of those that have opportunity to observe it: but if any man's place and condition deny him opportunity for some of these, he must do what he can: but see, that carnal negligence cause not his omission. And now I appeal to reason, conscience and experience, whether this employment be not more suitable to the principles, ends and hopes of a Christian, than idleness, or vain talk, or cards, or dice, or dancing, or ale-house haunting, or worldly business or discourse? And whether this would not exceedingly conduce to the increase of knowledge, holiness and honesty? And whether there be ever a worldling or voluptuous sensualist of them all, that had not rather be found thus at death; or look back when time is past and gone, upon the Lord's day thus spent, than as the idle, fleshly and ungodly spend them?

CHAPTER XIX.

Directions for profitable Hearing the Word Preached,

OMITTING those Directions which concern the external modes of worship (for the reasons mentioned Part. iii. and known to all that know me, and the time and place I live in) I shall give you such Directions about the personal, internal management of your duty, as I think most necessary to your edification. And seeing that your duty and benefit lieth in these four general points: 1. That you hear with understanding. 2. That you remember what you hear. 3. That you be duly affected with it. 4. And that you sincerely practise it, I shall more particularly direct you in order to all these ends and duties.

Tit. 1 Directions for the Understanding the Word which you Hear.

Direct, Read and meditate on the Holy Scriptures much in private, and then you will be the better able to understand what is preached on it in public, and to try the doctrine, whether, it be of God.' Whereas if you are unac

quainted with the Scriptures, all that is treated of or alleg ed from them, will be so strange to you, that you will be but little edified by ita.

Direct. II. Live under the clearest, distinct, convincing teaching that possibly you can procure.' There is an unspeakable difference as to the edification of the hearers, between a judicious, clear, distinct and useful preacher, and one that is ignorant, confused, general, dry, and only scrapeth together a cento or mingle-mangle of some undigested sayings to fill up the hour with. If in philosophy, physic, grammar, law, and every art and science, there be so great a difference between one teacher and another, it must needs be so in divinity also. Ignorant teachers that understand not what they say themselves, are unlike to make you men of understanding: as erroneous teachers are unlike to make you orthodox and sound.

Direct III. 'Come not to hear with a careless heart, as if you were to hear a matter that little concerned you, but come with a sense of the unspeakable weight, necessity and consequence of the holy Word which you are to hear: and when you understand how much you are concerned in it, and truly love it, as the Word of life, it will greatly help your understanding of every particular truth.' That which a man loveth not, and perceiveth no necessity of, he will hear with so little regard and heed, that it will make no considerable impression on his mind. But a good understanding of the excellency and necessity, exciting love and serious attention, would make the particulars easy to be understood; when else you will be like a stopped or narrow mouthed bottle, that keepeth out that which you desire to put in. I know that understanding must go before affections; but yet the understanding of the concernments and worth of your own souls, must first procure such a serious care of your salvation, and a general regard to the Word of God, as is needful to your further understanding of the particular instructions, which you shall after hear.

Direct. IV. Suffer not vain thoughts or drowsy negligence to hinder your attention.' If you mark not what is taught you, how should you understand and learn? Set yourselves to it, as for your lives: be as earnest and diligent

a Psal. i. 2. cxix. Deut. vi. 11, 12.

in attending and learning, as you would have the preacher be in teachinga. If a drowsy,careless preacher be bad, a drowsy, careless hearer is not good. Saith Moses, "Set your hearts to all the words, which I testify among you this day."-" For it is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life." You would have God attentive to your prayers in your distresses, and why will you not then be attentive to his words; when "the prayers of him are abominable to God, that turneth away his ear from hearing the law?" "All the people were very attentive to hear Christ." When Ezra read the law "from morning till mid-day, the ears of all the people were attentive to itd." When Paul continued his Lord's day exercise, and speech until midnight, one young man that fell asleep, did fall down dead as a warning to them, that will sleep when they should hear the message of Christ. Therefore you are excused that day from worldly business, "that you may attend on the Lord without distraction f." Lydia's attending to the words of Paul, accompanied the opening of her heart and her conversion".

Direct. v. Mark especially the design and drift, and prin cipal doctrine of the sermon.' Both because that is the chief thing that the preacher would have marked; and because the understanding of that will much help you to understand all the rest which dependeth on it, and relateth to it.

