Motiws for edifyin.g SpeeciJ. :d~~~en you luve farisfied them, and mayproceed : all which it is hard for a Minillcr to do in publick Preaching. And is it not a great fin to neglect fuch an advantageous duty? 9· , ... Mot. J 3· And it jhDuldfomewhat otcour> you to it, that it if an unq:uftionab!e dxty, when m.my o~her ar! b~ought into Conz'rJJverfie. _Minifters Preach under the regulation ot humane Laws and C~nons, and tt IS a great Conaovcrfic wtth many, whether they l'hould Preach when they are fileneed or forbidden by thc:ir fuperiours; But whether you may fpeak_for God and for.mens falv.ation in your familiar conference, no man qudlioneth, nor doth any Law forbid it. · ~· 14· Mot. I 4• HfJtb not tbe fruitful confcrmu of others in the dJ)tl of your igmra1zce done good to you? Have you not been infiructed, convinced, perfwadcd and comforted by it? What had become of you, if all men had let you alone, and pall you by, anJ left you to your felvcs ? And doth not Juftice require that y.ou do good to others, as others have done to you ; in the ufc of {uch a .uycd means ? §· 1 5· Mot. r 5· C~nfider how fo1·.Ward tbe Devi!J (crvantJ are to plead hi1 catt{e ! How readily and fi~rcdy will an ignorant drunken for pour out h1s reproaches and fcorns againlt Religion? and fpeak evil of the things which he never underfiood? How zealouOy will a P.pifl: or Hererick 01 Schif~ matick promote the inurcfi of his fLct, and labour to profclyte orhers ro his party ? And tl1all we be lefs zealous and fcrviccable for Chrill, than the Devils fervants are for him? and do lt[s to fave fouls, than they will do to damn thtm ? §. 16. Mot. r6. N·'Y in tlu time of your fin andif.{norance, if you have mt [pok,_en againft Religion, ncr t.;ught otherJ ~o curfe or [wear or fpealz i~ ribbaldfil~hy l:mg~t.sge, jet at leajl you l~t~ve {pent many an bour in idle frow/efi t lll{/ Aud doth not ~~~ now oblzge you, tofoew your Repentance by more fruit-' f:tl conference l Will you fir. cc your Convcrhon, fpeak as unprofita~ly as you did before? ~· '7· Mot. '7· Holy confircnce wiO prevent the guilt of foolij/J idle tall(, Men will not be long filent,. but will talk of tOmewhat : And if they have not profitable thingJ eo talk of, they will prate of vanity. All the fOolifh chlt, and frothy jeafis, and fcurrilous ribbiildry, and enviQUS backbiting, which taketh up mens time, and poifOneth the hearers, is cau[ed by their want of edifying difcourfe, which fhould keep it out. The rankeft wits and tongues will have mofi weeds if they be not culti· vated and taught tO bear abctrer crop. §. ·18. Mor. 18. Your tongreu will be inftrument:z/ topubliclz good, or publici<, hurt : When filthy vain and impious langu;age is grown common, it will bring down common plagues and judgements? And if you crofs not the cullom~, you feem to be con[cnters, and harden men in their fin. But holy con· ference may at' leafi lhew that fome partake not of the evil, and may free them from the Plague, if they prevailnotwith "tbtrJfo faras to prevent it. M.~.l.3. 16, 17, 18· T'hm they that feared the Lord fpakJ often one to another, and the Lord hearl{pttd and heard it: and a book,. of remembrance was writtcn before him for theln, th:Jt feartd the Lard and thought upo1: hi# name. And they jhaD be mine faith the Lord of H ojfJ in that day when I malte up my jewel!, a1td I rviU {pare them as a man fpareth hiJ own Son that{trveth him. 9· 19. Mot. 19. CoJtfidtr what great neceffity there is every rPhere offruitful edifying [peecb. 1 • In the multitude of the ignorant: and the greamefs of their ignorance. 2· The numbers of the fen~ fual and obftinate. 3· The-~ower of b!indnef~, and of every Jin: What ~oot it harh taken in the moft of men. 4· The mulucude of baitS wh1ch are every where before them. 5· the fubtilry of Satan and his inflruments in tempting. 6. The weaknefs and uncorlflancy of man, chat hath need of confiant felicitation. 7· The want of holy faithful PaHors, which maketh private mens dili· gencc the mote ncccffuy. And in fuch neceffiry to {hutup our mouths,·is to fhut op the bowels of our compaffion, when we fee our brothers need : And how then doth the Love of God dwell in us? I J~b. 3· 17· To withhold our exhortation, is as thCwirhholding.of c.orn from the poor in a time of famine, which procureth a Curfe, Prov. .1 r. 26. And though m thiS cafe men are infenfible of 'their want, and take it not ill to be pafl by, yet Chrill that dyed for them will take it ill. 9· >O· Mor. 20. L.ifily confider howjhort a time_you are li~ to[peal;.; and how long you muft be jilent. Death will quickly Hop your breath, and l.y you In the duk, and tell you that all your opponuni– tie~are at an end. Speak now, for you ha~c not long to fpcak. Your ~cighbours lives arc hafiing to an end, and fo are yours: They are dymg and mqfi hear 110 more, ( ttll they hear their doom) and you arc dying and mufi fpeak no more: And they will be lofl for ever if. they have not help: Pity them then, and call on them to forefee the final day: \"1tarm them now; for it mufi be now or never: There is no inllructing or admoni~ing in ~he grave. Thofe fculls which you fee call up, had once tongues which fhould have pntfed thetr Creator and Redeemer, and have helpt ro fave each others fouls : but now they arc tonguelcfs. It is a great grief to us that are now here filenced that we ufed not our Miniftry more laborioufiy and zealoufly while we had rime : And will it not b~ fo wizh you, when death !hall filence you, that you fpake not for God while you had a tongue to fpeak? · . Let all th& Confiderations fiir up all that God hath taught a holy language, to ufe it for their M1tlcrs fervkc while they may, ;tnd ro repent of finful filenee. Tit.o. 99
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