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

First, When you come, you must endeavour to bring soft Hearts, and tender Spirits: What Truths you do know, you must work upon your Hearts before you come, to labour to soften your Hearts. We know that the Truths of God are compared in Scripture to Nails, that are fastened by the Ministers of God in the Assemblies, Eccles. 12. 11. Now when you come to fasten a Nail or a Goad, if the thing be a Stone, you cannot fasten it: A Work-man if he would drive a Nail into a Wall, if he meet with a Flint, the Nail cannot enter, but there must be some thing that must yield to make it rest: So you must labour to bring yielding and soft Hearts.

Secondly, When you come to hear, come so as to make account that now you come to attend upon God, and that while any Truth of the Gospel is Revealing to you, God is coming nigh unto your Souls, in those things that concern your Eternal good. If the Hearts of People did attend upon the Ministry of the Gospel thus, that is, We are here, O Lord, in thy Presence now, to hear what Thou hast to Reveal unto us; and we believe that in this thine Ordinance, when Thou art making known any Truth of the Gospel to us, Thou art coming nigh to our Souls in a matter that Concerns our Eternal good. If you did attend thus, certainly every Truth would get into your Hearts.

Thirdly, When you find the Truth beginning to work upon your Hearts, then Dart up some Ejaculations in your own Thoughts: Lord, set home this. So you may do, and not hinder your hearing: Lord, Thou beginnest to stir my Heart, O Lord, keep my Heart in this frame. As we read of David, when as he saw the People in a good Frame, 1 Chron. 29. 18. saith he, O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel our Fathers, keep this for ever in the Imagination of the Thoughts of the Heart of thy People. And the truth is, We would willingly Dart up such a Prayer to God, if we knew how God did begin to stir you? But you know how God is communing with your Hearts, when you hear us speaking to you, therefore do you your selves Dart up such an Ejaculation to God: O Lord God, keep this Truth in the Thoughts of my Heart for ever.