Saint Pauls Legacy. people and goo from them; fer they are all adulterers, and an affemhly of trecberous men ! Great is the griefe arifing in the foules of GodsMinifters,whé men continue barren under their labors: and when men thrive not, afcend not to perfe& ion in grace by the care and induftry of Gods watch-men, they lofe that knowledge, the prefence whereof is more pleafant then the Sun; that faith, the enjoyment whereof is more precious then all gold; that peace, which is more comfortable and delightfull then any Paradife, then the Garden of Eden it felfe : and that communion with God, in comparifon whereof the fweeteft communion with men is but an exilement, continuing their foules under the dominion of finne, which is more loath - fóme and full of torment then any fickneffe; under that bon- dage of Satan, which is infinitely worfe then captivity under any mortalttyrant, provoking God at length to leave them, and making their laft account; for all the Sermons which they have heard, moil dreadfull and molt uncom- fortable. Therefore let it be our care, after the long and frequent preaching of the Gofpel, after the due and faithful dif- charge of the Minifters duty towards us, to difcharge our duty allo towards God : the Lord hath caufed the Starre of his Gofpel a long time to Chine amongít you, and hath made the dew of his Do &rine to drop for divers yeers upon you : He bath (hewed you his Statutes and his teftimonies, be hatb not dealt f with every people, he hath not (hewed (itch mercy to every Congregation ; therefore, as the tree which Kath much foyle calf about him, brings forth much fruit ; as the fervant which had five talents, brought much advantage to his Lord and Matter ; fo firive yee to bring a meafure of glory to God,'anfwerable to the meafiire of the meanes he hath afforded you : the Lord bath fowne much, and looks to reap much ; the harveft mutt anfwer the feed be there- fore filled with all heavenly graces, as the Sea with waters ; be firong in faith, as the tree growes deep in the roots ; be fervent in love, as a fire of much wood ; abound in all the fruits of the Spirit, like the Tree which bare twelve forts of fruit. The i 159 Prov.z.r. I Pet. 1.6. 2, Revel. z 2.2.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=