Happiness was plac'd, and from thefe he would not part, tho' he might have entered into the Kingdom of God by doing fo.

And the Cafe is much the fame with Worldly-minded Men in these Days. For tho' the prefent Circumftances of the Church do not put them to the Trial, whether they will refign up all for the Sake of Chrift; yet they do, and always will try, whether they will employ their Substance to the Succour of his poor Members; whether they will according to their Abilities, feed the Hungry, cloath the Naked, and relieve the Needy. But thefe Things fuch Perfons abhor the Thoughts of doing, and therefore when we Preach about them, and use the strongest Motives to enforce their Obfervance, our Sermons are sure to be flighted; or elfe to be accounted grievous hard Sayings, fuch as they are not able, because in truth, not willing to bear. They frame feveral filly Pretences to juftify their Uncharitableness; as that they fhall be reduced to Poverty by being open-handed, or may want themfelves by being liberal to others: Which Pretences imply a provoking Diftrust of Divine Providence; and at the fame Time moft evidently fhow, that they had rather venture to be damn'd, than to be starv'd,

Thirdly, Another Caufe why the Word Preach'd doth not profit, is want of Attention. 'Tis a melancholy but withal a juft Obfervation, that fome Perfons will lend a very

atten

attentive Ear to trifling Matters, which will do them little or no good: and yet fuffer themselves to be eafily diverted from hearkening to thofe Truths, upon the embracing of which their everlafting Welfare depends. Whilft we are Preaching, we have too many Opportunities of feeing how foon, and how frequently Mens Attention is drawn away from regarding our Difcourfes. Sometimes we may behold 'em talking to one another: Sometimes they are ftaring in an idle Manner after thofe who happen to come into the Church: And fometimes they are very quietly lulling themselves to feeр. Thefe and fuch like Means doth Satan make ufe of, to catch away the World, and hinder it from taking Root in Mens Hearts, And Sermons that are preach'd to fuch Perfons, may be properly refembled to Seed fallen upon the Highway; they are utterly loft upon them.

If People are not attentive to the Word Preach'd,it cannot make any lafting Impreffion upon their Souls :If it doth not make any lafting Impreffion upon their Souls, they cannot remember it, and meditate upon it: And if they don't remember it, and meditate upon it, they cannot make it ferve for the Increase of their Knowledge, the Direction of their Judgment, the Regulation of their Will and Affections, or the Reformation of their Practice. But if the Word Preach'd doth not ferve fome of thefe Purpofes, it doth not edify, it doth not profit.

Fourth

Fourthly, Another Caufe why the Word Preach'd doth not profit, is Self-conceit in the Hearers of it. Self-conceit is an undue and over-fond Valuation of one's own Abilities: When Men are fwell'd with a great Opinion of thefe, they do for the moft Part entertain very mean Thoughts of the Accomplishments of others. Hence it comes to pafs, that they reckon Themfelves wiser than their Teachers; and account the most excellent Discourses deliver'd by them, no better than Foolishness of Preaching.

Such wife Fools, whofe Deportment is always right in their own Eyes, difdain to be convinc'd that they are ever in the Wrong, by those whom they vainly imagine to have lefs Knowledge than themselves; They difregard the most useful Doctrines, and caft the most wholefome Advices behind their Backs; and instead of trying to be better'd by the Sermons which they hear, they cenfure and villify the Qualifications of the Perfons who preach.

An Entertainment of this Nature, St. Paul met with at Athens; which we read of in the 17th of the Alts of the Apoftles, at the 18th and 32d Verfes. Then certain of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encounter'd bim and fome faid, What will this Babler fay? Other fome, He feemeth to be a Setter forth of frange Gods; because he preached unto them Jefus, and the Refurrection: And when they heard of the Refurrection of the Dead, Some mocked

Thofe Heathen Philofophers, placing a great Confidence in their own Conceptions of Things, and conceiving very high Notions of their own Learning and Wisdom, could afford but little Efteem for the Abilities even of an Apoftle: Hereby they were Kinder'd from weighing his Difcourfes with that Confideration which they deferv'd; yea, and were induc'd to treat both bim, and the Truths which he preach'd, not fo much with a contemptuous Air of Neglect, as with Mockery and Derifion.

And a Man must have made but flight Obfervations upon the Practice of the World, who hath not experienc'd the like Behaviour in fome that are called Chriftians, with Repect to the prefent Preachers, and preaching of the Word. For how frequently may we behold'em endeavouring to ridicule their Perfons, and difparage their Sermons? How often may we fee Men that are exceedingly wife in their own Conceits (tho', in reality they are furnifh'd but with a flender Share of common Senfe) take upon 'em to be competent Judges of the Nicenefs, or Indecorum of their Minifter's Difcourfes? I can fee no great Matter in this, fays one," He has made but a poor Bufinefs of it, fays another. And a third arrogantly intimates, that he could do better himself.

In a Word, how common is it in this forward Age, for the moft illiterate Mortals, wo understand but little of their own Mother Tongue, to pretend to criticize upon

the

the Property of the Expreffions we make ufe of; to pafs Sentence upon the Method we observe, and to find Fault with the níoft elaborate Compofitions?

After this Manner doth Self-conceit operate in those who are overwhelm'd with it. It renders them obftinate in the Opinions they have taken up: It makes 'em preverfly go on in the Courfes they have begun: It puts them upon fpending their Time in carping at the Word Preach'd; and utterly debars them from reaping a due Advantage by hearing it. Such Perfons therefore may not unfitly be compared to the deaf Adder which stoppeth her Ears; inafmuch as they feem refolv'd not to be influenc'd by the Voice of the Charmer, charm he never fo wifely.

Fiftbly, Another Caufe of the Unprofitableness of the Word Preach'd, is Prejudice against the Preachers of it. Prejudice I take to be an ill-natur'd Diflike of another, grounded upon fome bad Opinion of him. This the Devil is very forward to raife in the Minds of the People, against thofe who be ordain'd the Minifters of Religion; as well knowing, that the Succefs of their Miniftry will be very much hindred, wherefoever there is a Prejudice conceiv'd against their Perfons.

Now the ufual Ways by which he leadeth Men to be prejudic'd against their Minifters, are by fetting them in wrong Lights; and painting them in falfe Colours.

Thus, if they preach against any Sins that are common among their Hearers, their Ee a

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