Three Sermons and Prayers | Page 7

all old
and beaten, and that they are already so well acquainted with it, more

shame and guilt to them who so little edify by it! But these men, whose
ears are so delicate as not to endure a plain discourse of religion, who
expect a constant supply of wit and eloquence on a subject handled so
many thousand times, what will they say when we turn the objection
upon themselves, who, with all the rude and profane liberty of
discourse they take upon so many thousand subjects, are so dull as to
furnish nothing but tedious repetitions, and little paltry, nauseous
commonplaces, so vulgar, so worn, or so obvious, as, upon any other
occasion but that of advancing vice, would be hooted off the stage? Nor,
lastly, are preachers justly blamed for neglecting human oratory to
move the passions, which is not the business of a Christian orator,
whose office it is only to work upon faith and reason. All other
eloquence hath been a perfect cheat, to stir up men's passions against
truth and justice for the service of a faction, to put false colours upon
things, and, by an amusement of agreeable words, make the worst
reason appear to be the better. This is certainly not to be allowed in
Christian eloquence, and therefore St. Paul took quite the other course.
He "came not with the excellency of words, or enticing speech of men's
wisdom, but in plain evidence of the Spirit and power." And perhaps it
was for that reason the young man Eutychus, used to the Grecian
eloquence, grew tired and fell so fast asleep.
I go on, thirdly, to set forth the great evil of this neglect and scorn of
preaching, and to discover the real causes whence it proceedeth.
I think it is obvious that this neglect of preaching hath very much
occasioned the great decay of religion among us. To this may be
imputed no small part of that contempt some men bestow on the clergy,
for whoever talketh without being regarded is sure to be despised. To
this we owe in a great measure the spreading of atheism and infidelity
among us, for religion, like all other things, is soonest put out of
countenance by being ridiculed. The scorn of preaching might perhaps
have been at first introduced by men of nice ears and refined taste, but
it is now become a spreading evil through all degrees and both sexes;
for, since sleeping, talking, and laughing are qualities sufficient to
furnish out a critic, the meanest and most ignorant have set up a title,
and succeeded in it as well as their betters. Thus are the last efforts of

reforming mankind rendered wholly useless. "How shall they hear,"
saith the Apostle, "without a preacher?" But if they have a preacher,
and make it a point of wit or breeding not to hear him, what remedy is
left? To this neglect of preaching we may also entirely impute that
gross ignorance among us in the very principles of religion, which it is
amazing to find in persons who very much value their own knowledge
and understanding in other things; yet it is a visible, inexcusable
ignorance, even in the meanest among us, considering the many
advantages they have of learning their duty. And it hath been the great
encouragement to all manner of vice; for in vain we preach down sin to
a people "whose hearts are waxed gross, whose ears are dull of hearing
and whose eyes are closed." Therefore Christ Himself in His discourses
frequently rouseth up the attention of the multitude, and of His
disciples themselves, with this expression, "He that hath ears to hear let
him hear." But among all neglects of preaching, none is so fatal as that
of sleeping in the house of God. A scorner may listen to truth and
reason, and in time grow serious; an unbeliever may feel the pangs of a
guilty conscience; one whose thoughts or eyes wander among other
objects may, by a lucky word, be called back to attention; but the
sleeper shuts up all avenues to his soul; he is "like the deaf adder, that
hearkeneth not to the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely;"
and we may preach with as good success to the grave that is under his
feet.
But the great evil of this neglect will further yet appear from
considering the real causes whence it proceedeth, whereof the first I
take to be an evil conscience. Many men come to church to save or gain
a reputation, or because they will not be singular, but comply with an
established custom, yet all the while they are loaded with the guilt of
old rooted sins. These men can expect to hear of nothing but