I ſhall commend to thee theſe three things.
1. When thou art hearing or reading, ſet thy ſelf ſeriouſly as in the preſence of God. God ſetteth before thee in his word, and offereth to thee life or death, bleſſing or curſing, his infinite favour or fury, Heaven or Hell; and friend, are theſe things to be jeſted with? Imitate Cornelius in his carriage, when he was to hear Peter; We are all here preſent before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God Act. 10.33. The piety of this Centurion appeareth in the ground and motive of his hearing; he came not to hear men, but God; to hear all things which are commanded thee of God, 2. In the gracious manner of his hearing; he doth not ſay, we are all here preſent before thee, but we are all here preſent before God.
When the heart is awed with the apprehenſion of a Divine preſence, the iron gates of the ears will fly open of their own accord, and give the Word a free paſſage. The Creature dares not but hearken diligently to the ſpeech of that God, on whoſe breath depends his life and death, when he ſeeth him immediately before his eyes: I can ſpeak it by experience, ſaith Eraſmus, that there is little good to be got by the Scriptures, if a man read or hear it curſorily and careleſly; but if a man do it out of conſcience, and as in Gods preſence, he ſhall finde ſuch an efficacy in it, as is not to be found in any other Book. This ſetting thy ſelf ſeriouſly, as in Gods preſence, is like the Maſters eye to his ſervant, which will make him ply his work whether he would or not; or rather like the fire to the Smiths bar of iron, which doth ſo mollifie it, that he ſtriking whilſt it is hot, may beat it into what form and mould he pleaſeth.
This temper of ſoul in the Theſſalonicans was ſo great a favour, that Paul thought he could never praiſe the Author of it ſufficiently: For this cauſe thank we God without ceaſing, that when ye heard the word of God, ye heard it not as the word of man, but as it is indeed the word of God, 1 Theſſ. 2.13. The Apoſtle knew his children could not but thrive, when they received their meat in ſuch a manner as the Word of God. It is the ſpeech of Seniclaeus concerning Diarius the Martyr, Methought when I heard him ſpeak, I heard the Holy Ghoſt himſelf preaching to me.
Truly the want of this, is one main cauſe why the Word of God doth ſo little good. The Devil is very diligent at duties: he is every Lords Day the firſt at Church: The Children of God never gather together, but Satan is amongſt them. His great deſign is, to render this Engine of the Word fruitleſs, whereby the Strong-holds of his Kingdom have been battered and broken down. Therefore as a Jaylor will ſometimes let his priſoners have their hands and feet at liberty, ſo long as the doors of the Priſon are barred and bolted, that they cannot run away; So he will let thee have thy hand at liberty for ſome acts of charity, and thy feet at liberty to walk in ſome path of civility, ſo long as he can but have the doors of thine ear and heart lockt faſt, that thou canſt not get from him: He knoweth Chriſt waiteth at the outward door of the ear, that he might thereby come to the inward door of thy heart, and deliver thee a poor Captive out of his hands: For this cauſe, if it be poſſible, he will keep the ſtreet door ſhut, he will hinder thee from hearing as in Gods preſence, he will finde thee other work to do then to hear; it may be he will get thee to play and toy, as he doth many great ones; or if not, to be talking to thy pew-fellows, or to be reading (poſſibly ſomewhat finful, at leaſt ſomewhat unſeaſonable) or to have thy heart in thine own houſe, whileſt thy body is in Gods houſe; or as a childe, though thou art at thy book, he will make thee look off, if but a Butter-fly come by; he will ſet thee about ſome buſineſs or other, unleſs thou art ſerious as in Gods ſight, that thou ſhalt never have ſo much leiſure as to hear, even when thou art in the Church.
It is reported of Henry the third, King of France, that in a ſolemn Proceſſion at Paris, hecould not be without his Jeſter; who walking between the King and the Cardinal, made mirth to them both; in the mean time there was brave devotion. Alas, they that hear in jeſt, will finde Hell to be hot in earneſt: Were not men Indians and Infidels in Engliſh habits; did they but believe the invaluable worth of their ſouls, the conſequence and weight of their unchangeable eſtates; what a ſearching, trying time the hour of death will be; and what dreadful, terrible things will be ſeen at the day of Judgement; Good Lord, how would they hear! The Miniſter need not call to them to attend to the Word of God, they would of themſelves give it their ears, and mindes, and hearts, and think all too little for it.
2. Apply the Word to thine own ſoul: The Word is a ſalve of ſoveraign vertue. Some talk of the Weapon-ſalve, that it heals at a diſtance; but the Word will not; it muſt be applied to the ſore, or it will never cure. The Word is ſeed, preaching is the ſowing of this ſoed; application of it to thy heart, is the harrowing of this ſeed into the earth: If the ſeed be thrown on the ground, and not harrowed in, we can expect no harveſt.
A good hearer is ſaid to eat the Word: Thy words were found by me, and I did eat them, Jer. 15.16. Eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled, Prov. 9.5. It is not the bread in the cupboard of the Bible, or on the table of a Sermon, which will nouriſh thy ſoul, unleſs it be by application of it to thy ſelf, eaten and taken down into thy ſtomack: The glaſs of wine in thine hand, will not make thy heart glad; the precious promiſes in thine ears will not rejoyce thee, they muſt by application be drunk down, then they will refreſh and comfort thy Conſcience.
