ood and salvation; that he had nothing else before him,
but to have them partakers with himself, in that same happiness. He had
found a jewel, and he hides it not, but proclaims it, that all men may
have fellowship with him, and that is, with God, and that cannot but bring
in full joy to the heart. Now a soul being made thus attentive, and
willing to hear, it is the best disposition that makes them most capable
of being taught. If those two stays were come over,--the careless regard
that is in men's hearts towards the gospel, and the suspicious thoughts
and prejudices against the ambassadors of it,--then what would hinder to
believe it? The great miseries of men are, inconsideration and
misapprehension. Either men are so noised with other things continually
buzzing in their ears, and their hearts so possessed with the clamours of
their lusts, and the cries of the things of this world, that they have no
leisure so much as to hearken patiently to this blessed sound, or to
apprehend seriously what weight and moment lies in it, and so the most
part of men cannot give that earnest and deep attention that is
necessarily required for this divine teaching, or else there are many
mistakes and misconceptions of the gospel, which sometimes arise to that
height of reasoning against God and prejudices against them that carry
this message, which usually are joined together, (and these stop the ears
of men against the wisest and most powerful enchantment of preaching,)
that it gains not much ground on them. O! that ye would once listen to
the gospel. Hearken and incline your ears unto me, is the Lord's first
great request, and if once you do but seriously apply your minds and
hearts to see what is held out unto you, and to prove what good is in it
certainly these sure and everlasting mercies will mercifully and sweetly
catch you with guile, and deceive you (if I may say so) to your eternal
advantage. Wisdom, the Father's wisdom, begs but an equal hearing of you.
Let her have but a patient hearing, and a silent impartial judgment of the
heart, and she will carry it off from all that suit(223) you. It is
lamentable that the voice of God should be out cried by men's continual
uninterrupted flood of business, that fills the heart with a continual
noise, and keeps men in such a constant hurry and distemper that they can
give time and patience to nothing else. And this is only the advantage
the world and the lusts of it have, for if they co