SERM. fulness. There are other things hard to be understood, only CX. by reason of the weakness and corruption of our minds;

Tit. 1. 2.

which therefore are more or less understood, according as
men are more or less learned in the original languages, and
in such arts and sciences as may give any light to them; or
else, are more or less enlightened by that Holy Spirit by
which the Scriptures were given. And, therefore, when
we meet with any thing which we do not understand, it doth
not follow but other people may understand it; and if none
can, it was written only for the exercise of our faith, that we
may
believe it upon His Word "Who cannot lie."

But whatsoever things are hard to be understood in the Holy Scriptures, we may from thence conclude, that it is not generally necessary for all men to understand them: for whatsoever is so, is as plainly there revealed as words can do it. And therefore without troubling ourselves about other matters (as we are too apt to do), we should apply our minds wholly to learn such things as belong to our everlasting peace, what we must believe and what we must do, that we may be saved: all which are so clearly taught in the Holy Scriptures, that a man of the meanest parts may learn them as well as the greatest scholar in the world. Thus, therefore, it is that we ought to exercise ourselves, or meditate, in the Law of God, even so as to understand our whole duty to Him, and to one another. He that hath learned this, hath learned enough; and whatsoever it is that a man learns, without this, will signify nothing to him; neither will it signify any thing for a man to hear, read, mark, and learn the Scriptures, unless he also inwardly digest them, that is, unless he ruminate upon them, and by a strong and lively faith, fix them upon his mind, so as to turn them into proper nourishment for his soul, that he may thereby grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and accordingly be fruitful in good works; in all such good works which are the fruit of that Holy Spirit by which the Scriptures were given; Gal. 5. 22, such as "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." This was the great end for which the Scriptures were at first written, and for which we are now to hear, and read, and meditate upon them;

23.

even that we may know the Will of God, and do it; that we may live with a constant sense of what is there written upon our minds, so as firmly to believe the truths, fear the threatenings, trust on the promises, and observe the precepts which are there revealed; and particularly that wherein this very thing is commanded by God, saying, "This Book Josh. 1. 8. of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayst observe to do according to all that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Where we see that it is God's express command, that we should every one meditate day and night in His Law; that we are to meditate in it, so as to do what is there written; and that this is the way to have His blessing, prosperity, and good success: as our Lord hath taught us also with His Own mouth, saying, "If ye know John 13.17. these things, happy are ye if ye do them." And "Blessed Luke 11.28. are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it." And by His royal Prophet in my text, where describing the man that is truly blessed, he saith, that "his delight is in the ver. 3. Law of the Lord, and in His Law doth he meditate day and night."

II. Wherefore, that he who doth this is blessed, we cannot doubt, seeing He Who is the fountain of all blessedness, hath here pronounced him to be so. And if we had no such oracle for it, yet we could not but conclude, that he who delights in the Law of the Lord must needs be a blessed man, for that very reason, because he delights in the Law of the Lord for this shews that he is regenerate and born again; that he is renewed, sanctified, and governed by the Holy Spirit of God, in that he delights in the Law that was given by His inspiration, which he could never do but by the same Spirit by Which it was given: and therefore the Apostle saith, "I delight in the Law of God after the inward Rom. 7. 22. man." After his inward man, his spiritual part, so far as he was purified and led by the Spirit of God, so far he delighted in the Law of God, and no farther; and, by consequence, he that really delights in the Law of God is certainly led by His Spirit but "as many as are led by the Spirit of God, chap. 8. 14. they are the Sons of God." "And if Sons, then Heirs, ver. 17. Heirs of God, and Joint-Heirs with Christ," and therefore

SERM. as blessed as it is possible for creatures to be, all the blessings promised in the Gospel being entailed upon them.

CX.

