fhut their Eyes against the Truth. To those who have Eyes to fee and fee not, and Ears to hear and hear not, He in return gives the Spirit of Slumber; Eyes that they should not fee, and Ears that they should not hear; and hardens their Heart that they should not be converted, and be faved. When Men obftinately perfift in chufing their own Ways, and their Soul delighteth in their Abominations; He alfo in his juft Judgment will chufe their Delufions. When they abandon themselves to their Lufts and to all manner of Wickedness, He makes their Crime their Punishment; He withdraws from them the Restraints of his Grace, and leaves them to themselves; He gives them up to their own Hearts Lufts, to a reprobate Mind, or a Mind void of Judgment, as the Apoftle expreffes it; and fends them ftrong Delufions; that they who would not receive the Love of the Truth, fhould believe Lyes.

FROM all which it appears, that this Honesty and Probity of Mind, this fincere

and

and humble and teachable and obedient

Frame of Spirit, which I have been fpeaking of, is a moft neceffary Preparative for the Understanding and Reception of Divine Truths, and the most certain Prefervative from dangerous Errors in Religion.

SERM.

FURTHERMORE, That the Word of Salvation may bring forth Fruit unto everlasting Life, it ought to be heard carefully and attentively. It must be diligently mark'd, and confidered and treafur'd up in Memory. It must be often recall'd to Mind, and from Time to Time be the Subject of our Reflection and Meditation; that the Thoughts of it may be familiar and habitual to us, and conftantly affect our Hearts and make fuch Impreffions thereon, as can never be worn away or defaced. Wherefore the Scripture abounds with Precepts and Exhortations to this purpose. Attend unto my Words; incline thine Ear to my Sayings. Let them not depart from thine Eyes keep them in the midst of thine Heart. Forget not my Law; lay

II.

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SERM.

II.

up my Commandments with thee. Bind them upon thy Fingers; write them upon the Table of thine Heart. Ye fhall lay up my Words in your Heart and in your Soul, and bind them for a Sign upon thine Hand, that they may be as Frontlets between thine Eyes: And ye shall teach them your Children, Speaking of them when thou fittest in thine House, and when thou walkeft by the Way, when thou lieft down, and when thou rifeft up; and thou shalt write them upon the Door-pofts of thine Houfe, and upon thy Gates. My Son, if thou wilt, thou shalt be taught; and if thou apply thy Mind, thou shalt be prudent. If thou love to hear, thou Shalt receive Understanding; and if thou bow thine Ear, thou shalt be wife. Let thy Mind be upon the Ordinances of the Lord, and meditate continually in his Commandments; He shall establish thine Heart, and give thee Wisdom at thine own Defire.

IT was always a principal Care of those who excell'd in Oratory, to engage the Attention and Application of their Audience; without which, they were

fen

fenfible, the moft perfuafive Eloquence would lofe its Force, And God himself

has thought it no more than needful to call upon Men in numerous Places both of the Old and New Teftament to hearken, to obferve, to confider and to remember. And indeed to whom should we liften, if not to him, who hath fovereign Power over us and over all? If any other, furely he who planted the Ear may demand to be heard. Both the Authority of the Speaker, and the Importance of the Subject do exact of us Serioufnefs and Attention and Reverence. It is God himself who fpeaks by the Mouth of his Minifters; and his Speech is of Life and Death,of Life and Death eternal. He that hath Ears to hear, let him hear. Are not thofe Things moft worthy of our Notice and Confideration, which are of the greatest Weight and Moment to us? Ought we not to be ever mindful of thofe Things, the Obfervance of which will entitle us to a never-fading Crown of Glory; and the Neglect of which will be Ruin to us for evermore? If the Ears

SERM.

II.

of the Mind be not open, in Vain does SERM. the Voice of the Preacher found in our i II.

bodily Ears. We then bearing, hear not, as our Saviour expreffes it. The Word of God is indeed the Food of the Soul; but that it may nourish and ftrengthen, it muft enter into the Soul, and be retain'd there, and digefted byss Attention and frequent Recollection and Contemplation. If the Seed of the Spi-.. ritual Sower do not fink into the Heart1 and take Root there, it can no more bear Fruit than the Seed that falls by the Way-fide, which is trodden down, or the Fowls of the Air come and de M vour it.

I must not forget to add, That fince all useful Knowledge and Wisdom is the Gift of God and cometh from Above, all who would attain it, muft never fails to addrefs themfelves to the Father ofi Lights by earnest and humble Prayer, That he would direct and bless their li Searches after his Truth; That he wouldot open their Eyes to behold the wondrouso Things of his Law; That he woulds

teach