Christs temptation and transfiguration practically explained and improved in several sermons /

II. About Hearing him; that must be explained also.

First, What it is to Hear. It being our great duty, and the respect bespoken for him In the hearing of words there are 3 things considerable; the sound that cometh to the Ear, the understanding of the Sense and Meaning, and the assent or consent of the Mind. Of the first, the Beasts are capable, for they have Ears to hear the sound ⟨p. 163⟩of words uttered. The second is common to all Men, for they can sense such intelligible words as they hear. The third belongeth to Disciples, who are swayed by their Masters Authority. So that, Hear him, is not to hear as Beasts, nor barely to hear as Men, but to hear as Disciples; to believe him, to obey him; to believe his Doctrines and Promises, and to obey his Precepts. For his Authority is absolute, and what he doth say, doth warrant our Faith, and command our practice and obedience. I gather this partly from the word Hear, which not only signifies Attention and Belief, but Obedience, as 1 Sam. 15. 22. To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken then the fat of rams. Where to obey and hearken, are put as words of the same import and signification. Partly from the Matter of Christs Revelation; he hath revealed not only Doctrines to inform the Mind, but Precepts to reform the Heart and Practice. If we assent to the doctrine, but do not obey the precepts, we do not hear him. Therefore to hear him is to yield obedience to what he shall teach you; and when Christ cometh to take an account of the entertainment of the Gospel, he shall come in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of ⟨p. 164⟩our Lord Jesus Christ. Partly too from the intimate connection there is between his Prophetical and Regal Office. Christ is so a Prophet, that he is also a Sovereign; and doth not only give us Counsel and Direction, but a Law, which we are to observe under the highest penalties. If the Gospel were an arbitrary direction, which we might observe or not observe, without any great danger to our selves, surely it were folly to despise good Counsel; but it hath the force of a new Law from the great King and Law-giver of the World, therefore it must not only be believed but obeyed;