Directions how to hear Sermons.

Luke 8:18, "Take heed, therefore, how ye hear."

The occasion of our Lord's giving this caution, was this: Perceiving

that much people were gathered together to hear him out of every city, and

knowing (for he is God, and knoweth all things) that many, if not most of

them, would be hearers only, and not doers of the word; he spake to them by

a parable, wherein, under the similitude of a sower that went out to sow

his seed, he plainly intimated, how few there were amongst them, who would

receive any saving benefit from his doctrine, or bring forth fruit unto

perfection.

The application one would imagine should have been plain and obvious;

but the disciples, as yet unenlightened in any great degree by the Holy

Spirit, and therefore unable to see into the hidden mysteries of the

kingdom of God, dealt with our Savior, as people ought to deal with their

ministers; they discoursed with him privately about the meaning of what he

had taught them in public; and with a sincere desire of doing their duty,

asked for an interpretation of the parable.

Our blessed Lord, as he always was willing to instruct those that were

teachable, (herein setting his ministers an example to be courteous and

easy of access) freely told them the signification. And withal, to make

them more cautious and more attentive to his doctrine for the future, he

tells them, that they were in an especial manner to be the light of the

world, and were to proclaim on the house-top whatsoever he told them in

secret: and as their improving the knowledge already imparted, was the only

condition upon which more was to be given them, it therefore highly

concerned them to "take heed how they heard."

From the context then it appears, that the words were primarily spoken

to the Apostles themselves. But as it is to be feared, out of those many

thousands that flock to hear sermons, but few, comparatively speaking, are

effectually influenced by them, I cannot but think it very necessary to

remind you of the caution given by our Lord to his disciples, and to exhort

you with the utmost earnestness, to "take heed how you hear."

In prosecution of which design I shall,

FIRST, Prove that every one ought to take all opportunities of hearing

sermons. And,

SECONDLY, I shall lay down some cautions and directions, in order to

your hearing with profit and advantage.

FIRST, I am to prove, that every one ought to take all opportunities

of hearing sermons.

That there have always been particular persons set apart by God to

instruct and exhort his people to practice what he should require of them,

is evident from many passages of scripture. St. Jude tells us, that "Enoch,

the seventh from Adam, prophesied (or preached) concerning the Lord's

coming with ten thousand of his saints to judgment." And Noah, who lived

not long after, is stiled by St. Peter, "a preacher of righteousness." And

though in all the intermediate space between the flood and giving of the

law, we hear but of few preachers, yet we may reasonably conclude, that God

never left himself without witness, but at sundry times, and after diverse

manners, spoke to our fathers by the patriarchs and prophets.

But however it was before, we are assured that after the delivery of

the law, God constantly separated to himself a certain order of men to

preach to, as well as pray for his people; and commanded them to inquire

their duty at the priests mouths. And thought the Jews were frequently led

into captivity, and for their sins scattered abroad on the face of the

earth, yet he never utterly forsook his church, but still kept up a remnant

of prophets and preachers, as Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Daniel, and others, to

reprove, instruct, and call them to repentance.

Thus was it under the law. Nor has the church been worse, but

infinitely better provided for under the gospel. For when Jesus Christ,

that great High-priest, had through the eternal Spirit offered himself, as

a full, perfect, sufficient sacrifice and satisfaction for the sins of the

whole world, and after his resurrection had all power committed to him,

both in heaven and earth, he gave commission to his Apostles, and in them

to all succeeding ministers, to "go and preach his gospel to every

creature;" promising to "to be with them, to guide, assist, strengthen, and

comfort them always, even to the end of the world."

But if it be the duty of ministers to preach, (and woe be to them if

they do not preach the gospel, for a necessity is laid upon them) no doubt,

the people are obliged to attend to them; for otherwise, wherefore are

ministers sent?

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 sent 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 fullness 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 willfully refusing to attend on so great a means

of 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

Savior 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, foretell

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 inconceivably 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 not 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?

