: But they, who by no means hear fermons with contempt, will yet be far from due ferioufnefs, if they hear them only with curiofity. And this it may be feared is a very common cafe. We want to have fome fashionable controverfy difcuffed, fome difficult paffage of fcripture explained, fome darling fpeculation enlarged on, fome plaufible hypothefis proposed: in a word, fomething told us, that may prove a pleasing exercise of our understandings at the time, and a help to converfation afterwards. Difcourfes, of which we can make this use, we feldom think of putting to any better; of fuch as we cannot; we foon grow weary, and hearken impatiently after other teachers, having, as the apoftle expreffes it, itching ears*. Thus we pay most earnest attention to what we hear and receive abfolutely no good from it. For filling our heads, in this manner, is rather the way to corrupt our hearts, than to amend them. Learning and ingenuity are doubtless of great fervice in explaining, defending, and adorning religion. But fill the things, which a serious man will chufe to have most infifted on in the pulpit, are those, which he is most concerned to practife, and moft liable to fail in, the plain common rules of a chriftian life. There is nothing new perhaps in fuch difcourses: nothing, but what you have often heard and well remember. But have you minded it as effectually as you ought? Searching into this may poffibly be new enough to you; how agreeable, God and ourselves know beft: but it is needful, without question. Repeating to you ever fo often the precepts, which you are confcious you obferve, will give you pleasure. And the more unpleafing the repetition of the reft is, the more neceffary it will be. "This kind of preaching hath no entertainment in it." Very true. But is it for entertainment that you come to the houfe of God? Such as do, muft not take it amifs to be difappointed; but fubmit, instead of what they wish, to have what they want, given them; the knowledge of their duty, their fins, their Saviour, their grounds of hope or fear in relation to eternity. At least, whatever they might like for themfelves, they must permit others to have the gospel preached to them↑. But 2 Tim. iv. 3. f Matth. xi. 5. But fuppofing you are ever fo defirous to hear fermons, ever so proper on what account do you defire it? Perhaps only to enjoy the fatisfaction, which a well compofed difcourse naturally affords. Your ear is gratified, your fentiments are enlivened, agreeable emotions of various kinds are excited. So the hearer is pleased, the speaker commended, and followed; but with no thought of practifing one word he hath faid. This is the turn of mind, fo admirably defcribed, many ages ago, by the prophet Ezekiel. Son of man, the children of thy people still are talking of thee* by the walls and in the doors of the bouses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, faying, come, I pray you, and bear what is the word, that cometh forth from the Lord. And they come and fit before thee as my people; and they bear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they fhew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness; their worldly defires of whatever fort. And lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely fong, of one that bath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an inftrument ; for they bear thy words, but they do them not. Religious inftruction could never be appointed to give fuch empty, infignificant delight as this: nor doth it in the least attain its proper end, unless it influences men to forget the preacher, and think of themselves: unless it raifes in them, not a fuperficial complacency, or an idle admiration? but an awful folicitude about their eternal welfare, and that a durable one. Conftitutional warmth of temper is often blown up into a pious flame, that goes out almoft as fuddenly, as it was kindled. Lively affections are experienced; excellent defigns are formed; every thing promifes wonderfully well for a time; and then finks down into nothing. Or, it may be, men are moved anew, and refolve anew, at every good fermon they hear but they cool again long before the next, and bring no fruit to maturity. Now a life of religious feelings and intentions, S 2 This is the marginal, and the right tranflation. Ezek. xxxiii. 30, 31, 32. See an excellent difcourfe of Musonius the philofopher on this fubjąc. A. Gell. 1. 5. c. 1. See also Arr. Epist. 1. 