Fenner - Houston-Packer Collection BX5037 .F46 1651

CHRIST'S .Alarm prophane, and fuch are holy : Hold it, before their eyes, caufe them to difcern, this is the way to quicken mens hearts. Now General preaching does not doe thus. It onely puts the truth before men, that they may fee if they will, but if they will not, it does not urge them, this deads our people, and does themno good, for people will not bee a wakened, as long as they can fhift it.' Sixtly, Generall preaching is a -loft and a -loofe off par- ticular preaching is the molt clofe, and the molt plain, and the matt lenfible preaching of all, if any preaching will fink into peoples heads, this will ir makes the truth even fcnfible after a fort, as King,3amèt laid of a Reverend Bi-' ihopofthis Land, that is now dead and gone : 7hiT man, faith:he, Preaches as rf death were at my bathe. So a preffe Preacher preaches, as if death were atamans backe,. as if judgement and hell were at a mans bache, hee brings the point home to the fouls door, ,o),, ,.rx p.e4 , ,s x,c« Yss'w. General's are not plaine. Ignorant people are molt led by fenfe. People may live {even yeers under a generallTea- cher, and be never the nearer, filch a Miniflery breeds on- ly iwimming knowledge. it does not lay the Ti uth at every mans doore ; may bee they get knowledge, but their knowledge does them little good : It is laid of the good Levites, that they taught the people the good knowledge of the Lord. z Chran. 3o, 22. That is, inch a knowledge of the Lord, as made the people good, they laid the truth at every mans doore, they preachy to the people as if death were at their baches. They did livelily teach them, and fenfibly informe . them, this did them good. Generali preaching islike an Arrow shot at rovers, that does not hit the marke, as,if the Minifter would lay his Sermon . on his Cufhion, and never dart it into his peoples bob finer. Alas, Brethren 1, if people doe not feel our points at their backs, and like 1peares in their fides, and (words in their bellies, they will feel nothing, it is naked preaching, when wee make mens eltates even vifible before their eyes, when we- preach lo ofGods.wrath, as ilfthey fag it, when wee fo- (et

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=