Whilst Christ was himself on earth, it is said, that the people hung

upon him to hear the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth. And if

we looked on ministers as we ought, as the sent of Jesus Christ, we should

hang upon them to hear their words also.

Besides, the sacred truths that gospel ministers deliver, are not dry

insipid lectures on moral philosophy, intended only to amuse us for a

while; but the great mysteries of godliness, which, therefore, we are bound

studiously to liken to, left through our negligence we should either not

understand them, or by any other means let them slip.

But how regardless are those of this direction, who, instead of

hanging on the preacher to hear him, doze or sleep whilst he is speaking to

them from God? Unhappy men! Can they not watch with our blessed Lord one

hour? What! Have they never read how Eutychus fell down as he was sleeping,

when St. Paul continued like discourse till midnight, and was taken up

dead?

But to return. Though you may prepare your hearts, as you may think,

by a teachable disposition, and be attentive whilst discourses are

delivering, yet this will profit you little, unless you observe a

3. A third direction, Not to entertain any the least prejudice against

the minister.

For could a preacher speak with the tongue of men and angels, if his

audience was prejudiced against him, he would be but as sounding brass, or

tinkling cymbal.

That was the reason why Jesus Christ himself, the Eternal Word, could

not do many mighty works, nor preach to any great effect among those of his

own country; for they were offended at him: And was this same Jesus, this

God incarnate, again to bow the heavens, and to come down speaking as never

man spake, yet, if we were prejudiced against him, as the Jews were, we

should harden our hearts as the Jews did theirs.

Take heed therefore, my brethren, and beware of entertaining any

dislike against those whom the Holy Ghost has made overseers over you.

Consider that the clergy are men of lie passions with yourselves: and

though we should even hear a person teaching others to do, what he has not

learned himself; yet, that is no sufficient reason for rejecting his

doctrine: for ministers speak not in their own, but Christ's name. And we

know who commanded the people to do whatsoever the Scribes and Pharisees

should say unto them, though they said but did not. But

4 Fourthly, As you ought not to be prejudiced against, so you should

be careful not to depend too much on a preacher, or think more highly of

him than you ought to think. For though this be an extreme that people

seldom run into, yet preferring one teacher in apposition to another, has

often been of ill consequence to the church of God. It was a fault which

the great Apostle of the Gentiles condemned in the Corinthians. For whereas

one said, "I am of Paul; another, I am of Apollos: are ye not carnal," says

he? "For who is Paul, and who is Apollos, but instruments in God's hands by

whom you believed?" And are not all ministers sent forth to be ministering

ambassadors to those who shall be heirs of salvation? And are they not all

therefore greatly to be esteemed for their work's sake.

The Apostle, it is true, commands us to pay double honor to those who

labor in the word and doctrine: but then to prefer one minister at the

expense of another, (perhaps, to such a degree, as when you have actually

entered a church, to come out again because he does not preach) is earthly,

sensual, devilish.

Not to mention that popularity and applause cannot but be exceedingly

dangerous, even to a rightly informed mind; and must necessarily fill any

thinking man with a holy jealousy, lest he should take that honor to

himself, which is due only to God, who alone qualifies him for his

ministerial labors, and from whom alone every good and perfect gift cometh.

5. A Fifth direction I would recommend is, to make a particular

application of every thing that is delivered to your own hearts.

When our Savior was discoursing at the last supper with his beloved

disciples, and foretold that one of them should betray him, each of them

immediately applied it to his own heart, and said, "Lord, is it I?" And

would persons, in like manner, when preachers are dissuading from any sin,

or persuading to any duty, instead of crying, this was designed against

such and such a one, turn their thoughts inwardly, and say, Lord, is it I?

How far more beneficial should we find discourses to be, than now they

generally are?

But we are apt to wander too much abroad; always looking at the mote

with is in our neighbor's eye, rather than at the beam which is in our own.