And as delighting in the Law of the Lord is a certain sign that the man is blessed, so meditating in His Law day and night is the ready way to be blessed for ever: for exercising ourselves continually in meditating upon the Word of God, as I have shewn we ought to do, by this means we come to true wisdom and a right understanding of all things necessary to Ps. 119.99. Eternal Life. "I have more understanding," saith David, "than all my teachers; for Thy testimonies are my mediJohn 17. 3. tation." By this means we know "the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom He hath sent;" which itself" is Eternal Life." We know Him as He Himself would have us know Him, according to the revelations which He hath given us of Himself. By this our minds are enlightened, our judgments rightly informed, our faith confirmed, our hearts cleansed, our affections kept in order, and our whole souls chap. 17.17. sanctified through the truth; for His "Word is Truth." By this we are preserved from all damnable errors and heresies; we are put in mind of our whole duty both to God and man; we are quickened and stirred up to the performance of it; we are armed against all temptations; we are directed which way to take in all straits and difficulties; we are protected, we are supported, we are comforted in all sorts of trouble and afflictions: in short, by thus hearing, reading, marking, learning, and inwardly digesting God's Holy Word, we embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life which He hath given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Wherefore, as ever ye desire to be blessed so as to obtain chap. 5. 39. Eternal Life, ye must "search the Scriptures," where alone ye can ever find it. Ye must delight in the Law of the Lord, and meditate therein both day and night; not only a little now and then by the way, but so constantly, so seriously, so effectually, that ye may believe, and love, and fear, and hope, and think, and speak, and act as ye are there taught then ye will be blessed indeed, and declared to be so at the Last Day before all the world by Christ Himself pronouncing that blessed sentence upon you, "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

SERMON CXI.

THE VANITY OF HEARING THE word of GOD, WITHOUT
DOING IT.

JAMES i. 22.

But be ye Doers of the Word, and not Hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

[Eph. ii.

ver. 18.

As it was by His Word that God at first created all things out of nothing, so it is by His Word that He now createth us again "in Jesus Christ unto good works." Or, as St. James here expresseth it, "He of His Own will begets us io.] with the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures," that we should be new creatures, creatures after His Own heart, such as He at first designed us to be; such He now makes, or begets us by His Word: by His Word, as at first spoken and written from Him by His Prophets and Apostles, and still repeated and published out of their writings by His ministers or ambassadors sent by Him for that purpose: by this it is, that He usually opens men's eyes, and "turns them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God:" and, therefore, one is.] might reasonably expect, that all that hear this Word, the Word of Almighty God, should all become Saints, all pious and righteous persons, all living according to the Word they hear and yet we see the contrary among ourselves. There is no place upon earth where the Word of God is more commonly read and preached than it is in this kingdom, and particularly in this city; and yet there are but few that take care to frame their lives according to it: few, not in themselves, for I doubt not but there are many, absolutely considered, who by the blessing of God are "doers" as well as

L

[Acts 26.

CXI.

SERM. "hearers of the Word:" but they are but few, in comparison of many, who are only hearers and not doers of it: and so it was in the days of the Apostles themselves. Though St. Acts 2. [41.] Peter at one short sermon "converted three thousand souls," and all the Apostles preached the Word so effectually all the world over, that many were thereby prevailed upon not only to profess but to practise what they taught; yet there were others who only gave them the hearing, as appears from this caution which St. James here gives them, and which he would never have given, if there had not been some such among them; saying," Be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."

A necessary caution at all times, especially in our days, when many place a great part, if not the whole of their religion in hearing; as if they served God only by hearing how to serve Him, or did any good only by hearing how to do it. And yet this is the case of too many among us, who never think they can hear too much, or do too little, which is certainly one of the greatest cheats that the devil ever put upon mankind; or rather, that men ever put upon themselves: for this is plain" deceiving their own selves," as the Apostle here assures us.

But that we may understand his meaning aright, we shall first consider what he here means by "the Word," what by doing," what by "hearing" of it; and how it comes to pass that there are many "hearers," who are not "doers" of it: and then it will be easy to shew that all such "deceive their own selves."

I. By "the Word," therefore, we are to understand that which the Apostles preached, and which is now contained and delivered to us in the Books of the Old and New Testament; wherein it hath pleased the Most High God to speak His mind, to make known Himself and His Will to us, what He would have us to believe, what He would have us to do, and what He would have us not to do; which is called "The Word," by way of eminence, as infinitely exceeding all other words that were ever spoken by men or Angels: for this is Heb. 1.1, 2. the Word of Almighty God Himself, "Who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets, and hath in these last days spoken unto us