Sermon IX - Sanctifying the Name of God in Hearing the Word
have their health and prosperity. But if you were to die, and upon your sick and death bed if you saw the infinite ocean of eternity before you, what would you say then? Were the Word true, yea, or no? Would you give belief unto the suggestions of the Devil then? We find it by experience that men that could easily cast off the Word in their health, yet when they have come to lie upon their sick bed, and death bed, they found the Word true; believe it now as well as then.
4. Consider, if thou doest not believe, what a case art thou in? Am I worse than the devils themselves? The Scripture tells me that the devils believe and tremble; why Lord, do I come to hear sermons, and am I more hard to believe than the very devils themselves? They do believe that Word that I cast off, and they tremble at it, but my soul is not at all stirred, as if there were no reality in such things that have been spoken to me. There be other things which may further help us towards believing of the Word of God, but these shall suffice.
And certainly, my brethren, until we come to this to believe the Word, though we should sit under it many years, it will do us little good, and we shall never sanctify the Name of God in the hearing of it.
Sermon IX Sanctifying the Name of God in Hearing the Word
LEVITICUS 10:3
I will be sanctified in them that come nigh Me.
The next thing for the right behavior of the soul for sanctifying God's Name is this, we must receive the Word with meekness of spirit; that you have in James 1:21, "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness, and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted
Word which is able to save your souls." Receive with meekness; the former part of this Scripture I confess concerns somewhat that was before, about the preparation of the soul, and we shall perhaps afterwards in the application come to open the former part of this verse. "Lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness." But only now we quote the place for this, "receive with meekness the engrafted Word which is able to save your souls." Let there be a quietness in your spirit in attending upon the Word, no hurrying.
There is a twofold distemper of passion in many people that is a great hinderance to the profit of the Word, and sanctifying God's Name in hearing it.
1. The first is a distemper of passion in those that have some trouble of conscience in them, they are troubled for their sin, and their spirits are in a discontented froward humor because they have not that comfort that they do desire, and therefore the Word of God when it comes to be preached to them, if it doth not every way suit with their hearts, and if they do not find present comfort by it, their spirits are in a distemper and frowardness, and cast it off. And if at any time there be never such comfortable things spoken in the Word, yet there is an anger in their spirits because they are not able to apply the Word to themselves, and they think, "This doth not concern me."
Now there should be meekness of spirit in those that are in trouble of conscience above all; they should quietly attend upon the Word and wait for the time that God will speak peace to their consciences. And if I cannot find the Word suitable to me at this time, yet I may at another time. Let me attend with meekness, let me receive everything with meekness; the Word is above me, and if ever I have good, it must be by the Word at last. It doeth much concern those that are in trouble of conscience to have meek spirits.
2. There is another distemper in others and that is worse; that is, such as when they find the Word come near unto them, relating those sins that their consciences tells them they are guilty of, their hearts rise against God and His Word, and ministers too, because it would pluck away some beloved corruption, because it rebukes them for some haunt of evil, some distemper of heart that they have been or are guilty of, it puts a shame upon them, and therefore their hearts do rise against it. It is a dreadful thing to have the heart rise against the Word. As we read of that froward Prince Jehoiakim in the Prophecy of Jeremiah, that when the roll was read in his hearing, sitting in the winter time by a great fire, he took a penknife and cut it in pieces and threw it into the fire in anger; and I have read that the Jews kept a fast every year to mourn for that great sin, and yet this
Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah whose heart did melt at the hearing of the Word; he had an humble and a meek heart when the Law was read, and yet see what a different spirit Jehoiakim had either from his father or grandfather.
It is a great dishonor to the Name of God for men to give liberty to their passions to rise against the Word; take heed of passion either while you are hearing the Word, or after the Word; as many of you when you are discontented with what is said, when you come in company, what a fury are many men in upon the hearing of some things in the Word that comes close to their hearts; remember when you are a hearing of the Word that it is that which is above you, and it is not fit for one that is an inferior to show himself passionate in the presence of a superior. It is true, the ministers they may be in as low a condition as you, and in a lower; but the Word they speak, it is above all the Princes and Monarchs upon the face of the earth; and it is fit therefore we having to deal with God that we should behave ourselves in a meek disposition.
