Hearing and doing the ready way to blessednesse with an appendix containing rules of right hearing Gods word. By Henry Mason, parson of S. Andrews Vnder-shaft London.

CAP. XV.

Generall duties requisit at all times, both before and af∣ter, and in the time of our hearing.

[Cap. 15] THus I have run through the particular duties in right Hearing, in the seve∣rall parts and sorts of them, before, and after, and in the time of Hearing: there re∣maineth onely now to bee considered the last sort, which is of generall Duties, diffusing thēselves through all those differences of time. And in this kinde there are three duties to be observed.

I. The first is, that we be reall, and substantiall, in all our performances, and not any where, perfunctory or formall; when wee have to deale with God, an outside will not serve the turne: he requireth the heart, and will accept of no service, which is not sincere and hearty. And that our services in this businesse may bee such, wee must observe two rules.

1. Rule. Wee must not think it inough to do the outward works, wee must joine true & hearty affectiōs with them. For all outward acts, are but as the shell, or the rinde, which covereth and preserveth the fruit from violence and harme: the inward affection of the

soule, that is the kernell and the fruit of devotion. Now the shell and rinde though they bee of good use, while they inclose the fruit, yet are they vaine, and of no worth or moment, when they are separated from it, and stand alone by them∣selves. And so it is with acts of Gods service: if they be joyned with inward affecti∣ons of the heart, they both serve to expresse a godly zele and to increase it: but if they bee disjoyned from hearty affections, they serve for no more use, then an empty shell and the bare pa∣rings of an apple: that is, for nothing but either for the fire or the dunghill. From hence it is that our Sa∣viour

condemneth the ver∣ball prayers of the Heathen. When yee pray (saith he) use not vaine repetitions, as the Heathen do: for they think they shall bee heard for their much speaking. Matt. 6.7. In which words, our LORD setteth out the vitious pray∣ers of the Heathen by two things: (1.) by their super∣fluity of words: and (2.) by their vacuitie of matter. Their superfluitie of words was, that they used much speaking and vaine repetiti∣ons; that is, they prayed at length, while words were at hand; & whē new words fai∣led thē, they went over their prayers againe. (2.) their vacuity or emptiness of mat∣ter in these many words, is

described two wayes. (1.) In that it is said, they used vaine repetitions. The word in the originall is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, to speak as Battus did: and his manner of speech is set out by the Poet to bee this: when one asked whe∣ther any cattell were driven that way, Battus in the Poet is said to make answere, that there were, and [sub illis Montibus, inquit, erant, & erāt sub montibus illis] they went under those mountaines, and under those mountaines they went; idly repeating, what before hee had said, which was foolish in the Speaker, and tedious to the Hearer. (2.) The emptinesse of mat∣ter in those prayers is set out by another word, not

much unlike to the former; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which in English is word for word, much speak∣ing, and in the sense impor∣teth many words to small purpose. For if a man con∣tinue his speech long, as Paul did, when hee continued till midnight. Act. 20.7, 9: yet, if hee speak materially and to purpose, hee is not to bee esteemed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a man of many words: then onely is a man said to use many words, when the words are moe, then the matter doth require. And therefore the former Translation did ren∣der the place not unfitly, when it said, They think to bee heard for their much bab∣ling. The fault then taxed in these Heathens was, that

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they used emptie words without matter and affecti∣on answerable thereunto. And so it will bee our fault, if we pray without feeling, and heare without attend∣ing; or, if we turne our Bi∣bles, and repeat Sermons without care to profit in godlinesse by them.

