! ··e>:(.! 7. the 1..Chap. of the 7<svel. --c~;;-· I A 1 prayers in their' ne~deld1C iourne;s !hall bee !··-·---·{ their indg-cs to rondcmnc them; for therein 1 , ___ I I that will not cOme• tO hc.arc the v.oi'e ofChriH, is none ofhis l11ccp. Matth.16,19. ChriH iJith to P~ter, I willgiue thee thek,tye.rof.the0,~gdom~ qf he: um. There the preaching ot rhc.Gofpel, is the key of rhc kingdomc ofhcaUen l So th~t lookc hov ..· nccdfaric:: it is foro. man to hauc h1s they confe,fe God is t6 bee wox!hippcd, and yc.t in praCHfc they rciect his d:retlion for i:hc 1 fame. Lailly, mhers fay they hauc knowledge j euoug!1 1 the minifl:crs ca!1 tc:ach them no more I then they knov·.'C: :lnd thc_rcforc th~y need ~Jot goc hcare fo much prcachlllg• ..Ar.j. fhcfc m.:u I prcu:nd !iH:h perfeCt·knovvlcdgeJarc co!Hmon.:o j / Iy the moH ignorant, not knO\·ving the ende of this ordinan'c of God; for preach1ng krunh uoc onc!y to teach men to knov,·c Cod, ancl his will; but alfo t'o increafc in kno\\•ledge, and ro fou~e faued and to emcr into hcaucn, fo be.. hooucfuil it is for him to hearc Sermons 1 for thar: is the turning of the key whereby \\'Cc cmcrinto this kingdomc. z. Cor.5. r~, the preaching ofthe <?ofpcl is the d~drinc of re• conciliation: and tncrcforc looke now nccdfa– ry it is for 3 man to be rc,oncilcd to God; fo nccdcfull iris fOr him eo hearc the ""ord prea– ched. He that ti of God, heamh Gods wurd:and huthathearltbitnot ,is not of God, I. Ioh.4.6. But men haue many cxcufes to exempt them– fdues from hearing Sermons; Some fay, if Godhimfdfcwould preach , or Chriit, or an Angcll from heaucn, then they '"'ould heare; but fo long lS finnefuii man pre:~.chcth , it is no great matter, thou&_h they abfent ~hcmfclues. .Anfw. Tnis is a prc1umpruous rea!on; for the prcachinoofthe Gofpdby rn:an, is Gods ownc ordinanc~;and that forthcfc caufes: Fitfr,fince .Adanufall man cannot abide chc voice ofGod: I yecldobcdicncc to that which they knowc. If chcr~forc thou hall ~no~vledgc, ic is well: ~uc that 1s not enough, 1fthOu wouldc(l beblcficd B thou mufi doe cbat wbich [hou knowefi, loh. q. 17. And for this c:aufe the moH lt>arncd man thlt is, mull Hill frequent the heating of Sermons) to timber himtl:lfc in obcthencc:bc– caufe a man may knowc much J andyet 't''ant confcience to obey• fo os if ,man lhould hearc God fpeakc, hcc would cry out with the Iewcs, Exod, 20, J 9. Let not Godtalkp•ith vsleajl rue d'e. And with Peter, b Departftommec,l am amiforaG/eJinner. Secondly, God fpeaketh by man ro tric the o– bedience and humilitic ofmc:n; to fecwherher they would be content to receiuc :md bclccul! his word, becing propoundcd.by Gnncful man that is like vmo themfducs. And th~rdly, ro Secondly, in this (.'ommaundcnJ<:nt men arc inioyned the reading ofthe \:Vordiandhearing 1 ofit read,not onlypublikcly, bur alfo priuacely in their f:~milies : thlt thereb-y alfo they may come to the knowledgl:ofthat thing which Clni!t propotll1deth vnco them. Luk. 10. 26, Chriftfaith to oncofthcScrihcs; what is writtten? howreadr.ft tho11? taking it for graunted, thac men mufi rcade the: Scriptures prittatly. Arid the c Lord fairhJa ~ptoplcgoc into capti:titic!ucaHfo !I m .. pJ. the! haueno~owledge : yea, they perilh,Hof.4. 6. But wofull is rhc de(et! of this d.ucie; for maintaine loucbcnvecnc man and man,by mu– tuall conucrfi.ng in this holyordinance.Others doe fay, they may well enough keepc them~ fclucs in theirfarnilies,for there they hauc their Biblewhereinbe the Sermons ofChrifi,and of his Prophets & Apo!Hes, then which no mini– ficr can preach better. An{. It is Gods ordin3.ce thatthefe Sermons of Chri!t, of rhe Prophets I and Apo!tlcs,lhonld be againchandled, pr<>– ched, and expounded in his Church:and.thcrc– forc: cuc:ry man is bound inconfciencc to come into the congrcg:uions, and there to hc:trc with rcucrencc Gods holy word. Others will D nor come to the Church,for(rhey thanke god) they c:m fcrue Goc! .,.,·ith :lS good a heart on horfc:-backe,or on their iourneys, as thofe tl1:1t comcvnto the Sermons . .An[. Thcfcpcrfons arc blind and ignorant, afeduccd hcartbcguij lcth them, and therefore they dcfpifc the ordil [ nancc of GOd; but Ice themhcarc.what Salol ' Pro·;,:8.,, mon faith, c Hec that turnetb AW'!J hH_earc from hcm·ing t!Jc /awe, th:n is, the doarine ~f Godcenm hi<praJer!h4llbu abhominable. God J fpeakcth to vs in ~he mini!lctic ofhis wore!, & I ifwe rcfu[c ro here him there, !h<l.ll we thinkc he "vilt he:uc vs \Nhcn we pray?Know therfore, I ' ift_hou rcfufe his ,•.:ord,he wil rcfufe thy praicr: neither indeed on any withom thewordprav ! a~~uch people dccciuc thcmfelucs, thci.r many haue not the Bible in their houfcs for their priuatc excrcifc in rhe word: and in many flmilycs it is fet vp fora {hc._v, or licth couercd with duH, when as cards and tables arc V\'Orne withvfc. leh not :~mitre for men to get fi.atutes· ofrhe Land inco their houfCs,& to read therein for the knowledge of mens laws:but yet herein they arc blame-worthy,that either theyhaue not,or d(e regard not the book ofGod,wher... by theymi~btbe acq\taintcd with the !latutcs •ofthe Lord, forthe better guiding oftheirvnruly aff~B.:ions, Other things in this couunandement h::~uc bc"cnc obfcrued before, The fccond part ofthis conclufion, is \ln ex.. ccJicnt promife made tO him that OUt:fCOffi.- r meth, which for fub!tance hach beene handled in the conc!ufionof the fermer EpHllc. Here ondy fame rpcciall blctlings arc pMdcUJMly promifed: In the handling whcreoftvYo poims· arc to bee conlldcrcd: Firfi, the pertons ro \\'home the promife is made, To him that ouer– comm(th: \\hereof cnucatic was made before verf.7. Srcondly,thebldlings promifCd,com• prifcd in this rhreefold gift of God: Firll, To eare of the M"nnawhich i< hidde: Secondly, To receme a white jlone : Thirdly , A ncwe name written in thcftone, All \'\'hich three figni– fie in C'ffcCl, T:he cleCfion, vocation, iujlification, amigJorificariotJ ofGodspeople. But I will handle· thC in particular. The I. benefit is, Thegiuingof Eee > th-_ I --,-.----
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