THE Hearers Duty: A SERMON PREACHED At Anne Aldersgate London, at the finishing of the Morning Exercise at the Church.  
By Mr. Christopher Love B. D. and Pastor thereof.  
Revised and Corrected according to his own Notes.  
London, Printed by E. C. for George and Henry Eversden at the Greyhound in Pauls-Church-yard. 1653.   

A Sermon Preached at Anne Aldersgate, in the time of the Morning Exercise.  LUKE 11.28. 
But he said, Yea, rather blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it.  
IN the humanity of Jesus Christ such a lustre and beauty did shine and break forth, that even in such a despicable person as he was deemed to be, yet the very words which he spoke, and the works that he did, declared him to be no less than the Son of God; as in Joh. 7.46. his very enemies confessed that never man spoke as Christ spoke, he spoke better than ever man spoke, by the words he delivered it was evident he was more than man, but the works which he did, spoke plainly with an audible voice his divinity. And concerning the miracles which he wrought, it was said of many of them, that never was it thus done since the beginning of the World, his miracles wrought admiration even in the hearts of those men, in whom they wrought envy and malice against him. The miracle specified in this Chapter, the dispossessing of a dumb man of the Devil; this did spread abroad the fame and renown of Christ through many parts of the world, and though his enemies were so obstinate, that they would not (notwithstanding these miracles that he wrought) acknowledge his divinity, yet there was a young woman that slipped out of all the company and went to Christ, and lift up her voice saluting him in these words, saying, Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps which gave thee suck; though the Pharisees would not call him blessed, yet this young woman cried out, Blessed is the womb that bore thee. And had this commendation been given to another, it might have made him proud, but it works a contrary effect upon Christ, he rather gives her a rebuke then any thanks, and tells her, that rather blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it. And thus I have brought you to the words of my text. But before I come to give you the doctrine which the words will afford, give me leave to speak something concerning the young woman's saluting of Christ after this manner; the words which she spoke were a common proverb amongst the Jews: when any man had done a thing commendable, that was excellent and extraordinary, they would presently cry out to him, Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave the suck; from whence I would note to you thus much.  
doct. That good Children are a great blessing and commendation to their Parents.  
And hence it is that you read so often in Scripture what a great blessing it is for a Father, to be the Father of a good Son; and for a Mother to be the Mother of a good Child, in Prov. 10.1. & 15.20. And on the contrary, what a great curse it is for Parents to bring forth wicked children into the World, a wicked child is a shame to his Father, and a heaviness to his Mother that brought him into the World.  
Use. The Use I would have you make of this doctrine is this:  
You that have good Children, that are instruments of the praise and glory of God, bless his name for them; and you that have bad children look upon it as a stroke of God's heavy hand upon you; but this is only a point by the way, from the woman's speaking thus of Christ, blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck; but Christ told her, rather blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Christ says rather blessed, he does not not say that his mother that bore him was not blessed, for she did bear him in her heart as well as in her womb: but Christ speaks this with a gentle and loving rebuke to the woman that gave him this commendation; says Christ, thou criest out, blessed is the womb that bear thee, but I say, rather blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it, so that from hence note, from Christ's example here,  
doct. That you must take a great deal of heed than you be not tickled with pride, when ever you hear yourselves or yours commended; you see here Christ would give no way to their commendations of his mother.  
And then again, yea rather blessed; Christ says that those are rather blessed that hear the Word of God and keep it, than his mother that brought him into the world: from whence observe,  
doct. That a believer that hears and obeys Christ is rather blessed in so doing, than the Virgin Mary was merely in bringing Jesus Christ into the World, though it were the happiest birth that ever Woman brought forth.  
And oh how should this be a spur to hearers to make them obey and practise what they hear!  
But I shall keep you no longer in the entrance into the words, and therefore I shall only give you something to note from the manner of the expression that Christ here useth, and then draw out the doctrine the words will afford. In the form of speech that Christ here useth, observe, it is not said, blessed are they that bear the Word of God, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  there are many forts of hearers that come short of blessing, but blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.  
There are 4. sorts of hearers, spoken of in Mat. 13. and three of them are bad, and but one good, that hears the Word aright; all that hear the Word do not obtain a blessing.  
(1) It is not said, Blessed are they that hear, but, Blessed are they that hear and keep what they do hear.  
(2) It is not said, Blessed are they that believe (observe that) though this be true, yet it is not said so, lest men should think that a bare and naked believing were enough to entitle them to blessedness: there are many men that pretend to faith and assurance, and yet live above duties, above hearing, and praying, etc. and therefore Christ says not, Blessed are they that believe, but they that hear the Word and keep it.  
