And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
Ver. 26. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, &c.] Which is the greater number of hearers, for most men hear to hear, and not to practise, a Some hear merely of form, or for fashion' sake, or to save the penalty of the statute, or to find some recipe to procure a sleep, or to still the clamours of their consciences, or to make amends and purchase dispensation for some beloved lust, as Herod; or expecting from the preacher some choice novelty, as Matthew 3:8, some deep point, Matthew 12:37, or dainty expressions, asEzekiel 33:32. Or they hear and jeer, Acts 17:32; hear and carp, as Doeg; hear and resist the Holy Ghost, Acts 7:51. Or at least are no whit wrought upon, whether we pipe or lament to ThemMt 11:17. Or if they hear and admire, as those, Matthew 22:22; yet they amend nothing, or but for a season, as the stony ground, Matthew 13:20,21; they are hearers of forgetfulness (ακροαται επιλησμονης), James 1:25; like hour glasses, they are no sooner full, but running out again; like nets or sieves, they retain only the chaff or weeds, let go the pure water and good grain. The word runs through them, as water through a riven vessel (that is the apostle's metaphor, Hebrews 2:1, μηποτε παραρυωμεν), or as that which is written upon moist paper, as others will have it. A general cause of our not practising what we hear is, that we put this spiritual treasure into broken bags, this precious liquor into leaking vessels. Whereas our souls should be as the ark, and our memories as the pot of manna, to retain what we have received, that we may have it ready for practice, as Saul had his cruse and his spear at his head, and David his scrip and stones ready by his side. A heavy ear is a singular judgment, Isaiah 6:10; but a slow heart and a heavy hand, to conceive and do what we hear, paves a way to remediless misery; besides the fool to boot which the judge here putteth upon him.
Shall be likened unto a foolish man] And he is a fool indeed whom Christ calleth fool. Conscionable hearers are counted good men (God wot), but simple, silly, and of no parts. But "wisdom is justified of her children." To walk precisely, is to walk wisely, Ephesians 5:15. And he that heareth and guideth his feet in the way, is wise,Proverbs 23:19. And, "Who is a wise man among you, and endued with knowledge? Let him show out of a good conversation his works," &c., James 3:13. All others are fools, because they fail in the main point of their salvation: they are troubled about many things, but neglect the one thing necessary; they trifle out their precious opportunities, and in hearing or other services they do worse than lose their labour, for they commit sin and heap up wrath. Their house will down, as the spider's house doth, and all their building, ploughing, planting, sailing, come to nothing.
Which built his house upon the sand] Wherefore it soon sinks and shatters, as having not the loose earth thrown up first, by the practice of mortification and self-denial. Men should first sit down, and cast what it would cost them to build the tower of godliness, or e'er they leap into profession. They should put their hearts often to those grand questions of abnegation. Can I (as all must that will be Christ's disciples) deny myself in all my selves (for a man hath many selves within himself, and must utterly and absolutely deny them all), take up my daily cross (for omnis Christianus crucianus, every Christian is a Crucian or cross bearer, saith Luther; the rain will fall, the floods flow, the winds blow, and beat upon his building, he shall have many trials and temptations that looks towards heaven, troubles without, terrors within, his back burden of both), and follow Christ through thick and thin, by doing and suffering his whole will? Many will follow Christ in such duties as suit with their humours, and no farther, as the rusty hand of a dial; they will break the hedge of his law, to shun a piece of foul way: they follow Christ, as the dog follows his master, till he come by a carrion, and then he turns him up. Orpah made a fair proffer of going along with Naomi, but when she had better considered it, she turned again. Lot's wife set fair out of Sodom, but looked back. So do many forward hearers set their hands to God's plough, but (loth to plough up the fallow ground of their hearts, and to lay a good foundation in humiliation) they start aside like broken bows, and steal away like cowardly soldiers (υποστειληται), Hebrews 10:38, and so judge themselves unworthy of eternal life, and unfit for God's kingdom, Luke 9:62. For the foolish shall not stand in his sight, he hateth all the workers of iniquity, Psalms 5:5. Caleb was not discouraged by the giants, therefore he had Hebron given him, the place of the giants, when the spies and murmurers were never suffered to enter; no more shall they that hold not out to the death obtain the crown of life.
a Panaetios apud Scythiam esse ferunt tam diffasa aurium magnitudine, ut omne corus ex eis contegant. Isidore xi. 3.