ve pow fflano fatnílp 150[ah. 3 67 preach them afleep But the feiìtence óf Death doth awaken them to purpofe. I will begin withmy [eV and thereft ofmy Profeffion. z. The ferious thoughts of Death, do teach Mini, fiershow to Preach, and the people how to hear. I am lure, through God mercy, it bath been the ex- pec4ation of death thefe thirty four years which bath been a great means to help me to that little, too little ferioufnefs in preaching, which I. have had. Who is fodull that if he thought that this were the lait day thathe should preach and live, would not importunate.. ly . beg of his hearers to receive the Gofpel, and re- pent of fin, and turn to God, and fave their fouls ? But when men think that they have forty years more to live yet, and preferments to get, and profperity to enjoy, they make the publick affembly a Rage, to fet out themfelves,and act the part of a Servant of Chrift, to win the prize and reward of a worldling ; They play with Scripture, and talk of Heaven and Htl1 in jeaft, and jingle out a few canting words, contrived by Hypocrites to beget Hypocrife, and from a fenfelefs heart, to make men more fenfelefs, and teach them to take Chriflianity for a Rage-play, and the fervice of God fer a Common thing : For all things would ge- nerate their like ; The fpirit of slumber as well as the Spirit of fanctification. But Death awakened] the Preacher, to awaken the hearers. We are dying while we are fpeaking, and; you while you are hearing. The breath which we fpeak by, is meafuring out our time. We have but fomany breaths to breath,and we have done. We fhalï all be íhortly filenced in the grave. It is your mercy, hnd our mercy, that yet we have tongues to fpeak, and youhave ears to hear. But we preach and youhear as
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=