Babington - Houston-Packer Collection BV4655 .B23 1615

S A profitable Exp7/ltion 2 ,Peritit n. Let vs conclude vpon playne recited prooues,that it is a meanes of the Lord ap. pointed,còmtraunded,fanCtified, and b1 lied, to the raying, buil diig and cre- ating this kingdome of the Lord in the heartes of men, for snhichwcpray, when we fay, Thykiingdomecome: and to deny cyther of theft members that now we haue ftoode'of,orto fay they haue noblcfEng promifed and graunte.dto them, but that preaching is all in all, and reading is nothing, not profitable, not able to wórke faith, &c. Is to auouch a great vntruth, and of fach denial] we may fay as e v ' : The Archangels now,it nor, the Aa els l aue not heard the Prophet bath not ?Tirane Patric ?. ,/Í felt t, the Tonne ofGod himfclfe bath rcuealed to vs no fuck thing. W:Jat then, doeyou match reading with preaching, or doe you fay, r he people, i f they heard the Scnpìures reade vn. o them, though they had no preach: nó% Rayne no want, neyther neede to care for preaching or once to take, any pauses togoe where it t order y, f tt bee not at home ? bouohe d ig. No, no, fcr this is the other extremitie I told you of, cuen now when 1 faid we muff auoyd two. Letthem both therefore not onely Hand, but (land with their lull and due commendations. Reading is profitable, but preaching doth profit more than reading cloth, becaufe it is mote apt for the ignorant and vnlearned; ex. preffrng moreplattiely the maning of the Scripture : and applying the fame to theirconlciences as it ought fitte. Wherefore with véiy Fatherly care bath the Lord in his word appointed, that this meanes alto fhould' be vftd to his people, to the ere&ing of this his Kingdome in them: znd telleth vs what great blaring he bath bellowed vpon it from time to time. He thercforeçauejometohe Apofles,fome Ephrf 4 u r: Prophets, (owe Euangelifbr, and /owe Paflors and teacher', fir: he gathering together of the S snt.rforthe work,eof themintf#erie,and for the edtfi,.anonof the body ofChrtfl.till we a/1 meete together (in the vootie offasth,aw' knowledge of the fonneofGod,vntoaperfeíl man, Math, se. á'c. A n d, ooe & teaclaall nationshaptsjing them on the Nam^ ofthe Father,and the Sonne, 16. , 9. and holy Ghoft: teaching them to obferue all l rh inoes whatfoeuer l barite commatntdedyou, d- . In another pl ate,Theharteefl isgreat, the & hewers few,'pray. therefore to the Lord ofthe »lar.6. hare: fiz, th. -,thee would lend forth lalourers into theharuefl. Our Sauiour himfelfe of s meanes faith:Thefj int ofthe Lord is vpanwee, becats /e hee bath annointe d me, that Luc.a4.27. Aet,a. I fhgulci preach the Gof ftell to the Poore, bee hathfear mee that 1 f ould heal, the broken hear AEt.S. ted, that / /hotsldpreach deliueraace to the Caprines, and recourringlof fght ?ó'the bhrde, Ad. t e. that 1 f'ouLllet atltberty them that are brufed, andthat I Jheuldpreach the arceptableyeere 44.13' of the Lord. And as hee went towards Eo»aan with the two that went thither,hee pees ched vnro them to their good. Peter preached the word and there were added to the Church about three thoufamt foules.'Philppicached to the Eunnch, he beleeued, Peter-preached toCorne/ou and his company, and they receiued the holy Ghofl,. andbeleeutd. Pau /preached toSerguu Pat l es, apiudcntman,and the Lord gaue it a bleffin g, to confufion of the Sorcerer, the ouerthrow of Satan, and the erc&i- onof this his kingdome of which now w e fpeake, in his heart. So did hce to Lydia, and to the Iaylour, and to a number mor. liy this excellent meanes of preaching bee opened their heartes, and brought them to his fold, that he in them might raigne ouerwhom Satan fo long had ruled before, and fr beginning this his king- dome in them:in this life, might all ure themofhis etcrnall kingdome with him in the life to come. Similitudes And for his fingular profit that this meanes hash tö this purpofe, it bath as you orpre(îing the haue feenefrom time to tine, bene trcff carefully provided by the Lord for his profit of Area. people. The fpice when it is whole fmelleth fweetly, but if it be broken and bru- ng' fed by the harid ofthe Apothccary,it fmelleth a great ditale more. So is the word read ofvs, or to vs, fweete as the hony, and bringeth the Light of life tomany. But if the .fpirituall Apothecarie breake it and brute it, cut and diuide it, as the Lora bath appointed by preaching , then reacheth the fauour of fuck heaueniy fweete

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