SERM. when this divine meffenger actually came XI. into the world, God himself, by an exprefs voice from heaven, commanded men to hear him.

Now, hearing, in the text, and other parallel declarations of fcripture, importeth a ferious and attentive confideration; not merely the ufe of the external sense commonly fignified by that word, but principally, a diligent application of the mind to underftand the important contents of the divine meffage. Our bleffed Saviour, in his parable of the fower, Matt. xiii. reprefenteth some hearers of the gospel by the fimilitude of ground by the way-fide, so hard, being conftantly trod upon, that the feed doth not enter into it, but is catched away by the fowls; which he thus applieth to the careless unattentive profeffors of religion; they hear indeed, but understand not the word of the kingdom; then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which is fown in their hearts. Their not understanding it is not a fimple ignorance arifing from incapacity, or fpoken of without any regard to the causes of it; for it is plain our Lord intendeth to lay blame on fuch hearers, and to charge them with guilt, which he could not do, if their ignorance proceeded altoge

ther

ther from a defect of natural capacity; or, SERM• which is the fame thing in this respect, that XI.

it equally vindicateth them from guilt, the

want of fufficient perfpicuity in the gospel, when compared with the rational powers of those to whom it is directed. But, by not understanding, is meant not confidering, which hath juft the fame effect with ignorance as to any good improvement; or, however, no other ignorance is meant, than fuch as is the fruit of inattention, which experience fheweth us it very often is. It is very plain that the beft ufe we can make of our understanding, is in a close and vigorous attention; and our progress in ufeful knowledge dependeth more upon this than any thing else we can do. External information, and hearing, in the most obvious fenfe, is at firft neceffary, and may be afterwards very useful, but inward application of the mind, and fixing its thoughts upon the important object, is more univerfally profitable. This is always within the reach of our own power, and without it the other will make no impreffion, nor can we obtain any benefit by it.

This is what we are, in the first place, to understand by hearing; an attentive regard Amidst the amufements of

to inftruction.

T 3

SERM. a vain world, and a variety of voices foundXI. ing in our cars, and calling us different ways,

the wifdom of God hath the first right to be heard, and what he prefcribeth, to be attended to. A great and neceffary point is then gained, and a foundation laid for our obedience; for as one fatal, and, indeed, very general caufe of difobedience, is inattention, when once we are delivered from that, a quite contrary courfe may be expected. There can be little doubt but religion will make way for itself and prevail, if we let it fo far into our hearts, as to give it a fair hearing. It may be juftly faid, no man was ever impious and wicked upon mature deliberation; and to fay otherwife is to affront religion, and in effect to fay the directly contrary to what the apostle affirmeth, that it is a reafonable fervice. But though in fact a great many who hear and profefs religion, are fo hardened through the deceitfulness of fin, that no impreffion is made upon them, it is, we will acknowledge, a reasonable demand on behalf of divine wisdom, and particularly of the great prophet whom God hath fent into the world, that we fhould liften to and feripully confider what he faith; and that we fhould try whether there be fuch truth and

fuch

fuch importance in his doctrines and pre- SER M. cepts as is pretended. The chriftian reve- XI. lation is far from requiring the affent and obedience of men without inquiring; on the contrary, the first teachers of it always addreffed themselves to the understandings of men, and appealed to their reafon, defiring every one candidly to examine, and to judge for himself; and particularly in the xviith of the Acts and 11th verfe, the Bereans are greatly commended, as fhewing a more noble spirit than others, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, that is, not without examination, but upon a full trial, and after fearching carefully whether those things were fo as the apoftle reprefented them.

2dly, Hearing fignifieth a fubmiffive dif pofition, receiving with a suitable deference what our heavenly Father is pleased to reveal to us, giving it fuch an entertainment as the nature of the things revealed severally requireth. To hear, is to turn at the re proofs of wisdom, to tremble at the threatnings of God, to hope in his promises, and practise what he enjoineth; and, in general, that we may give fuch a becoming entertainment to every declaration of his will, we must believe them all: Nor is this a blind

I 4

and

upon

SERM. and irrational perfuafion, but fuch as we are XI. determined to by the highest and best evidence, having firft impartially examined, and been fatisfied concerning the characters and proofs of a divine revelation. There cannot be a more certain principle than this which our faith refteth, it is impoffible for God to lie. He can neither be deceived himself, nor deceive us; but he that hath received the teftimony of Chrift (to whom God beareth witnefs by many figns and wonders) hath fet to his feal, that God is true, John iii. 33. An implicit faith our Lord juftly claimeth, that we should take upon trust whatever he hath revealed, refting on his infallibility, and cafting down imaginations, and every high thing which exalteth itself against the knowledge of God. Whatever difficulties there may appear in the fayings of divine wifdom from the prejudices of men, whatever irregular lufts and paffions may fuggeft in oppofition to them, we ought to be in the humbleft manner refigned to our great unerring teacher. Many, indeed, of our Saviour's hearers were offended at his doctrines and fpiritual precepts; they objected that his fayings were hard; they asked how these things could be, and they forfook him. But it is only our prejudices

and