6. The next thing for the sanctifying God's Name in the hearing of the Word is this, we must hear it with a trembling heart, with fear as well as meekness. And for that you have that famous Scripture in Isa. 66, beginning, "Thus saith the Lord, 'The heaven is My throne, and the
earth is My footstool: where is the house that ye build unto Me, and where is the place of My rest? For all those things hath My hand made, and all those things have been,' saith the Lord, 'but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at My Word.'" This is a most admirable Scripture. Mark how God lifts up Himself in His glory, so great a God as "the heaven is My throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is that house that ye will build unto Me?" But then may a poor soul say, how shall I be able to stand before this God that is so glorious? Saith God, be not discouraged, poor soul who doest tremble at My Word, for I look to you.
And then this is a further thing observable, that God hath a regard to that soul that trembles at His Word, rather than to any that should build the most sumptuous buildings in the world for Him, for saith
God here, "The heaven is My throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto Me and where is the place of My rest?" They have built a glorious temple to God, but what do I regard that, saith God? I regard one that trembles at My Word more than that great house that you have built unto Me. It is a notable
Scripture to show what a high respect God hath to one that trembles at His Word; He regards them more than this glorious temple that was built unto Him. If you were able to build such a place as this was for the service of God, you would think it a great matter; it is not so much regarded as if you could bring a trembling heart to God's
Word, that's a special thing wherein the sanctifying of the Name of God consists when we come to see the dreadful authority that there is in the Word of God, when we are able to see more glory of God in His Word than in all the works of God besides, for there is more of His glory in the Word than there is in the whole creation of heaven and earth, take the sun, and moon and stars.
You that are mariners, you have seen much of the glory of God abroad that one would think might strike terror into all your hearts but know that there is more of the dreadfulness of God's Name in His
Word than in all His works. In Psalm 138:2, "Thou hast magnified
Thy Word above all Thy Name," the Word it is magnified above all the Name of God whatsoever, and it is a very good sign of a spiritually enlightened soul that can see the Name of God more magnified in His Word than in all His works besides. I appeal unto your consciences in this thing, have you ever seen the Name of God to be more magnified in His Word than in all His works? I may with very good confidence affirm this that there is no godly soul upon the face of the earth that hath the weakest degree of grace but hath seen more of the glory of God revealed in His Word than he hath seen in all the works of God besides, and his heart hath been more taken with it; it requires therefore a trembling frame of heart when we hear it.
And then further, when this is considered that the Word is that that bindeth the soul over either to life or death, men's eternal estates are to be cast by the Word, certainly then it requires a trembling heart to hear that by which the eternal estate of man is to be cast. We do not sanctify God's Name when we come to hear the Word except we come with trembling hearts, and they are the most likely of all men and women to understand the mind of God; as for such as come with conceited spirits that they understand as much before they come and think their reach of wit or capacity is beyond the capacity of any that shall open the Word unto them (yet that were not so much if it did but only rest upon the man and not reflect upon the Word itself) now these that are rich in their own thoughts and understandings are sent empty away, but those that come with trembling hearts to the Word, they are the men that are likely to understand God's counsels revealed in His Word. In Ezra 10:2, 3, "Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam answered and said unto Ezra, 'We have transgressed against our God and have taken strange wives (etc.) yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God according to the counsel of my lord and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God,'" so that those that tremble at God's Word are such as are fittest to counsel, they understand most of God's mind. And that's another particular of
the behavior of the soul in sanctifying God's Name in hearing His Word.
