331 OfHearing theWord, flickingto any thingbringeth lelfe reuerenceandprofit.And among otherthings he was very gladto fpeake lomewhatto fuch, whomhee thought after, God mightmake intim- ments to reach it toothersmore effeaually than hecould expreffeit, which thing he faid weThouldframe ofthe ApoftlePaul, z.Tim.z.z. r.t^reation. CHAP. 36. Ofhearing Gods word. F the Pfalmiff (Pf1.yd..)couldmakethis argument,He that hath plan- tedthe eare,fhallhe not heare,muchmore mayweargue thus: Hethat bathplanted thecare, fhall not hebe heard ? Shall not he heare,faith Dauid,fhall not hebe heard,fay we?And lately in hiscreationheplan- ted the care to this end, and therefore by the title of creating vshe hull good intereft to the care:Iiuc if the title of creation will not ferue, yetinrefpe& thathe preferpeth vs continually, whichwee call s.Prouidence, hisprouidence, thatintereftmayferue: butifthatferueneither,yetAdamhauingthrough linnealienated himfelfefromGod, hisfoule, his bodie, and fo hiscares too :by theright ;Redemption. ofRedemption theLord hauingpurchafed vs anew, and buying entry iotofvs againeas it were atthe fecondhand, in this right lace may furely claime our cares. Now ifhe may claùnethem,as theybehis,andin truth theybehis,thenmuft we heare him: or if theybe nothis,and by no right appertainetohim,then wee arenot the Lords Ifrael. Butifwcehe the Lords,then I fay as the Lord bath find, lice cannot abide,tbat acandle being light fhould beput vndera bufhell,and that our eares,whichappertaine tohim, fhouldbe put tonovfe : whichif theybe, they little or nothing differ from acarved image, who bath eyes andfeeth not,earesandhearethcot. Hewill not havevscome tothe Church, andthe word Thall beate and beate vpon vs,and no more flirre vsthan itdoth the pillars or fates we fit on,whereinwe Thewour fettles tobebut idoli chriftians,or counterfette profellbrs. Thenifwee mull needesheare, the next thingto be enquired of,is thefpeciall fubieht or 'itfound. obieatofour hearing, wee can heare a noireas ofthebeatingof the ayre, ofthewinde,of the thunder orfuck like,though it benota voyce : but alas a bare foundcan doe nothing. 'dvoyee. Secondlythen wee heare avoyce,but this is common to vs with beafts,and what can the bellowingofoxen or the bleatingof fheepe doe vs good ? So then neither a noilènor a voÿce is here to be flood vpon,whtch cati doe vs nogood. How then ? There is yeta better ¡fward. thing,and that is a vvord,whereinone may expreffethe excellent meaningofhis tninde another, andman may open himfelfe to man, Well, then a found is a thing inferiouya voice is fomewliatmore excellenr,butawordis without quellionthe beltof alto increafe our knowledge.Now iftheword be themoll principall,I would gladly know ofhim,that is fartheft fromGod,ifthere beany word better or more worth thehearingthan theword ofGod. Then ifwee afcend from a found toavoyce, and froin thevoyceto a wcrdiand from a ward totheword of God,weefee theword ofGod to bemoll pnncipall,and.good Theword of .caufc there is why itfhould fobe,the fpeakerthereof is aboue all creatures,and therefore God. his word inuit beabone tiseword of all oilier creatures. Whereunto if wee ioyne but the Simile. confderationofourreuerendregardinhearingbutaPrinceorameanerMagd }race,how we liften,markehisfpeech,fcan and Hand vpon curry word he fpeakes to vs,to fee what moftconcernesvs, this willfurelycondetnne vs for our negligence and carelefnelfein hearingthe wordofthe Lord. But feeingthe word is the bell thing,we willdrawoutano- titer reafon, which is, that wee then belt imploy oureares,whenwee Ireare theword,and in hearingcan fay : NowI !scare the bell thing that I canheare, thisis the faerteft found, and nowmine caresare put to their bellvfe,I hearenotonly a foundbut a voyce,a word, and thevery word ofGod : foare ourhands beltimployed,whêtheyare receiumg the Sa- craurents,oureyes woe' theyare reading,ourfeete when they bring vsto thehoufe ofGod. Whenwee thus haueoncefec our felues inworkewe may well fay, All that I auc, is now is
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