218 Chap.16. ,4n Expofition upon the Book of J B. VerC2. molt preciousblood, will heal and fave fuch from their fins ) yet unskilful Soul.Phylitians fhall be judged and dealt with, as having done all this, becaufe they have done their utmoLi to doe it ; which is alto the meaningof that Text (a Cor. 8, 1.r.)And through thy knowledgfhall the weak.brother perifh, for whom Chrift. (lied :. that is, an undifereet ufe of that liberty which thy knowledge teacheth thee, doth thatwhich may be accounted a defroying of thy weak Brother. As that know- ledge, fo the ignorance before fpoken of, flays theSouls-that fhould not lie. As it requires thepower, fo the wifdom, and teachingsof God to comfort and extricatepoor Souls., in and from the Labyrinth of their forrows. The Lord bath given me the tongue of the learned : What to do ?That ! fhould know bow to (peak a word in feafon to him, that it wearyjfa.So.4.)It is a great piece of learning to fpeak aright to a weary Soul , to deal with them fo, as- neither to flatter them in their fins , nor opprefs them under their fins ;. to deal with them fo in their afiliaion , as-that we neither caufe them to sleight the hand of God, nor yet to fink under. it. He that can guide and fleetthe courfe of a Soul that is of flited and toffed with the tempefi of fin and farrow, between this rock.and gulf, Scyllaof prefumption, and the Charybdis of defpair, Tiëis a..learned Pilot indeed: This Learning is the fpecial gift of God ; Chrifi himfelf acknowledgeth that the Lord his Father had given him the tongue of the Learned for this end, ThisLearning is.. not taught in the Schools of men : Philosophers and Ora- tors never taught fuch an art of confolation ; nor can it beat- tained by the bare teachingof the holiefi Doc5tors and Prea- chers ofDivine truths. We may havea rich furniture ofmate- rials for this work, and yet makeno work of it , nor be able to put Truths and.Confciences rightly together, unlefs the an- nointing,teach us. As theProphet brings in our great Mailer and Tutar in this Heavenly fcience , again confeflingof him. felf(Ifa.6i. x . )7.befpirit ofthe Lord is upon me,becaufe the Lord hash annointedme topreach good tidings to the meek,he bath fens me to bind up the broken - hearted , toproclaim liberty io she Cap- aives.Till we are annointed by God,we cannot fpeak effeau- ally, to man , without the fpirit who is the Comforter, we prove but miferable comforters, we bungle at the work , and. rather.
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