7. The next is an humble subjection to the Word that we hear, our hearts must bow to it, must lie under the Word that we hear. It is a very remarkable Scripture that we have in 2 Chron. 36:12, there it is said concerning a great King Zedekiah, "He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord." It is a very strange expression as any we have in the book of God, that Zedekiah a great king should be charged with this as a great sin that he did not humble himself, humble himself before whom you will say? We are bound to humble ourselves before God, but here it is that he did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet. Why before the prophet? Because he spoke from the mouth of the Lord. If it be any messenger that speaks from the mouth of the Lord, God expects that we should humble ourselves, so that if any truth comes to be delivered unto you, the Lord expects that you should fall down and yield obedience to it, whatsoever your thoughts, your judgments, your opinions have heretofore been, if there come anything in the Word against it you must submit your judgments, submit your very consciences, you must submit your wills, whatsoever your hearts have been set upon, though it hath been never so contentful to your spirits before, yet now submit, and yield though it go never so cross unto your minds, your wills, your ends, yet all must be submitted, and laid down flat before the Word, so as to be willing to deny yourselves of anything in the world. When a man or woman can say thus, "Lord it is true, I confess before I heard Thy Word opened in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit unto me, I was of such a mind, and my heart went after such and such contentments, and I thought it was impossible that ever my heart should be taken from them, but Oh Lord thou hast been pleased plainly to show to me by the opening of Thy Word in the evidence of Thy Spirit, what Thy mind is. Now whatsoever becomes of my name, of my comforts, of my contentments in this world, Lord here I cast down all before Thee, I submit unto Thy Word." This is a gracious frame. Now is the
Name of God extolled, and lifted up in hearing of the Word, the Name of God is sanctified in such a work of Spirit as this is.
I have read of a German divine writing to Oecolampados another famous German Divine, he hath this expression, "Oh let the Word of God come, and though we had 600 necks we would all submit them unto the Word of God," saith he. So, it should be the temper of such as hear the Word and desire to sanctify God's Name in it, let the Word of God come this morning, let God speak and we will submit had we 600 necks; we will submit all we are, or have, to this Word of the Lord, it is the Word of God that we are willing should triumph over us. To have a congregation to lie down under the Word of God that is preached to them is a most excellent thing, and God's Name is much sanctified. We do not, brethren, desire you should lie under us, we are not only willing, but we are very desirous that you would examine what we speak to you, whether it be according to the Word of God or no. But look to it, that if we do speak to you that which is the Word from the mouth of the Lord, know then that God expects that you should submit your estates, your souls, your bodies, all that you are and have to this Word. And that is another particular in the sanctifying of the Name of God in hearing the Word; there must be an humble submission of the soul unto it.
8. Another particular wherein the behavior of the soul for the sanctifying of God's Name consists is this, the Word it must be received with love, and with joy; it is not enough for you to be convinced of the authority of it, and to think thus, well I must yield to it, this is the Word of God and if I do not yield to it I must expect the plagues and judgements of God to follow it that is not enough. But you must yield to it with love, and with joy, except you receive the Word with love and with joy it is not sanctified; you do not sanctify
God's Name, nor is it sanctified unto you. You must receive the Word not only as the true Word of the Lord, but as the good Word of the Lord. In Thess. 2:10, we find it to be the cause of men being given over to a spirit of delusion, "Because they received not the Word of God in love." It is spoken of Antichrist, that at his coming he shall
come with all deceivableness, and he shall prevail with them that perish; who are they? They that receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved. It is not enough my brethren to receive the truth that we might be saved; but we must receive the love of the truth if ever we would be saved; good is the Word of the Lord to my soul.
And we must receive it with joy too, as well as with love. Prov. 2: 10, 11, "When wisdom entereth into thy heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul, then discretion shall preserve thee; understanding shall keep thee," etc. That is a great matter, when the Word reveals some truth to thy understanding, and thou canst so receive it as it should be pleasant to thy soul, that thy soul rejoices in it; it is a good
Word. It is that that doth me good at the heart, when a people can hear the Word, and the Word coming near unto them, they can say, this Word doth me good at the heart, it is pleasant to my soul, that is excellent. In Acts 2:41, the godly are described, those that did receive the Word so as to sanctify God's Name in it; by this, that they "gladly received the Word and were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." There were three thousand in one day that did gladly receive the Word. What an auditory had Peter at this time? Then the Word it did them good, when they gladly received it.