(3) It is not said, Blessed are they that keep the Word in a disjunction from hearing, but they that keep the Word in a conjunction with hearing, blessed are you that hear and keep. There are many men that pretend to be high flown in their practice, and to keep what Christ commands them, but yet it is a disjunctive obedience, they will not hear; those are only blessed in Christ's esteem, that keep and hear the Word of God.  
(4) It is not said here in the text, Blessed shall they be that hear and keep the Word of God, but blessed are they that hear and keep the Word; thou shalt not only be a blessed man when thou comest to heaven, but thou art a blessed man whilst thou art here upon earth; thou hast thy fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life, Rom. 6.22.  
(5) Observe further, it is not said, Blessed are they that hear and keep it, but Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it. For you may hear errors and blasphemies and keep them, and be accursed for so doing; but blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it. And this should teach men to take heed, how they hear, and what they hear, and whom they hear, and that they hear nothing but that which is the Word of God. We read of some that should follow teachers, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  that bring in damnable heresies, 2 Pet. 2.3. many shall follow their pernicious ways. Now such as these are not blessed, that hear men that bring in errors and heresies, but they are cursed rather.  
(6) Observe further, Christ does not say, Rather blessed are they that hear my say and keep them; but, that hear God's Word: for had Christ said, rather blessed are they that hear my Word, the people might have been ready to think, that Christ did entail blessedness only to his own Preaching, and to them that did hear Christ personally teach here upon earth: but says he, Blessed are they that hear the Word of God, be it either by Paul, or Apollo's, or Timothy, or Titus, or any Minister of Christ to the world's end. Who ever shall hear the Word of God contained in the Scriptures, Preached out of their mouths, and shall keep and obey it, they are rather blessed then my Mother that bore me is, for that only reason of bringing me into the world. There is in this very expression a secret glory put upon the Ministers of the Word, and this is the reason of that saying in Scripture, He that believes shall do greater works than Christ did; that is, a faithful Minister should convert more souls than ever Christ did: it is true Christ might (if he had so pleased) have converted every man that heard him, but he would not, lest men should thereby have undervalved his Ministers, and have thought that none could convert souls but Christ; and therefore there were more converted by Peter and other Apostles, than there were by Christ himself; because he might hereby encourage men to the hearing of ordinary Ministers.  
There were some in the Church of Corinth, 1 Cor. 1.12. that said some of them, We are for Paul; others, we are for Apollo; others, we are for Cephas; and others, we are for Christ. Now the Apostle blames them that any of them should say, I am of Christ; there were some among them that said, I care not for hearing of Paul, or Apollo, or Cophas, I will hear Jesus Christ: it was a vanity in them to undervalue the Ministry of Paul and Apollo, and to cry up Christ; it is a sinful crying up of Christ to cry down Paul and Apollo. And so in these times for men to cry up Christ, and yet to cry down the Ministry, is as sinful now as it was in the Apostles time; and therefore Christ himself was careful to preserve the honour of the Ministry that was to succeed him to the end of the world: Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it.  
(7) It is not said, Rather blessed are they for hearing, and for keeping the Word, but, Blessed are they that hear and that keep it.  
Blessed doers never come in with a for, but only with an if or a that; the Lord does not bless thee for thy hearing, though thou shouldest hear as many Sermons as there are days, but he blesseth them that hear, and that practise what they hear; hearing the Word and practising and obeying of it, are the qualifications or characteristical notes of such persons as shall be blessed by Christ; but not the causes of their blessedness.  
And thus I have given you these seven notes from the form of speech Christ here useth. I shall now explain the words a little more to you, Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it.  
What is ●●●nt here by keeping the Word you hear▪  
Ans● You must know there is a double keeping of the Word, the one in your memories, the other in your practice.  
1. In our memories, this you have mentioned in Luke 2.19. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conservabat.  it is said there that Mary kept add these things, and pondered them in her heart. Our memories should be like the Ark wherein the pot of Manna was kept; the Word of God should be treasured up in our memories as the pot of Manna was in the Ark: but this is not the keeping here spoken of, for there are many men that keep the Word in their memories, and yet never practise it in their lives.  
2. There is a keeping of the Word in your practice. When you have a conscionable care to sway your practice answerable to what you hear and know, and this is the keeping that is here meant; Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it; that is, keep it in their practice, and make conscience to do what they hear and know.  
The words being thus opened, the observation from them will be this.  
That they are rather blessed that hear the Word of God and practice what they hear, doct. than the mother of Jesus Christ was for bringing him into the world.  
Beloved, it is a point that I confess, had it not been in the Bible, it had been incredible, that those that hear the Word and keep it, should be rather blessed, than she that bore Christ in her womb. That Christ should put a rather blessed upon thee oh man or woman that hearest the Word of God and keepest it, then upon the Virgin Mary for bearing Christ into the World; what a great privilege is this!  
