Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

Thirdly, To hold that which is good, to retain and keep it in memory, 1 Thess. 5. 21. The Greek word is [Greek or Hebrew] that is, hold it fast, let it stay in your affections, comprehend it, when you have heard it, keep it, let it not slip away, but practise it, and this is to hold it. Now this is done by recalling and by repeating the Word after it is delivered. This is commended in Mary, that she laid up the Word in her heart, she laid it as one that lays a thing up to have it to use against another time. Why is ¹this Word recorded if not to be imitated? suppose they were the words of Angels, are not Ministers the Angels of God? So it is said that the Holy Ghost brought to the disciples minds all the things that he had told them. Now ²the Holy Ghost would do no unnecessary thing, and doth not Christ speak as well to us as he did to them, only with this difference, to them he spake immediately, but to us by his Ministers. What other was the fault of the first ground, the seed lay on a while, whilst the •ower was by, but after it was stolen away by the Devil, because it was not repeated and wrought in the memory; so when a Sermon is done, if it be soon forgot, as we have a natural proneness thereunto, the Devil hath a hand in it, and this hath brought Gods Judgements on many; therefore take heed saith our Saviour how you hear, Luke 8. 18 when Christ delivered any thing in public, the Disciples repeated it in private, and came to Christ and asked ⟨p. 286⟩him of such things they doubted of, Act. 17. 11. The men of Berea searcheth the Scriptures whether these things were so which they had heard, which they could not do without repeating. Where there is a double duty performed.

Thirdly, To hold that which is good, to retain and keep it in memory, 1 Thess. 5. 21