Practical Piety, Treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Of Repetition of Sermons in Families.
THe Repeating of Sermons, I ſhall endeavour to move Chriſtians unto, (as I have done in other things before-mentioned) both by Scripture and Reaſon.
Grounds of Scripture for Sermon-Repetition.
The firſt Scripture I ſhall mention, is, Jer. 36. 2, 6. where the Lord firſt commands Jeremy to write all the words which he had ſpoken from the days of Joſiah unto that day; and thereupon, Jeremy calls Baruch to write them from his mouth, and then commands him to read what he had written in the ears of the people, that ſo they might be brought to ſerious repentance for the preventing of their ruine; which ſheweth, that things preached by Miniſters (as Jeremie's Sermons were in the Temple), or Inſtructions delivered from Miniſters mouths (as theſe words were now from Jeremie's mouth), being written and repeated, are of ſpecial uſe; and ſo may ſerve to recommend unto us both the writing and repeating of Sermons.
1. The writing; that being here preſcribed, and being 1.ſo needful, that what is preached, may be rightly and fully repeated. And therefore, though the repeating be that which I intend to perſwade here, yet I ſhall ſpeak ſomething of and for the writing of Sermons, becauſe that is of ſuch uſe for the Repetition; and anſwer what is moſt conſiderably objected againſt it.
Object. Writing hindereth hearing, that is, hearing with ſuch attention and affection, and giving up the whole man to Object.it, as there may be, if Noting be laid aſide, and hearing be the only work.
Whereunto I anſwer, That as it is not in my thoughts to bind every one to Noting, ſo neither is it my mind and Anſw.ſenſe, that any ſhould be taken off from hearing with the beſt advantage, (I ſay, with the beſt advantage, all things conſidered); for I look upon Hearing as a neceſſary duty, and a ſpecial part of our obedience, but upon Repeating as an Auxiliary Exerciſe, and a part of our beneficial aſſiſtance. Beſides, that divers cannot write, and all that can write, are not ſo able and apr for writing of Sermons.
Nor doth this prejudice and take off the preſent buſineſs, which is Repetition: for a diligent hearer may (if he pleaſe, and be ſo provident) write what he hears immediately after he hath heard it, and ſo repeat it; or, if he write not at all, yet, being able to retain it in his memory, he may communicate it in Repetition, by that ability; as the words which the man of God had ſpoken to Jeroboam againſt his Altar were told, and (we may ſay) repeated, by the ſons of the old Prophet unto their Father, 1 King. 13. 11. aAnd it is ſaid Jer. 36. 13. that Micaiah declared unto the Princes all the words that he had heard..
But here I ſhall offer (to prevent the neglect of ſo great an Help as Writing is) theſe Conſiderations, and Advertiſements.
1. Let every man deal truly; for the heart is deceitful 1.above all things bJer. 17. 9., and whileſt one pretends (or perhaps, intends) a better hearing; yet he may, through the ſecret workings of corruption, forbear noting, becauſe he is loth to take the pains which noting requires; yea, (it's poſſible) becauſe he is not willing to be noted to be a Sermon-noter, that being a thing which ſome will look upon, as too low for higher and more conſiderable Perſons.
2. Repetition is here ſpoken of (in ſpecial) as it is a 2.Family-edifying exerciſe, which if it be left to memory, uſeth to be as defective as the memory is ſlippery; or, (where there is leſs Zeal, and Piety is leſs pleaſing) to be altogether omitted, and that by the omiſſion of writing; which would both furniſh the hearer for Repetition, and make it minded, and make it eaſie, and ſo make it more willingly undertaken.
3. Writing ſhews an eſtimation of what we hear, and 3.a reſolution to preſerve the remembrance of it; As when Hezekiah would ſhew how he prized his cure, and that it was in his heart to preſerve the memory of it, there was the writing of Hezekiah cIſa. 38. 9. Men will not truſt their memory with matters of importance, but put them down..
