§.Sea.3. Yve rrudt ba- vifhallfore- fialled opinions oftbe tsunificr. yVémtrfi ex- pell all worldly óegitations. Yt7e #11 ex- ansineaur fins andwants. 74 Ofour preparationbefore a'eheure the fiordofGod. X.Pet.z.r. And to thefe altowe may adde all other like vrt- them. Secondly,wemuflbanal out ofour minds all preiudice; foreflalled opinions, and unifier conceits, of the Mini(ler of Godswordwhomwee are toheare; wherebymen are either carried awaywithavaine admirationofhis gifts,and in the meane time make no confcience of feeding vpon that foode which is offered ; likevntothemwho in flead of drinking ofthe wine, $and wondring at the curious workmanfhipof the cup ; or elfe with a preiudicateopinionofhisinfufficien- cie ingifts,or imperfect} ions oflife,whereby they are foföre- Bailed that they thinke nothingwhichhe can deliuerwillbe worth thehearing. Thirdly,wemuff expell outofour cogitations,theremema branceofal worldlybufineffes,pleafures &dclights,lefl they diflraet our minds in the hearing ofthe word,and fo choak- ing this heauenlie feedemake it fruitleffe ; for as the veffell' which is alreadiefull, will receiue nomore, and whatfoeuer is powred into it, fpilleth vpon the ground ; fo the minde that is fall ofworldlie, meditations, is not fit to recei ue the word ofGod, but asfoone as it offereth to enter, it is kept backeand fo perifheth; forGod and Mammon, the hohe wordofGod and the cares andvanitiesofthe world,can ne- uer dwel at the fame time together, but as Toone as one en- treth it expelleth the other. As therefore men urpofing to write a fermon,doemake cleane their writing tat les,byblot ting out that whichwas written in thern-before,for other- wife therewouldbefuch a mixtureand confufion, that no- thing wouldbelegible; fowhenwepurpofe to carry awaya fermon faire written in the tables ofour memories,wee muff firfl blot out all worldly affaires and bufneffes, otherwife there willbenothing butconfufion, and'we (hall not-be able to recall any thing toour remembrance. Fourthlie, before the hearingoftheword we mull fearch and-examine our heartsboth concerning our fnnes and cor- ruptions, as,alfoconcerning our wants, and imperfe Lions; for the firfl we mull confidertowhat finnes wee are moil ad- dieted,and with what. temptations we arc moll ,eafilyu d,
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