2. Rule. In duties of hea∣ring, and repeating, and con∣ferring, we must not rest in the present work, or the transient act of these duties; as if we performed a service to God, because wee heare, and rehearse, and talk of a Sermon: but wee must re∣ferre all to future practice, and esteeme them onely so farre forth good, as they make us better; either wiser

in our knowledge, or holier in our obedience. And there∣fore it is, that the Prophet describing the nature of right hearing, saith, Who a∣mong you will give eare to this? who will hearken and heare for the time to come? In which words, (1.) when he saith, who will giue eare, and who will hearken? hee implieth that all should, but yet few do so; and (2.) when he saith, who will heare for the time to come? hee meaneth that men should not content themselves with the transient action of hea∣ring, which continueth no longer, then while the sound lasteth; but they must so heare for the present, that it may serve for afterward:

namely, that they think on it, and consider of it, and put it in practice as occasion shall require. This is to heare for afterward: but if any, while he heareth, have some warme affections kin∣dled in him, and after hee is gone, think no more on it, or amendeth not his life by it; this man heareth onely for the present, and doth not answere Gods expectati∣on, when hee saith, who will heare for the time to come? And so in like sort, if a man note Sermons with his pen, and repeat them afterward with his familie, and yet for most part insisteth upon empty words and idle alle∣gations, which doe not pro∣fit him or them in godlines,

and neglecteth those notes, which might make them better: this mans writing and repeating are both alike of no value. But if further any shall abuse these ho∣ly exercises to countenance their factious meetings, and instead of meditating on Gods word, do devise slan∣ders against Gods Church; these men turne duties of religion into occasions of sinne. Let not my pen ever speak any word for encou∣ragement in such an evill practice. The summe of all is, that if wee will proove our selves to bee good Hea∣rers of Gods word, we must so heare, and so repeat, and so performe every duty re∣quired in this work; as that

all of them may further us in Gods service and an ho∣ly life.

II. The second generall duty is, that together with our owne endevours and performances, wee joyne prayer to God for his bles∣sing upon the work that we go about. For as David said in a like case, Except the Lord build the house, they la∣bour in vaine that build it; and, except the Lord keepe the City, the watchman waketh but in vaine. Psal. 127.1: so, except God assist us with his grace, wee shall prepare our selves in vaine, and heare Gods word in vaine, and what wee have heard, wee shall repeat in vaine: and nothing that wee go about,

either before, or after, or while we heare; can prosper, unlesse God give the bles∣sing, and make it to prosper. Now the blessing of God is to bee sought and obtained by prayer. S. Iames his dire∣ction is, If any man lack wis∣dome, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall bee given him. Iam. 1.5. In this Scripture wee have first a precept, directing us to our duty, If any man lack wise∣dome, let him ask of God: and secondly a promise, assuring us of successe, and it shall bee given him: and thirdly, a reason drawen from Gods nature, Hee giveth liberally to all, and hee upbraideth no man with his gifts; and there∣fore

he will be ready to give us that which we want, if we beg it of him in our prayers. And so, if any man lack (and who lacketh not?) either a prepared minde before hea∣ring, or due attention in the time of hearing, or a firme memory after hearing, let him ask of God, who giveth liberally: and he needs not doubt but God will give what he doth ask according to Gods will. Upon this ground Cassian an ancient & Learned Writer, adviseth men, upon every occasion to make use of that praier of David, [Deus in adjuto∣rium meum intende: Domine, ad juvandum me festina.] O GOD make speed to save me: O LORD make haste

to helpe mee. Psal. 70.1. For this praier fitteth every con∣dition of man, as he decla∣reth in many particulars, the summe whereof may bee this. If a man be in any di∣stresse or danger, then hee should say, Deus in adjuto∣rium, &c. O God make speed to save mee: O Lord make haste to helpe me. And if hee be sollicited by any tentati∣on, then he should pray, O God make speed to save me, &c. And if he want any grace or blessing, thē he should pray, O God, make speed to save me, &c. And if hee have obtained any blessing or favor from God; for the continuance of that mercie, and his right using of it, hee should pray, O God make speed to save mee;