4. As hearing without noting, may more ſtir up affection; ſo noting with hearing more prevents diſtractions, which Satan, by the variety of objects, more eaſily raiſeth and multiplyeth when the mind is not kept to the matter by the intention of the writer.
5. Though by hearing without writing, the heart may be more moved, yet writing ſo imprints there that which 5.is heard as that it is not ſo ſoon removed; for writing hath with it a multiplyed thinking of, and running over and over again (in the inward thoughts) that which is preached and heart, till it be written down, and ſo it ſinks more deeply, and leaves in the heart a more laſting impreſſion.
6. We are to hear for the time to come dIſa. 42. 23.. Now, hearing 6.alone, is for preſent uſe; but, accompanyed with writing, for after-uſe. The Sermon written may be read and reveiwed a month, or twelve months after; yea, it may remain for the uſe of others many years after we are dead. Hence the Scripture when it would expreſs the continuance of things, and the way of that continuance, ſaith, This ſhall be written for the Generation to come, Pſal. 102. 18. eCalv. in Jer. 36. 2. Quoniam labuntur Sermones ex ore hominis, ergò major eſt ſcribendi utilitas.—Quod hodié quiſpiam legerit, poterit iterum cras legere & poſt annum & plures annos.. I do not ſay, it will be thus, if Book after Book be fill'd with Notes, which few or none can read but the writer himſelf; but, thus it will be, if, what is written (for preſent) haſtily, be after written out legibly, which, becauſe leiſure will not permit many to do (if we ſpeak of copying out whole Sermons,) therefore I would adviſe Chriſtians to an eaſier and ſhorter courſe, and that is, when they have noted largely, to obſerve the whole, and then cull out, and write out fair the choiſeſt paſſages fIt was obſerved in the late (and eminently hopeful) Princeſs Elizabeth, though ſo young, yet that ſhe was ſo provident, as not only to write down every Sermon as it was preſently delivered; but, at ſpecial times, to pick out the choyſeſt Sentences, and tranſcribe them in a Book on purpoſe with her own Royal hand. John Bachiler, Epiſtle Dedicatory to the Royal Bud of our Engliſh hopes, Princeſs Elizabeth, prefixed to his [Golden Sands]., which may be done more fully or more briefly, as time will give leave, and as the Sermons and Chriſtians condition give cauſe and occaſion. By this means, Poſterity (when they are in Heaven) may reap the benefit of that which they heard delivered, and were ſo careful to lay up; yea, by writing out briefly profitable and acceptable words of all ſorts, the ſurviving godly Reader will be a great gainer by things ſo uſeful, and be much refreſh'd alſo with the variety of them.
If it be objected, That the caſe here was a ſpecial caſe, becauſe Jeremy was ſhut up, and could not go to the Houſe Object.of the Lord; and therefore is not to be drawn to common uſe.
To this I anſwer two things,
1. That the caſe may quickly be ſuch at any time, as that Anſw.which is deſcribed here; For1.
1. No man knows how ſoon Miniſters may be ſhut up, (as Jeremy here was), that they cannot ſpeak to their ordinary hearers. And,
2. Hearers know not how ſoon they may be ſhut up, either by ſickneſs or reſtraint, that they cannot come to Miniſters, and therefore, it's wiſdom to make uſe of the preſent liberty, in writing down, and laying up, preſent Inſtructions; that ſo, though intercourſe with Miniſters be interrupted or removed, yet their Sermons being (as they ſay) in black and white, their former intercourſe with them, and hearing of them, may in this way, make ſome comfortable amends, and ſerve for a profitable ſupply: whereas, if old Sermons be forgotten, and new Sermons cannot be gotten; Chriſtians are like to be at a ſad loſs, yea, though there be printed Sermons to be had; for, howſoever they may be very profitable, yet they may not be ſo ſutable to the times and their ſtate as thoſe which they have heard, and which (perhaps) were prepared at firſt with reſpect to their condition.
