ligon, pursuant to the established methods of SER M. instruction which God hath appointed, fuch XI. as searching the holy books, the standing record of the divine doctrine and laws, which God himself often enjoineth, and it hath been fuccessfully practised by the best proficients in wisdom; the attending opportunities of public inftruction, not forfaking the affembling ourselves together, as the apostle directeth, Heb. x. 25. and affiduity in prayer for that illumination, which God hath promised by giving his spirit to them that ask. But I fhall not pursue the detail of these particulars, which are obvious to every one who knoweth the method God hath taken in revealing his will, and the forms of fervice he hath prescribed. I will endeavour in this difcourfe to fhew you, I. The reasonableness of attending all the III. The proper difpofitions of mind, First, SERM. First, To fhew the reasonableness of our XI. attending all the inftituted means of inftruc tion; and this will eafily appear to any confiderate perfon: If God had never vouchfafed to men a pofitive revelation, if wisdom had never cried, nor understanding lifted up her voice in that manner to the children of men, if we had never known any thing of her but by the foft whifpers in our own breafts, that sense of moral goodness and excellence, which we feel whenever we attend to it, though it is in the generality of men very much overborne by the tumults of the imagination, by vehement selfish paffions, and evil habits; if, I fay, it were so, we should have been obliged, under all the difcouragements and difficulties which at tend our present frailty, to feel after virtue if happily we might find it, as the apostle fpeaketh of mens feeking God by the light of nature, Acts xvii. 27. And it is furprizing to what length fome have arrived without the help of that grace which bringeth falvation, and hath appeared unto us. But when it hath pleased God to erect a kingdom in the world, when we have laws published, examples, promises, divine affiftance, when there is a public adminiftration whereby we are called to glory and virtue, and the divine power 3 SERM. power hath given us all things which pertain unto life and godliness; for us to be ob- XI. ftinately unattentive, like the adder that stoppeth her ear and will not hearken to the voice of the charmer, charming ever fo wifely, as the Pfalmift expreffeth the obduracy of finners, Pfal. lviii, to treat all the offers God hath made us with neglect, and the means he hath appointed for our reformation, without fo much as repairing to the courts of his wisdom, or using any of the methods prefcribed for our inftruction and amendment; this furely is great ingratitude, a heinous contempt of God's authority, an affront to his love, and it must be inexcufable folly fo to neglect our own true interest. Yet how many are there who fhew a wretched indifference to the means of their fanctification and falvation, choofing to fpend their time in amusement, or wholly about the affairs of the present life, while the folemn invitations of wisdom, the feast he hath prepared for their entertainment, as Solomon representeth the provifion which divine grace hath made for the fouls of men, in the ixth chapter of this book, while, I fay, these invitations are contemned as if they were mere trifles? But fuppofing men fo far fenfible of the respect due to a divine revelaVOL. III. T tion, SERM. tion, that they attend the publishing it, XI. and use the outward means God hath ap pointed for their Instruction, a great deal more remaineth yet to be done, that they may be entitled to the bleffednefs here pronounced by Solomon, to thofe who hear wisdom. It is not merely an outward attendance the word of God demandeth, many who pay it that refpect, and even profefs to believe it, yet receive the grace of God in vain; I will therefore proceed in the Second place, to confider what is imported in hearing. And let us obferve that the fcripture reprefenteth this as the fum of that duty and refpect which God demandeth for Chrift who is his wifdom, and the great revealer of his will to mankind. In one of the most celebrated prophecies of the Old Teftament, concerning the Meffias, this is expreffly required with great folemnity, and under the most severe penalties, Deut. xviii, 15. The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet fromthe midst of thee, like unto me (faith Mofes) unto him fhall ye hearken; almost the fame words are repeated in ver. 18. and in the 19th it is added, and it shall come to pass, that whofoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in mý náme, İSERM. will require it of him. When the Son of God XI. appeared in flefh, and entered upon his public miniftry, a voice from the excellent glory, as St. Peter; an eye and ear witnefs calleth it, recommended him to fome of the apoftles, and by their teftimony to the world in this manner, Mat. xvii. 5. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleafed, bear ye him. Thus it is apparent that whatever is meant by hearing Chrift the wisdom of the Father, or hearing that last and most perfect revelation God hath given of his mind to the world, it is enjoined and enforced with all the authority and obligatory power with which any divine precept can be enforced. By Mofes God made his will known to Ifrael, and gradually prepared the way by predictions and types for the compleat scheme of revealed religion in the gospel, which is the cleareft call of wisdom to the children of men. Mofes who was to be regarded by the people of God, as an infpired teacher, foretelleth the coming of another great prophet, the author of a new difpenfation, and declareth before-hand, in the name of God, that he was to be hearkened unto under the higheft penalty for contempt and difobedience; and when T 2 |