How doth this reprove all those who are more in trying meats, then in trying words? or more for tasting, then they are for hearing? It was a complaint of some in the former age, that they made themselves like brute beasts, which having both those powers of hearing and tasting, have yet no regard to hearing, but are all for feeding and eating. They carry it like beasts, and are more brutish then a beast, who employ their mouths more then their ears. A beast is made in that low form, to live to eat, and work, and so to dye; man is of a higher form, next to that of Angels, and for him to spend his time in eating and drinking, as if his work lay at his mouth, not at his ear, is to degrade himself and lead a brutish life. The Apostle brings in such brutes speaking thus, (1 Cor. 15.32.) Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye; not a word of using their ears: they say not, come let us hear the word of God, let us seek bread for our souls, but come, let us eat and drink; now for a man to be so much in eating, as to neglect hearing and meditating, what doth he but make himself like a beast of the earth, who should be like the ⟨p. 505⟩Angels in Heaven, daily rising up to a spiritual and heavenly life; God lifts us up to Heaven (as I may say) by the ears. Our ears were not given us only to hear delightful sounds, or to commune one with another about the affairs of this life; the use of the ear is yet more noble, even to help us in the receiving of all saving and sanctifying knowledge. Faith comes by hearing, (Rom. 15.17.) and so doth every grace, both as to the implantation and growth of it, till we come to glory. Therefore consider how you use this excellent sense of hearing, and how you improve in spirituals by what you have heard. We were made after the Image of God in knowledge and righteousness, and it should be the great design of our lives to get this image renewed; and that is done at the ear, 'tis wrought by hearing; faith, repentance, and every grace come in and are wrought at the ear. Some scoff at this latter age, calling it a hearing age, not a working age; we (say they) are much for ear-work, little for hand-work; all for Preaching, nothing for doing; nor can this reproach be quite wiped off, seeing with our plenty of Preaching, there is so little practising;
How doth this reprove all those who are more in trying meats, then in trying words? or more for tasting, then they are for hearing? It was a complaint of some in the former age, that they made themselves like bruit beasts, which having both those powers of hearing and tasting, have yet no regard to hearing, but are all for feeding and eating. They carry it like beasts, and are more bruitish then a beast, who employ their mouths more then their eares. A beast is made in that low forme, to live to eat, and worke, and so to dye; man is of a higher forme, next to that of Angells, and for him to spend his time in eating and drinking, as if his worke lay at his mouth, not at his ear, is to degrade himself and lead a bruitish life. The Apostle brings in such bruits speaking thus, (1 Cor. 15.32.) Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye; not a word of using their eares: they say not, come let us hear the word of God, let us seek bread for our soules, but come, let us eat and drink; now for a man to be so much in eating, as to neglect hearing and meditating, what doth he but make himselfe like a beast of the earth, who should be like the ⟨p. 505⟩Angels in Heaven, dayly rising up to a spirituall and heavenly life; God lifts us up to Heaven (as I may say) by the eares. Our eares were not given us only to heare delightfull sounds, or to commune one with another about the affaires of this life; the use of the eare is yet more noble, even to helpe us in the receiving of all saving and sanctifying knowledge. Faith comes by hearing, (Rom. 15.17.) and so doth every grace, both as to the implantation and growth of it, till we come to glory. Therefore consider how you use this excellent sense of hearing, and how you improve in spirituals by what you have heard. We were made after the Image of God in knowledge and righteousnesse, and it should be the great designe of our lives to get this image renewed; and that is done at the eare, 'tis wrought by hearing; faith, repentance, and every grace come in and are wrought at the eare. Some scoffe at this latter age, calling it a hearing age, not a working age; we (say they) are much for ear-work, little for hand-work; all for Preaching, nothing for doing; nor can this reproach be quite wiped off, seeing with our plenty of Preaching, there is so little practising;
