John 3·31• 1 Cor.6.7. 11 Sermon on I A M R s r. Yerfe 22. - Now, if this be a proper Text for fuch rimes, ounimes ~. This way our Age is affected; now,is the11Jor/d ofSermons. For proofc. whereof (as if allgodlimffi were in hearing ofSermons) take this ver; place, tbe Houfe of Go o, which now you fee meetly well replenilhed . ·Come at any other parts oftheSer'l>iceof Goo (parts, I fay, of the Ser~ )!ice o[_Gon no lelfe than this) you ilia!.! finde it in a manner) defoiate 1 And, not here onely; but,goe any whitherclfe,yeiliaUfindccvcnthe like. And this (to fpeake with Salomon) u an e'l>ill dije4fe under the Srmne' which bath polfelfe~ the world; or (with Saint lames) a flrong illufio 1 : ofour gholl:ly enem1e. Who when he cannot draw us 'J}Ibolly from the: Ser)!ice of Go o, maketh us fingle out fome one part of it from all the: reil:, and to be fuperll:itiouOy conceited ofthat part; to make muchofit; · and to magnifie ith~bly, nay,onery; with neglect, and (even as it were) w!rh fome difgrace to all befidcs it. · · Ofwhich Imay well fay with Saint lames (theHI. Cbpterfollovving at rhe·x. Verfe) My helowd, tbefe things ought notJo to he: nor they cannot fo be, without manifelt impeachment ofthe wi(dome of Go n, who harh appointed all the ,relt, as well as this; and would have us make a confcience of all the reil, no lelfe than of this. And, we cannotfo re..: ver out one (as we doe) but this will follow; that, Go o did well and wifely in appointing that one,but not foin thereft. For, as for them, they might well have beene fparcd; we can ferve GoD without them, well enough. Trudy, though we cannot turne the llreaU'It or Torrent ofthe Time (for that men Will not heare ofought againll hearing; )yet, ture it is,. t/;is _ uucter/y afault: Hearing is not the only thing: 'And, fo much we mull, and doe tellifie ufito you,thougb our 'J}Iitnejfe be not receiwd. · But, this is not properly Saint lames his only : This rather : That, in bet~ring when wehaven'lade it the onery thing, we fo carry our !elves, as, when we have heard,and heard onely, though we do nothingelfe,but heare and 011ely heare, wethinke wehaye doneenough; we llanddilcharged Defore G .o o; no further thipg can be required at our hands.,This (f'}ith Saimlam~i}is (certainly) anillufion, ordecei)>ing.eurfel1>;:. Fo ,!fall ofJkr parts be neglected for this; and then, in this, fpgreat an.effour.be ~ornmitted ; ifall we doe, bebearing, ·and eveh in that, w_e b~·dec~~'Ved coo, w;1at fhall become ofu~ ? • r~>. su,,.,, . For remedy (then) .ofthis, doth Saint lames giveus this Item: See t~ai VerfexNJ. ye be, &c, In effect, as it hefhould fay: You arefwift to f1eare, yourecerve the 'J}Iord 'J}Ijt/; all gladnej]e, you will nor miffe aSermon : all this I allow of, and like well. But then,See,(that is) doe it not blindly: Toheare the -n>ord, is nor a blind-mans worke: He had need not onely t~ve ~i~ eares, b~t · - - - - ' - - h1s - "
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