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Take heed to PUT AWAY YOUR SINS. This direction is needful even for Christians. The Apostle James, speaking to those begotten with the word of truth, that is, truly regenerated and converted by the Gospel, teils them to lay apart all filthiness, and superfluity of naughtiness. The term filthiness denotes those lusts, appetites, and sins which defile the soul, such as, all gluttony, drunkenness, excess, and uncleanness; all eager pursuit of worldly things,* needless indulgence of the body, covetousness, and earthly-mindness. These things, under whatever name the world may sanction them, are to be laid apart as exceedingly opposite to truly receiving the word of God. The more our heart hankers after, or desires, or relishes such things, the less we are disposed to regard divine truth. They are like superfluous and hurtful weeds that take up the room of other things, and render the soil unprofitable; they hiuder the reception and growth of the good seed. Then all superfluity of naughtiness, the overflowings of malignity, as self-will, pride, and hatred, equally hinder the due reception of the word. Yet the regenerate man is not free from such temptations, and the inward working of the heart after such sins. St. Peter, speaking also to those born of God, tells them to lay aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings. These things are to be put away with godly sorrow for our natural corruption, and much care and earnestness.

* I know one good man who has found it a most beneficial practice, to put aside all the ordinary employments of the family after six o'clock on Saturday evening; the needles of the ladies, and the dolls of the children are laid aside, and every preparation is made for giving all the Sabbath, as much as may be, to its holy duties.

Take heed of your MANY SPIRITUAL ENEMIES. Our Lord, in the parable of the sower, shews that the Devil comes and takes away the word from the heari— that in time of temptation men fall away from the truth -and that the cares, riches, and pleasures of life choke it. These are spiritual enemies that would rob our souls of all profit from the word of life. Be assured that Satan will unceasingly try both to keep you from hearing, and to hinder your profiting when you have heard. Divine grace calls God's servants to many a vigorous effort, to break through obstructions. Consider all that would turn your heart and mind from the truths declared to you, as an enemy to be vanquished. Any discharge of needless worldly business; any unusual feasting; any talking of your own carnal pleasure; any unnecessary joining in worldly society, or reading trifling books, especially such publications as Sunday or other newspapers, on that holy day on which the word of God is specially to be heard, will assuredly be giving many advantages to our spiritual enemies. Self-righteousness is another adversary, the more dangerous because it is the least suspected. This leads us to imagine that when we have attended to hear, we have done something meritorious before God, and so we rest in the mere external ordinance. O how often do these things make spoil of the spiritual benefits which we might otherwise receive! A request to take an innocent walk in the fields; conversation with idle company, neglect of retirement; these, and the like things, are occasions and means by which our great enemy takes away the word from our hearts.

II. Before we give directions for hearing aright, it

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The due hearing of the Gospel consists in far more than the mere outward attendance on the ministry of the word, and taking an interest in what is heard. The Scribes and Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Jews in general who rejected our Saviour, often attended upon him, and heard him, and witnessed his mighty works, and yet were not blessed thereby; but rather, by their perverseness, turned their privileges to their greater condemnation. They knew what he said: his words were plain and intelligible enough; but they cavilled at them, and rejected them. Some, indeed, heard him with pleasure for a time; yet when his doctrine opposed their carnal notions, they went no more with him. And so in our day we see multitudes living in this favoured Christian land with immense privileges. O that they would avail themselves of them, and duly improve them! But we see some deriving no benefit though they hear, some wholly shutting their eyes to the light which God has given, and others by infidel publications blasphemously reviling the only way of salvation, and madly casting away from them with indignation the only remedy for all our woe. In these things we have some remarkable testimonies of Scripture verified. In Ezekiel xxxiii, 31, 32, it is said, They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness: and, lo! thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument, for they hear thy words, but they do them not. In Jeremiah, (xliv, 16.) we have an instance of daring rejection of this

word: As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee; but we will certainly do whatsoever thing gorth forth out of our own mouth. Aud so in the time of our Lord he had to declare, They seeing, see not; and hearing, they hear not; neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaius, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive.

All this shews that due hearing is more than attending to hear. It includes a sure belief, and a conduct corresponding to that belief, springing from the grace of God.

When we rightly hear the words of Christ, there will be a SURE BELIEF of them. Our Lord commended this in Peter who had declared, Thou hast the words of eternal life, and we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. They believed the divine testimony, they looked up to Jesus as a Divine Instructor, and humbly and gladly received his doctrine as from God. The same sure belief should be yielded by us to the word of Christ. It is far more important to know Christ with the eyes of the understanding than with those of the body: Blessed, says our Lord to Thomas, are they that have not seen me, and yet have believed. Believing what you hear, so as to rely on the word of God as what cannot deceive, and beholding the glory of God in the person of Christ, and the mind of God in the doctrine of Christ, mark the blessed man.

There will also be a CORRESPONDING CONDUCT. Thus the Apostles not only believed, but left all and followed Christ. They obeyed his voice. It became the great object of their lives to fulfil the will of Christ.

Their faith worked by love, and overcame the world. So will it be with us if we truly believe. We shall know how to prize our many privileges, and be deeply concerned duly to improve them. The different parts of divine truth will produce some suitable effects in our lives. The glorious character of God will inspire us with reverence and confidence, with love and self-devotion. Our danger through sin will lead us to the only refuge. The promises will fill us with hope, and joy, and gratitude, and the precepts will be to us a daily guide and rule of life.

And this is the result of sPECIAL GRACE. When Peter made that decisive confession of his faith, recorded Matt. xvi, 16, our Lord said to him, Blessed art thou, Simon, son of Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. Here only is the true root of all the difference between the most devoted believer, and the most presumptuous rejecter of divine truth. It is not that one is naturally better than another, or has more merit and deserving in himself; but it is of the distinguishing grace and mercy of our God. The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them. Prov. xx, 12. This is true not only in a natural, but also in a spiritual sense. It is given to the disciples of Christ to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.

III. We now proceed to the DIRECTIONS WHICH MAY ASSIST YOU TO HEAR WITH ADVANTAGE, only again stating that there is no direction which a gracious Father is not ready to enable us to follow, and which it is not a privilege and a blessing to fulfil. 1. Hear IN THE SPIRIT OF PRAYER. Of all the directions that can be given, this is the most important;

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