Prayer mufp goe before Preaching. of 3'ohn on for z or 3 Chapters, they have the moll of Chrift in them that the Scripture doth record of any thing that Chrifl bath done : then let Miniflers pray more,and they will preach better ; The way to be a good Preacher it is to be a fervent Prayer, doe as Chrifi did, Miniflers fhould come reekeing from Prayer into the Pulpit, and thofe will be the bell Ser- mons that are warmed in their own hearts by Prayer. They come to give the milke of the word, and you know Nurfes when they give milke to the Child, will nor give it raw, nor cold, but they will warme the milke before they give it to the Child. O the milke of the Word that is warmed by the Pray- er of a Minifler in his own heart before he comes, that's that that is like to be moll nouriihable untopeople. And hence likewife we may note,That the way to be filled with the Holy Ghoft, to be filled with heavenly truths; with a moll fpiritual frame ;; It is to be much in prayer the fpending .time in prayer, and doing of it to purpofe indeed will helpe not onely Minifiers but Chriflians, to rife up full of the holy Ghofl, full of heavenly and Divine truths : Confider that this Sermon was preached the next morning after Chrifl had fpent a whole night in prayer, and it will ad much to the excellency of the Sermon, and will be a fpecial Motive to your attention, and for the receiving ofwhat shall be Paid out of this Sermon:Certainly there muff be fome notable mat- ter in this Sermon rhat was preached prefently after fuch á prayer,and that's the fecond Confideration by of Preface, The time when this Sermon was preached. The 3d thing by way of Preface to this Sermon is, The place where it was preached : for there is nothing in Scripture without ufe. My Text faith that he went up.to the Mountain, he had been in the Mountaine in prayer, and came down and did force worke among the people, and then god's up thither again to preach: why upon the Mountain ? Some thing it was to fulfill thofe Prophefies that 'we have in divers Scriptures about preaching ofthe Gofpel upon the Mountain. In the 4o.Ifa: g. ver. & 3oel 3. 18. but thefe C are
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