Page:PracticeOfChristianAndReligiousPerfectionV1.djvu/92

 On the  present  occasion,  therefore,  I  intend  to  shew  how,  and  in what  manner  we  ought  to  hear  them,  so  as  to  derive  advantage from them;  and  what  I  shall  say,  relating  to  ourselves  in  particular, may  also  serve  as  a  general  instruction  to  all  sorts  of persons,  and  teach  them  how  to  profit  by  the  hearing  of  sermons. The first  disposition  necessary  for  that  end  is,  that  we  do  not frequent sermons  out  of  custom,  nor  merely  because  it  is  a  part of a  Christian's  duty  to  do  so,  but  to  hear  them  with  a  true  and earnest desire  of  improving  by  them. Let us  consider  with what zeal  the  ancient  fathers  in  the  desert  were  wont  to  resort to these  spiritual  banquets,  and  what  store  of  good  provisions they carried  back  with  them  to  their  cells. With the  like  fervour we  ought  to  go  to  those  exhortations  that  are  made  for  us, and then  they  cannot  fail  of  doing  as  great  good  to  our  souls, as good  meat  does  to  our  bodies,  which  nourishes  and strengthens him  that  sits  down  to  table  with  a  good  appetite. St Chrysostom  observes,  that  as  hunger  is  a  sign  of  the  body's being  in  good  health,  so  a  longing  desire  of  being  nourished with the  word  of  God  is  a  certain  sign  of  a  good  and  happy disposition of  the  soul. But if  you  do  not  thirst  after  the divine word,  nor  find  any  gust  in  it,  it  is  a  certain  sign  that  you are sick;  and  that  your  soul  is  in  a  very  dangerous  condition; seeing it  loathes  that  food,  which  is  so  proper  for  its  nourishment. Besides, though  it  were  only  to  hear  the  preacher  speak  of Almighty  God,  that  alone  should  suffice  to  make  us  run  joyfully to hear  him:  for,  naturally  a  man  is  glad  to  hear  another  speak well of  one  he  loves. So if  you  have  a  true  love  for  God,  you cannot but  be  overjoyed  to  hear  the  preacher  speak  well  of  him. For, as  our  blessed  Saviour  says,  "  He  who  is  of  God,  hears  the word  of  God,  and  the  reason  why  you  desire  not  to  hear  it  is, because  you  are  not  of  God." (John, viii.  47.)

In the  second  place,  if  we  intend  to  improve  ourselves  by  the sermons we  hear,  we  must  not  hear  them  with  a  spirit  of curiosity;  as  for  example,  to  observe  the  good  language,  the graceful action  and  pronunciation,  the  novelty  and  turn  of thought  of  the  preacher,  together  with  his  manner  of  delivery. It is  this  for  which,  with  great  reason,  we  blame  many  seculars, and which  is  the  cause  of  their  profiting  so  little  by  sermons. But instead  of  minding  such  things  as  these,  we  must  apply ourselves wholly  to  attend  to  the  substance  of  the  discourse. What should  you  say  of  a  sick  man,  that  was  going  to  be  let blood, who  instead  of  letting  the  surgeon  open  his  vein,  should