Beloved, it is worth your noting, what a different dialect is used, between this woman here in the text, and Elizabeth that was cousin german to the Virgin Mary; this woman in the text she cries out, Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck. But Elizabeth she says, Blessed is she that believes, if the Virgin Mary had not bore Christ in her heart as well as in her womb, she had not been a blessed woman.  
Before I give you the reasons of the point I shall only draw this inference from it, to confut the dotage of the Church of Rome that do so much dote upon the Virgin Mary; where they have one service for the glory of Christ, they have twenty for the glory of the Virgin Mary. They would make the world believe that she was without sin, and if so, why should Christ pronounce others rather blessed than she? This then is a confutation of the Church of Rome, that hold that the Virgin Mary had no original sin; and if so, than she should have been rather blessed then any one else in the world; and if that be true, than this text must needs be false, for Christ says here, that rather blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it, than she.  
(2) This confutes them, because they do so cry up the righteousness and holiness and dignity of the Virgin Mary; that they do undervalue the righteousness of Jesus Christ her Son; they so dote upon the Virgin Mary; that they make her the great Mediator for us to the Father; whereas we say, and maintain, that Christ is the only mediator, for there is but one mediator between God and Man, the man Christ Jesus.  
Ministers had never more need to confute Popish doctrines and opinions then now. For never was Popery more like to increase and flourish in this Land then now it is, and therefore I do the rather give these glances concerning them because there is a great deal of danger, lest people be infected with these Popish fooleries. I speak this upon my own experience; I have been a preacher these 10. years, and in all that time I never perceived so many inclining towards Popery, as I have done within these two months; since these late strange actions that have been done amongst us, I have seen many to stagger about our Religion, and have been strongly tempted to embrace and fall to Popery, which is the reason that induced me to make this digression.  
We come now to the Reasons of the point.  
(1) Because that Christ does count such in near relation to himself, reas. 1 nay in a nearer relation to him, than his own natural friends, as in Mark 3.33, 34, 35. when they told Christ, that his mother and his brethren were without seeking for him, says he, Who is my mother or my brethren? Whosoever shall hear the Word of God and keep it, the same is my brother my sister and mother.  
(2) Because if you hear the Word of God and keep what you hear, reas. 2 you shall persever and have the end of your faith; in Mat. 7.24. says Christ there, Whosoever heareth these say of mine and doth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock, and the rain descended and the floods came, and the winds blue, and beat upon that house, and it sell not, for it was founded upon a rock. So those only that hear the Word of God and practise it, shall have the end of their faith, and have their souls built upon that rock Christ Jesus, that shall never be removed.  
(3) You are blessed in practising what you hear, reas. 3 because thereby you may bring many others to blessedness: in 1 Pet. 3.1. says the Apostle there, Wives be in subjection to your own husband, that if any obey not the word, they may without the word be won by the conversation of their wives.  
And those men that have been won to Christ by your good example, when they come to appear before God in judgement, by seeing you they shall glorify God in the day of their visitation, and shall bless God that by your means they were brought to heaven.  
(4) They that practise what they hear are blessed: reas. 4 Because, though they may not bring others to heaven, yet they are sure to come to heaven themselves, in Rev. 14.12, 13. Here is the patience of the Saints, and here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus: Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, they rest from their labour, and their works follow them: those that keep the Commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, they shall come themselves to heaven though they bring no body else thither. Where a Gospel's life goes before, an Angel's life shall follow after. You that lead Gospel lives here, assure yourselves that you shall lead Angels lives hereafter, and therefore make conscience to do and practise what you hear and know.  
We come now to the Application, and the Use that I shall make of it shall be threefold, for Lamentation, Consolation, and Exhortation.  
(1) For Lamentation, 
Use of Lament.  is it so that they are rather blessed that hear and practice what they hear in the word, than the Virgin Mary? Oh then how should this consideration provoke you to Lamentation, that when you may have blessing upon such terms as these, Hear my Word and make conscience to practise it, and you shall be blessed, yet you do reject your own mercy. Oh thou perverse and hard he arted man or woman, that wilt not practise what thou hearest, thou dost reject thy own mercy. The Devil could not damn thee, if thou wouldst not damn thyself. Thou Oh man that let the Word say what it will, thou wilt do what thou list, dost thou not stand in the way of thy own blessedness, and reject thy own mercy?  
And to set home this particular upon your hearts, give me leave to press it with these 3 or 4 Considerations.  
(1) Consider, consid. 1 that thou that dost not make conscience to practise what thou hearest, thou dost provoke the Lord to take away the Word from thee, that thou shalt not hear it at all: in Amos 8.9. because that Israel was weary of the Word of God, and of his Sabbaths, saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell Corn, and the Sabbath, that we may set forth Wheat? Therefore says God, I will cause the Sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day, and I will send a famine in the Land, not a famine of bread, or a thirst for water, but of hearing the Words of the Lord.  
