to droll e SAINTS. faffrened by the 'Wagers of Afembltes, Ecc:lef. t 2. r t .Mark, the Mailers of Aflemblies muff fatten them into the poft, lay the nailes by, the poft it felfe will never knock them in; So,though the Sermon be never fo good a naile; yet he mutt knock it in, the people will never doe it. The "Pro- phet,Jehu mull come and fay to Jehofaphat, ShonldJt thou help the ungodly ? Wrath is upon thee flout the Lord, 2 Chr. 19.2. He fattened in the naile; though 3ehofaphar were a good man, yet the Prophet knew he would not doe it. Nay, people ate fo farfrom applying the word unto them- felves, that they will apply it to any bòdy elk rather than to themfelves, the Minitter met with fuch a one to day, there was a leffon for him : But none will fay, this was for me, and I am a vile wretch, and vengeance hangs o- ver me, unlefre I doe amend, and therefore certainely ge ne- rall preaching is a dead manner of preaching. Thirdly, Generali Preaching is confuted, when Midi - tiers tell people they mutt repent, and believe, and ferve God, and be godly, and carry themfelves well, in all their places and callings. When they doe thus in generall,this is like, as if the trump fhould give an uncertaine found,like the noife in a battle,a confufed noife,as the Prophet fpeaks,Efa. 9. 5. Like the confufìon in Ephefus, Great is Diana of the Ephefsans, they kept a great ilir, 411.19.32. the Text faith, The affembly was confuftd,and the more part knew not where- fore they were come together, fo while we preach onely in the generali , Great is the Lord Jetus Chrift, and wee are great (inners, and great is the need of repentance, but wee neither tell the people how, nor when, nor who, nor what: may bee our Sermons may keep Tome pudder in mens Con - fciences, but people have no diltinc edification, they goa- way and fay, O it wasa very godly Sermon, I pray God give us grace to follow it I But no man is the better. They hear admirable things about repentance, but they are not taught how to goe about it,there they are at a Ioffe.They re- member gracious things about the ferving of God, and a- bout a good Confcience, and the like. But they know not ho w 49
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