2. I anſwer, That in the courſe taken here, to write from the mouth of Jeremy what was to be read by Baruch, 2.we are not only to conſider the occaſion, but the end and uſe, which was, that by reading the words written in the Ears of all Judah, they might thereby be moved to ſuch Humiliation and Reformation, as that the evil they heard pronounced might not come upon them gJer. 36. 6.: Now, Albeit, that occaſion was a more ſpecial occaſion, yet this end is a common end: which, whileſt it lets us ſee that the writing and reading of Sermons preached, is a good means (yea, Gods means) to work the heart to goodneſs, it doth thereby perſwade us to imitation, and, for attaining the ſame end, to take the ſame courſe; which if it be done more ſolemnly in a day of Humiliation (as then it was), it is probable it will prevail the more.
Thus far I have ſpoken (by occaſion of this Scripture) with ſpecial reſpect to the Writing of Sermons: and now I ſhall briefly add that here is recommended,
2. The Repeating of them] Becauſe, for that reaſon it was that the words ſpoken by the mouth of Jeremy muſt 2.be written by Baruch, to wit, that they might be read and repeated to thoſe to whom they were firſt delivered, by the mouth of Baruch; And the remainder of the Chapter ſheweth alſo that they were again read and repeated before the Nobles and the King.
And this declareth the uſe of Noting Sermons, which is not to lay them up in Books, and there leave them; but to repeat and communicate them to others: Indeed, it's true, that what was done here, was done by the Lords direction; and, what was read here, was read in the Lords Houſe; But, there being no juſt cauſe to appropriate this courſe (for the ſubſtance of it) to any time or people, we have reaſon to ſay, that this Divine direction, at this time, caſts an honour and an approbation upon the ſame courſe (in the generallity) at all times; and Gods end in this Reading and Repeating in His Houſe, juſtly mindes us of the benefit that may be had from it in our own houſes; I mean, according as the matter is which is preached, written, and repeated; for, it is not always of that kind that theſe words here were, but, whatever ſort of matter it be, this Writing and Repeating is a way to make it more familiar to us, and fruitful in us. Thus of this Scripture.
The ſecond Scripture that I ſhall mention, is (Col. 4. 16.) where the Apoſtle ordereth firſt, that the Epiſtle written to the Coloſſians ſhould be read among them; And then that they ſhould cauſe it to be read alſo in the Church of the Laodiceans; for, it was not written (as one ſaith) hMuſc. in loc.to Coloſſians as Coloſſians, (for the ſubſtance of it) but to the Coloſſians as Chriſtians, and ſo, it was for the uſe of Chriſtians generally, albeit, there was (it's like) a ſpecial reſpect in it to other Churches in the ſame Countrey, and namely, that of Laodicea: which, it is conceived, laboured under the ſame ſpiritual diſeaſes that the Coloſſians did, and ſure were in danger of being taken with thoſe Errours that are mentioned in the ſecond Chapter of that Epiſtle.
Now, as this Scripture makes much for the reading of Scripture; and for the communicating of holy Inſtructions by one Church to another: ſo (by the like reaſon, and for the ſame ends) it recommendeth alſo the imparting of the things of God, once delivered by Miniſters (as this Epiſtle was by Paul) by one Chriſtian to another; and that eſpecially, where their Intereſt, Opportunity, and Charge lies moſt, which we know to be in their reſpective Families.
Unto the two former Scriptures, I ſhall add one General Sentence more, which though I intend not to inſiſt upon, yet Ingenuity and Piety will make it helpful to this holy Exerciſe; The words are theſe, God hath ſpoken once, twice I have heard this iPſal. 62. 11., which howſoever it may be underſtood of our hearing twice. becauſe God ſpeaks to us twice kJob 33. 14., yet it is alſo a good Interpretation, and very ſuitable to the words (as they are rendred in our Tranſlation) which Calvin (writing upon thoſe words) reciteth; to wit, that, though God ſpeak but once, yet, we ſhould hear it twice; that is, revolve it, ponder it lLuk. 2. 19., and make our ſelves to hear it again and again; which will be aptly applyed to the matter in hand, if we ſay, that when God ſpeaks once, that is, by his Miniſter in Preaching, then we are to hear twice; that is, (as by Meditation in our hearts, ſo alſo, by Repetition) wherein there is apparently a ſecond hearing) in our houſes.
