SERMON XI. fpares them in order to Pardon, and renews his compafliomte Calls to them to fo·fake their Sins, and live : by his Word and wonderful Patience he invites them to Re;~nta.nce, and by Repentance to hts Favour, and to Happmefs. Now what a violent Provocation is the Contempt of fuch Mercy; The Furnace of Hell is heated feven times more for the Defptfers of the Gofpel. How w11l the remembraqce of their Folly mk c~:r~i~:~:.:mds I The liercellFunescannot fa torment them as their !elf-condemning 3· Let the Minillers of the Gofpel .be excited to difCharge their Commiif10n with Fidelity. I fl1all fet down Come Di rections and Motives in order to it. The general Diretli. on is this, Sa/us Populifuprema !,ex eflo: T he Salvation of Souls is the End of Preach· ing, and mull regulate it. The Q.ualifications of a Miniller to make him fuccefSful are . Firfl, Excellent Knowledg. An ignorant Miniller is a plain So),.,cifm, as to fay ~ bhnd Eye,not capable. to _Perform the Act proper to it. The Office and Authority with. out Ab!l!t!CS to exetc1fe lt, 1s m vam. The Apollle declares the Perfection of the Scri. ' Tim. 3· ~:;:.;; ;ti~~J~;t~h;~~!a~ej;d ~:;;;;!ft~/'f:::fg{~fo~~JI:::~t~ft;~;=~~o;ksRrf:etf; Mot. ' ' "· :~:~~:~i~~~ a~ 0~on;;fo~~ ~~:lmf~:J~eN~~r~~~~,F:de~~~tbu~h:V;J,/;~nlo::quiftt;1,~;~,~ Servant 1vhom bis Lord made Ruler (J'Uer hu Houfe, to give them Meat in due feajon. There mull be fubllantial Learning to convince Gain-fayers, and 'fpiritual skill to underfland the Arts of the Tempter, who w!ll fail with every Wind, and make ufe of the various Difpoiitions of men to do them mifchief. He feeds the blazing Prefumption of indulgent linners: He fpeaks Peace to them when God is their Enemy : if there be fometimes a fad Countenance, the thadow of Repentance, it is fufficient. But he perplexes tender and fearful Spirits, by fitggelling t hey do not mourn enmtgh, to damp their Endca. vours, and make them hea.rtJefs in God~s fervice. Now 'ris a principal Duty of an E. vangelical Miniller to unmask the malice of Satan, and defeat his Dcfign : to preach the Word in that diflinct manner, t hat fecure £inners may be afraid of Vengeance, and Prov.u.Jo. that the Penitent may apply the Divine Mercy. He that wins Souls is IVije, The Ter. rors of the Lord mufi be fet in array againfi the rebellious obfiinatc TranfgrefTors; but the indulgent Love of our Heavenly Father, the tender Compafiions of our fenflble Head and Saviour, and the Confolations of the holy Comforter, are the Portion of re. lenting and returning Sinners. An underllanding Minifler inllructs his People in their Duty and Happinefs : he will not offer them Stone for Bread; intricate controverlial matters that afronifh and cannot edily, but plain Evangelical Truths, the proper Food for the Soul. The Manner and Language in Preaching mufl be anfwerable to the'Majefly ofDivine f.~~!l~n~VWli~~dt~!~fi~0fro~~i~~~et?r~fi:a[~~~1~e~~J~r'~~~nc1!!n;,"~;!:f;, ~~~~~ vince Sinners of their guilt and mifery, and by the Conviction of Confcience to make them fly to the Sanctuary, our Bleifed Saviour, for Protectwn : partly beeaufe thofe t hings that flatter the fancy, are not proper to affect t heConfcience: light trimmings of Language, gaudy Expreflions, glittering Poin ts of Wit pleafe the Imagination; but Confcience is excited and inflam' d by reprefent ing eternal Things with powerfu l Plamnefs, and in a folemn manner : and par tly becaufe the human fpirit beinglimited,wlule one Faculty is attentive, another fufpends its Activity and Operations; [a that the Excrcife of the Fancy hinders the Mind from ferious reflecting on Divine Truths, andapiJ~~·::a~~<;: ~d~~~c~J~~ tl~ak~~rili::~:ei~i~ ~~afednt~r~hl~\~~i~~~tt~d Complexwn, The Difcourfe of a Preacher thou id directly go to the Heart: it thould be fa fram'd as t~~;~t;~ ~~~t~;~~ra~t!~~ ~~~i~~~:~~vh~:ek ~~e tt~v~~~cill~e~~;g:r"~tJ;~~~'C!:ft~ dren, and his Jullice and Power again(\ his Enemies, are reprefented in the mail PatheIf~ 49. ',. tical monner. I will produce an Inflance of both' Ca" a Woma!1 forget lm fuckmg Chzld, that foe jhould not have Compaf!ion 0!1 the Son of her Womh ? 7ea, they may forget, yet 1 wzD noe forget thee. What can be more fupporting and comfortmg 1 The other Jnllance IS as £ terrible. God is angry with the Wicked every day. If be turn not, he will whet /Jis Sword; Pal. 7· 11 ·~~: he batb bent his Bow a11d made it ready. He hat/J a/fo prepared the /nflruments of Death. 6~~r~:~C:~P~}I~a~Jn~J~~~~gr~:e~i:~~:ffc1'b~~":~~;:e~~r;g~~~~.":r~1a~~e ~~?Jtr~~;l~~~;!ili the~;ondly, A Minifler lhould be zealous and diligent in the difrharge of his Office. Sd '.r;m.,. '•'· Paul adjures Timothy in the moll fol emn and !earful manner, 1 cbarge thee before God, %e
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