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teaching, or the teaching of his Apostles, or their Succeffors, the Bishops and Paftors of the Church, or whofoever shall have the Opportunity to inform themselves of them by reading them, or hearing them read, to the end of the World. All these, provided their Knowledge is backed with a fuitable Practice, are entitled to the good Character in my Text, that they may well be compared to wife Builders, who build not for the present only, but for Eternity.

To answer the Defign of this Part of the Description of a good Chriftian, I can think of nothing more proper, than to confider the right Qualifications of an Hearer, such as are most like to be followed with a fuitable Practice.

(1.) It is neceffary that he shake off whatever may obftruct his Hearing, or attending to what he hears. There are too many, whose Time and Thoughts are fo taken up with their worldly Projects and Bufinefs, that they can afford no Time to hear or confider the Doctrine of the Gospel; they are like those in the Parable, who, when they were invited to the Marriage-Feaft of the King's Son, had abundance of Excufes, all taken from their worldly Bufinefs, why they could not come. And fo it is to this Day; many fuch Excufes from our worldly Affairs, and many much more frivolous ones than those were, do keep us from giving due Attendance to God's Word read or preached, often meer Laziness, and Averfion from taking a little Pains, will do it. These Hearers in our Saviour's Days will rife up in Judgment, and condemn the Sluggish no Hearers of our Time; they left House and Home, and neglected all

[SERM their worldly Concerns, to follow Chrift; we will not forego the leaft worldly Conveniency, nor forbear the leaft idle Vifit, nor deny ourfelves the least Inclination to Eafe and Sloth, nor venture the leaft Threatning of Weather, to wait upon Chrift in the Miniftry of his Gospel.

But it is not only thofe who are backward to attend the publick Service of God, who are to be reckoned culpable in this Bufiness of hearing God's Word; there are a great many likewise who neglect the Opportunities they might have of acquainting themselves better with the Word of God at Home, if they would afford the Time, and be at the Pains to perufe in their Closets and Families that facred Book, which contains the Do&trines of the Chriftian Religion. What a strange Degeneracy among Proteftants have we to bewail on this Account? About 100, 150, and 200 Years ago, (for this is the two hundredth Year fince Luther firft began the Reformation) how diligently did our Forefathers study the holy Scriptures, to find out the Errors of Popery; and what a Serioufnefs and Strictness in Life and Converfation followed thereupon? But now a Bible is either not thought a neceflary Piece of Houshold Furniture, or it lies by scarce ever looked into or perused, so that we are as ignorant, as our Forefathers were knowing and skilful in the holy Scriptures.

(2.) But to come to them who afford their Attendance at God's publick Worship and Service, which, praised be God, is duly fet up and continued among us; alas, how many are there, who, though they afford their bodily Prefence,

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by their Unattentiveness, give too great Reason to fufpect that their Hearts and Minds are abfent? They bring their Cares and Lufts, their Shops and Farms, and worldly Projects and Contrivances along with them, which either divert their Attention, that what they hear, never enters into their Hearts at all, or if it does, it is quickly choaked with abundance of Weeds, Thoughts of an inferior and more hurtful Nature, which too naturally, as Weeds in neglected Gardens, fpring up in our Hearts, and kill and choak all the good Flowers and Plants. Attention then, and due Confideration, are as neceffary as our bodily Prefence. Attention, that we may apprehend the Senfe and Meaning of the divine Truths proposed to us in the Gospel; Attention, that we may apprehend the Strength and Force of the Arguments which it offers for our Perfuafion ; and Attention, that we may duly lay it up in our Hearts and Memories, and have it ready for our Ufe in our Lives and Converfations.

(3.) We must take Care that the Truths of Christianity be mixed with Faith in them that hear them. For it is this Faith, if it be lively and operative, will ftir us up to Obedience, which crowns all: Whereas, if our Faith is dead or wavering, it will never fprout out into Action. We must not then hear the Word of Chrift, as we hear News of fome remote Country, which we are indifferent and unconcerned whether it be true or falfe; but we must hear it as the Oracles of God, by which we intend to frame our Life, and by which we expect to be judged at the last Day.

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It is the Part of a Christian Hearer to contrive that the Things which he hears, flip not out of his Memory, but that he preserve a lively Senfe of them upon his Spirits. And this is to be done by these three or four Methods: Meditation, Conference, Memorials, and frequent Practice. By Meditation, we view them on all Sides, we grow more intimately acquainted with them, we fix the Notions and Ideas of them in our Minds and Memories, and excite a lively Senfe of them: So that we can say with the Pfalmift, O how I love thy Law! it is my Meditation all the Day, Pfal. cxix. 97. By Conference, we communicate the fame good Things to others, and confequently grow more familiar with them ourselves. This was one Way God appointed the Memory of the great Things they had feen and heard, to be preferved by the Ifraelites, even by recounting them on all Occafions to their Children. Deut. vi. 6. And thefe Words which I command thee this Day, fhall be in thine Heart ; and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children, and shalt talk of them when thou fitteft in thine Houfe, and when thou walkeft by the Way, and when thou lieft down, and when thou rifeft up. By Memorials, as the Jews did in their Feaft of the Paffover, in which their Escape out of Egypt was again annually represented before their Eyes; and as we Chriftians do in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, if we would observe it, in which, by a lively Commemoration of Chrift, the Sum and Subftance of our Religion is brought to our Remembrance. But, laftly, the best Way of all to preferve facred Things in our Memory, is, by frequent practising upon them. For by

this Means they become cuftomary and habitual, and grow into a fecond Nature; they incorporate with us, and cannot be forgotten.

So much for the firft Part of the Defcription of a good Christian, in so far as relates to the hearing of Chrift's Sayings.

2. The other Branch of the Description, relates to the doing of them: Whojoever heareth thefe Sayings of mine, and doeth them.

Now there are a great many good Christian Exercises comprehended under this practical Part; namely, holy Refolution; Vigilance against Temptations; fervent Prayer for Grace; Repentance after Lapfes; Courage against evil Examples; and Patience and Perfeverance to the End: All which I shall confider a little more particularly.

(1.) I begin with holy Refolutions; which are the most natural and genuine Fruits of a Heart and Mind well principled in the Knowledge of the Chriftian Doctrine. For that Doctrine, as I told you, is not a barren, fpeculative Doctrine, but practical, lively, and operative. Our Saviour well compares it to Seed, which when fowed in good Ground, presently sprouts out, and grows on gradually, till it brings forth Fruit to Perfection. Now holy Resolutions are like the firft Sproutings of the good Seed fown in our Hearts. If you ask me what is a good Christian Refolution; fuch a good Refolution I call a firm and deliberate Act of the Mind, to put in Execution our Saviour's Precepts, proceeding from Confideration and Choice. And by this Description it is diftinguifhed from all fudden, precipitate, half Purposes; from all Fluc

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