,1£mh.5. ~ Sermon in the & oemt. earth: hut if thefait bath loft hisfauour, &c. In this vcrfc and the rdl, to the t6; Chtifl proponndcth thef~cond brmtch of thi4 Serm!lt_t, touchinfj the office of the Apoflles, and 111 themot all Mimficrs 1wbcrcm, h1s mtent Is to mooue rhcm to diligence in ptcaching the will of God to all people. . The Coherence ofthis p:!rt wlth the former, fiandeth thus : Chrifi had fhewed before in diucrs precepts,that many arc: ble!fcd J where.:. upon fame might aske, how they fhould .,_ taine to thi$ happi.ncfft;a~d to thofe graces of the Spirit, which make them fit for that efiate? B Chrifl here anfwers, that the preaching ofthe Gofpd is the principall meanes to worke in their hcaru thof(: graces, to which trUe happi.o. ne~: is promifc~.And bcc~ufe.it is an excellent prtu!lcdgc to bnng men to this dh.te, there.o. fore hec exciteth his difciplcs to diligence in this Minil.leric by two Rcafons, drawne from the properties ofthis worke, and propounded ·A wharfhall rnd.-? Scc6ndly, the G ofpd inult beprt':tchcd,thac.;ncn feeling their £Orruption, like rottcnncs in their foulcs may bv the blcf~ ling of the fphit bee thereby f"tii:mcd vYith gr:w:, and fo reconciled vmo G od, and 1nadc t:tuouriC in his fight. This is the endof che Mi!. hiHcric, 2 . Cor. 5• "!o.J-Y"em·t>Embaf[.rdour.r{Vr Chri}i, tU rhough Goddid lnfuch j ou rhro~gh VJ, )l't'CfYP:JJ OHiiJ Chrifls/1-t:d, rhat)'ott here.:.. conctledvnto God. Thirdt)r, boch the La\'\'CanJ tht Gofpel mull bee conrinuaily difpenfed, that thereby finne and cbrruptitin may be dai..1. ly mortified and confumed both in hcatt :md life; cucn as fupcrAuous hmpors arc drieJ vp by fait; And this is the righr di~>cilng of Lods word; for cucry difcouriC vpon a text ofScrip– turc is not preaching' but he that ro cxpounin two fin1llltudes : The firfi is taken fromfnlt, in thefe words : ;eeare the fait •fthe tarth.-and amplyfied in the words following, to the end ofthe verfe. The fec<md is drawne from light, vcr.If.15• For the firfi: yetartthefaltof the earth:J«; that is, you whom I haue called to be Apofiles; C and fet apart for the worke of the Miniflerie, .rre fait; not properly, but by tefemblance l yet notin regard ofrhcir pcrfon>; but oftheir miniftcric; bccaufc hereby theywere tb fcafon men for God,and to make them fauouric both in heart and life: oftbrMrth; not ofiudeaonIy, ?ut ofthowho!e world, as may appeare by thm commdlion, Math, zS,19. Goetherefore NUJ ttach a/J lV·ationJ. deth and applycth the word, that his minificric may be lalt vmdhis hearers, he it i!l; that prea– <h<th the word indeedc. Secondly, Chrifi calling his bifciples !alt, tcachcth them and all miniUcrs , that they themfclues ought firfi to be fcafoned by the word : for how can they fitly feafon others by applying this fa_It vnto theit· confcienccs ; who ilcutrfdt thC biting ofit vpoh rlicir owne? He that is vnfCafoned himfclfe 1nay fpeake Gods word, which God imy blell'c1'o the good of bthers : but yet in refpeCt of hit:hfclfc, it is a tiJdle which cannot be vnderfiood. Fro this defcription,both Minilkrs & peopk, may learne their dutie. Pir{l f•r Mbtifltri f by this title of[•it here giucn vmo them, ChrHl :~:n~:;:c ~ould teac~ them, firft, how they ought to "' uprttre. , dtfpenfc die ..vord of God, both La.we and :~~£~~:· Gofpcl; namely, fo as they labour therein to exprdfe tho proportics offalt, whereto Chrifi alludeth in his Title : Now the properties of 1 D fair, applyed to rawe !lei'h,or frelh \\·ounds are principally three; Firfi, it wil bit~ an~ frct,bcc.. Thirdly, this Title giueth good dirccrion to eUery Miniflet• for his manner of preaching: for if the word of God alone be that fauoury fait, wherC:widrmans heart is feafoned for the Lord, then it oughtto be difpenfed purely and finterely, '"''tthout the mixture of humane in– uentions. This was Pau!.r care, m "'l word And ?'J preaching (faith he) flood net in the entifng Jp~ach ofmanswifedome, /Juf in p/ninc e:~idence ·ofthe Jpirit and. ofpowir, that your faitb (hou!d nor_he in tbe wifodomc of mm ·, /Jut in the power •f God. Experience tcacheth vs, that fair bv mixture with other things loofcth ofhis f.1uo;: and fo it is with the word : lnde'cdc thcte is a place for Arts and tongues , and hurnant Icar– ning with euery difpcnfet C5fthe word vvhcrcin hemay vfe them with great comrtfcnd~tion, ro witte, in his priuatc preparation: but not in the publlque difpenfarion whereby hce feafoncth ing ofn:uure hot and drie: Sccondly,it n1akes meats fauourie vnto our t3A:e: Thirdly, it prc– fcrueth meats from putrifaCt:ion, by drawing out of them fi1pcrfluous moifine!fe. 'the A– poftlc:s therefore and other Minifl:crs bccing f:llc, muilnot only in senct:lll deliuer the·word ofGod vnto the people; but withall apply the fame particularly vmo mens he3rts & con– "fcicnccs, as falt is applycd vnto meat: And that for three codes; firfi the Law mufi be applyed, "to rip vp mens hearts, to make them fee their "flnncs; it muil fret and bite themby the curfc I thereof) to caufc them to renounce themfelucs, I A~.: H· and to criewith the Iewes, 1Men attdbrethren mens hearts vnto God; that the word of Cod alone mufrdoc,for to it alone belongs rh~pro– miCe ofthe fpirit,l{a.)9., I, And therefore hee mu!t ~·fc great difcrerion In this tniniflcrie, and labour fo to fpcake thatthe f)>irit maj• take de• !lght to accompany the fame. Founhly,this Title teichcth all Gods Mini– flers bypatience to poffcifc ;heir foulcs, "hen the wkked doe fret and fume: againft rhe111 for their minillcric; for ~his is a teftimohic tha.t their miniller~c is fah, and bites their corrupt confdcnccs as.it_Ought tO doe: therefore they arc to goc on: \'1ith thecrcfulndfc, cndcauou– rit_J~ more &. mdreto fcafon their he;ns here– With. c 3
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