O Lord make haste to helpe me. And what soever the occasi∣on bee, still this praier will bee seasonable and usefull. Thus this holy man teacheth us, how to observe that rule of the Apostle, Pray with∣out ceasing. 1 Thess. 5.17. This direction is applicable to this purpose. When we are preparing to heare GODS word, we should pray God, that hee will prepare our hearts, and fit us for that service; when wee are bu∣sied in the act of hearing, we should pray, that GOD will direct us to lay hold on that which we finde usefull for us; & after our hearing, we should pray, that GOD will blesse our memories, to keepe the good lessons,

which we have heard. This to bee a laudable custome, still to begg a blessing of God upon every endevour of ours; no man, I suppose, will denie: onely perhaps some man may doubt, how a man may pray in the time of his hearing, without hin∣dering or interrupting the publik and enjoyned exer∣cise, then certainely more necessary, then any privat prayers or devotions. To this my answere is, that the Scripture it selfe, doth suf∣ficiently direct us herein. There we read, that Nehe∣miah, when the King was talking and conferring with him, about the affaires of his people, and the state of the holy Land; yet saith

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of himselfe, So I prayed to the God of Heaven: and I said to the King; If it please the King, &c. Neh. 2.4, 5. By this wee see that Nehemiah at the same time did both pray God for a blessing, and continue his speech with the King: which sheweth, that while hee was talking with the King about those weightie affaires of the Church, he darted up a ja∣culatory short prayer unto God, either that hee would direct the Kings heart for the good of his people, or that he would prosper the businesse in hand, or some such prayer to the like pur∣pose. And hence wee have direction in this case. When we heare an usefull point,

that concerneth us much, wee may by a short prayer, desire Gods blessing upon it, for our good, without hindering or diverting away our at∣tention from any part of the Sermon. For example, if the Preacher commend any necessary duty unto us, we may pray for grace, to perform it: if he condemne any sin, by which we may be ensnared, we may pray for strength to avoid it: and if hee dispute of any hard point, which is profitable to be knowen, wee may pray for wisdome to understand it. And all this wee may do without any hinderance to the publick service or the exercise in hand. Nay, if we do thus at convenient

times, and when the occa∣sion doth require it; it will further us in that work two waies: (1.) it will obtaine a blessing of GOD upon the present work, that it may do us the more good: and (2.) it will season our hearts with holy affections, and thereby prepare them for the performing of what they have beene taught. Prayer then is usefull at all times, both before we come to heare, and when wee are in hearing, and after we have made an end of the work: and therefore my exhortation shall be that of the Apostle, Pray without ceasing; and that of our Sa∣viour where hee saith, that men ought alwayes to pray.

For our better encourage∣ment in which duty, wee may consider the successe and event thereof, in two knowen examples. The first is the example of Cornelius, of whom it is said, that while hee was praying in his house, an Angel from heaven appeared unto him, and dire∣cted him to Peter, who would tell him what hee ought to do. Act. 10.6: or, as it is Act. 11.14. would tell him words, whereby both hee and all his house should be saved. An o∣ther example wee have in Saul, afterward called Paul: Of whom wee reade, that after JESUS had appeared unto him by the way, and preached unto him the sum of the Gospel, hee went into

the City, and continued three dayes fasting and praying And then the Lord appea∣red to Ananias and said, Arise—and inquire in the house of Iudas for one called Saul of Tarsus: for behold he prayeth. Act. 9.11. Where (1.) wee may note a com∣mandement given to Ana¦nias; Arise, go, enquire for Saul: it is a short speech in∣cluding more in the sense, then appeareth in the words. Hee meaneth, that hee should inquire for him, and having found him, should say and do unto him as afterward is expressed ver. 17. (2.) a reason, which moved God to bestow these favours upon him, and that is in these words; For be∣hold,

he prayeth. If Saul had gone his way, and neglected the vision that hee saw, and the words that hee heard from our Saviours mouth, hee might have continued without any further directi∣on and help. But now that hee prayed to God after the vision and the instructions of our LORD;(a) God sendeth his servant, who both opened his eyes, and in∣structed him in the faith, and baptized him, and layed his hands upon him; and hee was filled with the holy Ghost. The application from these ex∣amples to our selves is this: If we set our selves to prayer before hearing, as Cornelius did; and by prayer beg Gods blessing after we have heard,

as Saul did; wee may hope, that God(b) who is rich in mercy, and such a one(c) as heareth prayer, will blesse our endevours, and prosper his ordinance, and send us such Teachers, as may direct us the right way to salvation and life.

