416 How wooff we vift fick per%ns Serm.6. and neceffary to acknowledge they wickednefs to men, and to fay no- thing of thole cafes wherein it is fomecimes neceffary,nor of many rea- fotas which make it frequently expedient, I (hall only inflance in one, which is fuffîcient of it Pelf many times ; that the Phyí cian knowing more exaótly thy malady, may more e%6ually proportion his remedy. Poffefs them with chis in fuch cafes, How infinitely better it is to have fome flame before a friend, who will cover your flume, and hate to reproach you with it, than before all the world. Convince them, what folly it is to be unfaithful to thcmfelves, &c. 8. Take heedof healing the fouls of lick perlons Nightly, this we are very apt to. t. From the fick mans greedydefireof comfort. 2.From the expeClation and defire ofcarnal friends. 3. From our own carelefs hearts,that love not to put our felves to any trouble or reproach ( which we (hall meet with, if we be faithful in this cafe) however take heed of it, fer.8.I i. They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my peopte (lightly, fayi ig, Peirce, peace, when there rd no peace. I his is the cafe : A foul ( whether in fcknefs or inhealth) mua firff be wounded, then healed: There muff be forrow and travel ere the Man child be brought forth. There mua be true repentance and godly forrow --- deep forrow, ( They dawb, that tell you otherwife, andmake God a lyar.) Great heavincfs of heart, &c. Repentance is neither a foot, nor a fuperficial work. r---- Perfwade them towait Gods leafure, and in Gods way for the cure, not toprecipitate your work : Perfwade them not to be afraid of forrows, troubles, &c. but rather tofear the want of it; for here is a common and a fatal miflake, mo(f men are afraid of forrow, and labour to drive away forrow : Whereas indeed for- row is themidwife of all true joy. Tears of penitential forrow,are the ffreams that lead us to the Rivers of pleafure, which areat Gods right hand: Ir is none other than the Gate of Heaven, the fountain ofcom- fort : And on thecontrary, to be a ffranger togodly forrow, is one of thedreadfullefl figns of a loll foul. The laughter of fuck a perfon, is a Rifsu fordo ncud, a deadly joy. Labour more cowork a folic, than a fud- den cure. Thereare other dre&ions I thought to havegiven, but thefemay fuffice,and I will conclude all with two or three Ufes,firft ro Minifiers, then to people. I. To Minillers.Hence we may learn the great difficulty of theMi- nilferial work, w feeone reafon why Paulfaid,YYho isfufficient for thefe thingr ? Owhat a fin and flume it is to fee what perfons venture upon this work ? that frith undertake to be fhepherds of Chrifis Flock, that are
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