RAKING LIGHT OF CHRIST. 595 as in temporal : but alas, it is far otherwise. It must not seem any strange thing, nor must it too much discourage the preachers of the gospel, if when they have said all that they can devise to say,. to win the hearts of men to Christ, the most do still slight him, and while they bow the knee to him, and honor him with their lips, do yet set so light by him in their hearts, as to prefer 'every fleshly pleasure or commodity before him. It will be thus with many let us be glad that it is notthus with all. Use 3. But for closer application, seeing-this is the great con- demning sin, before we inquire after it in the hearts of our hearers, it beseems us to begin at home, and see that we, who are preach- ers of the gospel, be not guilty òf it ourselves. The Lord forbid that they that have undertaken the sacred office of revealing the excellencies of Christ to the world, should make light ofhim them- selves, and slight that 'salvation which they do daily preach. The Lord knows we are all ofus so low in our estimation of Christ, and do this great work so negligently, that we have cause to be asham- ed ofour best sermons.; but should this sin prevail in us, we were the most miserable of all men. . Brethren, I love not censorious-- ness; yet dare not befriend so vile a sin in myself or others, under pretense of avoiding it; especially when there is so great necessi- ty that it should be healed first in them that make it their work to heal it in others. ,O that there, were no cause to complain that Christ and salvation are made light of by the preachers of it ! But, 1. Do not the negligent studies of some speak it out? 2. Doth not their dead and drowsy preaching declare it? Do not they make light of the doctrine they preach, that do it as if they were half asleep, and feel not what they speak themselves? 3. Doth not the carelessness of some men's private endeavors discover it? What do they for souls? How slightly do they re- prove sin ! How little do they, when they are out of the pulpit, for the savingof men's souls ! 4. Doth not'the continued neglect ofthose things wherein the interest of Christ consisteth discover. it? 1. The church's purity and reformation. 2. Its unity. 5. Doth not the covetous and worldly lives of too many discov- er it, losing advantages for men's souls for a little gain to them- selves? And most of this is because men are preachers before they are,Christians, and tell men of that which 'they . never felt themselves: Of all men on earth, there are few that are in so sad a condition as such ministers ; and if indeed they do believe that Scripturewhich they preach, methinks it should be terrible to them in their studying and preaching it. Use 4. Beloved hearers, the office that Godhath called us to, is by declaring the glory of his grace, to help under Christ to the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=