Hitherto of Scripture-Grounds for Family-Repetition.
I proceed now to the Reaſons that may be given of this labour of Love, and whereby the minds of godly perſons may be confirmed in this practiſe of Piety.
In the firſt place, I ſhall lay down a General reaſon drawn from the manifold profit that ariſeth from Sermon-Repetition; For thereby
1. The Sermon is better underſtood by a ſecond skanning mSi quod ſtatim noa fuerit intellectum repetitur, plus habet lucis. Calv. ia Jer. 36. 1, 2..
2. Better remembered, by a new recalling n2 Pet. 1. 13, 15..
3. Better digeſted, and nouriſhing better by chewing the cud oLev. 11. 3., that is, by fetching up that ſpiritual food again which is already received, but not ſufficiently prepared; and therefore it muſt be gone over again, that being well concocted the Soul may prove the better by it.
4. Better laid up in the heart, by harrowing after the firſt ſowing, unto which Meditation and Repetition may be compared, whereby any thing harder is broken, and the ſeed ſown is covered and kept ſafe. Writing without reciting, lays the Sermon up in the Book, and there leaves it; but Repetition houſeth it in the heart, which is the proper place where it ought to dwell pCol. 3. 16. Pſal. 119. 11..
5. Better expreſſed in the life, by thoſe freſher and ſtronger impreſſions in the heart, which the calling of that we have heard to mind and to a new conſideration, leaves behind it. Now the better impreſſions there be within, and the more the Word is wrought into the heart, the better expreſſions and the more holy fruit there will be without; for, Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth ſpeaketh; Matth. 12. 34. And ſo the hand worketh, the foot walketh, and the whole man acteth. Thus in general.
In the next place I ſhall make uſe of ſome more particular Reaſons of Repetition, and that, both in regard of our ſelves, and others.
In regard of our ſelves, There are three things conſiderable. 1..
1. That this Reviewing of Sermons, and ſpending more of our time and thoughts upon them is an effectual 1.means of growing up in a right knowledge of Religion; for, the abilities and ſtudies of Miniſters (eſpecially their Scripture-ſtudies) are much ſum'd up in their Sermons, which (therefore) being firſt attentively heard, (which writing ties the hearer unto), and afterward more deliberately conſidered of, in the Repetition, do thereby poſſeſs the hearer in a good degree with the Miniſters ſufficiency; beſides that, he freeth himſelf alſo from that ſad imputation of being ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth q2 Tim. 3. 7.. Hence it is, that the Beroeans were ſo careful of, and are ſo much commended for, not only an hearing with all readineſs of mind, but alſo a taking up of what they had heard into their thoughts afterward, Searching the Scriptures whether thoſe things were ſo rAct. 17. 11.; yea, Hence alſo Miniſters themſelves, do write and preach the ſame things again and again, becauſe (whatſoever tediouſneſs there be in it in it ſelf, and to themſelves, yet) they are ſure it is ſafe for their people ſPhil. 3. 1., and a great Preſervative againſt the Infection of Errour, which is ſo much againſt Chriſtians ſafety and ſalvation, 1 Cor. 15. 1, 2.
2. It is to be carefully conſidered and weighed, that faithful Miniſters and provident Paſtors ſpeak to the diſeaſes 2.tEzek. 34. 4.of their people, as Paul did to the diſeaſe of the Romans, which was a backwardneſs in receiving the Faith; and ſo the Apoſtle James, to the diſeaſe of thoſe to whom he wrote, which was, though they received and profeſſed the Faith, yet to be careleſs of a godly life, and thoſe good works wherein Faith (if it be not a dead Faith) is fruitful; upon this ground, I infer, that albeit there be many printed Sermons which Chriſtians may very profitably read (and ought ſo to do) yet, the matter of them is not like to be ſo proper to, and fitted for, their ſpiritual condition as the Sermons of their own Paſtor, who (being ſuch a one as he ought to be) is (like Paul uEph. 6. 22. Phil. 2. 19. Coloſſ. 2. 1, 2. 1 Theſſ. 3. 5.,) diligent to know their particular ſtate, and conſtitution, and ſollicitous to diſpenſe and adminiſter that Inſtruction which is moſt ſuitable thereunto.