Quest. But it may be said, we read in Matt. 13, of the stony ground, the hearers that were not good and did not profit by the Word so as to be saved, yet they received the Word with joy. And Herod it is said of him that he heard John the Baptist gladly. It seems then that it is not enough to receive it with gladness.
Answ. To that I answer, first, there must be that which hypocrites may have, if there be want of that, we cannot sanctify God's Name.
But you will say, we must go further or else God's Name is not sanctified. That I confess; therefore, when I speak of gladness and joy, know that I mean another kind of joy than the stony ground had; and so certainly the pleasantness that is spoken of in Proverbs which
I mentioned before; and the gladness that the three thousand did receive the Word withal is different from the gladness of the stony ground. If you ask me wherein it differs, I would answer it differs thus, the gladness of an hypocrite in receiving God's Word, it ariseth either from the novelty of it, because it is a new thing and he gets new notions that he had not before, or else he is joyful from some other carnal excellencies that he finds going together with the Word, some esteem or honor that he shall get by it; some selfishness there is that makes his heart to be glad, for there is a great deal of natural and carnal excellency that goes along many times with the Word.
But now this gladness that is spoken of in the Acts and in the Proverbs, it is the gladness that ariseth from the apprehension of the spiritual excellencies that there are in the Word, as that it is that Word that reveals God and Christ to my soul; that Word that comes nearest to my soul to the mortifying of my lusts, and the sanctifying of my heart. This is that which makes me rejoice in the Word, the holiness, and the spiritual excellency that I see to be in the Word.
"Thy Word is pure (saith David) and therefore doth thy servant loveth it," and rejoice in it. This no hypocrite can say, I see the image of God in His Word, I see the very glass of God's holiness in His
Word, I feel that in the Word that may bring my soul to God wherein my soul enjoys communion with God and Jesus Christ, and it is this that gladdens my soul. If we receive the Word with joy thus, we shall come to sanctify the Name of God in the hearing of it; and that is the eighth particular.
9. The ninth particular is this, if we would sanctify the Name of God in His Word, we must receive the Word into honest hearts. This you have in Luke 8:15 in the Parable of the Sower; you shall find there that there are divers grounds that do receive the seed; and by those divers grounds are meant divers sorts of hearers. There is first the highway ground, that is, such as hear the Word and never regard what they hear, and as soon as ever they go out of the congregation the seed of the Word is quite gone and is as if they had not heard at all. And then there is the stony ground, and the thorny ground, that
is, those that hear with joy (as was spoken of before) but the cares of the world choke the seed of the Word; as soon as ever they are gone, they are upon their worldly business, and their thoughts and hearts run that way. But then there is the good ground, that is, those that receive the seed of the Word into a good and honest heart, a good and an honest heart they are both joined together. By a good heart is meant a heart that hath not malice in it, a heart that doeth desire to empty itself of everything that is against the Word, and which is not suitable to the spiritualness of the Word. A heart, I say, that entertains nothing in it that any way makes against the Word; a good heart is a heart which (as the Apostle saith in James 1:21, and that place may very well come in here to be opened) is cleansed from all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness. The Word that is there translated "filthiness" it signifies "excrements"; that which is unclean, that which comes from the body, such is the sinfulness of your hearts; you come to hear the Word, if it be with evil hearts, you mingle that very filthiness which is as vile before God as excrements are. And superfluity of naughtiness, by that I take is meant, as if the Holy Ghost should say, do not think it enough for to purge away filthiness, that is, notorious stinking evils, abominable sins, that you do not come with such filthy, vile hearts, but whatsoever there is in your heart that is any way against the work of grace, it is a superfluity of naughtiness, all kinds of evil thoughts, and evil affections that are more than needs.
