160 Canr.4.1r. Pfa1.7t A8. Exod.t8. We mu(t fpeak offecular mat- ters in a graci- ous manner. Yfe. lames a. 2. VERSE 30. D. Sinnedoth grieve the ho- ly Ghoft. Dea. It is a fearfull thing to grieve the Lord. Efay 7.1;. 'Ephefiana, Chap.q.. V E E.30. Church, her tongue droppeth bony - comber, her lips have milke in them, fhe fpeaketh fuch things as areTweet and nourifhing;now that which is fpoken of her agreeth to every member. Thus David, hewbuld rehearfe Gods righteaufnefe, andall theday be telling ofhisfalvation: Come,' will tell you what hebath donefar myfoule. Thus Mofes and iethro,when they weremet,there was tellingofGods great deliverancc,andmutual' t hank fgiving; thus Mary and Elifabeth, their fpirituall Tongs give usto conceivewhatconference they had, all the three months they continued together ; All the talke of Chriftians fhould be fuch as fhould fpread the leaven ofgrace in the hearers. efi. Why,you will fay,Shall we talknothing but Gofpelr Anfw. Yes, but not onely the matter oftalk, but the mannerBoth edify,wehave our owne words,as well asour own works without fin, but when we fpeakof earthly things, we mull fpeak ofthem ina hea- venly manner,fo that we may fay, Not ',but Chrift by his fpirit f pea- keth in me. We mull (peak fo, that our fearof God,our reverence, our wifdome, truth, plainnefle of heart, may fpread afweetfavour even in our fecular difcourfes. This then is a ground ofexhortation, that we would have care to commune one with another more fruitfully : Let us not onlyfo doe, butfe(ieake, as thole that fballbe judged by the Lawofliberty. I'know it is not in our power,for our tongues are not fonimble inunfruitfulnefle, but they will be as loontired in fuch fpeech as is ofedification;But we mull feek to him that mull confirmeus as wellte every good word as worke,' zTheff: 2.17. And as all are to looke to this,fo efpecially we Miniflers muff have a care ofthis, becaufe we mull Phew our felves patternes as well inwords as works. VERSE ; o..4ndgrievenotthe holy Spirit wherebyyee arefealed unto the day ofRedemption. Now followeth another precept, which hath the force ofareafon, Grieve not the holy Spirit of God: Hence Obferve, What is the working of Sinne, it grieveth the Holy Ghofi. For all finne is a moll filthy thing, which the eyes of God are too pure to behold ; no out- ward filthineffe is like the filthinefï'e of finne, for eating with unwafhen hands and outward pollution defileth not as finne doth, as our Saviour fpeaketh ; Even as if we burne filthy favours, and fill a roome with fmoake where a guefl lyeth, we offend him So it is grievous to the Spirit which dwelleth in us, when we doe fend out the ¡tench of the Corruptions which are in us, c natal. z. The Lord complaineth that the Words of that people wearied him. The fecond thing to be marked is thefearfulneffe offinne, with what Cautionwe mull avoid finne; for this is a wofull matter for to grieve the Almighty: Is it a fiwafl thing foryou togrievemen,that yewill alto grieve my God r And furely when we will avoid the offence of a. greate Perfonage ; how much more fhould wee beeafraid to doe that which the Lord fhould take grievoufly r this cannot but
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=