3. And every hearer ſhould very ſeriouſly take this to 3.heart, that he is to give a ſpecial account of the Sermons which himſelf heareth, as being therein more concerned and more charged, then in thoſe that are preached to other hearers. As the great works of God ſhould, in that very reſpect, move us the more, becauſe our own eyes have ſeen them xDeut. 11. 2, 7, 8. Judg. 2. 7.. So the Words of God alſo, becauſe our own ears have heard them. A Kings charge in the Subjects own hearing, works much for obedience y2 Sam. 18. 12. For in our hearing the King charged., notwithſtanding all tentations to the contrary. The Sermons preached to us, are our Talents which we are to trade withall, as thoſe of whom it ſhall ſhortly be demanded what we have gained. Now every mans reaſon will tell him, that of that whereof he is to give a ſpecial account, it behoveth him to take and make a ſpecial account, which eaſily falleth into Noting, and Repetition.
In regard of others alſo, this courſe is very conſiderable, it being much fo the ſpiritual good and growth of thoſe 2.who have not heard, to hear and have (though at ſecond hand) the things heard by others. Hence godly and devout Chriſtians have ever been careful of this Communication zFor Governours to ſpeak to their Families out of Gods Word, is good; but to repeat what Miniſters ſpeak, is ſafe, and likelier to be free from miſtake.. As Bees bring what they have gotten abroad, home to their Hive, ſo do good Hearers, to their Houſe and Family; and, as they that go to the Market, bring with them bodily Proviſion for the reſt of the Houſhold that have not been there, ſo doth a provident Hearer ſpiritual Proviſion; By which means, the ſame good effect may ariſe which we find wrought upon the Samaritans, by what the woman of Samaria teſtified unto them concerning the Meſſiah, which was that many of the Samaritans believed on him for the ſaying of that woman aJoh. 4. 39.; that is, that was a good preparation and excitation to their after full and firm believing; of which they give this account to the woman, Now we believe, not becauſe of thy ſaying, for we have heard him our ſelves bVer. 42.. Accordingly, Chriſtians communicating and repeating in the ears of others the good Inſtructions they have heard and noted themſelves, may ſtir up in others holy affections, and prepare their hearts unto the Lord; but then, all comes to perfection and to a ſolid ſetting of the ſoul in frame by hearing in their own perſons from the Miniſters of Chriſt, that which hath been before repeated and teſtified to them by the hearing of others.
To conclude, I doubt not, but divers have found by their experience, (I am ſure, I have found it by my own) that Sermons have divers times come nearer the heart, and under more Obſervation in the Repetition then in the firſt Hearing. Not but that the Word preached by the Meſſenger of the Lord of Hoſts, is the principal and higheſt means of Ediſication and Salvation; but yet, (beſides, that every man ſees more by a review then at firſt ſight), God is pleaſed ſo far to ſhew his liking of the conſcientious uſe of every Chriſtian exerciſe and aſſiſtance, as to follow it with a ſenſible addition of ſpiritual profit; ſo that, the ſearching Hearer is the noble and the thriving Hearer cAct. 17. 11, 12.. And to this experience I ſhall leave the religious Reader thereby to make up what might be further ſpoken, for the Confirmation, and Commendation of this godly Family Exerciſe dNon oportet à coetu Eccleſiae recedentes contrariis huic ſtudio negotiis implicari, ſed domum continuò revertentes, Sacros replicare libros, & conjugem pariter, liberoſ que ad corum quae dicta ſunt, collationem vocare. Chryſoſt. in cap. 1. Mat. Homil. 5..