Look into your hearts and affections and see whatsoever you find there that is more than ought to be, running out unto anything that they should not, labor to purge out that, saith He, do not satisfy yourselves in any kind of evil whatsoever. It may be you are cleansed from the notorious evils of the world; but if there remains any naughtiness, any kind of drowsiness in your hearts that is not grace, it is to be purged out for it is a superfluity. So then, that is a good heart that entertains no kind of evil in it. It may be there is some evil, but it doth desire to purge out not only that that is filthy, nasty, and abominable; but if there be any thing that should not be there, a good heart is against it. And that is a good heart that is willing to receive
anything that God reveals. As we use to say, such a man is a good man, that is, you can propound nothing to him that is fit to be done but he is willing to hearken to you. A good man he hath no kind of evil ends in him, no evil designs at all, but he is willing to hearken to everything that is good. So, a good heart whatsoever is good, he is ready to entertain, if it be a good thing his heart is suitable to it, and runs presently unto it, having a good heart, it doth presently close with the good Word of the Lord.
But what is meant by an honest heart? By honesty of heart, certainly there is more meant than such a one that we call an honest man, that is, a man that is honest in his dealings between man and man; there is many a man that is accounted a very honest man in the world but hath not an honest heart. I beseech you observe it, that man that hath an honest heart to God is one that receives the seed of the Word, so as he goes beyond the highway ground, the stony ground, or the thorny ground, he goes beyond those three sorts of professors; he is one that hath an eminency in profession of religion beyond those three. Now the world accounts many honest men that do not go beyond any of those three; yea, the world doth ordinarily account any of those three to be honest men, as the highway ground. Are there not many honest men in the world that regard not the Word of God at all, but only come to hear a sermon, and as soon as they have done, as it came in at one ear, so it goes out at the other? I fear there are some men and women that are accounted honest men and women in the world that can hardly give an account of any one sermon they have heard in all their lives, hardly I say, but the Word which they heard is presently taken away from them, and yet these are accounted honest men in the world. But this is not the honest heart the Scripture speaks of. And many there are that go further than these, that come to hear the Word with joy, and yet they have not this honest heart. Yea they may hear the Word so as to bring forth a blade, and yet not have this honest heart. By this honest heart
I take therefore to be meant this, a heart that deals squarely and truly with God, behaving itself in a beseeming manner suitable to that
authority and excellency that there is in the Word of God, as now for example.
1. First, amongst men he is accounted an honest man that deals squarely and truly with men in all actions; such a man you will say is an honest man, as honest a man as ever broke bread; that is, one that will deal squarely with men, not only in one thing, but turn him to anything, and you shall find a proportion between one action and another. So, this is an honest heart, not one that only will be forward for God in some one action wherein he may enjoy himself as well as God, but one that deals squarely with God, let God put him upon duty, upon any service, God shall find him still to be the same man.
Put him upon an easy service (as many will embrace that) or put him upon a difficult service, it is all one if it be the mind of God; you shall find him square in everything, though he be put upon that which he is likely to suffer very much in, yet he goes on according to his principles. An honest heart is one that hath received gracious principles, and accordingly he acts, all the world cannot take him off from his principles of godliness that the Lord hath put into his heart.
2. Secondly, an honest man is one that provides things honest before men, that doth all things in a seemly way in all those relations that he hath unto others, that we account honesty. So, when a man's behavior towards the Word is such as doth beseem the Word of that God with whom he hath to deal, that look what excellency, what glory there is in the Word of God, such a suitable behavior there is in the heart of a man to it, this is an honest heart. So that there are those two things, when a man is square with God in one thing as well as another, and when there is a suitableness in the behavior of the soul to what excellency there is in the Word, when the heart of man will not abuse the Word at all, but behaves itself honestly, according unto the gravity, holiness, and weight that there is in the Word. And thus, now with such a good and honest heart we are to receive the Word if we will sanctify God's Name in it.
