198 The right manner ofSanThfying the come to hear it. The eyes ofthe fool (faith Solomon) are in all the corners of the earth, up and down wandring, little minding that youare to come to hear God him felf 1pealt to you in the Mi- nary ofman. And iffo be that it be minded, yet ordinarily the hearts of mendo put off the word, and if it come any thing neer to them, they think to fhift it from themfelves to others. We have a notable Scripture in 'Reb. 12.25. for fuch man as fhift off Gods Word when it comes many times very neer to them : See thatye refufe not him thatfpeaketb : for if theyefcaped not who refutedhim thatfpake on earth, muchmore fhallnot we efcape, if we turn awayfromhim whichfpealiethfrom Ikaven : See that ye refute not him that fpeaks the Word, fee that youdo not put gimoff: And that is the fignification of it : if you compare it with Luke 12. 18. you should find that there is the fame word ufed, where freaking of chofe that were invited to the flipper, it is laid, They all with one content began to make excufe ; they be- gan to (tuft it off, that is the fame word. Oh takeheed of this, that whenyou are hearing theword, and Chritf comes and fpeaks to your hearts, and you begin to think that it may concern 'you, and your confciences begin to Ilk, take heed that you do not fhift himoff, take heed that you do not put away the word from youby any kind of pretence whatfoever. 7( It maybe) you wil. fay, If I were certain it were the word of God, and that fpake to me, God forbid but that Ishould fubmit unto it. But though it may be the hearts ofmen are not fonotorioufly rebel- lious, as to refolve to fin againft the word, which they will acknowledg to be the word of God yet this is the deceit of the heart, when theheart bathno mind to obey, it will fhift offthe word, and have pretences and put-offs : Oh take heed that you donot fhift offhim that fpeaks from Heaven, by ma- ' king any kind of excufe, whatfoever , but when thouheareft, if the word of God come to tby'C Aropriro4gapeaiggAto,fia-n reafonings that are againft it. -hers thereafetliii Cann&-. cell how to fhift off the Word, but it will come upon them when they are hearing ; it may be they are a little fited, but it is pre- fently gone, fo that they are far from holding the word, far from keeping it in their hearts. Oh ! Howmany of you have been flied when you have been hearing the word ! and bow happy
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