Zg CHRIST'S ,Alarm What, would ye have us be foolifh in our preaching ? I anfwer, Never objeCtfo,for it is the fooliJhneffe ofpreach- ìng, that Eaves them which beleeve, I Cor.i.a r. as one fay s,wc mutt preach Chrift crucified in a crucified phrafe. The world would have gewgaws,4nd garifh garnifhings: and why fo ? becaute the naked Word is contrary to flefh and blood ; bke tome eyes, they mutt have their filks and their cypreffes to look upon the Sun by, fotfooth the Sun beams are too glorious and fhining otherwite. Pedeffris erario, as Jerome fpeakes, a Miniller mutt have afoot - fpeech, and not fpeake a hotfeback, with trappings, and taffels,and deckings.Though this be foolifhnetfe to Tome, yet it is wifdome to them that are of God. we fpeakwife- dame to them that are perfet ?, i Cor. a.6. Mark, they that are perfc t will accept it to be wifedome, it is foolifh- neffe onely to children and Pots , and fuch as are not able to ditcerne. God will have his mercies hidden under homely out -fides , that men that will (fumble at them , may ; as men hide treafure under kraw ; as the woman of Bahurim hid the two Worthies of Ifraell in a well un- der a courfe Pack. Can gallant preaching make people pluck out their right eyes, and deny their owne f elves and wayes? No, no, when the heart fees it bath to doe with God , nothing but this will pull it ",downe : away then with our owne affections, let us labour to come with God into our pulpits,that people may fee God deal- ing with them. 2 2.. Minitlersthould agree to preach differencingly, to diflingui 1h between the precious and the vile, the clean and the unclean ; as we muff not bruite the broken Reed, but deale gently with it: fo we mutt not give childrem brrad nato dogges, Mat.' 5.29. we mua not caft our feed into fallow ground: but we mull let the fallow ground feele our ploughes tearing : we mull not fling pearles , before (wine, nor bitter arrows againft Chrift his Lambs. This were as if we should call for fnow in Summer, and raine in harvefk. No, no, a whip for the Horfe, and a bridle
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