Direct. VI. Mark most those things which are of greatest weight and concernment to your souls.' And do not fix upon some little sayings, and by-discourses, or witty sentences; like children that bring home some scraps and words which they do but play with.

Direct. VII. Learn first your catechisms at home, and the great essential points of religion, contained in the creed, the Lord's prayer, and the ten commandments. And in your hearing, first labour to get a clearer understanding of these; and then the lesser branches which grow out of these, will be the better understood.' You can scarce bestow too much care and pains in learning these great essential points. It is the fruitfullest of all your studies. Two things further I here advise you to avoid. 1. The hasty

a Prov.iv. 1. 20. v. 1.
b Deut. xxxii. 46, 47.
e Acts xvi. 14. xx, 9.

vii. 24. Neh. i. 6. 11. Psal. cxxx. 2. Prov. xxviii. 9. d Neh. viii. 3.

c Luke xix. 48.

f 1 Cor. vii. 35.

8 Acts xvi. 14.

climbing up to smaller points (which some call higher) before you have well received these, and the receiving of those higher points, independently, without their due respect, to these which they depend upon. 2. The feeding upon dry and barren controversies, and delighting in the chaff of jingling words, and impertinent, unedifying things, or discourses about formalities and circumstances.

Direct. VIII. Meditate on what you hear when you come home, till you better understand it 1.

Direct. Ix. Inquire where you doubt, of those that can resolve and teach you.' It sheweth a careless mind, and a contempt of the Word of God, in most people and servants, that never come to ask the resolution of one doubt, from one week's or year's end to another, though they have pastors or masters that have ability, and leisure, and willing ness to help them. "When Christ was alone, they that were about him with the twelve, asked him the meaning of his parable."

Direct. x. Read much those holy books which treat best of the doctrine which you would understand.'

Direct. x1. Pray earnestly for wisdom, and the illumination of the Spirit.'

Direct. XII. Conscionable practising what you know, is an excellent help to understanding'.'

Tit. 2. Directions for Remembering what you Hear.

That want of memory, which cometh from age and decay of nature, is not to be cured: nor should any servant of Christ be overmuch troubled at it; seeing Christ will no more cast off his servants for that, than he will for age or any sickness but for that want of memory which is curable, and is a fault, I shall give you these Directions following.

Direct. 1. It greatly helpeth memory to have a full understanding of the matter spoken, which you would remember.' And ignorance is one of the greatest hindrances to memory. Common experience telleth you this, how easily you can remember any discourse which you thoroughly un

h Psal. i. 2. i Mark iv. 10. * Eph. i. 18. Acts xxvi. 18. James i. 5. John xii. 7. 17.

derstand (for your very knowledge by invention will revive your memory); and how hard it is to remember any words which are insignificant, or which we understand not. Therefore labour most for a clear understanding according to the last Directions.

Direct. 11. A deep, awakened affection is a very powerful help to memory.' We easily remember any thing which our estates or lives lie on, when trifles are neglected and soon forgotten. Therefore labour to get all to your hearts, according to the next following Directions.

Direct. 111. Method is a very great help to memory.' Therefore be acquainted with the preacher's method; and then you are put into a path or tract, which you cannot easily go out of. And therefore it is, that ministers must not only be methodical, and avoid prolix, confused, and involved discourses, and that malicious pride of hiding their method, but must be as oft in the use of the same method, as the subject will bear, and choose that method which is most easy to the hearers to understand and remember, and labour to make them perceive your tract.

Direct. IV. Numbers are a great help to memory.' As if the reasons, the uses, the motives, the signs, the directions, be six, or seven, or eight; when you know just the number, it helpeth you much to remember, which was the first, second, third, &c.

Direct. v. 'Names also and signal words are a great help to memory.' He may remember one word, that cannot remember all the sentence; and that one word may help him to remember much of the rest. Therefore preachers should contrive the force of every reason, use, direction, &c. as much as may be into some one emphatical word. (And some do very profitably contrive each of those words to begin with the same letter, which is good for memory, so it be not too much strained, and put them not upon greater inconveniences); as if I were to direct you to the chiefest helps to your salvation, and should name, 1. Powerful preaching. 2. Prayer. 3. Prudence. 4. Piety. 5. Painfulness. 6. Patience. 7. Perseverance. Though I opened every one of these at large, the very names would help the hearers' memory. It is this that maketh ministers that care more for their people's souls, than the pleasing of curious ears, to