Then again, if we would attend, when we have heard the word of God,3 let us labour by all means to bring it near to us; that it may be an ingrafted ⟨p. 61⟩Word, that the soul may be leavened by it, that it may be so ingrafted in the understanding, and affections that we may think the better, in the virtue of it, and love, and speak, and do the better as a Sience savours of the pla•• it is put into. Let us labour that the word of God may be written in our souls in the tables of our hearts: that the truth of God may be near us, as any temptation shall be near us, or any corruption near us. What is the reason we yield to corruptions and temptations? They are near, and the Word is ⟨p. 62⟩far off, We never attended to the Word to bring it near home. If the word were as near as corruptions, and temptations, that it were ingrafted, and in vested into the soul, we should have the word ready for every temptation: there should not •e a temptation offered, nor a corruption arise, but we should subdue it, and beat it down with the blessed truth of God, accompanied with the spirit. Let us labour to get it near us; that the reasons of the word and our reason, that the judgment of God, and our judgement, that the will of God, & our own will ⟨p. 63⟩may be all one: and so to have it incorporated, and naturalized into our hearts, that we may speak and think, and do nothing but that which is Divine: that is, to have the word written in our hearts, our attention should be to that end. Therefore when we hear, we should do as nature doth with the meat we eat, it sucks out a strength suitable for every part, every part hath a power to draw out nourishment what is suitable to it self: so when we hear the word of God, we should be able to say this is good for such, and ⟨p. 64⟩such an end, and never leave thinking of the word of God when we have heard it, till we have turned the word into our souls, till we have it fixed in our understandings, that we can say, Now I know it; till we have subdued our hearts to it, and we be moulded, and delivered up to it, that we can say, Now I have it; now the word is mine. Let us never leave the truth we hear till we be brought to that: alas to what purpose is it to hear except we make it our own, as nature makes the meat our own that we eat!
Then againe, if we would attend, when we have heard the word of God,3 let us labour by all meanes to bring it neare to us; that it may be an ingrafted ⟨p. 61⟩Word, that the soule may be leavened by it, that it may be so ingrafted in the understanding, and affections that we may thinke the better, in the vertue of it, and love, and speake, and doe the better as a Sience savours of the pla•• it is put into. Let us labour that the word of God may be written in our soules in the tables of our hearts: that the truth of God may be neare us, as any temptation shall be neare us, or any corruption neare us. What is the reason wee yeeld to corruptions and temptations? They are neare, and the Word is ⟨p. 62⟩farre off, We never attended to the Word to bring it neare home. If the word were as neare as corruptions, and temptations, that it were ingrafted, and in vested into the soule, we should have the word readie for every temptation: there should not •e a temptation offered, nor a corruption arise, but wee should subdue it, and beat it downe with the blessed truth of God, accompanied with the spirit. Let us labour to get it neare us; that the reasons of the word and our reason, that the judgment of God, and our iudgement, that the wil of God, & our own wil ⟨p. 63⟩may be all one: and so to have it incorporated, and naturalized into our hearts, that we may speake and thinke, and doe nothing but that which is Divine: that is, to have the word written in our hearts, our attention should be to that end. Therefore when we heare, we should doe as nature doth with the meate we eate, it suckes out a strength sutable for every part, every part hath a power to draw out nourishment what is sutable to it selfe: so when wee heare the word of God, we should be able to say this is good for such, and ⟨p. 64⟩such an end, and never leave thinking of the word of God when wee have heard it, till we have turned the word into our soules, till we have it fixed in our understandings, that we can say, Now I know it; till we have subdued our hearts to it, and we be molded, and delivered up to it, that we can say, Now I have it; now the word is mine. Let us never leave the truth wee heare till we be brought to that: alas to what purpose is it to heare except we make it our owne, as nature makes the meate our owne that we eate!