Faith is both the mouth to receive in, and the ſtomack to digeſt this ſpiritual food. It is worthy thy obſervation, how frequently the Holy Ghoſt attributeth the famous effects, and heroick acts of the Word, to this Commander in chief, under whoſe couragious and wiſe conduct it warreth. The Word fighteth boldly, and worketh miraculouſly under Faiths banner: The Goſpel of Chriſt is the power of God to ſalvation to them that believe, Rom. 1.16. It pleaſed God by the fooliſhneſs of preaching to ſave them that believe, 1 Cor. 1.21. ſo alſo 2 Tim. 3.15. Application is the life both of preaching and hearing.
If the Threatnings and Curſes of the Law are preached, faith is to them as the powder to the bullet, cauſing them to make grievous havock, and to do great execution upon the luſts of a man. Faith turneth thoſe ſtones, as I may ſpeak, into bread, and helpeth the Chriſtian (like Sampſon) to fetch meat out of the eater.
If the Precepts and Commands of the Law are preached, Faith is the eye to ſee the Equity in them, and the Excellency of them, and Faith is the hand to put them into practice.
If the Promiſes and Comforts of the Goſpel are preached, Faith is to them as Induction to a Miniſter, it gives him actual poſſeſſion of them, it makes them his own. Faith in the Threatnings, cauſeth Humiliation; Faith in the Precepts cauſeth Subjection; and Faith in the Promiſes worketh Conſolation.
If at any time thou goeſt from hearing dead and undone, thou mayeſt ſay to Faith, as Martha to Chriſt, If thou hadſt been here, my ſoul had not dyed. The unbeliever, like a man in a ſwoon, ſhuts his mouth againſt thoſe life-recalling Cordials which are before him in the Goſpel. Other ſins wound the ſoul, but Unbelief, like Joab, ſtrikes under the fifth rib, and kills outright.
Unbelief ſpoileth all. An Unbeliever is dead, he cannot hear Chriſt in his Word; he is blind, he cannot ſee God in the Goſpel; like Hagar, though a Fountain be before him, he beholdeth it not. Unbelief makes the Word like rain upon Rocks, wholly uſeleſs and fruitleſs. What is ſaid of the Eſſential Word, is true of the Revealed Word, It can do no mighty works, becauſe of their unbelief. Unbelief is a Bulwark whereby ſin ſecureth it ſelf, againſt all the darts and ſhot which the Word diſchargeth at it. What was the reaſon that the Word was not helpful to the Jews, Heb. 4.2. The word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Unbelief was the crack in the Glaſs, through which this ineſtimable Water of Life did leak out, and ſo was loſt.
Nay, What made the Word hurtful to them? This leaven of Unbelief ſowred all, 1 Pet. 2.8. That Rock on which Faith builds an houſe which reacheth up to Heaven, Unbelief ſtumbleth at, and tumbleth the ſoul into Hell.
3. Let the Word come with Authority and Power to thy Conſcience: This is one of the chiefeſt ingredients that goeth to the compoſition of a Preacher, that he ſpeak as Paul did, in demonſtration of the Spirit, and of power, 1 Cor. 2.4. By this force wherewith he ſpake, and execution which he did, that incomparable pattern of Preachers, the Captain of our Salvation, was diſtinguiſhed from the Phariſees, who in diſcharge of this holy Ordinance, onelyonly made falſe fire: He taught as one having Authority, and not as the Scribes: And the people were aſtoniſhed at his Doctrine, Matth. 7.2, ult. ver. He is the beſt Souldier, who in this Warfare makes bloodieſt work amongſt our ſpiritual Enemies. This is preaching to purpoſe.
This is alſo the beſt diſpoſition requiſite in a Religious hearer; For our Goſpel came not to you in word onelyonly, but in power, 2 Theſſ. 1.15. When the Word of God cometh like a mighty ruſhing winde, rooting up the tall Trees of thy ſins, bringing down high thoughts, overturning all before it; when as fire, it burneth within thee, conſuming thy luſts, and turning thee into its own likneſs, making thee holy, ſpiritual and heavenly: O this is excellent hearing, this is hearing to purpoſe.
The word is Preached to many, and not to their profit. They hear the Miniſter as Chickens hear the Hen; the Hen cals to the Chickens to come to her, they lye ſcraping in the duſt, ſtill many times and will not hear her, till the Kite come and devoureth them. So God endeavoureth in his word by his Miniſters to cluck ſinners to himſelf. Wiſdom cryeth, underſtanding putteth forth her voice. But they lie ſcratching, and digging in the earth, and will not hear him, till at laſt the Devil comes and deſtroyeth them; but when the word cometh with power, the ſoul heareth it as Peter heard the Cock; He goeth out and weepeth bitterly, when he hears of the boundleſs mercy which he hath deſerted, and the matchleſs miſery which he hath deſerved; and the infinite love which he hath abuſed, and the righteous law which he hath tranſgreſſed, he is cut to the heart, he goeth out and weeps bitterly.
