J 1hcf.~. q. Lltt( ,Io. 16'. Gc:n. 2B. 6. 1[<1. ss. 2; • aChro•. H· 21 Alls 2. 37• Lwf;s 24. 3'· ~eartng ofttle ooorn. Chap.o Secl:.3 sECT. 3· Thcdutiesofthefoulin hearing thelVord. OUr Duties;, hearing, confifls in thefe particulars:--- ~. 1. That we fet our fclves in Gods prefence while(!: we arc hearing the \Vord,and that we confider it is God \ve have to deal withal in this bufincfs, and not ·man, and that it is Gods Word, and not mans: This was the great commendation of the TheJJa· lonirms-, That they received the Word as the Word of God, and it is the exprefs faying of our Saviour, He that heareth you, hcareth me: The Lord himfelf is prefent in a fpecial manner, where his \Voi:d is preached; Surely the Lord ii in that place, as Ja,·•b faid of Bcrhel: Now this apprehenfionof Gods prefenee in the alfemblies of his people, will preferve our hearts from roying and wandering thoughts: I hate vain thoughts; bm thy La,. do I love; yea, it will keep us in that awful and reverent difpofition that is tneet for the majefl:y of Heaven. , , . 2. That we diligently attend to that we hear, thus all the people were very attentive to hear Chrijf; or (as it is in the O riginal) They hanged ueon hi.m to hear. him; tlaey fo carried thcmfelves, as if their ears and mindes had been tyed to .his very tongue: Look as a Prifor.er will hearken to the fentence of a Prince, every word he /Peaks be– ing life or death ; or as the fervants of Benhadad, whe11 they were in their enemies po· .wer obferved diligently if any word ofcomfort would wme from the King of lfraet,. and they didhall:ily catch a.t it; fo lhould we with all diligence and attention hearken to the good Word of God. . 3· That we labour to underll:and what we hear; to this purpofe, Chrift called t• the multi:ude, and[aid, Hear and underjfan,d: Now the means to underfiand thi: \'\lord are tlrefe : I. Come to the Word with a willing minde to learn; though the Euneuch underjfand not what he read, yetpecaufc he had a minde to learn, the .Lord provided for him; and we know what a c.omfortablc fuccefs Phlips fermo~.·had\~ith bun: Men love to teach wtllmg Schollars·, fo cloth.God when we come Wtth ·Wtlhng and ready mindes to be taught of him. ,2. Be well acquainted with the G rounds and Principles of Chrill:ianity; it is the want of this that makes men dull in underfianding; th~y that are not firfi well nourilhed with milk, will not be fit to receive and digell fironger meat; if the foundation be not well laid, it is in vain to build. 3· ,Wa!R according to the' light revealed; A good 1mderjfanding have all they that do his Com· mandmems: Ifwe imploy well the little knowledge we have, there is a promife to give ~mw~ . . . • 4· That we hear the word with all fp'irituat · fubje<'l:jon, as that Word which hath power to command the foul and.confcience: God \O·this pnrpofe looks into a congre· gation, to.fee what hearts.will yield to his \ Vord; the Spirit of God hovers over the congregation, and here it w~its, and there it cxpe{ls; to this man it comes, anq knocks at the door of his hea~t, to that man and the other man it goes, fayiog,. Ope:1 your hearts, you C'Verlajfing do~rs;. that the.J(ing ofglory may come in: Sure!¥ now fhould we fay, Thefc arc Gods tcjfimonies, this is the Word, the M iniflcr of GodJpeak} to me in Gods ftcad, I muftgive acc~hnt ofit, and th<refore I willfubmit my[elf to it. 5. That we hear the \Vord,with application of it to our own hearts and lives; Hear this, and ~totv it for thy[elf: fo did Chrifls Difciples when ou,r Saviour told them, that one of them lhould betray him, They were exceeding JcrrG!Vf~tl, and began everY. on.f ofthem to fay, Lord, iJ it 1 i as no plaifler can do the Patient any good, unlefs i; l:e applied; and as no meat is able to do us good, unlefs it be eaten and digefl:ed, no more can the,word pieached ptofit us, unlefsit be mixed with faith, one principal work whereof is to apply thofe things that are delivered in the word, and this is the mean· ing of the Prophet 1 H eark.fn diligemly. 11nto me, and eat ye that whifh isgood. 6. That in hearing, we loo~ to our ajfeflions, that they be rightly cxercifed : Thus Jofrahhis heart is faid tomelt at the reading •f the L aw : Thus .the Jews at Peters Ser· mon were pric~d in their hearts, "'Id[aid, Men 11nd brethren what jhail lve do? thus the hearts of the two Di'fcipl~s that went to Emmam,. burned within them, when Chrijf ope: ned to them the Scriptnres: Now t~e means to flir up thefe affeCtions_, are, I. Abelief of.the word, as that which is undoubtedly true: God.cannot.lye•. Ttt, 1, 2. N_or wtl/ he,changehi~minde, Numb. 23. I9. 2. A love of the VV.Ord·, for its purity, per– fection; ufefulndl'e, and wonderft<l benefits to us. 3. . An appropriation of the VVord unto our felves ;' for that which affects· us, is that which:moft nearly concerns us, with' out
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=