186 _ ° b e rig t manner of Sanflifying the joy than the ftony ground had ; and fo certainly the pleafant nefs that. is fpoken of in Troy. which I mentioned before : And the gladnefs that the three thoufand did receive the Word withal, is different from the gladnefs of the tiony ground. If you ask me, wherein it differs I would a nfwer, it differs thus : The Gladnefs of an Hypocrite in receiving Gods Word, it -ari- fech either from the novelty of ir, becaufe it is a new thing, and he gets new notions that he had nor before ; or elfe he is joyful from forte other carnal excellencies that he finds going together with the Word, tome Efteem, or Honor that he ihall get by ir, fume felriflinefs these is that makes his heart to be glad, for there is a great deal of Natural and Carnal Excellency- that goes along many times with the Word. But now this gladnefs that is fpoken of in the .4tf.r, and in the Proverbf, it is the gladnefs that arifeth from the apprehenfion of the Spiritual Excellencies that there is in the word, as that it is that word that reveals God andChris; tomy foul ; that word that comes neereff tomy foul, to the mortifying of my luits, and the landifying of my heart z This is that which rclak.5 ;Lie rejoyce in the word , the Holmes, aid the Spiritual Excellency that .l fee tobe in the Woi de Thy word ispure ( faith Vavid) andtberfore dot{ thy fervant low it,,anci rejoyce in it This no Hypocrite can fay ; I fee the Image of God in his word, I fee the very glafs of Gods Holinets in the word, I feel that in the word that may bring my foul to God, whereinmy foul enjoyscommunion with God, and jefus Chrift and it is that glads my icul. If we receive theword with joy thus, we ilial come to fandifie the Name of God in nearing of it. And, chat's the EighthParticular., 9. TheNinth Particular is this : IF, we would SA OttiPie the Name of God in his word, We mull receive the iNord into bo- e heartf This you have in Luke 8. 15. the Parable of the Sower ; you than nd there, that t,ere are divers grounds' that do receive the Seed ; and by thole divers grounds are meant di- vers forts ofhearers : There is firft the High-way ground, _that is, Such as hear the word, and never regard what they hear, and nsefoon As ever they goout of the Congregation, the feed of the w9eel is quitegone, and is as theytad not - heard at all.. And then
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