APPENDIX. If any doubt, obvious from fcripture, reafon, or prejudice of the hear– ers, feem to arife, it is very requilite to remove it, by reconciling the feem– ing differences, anfwering the reafons, and difcovering and taking away· the caufes of prejudice and mifl:ake, Otherwife, it is not fit to detain the hearers with propounding or anfwering vain or wicked cavils, which as they are endlefs, fo the propounding and anfwering of them cloth more hinder than promote edification. He is not to refl: in general doctrine, although never fa much clear– ed and confirmed, but to bring it home to fpecial ufe, by application to his hearers; which albeit it prove a work of great difficulty to himfel f, requiring much prudence, zeal, and meditation, and to the natural and corrupt man will be yery unpleafant; yet he is to endeavour to per– form it in fuch a manner, that his auditors may feel the word of God. to be quick and powe1ful, and a difcerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart; and that, if any unbeliever or ignorant perfon be prefcnt, he may have the fecrets of his heart made manifefi, and. give glory to God. In the ufe of inftruction or information in the knowledge of fame truth, which is a confequence from his doClrine, he may (when convenient), con– firm it by a few firm arguments from the text in hand, and other places of fcripture, or from the nature of that common-place in divinity, where– of that truth is a branch. In confutation of falfe doctrines, he is neither to raife an old herefy from the grave, nor to mention a blafphemous opinion unnecelfarily: But if the people be in danger of an error, he is to confute it foundly, and endeavour to fatisfy their judgments and confciences againfl: all ob– jeClions, In exhorting to duties, he is, as he feeth caufe, to teach alfo the means– that help to the performance of them. In dehortation, reprehenfion, and public admonition (which re– quire fpecial wifdom), let him, as there fhall be caufe, not only difcover the nature and greatnefs of the fin, with the mi(ery at– tending it, but alfo fhew the danger his hearers are in to be overtaken and f.urprized by it, together with the. remedies and beft way to a,.. void it. In applying comfort, whether general againfl: all temptations, or par– ticular againfl: fame fpedal troubles or terrors, he is carefully to anfwer fuch objeCtions, as a troubled heart and affiicted fpirit may fuggeft to the contrary. . It is alfo fometimes requilite to give fame notes of tFial (which is very profitable, efpecially when performed by able and experienced minifl:ers; with circumfpection and prudence, and the figns clearly grounded on the holy
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=