ate
here in making historic disclosures of the times and ways in which
this plain command of our Lord has been violated! Hearing the Word
preached, and the hearer not able to discern truth from falsehood, has
given to priestcraft nearly all of its power; because priestcraft,
unsupported by the common people, could never have risen into power.
If the common people had been wise enough to take heed _how_ they
hear, they never would have suffered themselves to be imposed upon as
they have been.

I now take up the last but not the least element in the _manner_ of
hearing. That element is _sincerity_; which I define to be a heartfelt
love for the truth. Paul puts it "Receiving the truth in the love of
it." The person who hears the truth lightly, thoughtlessly, carelessly
is not instructed by it. The same is true of one who hears with
prejudice against the truth. He refuses to be instructed, because he
does not love the truth he hears. Let me use an illustration here. Two
men once happened to meet at my house, one a Presbyterian and the
other a member of no church. After dinner the subject of feet-washing
was broached. After we had all talked awhile about it one of the men
asked me whereabouts in the Bible it was to be found. I turned to the
thirteenth chapter of John's Gospel, and he then asked me to read it
aloud. I did so. These two men listened attentively, so, at least,
they appeared to me. The Presbyterian friend very modestly gave it as
his opinion that the command is fully met by acts of hospitality, and
referred to the reception which Abraham gave the three angels who came
to his tent as proof of the correctness of his conclusion. Very little
more was said about it at that time. The two men, soon after, went
away together; and I had little or no conversation with either of them
for probably nearly a year afterward. But it so turned out that the
one who was not a professor of religion came to my house again, and
showed a desire to talk on the subject of feet-washing. I was ready to
answer such questions as he proposed; and he very soon expressed a
wish to know if I remembered having once read the thirteenth chapter
of John's Gospel to him when on a call at my house. I told him I did
remember it. "Your reading of that chapter," said he, "struck my mind
with so much force that I could not rid myself of the impression it
made. I never, until then, knew there was anything so plain in the
Scriptures, and so easy to unders