Luke viii. 18. Take heed therefore how ye hear.
THE office of a Christian minister is arduous. He is to explain and enforce every part of man's duty: he is to search out and censure every sin. After all his labours, he will see but little fruit. However faithfully he preach, there are but few who will hear aright: this our Lord had just declared in the parable of the sower. He then enforced his declaration with this most important caution. In discoursing upon which, we shall, I. Assign some reasons for the caution —
Our Lord elsewhere cautions his people to take heed what they hear : nor can any thing be more necessary than to be on our guard against error. But the caution hoiv we hear was also necessary :
1. Because many hear in an unbecoming manner —
The generality are careless hearers —
[They attend God's house merely in conformity with the customs of the country : they suffer their thoughts to rove after earthly and carnal things : they discern very little difference in the doctrines which they hear : they, like Gallio, seem to " care for none of these things."]
Many are critical hearers —
[They can attend to nothing which is not composed with elegance ; or they affect only what accords with their own views of religion : they judge of all they hear by a standard of
their own. Hence they form parties, and set up one minister against another51.]
Many also are captious hearers —
[They will not hear any thing which militates against their prejudices : they cannot bear to have their favourite habits condemned b : they are offended if their bosom lusts be faith- fully reproved0 : they too much resemble the Scribes and Pharisees of oldd — While there continue such hearers, the caution will be necessary.]
2. Because God himself speaks to us by the preacher —
[Ministers are ambassadors for God, and speak in Christ's stead e. If they preach what is founded on the Scriptures, their word, as far as it is agreeable to the mind of God, is to be considered as God's f. This is asserted by our Lord and his Apostles g. We ought therefore to receive the preacher's word as the word of God himself11. With what humility then ought we to attend to it ! What judgments may we not expect, if we slight it1. Surely therefore on this account also we need the caution in the text.]
3. Because every discourse increases either our salvation or condemnation —
[The word delivered is either a savour of life or of death k. Our Lord himself intimates this reason for the caution1. Hence our Lord's preaching eventually enhanced the guilt of the Jews"1. The same awful effects will be felt by those who slight his ministers". What stronger reasons for such a caution can possibly be imagined?]
The necessity of such an admonition being evinced, we, II. Give some directions for obeying it —
An humble mind will naturally receive instruction in a proper manner —
We should hear,
With candour —
[We cannot too carefully divest ourselves of prejudice : we
should not " call any man master upon earth." We should
rather weigh what we hear, in the balance of the sanctuary ° ;
but we ought to have our minds open to conviction. We should
a 1 Cor. iii. 3, 4. b Luke xi. 45. c Mark vi. 17, 18.
d Luke xi. 54. e 2 Cor. v. 20. f Heb. xiii. 7.
k John xiii. 20. 1 Thess. iv. 8. • h 1 Thess. ii. 13.
I Heb. ii. 1—3. k 2 Cor. ii. 15, 16. ' Luke viii. 18.
m John xv. 22. n Heb. vi. 7, 8. « 1 Thess. v. 21.