them, as Ps. CA'i. 24., " Tliey believed not his Avord." As Melancthon once said to some of the Italians, " Ye Italians Avorship God in the bread, when ye do not believe him to be in heaven :" so, many hear God's Avords, but do not believe that God is; they question the truth of his oracles. If we do not mix faith Avith the Avord, it is like leav- ing out the chief ingredient in a medicine, Avhicli makes it incff'ectual ; unbelief har- dens men's hearts against the word, Acts xix. ^., " Divers Avere hardened, and be- lieA^ed not." Men hear many truths deliv- ered concerning the precionsness of Christ, — the beauty of holiness, — the felicity of a glorified estate, — but, if through unbelief and atheism they question these truths, Ave may as Avell speak to the stones and pillars of the church as to them. That word which is not believed, can ncA'er be practised. Ubi ninle crcditnr^ ihi nee bene vivitur, Hiero3I. Unbelief makes the Avord preached of no effect : Ileb. ia'. 2., " The word preached did not profit, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." The Avord to an unbeliever is like dioscordium put into a dead man's mouth, Avhich loseth all its vir- tue. If there be any unbelicA'ers in our congregations, what shall ministers say to God at the last day? " Lord, Ave have preached to the people thou sentest us to, — Ave shoAved them our commission, — aa'C de- clared unto them the whole counsel of God, — but they believed never a word Ave spake ; we told them Avhat Avould be the fruit of sin, but they AA'ould drink their sugared draught, though there Avas death in the cup ; Lord, AA'e are free from their blood." God forbid that CA'er ministers should make this report to God of their people ! But this they must be forced to do, if people live and die in unbelief. Would you sanctify a sab- bath in hearing the Avord aright? hear the AA^ord with faith. The apostle puts these two together, " belief and sah'ation," Hcl). X. 39., " Wc are of them that belicA'^e to the saviuff of the soul."
6///. If you Avould hear the word aright, hear it Avith meek spirits: James i. 21.. " Receive the Avord in mansuetudine, — with meekness." Meekness is a submissive frame of heart to the Avord ; contrary to this meek- ness is fierceness of spirit, Avhen men rise
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up in a rage against the word, as if the pa- tient should be angry with the physician when he gives liim a recipe to purge out his bad liumours : Acts vii. 5i., " When they lieard this, tlicy were cut to the heart, and gnashed on Stcplien with their teeth." 2 Chron. xvi. 10., " Asa was wroth with tlie seer, and ])ut liiin in a prison-house." Pride and guilt make men fret at the word. What made Asa storm so, but pride ? he was a king, and tliought he was too good to be told of his sin. What made Cain so angry, when God said to him, " AVhcre is Abel thy brother ?" Saith he, " Am I my brother's keeper ?" What made him so touchy, but guilt? He had imbrued his hands in his brother's blood. If you would hear the word aright, lay down your pas- sions,— " receive the word with meekness," — get humble hearts to submit to the truths delivered. God takes the meek person to be his scholar, Ps. xxv. 9., " The meek will he teach his way." Meekness makes the word preached to be an " ingrafted word," James i, 21. A good scion grafted in a bad stock changeth the nature of it and makes it bear good and generous fruit ; so, when the word preached is grafted into men's hearts, it sanctifies them and makes them bring forth the sweet fruits of righte- ousness. By meekness it becomes an in- grafted word.
1th. If you would hear the word aright, be not only attentive, but retentive. Lay the word up in your memories and hearts, Luke viii. 15., " The seed on the good ground are they, who having heard the word, keep it." The Greek word for " to keep," signifies to hold the word fast, that it do not run from us. If the seed be not kept in the ground, but is pi*esently wash- ed away, it is sown to little purpose : so if the word preached be not kept in your me- mories and hearts, it is preached in vain. Many people liave memories like leaky ves- sels. If the word goes out as fast as it comes in, how can it profit ? If a treasure 1)6 put in a chest and the chest he not lock- ed, it may easily be taken out : a bad me- mory is like a chest without a lock, the de- vil can easilv take out all the treasure, Luke A^ii. 12., *• Then comes the devil and takes away the word out of their hearts,"
Labour to keep in memory the truths you hear ; the things we esteem we are not so apt to forget. ' Will a bride ft>rget her jewels ?' Jer. ii. 32., " Can a maid forget her ornaments ?" Did we prize tin; word more, we sliould not so soon forget it ; if the meat doth not stay in the stomach, but comes up as fast as we eat it, it cannot nourish : so, if the word stays not in the memory, but is presently gone, it can do the soul but little good.