The Godly Man's Picture

Again, do we attend the Word with Reverential Devotion? when the Judge is giving his Charge upon the Bench all attend, when the word is preached, the great God is giving us his Charge, do we listen to it as to a matter of life and death? this is a good sign we love the word.

Again, do we love the Sanctity of the word? Psal. 119. 140. The word preached is to beat down sin, and advance holiness: Do we love it for its spirituality and purity? Many love the word preached only for its eloquence and notion; they come to a Sermon as to a Music-lecture, Ezek. 33. 31. or as to a garden to pick flowers, but not to have their lusts subdued, or their hearts bettered: These are like a foolish woman which paints her face▪ but neglects her health.

Again, do we love the Sanctity of the word? Psal. 119. 140. The word preached is to beat down sin, and advance holiness: Do we love it for its spirituality and purity? Many love the word preached only for its eloquence and notion; they come to a Sermon as to a Musick-lecture, Ezek. 33. 31. or as to a garden to pick flowers, but not to have their lusts subdued, or their hearts bettered: These are like a foolish woman which paints her face▪ but neglects her health.

Again, do we love the convictions of the word? Do we love the word when it comes home to our Conscience, and shoots its arrows of reproof at our sins? 'Tis the Ministers duty sometimes to reprove: He that can give smooth words in the Pulpit, but knows not how to reprove, is like a sword with a fine hilt, without an edge,