3. c. 23. And the character of Socrates's difcourfes given by Alcibiades on his own experience. Plat. Conviv. See alfo Seneca, Ep. 52. tions, with an irreligious failure of acting fuitably to them, is not the life of a chriftian, nor will it ever procure us the re. ward of one. 4. There ftill remains then a fourth requifite, without which, however attentive, impartial, and ferious, we are, we fhall fall fhort; but towards which all thefe qualities greatly contribute : and what that is, the apoftle plainly fignifies to us, where he faith, The word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith, in them that beard_it*. And the faith, that we must have, to make it profit us, is not a mere historical perfuafion of the truth of the gofpel, thought with this we are to begin; but a deep fenfe of our need of God's mercy promised in it; a thankful acceptance of the terms, on which that mercy is offered; an humble reliance on a crucified Saviour for par don, grace and ftrength; with a firm dependance on having thefe bleffings conveyed to us, through a right ufe of the means which he hath ordained for that end; his word, and facraments, and prayer. Such faith indeed must come by hearing at first, as the apoftle hath obfervedt. But this is no objection against the neceffity of exercising it afterwards, in order to hear as we ought and exercifing duly our present lower degree of it, is the only way to obtain a higher. Every one therefore, whe defires benefit from religious inftruction, must attend on it with humility of heart, as a falling, finful, undeferving creature; to whom it makes known a method of recovery, which of himfelf he could never have found out or imagined. He must re-ceive it, when delivered conformably to fcripture, not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of Godt, muft labour to ftrengthen his conviction of these things. He must apply earnestly to him, whose gift faith is, for that faith in his gofpel, which worketh by loves. For when once we come to love our Maker, our Redeemer, our Sanctifier, we fhall hear the very hardeft parts of our duty with willing minds, and perform the whole with a cheerful and perfevering zeal; which time, all remains imperfect and ineffectual. Every attainment that comes fhort of uniform univerfal obedience, however fpecious it be, leaves us in effect very nearly, if not quite, St. James's comparifon is perfectly just. where we were. till Be • Heb. iv. 2. 1 Theff. ii. 13. + Rom. x. 17. § Gal. v. 6. : Be ye doers of the word; and not hearers only, deceiving your own felves. For if any be a bearer of the word and not a doer; he is like unto a man, bebolding his natural face in a glafs. For be beboldeth himself, and goeth his way; and ftrait way forgetteth, what manner of man he was*. Yet this too plainly appears to be the common method. A great part, even of thofe, who come to hear from a principle of conscience, fuch as it is, mind exceedingly little at the time, reflect lefs after-‹ wards, and continue just the same men they were before. They wonder indeed, that their neighbours take no more notice of what is faid and can even wreft paffages in fermons to meanings, which they were never intended to have, and are scarce, if at all capable of, in order to point them against the faults of others; while they think not in the leaft of correcting their own, be they ever fo plainly defcribed as if religion were made for every one else to practife, but themselves. It would really seem quite impoffible, if daily experience did not shew it, that men could be told fo plainly, and warned fo frequently, of tranfgreffions and follies, which they cannot deny to be fuch by which often they not only do great harm, but fuffergreat uneafiness, in this world, and which they are fenfible must bring on them, if not forfaken, the heaviest vengeance of God in the next; yet fit all the while as unconcerned, as if the discourse were about fome perfectly indifferent matter; and go away at laft, without fo much as a fingle thought of ever changing their conduct. Or if they do think of reforming, it is at fome diftant time; like Felix, when they have a convenient feafont; and this they look on as a very pious intention: whereas indeed it is only determining to live on wickedly for the prefent, and leave off they know not when. Or they refolve from henceforward to perform fome part of their duty, the more eafy, or profitable, or fashionable, perhaps but neglect the rest, as much as ever. Or they go farther, and will break loofe from all their fins but they will not avoid thofe temptations, that muft in all likelihood bring them back foon into their former bondage; nor make use of thofe means, that would preferve them from it. Thus, one way or other, they contrive to bear the word, and not to do it; and all they get by this artful management, as St. James, in the paffage above-mentioned, : hath James i. 22, 23, 24. ↑ Acts xxiv. 25. hath excellently obferved, is deceiving their own felves. For God we can never deceive; men we very feldom do; nay even ourselves, for the most part, we are able to cheat but poorly; and could we fucceed in it as completely, as we wish, we fhould be only the more irretrievably ruined. Take heed therefore, how ye hear; and begin your care with confidering so seriously, and improving so faithfully, what hath been delivered to you for that purpose now, that you may reap the truest and utmost advantage you can, from whatever fhall be any where taught yon hereafter. Laying afide all malice, and all guile and bypocrify, as new-born babes, defire the fin cere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift to him be glory, both now and for ever. Ament. SER |