Fenner - Houston-Packer Collection BX5037 .F46 1651

222 CHRISTS hcarm fare him, and love him. Wee are to teach people how to pray; how to walk in all hol'inefs and righteouthes of living : the great things of Gods Law, the deep things of theSpirit, the myfteries of Eternal1 life, to open the wiles of Satan, the miflakes of the hearts of men, the many by -wayes of the foule, yee know finis covered over with pkafures and pro - fits, and carnal! reafons and eváfions , and we are to lay it out naked, as indeed it is. Gracious and godly courfes, teem grievous, and irkfome, and uncouth, and vile, and.needlefíe, and we are to discover the inward pleafure, and commodity, and neceffi.y and glory ofthem, and therefore we have need of abilities. Thirdly, to Convince, yee know how the heart does uiè to put off the Word, and'if it meet with a do&rine, or a re- proof; or a precept, that it does not like , it will deny it it will cavil! and carp , O, it is falle as Johann and others laid to Jeremiah, it is fali'e , you doe not fay true , wee will never beleeve it. When wee paint out a drunkards damned eftate, he is ready to gainfäy it, or an adulterers, he is ready to except, people contradi& tuck paffages ofthe Word, as are againft their lulls, and they give us very little better then the ly,, many times, therefore a M inifler fhould bee able to convince, that he may be able by (build do&rüse, both to ex- hort, and to convince thegaiu- fayers, Tit.i.9. when peo- ple are fubje& to condemn us forharfhneffe, and hard fay - ings, and that we doe not preach placeMtia enough, we muff be able to ufe fume fpeech that cannot be condemned, Tit.a. 8. when a Minifler preaches weakly, Sermons are like wide nets, or rotten threads,that th.e Birds may get through or break, this is not able preaching, as Zwinglista Laid of Carolefiadius, 'when he heard him difputing weakly againft confubftantia- tion, O, fayeshe, J'am lorry that fo good acaufe fhauld have filch a weak. defendant. It is làid of Apellos, that bee mightily convinced the Jewes. Stephen, theUniverlty -roen there, that came huddling about him, they were not able to withfland the Spirit, and the wifdome by which hee fp,

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