to drovfie SA iiTS. clame againft the finnes of the people, and thunder againft them, may as though they had a great draie of zeale , and yet never move a jot, becaufe themfelves have a dead heart, and a fecure heart, the people fee through their a tings,that they are not moved themfelves , and therefore this does not move them neither : when people can fee through a Minitter, that hee does not preach out of his owne heart, this deadeth their hearts; God bad Ezekiel eat the Book, &c. Secondly, The manner of preaching is cold, when the Sermon is not delivered in a lively manner ; when he prea- ches dully and bluntly. The Apoflle fhewes in the firtt of theColoffia.zs, that Epaphras did a great dale of good in his Miniftery at Colofre. Now in the 4 of the Colofans,and the 13 verfe, the Apoftle faith , hee was a zealous Preacher ; 1 beare him record, faith he, that he hash agreat zealeforyo o. But when a Minifter bath a cold delivery,this is a great hin- derance to the VVord. You will fay, how can this bee ? Is it not the fame word whether preached coldly, or with heat ? Yes it is : But the Word hath two things in it firft, the bare naked truth fecondly, the fatherly affe&ionateneffe of God in the fame. Now a zealous Minifter, lets the people, in Tome n3eafure, fee both ;but a dull Miniftery holds out the one,and hided' the other. Againe, though the Word onely convert , it is not the Minitter that workes, but the Word ; yet the. Mini -' Peer is appointed of God to be a meanes to draw peoples at- tentions to the Word.Now when he does it in a cold man- ner, the people are the more apt to let fall their intentions, and not mark it. Thus you fee bow a Minifter may be guil- ty of the deadneffe of his people two wayes, firtt, by his not preaching at all. Secondly , by his dead manner of preaching. There is one more yet remaines, and that is, Thirdly, by his dead life and converfation ; an evill lite in the Minifter, makes preaching feein vile : when he makes it appeare by his coarfe , ,that he makes no confcience of framing his life accordin
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