God may take away the Word from you, for your not profiting under it, in Mat. 21.43. The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.  
(2) Consider, consid. 2 that thy hearing, if thou dost not practise what thou hearest, will aggravate thy damnation an other way; in Joh. 15.22. says Christ, If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin, but now they have no cloak for their sin. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  So in Luke 12.47. That servant that knew his Lords will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.  
It is an observation that one hath upon the Prophecy of Esay from the 13. to the 24. Chapter of that Prophecy, you shall read there of many dismal denuntiations of judgement, the burden of Babylon, the burden of Tyre, the burden of Damascus, and of Moah, and of Egypt, and the burden of the desert of the Sea; many nations and people did the Lord command the Prophet to pronounce a burdensome Prophecy against; but amongst them all there is the burden of the valley of vision in the 22. Chapter, and it is observed that this is the most burdensome of them all, and the reason is, because that was a place of vision and knowledge, where the Word of God was dispensed, and because of their sinfulness and unprofitableness, their burden is heavier than all the rest, because it is the burden of the valley of vision. Though other men may go to hell that live in those parts of the World where the Word was never taught, and where they never heard the voice of the glad tidings of salvation sounding in their ears; yet those that live where the Gospel is preached, and know and yet do not walk answerably, shall go to hell with a heavier burden, than the other shall do.  
(3) An other consideration is this, consid. 3 that thou art void of the love of God, thou lovest not him, nor he thee, if thou dost not make conscience to practise what thou dost hear; in 1 Joh. 2.5. Who so keepeth his Word, in him verily is the love of God perfected, and he that says he loveth him and keepeth not his Commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  
I shall now speak something by way of Exhortation, 
Use of Exhorta.  to provoke you all in the fear of God to make conscience to practise what you hear and know; and to this end consider, that God doth look upon all your knowledge and profession to be nothing worth, unless you practise what you know and profess. God looks upon all your hearing and praying, etc. as nothing, unless your conversation be answerable to it: and is it not pity that for want of practise you should lose the blessing of all your hearing, and make it of no worth or esteem in God's account, that though thou hast a great deal of notion all knowledge, yet he looks upon thee as an ignorant for, and thou that hast heard so many Sermons, as if thou hadst never heard one all thy life time? It is said of the Sons of Eli, that they knew not the Lord, why they? surely they did know him, but because they were Sons of Belial, and unholy and profane in their lives, therefore God did not account their knowledge and gifts to be any thing, because they did not practise what they did know. Oh then beloved, shall God account thy hearing as nothing, and thy praying as nothing, because thou dost not make conscience to practise what thou dost hear and know?  
(2) You can have no persuasion in your own soul of the love of God towards you, unless you make conscience to practise what you hear; in Joh. 14.15. says Christ, If you love me keep my Commandments; and therefore often in Scripture these two are put together, Loving of God and keeping his Commandments.  
But now by way of Consolation, 
Use of Consolati.  methinks I hear a poor soul say, Are they only blessed that hear the Word of God and keep what they hear? who then shall shall be blessed, for who is able to keep what he hears? I many times hear a duty commanded, but I am not able to perform it, and such and such things required, but I am not able to keep them, and such and such graces pressed to obtain, but I am not able to get them.  
Answ. For thy comfort know, that didst thou live under a Covenant of works, thou couldst never be a blessed man, for thou art not able to perform the conditions of it: for that requires thee to keep and fulfil the whole law of God perfectly and personally. But now being under a Covenant of grace, God accepts of thy keeping of the Law if it be done sincerely though it be but imperfectly, and though it be not done in thy own person, yet if it be done in the person of an other, the Lord accepts of it. God says to us under a Covenant of grace believe and live, if you make conscience to keep the Word, though you cannot keep it, yet I will pardon thee and accept of thee; and though thou canst not keep the Law in thy own person, yet if my Son keeps it for thee, I will accept of his obedience, as if it were done by thee. And therefore you must not lie down under despondency of mind, because you are not under a Covenant of works, but under a Covenant of grace, wherein Christ accepts of sincere obedience though it be not perfect.  
(2) Know for thy comfort that if thou hast a full purpose of heart to keep that which thou hearest, it is looked upon by God, as if thou didst keep it, in Heb. 11.17. it is said there, that by faith Abraham when he was tried did offer up his son Isaac; because Abraham did in the resolution and purpose of his heart determine to obey God in offering up his Son, therefore the Scripture looks upon it as done, though it were only in purpose, not actually.  
Why so, thou that art the Son of Abraham, and hast the faith of Abraham, those holy duties which thou dost desire to perform better, as to pray better, and to hear better, and practise and live better than thou dost; in divine account this is looked upon as if it were really done.  
FINIS.