Ver.i6. the 17th Chapter of St. JO H Ñ. 221 fpiritually, and they confider it with affe &ion upon a review. Mary kept all thefe Say- ings in her Heart, Luke a. 41. We mind things but (lightly, there mutt be Apprehen; fion before Muting ; Study findeth Out a Truth,. Meditation improveth it. 3. Our Memories arc weak. We have a fhort Memory in the belt Things ; a Mari. needeth no Remembrancer.to put him in mind of Worldly Gain, and to revenge Inju -, ries. But as to good Things, our Memories are as a Bag with holes, or as a Grate, or Sink, that retaineth the Mud, and lets the running Water go. Heb. 2. I. Therefore we ought to give the more earneft heed to the things which we have heard, left at any time we Amid let them flip. We are as Tandy Ground, or leaky Vcffeh ; we ',have much loft the. praaical Memory, have few aEtual Thoughts of Truths in the feafon of them.. Men forget what we have told them of God's luftice, his Omniprefence, the Day,of Judgment. When we are about to faint under AfBi &ions : Heb.i 2. g. Have ye for - gatten the Exhortation that fpeaketh unto you as ;into Children t? My Son, deffif not thou the chafunieg of the Lard, neither faint when thou art rebuked by him. It is a main Office of the Spirit, to remember us of Truths in their Seaton. John 14. 26. The Com- forter, Which is the Holy Ghoft, whom the Father will fend in my Name, be will teach you all things, and bring all things to your.remembrance, whatfoever 1 have faid unto you. It is one thing to know, another thing to remember; fealonablc Thoughts are a great relief in Temptation. ; Tim.,.4. 2., Preach 08117, ord, heinflo t in Seafe, out of. Seafon, imuXiecas, ávdip,us. We may preCs Truths, when there is ,not fuch exprefs need of them, . in feafon preis them again, it is a great advantage,, 4. Our Wills a:e flow and averle. It is not enough for a flow and a dull Servant to hear the Commands of his Matter, but they mutt be often told him : We mutt be ur- ged again and again, as Chrilt doth Peters The Heart is averfe and deceitful, we give a flight Anfwer to the frft Demand, Will you do this for God ? 2 Pet.I.I2,13. Where- fore I 'wiÜ not be negligent to put you always in:remembrance of thefe things, tho ye know them, and be fiablifbed in the prefect Truth. Tea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this Tabernacle; to fiir; yox.up, by putting you in remembrance. tMoft Men love to hear, as being greedy of Novelty and Speculation, expelling things that are rare and leis; known ; it is our,Dutyto preis things that ate more known, to urge the Will. r John 2. 2 t. I have not written to you, becaufe ye know not the Truth, bet became ye know it, and that no Lie is of the Truth ; not to acquaint them with new Doftrine, but to urge them. to ftedfaftnefs. , MI Preaching is not to enlighten the Underftanding, but to gain the Will, to ftir you up again. Our Affe&ions are changeable ; heated Water growetl cold again ; we have need of the fame Truths to revive our Frame. Our AffeCions Coon flag; as a Bird cannotalways;keep upon the Wing, and Remembrance worketh not fo much as prelent excitement. It were an exeeflent Work to put you into the fame frame again. Our Corruptions and Temptations daily atife ; we lofe what we have wrought, we had need be'quickned.anew, . put in mind again, that we may be kept in a good frame. 2 Pet. 3. t. This fecond Epiftle 1 now write onto you, in both which I fair irp your -pore mind by way of remembrance. Secondly, It helpeth Duties. (t.) Meditation. The Mind worketh freely upon fuch Objefts to which it is ac- eultomed ; in things rare and.feldom heard of, there is more need of Study than Me- ditation to march them out. (a.) It helpeth Application. We hear, to do and practice, not only to know ; we do not hear, to (tore the Head with Notions, but that the Life and Heart might be bettered. ZUfi t. Let it not be grievous to you to hear the fame things preffed. Common Truths are not too plain for our Mouths, nor too (tale for your Ears. -If you thould hear the fame Sermon preached again ; Obferve God's Providence, A Sparrow doth not fall to the Earth without our Heavenly Father. Have I'confidered of this ? meditated of it ? Doth not my Heart need it again ? Sure there is fomewhat in it, that God dire6t- eth the Minifter to it again. Ufually we come to hear Sermons with an unmortifed Ear, and bewray an itch of Novelty, as the Athenians, who loved to hear of new Things. And this puts Preachers upon ungrounded Subtleties,and quintefential- ExtraCs,and fo the gravity and fobriety of Religion is loft : Qr elfe there is Pride in it, as if they were above thefe common Helps; the molt learned need a Remembrancer. Some will fay, this I knew before, they cart teach me no more than I know already. i Cor. 8. 2, 3. If
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