10. A tenth particular is this, if we will sanctify God's Name in the Word we must hide the Word in our hearts, we must not only hear the Word but keep it, preserve it, and then do we declare that we account the Word of God to be worth something indeed. For what is it to sanctify God (as we have opened before in the general) but such a behavior towards Him as may testify the excellency of the Name of God, so the behavior of the soul in hearing the Word must be such as may give a testimony to the excellency of the Word and manifest the high esteem I have of it. Now if I received a thing that is of great value, if I slight it, and let anybody take it from me, I do not give a testimony to the excellency of that thing, but if I take it and lock it up, and so keep it under lock and key I do thereby give a testimony of the esteem that I have of the excellency of that thing. So now, when I come to hear the Word and meet with truths that have gotten into my soul, I close with them, and am resolved within my heart as I am hearing of them, well, this truth I will keep through God's grace, this concerns me, and I will make much of it, and although I forget other things, yet I hope I shall remember this to sanctify God's Name in hearing of the Word.
In Isa. 42:23, "Hear (saith the Holy Ghost there) for the time to come?" When we come to the Word we must not only hearken for the present, as many of us while we are hearing our hearts are stirred for the present. Oh, that we could but have that affection of heart always as we have when we are hearing of the Word. How many of you have said when you have been hearing such a sermon, Oh! Then me thought I could have gone through fire and water for God. I but mark it, you must hear for afterwards. And in Psalm 119:11, there the prophet David professed that he did hide the Word in his heart, the Word was sweet unto him, "Thy Word," saith he, "have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee." You that come and hear those truths upon the Lord's Day, if you would hide them thus in your hearts and keep them all the week, they would help you against the many temptations that you meet withal. You go abroad on the weekdays into company, and there you meet with a temptation, and it overcomes you, and you complain, "Alas I am weak, I have met
with a temptation and it hath foiled me." But had you hidden the Word that you heard on the Lord's Day in your heart, it would have kept you from the strength of your temptation that it should not have overcome you. Those that are truly godly they have a care to hide the Word in their hearts; when they hear it, they think, this Word shall help me against such and such sins which I am prone to by nature, and when a temptation comes to that sin, I hope I shall have use of the Word that I have heard this day.
As now suppose you hear a Word against passion, then you should hide that Word in your hearts against that time that temptation comes to passion. And you hear a Word against sensuality and abuse of the creatures; you should hide that Word against that temptation cometh. And you hear a Word against unrighteousness and unjust dealings, when a temptation comes to that sin you should hide that Word against that time. So, you hear a Word that speaks of obedience to parents, and servants' duties to governors, now you should hide that Word in your hearts against that time; "I have hid
Thy Word in my heart that I might not sin against Thee." You say that you would fain withstand and not be overcome with temptations? Why here is the way, hide the Word within thee that thou mayest not sin against Him.
And so, in Prov. 2:1, you have a Scripture to the same purpose, about hiding the commandments within us. And then in 1 John 2:14, "I write unto you young men because you are strong, and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one." I have written to you young men, you are young, you have strong natures, and so strength of nature for God. But how comes this to pass? You are strong and the Word of God abideth in you. Here is an excellent
Scripture for all young men, you have your memories fresh, and if you will exercise your memories about anything it should be in the Word of God, it is a comely and an excellent thing to see young ones to have the Word of God abiding in them, that if you come to them, not only a week but a month after they have heard the Word they are able to give you an account of it. I am verily persuaded that there are
many young ones in this place that are able to give you old ones, if you ask them, an account of what it is to sanctify God's Name in the duties of worship, and why? Because the Word of God abideth in them, it is the honor of young men to have the Word of God to abide in them, and hereby they overcome the wicked one.