The word is compared to rain Deut. 32.2. now the rain fals upon flints and doth no good; makes no impreſſion. Miniſters drop it on many to as little purpoſe as Bede did when he Preached to an heap of ſtones. They ſpend their ſtrength in vain, and labour in vain; nay like many high-ways and low grounds, they are the worſe for theſe ſhowres. But this rain fals on others to much advantage; My Doctrine ſhall drop as the rain, and my ſpeech ſhall diſtill as the dew, as the ſmall rain upon the tender graſs, and as the ſhowers on the hearbs. Deut. 32.2. The fine ſoft ſhowrs of the word, ſoaks into their affections, ſofteneth their hearts, and makes them fruitful in holineſs.
The Naturaliſts obſerve of the Salamander, that though ſhe live in the fire conſtantly, yet ſhe is never the hotter. How woful is the condition of thouſands who live all their days under the Word of God, in which is kindled the heavenly fire of Gods infinite love in Chriſt to poor ſinners, and the hellfire of the hideous horrid nature of ſin, yet they are never the hotter! neither warmed with the former, nor ſcorched with the latter; nay though theſe fires are ſometimes by the workmen who divide the word aright, heated (as I may ſay) ſeven times hotter then ordinary (by diſcovering the freeneſs (without, yea againſt deſert) fullneſs (a known; unknown love) and faſtneſs (whom he loveth he loveth to the end) of this divine affection, and by declaring the uglineſs and loathſomneſs of corruption, in its contrariety to a righteous law, and a gratious Lord; and in its oppoſition to the ſouls happineſs and perfection, that the very Miniſters who take them up, to put them into this fire, are themſelves with the extremity of its heat, turned into a live Coal, or all in a flame of love to the bleſſed God, and hatred againſt his and their enemy, ſin; yet theſe hearers like the three Children are not touched with all this fire, their garments are not ſo much as ſinged, nor the leaſt ſmell of the fire on them. O woful wonder!
What little comfort can poor Miniſters take in their lives, when they converſe with ſuch dead carcaſſes, though they cut them with the laws curſe, pierce them to the quick (one would think) with the terrible day of judgment, and the unquenchable fire, yet they ail nothing, feel nothing, and complain not at all.
Reader, when thou art hearing, let thy care be, that thy ſoul may be changed into the ſimilitude of the Scripture, that the word may come with power. When the threatnings are ſhot off, do thou fall down before them with fear: My fleſh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy righteous judgements; When God thundred, Joſiahs heart trembled. When thou vieweſt the precepts and patterns in the word, labour to reſemble them; It is ſaid of the Earl Elzearus, one much given to paſſion, that he was cured by reading and hearing of Chriſts patience.
When the glad tidings of peace are Preached, let thine heart leap with hope. O let the nearer approach of the ſun call forth, and ripen thy fruits of righteouſneſs. When the law comes like a corroſive eating out thy feſtered fleſh and corruption; when the Goſpel is like a lenitive both refreſhing and refining thee, then they come with power; when the threatnings like wine ſearch the wound, and the promiſes like Oyl heal it, then itcometh with authority and majeſty. If ſearch be made by a reproof for thy beloved ſin, do not like Rachel hide it, neither do thou fret when thy ſore is touched, but hold thine arme forth to that knife which ſhould prick thy vein, and let out thy bad blood. Be not angry when a Prophet ſmites thee in the Name of the Lord; Beleive it, he that hates thy ſins moſt, loveth thee beſt. If thou favour thy luſts ſo much as to keep them ſafe from the Sword of the ſpirit, it will prove like Jorams reſpect to Jehu, thine own deſtruction. Their hearts ſurely were very rugged, which cryed out Propheſie unto us ſmooth things: Thoſe feet are very ſore or gouty which cannot go but in downy, moſſie walks, where the ground yeilds to them. Let a reproof be welcom for his ſake that ſendeth it. Thy father knoweth that a bitter potion ſometimes, though not pleaſant, yet is profitable to thee.
As the working of phyſick kindly and well, commendeth both the Phyſitian, and body of the Patient; ſo the powerful operation of the Scriptures, whether of the purging potions of judgements denounced, or cordial julips of mercies diſcovered, do highly applaud both the skill of thy Saviour, and ſtate of thy ſoul. It is written of Philetus a Diſciple of Hermogenes the Conjurer, that going to diſpute with St. James the Elder, the Apoſtle Preached Chriſt to him ſo powerfully, that he returned to his Maſter, and told him, Magus abieram, Chriſtianus redeo; I went forth a Conjurer, but am come back a Chriſtian; O how happy will it be for thee, if whatever thine end were in going to Church; yet when thou returneſt, thou canſt upon good ground ſay; I went forth proud, but am come home humble; I went to Church a bondſlave of Satan, but am returned a free man of Chriſt; I went out earthly, carnal, a malicious and obſtinate ſinner; But for ever bleſſed be the moſt high God, I am come back, an heavenly, ſpiritual, and gracious Saint.