III. The last generall du∣ty is, that wee bee constant in our performances, whe∣ther they be to bee used be∣fore, or after, or amidst our hearing. And by constan∣cie in our duties, I meane two things: (1.) that wee must not do them by spurts: and (2.) that wee must not do them by halves. 1. We must not do them by spurts onely, and when the toy ta∣keth us; but wee must per∣forme

them usually at the accustomed and convenient times. For those that come to Church now and then, at their best leisure, and now and then prepare them∣selves, and now and then recall to minde what they have heard; are like trew∣andly boies, which come to schoole one day, and stay away another. Among such schollars, I have seldome seene any, that ever learned his book to any purpose. And no marvell. For first he loseth a great part of the time in idlenesse, which o∣thers bestow at their book, and misseth many lessons, which his fellows do learne in his absence. 2. Such a trewandly boy is not dispo∣sed

to learne, when he com∣meth to schoole; partly be∣cause his minde is upon his miching holes, where hee useth to lurk, or upon the pastime that hee hath spent his time in: and partly, be∣cause the losing of his ordi∣nary lessons in his absence, doth rob him of much help, that hee might have gained for the lessons which come after. For one lesson well learned, is a stepp and intro∣duction to another; because there is a connexion and de∣pendance among rules of the same Art. But surely, what ever the reason bee, the conclusion is true, that a trewandly boy never pro∣veth a learned man. And the same may bee observed

in the schoole of Christ. Those that come by fits on∣ly and heare, and repeat, and consider, when they have little else to do, lose many good notes and in∣structions, which others who are more diligent, do learne, and suffer many di∣stractions of minde, when they are about the work, and are every way indisposed for learning of Gods Law. Thomas by being once ab∣sent, when CHRIST ap∣peared to his disciples, lost a great measure of faith, which they gained who were present. Our LORD shewed them his hands and his side, and used arguments of perswasion to convince them of the truth of his re∣surrection,

and they belee∣ved it: but Thomas wan∣ting these grounds of faith, remained faithlesse in that great point of our LORDS resurrection, as is expressed at large, Iohn 20. And so, hee that is absent, when hee should not, may chance misse of those instructions, which might do him good to sal∣vation: and he that neglect∣eth to use the meanes of profiting, when hee hath faire opportunity for them; may lose that assistance of grace, that might guide him in the wayes of godli∣nesse. Consequently hee that is carefull to thrive in grace, must continue in well doing, and not do good du∣ties by spurts, and as his fan∣cie

leadeth him.

2. Hee that will be con∣stant, must not do his servi∣ces by halves. So they do who in their private exer∣cises, do out of idlenesse, and indevotion, curtall and ab∣breviat either their prayers, or their meditations, or any other usefull exercise. But more especially they do so, who at times of publike Service, do come, when part thereof is past, or go away before all bee ended. Such men runne into a twofold danger: one, that they do offend God by sleighting of his service; and the other, that they may lose the bles∣sing, which usually accom∣panieth the time of divine Service.

1. They may anger God by a sleight esteeme of his Service. For so the Pro∣phet saith, Cursed be hee, that doth the work of the Lord de∣ceitfully, and cursed be he, that keepeth back his sword from blood. Ier. 48.10. In this sen∣tence wee have two things. (1.) A Commination of judgement: and (2.) an ap∣plication of it to the present occasion. The Commina∣tion is this, Cursed be he, that doth the work of the Lord de∣ceitfully; the former Tran∣slation readeth it, negligent∣ly. The meaning is in both, the same. For he that doth Gods work negligently, doth do it deceitfully also; because he giveth God but one part of his due, and keepeth

back an other part from him; or for that hee gives him a worse thing instead of a better. In which sense hee is said to bee a deceiver, who having a male in his flock, voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing. Mal. 1.14. And in this maner Saul was a deceiver, when being commanded to kill all the Amalekites, hee saved some of the best of them alive. 1. Sam. 15. And so Ananias and Sapphira were deceivers, when having offered to God all the money that the land was sold for, they kept back part for themselves. And in the same sense may every one among us be cal∣led a deceiver, who giveth God a part of his service, and

