Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v4

Chap. s i. tflre Expofition upon the Book, of fOB. Vera 2. God , and therefore we fhould be verycareful and deliberate in fpeaking to and ofGod or about the things ofGad. The Apo. file (TRm.8, 3r.) having fet forth the great myftery ofthe love of God to us in Chirft , concludeth (as fome conceive) likeean Oratour, WhatPall we fay then to thefe things ? As ifhe had Paid, Here is a fubjeet about which much might befaid, but we had need be very careful how and what we fay about it, What fháll we fay to thefe things ? No man, no not the tongueofan Angel is fufficient CO deliver and unfold thefe fecrets : fuch love fuch goodneffe are beyond words. The Moralift hath a verygrave Señéc,1.7.2s a> and ferious paffage to this purpofe, while he was falling upou eta a difcourfe about the heavens, liars, and fuperiour motions. When we enter into our Temples , we campofeour [elves to reverence ; we lookeven to our garments, that they fit comely about us ; we (as it were) Pillion and Jhape every member into an argument of modfy, rn omne argi .How much more Jhould we doe this whenwe come to beak of the mentum mole- iarres andheavens, but mafi ofall , when we fpeak of the nature of%t' f"gmue'' the gods ( The bell Heathen Catechifmes fpeak no better) left we fpeakany thing rafhly or affirm any thing that is untrue. Ifan Heathen was thus taken up with the thought of heavenly bodies, and ftrucken with a reverential awe when he was to (peak about Idol -gods , how much more ought we to come to the Apoftles Stand, about the divine things of the great and onlywife God ? What (hall we fay to thefe things ? It is good for us to avoid a mul= titude of words in all things efpecially in things which are fo high , fo much above us. The Apoitleadmonitheth r Tim.6.zo, _Avoidprophane and vain bablings. Theremay be profane and vain bablings about holy and facred things. And that not only when We argue about them, but when we pray-about them. This eacetfe Chrifl repraveth in the prayer of the Pharifees, 1i?at.6 4. They think they 141l be heardfor their much"leaking, and that they mull prevail _ with God for the things they delire,. becaufe they utter many words to manifeil their delires. Thus to ufe many words in prayer is babling, not praying. And thus to ufe many words in preaching, is the uncomelines, if not the fm-_, fulnes ofpreaching. Paul, AEf zo. preached until midnight. Therewas a multitude ofwords, yet not too many words: his difcourfe had not one of thefe evil ingredients ; he did not fpeakunprofitable things, or thingsbetide the matter, or a little matter in many words; he did. not

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