to elroSbf a SAINTS. among brethren Ihould be this,to agree in the right mat-. ter of preaching, that the word may be carved to all, as their need is,that they may fee their owne cafes,that they may underftand the wiles of the Devil!, the fallacies of their owne evil[ hearts, the counterfeits of faith and re- pentance, and new obedience, and that they may not be coufened with them. This is the third thing. Fourthly, they fhould all agree in the true manner of preaching. That which our Saviour layes of hearing , Tame heed how_ye heare, Lak8. r 8. he means of preach- ing too, let your Minigers take heed how they preach. Beloved, we that are the Minigers of God, we are to la- bour to turne Lions into Lambs, and to transforme the heart of man to breed new creatures unto God : and therefore it is not every kind of preaching will ferve the turn. I. Then Minifters fhould agree in preaching with the demonfiration of the Spirit and of power, as Paul !ayes, not with the wifdome of words, left the crop ofChrift be made of noneeffoEl, I Cor.r.ry. q. d. If we Ihould preach wit, and learning, and eloquence , then the death of Chrin would be of no effeét, that is, no man would be converted , ChriP would be offered to none ; there- fore we mug preach nakedly, to filth the naked word into mens confciences, that they may fee,. Thus faith the Lord againft their tinfoil courfes, thus faith the Lord of their eftates, this reproofe is from the Lord, this threat is from the Lord, thus faith the Lord , you are a wretch , this is thy finite, and this is thy curled condition, and it is the Lord and not I that does affirm it.It is (aid of Chri[t. that he preacht with authority and not Al the Scr,ber, Mat.7.29. What is it to come with authority ? When a man fpeakes from God to the confciences of men ; as when a Conftable comes in the name of a King, I charge you in the Kings name ; this is to come with anthyority. Therfore we Ihould not come with the affection of wit, or of reading, of fine and filed !peaking. You will fay, E a Wnat, 4. I.
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