Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /

(1.) Before you hear. Solomon adviseth thus:^(l) Keep thy foot when thou goest to the House of God, and be more ready to hear than to offer the sacrifice of Fools; be more ready to receive Instruction, and to accept of what God says, which will be thy Wisdom, than to offer Sacrifice, and neglect Obedience, like foolish Hypocrites. And a greater than Solomon, ^(m)our Lord Jesus Christ, cautions us by a double Metaphor at his School door, when we come to be his Disciples, viz. That spiritual Edification will be in this like worldly building, cost more than we imagine; and our Spiritual warfare will be in this like the carnal, more costly than at first we conceive: 'twill cost us more careful thoughts, more waking nights, more painful days, more Prayers and Tears, more Self-denial and Contempt of the World, than inconsiderate persons will believe. For your care before you hear, I shall propose but three things.

(1.) Before you hear. Solomon adviseth thus:^(l) Keep thy foot when thou goest to the House of God, and be more ready to hear than to offer the sacrifice of Fools; be more ready to receive Instruction, and to accept of what God says, which will be thy Wisdom, than to offer Sacrifice, and neglect Obedience, like foolish Hypocrites. And a greater than Solomon, ^(m)our Lord Jesus Christ, cautions us by a double Metaphor at his Schooldoor, when we come to be his Disciples, viz. That spiritual Edification will be in this like worldly building, cost more tha we imagine; and our Spiritual warfare will be in this like the carnal, more costly than at first we conceive: 'twill cost us more careful thoughts, more waking nights, more painfull days, more Prayers and Tears, more Self-denyal and Contempt of the World, than inconsiderate persons will believe. For your care before you hear, I shall propose but three things.

1. (l)Eccles. 5.1.