to drowfie SAINTS. Firft; becaufe a good Minifter mutt make Confcience to bring out new things , as our Saviour Chrift (peaks : The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto an Houfhelder,that bringeth ovt his treafnre things new and old, Mat. 13. 5 i. that is, though he bring none but'the old things that were brought before ; yet (till he brings them forth as new : He labours to keep the Word (till new unto the heart , the reafon is this, when people haveonce been convinced of the truth, pre - fently it growes (tale to them, and fo they are fubj eft not to be quicknedby it at all. O this we knew before, and fo the heart makes little or nothing of it. I knew this befcre.Now when the Miniftery of the Word darts it in a -new, and makes it look (till with a frefh look upon the Confcience ; this is a quickning Miniftery. Like a man that keeps his Bartell (till frefh, when a man gives the drinker (till frefh from the Barrel! : fo when a Minifter preaches (till frefh from the Word. But when a Minifler Both not do thus, he is like a man that gives one liquor that bath (food a great while in the Cup, it growes dead. Secondly, Because a good Minifter muff go further and further, or elte he cannot quicken. My meaning is this, the more people are convinced by the Word, the more tub - tleties (till the heart doth devife; the more word is in the Confcience, the more wiles the heart mints, the Devil! alto prompting thereunto : fo that if a Minifter do not follow mens hearts (till further and further, this will leave the peo- ple dead. The reafon is this, Becaufe when the heart hath once invented a wile to maintaine its owne hopes for all the fame truth, we may preach the truth all the daies ofdfiir life,it will never quicken that mans heart : becaufe (till when he heares that truth, he hath a wile lying by him that (till defends himfèlffrom it : fo that there is a receflity for a Mi- nifter to go further and further. The Word of God is a deep mine, there is no bottome, a man may (till dig deeper and deeper, Thy judgemet,ts are agreat deep, .Pfal.36.6. When the Minifter befieges the heart, he is to dig round about it and dig deeper and deeper. Still as the heart bears it felfe, I e he 59
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=