A fourth volume containing one hundred and fifty sermons on several texts of Scripture…

2. Hearing. One Institution must not jostle out another. It is not enough to read at home, but you must also hear and attend upon public Preaching; Rom. 10.14. How shall they believe in him, of whom they have not heard? It is God's Ordinance. Seldom is Grace got by Reading: We have our Confirmation by Reading, but usually Conversion is by Hearing; therefore do not reason against this Duty, and say, you can provide your selves with Books: you are not wiser than God; his Will should be Reason enough, though the Institution should be never so mean and despicable; 1 Cor. 1.21. It pleased God by the Foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe. All God's Institutions are full of Wisdom, and full of Reason. There is some Help certainly in Hearing, there's a Ministerial Excitation which is of some Use. Look as warmed Milk is fitter to nourish than that which is cold: so the Word of God delivered by a lively Voice, hath a greater Congruity and Suitableness to the Work of Grace. As the Ear was the Door by which Death got into the Soul, by hearkening to the Temptation; so God would have the Ear to be the Sense of Grace, and the Door of Life and Peace. In the Church Hearing is exercised, as in Heaven Seeing. Our Happiness in Heaven is expressed by Vision and Sight; but in the Church Hearing is our Duty, and our Benefits and Advantages come in by attending upon the Word: therefore it is good to take all Occasions, and to be swift to hear, James 1.19. Though we know a great deal already, and have never so great Parts, yet we need a Monitor to represent the things of God to us, and to awaken our Consideration, and lay them before our Eyes; and though we know many things, we are forgetful, and do not think of them. It is good to come to this Duty, that we may be put in Remembrance.

2. Hearing. One Institution must not justle out another. It is not enough to read at home, but you must also hear and attend upon publick Preaching; Rom. 10.14. How shall they believe in him, of whom they have not heard? It is God's Ordinance. Seldom is Grace got by Reading: We have our Confirmation by Reading, but usually Conversion is by Hearing; therefore do not reason against this Duty, and say, you can provide your selves with Books: you are not wiser than God; his Will should be Reason enough, though the Institution should be never so mean and despicable;