Baxter - BV649 B3 1670

318 Minifiers the caufe .of mole divijioxrs. quiie other conceptions ana expreuions than fchollars have. Their accurate ailes and well- couched words, and el egant phrafes, are moil of them like an unknown tongue, to the greatefi number of their auditors. And that which trey ufe as congruous to the matter, is fo incongruous to their hearers, that its little to their benefit. Thirdly, And force in avoiding this exream, do fall into the contrary ; and never go beyond the prefent underflanding of the people, and teach them nothing but what they know already ; And hereby they bring themfelves into contempt entifing the hearers w think that their Teachers,' are as ignorant as they, and know no more than they teach; And they tempt the people to be puffed up, and think themfelves Worthy to be preachers, becaufe they can do as much and as Well as their teachers ufe to do. Fourthly , And how cold and unskilful are many - in the application of that doórine which they have tolerably opened ? And fpeak the truths of the living God, without any affe&ing reverence or gravity. And talk as drowfily of the evil of fin,the need of grace, the love ofGod in Jefus Chria , yea of death and judgement,' fleaven and Hell,as if it were their deign to rock the auditors afleep, or to make them believe that it is but an hiftrionical fi&ion which they ac` ,and, that nothing which they fay is to be believed! There is no need of any more forcible means to entice men to fin, than to hear it preacht againft fo coldly : Nor is there need of any more to teach men to fit light by Cfrrift and Grace and }L aven it fell, Than to hear them fo heartefily copnmend

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