Four useful discourses viz. ... /Four usefull discourses viz. ... /

Some poor Soul may say, Then Lord what shall become of me, God knows this is my condition; I come many times to hear the word and I meet with those truths that do mightily take my heart for the present, but the Lord knows all vanishes again: I think I could remember every thing that the Minister speaks while I am hearing of them, but they go out again; I hear that this is the Blessing of God upon the Sons of Peace, that the Truths of the Gospel should abide upon their hearts and rest there; O they do not rest with me: Now and then they come to me, but they do not rest with me.

Now for the Answer to this, Perhaps they may not rest in thy memory, but yet if the Fruit and effect of them ⟨p. 195⟩doth rest in thy heart, thou hast the Gospel resting in thy heart. As thus, Why perhaps the Water may pass through a Vessel, go quite through it and not stay; I, but yet there is so much Fruit of the passage of it through, as to keep the Vessel sweet: Though you cannot take up any Water from it, but it is all gone; yet I say it keeps the Vessel sweet: So I may say to those that have the weakest memories, and yet the Lord hath wrought any degree of Grace, though thy memory be so weak that thou canst not remember (I speak this to those that have weak memories naturally) and there is nothing that their Souls do more desire then this; O that they might keep those things that they hear, they would think themselves the most happy Creatures in the world; if those truths that sometimes they hear might rest upon them: I speak to those. Is it so with thy heart? Then though thou canst not remember, yet if those truths keep thy heart sweet, they keep thy heart from filthy lusts that they do not abide in thy heart, thy heart is kept savoury by them; if there be this effect abiding upon thy heart to keep it savoury and sweet, this Peace of the Gospel may rest with thee though thou canst not remember particulars. A Man or Woman perhaps they cannot remember what Meat they ate a little while since, but they find themselves nourished by that Meat. So for the word of God, that is the food of thy Soul, though thou canst not remember and give an account of such and such things thou dost hear in the word, but yet dost thou find that thou art nourished by it; I say, the good things of the Gospel then do rest upon thy Soul.