Haste we now to the

6. Sixth and last direction: If you would receive a blessing from the

Lord, when you hear his word preached, pray to him, both before, in, and

after every sermon, to endue the minister with power to speak, and to grant

you a will and ability to put in practice, what he shall show from the book

of God to be your duty.

This would be an excellent means to render the word preached effectual

to the enlightening and enflaming your hearts; and without this, all the

other means before prescribed will be in vain.

No doubt it was this consideration that made St. Paul so earnestly

entreat his beloved Ephesians to intercede with God for him: "Praying

always, with all manner of prayer and supplication in the spirit, and for

me also, that I may open my mouth with boldness, to make known the

mysteries of the gospel." And if so great an Apostle as St. Paul, needed

the prayers of his people, much more do those ministers, who have only the

ordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Besides, this would be a good proof that you sincerely desired to do,

as well as to know the will of God. And it must highly profit both

ministers and people; because God, through your prayers, will give them a

double portion of his Holy Spirit, whereby they will be enabled to instruct

you more fully in the things which pertain to the kingdom of God.

And O that all who hear me this day, would seriously apply their

hearts to practice what has now been told them! How would ministers see

Satan, like lightning, fall from heaven, and people find the word preached

sharper than a two-edged sword, and mighty, through God, to the pulling

down of the devil's strong holds!

The Holy Ghost would then fall on all them that hear the word, as when

St. Peter preached; the gospel of Christ would have free course, run very

swiftly, and thousands again be converted by a sermon.

For "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and for ever." He has

promised to be with his ministers always, even unto the end of the world.

And the reason why we do not receive larger effusions of the blessed Spirit

of God, is not because our all-powerful Redeemer's hand is shortened, but

because we do not expect them, and confine them to the primitive times.

It does indeed sometimes happen, that God, to magnify his free grace

in Christ Jesus, is found of them that sought him not; a notorious sinner

is forcibly worked upon by a public sermon, and plucked as a firebrand out

of the fire. But this is not God's ordinary way of acting; No, for the

generality, he only visits those with the power of his word, who humbly

wait to know what he would have them to do; and sends unqualified hearers

not only empty, but hardened away.

Take heed, therefore, ye careless, curious professors, if any such be

here present, how you hear. Remember, that whether we think of it or not,

"we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ;" where ministers

must give a strict account of the doctrine they have delivered, and you as

strict a one, how you have improved under it. And, good God! How will you

be able to stand at the bar of an angry, sin-avenging judge, and see so

many discourses you have despised, so many ministers, who once longed and

labored for the salvation of your precious and immortal souls, brought out

as so many swift witnesses against you? Will it be sufficient then, think

you, to alledge, that you went to hear them only out of curiosity, to pass

away an idle hour, to admire the oratory, or ridicule the simplicity of the

preacher? No; God will then let you know, that you ought to have come out

of better principles; that every sermon has been put down to your account,

and that you must then be justly punished for not improving by them.

But fear not, you little flock, who with meekness receive the

ingrafted word, and bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness; for

it shall not be so with you. No, you will be your minister's joy, and their

crown of rejoicing in the day of our Lord Jesus: And they will present you

in a holy triumph, faultless, and unblameable, to our common Redeemer,

saying, "Behold us, O Lord, and the children which thou hast given us."

But still take heed how you hear: for upon your improving the grace

you have, more shall be given, and you shall have abundance. "He is

faithful that ha promised, who also will do it." Nay, God from out of Zion,

shall so bless you, that every sermon you hear shall communicate to you a

fresh supply of spiritual knowledge. The word of God shall dwell in you

richly; you shall go on from strength to strength, from one degree of grace

unto another, till being grown up to be perfect men in Christ Jesus, and

filled with all the fullness of God, you shall be translated by death to

see him as he is, and to sing praises before his throne with angels and

archangels, cherubim and seraphim, and the general assembly of the first-

born, whose names are written in heaven, for ever and ever.

Which God, &c.