r. .!n A.b q eH A A.i ..b M A .A A An A A . d A P eP i!F`_'ésSSîizäzèiZs:f`s__rfivizs2ÿ5îCiésFti(>G:?i,-5`9i5iliz To-the REIIDER. Chriftian Reader, V R bleffed Lord calling the Multitude to force account of their fo free, andfrequent motions in going to hear thefifty &Ofpeó : reacher, John the Baptift, doth it in thefe term's; Matth. W hat went you out into the Wildernefs to fee ? A Reed lhakenwith the wind ? But what went ye out for to fee? A man cloathed in foft Rayment ? They that wear foft Cloathing are in Kings houfes. But what went ye out for to fee ? A Prophet ? yea, I fay unto you, and more than a Prophet. V. t t . Verily I fay nntò you, that aeionglt them that are born of Women, there hath roz rifen a greater than John the Bap- tilt : notwithitanding, he that is leaft in the Kingdom of God, is greater than he. Teaching us feve- rid thìnós by that fpeech, relating to the Religious action of hearing the Wordd, and to a true Gofpel Mintier. With reference to the former, (i.) That he that goals eat to hear, ought in the fiefl place to propound to himfelfa die End. _ (z.) That men may propofe to themfelves in fah motions very falfe and undue Ends,. fah as going to fee Reeds lhaken with the wind, men (loathed with fait R..yment, G. c. (3.) That the true End men. fbould propofe to themfelves, flrould be, not to hear a Philofonher, or an Orator, but a Prophet, which term fzg:. nifieth a Perfon revealing the Will of God ; ( for the ftgrnfcation of that term is not to be reftraìned to-one. amply from God revealing things to come, but pubüftnng the Divine Will, whether relating to future things,. or things before revealed; which is evident not only from the application of it ro the Baptift, but to any that ïcill confide, that Prediclions of future Contingencies was the leeift part.of any of the ancient Prophets. work) This is thatrrue and more fperiol End which every good man ought ro propostr:d, to limyelf, when he goeth to hearai a Religiom ablion, whole Objetl is not a mar found., n high is the Object of hearing conjidered,ae a natural Act, but of the jòyfnl Sound. Nor can there 1 }e any Obligation upon any, reliioc:fly to hear any thing but the will of God, which a Difcourfe doth not ceafe to be, by the addition of mans words for the Explanation or _Application of any part of the divine Will, byftch as God hath betrufied with that Employment,. more than an Embaffadors m ff ge ceafeth to be his Mafterowill, becaufe delivered in his own words, did to the Senfe of hisIafrubtioyrs. Which thing well dieefled, would not only teach Minifiers what, .and how to preach, but the People.alfo xis t, and to hear, according to the diniflion of their Lord. If our Endin hearing, were to tield:b olt, Fors with aSound; our Ideafoi, wàuldguide no to hear fish whofe Longiage is as the voice of one that bath a Lovely Song, . and can play well on an Inftrument. If our end were to promove our felves in. Critical Leavains, orimprove our Reafon, the fame Reafon would yttide us to choofe to hear the befit Philofophizers or Grammarians, fuch as beft under- flood the Niceties of words, and varieryes of Syntax. Bet if our end be to hear a. Prophet, one thartboulel re- veal Godsmind unto is, and to male it more intelligible, that by it we may be more znipro el in Knowledge, Faith, Love, Obedience, and other Habits fitting us for the Kingdom of God, and Éte -rt l Salvation , the fame reafon will teach no to hear the sooft fuhftantial, fcriptnral, and praltical Scrinots, that ive cnn trs being waft accommodate to the true end of our action, to which every ;rife man proportionerh edi to eibfion0.1 And indeed all other Difcourfes are abufvely called Preaching, and Athens were a more proper place for them, than a Preachers Pulpit. God bath famed to have refcrvcd it for a afar BleJno to the lag a e of the bT >oríd, ll?ce (for ozmht appears tons from any Book ) it both been more fertile of loch Preaching ,,than nap fine that of the APofiles. The an_ dent Church bad Perfons that did famoufy rn iheir Generations, fah were Chi y loftom in flip Greek, and Auguftine in the Latine Church ; but befideo that they were but aery feo', wbofo ea¿I the ove ,a'ad the other, ,.tuft complement Antiquity at great rate, ifhinsfelf path any judgment, and cloth not fay ghat Mlltitrtdes vs the left Age have been as to Preaching greater than they. In the former are to be found many judícioüs E;vplicnrioni of Scripture, many bong auditorium! Difcourfes: In the latter, not theft things only, btu a plenf ntrafs of Heir; and EMcyi; but for plenty of Matter, clea,:nefs of fndginent, Orderlinef of Method, and many other things, they have not been a little exceeded by men of this laft age. Nor is h any difpar ÿemenr tó them; more than it W0.2 to John the Baptift, that the dealt in the Kingdom of Heaven woo to be greater than he; órsoChrifl, that the Apoflles, Joh. 14. i i. were to do ,greater things than he had done. I r the, tni ate Ages of the Church, Preaching generally was turn'd into trifling about Scholaflickniceryeo, end eq ehe very, damning of the Reformation, the Priefts Texts were out of Scotus, or Aquinas; and we reInelber, they.were hot ajhained; when Luther, Melanfton,t e..refloredin fame degree the true kind of Preaching, to petition M ycitrates for the fuppreffion of it, and a liberty to trifle till n that great workof,God, with difcourfer upon Scotus and Aqu_ i- nas. Tho Luther, Zuinglius, and others in Germany ; and Mr. Calvin, Farellus, and Viret, abf7f Í3Má, in France, about a hundred and fifty years face, mended this matter in a great degree ; yet we all know hod ill their Examples were followed: So as Mr. Perkins, who began tofourifh abate the year 1580. is generally judred,t have been the firft who amongfl us reftored Preaching to us true life, and taught as the true manner of it, trhofe Piety woo followed by many ; but as their Number bath vaftly increafed fine that time (efpecially in the fifty or fnxty years loft paft) fo God bath feasted to pour ont his Spirit upon Miniftero, as to f oritual Gifts, in a more plentiful meafere : Yet in very different proportions, that he might have fume to feed his Lambs, as wdl os oilieri töfeed his Stteep. Tbe Generality.of good Preachers have made it their bu/nefs to preach Chrilt;: and the exceeding Riches of his Grace, and to /cudy matter rather than words, upon .d'fr. Perkins his old Principle, Verba fequentur res. B le àfh fiver dr had á[z(e feiii1á Invention, or folid Judgment, or alike Skill and Learning in Languages and Arts, &c. Some particular Perfons have been bided with than all, by 'dhlcgrlt,ee have-aiodetStarlrot the,fiflbMagnitudaln theChurch of Godi Read'er ireEakç the Re- verend Author of thefe SerbrRtuntorhave been ;-.in all mhofeWritings emu fhalt find, a quick and fertile Joven- tien,' ac oh
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