And on the other side, many young people that do come to hear the Word, it may be they are drawn to it by others, or it may be they love to have a walk in the morning, but the Word of God abideth not in them, and therefore when the wicked one comes with temptations the week after, they are overcome by him. But those that have the Word of God abiding in them they overcome the wicked one. And so, in John 8:31, you have a very remarkable Scripture for this purpose of keeping the Word after we have heard it, "Then said Jesus to those
Jews which believed on Him, 'If you continue in My Word, then are you my disciples indeed.'" I beseech you observe it, it is said that the Jews did believe in Christ, and yet saith Christ if ye continue in My
Word then are you My disciples; why, were they not the disciples of Christ that did believe in Him? By this believing, therefore, we must understand some kind of general notion that they had of Christ, they began to think that Christ might be the true Messiah, some kind of imperfect believing they had, but they were not thoroughly brought off. Now saith Christ, "If you continue in My Word, you are My disciples." As if He should say, do not you think it enough that you come to hear Me, and that you are taken by what I say; you must continue in My Word, and then you are My disciples. Christ will not own that man or woman to be His disciple that doth not continue in His Word. O, that you would consider of this, you that satisfy yourselves in having some flashes of your affections when you are hearing the Word, but do not think that you are the disciples of Christ because of them. In Titus 1:9, "Holding fast the faithful Word as you have been taught," that is the thing you should labor for, to hold fast the faithful Word, hold it fast, that it may not be taken from you, and so you shall come to sanctify the Name of God in the hearing of His Word.
11. The last that I shall speak to is this, if thou would sanctify the Name of God in hearing His Word, turn it into practice or otherwise the Name of God is blasphemed, or at least is taken in vain by thee if thou do not turn what thou hearest into practice. So, you have it in James 1:25, "He that is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man (saith he) shall be blessed in his deed." And verse 22, "Be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."
The word here that is translated "deceiving your own selves" is a word taken from logicians and signifies to "make a false syllogism." A man that hears the Word and doth not do it, he doth, as it were, reason thus: those that do come to Church (as we use to say) those surely are religious people, but I come to sermons and therefore I am religious. Now this is a false reasoning, and thou doest but cozen thyself. Be not a hearer only, but a doer of the Word, that thou mayest not deceive thine own soul.
So, in Rom. 2:3, "Thinkest thou this, O man that judges them that do such things and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgement of God?" As if he should say, you have the Word, and you are able to judge thereby what you hear, but yet still you are wicked in your lives; this is despising of the riches of the goodness of God towards you. And in Phil. 2:16, you have a remarkable text where the Holy
Ghost saith of the Philippians that He would have them, "Hold forth the Word of life." It were a most excellent thing if it might be said of this congregation, that as they come diligently to hear, and are willing to take pains to get out of their beds so early in the mornings, so all the week after they hold forth the Word of God. You that are servants, it may be your masters are naught, and the families naught from whence you come; now when you go home, though it may be they will not let you repeat the sermon, yet you are to hold forth the sermon in your practice and conversation. How is the Name of God glorified when we hold forth His Word! This is to let not only your light shine, but the light of the Word shine before men that they may behold it and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
So that now put all these eleven particulars together, and then you have made good that expression we find in Acts 13:48, that the Word of God was glorified. And to the same purpose we have another expression in 2 Thess. 3:1, "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified even as it is with you." This is the commendation of a people, that they do glorify the Word of God.
I beseech you brethren, in the Name of Jesus Christ this morning, that you that are hearers of the Word would glorify the Word and glorify the Name of God in the Word. Oh, that not one of you would be a disgrace or shame to the Word of God; this is the charge that God this morning lays upon you, as ever you expect to receive any good from the Word, or to look upon the face of God with comfort whose Word this is, do not be a shame to His Word, and to the ministers of His Word. Put all these things together, I say, and learn to make conscience of sanctifying God's Name in hearing the Word, that so there may be none of you that may give any just occasion to others to say, is this to hear sermons? Do you get nothing else but this by hearing sermons? If you should open the mouths of men to say so of you, the Word of God as much as lies in you would be disgraced by you, you should rather think thus, it were better for me that I should die, and that I were under the ground and rotting there, than that the Word of God should ever be disgraced by me. Let me hold forth the glory of the Word, the Word is that that hath done good to my soul; the Word is that that I would not for ten thousand worlds but have heard it, and shall I disgrace this Word? Shall I give any occasion that this Word of the Lord should be spoken ill of by reason of me? O God forbid. Therefore, if you regard not yourselves and your own honor, yet regard the honor of the Word; if ever you have got any good by the Word you should go away with this resolution, well, I will labor all the days of my life to honor this Word of God that I have got so much good by. If this were but the resolution of every one of your hearts this morning, it would be a blessed morning's work.