494. ThePreachersplea, mevnto k; yet wereI not ofit, God hath taught me tohonour it , becaufethe elkenuo, t5 feetof themme beautifull whichbring glad tidingsof peace e. And howfocuerma. ny dofofarce exalt themfelues in their birth,in their richcs,in their witdome,in their perfonage andblood , that they thinke it a difparagement veto them to confecratc all their life to the Minifteryofthe Gofpell:yet asChrift himfelf dif. fftotn:r5.8. dained notto the title ofa : foamong all the titles of kingdomes and countries,this was to that great King themo(t honourable, Salomon the Prea. gEcd.e. I. cher 8. I muft therefore as a Mini(ter, but efpecially as a Chriftian, endeauour tomaintains the credit oftheminiftery.Andyet I amnot focarried away with a humorofmagnifying the profeflion,butthat I do fee and bemoane bothmine owne and other mens imperfeetions. Iknow, that thoughit be true, that we aremany timesflandred by thefoule mouthes,yetweoften fail,and giuegreat it Pect.z. offenceenenvntothofe thatfeare God, whodependingvpox vsb, arceithergrie- ued inheart,or(which is worfe)grieuoufly mitled,by our want ofwatchfulnes over ourfelues.And I heartily begof God fo toßablq%ne in eoeeryword andgood 'Thor. 2.t7. werke =, that whilewe flue,wemay beanexample tothem that beleesee`; and when r Tha.4.rz. wehase finilhedour course, the people may haueante torememberv+, mutts 1Hnb.13.7s followourfaitb,cenfideringwbat bath been the endofoureonuerfation1 Nymph. MyheartfaithAmenvntoyourgoodprayer, andGodforesee atourback, wards,:, in that wemakefefeldomemention ofyere which areoar Minèffere,in ourpray. ers unto him. &O nowto the next exception which is sgainfI thehearers; the common Paying ie, that there are none visuallyfo badas thefe Puritans (forfo in thenigno- rancemot knowing truly what aPuritan is, and in their malicePeeking todijgrace bone men, they terme emery manthat make conjcienceofbearing thewerd, for the building mh&ao. himfelfeinholy faithn) theyare nothing but a packe ofHypocrites, men that arenotto benulled for all their faire fhews,holy horfes,and the likenamesof di fgrace,whiehhelfcaninueut :ardour ofthìcpueldleofreproachful! feeches againfg the!osiersofpreaching,they gathervpfilth totafi intothe face ofpreachingitfelfe- Epaph; This exception, andthat which went nextbefore, are fowell like; that they doeeafhly appearetohaue had one father, euen the diuell, who was a, flancierer from thebeginning:but bleffedbe God, that it is nomatter of any ; aeu. z.z4. great difficulty to dìfcouer,euen the deepneffe ofSatan" tobemeere fimplicitye Fitt} then for this,touching the hypocri fieofour hearers, it is but a meereflan. der r for (tothe glory of God beit fpoken) there are manyof thofe thatreue. rence, this Comuch contemned courseofpreaching , whobaoicnet onelyathem enTim.3.5. ofgodlineffe, but doalfofeele thepowerthereof^:and are careful! , as theybeleeuein p.Titus 3.8. God,fotofliewforthgeodworks': fo that their lines doadorn the daclrineofGodoar q Tamss. to. Sauiour9; yea and (which is thecaufeof fo great malice of the vngodly) euen eEphef.5, rr. reprouethe lwdneffeof the irrelgiousr. Secondly, fuppofeit tobefo (as it may well, hypocrites mingling themfelueswith the foundefi Chriflians,) that Come ofthofe that carry a faceof holineffeand crate, and loue to theword, doenot- [IpheCr.tt. withftandinghold fellowfhipwith the vnfraitfnllworkerofdarkeneffer liming ,after su Pct 4.a,3. the lothofinen,aud runningwith the wicA1ed to thefame eaeeffeofriot t t yet who is a- ble to fay,that euer they receiued anyencouragement by preaching,foto doe? Hath thattaught them any fuch matter, and not rather the Beane contrarie ?, Let malice fpeake,if it benot conftrainedfor very fhameto keep Glence.Doth the preacherperfwade any manrobe an 'Curer, an oppreffour, a hard dealer,a drunkardawhore-mafler,orthelike? Nay itis well kaowre, that he tellifierfi u, Thdr.4.t. tooneand other, that the Lordis answngerofal filch thtngs°,andthat forthem hie aEpheC{.e. w ratbcomesuponthechildrenofdifbediencse.Thefetwothings,namely,thefalle. hoodof the exception, and the bad confequenceof it,ifit were true, may flop their mouches which nfeit : but you toldme(as Iremember)that therebe fun. dry arguments ofthis kind,I prayyou let vs hears them:no doublyou fhall fee themall when they are arraigned and broughtto receiue their trial] at the Tribunall
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=