And how can we here avoid admiring the love and tender care which our dear Redeemer has expressed for his spouse the church? Who, because he could not be always with us in person, on account it was expedient he should go away, and as our forerunner take possession of that glory he had purchased by his precious blood, yet would not leave us comfortless, but first settled a sufficient number of pastors and teachers; and afterwards, according to his promise, actually did and will continue to send down the Holy Ghost, to furnish them and their successors with proper gifts and graces “for the work of the ministry, for the perfecting of the saints, for the edifying of his body in love, till we all come in the unity of the spirit, to the fulness of the measure of the stature of CHRIST.”
O how insensible are those persons of this unspeakable gift, who do despite to the Spirit of grace, who crucify the Son of GOD afresh, and put him to an open shame, by wilfully refusing to attend on so great a means of their salvation? How dreadful will the end of such men be? How aggravating, that light should come into the world, that the glad tidings of salvation should be so very frequently proclaimed in this populous city, and that so many should loath this spiritual manna, this angels food, and call it light bread? How much more tolerable will it be for _Tyre_ and _Sidon_, for _Sodom_ and _Gomorrah_, than for such sinners? Better, that men had never heard of a Saviour being born, than after they have heard, not to give heed to the ministry of those, who are employed as his ambassadors, to transact affairs between GOD and their souls.
We may, though at a distance, without a spirit of prophesy, foretel the deplorable condition of such men; behold them cast into hell, lifting up their eyes, being in torment, and crying out, How often would our ministers have gathered us, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings? But we would not. O that we had known in that our day, the things that belonged to our everlasting peace! But now they are for ever hid from our eyes.
Thus wretched, thus inconceiveably miserable, will such be as slight and make a mock at the public preaching of the gospel. But taking it for granted, there are but few, if any, of this unhappy stamp, who think it worth their while to tread the courts of the LORD’s house, I pass on now to the
_Second_ general thing proposed, to lay down some cautions and directions, in order to your hearing sermons with profit and advantage.
And here, if we reflect on what has been already delivered, and consider that preaching is an ordinance of GOD, a means appointed by JESUS CHRIST himself for promoting his kingdom amongst men, you cannot reasonably be offended, if, in order that you may hear sermons with profit and advantage, I
1. Direct or entreat you to come to hear them, not out of curiosity, but from a sincere desire to know and do your duty.
Formality and hypocrisy in any religious exercise, is an abomination unto the LORD. And to enter his house merely to have our ears entertained, and not our hearts reformed, must certainly be highly displeasing to the Most High GOD, as well as unprofitable to ourselves.
Hence it is, that so many remain unconverted, yea, unaffected with the most evangelical preaching; so that like St. _Paul_’s companions, before his conversion, they only hear the preacher’s voice with their outward ears, but do not experience the power of it inwardly in their hearts: Or, like the ground near _Gideon_’s fleece, they remain untouched; whilst others, who came to be fed with the sincere milk of the word, like the fleece itself, are watered by the dew of GOD’s heavenly blessing, and grow thereby.
Flee therefore, my brethren, flee curiosity, and prepare your hearts by a humble disposition, to receive with meekness the engrafted word, and then it will be a means, under GOD, to quicken, build up, purify, and save your souls.
2. A second direction I shall lay down for the same purpose, is, not only to prepare your hearts before you hear, but also to give diligent heed to the things that are spoken from the word of GOD.
If an earthly king was to issue out a royal proclamation, on performing or not performing the conditions therein contained, the life or death of his subjects entirely depended, how solicitous would they be to hear what those conditions were? And shall not we pay the same respect to the King of kings, and LORD of lords, and lend an attentive ear to his ministers, when they are declaring, in his name, how our pardon, peace, and happiness may be secured?
When GOD descended on mount _Sinai_ in terrible majesty, to give unto his people the law, how attentive were they to his servant _Moses_? And if they were so earnest to hear the thunderings or threatenings of the law, shall not we be as solicitous to hear from the ministers of CHRIST, the glad tidings of the gospel?