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CHAP. XX.

FOR SATURDAY.

Hearing Sermons.

IT has always been reckoned one Part of the Office of the facred Function to explain the Scriptures, and to make Difcourfes of Piety and Religion to the People, which is generally called Preaching; and it has been efteemed a Part of the People's Duty ferioufly to attend fuch Difcourfes: And although the great Corruption of the prefent Age, gives one but too much Reafon to complain of the fmall Fruit and Effect it has upon the Lives of Men, yet it is in itself an admirable Means, when performed with Serioufnefs and Judgment, to inftruct the Ignorant; to reclaim the Wicked and Profane; to awaken and roufe the carclefs Sinner, and to confirm and ftrengthen well-difpofed Minds in their good Refolutions. What if weak People have given it the Preference to other more valuable Parts of Chriftian Worthip; yet the Strong ought not to defpife it, fince thofe who are the beft inftructed, may want to be ftirred up to the Practice of their Duty. Indeed it is wonderful, that fo few are wrought

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wrought upon by those pious and seasonable Difcourfes which are fo frequently delivered from the Pulpit; that fo few are perfuaded to entertain fincere Purposes of reforming their Lives. To difcover the Caufes of this great Evil, will be a good Step towards a Rcmedy, and it will appear chiefly to proceed,

I. From the Power of fome evil Habits. The conftant. Practice of any known Sin has a very great Influence upon the Understanding, and indifpofes it to apprehend the Force of those Arguments that are urged to expofe the Horror of Vice, and to perfuade us to hate and forfake it. When we are once blinded by any irregular Paffion that is indulged, we eafily refift the Checks of our Confciences, and put a Bar to all those powerful Perfuafions which fhould work upon us. This Difpofition fomewhat partakes of the Nature of a Mother's Fondnefs toward her Child, which prevents her perceiving it to be ever in the wrong, and thinks it lovely, notwithftanding all its Faults, and cannot bear that any one fhould reprove it. The Will being thus corrupted, infenfibly debauches the intellectual Faculty, and inclines it to make a wrong Judgment of Virtue and Vice; and perfuades it to call Evil Good, and Good Evil. Now how is it poffible that a Sermon fhould work upon a Man that is prepoffeffed with fuch falfe Notions; that difputes the moft evident Principles, and refifts the

cleareft

cleareft Arguments, and hears without the leaft Defire of reforming himfelf? If ever we expect to receive any Benefit from the Preaching of ferious Truths, we must endeavour to cleanfe our Hearts from all Iniquity, and from the Sin that does moft eafily befet us; we muft prepare the Ground of our Hearts, fo that the good Seed may fructify in us; we muft pray to God, earneftly and frequently, that he would be pleafed to affift us in removing all thofe Hindrances, which prevent the Influences of the moft moving Difcourfes; and that he would ftir up in us fincere Defires of reforming our Lives. Nothing, O God, is too hard for the Operation of thy Grace! Rectify my corrupt Will, that it may never put a falje Bias upon my Understanding; and work in me fuch a Difpofition and Temper of Mind, that I may receive Profit and Advantage from all the pious Exhortations of thy Minifters.

II. From Ignorance of the Principles of Religion. Some People have been so neglected in their Education, that they are not acquainted with the Grounds of their Chriftian Profeffion; they know not either what they are obliged to believe, nor what they are obliged to practife: Now though Sermons may fometimes ftir up in fuch Minds Defires of reforming their Lives, yet they are fo much at a Lofs how to put them in Execution, that it in a great Measure deprives them of the Advantage of fuch holy Motions: Now L 4

when

when the Grace of God touches the Hearts of fuch Perfons, they ought to apply themfelves to their fpiritual Guides, and enquire of them what they fhould do to be faved: If they can read, they fhould procure fome pious Books, that will direct them in the Manner of performing their Duty to God, their Neighbour and themfelves; and which will lead them, as it were, by the Hand through the whole Course of their Chriftian Duties. Thus St. Paul, upon his Converfion, was admonished by a Voice from Heaven to apply himself to Ananias; and it is reported of St. Auguftin, when he was touched to change his Courfe of Life, that he heard a Voice which ordered him to confult the Epiftles of the great Apofile, where he found all thofe Directions which were neceffary to guide him in his prefent Circumftances. I lament, O God, the Ignorance and Blindness of my Mind; Inftruct me in all the Particulars of my Duty; and grant that I may apply myself to all those Means thou haft established, in understanding thofe great Things thou requireft of me.

III. From the falfe Apprehenfions of the Impoffibility of doing their Duty. They have fo long indulged their vicious Inclinations, which they have ftrengthened by ill Habits, that the Difficulty of reforming them damps all their Attempts. Among all the Temptations of the Devil, this appears the moft dangerous,

dangerous, because it naturally inclines Men to defpair of a Change: But it is at the fame Time the leaft plaufible; because nothing is more chimerical than this pretended Impoffibility. Men muft form an extravagant Opinion of the Goodness of God, to imagine that he folicits them by the Voice of the Preacher to any Thing they are not able to perform: He knows our Abilities better than we do ourselves, and provided we do but fincerely refign ourselves to the preffing Inftances of his Word, he ftands always ready to fupply us with fupernatural Strength, which will make it not only poffible, but eafy to conquer our moft inveterate Habits. I am refolved, O Lord, that I will no longer be difcouraged by my own Vilenefs: Though my Sins be as Scarlet, thou canst make them as white as Snow: though they be red like Crimson, through thy Grace they may become as Wool.

To the End that you may receive Profit and Advantage from the Word of God preached to you;

I. Attend to what you hear. The moft edifying Difcourfes can have no Effect upon us, if we do not give them the Attention of our Minds; for Arguments do not work like Charms, but fo far prevail upon us, as we confider the Force and Power of them. To work ourselves up to this Attention, we muft remember that the Word preached comes from the great God of Heaven and Earth;

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that

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