2. Consider liow serious and weighty the matters delivered to us are. As Moses said, Deut. xxx. 19., " I call heaven and earth to record this day, that I have set be- fore you lif'L' Jiud death." Can men be re- gardless of the word, or drowsy when the weighty matters of eternity are set before them ? We ])reach of faith, and holiness of life, and the day of judgment and the e- ternal recompenses ; liere is life and death set before you, and doth not all this call for serious attention ? If a letter were read to one of special business, wherein his life and estate were concerned, would not he be ve- ry serious in listening to that letter? In the preaching of the word your salvation is concerned ; and if ever you would attend,
it should be now, Deut. xxxii. 47., " It is not a vain thing for you ; because it is vour life."
3. To give way to vain thoughts, and drowsiness in hearing, doth much gratify Satan. He knows that not to mind a duty is all one as not to do a duty in religion. " What the heart doth not do, is not done." Tiierefore Christ sailh of some, " Hearing they hear not," Mat. xiii. 13. How could that be ? Because, though the word sound- ed in their ear, yet they minded not what was said to them, — their thoughts were up- on otlier things, — therefore it was all one as if they did not hear. " Hearing, they hear not;" and doth not this please Satan, to see men come to the word, and as good stay away ? They are haunted with vain thoughts ; they are taken off the duty while they are in it ; their body is in the assem- bly, their lieart in their shop: "Hearing, they hear not."
4. It may be the last sabbath that ever we shall keep; we may go from the place of hearing to the place of judging; and shall not we give reverent, attention to the word, did we think thus when we come into God's house : Perhaps this will be the last time that ever God will counsel us a- bout our souls ; before another sermon, death's alarm will sound in our ears; with what attention and devotion should we come hither, and our affections would be all on fire in hearing ?
5. You must give an account for every sermon you hear, Luke xvi. 2., Rcdde ratiu- ■,i(.jf/^ — « Give an account of thy steward- sliip." So will God say. Give an account of IJiy hearing. Hast thou been affected with the word? Hast thou profited by it? And how can we give an account, if we have been distracted in hearing, and have not taken notice what hath been said to us? The Judge to whom we must give an ac- count, is God. Were one to give an ac- count to man, he might falsify his accounts; but we must give an account to God. Nee donis corrutnpilnr, ncc hhmditiis faUitnry Bern. " He is so just a (lod that he can- not be bribed, aiul so wise, that he cannot be deceived." Therefore, going to gi\e an account to such an impartial Judge, liow should we observe cxcxy word preached,
OF THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.
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rcmembcring-tlie account? Let all tills make I lieaiing, and Iiavc our cars cliained to tlie us shake off distraction and drowsiness in ', word.
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ExoD. XX. 8. liememher the sabbath-day to keep it hobj, §r.
2d. IF you would hear the word aright, lay aside those things which may render the word preached ineffectual : As,
1. Curiosity. Some come to the word preached, not so much to get grace, as to enrich themselves with notions : " Itching ears," 2 Tim. iv. 3. Austin confesseth that hefore his conversion, he went to hear St. Ambrose, rather for his eloquence, than for the spirituality of the matter. Ezek. xxxiii. 82., " Thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument." Many come to the word oi.Iy l<> fea*t their ears; they like the melody (A' tlic voice, the mel- lifluous sweetness <if \\\c expression, the newness of the notion, Acts xvii. 21. This is to love the garnisliing of the disli more than the food ; this is to desire to be pleas- ed, rather than edified. Like a woman tliat paints her face, but neglects her hoaltli: so they paint and adorn themselves with curi- ous speculations, but neglect their soul's health. This hearing doth neither sanctify the heart, nor the sabbath.
2. Lay aside prejudice. 1. Prejudice a- gainst the truths preached. The Sadducees were prejudiced against the doctrine of the resurrection, Luke xx. 27. — 2. Preiudice against the ])erson ])reacliirig : 1 Kings xxii. 8., " There's one Micliaiah by whom we may inrjuire of the Lctrd, but I hate him." This hinders the virtue of the won!. If a patient hath an ill opinion of his physician, he will not take any of his recipes though never so good. Prejudice in the mind is like an ohsst ruction in the stomach which hinders the nutritive virtue ol" the nie;i(. Prejudice ])oisons the word, and makes it lose its efficacy.