keepeth from him some o¦ther part: or, who affoord∣eth him part of the time, that is due to his worship, and depriveth him of the rest. Such a one is both a negligent workman, and a deceitfull dealer with God. 2. The application of this threatning in the Prophet is this, And cursed be hee that keepeth back his sword from blood. The meaning is, that God had now com∣manded a work to bee per∣formed against his enemies, the Moabites; which was to slay, and kill, and destroy them: and he that did not slay and destroy them ac∣cordingly, was hee that did this work of the LORD both negligently and deceit∣fully,

though he should pill, and poll, and impoverish them. The like application of this generall rule is pro∣per to this occasion also. The hearing of Gods word, with the other duties be∣longing to it, are GODS work, which hee requireth to be done in their time and season: and if any man do willingly and unnecessarily withdraw himselfe from a∣ny part, when hee oweth to God the whole; hee doth Gods work deceitfully, and may feare the curse, that is denounced against decei∣vers in the Prophet.

2. These men, who think to please God with a part of his due either comming too late to his Service, or depar∣ting

from it too soone, do runne upon this danger, that by their absence they may lose that blessing, which GOD hath appointed for that part of the service wherein they had no share. More particularly they may misse that prayer, by which they might have obtained the assistance of Gods Spi∣rit, or they may misse the reading of that Chapter which might have conver∣ted them to God from some evill way, or they may misse that passage in the Sermon, which might have done them good all their life long. In respect whereof, as he that commeth too late to his dinner, or is called a∣way before his time, may

chance to rise hungry or un∣satisfied: so they that come too late, or depart too soone from divine Service, may go away destitute of that blessing of God which might nourish their soules with grace to eternall life. Hee therefore that will be a pro∣fitable hearer of Gods word, must not carelessely neglect any part of Gods service: wherein wee may take for our paterne the example of Cornelius, a man much com∣mended in the Scriptures. He, expecting the comming of S. Peter, who should tell him what he should do; did in the meane while, call toge∣ther his kinsmen and neare friends, and they altogether waited for the Preacher: and

when Peter was come to preach the Gospel unto thē, Wee (saith Cornelius) are all here present before God, to heare all things that are com∣manded thee of God. Act. 10.24, 33. Where (1.) when it is said, that Cornelius had gathered and called together his kinsmen and neare friends; wee may hence gather, that Cornelius thought it a speci∣all benefit, which he desired his chiefe friends might be partakers of, to heare the word of God preached by the Apostle. (2.) When Cornelius saith, Wee are all here present to heare, hee gi∣veth us to understand, that all the Hearers were present and met together, to wait for the Preacher before the

Preacher came: there was not one, that came tardie, or after the exercise was be∣gun. (3.) When hee saith, wee are all here present, to heare all things that are com∣manded of God to be said un∣to us; he implieth that they meant not to lose or misse a∣ny part of S. Peters speech: there was not a man among them all, that meant to de∣part before all was ended. The like affection and dili∣gence should be shewed by every Christian. It is an ar∣gument of little devotion and respect to Gods service, when we come slowly, and go away quickly, and think every houre too much, that is bestowed in this duty. But if wee bee ready afore∣hand,

and stay till the full end, and hearken to every thing that God hath sent his servant to tell us; as Cornelius and his friends did: then wee may hope, that as the holy Ghost fell upon them, that then heard the word, vers. 44: so God will give us his Spi∣rit, to guide us in the truth, and to lead us by a holy life, to eternall glory: Which God grant for CHRISTS sake. Amen.

Notes

• Isa. 42.23
• Col. 10. cap. 10.
• 1. Thess. 5.17.
• Luk. 18.1.
• (a)

  Act. 9.17. and Act. 21.14, 15, 16
• (b)

  Eph. 2.4.
• (c)

  Psal. 65.2.