A65285:2233
A Body of Practical Divinity
A body of practical divinity consisting of above one hundred seventy six sermons on the lesser catechism composed by the reverend assembly of divines at Westminster : with a supplement of some sermons on several texts of Scripture / by Thomas Watson ...
London: printed for Thomas Parkurst, 1692
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
VII. If you would hear the Word aright, be not only attentive, but retentive: Lay the Word up in your Memories and Hearts, Luke 8.15. The Seed on the good Ground are they, who having heard the Word keep it. The Greek Word [Greek or Hebrew], to keep, signifies to hold the Word fast that it doth not run from us. If the Seed be not kept in the Ground, but is presently washed away, it is sown to little purpose: So if the Word Preached be not kept in your Memories and Hearts, it is Preached in vain. Many People have Memories like leaking Vessels, the Word goes out as fast as it comes in. How can it profit? If a Treasure be put in a Chest, and the Chest be not locked, it may easily be taken out. A bad Memory is like a Chest without a Lock, the Devil can easily take out all the Treasure. Luke 8.12. Then comes the Devil and takes away the Word out of their Hearts. Labour to keep in Memory the Truths you hear. The things we esteem we are not so apt to forget. Will a Bride forget her Jewels? Jer. 2.32. Can a Maid forget her Ornaments? Did we prize the Word more, we should not so soon forget it. If the Meat doth not stay in the Stomach, but comes up as fast as we eat it, it cannot nourish: So if the Word stays not in the Memory, but is presently gone, it can do the Soul but little good.
VII. If you would hear the Word aright, be not only attentive, but retentive: Lay the Word up in your Memories and Hearts, Luke 8.15. The Seed on the good Ground are they, who having heard the Word keep it. The Greek Word 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, to keep, signifies to hold the Word fast that it doth not run from us. If the Seed be not kept in the Ground, but is presently washed away, it is sown to little purpose: So if the Word Preached be not kept in your Memories and Hearts, it is Preached in vain. Many People have Memories like leaking Vessels, the Word goes out as fast as it comes in. How can it profit? If a Treasure be put in a Chest, and the Chest be not lock'd, it may easily be taken out. A bad Memory is like a Chest without a Lock, the Devil can easily take out all the Treasure.