Gospel-worship, or, The right manner of sanctifying the name of God in general. And…

Now then you will say, What should be done in the hearing Gods Word, so as Gods Name may be Sanctified?

For that, as we opened in the general, that in the duties of God Worship, there must be preparation, and then an answerable behaviour of the soul. So here, there must first be a preparation of the soul to this work, and then an answerable behaviour of the soul in it.

1 There must be a preparation of the Soul, so as when you come to hear, you may with all readiness receive the Word; the soul must be made ready, in Act. 17.11. there it is said, These were more noble than those of Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind: The word is, with all Alacrity, as well as readiness; their minds were in a fit preparation to receive the Word: and the text saith, They were more noble: The word that's translated more noble, it signifies Better bred, for I do not take this Scripture, as if it were meant only of men that were Earls or Lords, that did thus receive the Word with readiness, but they were of a more noble disposition, They were well bred men, so the Greek word signifies. A man sometimes preaching to a company of rude people that never had any good breeding, they will behave themselves rudely, they slight the Word, and like the Swine, regard Acorns rather than Pearls: And the Word is seldom so profitable to a company of rude people that have no breeding at all; but now there is more hopes to Preach to men that have breeding: Men that are exercised in Arts and Sciences, and have some understanding, and some ingenuity in them, they will hearken to reason. Now there is a great deal of spiritual reason in the word, there is a great deal to convince men that are but rational men; let a man be but a rational man and willing to attend to the Word, I say there is a great deal of reason to convince him in it, and it is a sign of good breeding, of men of ingenuity to be willing to hear the Word, Who are those in a Parish that so dis-regard the Word as not to hear it, but the ruder sort? There are many I confess that are men of parts; perhaps the Word doth not prevail with their hearts to convert them: yet if they have any good breeding at all, if the Word be preached in a convincing way, so that they see there is pains taken, and preached as the Word of God to them, they will vouchsafe their presence at least; but the rude multitude that know nothing at all, they had rather be in Ale-houses drinking and swilling they never care to hear the Word; as in such a place as this, There are very few of your miserable poor people that come to hear the Word: What place is there fuller of miserable poor people than this place is, and yet what a poor appearance is there of such people at the hearing of the