A. 6. Be not only attentive in hearing but retentive after hearing: Heb. ii. 1., "We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest at any tin)e Ave let them slip." Lest we should let thenj run out, as water out of a sieve ; if the ground doth not retain the seed sown into it, there can be no good crop. Some have memories like leaking vessels, the sermons they hear are presently gone, and then there is no good done. If meat doth not stay and concoct on the stomach, it will not nourish. Satan labours to steal the word out of our mind, Mark iv. 15., " When they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and tak- eth away the word that was sown." Our memories should be like the chest of the ark where the law was put.
A. 7. Reduce your hearing to practice ; live on the sermons you hear : Ps. cxix. 166., " I have done thy commandments." Rachel was not content that slie was beau- tiful, but her desire was to be fruitful. What is a knowing head without a fruitful heart? Phil. i. 11., " Filled with the fruits of righteousness." It is obedience crowns hearing ; that hearing will never save the soul, which doth not reform the life.
A. 8. Beg of God that he will accompa- ny his word with his ])resence and blessing. The Spirit must make all effectual ; minis- ters may prescribe physic, but it is God's Spirit must make it work. " He hath his ])ulpit in heaven that conve'ts souls," Aus- riN. Acts X. 44., " While Peter yet sj)ake, the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard." It is said, the alcliymist can draw oil out of iron : (lod's Spirit can j)roduce grace in the most obdurate heart.
A. 9. If you would have the word work effectually to your salvation, make it fami- liar to vou ; discourse of the word you have heard when you come home, Ps. cxix, 172., "Mv tongue shall speak of thy word." That may be one reason why some people get no more good by what they hear, be- I cause they never speak one to another of
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wTiat tliey have heard ; as if sermons were such secrets, that tliey must not be spoken of again ; or as if it were a shame to speak of matters of salvation, Mai. iii. 16., " Tliey that feared the Lord spake often one to a- nothcr, and a book of remembrance was written."
Use. Caution. Take heed, as you love voiir souls, that the word become not in- effectual to you. There are some to whom the word preached is ineffectual. (1.) Such as censure the word ; instead of judging themselves judge the word. (2.) Such as live in contradiction to the word: Isa. xxx. 8. (3.) Such as are more hardened by the word, Zech. vii. 12., " They made their hearts as an adamant." And when men harden their hearts wilfully, God hardens them judicially, Isa. vi. 10., " Make their ears heavy." The word to these is ineffec- tual : were it not sad, if a man's meat should not nourish ; nay, if it should turn to poison ? O take heed that the word preached be not ineffectual and to no pur- pose ! Consider three things.
(1.) If the word preached doth us no good, there is no other way by which we can be saved. This is God's institution, and the main engine he useth to convert souls, Luke x^^. 31., " If they hear not Mo- ses and the prophets, neither mil they be persuaded though one rose from the dead." If an angel should come to you out of hea- ven, and preach of the excellency of the glorified estate, and the joys of heaven, and
that in the most patlietical manner, — if the word preached doth not ])ersuade, neither would you be wrought upon by such an o- ration from heaven. If a damned spirit should come from hell, and preach to you in flames, and tell you what a ])lace hell is, and roar out the torments of the damned, it might make you tremble, but it woul I not convert, if the preaciiing of the word would not do it.
(2.) To come to the word, and not be savingly wrought upon, is that which the devil is pleased with ; he cares not though you hear frequently, if it be not effectually ; he is not an enemy to hearing but profiting. Though the minister holds out the breasts of the ordinances to you, he cares not as long as you do not suck the sincere milk of the word. The devil cares not how ma- ny sermon-pills you take, so long as they do not work upon your conscience.
(3.) If the word preached be not effec- tual to men's conversion, it will be effec- tual to their condemnation ; the word will be effectual one way or other : if it doth not make your hearts better, it will make your chains heavier. We pit^ tnem ^v•ho have not the word preached, but. it will be worse with them who are not sanctified by it : dreadful is their case, who go loaded with sermons to hell. But I \v\]\ conclude with the apostle, Heb. vi. 9., " We are per- » suaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation."
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OF BAPTISM.