388 The deceitfiiinee of Mans heart. comfort in the confcience of his fincerity:the other is vexed and tormented with the guilt of his un- foundneffe, and taketh this punifhment as a jufi: re- buke thereof. The unfound Minifler, let his pines be never fo great, his preaching never fo profitable, yet, if it take not, hath jut} caufe to lay the blame not upon his hearers, but himfelfe. For well may he Ithink with himfelfe : How fhould I look that God fhould grace words comming from a corrupt and impure hearr,wich the attendance of his holy Spirit? But fach Minifters, as in the want of fucce fie, are privie to themfelves of their own fincerity, they may fay with Paul, z Corinthian.; 3. 4, S if our Go. fpel he hid, it is hid to thew that perifh. Why fo ? For axe preach not ourf lves,but Chriß Iefus the£ord, and our felveryour f rvantsfor refitsfake. Mark how the Apoflle alledgeth his fincerity in the difcharge of his Miniftery,as a reafon of comfort,when it pre- vailed nor, affuring himfelfe upon this ground , that the fault was in the hearers themfelves, and not in him, or in his preaching. The Hypocrites fucceffe then is either none at all,or comforrleffe, and fo as good as non e.For aII the joy of his fucceffe is dafhed with the confcience of his own hypocrife.Whereas the fincere Chriftian as he is under the promife of fuccef %,and fo often bath it : fo when for juft caufes. God fees it not fit to accomplifh this his pe!omife,be- ing sanely conditionall,yet then bath he more com- fort in hisfucceffelesfincerity,than the hypocrite for 1 his life can have in his moft fuccelfull and happieft 1 hypocrif/e. Yea the fincere Chriftian, being a behol- der of his fucee£°e,often carries away all the comfort there ._--
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